Thanksgiving 2012

Emma came to visit.
Played football.
Made Mac & Chz
Black Friday Success
Slept in
Twilight 4.2
Perks of Being a Wallflower
Visited Scheels
Found a new snowboard (iWant)
Played Phase 10
Ate leftovers
Temple Square

GBHS

"God Bless Her Soul" is a southern bad habit.  I know you may be surprised, but this phrase really isn't as kind-hearted as it appears. Let me illustrate.

• "She's been drinking for years. GBHS."
• "His head was all squished. GBHS."
• "He married a golddigger. GBHS."

Do you see the problem? "God Bless His/Her Soul" is really just the add-on ap that allows you to say whatever you want, no matter how insulting it may be.  My 93 year old grandmother, the self-proclaimed Scarlet O'Hara, is the master of it.  Again let me illustrate.

• "He was so ugly The day he was born, I swore the devil went and got a hold of me.  GBHS."
• "She's got herself a foster child; it's a crack baby.  GBHS"
• "She's so beautiful. If it weren't for those thighs of hers. GBHS."

I kept a record of her habit throughout the past few years because it's so thoroughly entertaining.  Now that Nana is in a nursing home, unable to make such comments anymore, I am grateful for my journalism.  The last time she could speak, she said the Lord wasn't ready for her yet, and I thought, "GBHS."

Like My Sisters

LIKE MYSISTERS

I have four older sisters, who I’ve neverlived with. The youngest of them isseven years older than me. When I was probably twelve years old, I began tonotice how pretty they were, and how much I wanted to be like them. Diedra was so thin and athletic. Becca had the best southern accent, charm,and confidence—at least it seemed so. Leanna had the best hair and seemed so feminine yet hippyesque; how didshe manage that balance? I saw in Erica the spunky yet stunning blonde I hopedto become as well. I looked to them asexamples of what a woman should be, amidst the confusion I felt throughoutadolescence.

When I grew up, the plan was set. Iwas going to dress like them. They wereso classy! Always in solids, instead of the trendy clothes that would fly inand out of fashion, my sisters could have been the poster children for GAP andBanana, even though I don’t know if that’s where they were actually shopping. At one point or another, I saw them in thisoutfit: a black shirt, simple and form fitting, something foreign to me since Iwas used to wearing a shirt a size too big so that I could wear it the nextyear too or seeing my mom wear her giant tie-dye shirts. They donned khaki pants, popular in the 90s,accompanied by brown leather sandals with a small platform to add some height;and I never failed to notice their simple, silver earrings, usually a pair ofsmall, thick hoops. That was what I wasshooting for. That classy, classic look.

My freshman year of college, I eventold my roommate that it was better to buy a few classic, classy pieces foryour wardrobe because they’d always be in style. She looked at me like I was crazy. I kinda was, but I felt so grown-up andjustified in my comment. I wasdescribing my sisters’ style, and I told her so. She said, “you are 18 and you want to dresslike you’re 30 or 40.” I realized thatsounded weird, but I really did want to be like my sisters. Implementing that desire proved harder than Ithought. I didn’t know how.

Throughout college, I transformed—thechubby caterpillar to a polished butterfly? I hope so. I traded my T-shirtswith logos for T-shirts with varied necklines and colors. I bought sizes that fit better and were moreflattering, after much coaching. I joineda gym so that my body would better fit the styles I wanted to wear and figuredout I could become more fit and healthy, like my older sisters.

A fewmonths ago, even 6 years after working on this, my roommate said, “Sarah, if we’dlet you, you’d wear a tent.” I wanted to buy a giant shirt—I don’t rememberwhy, but we laughed and laughed at how true that statement would have been afew years before, but eventually, my personality and confidence came into itsown. I have my own style, that my littlesisters still laugh at, but I love my bright colors and fun jewelry—solidprints and GAP jeans to be classy like my role models and funky jewelry just forme.

"Sarah, is it to, too, or two?"

I was missing my little brother, which of course led to a phone call last Friday afternoon. When I talk to my brother, I sometimes have a hard time having a conversation with him because it can be difficult to figure out what would be mutually interesting. This time, I asked a selfish question: how is your new English class. His interest in the conversation surprised me however.

