Lifting a Bus

This Month in the Ensign there is a story called "My Lifeline Was Prayer" By Phyllis Bishop. The story is one i have heard my whole life. It's of my great grandfather, James Alfred Hansen. My father's grand father.
He was a bus driver in a tiny town in Nevada in the early 1930s. While turning a corner, something with the brakes malfunctioned and the bus went off a cliff into a ravine. Phyllis, who was in third grade, was caught under the bus, and had been scalped. Her side of the story is in the above article. My grandfather and Father have told me the side of James Alfred, though. His side is also inspiring and i wanted to share some snippets from it.


Phyllis mentions that her uncle, my great grandfather, prayed for divine help and then got a new fence post to lift the bus.
What she didn't say, was that that prayer was an urgent, plea for a miracle. Alfred wasn't strong enough to pull that fence post out of the ground. I've seen my dad put those kind of fence posts in the ground, and it's extremely hard work. The posts are probably 6-7 feet tall, but 2 of those feet are buried firmly in the ground. Alfred told the older boys that he was going to lift the post from the ground, shove one end under the bus, and then lean on the other side to lift up the bus, and when he did, that they should go under and carefully get Phyllis out. He waked over to the post, wrapped his arms around it and with what could only have been God given strength, he pulled the post out of the ground. Then with his bare hands he tore off the barbed wire still attached to the post, and carried the post to the bus. Alfred shoved one end under the bus, and again with what literally had to have been divine aid, lifted a school bus several feet off the ground, just enough for the older boys to get Phyllis.

I can only imagine the kind of faith required for such a feat.
and I can only imagine the relief that swept over Alfred to see his neice alive after such a horrible accident.
Phyllis' recovery and her rescue were absolutely miracles.

I love my family, and I'm so grateful to be part of such an incredible legacy. Also, Pahranagat Valley is full of angels. FULL of them. I've felt it. I love my family. and I'm eternally grateful for miracles.


My Grandpa was in first grade and on the bus when this happened. His dad was driving the bus. Phyllis Bishop is his cousin. He still remembers  that day, and tells the story with the highest respect for his father and with awe toward all that God can do.

JUST TELL ME WHAT TO DO, OKAY?

i'm in a play, and i'm the only one in the cast who knows the ending, and so i'm trying to improv myself into situations that will hurry along the plot, but the other actors have no idea what i'm doing. so they just look at me like i'm crazy. or ignore me. that's my favorite.
What do you do when you know the ending but you have to fill up two hours of getting there? and your co-star didn't read the whole script before coming on stage?
cool. I'll just try not to ruin everything and wait for the director to tell me what i'm doing wrong.

yeah, that's sounds good.

My 100 list

My cousin Jessica has one of these. and it seemed fun. I've been working on it for dayyys because i don't have the patience to make a list of 100 things all at once.
so here are one hundred insignificant but important facts about me:




1. I won the Miss MSHS pageant in 2012, and I'm unabashedly proud of it.

2. I was born and raised in Madera, CA.

3. John Stamos was/is my childhood crush. that grin. kill me.

4. Purple is the best color.

5. Someday I will be fluent in American Sign Language.

6. I have never been in a serious car accident.

7. My first "Job" was as a babysitter (starting at age 11) but my first JOB was as a receptionist/ clarical worker at a law firm and i LOVED it.

8. I hate taking pain killers.

9. I'm studying 'Home and Family' (basically child development meets stay-at-home-mom) at BYU-Idaho.

10. I am painfully loud and hyper.

11. MY dream jobs include: Actress, Country singer, Children's Art Therapist and alarm clock buzzer developer.

12. I love watching bugs die as i flush them down the toilet.

13. I have never broken a bone.

14. As a child i had ITP, and had to have blood tests weekly. To this day, i am afraid of needles because of it.

15. I have kissed 2 (EDIT: 3 as of March 2014. TMI, mom? sorry.) boys in my whole life. I regret the second.

16. I have never snuck out of the house.

17. I have had abnormally swollen tonsils since i was six.

18. I love sweeping floors.

19. For most of my senior year of high school, i had the Deathly Hallows drawn on my left wrist in permanent marker.

20. Never had  liquor.

21. i hate eating fish. any and all kinds are disgusting.

