The power of chocolate...

Some have underestimated the power of chocolate and its ability to improve a person's mood. I am a firm believer in the benefits of this delicious food. I trust my mom, therefore I trust this website:

http://www.momscape.com/articles/chocolate.htm

Sure I could have found a more reliable source....but why doubt the mama's of the world?? They know their stuff when it comes to chocolate :)

Lazy days

Today has been a lazy yet productive day. I spent time talking with Whit and Nick, just lounging around the living room. It is always fun to talk about random things with them. I forget about how insightful my family can be sometimes. We joke around and laugh, but there is more to us thankfully. I trust their opinions and always miss them when we aren't together. Even though we can have some interesting disagreements when we are :) We watched Harry Potter: The Chamber of Secrets together, well, we all started watching it and Nick left to Seattle and Whit fell asleep. So I finished watching it by myself. You miss so much when you watch the movies without reading the books, it all makes a lot more sense now! The nice thing about laundry is that I can do something else while cleaning :) I would occasionally pause the movie to change the clothes, and have half of my room clean already lol. Then I ran some errands and went to Willow Point to enjoy the sunshine for an hour. Driving this time unfortunately, not running like Saturday. I want to make it a habit to come home from work and jog to Willow, jump in the lake and them walk home. I think it would be good for me and get me jogging more than I am. I only have 2 1/2 weeks left of enjoying the lake everyday, pues lo voy a aprovechar! :)

My 25 Things

A friend recently had her 40th birthday and celebrated by making a list of 40 things that make her happy. It's always nice to think about those things, so I am doing a list of 25 things. It will not include everything, but just a handful that are on my mind now :)

1) Long car rides with great company
2) Watching a show with my sisters and mom
3) The first hugs from Travis after I haven't seen him for months
4) Painting my toenails and fingernails
5) The smell of pot roast, carrots and potatoes in the crock pot
6) Driving down Totem Pole at night with the windows down to smell the sweet apple blossoms with Aaron, coming back from Idaho after being away for a long time.
7) Laughing until I cry with my family in the kitchen
8) Late night swims in the Lake
9) Being close to Rock and having him reach for me.
10) Rock's laugh
11) Seeing my parents hold hands
12) Me holding hands with my sweetheart
13) Hymns in Spanish
14) Fresh apple cider
15) Sleeping in a cool room with heavy blankets on me and a cool pillow
16) Texts and phone calls
17) New adventures and Florida
18) Orange Chicken and Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes
19) Going to the beach and swimming with Travis
20) Second chances
21) Grandpas and Grandmas, and Grandpa's milkshakes
22) Taking new pictures
23) Temples and forever families
24) The taco wagon quesadillas
25) Traditions

Here's my first Happy List. I know I cheated, but I had to have it all on there :)

Top Five

I'm excited to move to Florida...Here are my top 5 reasons why :)

#1 Being with Travis and riding on his motorcycle. Yes I'm very excited to ride his motorcycle with him :) I still have my reservations about it, but am trusting that he won't be like the last guy I rode with that decided to flip us over by driving into a ravine. Not to mention the fact that I ended up with the four wheeler on top of me. But yes, I am looking forward to going cruising down the road with Travis. Hopefully I can sweet talk him into taking us to the ocean on it :)

#2 Panda Express. Orange Chicken. Enough said.

#3 No snow this winter!!!!

#4 Disney will be super close. I'll need to buy a pass if I can't find a job there.

#5 Challenge, travel and adventure :) I can't just drive home, so it will force me to step out on my own. I'm glad I will have Travis there with me!

Won-Won

There aren't many times that I laugh out loud while reading a book, but today was one of those rare events. Sitting in my guard shack, reading Harry Potter all by myself, I started laughing hysterically. Thankfully no one was walking or driving by, because they would have believed me to be crazy. It was just one of those moments when the humor hit me right. As it is, I have read the first 6 Harry Potter books in the last 2 weeks. It makes me wonder why I have put them off for so long. Actually, I know why, but it seems like a stupid reason now. I've started the 7th and last book tonight and have a feeling that I'll be a little sad when I finish it. But then I can start another series. I'm trying to convince Travis to read a biography with me, and he said he would, but we will see. He was going to read this series over again with me, but I think he has only made it through 1 1/2 books so far lol. In his defense he has a lot of things going on with his new job and motorcycle, not to mention spending time talking to me every night :) And really, if I had to choose, I would pick talking together over reading together right now :)

Benedryl.... oh sweet benedryl

I'm trying to decide if I like benedryl. I don't like the doped up feeling, but being able to sleep through the itchiness of the rash I have is wonderful. The other night as I laid down my throat started hurting. And not the burning or itchy feeling that comes with a cold. It was like my throat was being torn out of my body. The next morning I went to work, but the feeling still lingered, though not as strong. That night after work I noticed huge red welts all over my chest, arms and feet and my throat was starting to close up. Trying not to panic, I went to Walmart to buy some benedryl praying that it would work so I wouldn't have to go to the hospital. It kept the swelling and rash from continuing but I was still covered in it. I had to call in sick yesterday at work, and I have never done that before. Not even when I got surgery the day before. I still have no clue what caused the reaction, and even started breaking out again last night. I asked my brother Nick for a blessing and he came right over. I know I will get better, but it is not fun dealing with it now, especially since I don't have the luxury of sleeping tonight because I work the night shift. Oh well :) Life goes on. Enough of my complaining. So that is where I'm at. I think I like benedryl.

Housing

Honestly, I didn't expect my housing in Florida to fall into my lap quite like it did. I'm grateful for answered prayers and that this family is willing to work with me and not charge me a fortune for being able to be so close to Disney and Travis :)

It is a nice house in Windermere and I will be renting out part of the upstairs and a bathroom and kitchen when it is completed.

It is hard for me to fathom how things will be changing this fall, but I know that changes need to happen in order for me to grow and be challenged. Moving to Florida is exciting on many levels, personal being high up there. It is also not something that I am doing on impulse. I have thought about the choices I have, as well as prayed after I made my decision. I feel good about it, so I know as I do my part in finding a job and housing, that things will work out the way they should. The morning after I poured out my concerns in prayer, I was told of this family in Windermere, and by the next day, had this agreement lined up. Now I'm having the same faith that I will be able to find a job that will provide for my needs. This blessing probably won't be as immediate, but I trust that it will happen as it should. My perspective is not as broad and clear as the Lord's and I will just trust Him and do my best.

It sure is an exciting adventure :)