Getting to know you... at work : )

**SAMPLE**

I don't want to brag, but... I DID work in the library computer labs... don't be jealous BYU has an incredible library... ; )  


**FULL SCOOP**


Want a glimpse into the innerworkings of Kristina?  Or at least the random questions my work uses to interrogate people?  If anything, the questions themselves are pretty entertaining. Enjoy my answers 4-12 of a get to know you survey we did at work... good times -- would love to know any of your answers to these questions, please feel free to share! So random, right?! : ) 

4. What’s your favorite color?

- Blue. No yel-- auuuuuuuugh! [ explodes and dies ].... (I actually just love the whole rainbow... : )

5. What do you like to do in your free time?

- Dream of more free time : ) Read, run, be outside, spend time with people, make tapas (Spanish appetizers : ), etc.!

6. It’s a Friday night, what are you doing?

- Getting treats and doing fun things, getting groups together to do stuff... and an occasional a hot date ; )

7. What do you want to be when you grow up?

- A Mom : ) As well as.. the first lady : ) Or... would love to work for the Government in the Foreign Services or in the non-profit sector

8. Any big plans for Christmas?

- Having a fondue dinner with family and playing with my nieces and nephews!

9. Please tell me one short, interesting story about yourself.

- When I was little (say 8/9/10 or so), I would play "business" instead of house : ) (I did that too, but just wasn't as fun : ) j/k I had a little "office" I created for my self and among my many careers (I was a teacher, a counselor, aerobics instructor, etc.) I was a banker. I lent money to my sister and the deal was you have to give me back the money in the exact change I gave it to you (meaning if I gave you 5 pennies, you have to give me 5 pennies back : ) Well, she signed the contract, and once her time was up, the interest charge was $1 a day for everyday late the first week, $2 a day the second week, etc. Long story short... I made $20 off of her... and it was beautiful : )

10. What’s the coolest place you’ve ever been to?

- Other than my mom's old room in my Grandma's house... probably the tent home of a Moroccan nomad family in the Sahara.

11. Who do you think would win out of a fight between Jack Skellington (Nightmare Before Christmas) and the Grinch, and why?

- Jack... the Grinch has no heart. Gotta have heart to win.

12. What is the most awkward/interesting thing you have seen in the labs?

- 2 guys on the same day "diggin' for gold" and then using the keyboards...

13. If you had to be any type of Christmas decoration, what would you be, and why?

- The leg lamp... : )

14. What’s your favorite part of Christmas?

- Reenacting the nativity as a family and the reading Luke 2

15. What’s one unique Christmas tradition your family does?

- Volunteering at the Salvation Army to help distribute food to families and having a full-on fondue dinner at home : )

60 second update...

**SAMPLE** In honor of the recent Social Venture Team I've joined, as well as my considering Grad school... enjoy a 30 second MBA! http://www.fastcompany.com/mba/node/105


**FULL SCOOP**
Okay, so the past has proven, when I get busy... I get busy...! But I am trying to repent and am hoping to make a real post one of these days : ) However, for a minute update... here is the latest!

1. Ran, finished and actually... ENJOYED the St. George Marathon!

2. Am really enjoying my Advertising class - yay for communications!

3. Just joined a team for the Social Venture Competition... it's a plan that I really believe in and am thrilled about... called Musana... more details to come on that! (http://socialventure.byu.edu/)

4. Have decided to plan on getting a Masters, potentially an MPA (Public Administration) and feel great about it!
5. My laptop pretty much crashed... but I was able to save files and am grateful to be back in business!
6. Was a Flamenco dancer for Halloween : )

7. Started a sweets fast until Thanksgiving... (but I can have cereal as a treat... and an occasional reduced fat nilla wafer : )
8. Am feeling great about recent goals... even made a star chart and progress is being made!
9. Speaking of goals, started reading the Book of Mormon (www.mormon.org) in Spanish... wish me luck!