22. I've had the same 3 best friends since kindergarten.

23. I LOVE NICKNAMES. few people are listed in my phone by their actual name.

24. I hate Las Vegas.

25. I hate trains. they just look WAY too wobbly to be safe. [EDIT: I'm okay with Trains now. (7/31/14) I've ridden one million in the past 18 months to and from my sister's house. i actually kinda like them.]

26. someday in the distant future, when i have kids, i want 4 girls and 4 boys.

27. I'm a hopeless romantic.

28. I've never worn glasses, but my right eye is a piece of junk. (EDIT: I started wearing glasses March 13, 2014)

29. If i could paint all day, I would.

30. I taught myself to play the piano and the guitar.

31. I like to pretend that I'm a photographer. really, i'm just a wanna be. Also i would love to be one of those sarcastic, snippy journalists that writes for un-important magazines. I wrote a weekly article for my local newspaper the first half of Senior year and i was hooked. Someday, I'm going to write an article for The Ensign or the New Era.

32. The only time I've EVER gotten an "F" on anything was in Mrs. Watterson's AP lang class. i worked my butt off for a B in that class.

33. I have a hard time not capitalizing every word i type.

34. I don't do scary. at all. I had nightmares for weeks after watching literally two seconds of the "woman in black" preview. honestly, i can't handle anything more frightening than like, The dang Little Mermaid.

35. I hate running. the end.

36. I love water polo. I miss it an insane amount.

37. Swedish Fish are my weakness.

38. I don't particularly enjoy cake.

39. Reading is my passion.

40. Impatient beyond belief.

41. I'm really good at acting like i like people that hate me.

42. The only blog i follow where i don't actually know the people in real life is young people in love (EDIT: and Nienie dialogues)

43. I prefer giving handmade gifts, but  i feel like people don't like receiving handmade things anymore.

44. I have Asthma. Mostly it's sports induced, but every once and awhile i'll randomly get a horrible episode and have to use the stupid ventilator. I HATE using that devil contraption.

45. I am obsessed with William & Kate

46. Christmas is my favorite feeling.

47. Kids are my favorite people.

48. I love to cook, but i'm not very good. haha. I'm workin on it.

49. I get way too attached to TV characters.

50. I can't remember the last time i spent more than $20 on clothing.



WE'RE HALF WAY THERE! YOU CAN DO IT! PUSH THROUGH!



51. swimming puts me at ease.

52. I got a 3.85 GPA my first semester in college, thank you very much. School kicked my butt.

53. the only animal I've ever loved is my dog boots.

54. I don't want jewels on my wedding ring.

55. I believe in keeping the U.S. Constitution exactly the way it is.

56. I LOVE ice cream. but only Vanilla, Mint n' chip, or Cookies and cream. and ONLY in a cone.

57. I hate waitresses who flirt. DIE, FLOOZIES.

58.  I won "most school spirited" my senior year.

59. Can't dance. Still love to dance. deal with it.

60. I wear my retainer every night.

61. I shoot stray cats when they come into our yard.

62. I love babysitting.

63. I have a chicken pox scar on my right eyebrow. thanks katrina ;)

64. I love my feet. but no one else's.

65. I hate math with every fiber of my being.

66. I love giving perfect gifts.

67. there is honestly no place like home.

68. I love rollerblading!

69. Roller Coasters are my crack cocaine.

70. I'm afraid of ice skating because i feel like someone's blade is going to slice my shin open.

71. I hate the sound of people's nails. on anything.

72. Carrots get me through the day.

73. Celebrity crush: Eddie Redmayne. I LOVED HIM BEFORE ALL OF YOU, GET OVER IT.

74. In Jr.high i wanted to design clothes, so i spent endless hours sketching dresses and 'cute' outfits.

75. Beaches are for vacations, mountains are for homes.

76. I would rather be cold than hot, any day. In rexburg, i sleep with my window open at night. My roomates hate me.

77. I hate it when fish look at me . CREEPIEST THING EVER.

78. I listen to mainly country music. classical, christian, and broadway are my other go-tos.

79. No desire to drive stick. none.

80. I hate Beyonce. sorry.

81. PC > mac

82. Never been to a concert  Jon Schmidt! May 9, 2013

83. I love singing in a deep man voice.

84. I don't know how to use make up. no one ever taught me, and i don't care to learn, so i just do what i want. oh well.

