Expressing Thanks for Mi Familia

If you knew me, you would know that I have the greatest family on earth. I am the middle child of five and although I've made my complaints about Middle Child Syndrome (MCS), I really enjoy it most of the time. In order to express my appreciation for each family member, I have decided to share one of my favorite memories with each person.

When I was little and we lived in Moses Lake, Dad would jump on the trampoline with us. Kim, Dad, and I made up a couple of little routines that we would do together. For entertainment purposes, we threw in a few "Whoop-ah!"s and still laugh about it today. I am grateful to have a dad who played with me as a little kid.



When I was in high school, Dad went on a lot of business trips. This left a lot of time for Mom and I to bond. Mom and I would start talking and wouldn't end our conversations until 11:30 or later (even on a school night!) I am grateful to have a mother who sacrificed sleep to listen to me.



I attended my first real concert with Chris. We went to the Big A** Show in Salt Lake during my sophomore year of college. It was at this concert that I saw The All-American Rejects for the first time. It was at this same concert that I learned what weed smells like. I am grateful to have a brother who helps educate me in the ways of the world.



Justin and I have only ever been in one fight that I can remember. Mom was gone at Girls' Camp and Dad was at work. I was twelve years old and I wanted to go over to a friend's house. I don't remember the exact reason for the fight, but I do remember locking myself in the bathroom and "growling" at him through the door. The next day, everything was fine. I'm grateful to have a brother that quickly forgets about my ridiculous anger.



Ashley and I attempted to clean the sink together at Angie's (they serve a sink full-literally a sink-of ice cream and toppings). We tried so hard but to no avail. We didn't succeed, but I'm glad we tried. That was the last thing we did together in Logan. I am grateful for a sister who is willing to join me in overindulgence.

Kim and I loved to roller skate when we were little. We had a sidewalk in front of our house that curved into the driveway. We would put on our rockin' roller skates, skid down the sidewalk, and instead of following the curve, we would do a cartwheel onto the grass. We thought we were pretty hott stuff and we were always excited to show off our great tricks. I'm grateful to have sister that loved playing with me.

In the summer, we LOVED playing outside. We would set up a croquet course and go at it for a few days. Clark was too young to truly understand the concept of winning and losing. We decided that we would teach him that it isn't okay to cheat, even when you're losing. He got so mad he chased Justin around the house holding a croquet mallet over his head. Justin ran inside and shut himself in the bathroom, thinking he had found refuge. Clark would not be so easily defeated. He raised the mallet over his head, swung at the door, and left a hole. I'm grateful for a brother who exemplifies determination.

Kim and I loved to play dress up and all sorts of games. When Julie was born we were both pretty excited to have a "baby" to play with. We used to put dresses on Julie and carry her around as part of our games. She was a pretty good sport, most of the time. I am grateful for a sister who let us use her as a tool for our own enjoyment.

The nephews are still a little young to really target any specific memories, but I can still express gratitude for them.

I am grateful for Elliott because he can make me laugh. I am grateful for Quinn because he never fails to give me a smile.



I am grateful for Braxton because he loves to wrestle and play rough. I am grateful for Taylor because he truly understands my appreciation for sleep and food.

I am so grateful to have a family that understands me, entertains me, and helps me to learn and grow. I don't get to be with all of them often, but when I am with them I would rather not be anywhere else.

I Am Thankful for My Second Family

Today I want to express gratitude for my second family: the mow crew. Let me introduce you...

This is Justin and Shanda (pronounced Shawn-duh).

Justin was my crew chief over the summer. He was great to work with and eventually invited all of us over to his house for dinner where we met his wife and family. They are never hesitant to open their house for Mow Crew Dinners or just because. I love being at their house and playing with their kids. It makes it easier for me to be away from my own family. Justin and Shanda have four kids...

JC and Taylor



Todd



And Al (I just found out the other day that Al asks about me all the time. "Is Jalayne coming over today?" or "Is Jalayne coming over to play with me?" LOVE IT!)

Our crew consists of three boys and three girls. Of the seasonal crew members, Chuck is the one that has worked for the city the longest. I didn't talk to him much the first summer I worked with him because we didn't work together a whole lot. This last summer was different; we worked together a whole lot and got to know each other a lot better.

