Christmas 2021

Another Christmas has come and gone. It was pretty relaxing this year. It was Davie's 2nd Christmas. We got to see both parents and Katie is coming into town this week for New Year's. It was the first Christmas without Shauna and Hannah though. I'm trying not to let my spiraling thoughts hurt me this holiday. I just need to be patient and work with what life gives me.

Winter Break 2021

I am on winter break for the next 2 weeks at Legacy and Ensign. I am using these 2 weeks off to find a place to live closer to work, revamp my dating life, and enjoy the holidays with family and friends. I will write how it goes.

No Good Week

This past week was rough. I was in a really weird place emotionally and mentally. The anti racism training at work and the comments that I perceived to be ignorant from my coworkers really set me off. Then there was a big snowstorm and I couldn't get to work on Thursday and Friday. Then I had stomach problems all weekend. I just declared last week a failure and I will start again this week fresh.

Grandpa Norregard

The 6th of December was my Grandpa Norregard's birthday. He would've been 91 if he was still alive. I miss him so much and I still think about him everyday. Words cannot express the impact he had on me and what a great grandpa he was. I know he is in a much better place now though. I'm glad he wasn't here during the pandemic.

Thanksgivings

It was a very quiet and relaxing Thanksgiving this year. It was just me and Mom. Katie stayed in Colorado and Leanna was at her in laws. It was so nice having a break from work. Every holiday, though, I just miss going to my grandpa's for Thanksgiving. Even the Cressall parties beforehand. I also remembered my one Thanksgiving away from home in Thailand when we had KFC instead of turkey.

New Car

I'm buying a new car this week. My dad's friend is willing to sell me his 2014 suburu that only has 6,300 miles on it for only $9,000. That is a steal considering how bad the car market is right now. It is also Thanksgiving on Thursday. I will update!

November Memories

November is always either a really good month or a really bad month for me. Last November was when Jack and I became boyfriend and girlfriend. I was so happy at the time. Little did I know he would turn out to be a complete creep. I guess you have to live and learn. I was also still living in Orem at the time. I hope this November will have happy memories too. Growing up November was always characterized by whatever Harry Potter or Twilight movie came out lol.

Fall Update

In 2021's fall news, I went on another failure of a first date last night. I should just plan on being alone lol. I also still have not found a place to live but I am looking at a room in North Salt Lake tomorrow. It has been a sunny weekend and I am looking forward to the holidays. There is nothing too new this week.

Halloween

Today is Halloween. I already had celebrated it by the end of September by going to Frightmares and the WitchFest. I also saw lots of kids trick or treating last night. It reminded me of the last time I went trick or treating with Maren when I was 15. It has been a tough weekend so I am just trying to hold onto my emotional reserves.

Goldie

My 2002 honda civic, which I have driven for the past 10.5 years, may finally be at its end. She was a good car. I literally grew up in that car and she gave me few problems. But she has almost 240,000 on it and is needing more and more expensive repairs. I do not have too big of a budget, but it finally may be time to buy a new car.

Moving to SLC

I got a $700 a month 2 bedroom apartment in downtown Salt Lake! That is pretty much a steal in this housing market. I cannot wait to move downtown and out on my own without roommates for the first time. I am finally an adult. I am really excited to be living closer to work and a new YSA ward.

Davie’s 1st Birthday

Yesterday Davie turned 1! I cannot believe it has been a year since he was born. We had a big party for him with all of his family. It was an animal themed party and he got a smash cake. We laughed at how delicately he picked off the sprinkles and refused to smash it. He was so tired too. He is becoming such a big boy.

28th Birthday

I am officially 28. This year was one of the better birthdays. I took the day off of work and went to the WitchFest at Gardner Village with my mom, Leanna, and Davie. I actually love sharing a birthday with Leanna. It truly is the best and having Davie this year made it even better. The only thing that makes me sad is still being unmarried at 28, but I hope that will change soon.

Hannah

My beautiful, funny, intelligient cousin Hannah passed away on Thursday. She was only 23 years old. She dealt with 1.5 years of brain cancer with maturity and grace beyond her years. I remember the fun times we had together as kids. She had the best sense of humor and lit up every room she was in. I will remember her always. I will update!

Back to Animal Handling

Yesterday was my first animal handling program back at the natural history museum since February 2020. I was surprised by how quickly I got back into the swing of things. It was pretty nice. There are new coworkers too. I cannot believe I have been an animal handler there for 4 years now.

9/11 20th Anniversary

Yesterday was the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Since I was only 7 on the original date, I do not remember much of the world before then. I do remember all of the news coverage and our assembly at Willow Canyon about it. We really all came together back then, something that could not happen now.

Labor Day 2021

It has been a busy week! Katie is in town and my mom had surgery on her wrist on Thursday. There has been a lot of nice family time and we babysat Davie today.

Broken Wrist

I started my student success coordinator position last Monday and it went well. In other news, my mother broke her wrist and we spent today in the ER. She might need surgery! I will update.

