Everyday is the Start of Something Beautiful

Here I am...blogging again.  Mainly because Jeremy went to Salina to help his dad and I find myself not knowing quite what to do with my time.  My life has become school, homework, watching Chase and Logan, Jeremy, and more Jeremy.  Its great!  Except for today.  Whatever did I do before I had him around to keep me entertained?  Oh yeah...I didn't do anything.  :-)

I've discovered Grooveshark.  (Thanks Jeremy)  Its way cooler than Pandora.  I think I'll still use Pandora to find new music though.  Grooveshark is cool in that I can just search a song, put it in a playlist and listen to it whenever I want.  I can't put it on an MP3 player or anything (if I had one anyways), but I can listen on my computer.  Thats when I listen to most of my music these days anyways.  Its way cool.  A new world has opened up for me!

I've never lived for the weekend like I have the past couple of months.  I can't wait until Friday when my music class is over, and all I have is Friday Forum.  Then when I have been uplifted I can go home and begin my weekend, which usually consists of doing stuff with Jeremy.  Last Friday we went to Salina to carve pumpkins and have chicken and dumplings.  Yum.  I'm a fan of chicken 'n dumplings.  I had it once on my mission and a less-active home.  Then again when I went to Georgia.  So good.  His Mom is a good cook.  I should get her to teach me to make bread or something...  Jeremy and his family go nuts with pumpkins.  Ok so I grew up in a home where we get our pumpkins, and grab a spoon and kitchen knife.  We cut a somewhat circular hole in the top, scrape out all the seeds with the spoon, then grab the kitchen knife, cut triangles for eyes and nose (or circles) and then cut a whatever shaped mouth we wanted.  Well to put it mildly...Jeremy's family doesn't do that.  I walk in and there are these pattern books everywhere.  When Jeremy first started talking about patterns, I thought he was talking about sewing...I was so confused.  Well we cleared that out, and I picked out a ghost pattern. It looked simple enough for me.  So we went to make a copy of the pattern, and the printer won't work.  There was a bit of drama!  Trying to get the printer to work, then taking it over to grandma's to copy them their.  It took most of the movie "Up" (good show by the way) to get the patterns copied.  Remember you are talking to the girl who cuts triangles in pumpkins.  I was like...we can't just carve a smiley face?  But they were adamant they have patterns and cool pumpkins.  Well we finally did get our patterns, and then they break out the tools!  There are all sorts of 'saws' and a pokey thingy for outlining the pattern and scoopers.  Nuts.  Jeremy cut a hole in the top of my pumpkin.  It was even shaped like a pumpkin.  I had to laugh.  This was a highly entertaining Crane tradition.  By the time it was done, they did look pretty cool.  Jeremy picked an intricate one that took all night...however it did look cooler than mine, which was done before he was done doing the pokey pattern thing.

 

It was different to spend the night at his place.  I must admit waking up and finding him in the front room is really nice.  Once again I'm being spoiled.  I've also found out Jeremy is great motivation to get my homework done.   I had a paper that needed to be done on Monday.  I hadn't really started it...and it was Saturday.  I made him drop me off at the house and I couldn't do anything else until that was done.  Well I cranked out five pages of researched information dripping with opinion, in about three hours.  Not to shabby I think.  We then hung out at Walmart.  Great huh?  I wanted to print some pictures of us off for Sister Yancey.  I was going to tell her it was me and her step-daddy.  For those of you who don't know, when you are trained as a missionary, the sister who trains you is considered your 'mother' and the district leader is your 'dad'.  Well...things aren't going to work out between Sister Yancey (the sister I trained) and her 'dad' (Elder Prior)...so Jeremy will have to be her step-daddy.  Hopefully she finds it funny.  I do anyways.

I'm starting to use the words 'us' and 'we' alot.  I was with my aunts, grandma and mom yesterday and we were talking about Christmas parties.  I was totally like let us know when it is so we can be there.  Jeremy wasn't even with me!  Since when did me become we?  I wouldn't have it any other way.

I have a new favorite song.  All We Are by Matt Nathanson.  I know...its kind of a lost love song. And in that situation, I am not!  But I love the feeling I get from it.  Especially the last two phrases.

'cause all we are, we are,
all we are, we are.
and every day is the start of something beautiful
Something real

Because all we are, we are,
And all we are, we are.
Every day is the start of something beautiful
Beautiful.

To me this song is like love is what it is, we are what we are... and to enjoy it as it is, because every day is the 'start of something beautiful'.  Especially that line.  Everyday for me is the start of something beautiful. Love each day for what it brings, I don't need to look for more because today is beautiful.  I'm loving it as it is and smiling.  Its real and I hope it never ends.

