Twelve Snapshots of Me

I thought it would be fun to show twelve "pictures" of my life. Maybe you'll learn something that you never knew about me.

1. Picture of the Canadian and American Flag

Might as well start with my heritage, something that I’m quite pleased with. You would have found out sooner or later anyway. I was born in Canada and lived there for seven and half years. My dad’s Canadian, but my mom is not. I love visiting my birthplace. We moved to Utah over 20 years ago, and I consider the United States to be home.

2. Picture of my family

Without my family I would be nothing. I have four older brothers and one younger sister. We’re pretty close and I do a lot of activities with my siblings. I have a good relationship with my parents and siblings. I love my family.

3. Picture of my bookshelves

Books, books, books. I’m a book editor for a publishing company, so I’m reading all the time. I have to admit, though, that after a long day of editing, I don’t come home wanting to read. Sometimes it takes a while for me to get in the mood, while other times I’m ready to dive in.

4. Picture of a racquetball, basketball, and volleyball

I love to play sports, although I’m not that good of shape. My favorite by far is volleyball and I play it weekly with some friends. I learned racquetball on my mission, and am always looking for someone to play with me. I may not be the best, but it lets my competitive side come out. And who doesn’t like basketball? Seriously, there’s a reason we have basketball hoops in the cultural halls of churches.

5. Picture of board games, card games, and video games (Wii, DSI, and so on)

On the other hand, I love to spend time playing games with people. It’s one of my family’s favorite pastimes, so we have quite the collection. As you can imagine, playing with my siblings has allowed me to have quite a variety of favorites. I love Monopoly, Sorry, Curses, Apple to Apples, Scrabble, and Axis and Allies (I’m not that great but enjoy the fact that it takes all day. Quality time!) Ligretto, Phase 10, and a family card game called Church Rummy are good too. I love playing on my Wii (great to play with friends as well as winding down after work) and DSI (good for long road trips when I get tired of reading).

6. Picture of the mountains

I love nature and like to go to the mountains to think sometimes. I love car rides through the canyons and like taking pictures of trees. I like trees. Living in Utah County gives me a great view of the mountain. I don’t know if I can live somewhere without mountains close by.

7. Picture of BYU campus

Yes, I’m a cougar. I will always bleed the royal blue, no matter what. Most of my family has graduated from BYU. And I love Cougar football. It somewhat irked me that the Utes were invited to PAC-10 league and BYU did not. That’s the rivalry streak coming out. I also enjoy watching the women and men volleyball teams. I love BYU campus and, of course, the BYU creamery. Even though I graduated in 2006, BYU has continued to influence my life. I love BYU.

8. Picture of Orlando, FL

I served my mission in Orlando. I loved the area, the people, and the crazy culture. I did not like the hurricanes, and that’s the main reason that I’ll probably won’t live there. And also fact that it’s so hot and humid in the summer and everyone is practically dressed in swimsuits. My mission influenced my life in so many ways. I’m a better person because of it. I love to visit!

9. Picture of my camera

I love to take pictures, but won’t claim that I have any skill. I often have my camera with me to take pictures and really regret it when I don’t. I like taking pictures of old cool-looking trees. And I like taking pictures of my family. I don’t have an expensive camera, although I would like to save up and get one. Taking pictures relaxes me and I have a lot fun experimenting.

10. Picture of me smiling

I love to smile and laugh and I try to get others to laugh as well. Life is good for the most part! A lot of my favorite memories include me sitting around with friends just laughing and having a good time. Most people don’t know that I can have a pretty wicked sense of humor. I would say that my laugh is contagious. I take after my mom. We’re the best laugh soundtrack a theater could ever get.

11. Picture of a jump rope, tennis shoes, and my workout shirt

Yeah, I like to be active, but my body shape does not quite agree with me. I exercise about 3 to 4 times a week, but it’s something I’m working on. Finding time or motivation can be difficult, but lately I’ve been doing better at planning. I hate running, but that hasn’t stopped me from trying to run. I do better when I exercise while playing sports.

12. Picture of me and my friends

I love spending time with people. I’m kind of quiet, but my friends know that I’m loyal, dependable, and a great person to be around with. People are important to me and I would do anything for my friends and family. Being social is an important aspect, but so is being there for them, providing a listening ear and sympathetic heart. One on one time means a lot to me.

There you have it. Twelve snapshots of my life.

Running...

HURTS! Okay, I'm writing before I actually run, but hey, I can already see myself on my living room floor bemoaning the fact that I ran and hurt.

I'm trying out the running thing....to help me be healthy....and lose some weight. I don't ever want to find that weight again. I loathe running. I didn't like it in elementary, jr. high, or high school. So what in the world am I doing taking up running (actually, more like jogging by the pace I set)? Uh.....

No pain, no gain?

Because, let's be honest, running burns more calories, works more muscles, and does more good than just a walk. All things I need.

The good news is I'm starting out slow. And my good friend Ben is taking me through it step by step. He wants me to succeed and endures all of my whining. And believe me, there is whining.

Onward, Melissa, onward!

Grateful for the Provo Library!

I finally got a Provo library card and have been in heaven ever since. I spent like two hours just exploring the building and seeing what it had to offer. I walked down almost every shelf and just looked at all the titles. And then I finally settled on three books to read. Yes, I had to limit myself. I already have three books at home that I'm reading, so I couldn't just get ten more. :)

I am a YA and children's book junkie. They're so much fun to read, and right now, there are so many that are creative, awesome, and amazing. I also am in a biography/nonfiction mode. I got a book about bullying. Sad to say, I experienced some bullying in my youth, but nothing to the extent of the author's experiences. I read that book in two nights. It's called "Please Stop Laughing at Me," and it changed my perspective on victims and bullies.

Coming from such a book geek, I love libraries!

Grateful for homemade smoothies

What do you do with three ripe bananas? Some would make a cake or a loaf of banana bread. I made a homemade smoothie. With just some ice, frozen berries, a little frozen yogurt, and orange juice, I made a delicious dinner.

Whoever thought that blending up various fruits with ice would make a great treat deserves a reward.

Mmmm...so satisfying.