Home sweet home....

This is my new home. Yes, I live in the Super 8 hotel in Rexburg, Id! How weird is that?!

Our hot water heater went out and as a result we have no hot water or heat. Since it is so stinking FREEZING out now, we couldn't stay in our apt, so my complex is forking the bill for us to stay here. It's been kind of crazy! Finals are the next two weeks, and we're here til at least wednesday. Yikes!!!

But I'd be lying if I said I hated it! I wake up and breakfast is hot and ready and waiting for me. I come home, and the room is magically clean! Yeah, I could get used to this!! Then, tonight, a friend and I got pizza and hung out in the hot tub! SO NICE!!!! Sometimes I feel like I'm on vacation....and then I remember that I have class and homework! Sad day!!

All in all, at least I'm warm and clean and oh so blessed! Life is good!!

Just...one...more...week!!!

One more week before I get a week break from school! I am so excited!! I really need this break, especially since my state tests start the beginning of December. I'll be nice to have a little breather and some time to study before my big exams. Yay for Turkey Day!!!
I hope ya'll have a great Thanksgiving this year!

Look at what I found?!!!

Logan Sarah Gilbert was born the first part of October. I know, I know, I'm just now getting to it! Actually, she was born the Sunday of General Conference. I was home visiting my parents, and on the way back to Rexburg, I was able to stop in Blackfoot and see her. These pictures are at the hospital.

She is so precious!!! We are grateful to have her in our family!

All of Paul's girls!! Diana, MyKynlee, Bree, and Logan!







I just had to post this picture!!! Isn't Bree adorable!! I can't believe how grown up she looks now!

I also want to post one more picture. I was writing a paper for one of my classes and had present on it, so I had my Mom send me some pictures from my mission. Among them, she sent this one.








Wow, the memories!!! This is my dear friend Jimmie Demery! I was really surprised to find this picture in with the others that she sent, but it made me smile! Someday, I really should tell you his story! Thanks Mom!


I guess a small update on my life as well; I am still alive....for now! That is good news! This semester has been a really difficult one, but I am somehow surviving. We only have another month before the semester is over. Crazy how fast time goes by! I can register for winter classes next week, so that'll be good. Hopefully, I can get into all the classes I want/need! Sadly, that's basically my life; homework!
Also, I've been getting a lot of migraines lately and it's getting really annoying! I'm really hoping I can figure out what's going on and get them under control.
Tonight I thought I broke my finger. No lie! I really thought I killed it! My roommate and I were messing around, and as she went to tackle me, she landed on my hand and all the pressure went onto one finger. I've never heard my hand pop so many times in one moment! We both looked at each other and thought, Oh crap!! It took me a minute to be able to move it, but it's fine. It's all fat and swollen and my hand is all bruised, but it's all good. After that happened, I came to a conclusion that I need to stay away from peoples' KNEES!!!!!!! Bad things happen when I'm around flying knees!!
Anyway, all is well! I hope everyone is happy, healthy, and staying clear of the swine bug!

I love ya'll!!

Good night world of blogging!

Unexpected Happenings

Yesterday my roommate and I decided to do some exploring around Rexburg. I thought that I'd seen all there is to see of Rexburg. After all, there's only so much TO see! Who knew there was this cool little place right in the middle of town that I had no clue existed! It was fun!

Here's me and my roommate being all cool!

I'm not quite sure what I'm doing. I must think I'm super woman or something!

This might look like a river, but it's not. Because there's been so much rain, everything is flooded like crazy. This is actually where all the water went to when the river started overflowing. Either way, it's still beautiful!!

Now, for a different topic....

So, I woke up this morning and thought, "hmm, I should chop my hair off today!" So, I called and made an appointment to have someone cut away some of that poodle fuzz that grows on top of my head. I'm just getting sick of my hair always looking the same. It's hard to change curly hair that doesn't seem to grow. So, I cut it off.

So this is what I was going for....

....And this is what I ended up with. Not quite Meg Ryan I know, but it still turned out ok. It's not as short as I had wanted, but I think she was afraid to cut it too short. That's ok. I actually think it was just enough of the change I needed, so I'm ok with it for now. PS-I didn't realize that I was capturing my roommate in the background. Whoops!

Yeah, so pretty much, I should be a model! Hehe!! Actually, this si just what my face does when I'm forced to take a picture of myself. I don't know how to make a normal face!

I know it doesn't really look that short, but if you get a closer look, you can tell. There are little baby curls now.

