I Looked Out the Window and What Did I See??

... An old lady in a muumuu living in a camper???


WHAT HAPPENED WHILE WE WERE IN CALIFORNIA?!?!

La la la

	I'm Singin' Tuesday, June 1, 2010
	8:00pm - 9:15pm
	Brigham Young Historic Park 59 E. North Temple, SLC, Utah

Sunshine

HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY, "Suck!"
("Suck" is Kensie's latest name for her uncle...)

Hi folks. Chuck turned the big 3-0 on Wednesday and what did we do to celebrate?

I got him into the car and blindfolded him with two ties...

We drove to Provo and hopped in the car with his aunt and cousin...

We drove through his birthplace - Henderson, Nevada, at nearly the exact time of his birth!

... and we ended up at Disneyland.
For three days.
My husband is a happy 30 year old.

* A huge thanks to Jill and Nate for making it all happen! *

Other happies:

- Flowers: We got home tonight and found that the planter in our front yard had been filled with flowers. THANK YOU Tom and Lisa!!!

- Fantastic Disneyland food: Corn dogs, Blue Bayou, Churros, Pineapple Dole Whips, Bengal BBQ, giant peanut butter/chocolate chip cookies, Limeaide. Goodbye flat tummy.
- Concert: Singing. Happy.
- THE BACHELORETTE: A friend and I have a very fun project in the works for this season... Stay tuned.
- Cheese: It's yummy.
- Home: I love coming home after a trip. I LOVE home.
- Glee: Love me some because my husband mocks it almost as well as he mocks The Bachelor.
- Summer: The forecast says it's here... we'll see!
- De-Chunking: Run run run. That's the plan. Also, I will once again be torturing myself with Bob and Jillian.
- Yellowstone: We're going.
- Orlando: I'm going.
- Surgeries: Grandma and step-mom doing well so far. Relieving.
- Husband: I love him.
- Holiday: 4th of July. Coming. Favorite.

Backburner-ed Blogging

Yep. Haven't spent any time in the blogging world for about three weeks now. Too much going on. Lots of performances, lots of work, lots of drama, lots of responsibilities, etc. etc. etc. As we head into June, I'm thankful that the year is half way through, that I get to take some good vacations, and that it's finally Summer! (Well, almost... sometimes the weather would like to tell us otherwise...)

Happies of the last THREE weeks:

1. Temple: I've been able to go twice in the last three weeks and it has been absolutely wonderful. I am so thankful for a place where I can go to feel close to Heavenly Father and ponder and learn and grow and serve.

2. Hair: Finally got my hair "did" last week. I feel much less FRUMPY.

3. Grass: Who knew Chuck and I could be so obsessed with GRASS? We look at our yard lovingly every day and have spent the last three weeks trying to make our baby grass as plush and green as possible. I never saw myself as a person who would drive around neighborhoods and be envious of the GRASS in someones yard.

I have become that person! (Does that make me domestic yet???)

4. Students: I have enjoyed, the last three weeks, lots of time with my students at the Scera. We completed our production of "Seussical Jr." on May 11, had a Broadway Review with the entire Scera Youth Theatre the following week, and finished up the year with class last Thursday. I'm grateful to have had time with these fun, talented kids this past school year. I'm thankful to have at least one of my jobs pertain to what I am actually GOOD at. I'm not GREAT at TEACHING it all yet, but I am getting better. I wouldn't have survived the ropes of the Scera without some wonderful assistants as well.



5. Friends: I cannot express how grateful I am for friends who can talk some sense into me. :-) Andrea and Hilly are VERY good at this, and I am thankful. Now I just need Andrea and Devin to move back to Utah. Now would be good. :-)

6. LDSJournal.com: What? I'm like a broken record? Yep. I still love it.

7. Wedding: Oh, how I still love to think about it and remember. I was never one to fantasize over weddings until my own was over. Now I do all the time. Best day ever.



So those are my happies.

Now: Changing gears for fun.

Thanks, KSL's Nightside Project for making me think- I am curious to see what y'all have to say about this:

Dating VS Marriage in the Social Networking World

Blogging, Facebook, Twitter, all things social and online: Are you dating these sites? Or are you married to them? Let me explain...

When you are dating you always present your best self. You are careful about what you say, conscious of what you do, and you have a filter on your behavior at all times. There's often a tease or a flirt, and occasionally you'll let loose and get a little crazy. But let's be honest- you're being JUDGED, so you're careful about what you say and do. You're always being watched, and you're aware of it...

When you're married the walls come down. Your spouse learns that you look goofy in the morning, you have habits that drive him crazy, and the filter that your mouth once had fades away and a stream of consciousness verbiage explodes. When you're married, there's not much left to guess. You're always being watched, but you don't really care...

So, are you dating or married to your social networking sites? What do you share? How far do you go in what you say in a Facebook status or on a blog? What are YOU comfortable with? I think that many of us type away without REALLY thinking through the fact that x- amount of Facebook friends can, and actually WILL, READ what we're typing. Do you sometimes post things to "fish for compliments?" Do you sometimes vent without really thinking about the fact that the person you're venting ABOUT could VERY easily read your words? Whether you consciously had an ulterior motive or not, have you ever posted something that you probably just should have kept to yourself?

I'm just curious.

Many people- sometimes myself included- have NO filter when it comes to Blogs, Facebook statuses,Tweets, etc. I can't help but strongly believe that ALL this causes WAY more drama in life than is EVER needed.

Common phrases of 2010:

"Oh my gosh, did you see what ( Insert Name ) 's Facebook status said this morning?"
"Oh yeah, I read your blog!"
"So-and-so removed me as a "friend!"
"I can't believe that she wrote that!"

Gossip gossip gossip... talk talk talk...speculate speculate speculate...

For months I have been warned by family members and those close to me that if they'd been reading my blog as an outsider, they'd assume that I am really unhappy with my life and in my marriage. Hmmmm. That came as a shocker. Yeah- I poke fun and tease and am very sarcastic in what I say- but I also feel as if I'm pretty positive and post about the good things going on in life. But it all made me think about what I am posting, and how people are perceiving it all.

How are YOU perceived via Tweets and Facebook status updates???

I guess I have learned that some things are better vented behind the privacy of my online journal. (Insert plug for LDS Journal right here!) The drama that could ensue from a spontaneous Twittered thought is absolutely not worth my time. I also believe, though, that sometimes the things posted on these sites really HELP those around us to know that they are not alone in their feelings- we're bonded via blogs and Facebook. I'll absolutely admit that I feel bonded and sometimes "warm and fuzzy" after reading a blog of emotional bulimia.

So, there are pros and cons to the "dating" and "marriage" relationships of social networking...

Are YOU dating, or married to your Facebook, Blogs, etc... ???? Do you have a filter? Or do you freely share without a care?

Clever

Some people do multi-level marketing. I have never seen this approach:

The Setting: Craigslist.

The Ad: "I'm looking for a part-time secretary to work from home to help manage my window cleaning operations including crews, schedule, book keeping, customer calls, and place classified ads online, blogging, social media, and a few other things."

Amy's Response: "Cool. I shall respond."

The Result: Scam used to find suckers of multi level marketing.

I can never get back that 45 minutes of my life...