Once he started talking, in a very The Office type tone, he asked, "Sarah, when you're going to say, 'I'm going to the movies' is it 'to, t-o, too, t-o-o, or two, t-w-o'?" I was laughing to myself, as any good English teacher would. He then followed by stating a hyperbole (an exaggeration) and then asked me to identify it. He said, "I learned all the figurative language this week." I wish I could mimick his serious tone in writing, but I can't quite capture a 16 year old version of Dwight.

Love you Jo!

Memory Lane

I found this picture today on our piano. When I was little, I wanted to be Belle for Halloween so my wonderful mom sewed me this costume. I LOVED it, though in the picture, my face doesn't show it. Unfortunately, it was so cold that night that I had to wear a jacket while trick or treating, but I didn't care because I knew that underneath the jacket was my dress. I played dress-up in that many many times for years to come. Whenever we'd play pretend, people would always want me to be Cinderella because I had blonde hair, but I wanted to be Belle or Aurora (Sleeping Beauty).

Camping In Tennessee

NINJA!!
BEST OUTFIT EVER!
ZIPLINING!
OUR ISLAND

Imagine this:

It's beautiful in Tennessee. My family and I have our own hide-away island in the middle of Douglas Lake (the big lake near us-not to be confused with the giant lakes up near Michigan...). We set up five tents, returned to our fire built many years ago, and made camp. We strung up two hammocks, created a kitchen area with some tables, and even a bathroom area, though I still prefer running water and electricity. We played for five days, boating, tubing, and jet-skiing.

Because of the storms hitting lately, the water is higher than I have seen it in years. The lake covers farmlands from yesteryear; they flooded the area with a dam so that they could create a power plant, which means that when we're swimming, we're really above old farm fences and such sixty feet below. The sunsets were great. We need to find a good spot to see sunsets in Provo. Maybe Utah lake?

I'll admit that I'm tired of the spiders.

I am only moderately sunburned! (Sweet! That means I'll turn brown!)

I read two books.

I swam a lot.

I jet-skied!!

I played tetrus.

I think I decided on the I-Phone, unless Ashlee tells me her (speak to text) is worth it.

I beat my Mom at a game (usual).

I have since showered.

I slept on the ground for five nights (with three bed rolls...)

I sweated my body weight off (oh. wait... the s'mores put it all back on; it's still there).

I built a fire.

I killed spiders.

I saved spiders that weren't in my tent.

I played "Ninja" with my nieces and nephews.

I talked with my older sisters.

I relaxed on a tube with Grace.

I discovered how much I depend upon electronics.

I swung in a hammock.

I stared at the fires flames and red coals; this never bores me. They're fascinating.

That probably covers the last five days.

Grammie's Stories

As I am spending time in Maine with my grandparents, my life consists of several things, some outdoors and some in. My mom and I are biking a lot along the coast. I did Pilates this morning when I woke up, and then lazily read for a while, watched a movie, did laundry, went rock searching and so on. My rock collection is growing. Since there is nothing else to be doing with my time, why not collect rocks? Seems a good use of the plenty of time I have.

I have also been asking my grandmother about her parents and about her life as well. I have learned the most random things. For instance, when she was applying for jobs, after graduating from college, she said that she couldn’t find a job as a chemist. First of all as background information, when Grammie was in high school, she took physics, which girls just did not do in her day. She was one of two girls to take the class. It comes as no surprise, even after the Rosies changed the workforce, that in the 1940s, women were not allowed to be chemists. Except to wash the bottles and such as she pointed out. Also, one job listed the requirement that she not become pregnant for five years. She obviously refused since my uncle was born. These were interesting facts. To realize that in my grandmother’s lifetime, women did not have the opportunities that they have today. I have often said that I am tired of the feminist criticism that is debated in my English classes, and I still maintain that they are overly discussed at this point, but my grandmother lived through the injustice.

