Cali Trip 2014 - The Power of Sisterhood

Last Friday, I got to go on a trip to Cali where I visited my sister, Lexie and her family. It was a great weekend. What also made it great was that I didn't bring my computer with me because I'm still on the process of applying to myself the importance of family. Unfortunately, my cell phone has Internet access but I only did it in my spare time when everyone was tired. However, I shouldn't treat my phone like that. It should only be used as a phone to text or call someone.

We did lots of fun things together. I got to see my friend Ryan over the weekend. He hung out with us the day I arrived in Oakland and went to the movie theaters. We saw the new Disney movie, "Frozen." I loved watching it, not only because of the amazing music but also because of the great message. It teaches us that we should never be afraid to be ourselves, and the love of family is so strong. "Let It Go!"

It was great to see Ellie, "who is no more than two." She has grown so much! She's walking, talking, and grown a lot of hair. She was so excited to see me. Excited enough to want to hug me when I came to Cali. When Lexie was paying attention to other things such as looking at a house, I took the opportunity to look after her as if she were my daughter.

A friend of Lexie's once told me that I'm a natural. I guess that's true because I have a tendency to care for other people, especially little children. I've been told lots of times by other people that I will become a great mom when I have the opportunity, which I hope I will become a great mother to my own children.

On the last day in Cali, Lexie took me and Ellie to Bodega Bay for clam chowder and a visit to the beach. I was thrilled to come to the beach so I could walk barefooted on the sand and soak my feet in the waves... even though the water was cold. Coming to the beach is my favorite thing to do in Cali or anywhere else that has a beach. It's just the good feeling of being close to nature.

I was feeling emotional after Lexie dropped me off at the airport and hugged me for about a minute. I wish I could've stayed longer, but it was time for me to get back to my social skills class. I can't afford to make a lot of absences. But, I'm grateful for the opportunity to spend time with family.

"Sister is probably the most competitive relationship within the family, but once the sisters are grown, it becomes the strongest relationship."

~Margaret Mead~

*Note: I do not own the first four pictures. These were taken by Lexie, so she deserves the credit.

The Happiest Place On Earth

When I was a little girl, I went on a trip to Disneyland with my family for few days where I had a blast. It was a great place to see my imagination come alive as that is one of Disney's purposes; to make a child's imagination come alive and feel like the fairy tale is real... Like meeting some of my favorite Disney characters such as Winnie the Pooh...

Ariel the beautiful mermaid...

And Snow White, "the fairest of them all."

Ever since I went there, I've been happy because it is "the happiest place on Earth." I got to ride on the merry-go-round like Mary Poppins did, along with Bert, and the Banks children, Jane and Michael.

I rode on a rocket so I could fly in the sky like Buzz Lightyear does while serving Star Command. 

Though I wasn't old enough to drive a car, at least I did at Disneyland, and so did my sisters under a careful eye.

Eleven years later, I got to go again where I had the inner child in me.

Plus, the opportunity to spend time with family and friends. Disneyland and Disney World are places for everyone to come and have the happiest of times.

For the sake of children, Walt Disney built these parks to entertain them by making their imaginations come to life. The Disney movies are also to make them laugh, even though they give important lessons.  Disneyland and Disney World are designed to be kid-friendly and they ought to be that way. They should never be changed to anything that is worldly because children are young, and they ought to understand that there is only one prince and princess; only one Tarzan and Jane, Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, Aladdin and Jasmine, and Ariel and Eric, etc.

Every child has a mother and father, and he or she deserves a right to connect with both of them. And he or she deserves something or someone that can teach them to be good in their lives.

Important Lessons from Disney:

1. "The world is full of problems."  (The Sword in the Stone)
2. "No matter what anybody says, you'll always be a prince to me." (Aladdin)
3. "Dreams do come true." (The Princess and The Frog)
4. "No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, a dream that you wish will come true." (Cinderella)
5. "Trust your heart, let fate decide to guide these lives we see." (Tarzan) 

Let's keep Disney as it was meant to be... a fantasy for children to grow, love, learn, hope and live happily ever after. Let's not change its reputation as it was when Walt Disney built it.