10. I've been actually getting excited about cooking!! I found that looking at it as an exotic experience and a way to travel by cooking foreign foods can make it inspiring... tapas anyone?!
11. Submitted a funny idea to do at work... and now they are doing it, yay! : ) (that's right... if you go to the computer labs, you could be randomly selected to get free prints and a candy bar... yay for Patron appreciation!)
12. I'm feeling like I finally have a game plan to graduate on time (by my standards... which equals August 2010)

13. I have just decided to help with Y Days which is basically a week long service campaign in March, and it makes me excited to do some "university" work again... and it's about time I really become "invested" in BYU : )
14. Had the opportunity to hear Greg Mortensen speak, the author of Three Cups of Tea (which I've also been trying to read among the other 5 books I've started: ) - super inspiring, read it! (http://www.threecupsoftea.com/)
15. Have been going to bed (a little earlier?) at a decent enough time to get aaalmost 8 hours on most nights... MAJOR accomplishment for me! : )


Well... that's a wrap! there is plenty more where that came from, but that's just a minute sample of what I've been up to/excited about over the last little while. Thanks for tuning in!

Much love,
K*

YOUR TURN/READER THOUGHTS: What is something you are really excited about/looking forward to right now? OR... what was your favorite Halloween costume you saw?

HAPPY.

HAPPY.

I can’t express just how happy and at peace I am with life right now. I know who I am and I know where I am going… (for the most part : ) at least I know it is somewhere… even if it just where the wind blows me : ) j/k. But I believe that we are here on earth for a purpose, which is to fulfill The Plan of HAPPINESS.

Sometimes I’ve wondered how it could be The Plan of Happiness when there is so much pain and sorrow in the world; however, one must know opposition to fully know just that… the opposition of both good and bad – how much sweeter the fruit of happiness is once one has experienced the struggles of sorrow and sadness, indecision and the unknown, etc. etc.

I won’t go into great detail right now, but I have had some interesting experiences regarding making life decisions about my future, emotional investments and which paths to take and how to go about each of these… it has been an adventure : ) (which I am confident is just the beginning!) but I have found my happy place. I’ve learned so many interesting life lessons through both my own experiences and those shared with loved ones; from studies to heartaches to career paths to deaths to health to travels to goals and set backs, etc. etc.

I’ve been fortunate to be a student of life (and of course continue to be) and to have the Lord as my personal tutor through prayer and scripture. One great lesson I have learned in particular comes from a talk I heard in a church meeting called General Conference last fall, which is that, “I may not know everything, but I know enough” (see http://www.lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-947-4,00.html – You Know Enough, Neil Anderson).

Again, I can’t express just how truly truly happy I am right now and how excited I am about the future and the adventures held in store. How grateful I am to the Lord for allowing me to experience such peace and happiness which I know is available to all who sincerely seek Him – He lives and I know loves each of us, as He truly is our Father in Heaven.

All this + More = I know enough… = HAPPY! : )

Much love, K*

YOUR TURN/READER THOUGHTS: When was a time you were truly and completely happy? What/where would you consider one of your "happy places"?

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 years ago... 17... again...?

**SAMPLE**

17 again… However you feel about the movie… this is in honor of/dedicated to my “Second Helping” ; )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNqwRL4Ir8o …enjoy!

**FULL SCOOP**

Ever thought about where you were exactly a year ago? Or 2, or 3? So, it’s not quite to the day… : ) but I’m a pretty reflective person… okay, I’m really reflective… I’m reflective in regards to both the future and past. I have been known to make 5 year plans… with details for where I would be every season with a plan B, C and occasionally a D with a disclaimer to each of those that includes my “open to revisions/flexibility factors” – Meaning, though I like having a plan, I love NOT having a plan almost just as much… I just like to know my options : ) (I mean, as a veteran girl scout, it’s my duty to be prepared). (We’ll save my planning methods though for another day… that can get pretty involved… : )

Moral of the story… as much as I consider the future, I frequently consider the past… the past little while I have been reflecting on where I was a year ago, and consequently the year before, the one before that, etc. etc.