85. If i drink too much milk, My throat gets itchy and my nose plugs up.

86. I'm a mormon. and i absolutely love it.

87. I DESPISE THE MUPPETS. except maybe Kermit.

88. Social ques? not too great at those.

89. Water is my favorite taste. Hiko water is the best.

90. I have an unhealthy obsession with Harry Potter. seriously, it's bad.

91. I've never been in love. (I think there is a big difference between loving someone and being in love. I have loved a boy before. just one. but I've never been in love.)

92. Favorite movies: The Little Mermaid, Gattaca, Tangled, August Rush, Ever After, That thing You Do, While You were sleeping, the Newsies, Sweet Home Alabama, The Incredibles, The Book Thief

93. wake me up before 7:00 am and I'll kill you.

94. I hate arguing. pointless.

95. I love Michelangelo. Genius.

96. I used to always think facial hair is repulsive on men under 25, but I'm becoming converted.

97. My family means everything to me.

98. I think croquet is the stupidest thing on the planet.

99. PIZZA. done.

100. I am a light switch. Totally uninterested or completely obsessed. Absolutely love or undeniably detest. Black or white. there is nothing Luke warm, gray or medium about me. Everything i have or nothing at all.





now that you know all these random facts, you can log that information away and never think of it again. Or, If you're purposefully creeping, you're welcome for all these amazing glances into my head.

Pismo patience

First of all:

Legacy (n)
anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor:

Also, I know that God knows me. Because he knows i'm not patient, so he makes me wait for things. And it makes them all the sweeter when they finally come. Even when the wait is painfully long and difficult. Some things I still don't see the sweet side to yet, and those things are hard to endure. But i know Heavenly Father is just helping me learn to be more patient and happy with what's happening right now instead of worrying about what may or may not be coming around the corner.


Finally, I took a spontaneous trip to the beach on Saturday. (That seems to be the only way i get to the beach, in the spur of the moment.) It was REALLY fun. It was a split second decision, but i'm glad i went. perfect relaxing day that i needed. I laid out on a towel all day reading, journaling, talking and laughing. Janelle and I walked all the way to the end of the pier to spit into the ocean. I left my phone in a jack in the Box in Atascadero, and half an hour later when i realized it was gone and we turned around, I prayed and prayed to get it back. Thank God for good people who turn in things instead of stealing them. I got my phone back. We sang a lot. And I actually made friends, and bonded with old ones, which i love.

Then, When we were almost home, we turned onto an old back road and went stargazing.

It was a good day.

Feet Sweepin'

I'd just like to let the world know that I had planned long ago to make bacon roses drizzled with chocolate for valentine's day for my boyfriend if i had one. hahahahaha obvi, that ain't happenin.
YALL ARE MISSIN OUT
Also, I would like to just let all the boys in my life know (although i bees KNOWIN that none of them read this blog.) that if any of them wanted to get me chocolate covered raisins, Swedish fish and a Blue ink Smash Pen (they're $2.47 at Wal-mart, jus sayin.) that that would be okay with me.
also if you want to prove your undying love for me, you could read Stargirl and just casually pop in a quote from it in some conversation with me. I'd prolly fall instantly for that.
Also, I'm ALWAYS up for ice cream, so i mean, that'd be cool too. If it's vanilla. in a cone. any cone will do

And that's it.
Just in case any of you wanted to sweep me off my feet at any time.

"courage to accept thy will"

mostly i'm happy.