So after I got my hair cut, I went and got into my car to drive away(vroom, vroom!)....but.....unfortenantly for me, my car wouldn't start. I know, sad day! I tried jumping it with cables, still nothing. Needless to say, my car is still in the parking lot, where it will have to stay until monday. Why do these things never happen during the week?! I mean, seriously! At least I found a ride home. Good times! Yep, good times!!

Update.....

I thought I'd just let ya'll know how things are going since my ER visit last week. It's been a tough week, but I'm pretty sure the worst of it is behind me. Thankfully!!! I've had bad headaches all week, and every time I ate, I would get very naseated. Today, I actually had an appetite!!! This is a BIG deal to me because I haven't eaten much all week. And for the most part, I wasn't naseated. I still can't eat too much at a time or I feel sick, but at least I'm eating a lot better. I still can only eat soft foods because of my teeth. They are getting better though, and brushing my teeth isn't quite as bad as it was! It'll be a happy day when I can eat a big juicy hamburger!!! Another monumental thing for me today, is I found myself teasing and annoying my roommates! I know I must feel better if I'm able to do that!! YAY!!! I've felt more like myself today than I have all week. So, I'm really happy about that! The headaches are getting better. Although, tonight my roommate had this really small soft ball and was throwing it at everyone's heads. It's funny how scared someone can be of a foam ball. But I don't think I'm ready for anything to fly at my head right now! It's still a little too soon for that! Hopefully by the end of the week, I'll be back to volleyball. That is, if I'm not afraid of the ball!
One last thing, I just want to tell everyone thank you for all of the love and support that I have received over this past week! People are so amazing, and I couldn't do it without all of you in my life! I am truly blessed! I love ya'll and hope that everyone is doing well! Thanks again!!

New email address

For those of you who would like to know, I finally got a new email address. My other one kept getting hacked into, so I got rid of it. I don't like having everything going to my school email, so I decided to break down and get a new one.

smeak11@live.com

Drop me a line, let me know you're still alive! Hope all is well with everyone.

Nothing like the ER.....

Today started off like any other day! Forced myself out of bed. Went to my American Heritage class. Changed into PE clothes and went to my PE methods class. Well, instead of going from PE to home like I usually do, I guess I needed a detour today.

As you can see from my pretty little bracelet, I found myself in the ER. And to be honest with you, I'm not completely clear on how I got there. We were playing a tag game, and two people had to grab the item in the middle and run back without getting tagged. I was to the item first, and as I moved my head down and over to grab the item, it somehow made direction contact with the knee flying towards it. All I really remember is falling sideways, putting my hands over my face, and when I pulled my hands away, they were covered with blood. So in case you have forgotten, this is what my face looked like before the accident.......

......And this is after! Real attractive isn't it. I'm deformed!!

You can't tell how swollen it is in the pictures, but I'm having a hard time with fat lips. I have to drink out of straws, and rice is about the only thing I've braved so far. While at the hospital, I had to get a cat scan. They didn't feel like I was reacting as well as they thought I should be. I just think they wanted to make sure I really had a brain!! So, for those of you non-believers out there...I have proof!!

My cat scan was fine, but I do have a concussion, which isn't something I'd really recommend to anyone! So, I decided that since I can't really go anywhere without getting super dizzy or nauseated, that I'd let ya'll know that yes, I am still alive for the time being!

Well, I hope everyone's elses faces are looking better than mine! Love ya'll!!!

Surprise!!

So I went home Thursday night until Tuesday afternoon. When I came home, I found something on my bed!

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Don't I have the best roommate ever!!! She made my whole day!

The after math!

And here's how happy I was after I ate it!!! Now that's HAPPY!! Or....just cheesy! Whatever works!


Thanks Michelle! You're the best!!

Can't beat a 5 day weekend!

This year for Memeorial day, we got Monday and Tuesday off from school. On Friday, one of my classes was canceled, so all I had was my swimming class which I figured I could skip, and I did.


And look at who came to see me!!!

KATIE!!!!

....among other people of course!

Since my sister came to visit from New Mexico, we all were able to get together. This is the first time we had the 10 grandkids all together. See how fun it is trying to get pictures of them all...especially when four of them were born last year! Long attention spans!!

They weren't doing too bad for the most part, but then.......

......Tyler though they needed some help. Let's just say every family has one, and he's ours!! By the expressions on everyones face, you can only imagine. I love that Josh is covering his face!

This is Wendy's family. Adam(8), Wendy, Katie(1), Brandon, Josh(14), and Sariah(11).

Paul's family. Paul, McKynlee(10), Diana, and Bree(1). I love this picture because she's eating her foot!! The whole time they were taking pictures, she was as content as ever just eating her feet! It was hilarious!!!