The following are the results (according to the general Summer/Fall period of the year):

1 year ago (2008)

· Mid-Summer: Turned 21!! Was an Especially for Youth counselor in Ohio (Kirtland, special edition – SO neat : ) Then a family “reunion” – immediate family and some extended came to visit and we all stayed at this 4-H camp… together, so great, got to sing camp songs for our lunch with a 100 sweaty pre-teen 4-H’ers : ) And sister nearly got married! They mutually called it off about 2 hrs before… so brave! She is now happily married to a different man who adores her… : ) Shortly after went to one of my best friends’ wedding in UT – growing up is hard to do… but exciting too – all in all, LOVED IT! : )

· End of Summer: Attended another one of my best of friends’ wedding (best wedding reception I’ve gone to!) and visited some other friends in CA, and again, bittersweet :)

· Very end of Summer: Started packing and headed to DC for a semester long internship with the Washington Seminar – to quote one of my friends, she called it her “BEST DECISION” : )

2 years ago (2007)

• Mid-Summer: Spent my birthday and the 4^th of July in Philly (and was recorded in the Guinness book of world records for participating in the largest salsa dancing party!) and went to Maine with my parents ($13 one-way flights!!)… gotta love the east coast!
• End of Summer: Finished up doing a few EFYs at BYU-Idaho (aka – Heaven on earth : ) and loved every minute! First time back on campus since the previous fall – also bittersweet…
• Very end of Summer: Family reunion in Idaho, hiked Mt. Timpanogos (wahoo!), settled into my first BYU apartment with one of my very best friends (we always planned on living together since we were little… years later, still worked out!) and got ready for my first semester as a new transfer student! (Reason I transferred? That whole prayer thing… just felt right : )

3 years ago (2006)

· Mid-Summer: Was at BYU-Idaho – loving summer semester, going to a little nearby lake in between classes, working my little heart out doing Women’s Events and going to Bear World!! : ) (fabulous nearby Idaho attraction) And went to my family’s “Mountain Man Rendezvous” aka family gathering where we camp, hike, shoot guns, throw knives and tomahawks and pretend we our mountain men, cute isn’t it? : )

· End of Summer: Campaigned for Student Body Office… and rocked it! ; ) j/k I had an AMAZING campaign team and circle of supportive friends… wouldn’t have been able to do it without them…!! (and a whole lot of sweat and tears and everyone working their little hearts out -- but for reals… I have been truly blessed with wonderful associations and friends… I love you! : )

· Very end of Summer: Went home for a whirlwind “break” and headed straight back to school to begin preparations for a busy semester, kicking it off with New Student Orientation… always great.

4 years ago (2005)

· Mid-Summer: Spent my birthday and the 4^th of July in DC and road tripped with my sister to Houston and back (she was moving) stopped in New Orleans (pre-Katrina) and had our car broken into within about 10 minutes of parking it… not gonna lie… I’m still a little bitter… j/k… kind of : )

· End of Summer: Went to an activist camp of which I was one of about 2 republicans with 40 democrats : ) and learned the art of activism!! Then came home and went sky-diving with another best friend and friend’s brother – you'd be surprised, not too bad, it really is much more fun than scary - for reals! (just do it, you know you want to!! : )

· Very end of Summer: Got ready for my first semester of college! Packed my goodies, had my parents drop me off, went to New Student Orientation and met my roommates who I soon came to love again, as some of the best of friends – BYUI – Another BEST decision.

And here it is…!

5 years ago (2004)

· Mid-Summer: Ha ha, most summers would have been conditioning for soccer!! (took a break my Jr. and Sr. to focus on other activities : ) Headed to Switzerland to visit my sister living there… gotta love having family live in cool places!

· End of Summer: Came back and gave blood to celebrate finally being of “legal age” to give : ) *See Second Helping below… Then just had family visit and enjoyed bonding!

