Pet-Peeves

My lists of ten pet-peeves :) Not sharing where I got this idea (although Misty probably knows: )

Top Ten Annoyances in Sharlee's Life:

1.Someone thinking I'm wrong
2. SLOW drivers
3. ISATs
4. The song "Same Old Lang Syne" by Dan Fogelberg
5. Snotty Mormons (although I'm less annoyed by this now because I have other distractions)
6. Beginning game players (I'm mean and intolerant, I know it, but I don't like playing games with people that are foreign to the game--not until they've somewhat mastered it)
7. Losing
8. How tight jeans are when they come out of the dryer
9. WOMEN
10. Someone thinking I'm wrong

Short-Sleeves, Manners, and Class...OH MY!

Who would've thought?! I am absolutely blogging about "Mormon" pride. I guess it takes a boyfriend (look for a future blog introducing this amazing new addition:) from Georgia to open your eyes to some things. I am happy to say that I think he's evening me out...JUST A LITTLE! :) On Saturday Zach and I helped Job's Daughters by volunteering to chaperon the Sweetheart's Ball at Boise State. It's a dance open to high school students from all around. It takes place in the Jordan ballroom. There was an expected 2000 dancers in attendance. As the "ladies" (far from it) started appearing in their trashy, low cut, tight fitting, SHORT, dresses, I was just baffled. I was more baffled by the girls sitting on the couch with their legs up and the like--just the whole thing was relatively revolting at times. There was completely inappropriate dancing (I think I'm more disturbed by this stuff more, as I am now discovering what it means to share that kind of stuff with another person. It's certainly not for public display--even though I've always felt that...I know feel uncomfortable for completely different reasons). I'm totally getting sidetracked!

Anyway...as Zach and I were making our rounds through the building, we encountered a group of guys and girls wearing dresses with short sleeves. Immediately we turned to each other and we were like, "There's some Mormons..." we proceeded to keep a tally as we walked around and saw these groups of LADIES and GENTLEMEN! At one point, for the first time in my life, I turned to Zach and go, "You know, they make me happy." His response? "I know. They make me proud." I explained that I was never of that proud mindset because coming from Idaho is like coming from Utah--there's a TOTAL STIGMA on the Mormons...and most of the time it's somewhat deserved. Zach grew up in a branch, he was never surrounded by them, he wasn't immersed in it in high school. So he has a very different insight. "It takes more strength to stand out that way then it does to stand out the other way.."

I agree.

My pride grew throughout the night as we saw these ladies--so tastefully dressed. Looking divine, literally. Dancing with young men that were not handling them inappropriately. They were dancing and associating in a very admirable fashion. It stands out. I wanted to hug some of them, they really are a light! I am very proud to be associated (even if it's simply by the church I belong to) with those young men and women! (I was once one of them:)

*I still don't like that they were in their own little group...nor do I think they are the only youth who have self respect. I recognize that there were many others dancing appropriately and handling themselves with dignity and grace...I just take pride in the short sleeves! :)

For a while now...

For a while now I've wanted to share this with you. I grew up in Idaho. I am talking about Heritage with my students and who we are as a result of who and where we come from. I was born here, raised here, and have no qualms about raising my family and growing old here (although someone else MAY have other plans...). Let me tell you. I don't regret it. I don't regret it at all. The fact that I have remained in the same place for my entire life has directly affected who I am. As I so often write in lists, here is yet another. Why I am okay with traveling but even more okay with the fact that I never moved as a child and "saw the world"--I saw the world in a completely different light than those who literally saw it. I feel I am incredibly blessed as a result.

Seeing the World:
*I grew up with family...that may seem small but it is not! I learned that people aren't perfect and they make mistakes. I learned that love overcomes all...love leads to forgiveness. I was frequently disappointed by my family but I love them the same. When I think of them, I do not think of the things they've done that make them seem less loveable, but rather the things they've done to make them more loveable. Allow me to share what so many missed:
*I got to clean my Aunt Cara's house with her until 3:00 in the morning. She took me to Circle K and we got Haagen daz icecream and ate it while jamming out to music.
*Dinners with Cara and Levi and ordering Virgin Strawberry Daiquiris
*I got basketball games with Will and Todd
*I had an uncle Will to cash my paycheck for me when the banks were closed and I was leaving out of town
*I had countless kareoke nights
*I had a grandma that I literally loved with my whole heart
*I had trips with my grandpa, eating oranges and celery sticks in his car until we got sick
*I had grandparents that let me stay with them when I needed them
*I had Jay Leno with grandma and grandpa on a Friday night--that was my social life my sophomore year and I was MORE than okay with it
*Our family overcame trails...we faced them together
*I saw my mom help out her sister and I saw her sister help out my mom
*I saw both my mom and my aunt help their parents
*I'm proud of women because of my mom, Cara, and my grandma
*I was there when Gunnar, Grayson, Gatlin, and Ava were born
*I saw my uncle Levi off to Iraq
*I had an aunt and a grandma that called the attendance office to let me stay home or leave school early
*I have trips to Jackpot with Will and mom'
*I have family roadtrips with Will, Cara, Levi, Gram, and Gramps. Even ones with the boys (maybe the babies?)
*I have more memories and love in my heart then I could possibly ever recount.