But I miss Rexburg, and having no shame while eating an entire pizza by myself. And it's strange going to Singles ward with no brothers to shield you or laugh with or brag about or tag along with. It's weird not singing with them, or driving with them. "You never know what you've got until it's gone" YUP.

And It's difficult being asked by every. single. person. from your home ward, "So, when are you starting your mission papers?" When you're not planning on going. And that's my decision, and it's okay not to go. But it's hard sometimes. when all your friends are going, and you're not. and people don't want to ask "why not" but you know it's on the tip of their tongue so you feel like you have to explain yourself or make up excuses. I got an answer and I'm sticking with it unless it changes. which it hasn't. 

It's frustrating to wait. to wait for something for SO long and then realize it's never going to happen and you've wasted so much time. Not one of my expectations of my track off from school has been right, and that's hard. Just hoping that you're doing what's right. and praying for answers and getting "Don't worry, It's gonna work out. Just wait and see." 

So I'm waiting.

here.

Just waiting here.

It's testing my patience, I'll tell ya. 

It's hard when you think you're doing all that you're supposed to but not see any immediate results. 

That's faith I guess. and I find courage in small miracles. 

like singing this hymn after a particularly frustrating week:

"As now we praise thy name with song,

The blessings of this day
Will linger in our thankful hearts,
And silently we pray
For courage to accept thy will,
To listen and obey.
We love thee, Lord; our hearts are full.
We'll walk thy chosen way."

 "As Now We Take the Sacrament" Lee Tom Perry, LDS Hymns no. 169 emphasis added

It's hard sometimes.

But mostly I'm happy. and I really don't have to worry about it. It will work out. I can wait. I will see.

It's going to be alright in the end.

Pencils

The following post contains useless statistics about my pencil collection.
feel free to indulge or click away.

Here it is, what a beauty. You should know that this is probably about a third of what it was in it's heyday. (freshman/sophomore year of high school)

at one point i had almost 400 pencils.

over the years I've gotten rid of more and more. Yesterday i got rid of all but maybe 30, which is a big deal.

Most of the collection was a hand-me-down from my older sister Rebecca who also collected pencils, and lit the flame. 

I have pencils from literally all over the world; Russia, Australia, Mexico, Africa, Germany, Disneyland, and all over the US. I have eight from BYU, one from every branch of the military.

anyway, a lot of friends would bring them back from trips for me and those are the ones i ended up keeping.

So if you've ever thought of me and gotten me a pencil, thanks! and Thank you Rebecca for giving me a fun hobby. and thanks mom for buying pencils from EVERYwhere. haha.

here is the useless list i was talking about.
deal with it.

2 Candy canes- MSHS Diamond club. Holla! nerd unite.
4 Disneyland - 3 from mom, one from Nolan
3 from Moscow - from Katrina
Drum sticks, Hockey Puck, Monkey, Bat, R2D2, Philadelphia, Chicago, and a billion others from Mom.
2 glitter eraser pencils from Janelle dang Cota
2 Hawaii pencils from Derek that he got exchanging trinkets at the Jr. Olympics
4 "Property of Jamie" - from Dad
2 "Vote for Matthew Malcolm" -from Matthew Malcolm
Pencil from Africa with metal Elephant Topper - Dominic dang Bettini
2 from Mexico - One from Ernesto, one from Stephen
glitter Red, White and Blue pencils from Oscar because "You're so American" hahaha
most others - Rebecca. hahaha thanks y'all!

three

My Nephew Caleb. my dang best friend. 

Sometimes he acts like it, and other (most) times he is definitely three years old.

a picture really is worth a thousand words with this kid:

Happy very late birthday, Bub.

"Do you want to take a picture with your X-wing?"

"It's a Ty-fighter Aunt Wissa"

light to lead

"Let there be light to clear a path,
light to set a spark,
light: a ray of hope.
Light to spell the dark,
light to fill our minds,
light to cleanse our souls.
Light to make us whole."

- "Light of This New Day" from A Brand New Year 2009

Birthday Box

I made Brandon an exploding birthday box.

 I got the idea HERE.