Disappointing Date

I had a 1st date at Murray Park yesterday with a 30 year old, unemployed, and still obsessed with video games. At least I'm out there still trying in dating even with the constant bad results.

Trying to Move

I am starting my new student success coordinator job in Layton next week and I still have not found a place to live. I am looking for a place in Davis County but it is a lot harder than I thought. I may have a long commute for a while from Sandy.

10 Years of My Car

I was driving my car to do my new hire paperwork at Davis School District on Monday. It was a terrible rainstorm on Monday after a long summer drought. My defroster was not working at all and I couldn't see at all once I reached Centerville. I had to pull over to the side of the freeway and manually wipe off my windshield. I was soon kicked off by highway patrol with no help. There's my tax dollars at work. I had a similar issue in 2016 and I have to take my car in this week to find out the problem and what it's going to cost to fix it. It's still a very reliable car after driving it for 10 years since high school.

California 2021

I'll be doing a more in depth entry about my car trouble next Sunday. California was great! Lots of good time with the extended family. We had a great dinner in Shauna's honor at her favorite restaurant, Rose Canyon Cantina. I also got to go to the Nixon Presidential Library, the OC Zoo, and the Huntington Library. I hope to go back to California in the fall for more time with family.

Busy Week Ahead

I got the student success coordinator position! We are also leaving for California on Thursday for Shauna's celebration of life! I also have to input the final American Government grades and move out of my apartment in Orem this week. It will be a busy week!

End of Summer Plans

The spring semester at Ensign ends tomorrow and then I have a week to get grades in. Shauna's celebration of life will be next Saturday so we will be going to California. Then hopefully I will have a new job in August. It's all flying by so fast.

Aunt Shauna

My Aunt Shauna passed away yesterday after a long battle with cancer. She was so courageous and went through all her treatments with grace. This was on top of Hannah having cancer at the same time. She was a great mother and aunt. I still remember her taking me to see Tarzan when I was really little. I am hoping to go to California sometime this week for either her funeral or memorial. I will update.

4th of July

Happy 4th! Another year celebrating the Declaration haha. It will be another weird holiday this year. Last year the pandemic was still raging and this year fireworks are banned due to extreme drought and wildfire risk. At least this year I have an adorable nephew to spend it with.

New Leadership Job

So the Promise job did not work out. The principal at the school was just way too toxic and negative about the previous coordinator. I saw this during the interview and I should have realized after that it would be a bad working environment. I am hoping to find another leadership job in August and pretend this never happened.

Time Management

Promise has been a mess. I cannot handle a full time job and a part time job. I need to just work 2 part time jobs. I should've listened to my instincts after the bad interview!

First Relief Society Lesson

I taught my first relief society lesson today! I think it went pretty well but I was really nervous. Studying the general conference talk really helped me spiritually though and I feel more prepared to teach next month.

Being An Aunt

Not much to report on this week besides spending great time with Davie. I got to see him 3 times last week. I absolutely love being an aunt and he's brought out a love in me I did not know was possible.

Leadership Job

I got a job offer to be a center coordinator for Promise South Salt Lake. I'd be working with mostly refugee teens. I would also be supervising the other employees! I'll update!

Church Update

I am back in Londonderry YSA and got called to be a Relief Society teacher! I have never had a purely teaching calling yet so I am excited. A pipe broke in our building today so we joined another ward at the institute building. There were a little too many people there without masks for me to feel comfortable.

CO, WY, ID, MT Trip 2021

On Monday, I got back from my Yellowstone and Grand Tetons trip. I had such a great time! On Wednesday, I flew to Colorado to meet up with Katie. We drove 10 hours on Thursday to get to West Yellowstone, MT. We stayed in a really nice cabin and had a fire pit and everything. The indoor mask requirement for fully vaccinated people was dropped that day so it was weird seeing businesses and people drop their masks. On Friday, we went to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center where we saw wolves, grizzly bears, and river otters. Then we drove the upper loop of Yellowstone where we saw the Artist Paintpots, Norris geysers, Mammoth Hot Springs, some waterfalls, Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, and Hayden Valley. We even got stuck in a couple bison jams! On Saturday, we did the lower loop where we went to the Fountain Painpots, Grand Prismatic Spring, Old Faithful geysers, and Yellowstone Lake. After that, we drove through the Grand Tetons where we saw a black bear and stopped at the visitor center. We then checked into our hotel in Jackson and explored the town. On Sunday, we had breakfast at a hipster bakery in Jackson and drove 8 hours back to Boulder. I spent the evening with Katie and her boyfriend. I flew back to Salt Lake Monday! It was so nice to go on a fun trip after being cooped up inside for over a year due to the pandemic!

Stress Management

I broke down last week and finally went to my doctor for help managing my stress. I was at a breaking point after crying all Monday. I am now on an antidepressant but the side effects have been awful. I have always been really bad at managing my stress so I am trying to get healthier. Work and social stress is just a part of life.

Thick Skin

I am really trying hard to be less sensitive these days. Especially having a career in teaching. But I have been sensitive my whole life. I'm really trying to not let other people's comments affect me so much.