*I have schools that I'm proud of--I am a dang proud Warrior and Bronco, through and through
*I have a legacy to continue
*I have roots...
*I know the seasons
*I can point out the place of my very first job, very first love, first....EVERYTHING!


I think you get the jist. I am proud to be an Idahoan. I am proud to have ground. I am SO blessed that I grew up with family and I learned to love over all things. I learned to let things go (as difficult as it still is for me...I work on it when I love people). You can't love them like I do unless you know them...unless they've shaped you. Lucky, lucky me!


Happy Valentine's Day you guys! :) LOVE YA!

MUAH!

Sarah

I met Sarah working at the Y. I wouldn't say we hit it off instantly but our bond grew over time...I would say I have her to thank for that. She would occasionally leave a card in my cupboard when I was having a bad day and stuff like that. She invited me to watch a movie with her and her roommates one night. I think eventually we started bonding over little things like kids, coworkers, bosses, and "Friends". After that our friendship took off. We were quite the little team. In the summers we frequently planned for Sarah to be my bus driver and our trips were different but planned together. Our groups mingled A LOT! We tackled lazy coworkers and horrid bosses together. We always had the other's back and the times in between we had A LOT of fun...here are just a few great memories that only she will probably really get :)

*Telling the kids the bus ran out of gas...when it hadn't

*Telling the kids Remington was lost and walking around downtown Boise...when he wasn't

*Telling the kids Sarah's hair was transplanted horse hair...again untrue

*Telling the kids Sarah weighed 300+lbs...I'll let you decide whether or not that's the truth :)

*Watching the "Friends" season finale and having an allergic reaction to Sarah's chicken sandwich :)

*The night I randomly found out about Nathan...a month after they'd started talking

*Eating cottage cheese on Sarah's couch while she was talking to Nathan

*SIZZLER

*Black Canyon Dam

*Marsing

*Tanning Contests

*Making faces on paper plates to distract Sarah while she was talking to Kristy (we were awful)

*Fat Cow!

*Nathan wandering around Sizzler

*Random...even desperate stops at Quik Wok

*Calling Quik Wok from Camel's Back Park

*The Dilbert comic that got us into A LOT of trouble:)

*Sarah packing up my things for me at the Y (and labeling my box...Congrats on the new job!:)

*All of our kids...

*Skip Bo games all the time

*Moulin Rouge on her computer

*Sarah, Nathan, and I just hanging out at their place after they were married

*Oh my goodness...this is more of a Nathan memory but addressing wedding invitations! Hahahahaha

*Sarah's bridal shower

*Sarah's wedding

*Jonathan!

*My visit to see Jonathan...7 days with Sarah, Nathan, and the baby! :)

*Mo's

*Trip to the mall...

I LOVE AND MISS YOU SARAH!

Blog Plan....

Just letting you all know about my new blog plan for the next 4 blogs :) Do you like how I MUST introduce it?! So the other morning I was making hot chocolate and I gave the leftovers to Zach in a Mo's mug. I proceeded to fill Zach in on Mo's and then Sarah and Nathan. I got to talking about Sarah and I almost didn't want to stop. After Zach left I started texting Sarah--I realized just how much I miss her...as I went through all of our memories in my mind. She made me laugh in her text back..."It's the principle!!" :) I love my friends and I have made so many great memories to this point in my life. SO...my next blog will consist of memories with my best friends. I will have a special blog for Sarah, Jonnie, Misty, and Zach...so be on the lookout! It'll be good times...at least if I'm blogging about you!

Super Bowl Sad Day...

1. I abhore football.

2. I abhore football on Sundays even more.

3. I am used to having my brother around at this time.

4. I have no escape.

5. The saddest thing about having no escape is that I HATE football. Usually my brother has his friends over at our house watching the bowl. I hate it so much that I would leave. I would leave and escape to my grandparents' house. I cannot leave and escape to my grandparents' house because my grandma is not there. It's not the same.

*In addition to the sadness...I had to google whether or not Super Bowl was one word...True!