· Very end of Summer: Showed our horse for my last time showing horses in our county fair… sad day… but good times : ) Wrapped up summer and began my senior year with our football team winning a game when the previous year our soccer team had more points than they did... per game… (soccer, best game: 18 goals – football, best game: 14 points…) anyway, it was an exciting start to a fabulous fall!

And THAT was a whirlwind blast of my past 5 years...! (well, at least of the summer times : )

Much love, K*

YOUR TURN/READER THOUGHTS: Where were you 5 years ago? And/or where were you/what were you doing when you were 17?

**SECOND HELPING**

Snippet from my blog entry as a 17 yr. old about turning 17… (and a little about dating, ha ha... : ) get ready…! (funny how people change… even funnier is how they don’t ; )

“…After buying a CD just to listen to the one sweet 16 song on it the night before I turned 17... I tried to think of what I could look forward to, because 18 is cool because... you are like, an adult, yet still a teenager, so you are kind of in two stages of your life at once... just kind of an interesting concept I think : ). Anywho (and you can vote and such!! Good times!) So one might think okay, just another year of more great dates right? Well, since we all know the record from last year, pfff, forget that one, who needs those anyway right? I actually I am kind of glad because... well around times when I actually need one... like prom and homecoming... (or rather would like one: ) it is always exciting to see how close I can get to the dance while still not having one : ) he he... Anywho, I have accepted that fact and am happy about my present state : ) so moving on. What is exciting about 17? Um, as I mentioned earlier... most people would say... "Now you can watch R movies!! Wahoo!” {But} since I have chosen not to do that... I needed to find some other fun way to celebrate my 17ness!

“So I thought about it... and realized that every time I have heard about a blood drive they always say you have to be 17 and over some weight, (the weight I got covered baby! But the age was always a different story : ) and not that I love pain or anything, but giving blood is healthy for you and... saves lives!! I mean seriously, who doesn't like the feeling of being needed? Right?! It is wonderful to think that because I gave my blood and one hour of my life... someone can live the rest of theirs. Amazing isn't it? Anyway, so I read about an upcoming blood drive, the first I have heard of since my birthday and just decided I had to go! Also, since Labor Day is coming up this weekend, it is even more in need, because sadly, there will most likely be accidents and people who need it, so of course, all of the more reason! Anyway, It was such a great experience!!

“Since I have been young, I have had to go to the doctors for various health reasons and have had to had many shots and blood samples taken at different times, so I am somewhat used to the process, but it still gets me everytime! I usually am not too nervous about it, but when it is just about time, I just get so giggly! I usually don't get that nervous about much really, but when I am either really happy, really tired, or scared nervous, I giggle like crazy. Those of you who have been there during my giggly times... I am sure can agree : ) It is awful though when I can't stop, I love to laugh, but... oh man, sometimes I just giggle so much, I realize how stupid I must look and giggle more! So it is fun and a good giggle, because I would rather giggle than cry, but goodness, I am sure I seem like a fool, but at least I am enjoying myself! : )

“Anywho... so when they did it I kept giggling, but they were all so nice and friendly so it wasn't too bad : ). Thankfully they were just like, if only everyone laughed instead of cried, we would have a great time! Anyway, throughout the hour, we had plenty of good times. But it was funny because towards the end I kind of started to feel whoozy and voices started to get quieter and echo-ish and I was feeling kind of light headed, so I decided maybe I should tell them and did and immediately these 2 guys hopped up and layed my chair down propped my feet and brought a cool wash cloth the second I opened my mouth! Dang, if only I had service like that anytime I wanted ice cream! So yeah, it was fabulous and I am so glad I did it. A small contribution I know, but it was I think of the most fulfilling things I could do to celebrate my 17ness : ).

Anywho... I had a great week! That's about it! : ) eh heh heh, not much really as you can tell from what I wrote... j/k! : ) -- loves! - K*”

Koh Samed... aka... Paradise...