Life is a crazy adventure!

Well ...I haven't been on facebook in forever, and blogging has been even longer.  Things have been going great.  Time has gone funny on me again.  Much like the MTC very long days, but yet short weeks.  Its nuts. I eat, sleep, go to school or watch the boys, and hang out with Jeremy.  That be my life.  But no complaints whatsoever! 



I finally got to go to conference!  It was amazing! When I first started talking to Jeremy, I made the comment along the lines of how cool it would be to go to General Conference.  He then rains on my parade by trying to tell me its not that great.  I called him out on it and told him I had always wanted to go.  By then he felt guilty so he promised to take me.  We originally had tickets to go to Saturday Afternoon session, but Bishop gave our tickets to someone else.  I was pretty bummed out about that.  But we decided we would try anyways.  We also were going to ride Trax into downtown as well.  I'd forgotten my pass, so all in all we ended up having to find parking.  We thought we found a spot, but then I was like, are we sure this isn't two hour parking or something.  Sure enough it was. So we got back into the car and started driving.  Two blocks down we came by this little mechanic's shop.  They were charging $5.00 to park at their shop.  Really, we aren't going to get much better than that.  So we pulled in.  It was about two blocks from conference center.  Then came time to start begging for tickets.  We walked around holding two fingers up, but no luck.  Finally Jeremy was like lets go to the stand-by line.  We went to the back of the line to wait (and pray)  when we saw this guy giving out tickets that was about a half inch thick.  I was like how pathetic can I look?  Well we got our two.  I couldn't believe it. I kept looking at them expecting them to not be the real deal but they were!  What a miracle!  I was so grateful! I was going to general conference!  We sat on the floor, the second group back, just to the right of the pulpit.  Really you can't get much better than that unless you know someone!  The afternoon session was amazing!  I got to hear my two favorite apostles Elder Scott and Elder Anderson.  Made me very happy.  I've been wanting to go to conference for a very long time!


We also got to play meet the parents.  Parts I and II.  A few weeks ago we went down to Salina and I got to meet his niece, sister, mom, dad, and grandma and grandpa crane. They were nice, it was good to finally meet them.  We did a session in the Manti Temple.  Loved it.  It makes my top three list. (The other two in case you are wondering are mt. Timp and Logan)  I  loved the Pioneer craftmanship.  It was incredible.  I'd love to go back soon. Then this weekend Jeremy got to meet my parents and family.  We also did a session at the Logan temple.  It was nice to go to a temple where I knew exactly where I was going.  Then afterwards we stopped by Grandma and Grandpa Downs'.  It was good to see them,  then the my parents and the girls came over, and so that was fun.  Big get-to know you at Grandma's house.  We then took the girls and Brennan to the cornmaze.  Aymee booked us through it pretty quick.  We aren't sure if its because she had to go to the bathroom or if it was that she was scared if we were lost too long it would become haunted and someone would jump out at her.  Or maybe both.  Then we went with my parents to Frederico's for some pizza.  It was way greasy, but the garlic bread was great.  We then went to Aggie Ice cream. We spent the night at Grandma Pitchers, which was an adventure.  I haven't spent the night at grandma's in ages.   I was so full.  My family liked Jeremy. Especially both of my grandma's.  Mission was successful.


I've also gotten to try Brazilian food.  I'm sure its been somewhat americanized, but its actually not too bad.  We went to that place in the Gateway.  Starts with a C.... after General Conference.  Then the following weekend I was spoiled by Jeremy's Dad, who took us to Rodizio Grill. (must be a sign the guy likes me right?)  Its actually not too bad, I liked it more than I though.  Would I have wanted to serve in Brazil? No.  But its been fun to go eat Brazilian food.  I liked the pasta with the alfreado sauce and I'm a big fan of the turkey wrapped in bacon.  I also tried grilled pineapple.  It was the best pineapple I've ever had.  However I still don't like pineapple.  It was also wild game night...I wouldn't touch the rattlesnake with a five foot pole.  Jeremy tried it...and somewhat liked it.  Must admit...I was somewhat reluctant about kissing him after that...


Hmmm lets see what else has been happening?  Mostly just hanging out with Jeremy.  I now have a V-Ting route and a calling. I'm on the publicity committee.  School goes on.  I'm loving life.  Its been a crazy whirlwind, but its great.  I never expected all this when I moved down here.  I knew it was the right thing to do, and great things are happening.  Well I'll try not to let it be so long before I write again.  Toodles.