Tyler's family of many girls! Audrey(2), Kimberly, Hannah(8 months), Tyler, Sadee(8 months), and Jennie(3).

Look at how cute she is!!! And how unfortenate she is for getting my crazy, curly hair!!

Audrey is also a victim of what we like to call the Kendall Curse! It is the Kendall side that gave us those unmanagable, but irresistable curls!

It turned out to be a really good weekend. I was glad to see all of my family. I miss my nieces and nephews a lot when I'm not able to see them for awhile! And in case you were wondering, Josh is in fact taller than me, and Sariah is not far behind! Sad day for short Aunt Tandy!! Love you guys!! Thanks for coming!

I've been slacking!!

So, if you haven't already noticed, I'm really bad at this blogging thing. I feel like I have to have pictures in order to post anything, or else my post will be boring. Well, boring or not, here's my post without pictures. I'll try to do better at posting information. Although since I haven't posted in forever, I doubt anyone even checks this out anymore. Heck, I don't even get on here very much, so why would I expect anyone else to.
So, I guess for a small update. I'm feeling much better now! I got really sick and wanted to die!!! Ok, not really, but I was pretty sick! I'm still not completely myself, but I actually feel like I'm on the mend, so that has to be a good sign, right! Along with being sick, it's been a really busy week with school. So I'm really glad that the weekend is approaching us.
Have you even read the book, "The missing piece meets the big o"? It reminds me of my life.
I had to read it for my childrens lit class.
It's on youtube. Watch it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCmZ2jrQooE

I think all this time I've felt like the missing piece, trying to find where I belong. My life doesn't look like everyone elses, and that's ok. I'm not a missing piece after all. I may be a little rough around the edges, but really, who isn't!! Hehe! So, yeah. Read it, or watch it on youtube, and let me know what you think of it.

All in a days work...

So can I just tell you how much I love my job!!! Some days I go home and want to cry! Then, other days, I go home laughing so hard that I can't stop!! You never EVER know what is going to happen next! For those of you that don't know, I work for Upper Valley Options. http://www.uvoptions.com We work with people with developmental disabilities of all ages. Today, we took a bunch of the adults bowling, and here is just a small clip of all the excitement we had!!

Isn't that the funniest thing you've ever seen in your life!?!?! If you don't agree, watch it again, because I promise, it's awesome!! It's not everyday that you watch a grown man break out into dancing...oh wait, I do see that everyday!! Maybe the reason why it's so funny to me is because if they're not dancing and being funny, then you're probably getting beat up or screamed at. Not even kidding! Yesterday I got bit really hard by a four year old. Let's just say, I've had better days. But I really am grateful for my job, and the opportunity I have to work with such special and amazing human beings!! They bring so much joy into my life, and I have never learned so much in my life as I have learned from them. So, eventhough some days can be very difficult, it just makes the good days feel that much sweeter!!

Holiday season

So, Christmas was a little crazy this year. I was at my parents house, and Tyler and his family was supposed to come, but they were snowed in. They couldn't even get out of their driveway. So it was just me and Mom and Dad this year. I wanted to go to New Mexico for Christmas but the weather just wouldn't permit it. We got slammed with a lot of big storms. These pictures are some time during the Christmas break, but not actually on Christmas itself. Eventhough Christmas was quiet this year, it was good to relax and be able to sleep in until 9am on Christmas day!! I think of it as a triumph if I can sleep in on Christmas without being woken up! This picture is me with Audrey and Jennie.


Again me with Audrey and Jennie.

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!!! I had one of the best New Year Eves I have had in a long time! Me and one of my best friends in the whole world Kyra, went to the student union building at ISU for New Years eve. We decided to play pool for a little while and ended up playing it for over two hours!! I'm not even sure why! My friend Kristi from Rexburg ended up being there as well and some other friends showed up. It was a lot of fun! And just so you know, I'm REALLY good at pool!!! Yeah...ummm....not really! We were horrible!!! I think that's why it was so fun! Afterwards, Kyra and I hit another party just before midnight. They gave us noise makers, and I think they regretted it soon after! After the clock struck midnight, we all cheared, then everyone was really quiet and just sat there. Well, everyone except for me and Kyra! We were having just a little too much fun with those noise makers!! Everyone was wondering what we had to drink that night, but don't worry, all we had was water!!! Here's Kyra and I celebrating long after midnight!

My noise maker was breaking! It kept going up or sideways instead of straight out like it's suppossed to!

Not sure what I'm doing there! Probably on one of my laughing kicks!

So, to everyone, I hope you had a great Christmas season and a happy New Year!!! I hope this new year finds you all happy, healthy, and well! Love ya'll!