**SAMPLE**

Need a break?? Go visit Thailand! http://www.tourismthailand.org/


**FULL SCOOP**


The following are videos from our adventure to the Koh Samed... aka... the beach!! : )

1. Ride to the hotel after we arrived to the Island on a ferry...!



2. My new friend teaching me how to do these fire/twirly ball things : )



3. One of our favorite "Thai" teachers giving us a lesson on to identify a "handsome" Thai boy ; )



4. Natalie and I saw flames from the other end of the beach... this is what we found : ) (and yes, his abs are as defined as they look...: )



5. So our family had a mo-ped growing up, but I've always wanted to drive somewhere crazy, and with Becky being the next most experienced with having ridden a dirt bike once, the other gals never... they were great to humor me and we all had a blast!!



6. More fun on the scooters, Natalie's turn to drive...! After a near death experience, things went pretty smoothly : )



7. Exploring the beach...



8. Last night at the beach, good-bye fire dancing boys!


More to come...! : )

Much love, K*

YOUR TURN/READER THOUGHTS: Do you have a favorite beach or beach memory?

Special price for you…? To match your eyes! : ) (+pics!)

**SAMPLE**


First Video - Mini-pre-show outside to Siam Theater Show
Second Video - Sample of the Floating Market boat ride

**FULL SCOOP**

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MONDAY – WEDNESDAY*

Itinerary Summary:

MONDAY

Main event: Grand Palace (Home of the Emerald Buddha, former residence of Thai Kings, lot's of beautiful buildings and funny pants – since it is holy ground, you are asked to wear a skirt, or put on a sarong which they will provide, and men are asked to put on scrub-like pants or crazy patterned pajama pant looking things : )

TUESDAY

1^st stop: Ayutthaya (sp?) (Major ancient city in the central plains, trading, government buildings, religious places, etc. but was "sacked" in war in the 1700s – Today…? Cool ruins & elephant rides: )

2^nd stop: Jim Thompson Home (American architect (1940sish) who made Thai silk famous – After mysteriously disappearing at age 61, his house (made up of 6 teak houses he had moved there) is now shared with tourists, a great place to have lunch and has beautiful gardens!

3^rd stop: Thai Cooking with Khun-Uk (sp?) Our roomie's family arranged for their helper to teach us how to cook two Thai dishes – and an unforgettable lesson, "Don't eat too much, make fat!" (Not sure what she was trying to tell us, but… it was pretty funny : )

4^th stop: Siam Niramit (Theater Highest Theater in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World records (and the huge sign outside: ) Has a truly spectacular show with traditional dancing on a stage that has a mini river running through it (they had water literally down-pouring from the roof in a mock rainstorm, elephants walking through the rows, costumes and flying performers and all kinds of other elaborate details and backgrounds – truly probably one of the most impressive shows I've ever been to! – Also, a cute "old village" outside with food samples, little boat rides, and a fun look at the past.

WEDNESDAY

1^st stop: Floating Markets (And they were just that! People floated around in boats and tried to get you to buy their wares and you had to bargain to get the best deal and everyone wanted to give you (and of course only you… a "Special price" – LOVED IT!) I think this has been a favorite for me so far – and not gonna lie, I got some great deals : ) I'll definitely have to write more later, but this was a blast and so fun to chat with the people more – I really loved the interaction : ) Another favorite quote and lesson learned… my roomies were buying dresses and they wanted a longer skirt, the market lady said, "No, no long skirt old, not sexy" (or close) – so great, we'll all work on that ; )– thanks lady!

2^nd stop: Home/Nichada Community Area (Roomie's home area) Went to a local market and had some fabulous adventures with boys asking to get pictures with us, live fish ready to be eaten, half chickens cut open, and plenty more! I also got a fabulous Asian-American shirt… see above (must read) – do you love it or what?! : )

 

Anywho, more to come later!! Today we are off to the beach!!

Much love, K*

YOUR TURN/READ THOUGHTS: Have you ever had to bargain? What's the best deal you've gotten?

 

*More detailed updates to come, but with limited internet time, this is the best I can offer! : )