Summer Plans

I am trying to decide what my plans are for the summer. In the past, my summers have either been packed with school and stressful jobs or doing absolutely nothing. I am trying to find a summer job in education, hopefully a leadership job. I am also teaching a summer class at the college. I will update!

Back to Normal.... Kinda

I had my second dose of the Pfizer Covid vaccine on Thursday. It was the first time I have ever had a reaction to a vaccine. I spent Friday taking it easy with aches and chills. Luckily it is over now and way better than having Covid. The only thing that sucks is I can no longer use Covid as an excuse for being anti social. I hope I can get back into church and other in person activities this summer.

Spring Updates

Winter semester ended last week. This weekend was busy with a lot of grading and getting ready for spring semester which starts next Monday. There was also some family drama last week that I will not get into but I am still trying to recover. At least I am getting my second Covid dose on Thursday. I am hoping I will not have severe side effects. I will update!

Easter

It was Davie's first Easter today! We had a nice Easter egg hunt with him and a dinner. There was not much he could do as a 6 month old. We also watched General Conference. I always love it when Easter and General Conference coincide. It's so nice to be taught about Christ's sacrifice and his ressurection. It really helped remind me of Easters as a kid when we would do our egg hunts at Grandpa's house and decorate our bags out of our marker bins. Grandpa would always put large bills in our eggs. I miss him so much.

More American Controversies

There is not much to report on this week. The crisis at the border continues and Georgia passed Jim Crow like voting laws in 2021. It is just crazy they're doing all of this just because the GOP lost the state in the election. I hope sanity comes back in government.

Weird Happenings

On Thursday night, I woke up to sharp pains in my lower right stomach. It hurt so badly and I seriously thought I had appendicitis. I was ready to book it to the ER. It went away luckily but I have been having stomach issues since I was about 19. I also had my second ever migraine with aura on Wednesday. It's about time I have a check up.

A Life in Perspective

I have been having a quarter life crisis lately. There is so much I want to do and not enough time to do it. Also a lot of it is not happening despite my best efforts. The church's young adult North America devotional surprised me and really helped me with this struggle. Sharon Eubank taught us that God sees our holistic life and knows the beginning and the end. Though we may feel stuck where we are now, God knows what will happen. It gives me such great solace through my disappointments.

Spring Fever

I think the snow has finally left and the warmer weather is coming. I always loved this time of year as a kid. I always felt more at ease for some reason in the sunny weather and school was almost done. I am hoping to have a happier summer this year with hopefully the pandemic coming to a close too.

2021 World Update

I thought today I would just give a general update on the world. Trump is speaking at CPAC today and Republicans still are worshipping him and want him to run in 2024. That baffles me after everything he's done. Covid vaccinations are moving along and I hope my family and myself can get it soon. I am hoping our world heals better in the next couple years. On a personal note, I am trying to remain positive and stick to the plan despite when I get anxious.

Brad’s Passing

My cousin Brad passed away last night. I never really was close to him because he was so much older. I do remember going to his wedding and his sense of humor. He suffered from many health problems throughout his life and always approached it with a sense of humor. I admire his attitude. My dad was very close to him. I will update.

Valentine’s Day

Today is Valentine's Day. I thought it would be hard after the break up but I feel already over Jack and in a surprising turn of events, I am dating Dallin again. We went out last Tuesday and he asked to "try again and see where it goes." At any rate, Valentine's Day was more fun in elementary school when we had parties and did the class cards. As an adult, the holiday is no longer fun.

Katie in Town

Katie and her boyfriend have been in town this past week. It has been fun hanging out with them and having fun. It's a nice break. Luckily I already feel over the break up after just one week. I am looking forward to traveling again too.

New Chapter

Another break up, but I will now have the chance to find someone better suited to me. Things are just easier for some people than others I guess. There is a lesson for me somehow tnhat I do not know yet.

Biden President

Joe Biden was sworn in as president Wednesday with luckily, no other violence. I am so happy Trump is finally out of office and our executive branch is actually taking action to get Covid under control.

Political Strife Continues

Wednesday will be Biden's inaguaration and there are more right wing protests planned. This will be the first election in American history where there will not be a peaceful transfer of power. The more I read about the violence at the Capitol, the angrier I get. Trump is really a cult of personality and is encouraging violence just because he did not get reelected. I will update next week what goes down with the presidential transition.

Sad Day in American History

On Wednesday a group of pro-Trump insurrectionists invaded the Capitol while Congress was certifying Biden's election win. Just because Trump did not win, doesn't mean you turn to violence. What a sad day for American democracy. I will never forget it. Thursday was the first day of class and it was hard to talk about.

New Year, New Me

The terribleness of 2020 is finally over. I do not think at this time last year I could have anyicipated the pandemic. I thought the virus would stay in China and be contained before it spread. That shows just how globalized our world is today. I am worried that I may get Covid before I can get the vaccine. The new semester starts on Wednesday but my class may be cancelled due to low enrollment. That would be a bummer. I will update next Sunday. Also, it's my dad's 60th birthday today!