She went to a women’s college, a part of Rutger’s University in New Jersey, where curfew was 7:00 p.m. If she wasn’t in her dormitory by that time, the doors were locked, and the girls had to find a watchman to let them in and rebuke them. When I asked her if he was harsh in the scolding, she said she didn’t know because she never did it. She never got in trouble. I asked her if being in by 7:00 p.m. was hard, to which she said, “no! I was sixteen years old! Where was I going to be?” I also asked her how life was during the War, but she said that she didn’t notice. “I was in college. When you’re in college, you’re in your own little world.” I loved that. Men were not supposed to visit the girls. Not even her brother could come without special permission. She remarked that nowadays, colleges have no regulations. (I thought, BYU does). But I am grateful that curfew is not at 7:00 p.m.

Her mother, my great-grandmother Anna Charlotte, apparently lied to her husband and the government about her age. She didn’t want to be two years older than him so she said that she was born in 1895 on government documents to youthen up. But Grammie found her birth certificate and uncovered the secret. She said that she didn’t think that her father ever knew that she lied. Sounds like a womanly thing to do. I really laughed at this bit.

And my great-grandfather, Howard Skyler Mahany, obviously liked tourism because rather than regular industry. He came over from Ireland when he was eighteen. As an entrepreneur, he owned an excursion boating company that ran up and down the Hudson River and an excursion bus industry.


Grandpa Quotes

I usually write with a pen and paper.
Cell phones. Biggest waste of time.
Why do you keep music on your computer?
Well, where is your IPOD?

Monopoly- Children Learning About Life

Playing Monopoly with children is a different type of Monopoly. My perspective completely changed because rather than care about the game itself, like my normal competitive self, I couldn't pay attention to it because I was laughing so hard at the things my niece and nephews would say and the faces they would make.

For example, after examining the prices of mansions and such, Twelve year old Isaac said, "I don't want to be a grown-up anymore. It's confusing." That comment was soon followed with "I love this game" by eight year old Ben, who was collecting $150 from Isaac. Miss Grace, at only ten years old, raked in the do. Everyone seemed to be paying the Queen for her lucky properties. Yet, even with more than $3,000 in hand, she would exclaim, "What?! $100!" if she had to pay someone. Ben retorted, "Grace, that's nothing!" PopPop (the Grandpa) said while laughing, "you all like this game when you're the one collecting..." Ben said, "This game is all about money." Isaac and Grace chimed, "Exactly." Then, as Isaac held out his hands while I payed him for his mansions, he said, "now, I want to be a grown-up again." PopPop was right.

They skirted past my properties of course, meaning that I lost to children. Yet, I don't take it to heart, considering that I orchestrated most of Grace's trades and building; therefore, I guided her to victory. But hey, I can't have my family losing at Monopoly when I'm not around--got to train them well.

At the beginning of the end of the game, Ben, with $2 in hand, said, "I'm broke." As did Isaac and I as we gracefully lost, while Grace squealed in delight of her victory. She closed the game by saying, "I wish this was real life," all property on her side, mansions and houses galore, and wads of $500 currency. Yeah well, I bet she does. Do Ben, Isaac, and I? I think not!

family quotes

"you can go to hell for lying just like for stealin' chickens." Emma to Dad. (She was repeating his quote that he obviously reminds her of quite often.

"We have two days left. Two days left of awesomeness!" Grace Snider

Family Quotes

Anna: Sometimes I wish that real life was like Twilight .

Emma: After I have seen a Harry Potter movie, I feel differently about life.

Dad: He's tighter than skin on Bologna.

Nephew quotes

Well, my nephews were talking about what would happen if the world ended in 2012. One of them said that they wouldn't graduate high school because that's his graduation year. The other said, "Man! I'll never get the ironic priesthood!" Yay Tucker.

He also said that buying a new house would be hard. You'd have to buy "paper clips...furniture...a stapler..."

Aimee is only seven, but she is obsessed with babies. She wants another one so badly that she was begging her parents to adopt. She nagged them so much that they are now calling people in their wards to find some baby for her to play with. Aimee said to me however that she wanted "a brown one. Maybe from China." Ha ha. They're moving the old changing table into her bedroom.

Gotta love Grandmas

"You're beautiful. All the way. Your mind too." Nana