I think it's pretty dang cute, but I also think Brandon is probably tired of my homemade cheesy gifts :)

It's SO easy to make, and it turned out really well! all you do is cut out plus signs in scrapbok paper and glue them to each other. haha. and then add pictures. 

It's supposed to be "an exploding year" but i couldn't choose just twelve pictures of us from the past year. so i decided i would do 19, because he turned 19. but then, i was just flipping through pictures and being nostalgic and chose more pictures from before 2012, and then i just didn't care how many pictures there were, because I loved pretty much every picture of us.

not to toot my own horn, but we're dang hilarious. and cute. and when we actually smile in pictures together, they're genuine smiles. and i like those.

so i forced myself to narrow it down to 23. plus the photo on the lid. so 24. haha. 

that awkward moment when your feet are as manly as his.

and 1999 is when we met, not when we were born. haha.

He's great. and did I mention he bakes? holla. Make me desserts every day, kay? thanks bran.

Pals Fo Life

Happy Birthday, dawg. I love you. even though you don't read my blog.

Esteban

So i was going to post about home boy Brandon today, because it's his dang birthday. But he hasn't gotten his birthday package yet and that's what i was going to show you soo...i had not post. but then i found a post i had done on Stephen's birthday - the ninth of January - that had somehow gotten swept under the rug!
So I'll try to keep it short. ish. (riiiight) so you get two boy best friend posts in a row. yomp.

I've technically known Stephen the longest. My older brothers were friends with his older brothers. 

But we were actually friends in kindergarten. I loved his Mother and Father. He, Jason and I were on the same soccer team. 

we won ALL the games. (no thanks to me)

We were always in the same "smart groups" in school but i knew he was a BILLION times smarter than me.  He's honestly one fo the smartest people i know and he doesn't even have to try. Stephen learned how to do fractions a long time ago. unlike me, who never knew how to convert decimals to fractions or vice versa until last month when i took the CBEST....

Stephen and I both liked Queen and skittles and Harry Potter. His family became the Brady Bunch and we tried to dig a kickball field in the lot next to my house. He got glasses and i still wanted to get a chinchilla with him. I used to ride my bike to his house around the corner and try to sell him junk from my toy drawers. 

When I came to school with new short hair at my shoulders in second grade, every one laughed but stephen told me he liked it. When the girls made fun of me for loving harry potter, Stephen stuck up for me. when i wanted to play flag football, Stephen made me feel like one of the guys. When i tried to look nice for picture day and everyone freaked out because my hair wasn't gelled back in a pony tail, Stephen complimented my purple button down shirt and told me he liked my hair down.

Love him. 

then we grew up, and i thought things would change.

 But we had classes together almost every year and when my Honors English 2 teacher got me so worked up that i yelled and almost got a referral, Stephen calmed me down. When i was about to cry because i didn't understand one word that came out of my spanish 2 teacher's mouth, Stephen helped me conjugate my verbs and get my nerves under control.

And when i liked boys that weren't good for me, He didn't say anything. just loved me through it.

 Stephen is really good at calming me down. and lifting me up. He's the perfect friend and is a devoted fan. He's been to all my shows and clapped louder than anyone there. he cheers me on no matter what.

I love his truck SO much. It's tiny and old and it  makes me happy. I love cheering for him while he's playing tennis, because he's literally the best. never loses.

We love the Hunger Games. and Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit.

He's also constantly flocked by ladies that i have to tell myself are not the enemy. I have to remind myself that he's a big boy and he can tell which girls are just tryna get nasty and which actually like him. the girls that like him, i hate a little less.

the girls that are just lil nasties? 

if you try to run from me, I'll find you.

I just love him. he's great.

 And we WILL literally grow old on the same street with Children who are best friends and are named Samwise and Albus. and we SHALL read Harry Potter together and laugh at the weasley twins and cringe at President Snow in the Hunger games. and we SHALL sit on a porch with my husband and his wife and laugh about absolutely nothing until we have no teeth or hearing left. 

I love Stephen dang Simmons.

Happy Birthday. 

Friends Fo-eva.