Five Does In A Row

On this Sabbath Day when Bre, Jose and I were about to leave for Nina and Andrew's to have dinner, we saw five does on a hill in the yard of our neighbors. It was an awesome experience to witness five females without their males standing tall and strong. Seeing them on that hill reminds me of the strength and power of womanhood. They might've been scared to go without their bucks who would guide, protect and love them, but they were surrounded with friendship, sisterhood, and motherhood. They might've gone through hardships like climbing up steep hills and soaking their feet in cold snow. But with the power of love and teamwork, they made it to the top of the hill.

“What a beautiful woman. She moved with grace, she was entirely feminine, and yet, she possessed incredible inner strength. She’s a survivor.”
~ Jan Moran ~

The World Is Full Of Problems

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ9fixoPBPk

I was watching "The Sword in the Stone" with my folks on Saturday night at Nina's apartment, and Andrew picked this out. I've always thought the beard scene as one of the funniest scenes I've watched in Disney movies. Merlin teaches Arthur (aka "Wart") that everyone has his or her own problems. His very wise example: his long beard gets stuck in the door and gives Merlin a hard time.

Provo Snow

I woke up this morning to a white surprise. Snow! Snow was on the ground falling from the sky! It was a huge surprise for me and everyone, I'm sure. I had plans to go into town today, but because of the snow and I live uphill, they were changed. So, I spent my time in the house all day, staying warm, watching good movies, learning how to draw animals, and drinking a nice cup of hot chocolate. What a sad day to change plans, but a great day to relax and drink some hot chocolate.

In the middle of the R&R, I did some plowing on the driveway and stairs outside. It took me about 10-15 minutes to get it done. I didn't get all of it off the driveway, but I got most of it.

As of tonight and right now, there is still snow on the ground and I have a wild guess that more will come throughout the night. Wouldn't that be nice?

Provo Sunset - The Qualities of Color

“There's a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they're absolutely free. Don't miss so many of them.”

~ Jo Walton ~

Earlier this evening, the sun was setting in the east from my house in Provo. The view was so beautiful I had to take a picture of it. I love the view of the sunset, especially when it's surrounded by clouds that can bring so much color to the world. This is coming from someone who's an art nerd, but color brings life to things. When the sun goes down and there are clouds, color is made and so is life. Color can also help us to live.

There may be a type of color that we disagree because of the first impressions from the appearance of it, but why not try something with it to see what it can do? It could teach us things that we never learned when we were younger. It could also show us something or someone that is real, alive and beautiful.

New Year... New Beginning...

Happy 2014 everybody! This is a new year with a new start. I moved all of my items out of my apartment in Idaho and stored most of them in my brother-in-law's parents' house, and only brought my suitcases, blanket, backpack and computer all the way down to Utah where I will, as usual, be staying during my off-track semester.

While I was on my home from Idaho, I saw all the mountains and snow which I lived in for two years after I moved from California to here. I said to myself, "I'm home!" This picture is a little dark because it's nighttime. It's the view of Utah Lake.

The weather in Utah has been quite nice this week. There is still some snow outside, but it's not too cold. In the daytime, it's not super cold except in the night. Lately, the weather has been up to 50 degrees Fahrenheit and it's the perfect weather for the winter. I wish it could be like this forever.

Another surprising moment I noticed is my hair growth. It grew a little bit longer than the day it was cut short. There's a confession I have to make about my hair. I do love short hair because it's easy to not worry about what to do with it. But... I like it a little bit longer because I want my hair in a ponytail. So yes, I'm happy that it's finally growing a little longer. I think I'll just keep it to my shoulders. That's long enough to be in a ponytail and short enough to not get in the way all the time.

"Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes."

~ Anne of Green Gables ~

Because it's a new year, this is a good time to plan some goals. They could be anything we wish them to be. I'm one of those people who came up with a list of goals for this year. Below is a numbered list of some goals I put on my journal. It's not easy to achieve these goals, but does it really hurt to try?

1. Read the scriptures daily, at least 1 chapter.
2. Pray continually.
3. Go to bed early.
4. Spend more time socializing with others.
5. Be friendly to everyone.
6. Use technology wisely.
7. Eat the right stuff more often.
8. Exercise daily.