As I was flipping through pictures trying to choose one of everybody, I realized that this is the only picture I have of Chuck (he is posing at our Halloween party with his girlfriend, Christy, whom I don't know that well)

Jessie started working for the city the same time I did. We really enjoyed working together that first summer but we totally bonded over the second summer. She is a hoot and a holler. Not only does she totally and completely accept my weirdness but she ENCOURAGES it! I am so grateful for that. I am weird and I have always been afraid to show it. Jessie helps give me the courage to be weird; in other words, to be myself.

Lacee is Jessie's best friend from back home and started working with the city just this past summer. I am grateful for Lacee because she also encourages me to be myself and she listens to every random thought I verbalize. If you knew me, you would know that I think, A LOT. When I am with Lacee, I feel like I can verbalize these thoughts and I know that she won't judge me, think less of me, or laugh too hard.

I am grateful for Tyler because he makes me want to be a better person. When I am around him, I strive to be my best self. I think more about others, I work harder, I feel more spontaneous, I have a more positive attitude, etc. Because of his influence in my life, I find myself thinking "What would I do if Tyler were with me?" or if something goes wrong I think "How would Tyler turn this into a positive situation?" Of all of the people who have been in and out of my life this past year, I have learned and grown the most from Tyler.

Tyler has a girlfriend who has started joining us for dinners, but I don't know her that well. I guess I am grateful for her because she helps Tyler to be such a good person.

Jason also started working with the city this past summer. I am grateful for Jason because he is so relaxed. If I start to think too much or worry about everyone else, I think about Jason's chill attitude and I realize that it doesn't matter if things don't go according to plan, it is still going to be a blast!

Although she wasn't an actual part of the crew this summer, Kasumi (Jason's girlfriend) comes to dinners and spends time with us anyway. She is from Japan. I am grateful for her because she always greets me with a smile. She is a foreign exchange student from Japan and was just baptized in June. I appreciate her example and her happiness.

One of my favorite memories with these people was during lunch one day in a park. Chuck noticed something weird about me. We started talking about the kinds of things that make us weird. I eat my sandwiches a certain way, Chuck likes to watch people eat, Tyler has a thing for pregnant women, Justin separates his seeds before he eats them, etc. After we had all divulged some of our deepest weirdnesses, we laughed and became closer friends. We accepted the weird things about each other. We encourage each other to be ourselves.

I can't see myself prancing around Yellowstone National Park looking like this...

...with anyone but the people who encourage it, love it, and embrace it.

Since I live in Logan and my family lives in Provo, Kaysville, Idaho Falls, and Spokane I don't get to be with all of them often. I am so grateful to have found the people who can help to fill that void.

I'm Thankful for My House and My Roommates

Today I would like to take a minute and express gratitude for my wonderful house and for the people I share it with. I am grateful to have a place to call "home"; to protect me from the elements, to be a refuge from the hard days, and to be a place where we can gather as roommates and spend time together. The four of us share a fun, little upstairs apartment. I am thankful for my home-sweet-home.

This is my first semester living with Baker. She is my room-roommate (meaning, we actually share a bedroom). She has been so good for me to live with. I am grateful for her smile and her positive attitude. Because of her example, I am trying to learn how to let the little things roll off my shoulders. Baker doesn't let things bother her and I admire that. I am grateful for her upbeatness.

This is the third semester that I have lived with Colette. I am grateful for her because she likes hugs just as much as I do. When I need a hug, I know I can rely on CoCo. I also appreciate her because she likes to talk. Our conversations have caused me to hone my listening skills. I am grateful for our "little" chats.

The end of this semester will complete four semesters of living with Cassie. I admire Cassie's self-lessness. She's willing to share without giving it a second thought. She thinks about others before she thinks about herself. She knows the coolest birthday song ever and she never fails to make me laugh. I am grateful for Doomer because she knows how to brighten my day.

It never ceases to amaze me how people enter each others' lives. To quote "Wicked"...

I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return

These three girls have entered my life for a reason and I am grateful for it. I have learned so much from them and their examples. I am thankful for the growth I have experienced in my home with my roommates.

A Week of Thanks

Since Thursday is Thanksgiving, I thought I would set a goal to blog every day about something different that I am thankful for. I am going to start by expressing my gratitude for the opportunity to go to New Zealand. I went to a meeting tonight and just talking about it gets me so excited! I met two other girls that I will be going with. Tonight we talked about the language and the food. There are two people from New Zealand that work at Utah State and they came and talked to us about what words to say and what words not to say. They told us about the different kinds of food, the kind of welcome we should expect and how to receive it, etc. I will be receiving my official flight itinerary tomorrow but tonight the director told us that we will be leaving on the 27 February, we won't experience the 28 February (because we cross the international dateline), and we'll arrive in Aukland on the 1 March. We will leave from Aukland around 10:00a.m. on the 22 April and return to Salt Lake on the 22 April (because of the international dateline). I AM SO STOKED!!! Opportunities like this don't arise every day and I am so grateful that I get to be a part of this experience.

"You're the one that I want..."

Tonight Lacee and I went and saw "Grease" at Logan High. It was an awesome production. I wasn't ever impressed with the district musicals put on in Idaho Falls. I always thought the costumes were cheap, the props were few, and the talent was lacking. The talent in Cache Valley has yet to disappoint me.

A couple of years ago I went and saw "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" at Sky View High School. Since it was a high school play and my past experiences weren't superb, I wasn't expecting much; however, I was greatly impressed. The costumes were well done, the props were fantastic, and the talent was incredible. I didn't know that high school students could sing so well. Sky View put the Idaho Falls District #91 musicals to shame.

The thing that was the most impressing to me was the fact that all of this talent came from one school. Idaho Falls had to scrounge through an entire district to find people who could string a few lines together and call it a song.

There's a lot of talent in this here valley and the people aren't afraid to put some money into it. With all of the talent and support of the sponsors I declare local high school musicals a success!

The Return of JaLaurel MosHatcher

Over the summer, I introduced you to JaLaurel MosHatcher. During that introduction, Laurel was serving a mission in Greece. She has now returned to the States but has yet to return to Utah State. She is currently attending BYU and studying Human Resources. Provo isn't Logan, by any means, but she is enjoying her time there even if Provo is completely Jalayne-less.

We spent so much time together our freshman, sophomore, and junior years that I had a few withdrawals while she was gone. Now that she has returned, she decided to ease my pains and venture on up to Logan to visit me last weekend.

We started off our time together by attending a wedding reception to congratulate some friends and visit with a few people. We then headed back to my house where we made my favorite treat ever: Jenny's Stuff! This is a creation made up by Kim's freshman roommate, Jenny. Take a Hershy's bar, a pack of M&Ms, and a spoonful of peanut butter and melt them a little in the microwave. Then pour some Rice Krispies on top of the chocolatey-peanut buttery-goodness and top it off with marshmallows. Stick it back in the microwave and begin melting the creation. Watch carefully or else the mallows will explode in the microwave.

When the mallows have risen but not exploded...

...pull it out...



...and stir it up.



The final creation. (It may not look appetizing but it is one of the best treats I have ever had!)

We then continued our evening by watching "Lucky 7", a cheesy TV-made movie with Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Patrick Dempsey. As cheesy as it is, we both love it and Laurel wasn't able to watch it for eighteen months, so we satisfied her craving for it.

Enjoying the movie and a delicious bowl of Jenny's Stuff.

We finished our evening by watching "Sweet Home Alabama" and then went to bed around 2:00am. I don't remember the last time I went to bed that late. It was kind of fun! The next morning we slept in late, sat around the house, and headed to Old Grist Mill for lunch. They make the best sandwiches and cookies in Logan. We took it to a park and enjoyed a nice lunch together.

After lunch Laurel did homework and I took a nap. After a few hours we were both hungry again so we went to Takara Sushi for, you guessed it, sushi!

Laurel had a thing for the little sushi plates

We completed our evening with a walk and "27 Dresses". After church on Sunday, we went to a pot luck and went for a walk. On our walk, we took a few pictures...

We really wanted to jump in the leaves but we're too nice to ruin other peoples' piles, so I pretended like I was falling instead.

We walked past Laurel's favorite house...



...where they had a swing in their yard (how romantical!)

We took a few pictures in the leaves

Leaf Removal

We really wanted to watch "Enchanted" because Laurel hadn't seen it yet so it was my goal to find it and watch it. We searched everywhere for it. I called so many people before I finally found it. We watched the movie, had pancakes for dinner, and Laurel was on her way back to P-Town. It was a fabulous weekend full of laughter and memories. She wasn't quite convinced to return to Logan, but maybe someday. For now, JaLaurel MosHatcher will just have to exist over a span of a two hour drive.