Foggy Day

This morning I got dressed and looked outside. This is what I couldn't see saw:

A whole lot of fog.

Little did I know that the rest of my day would be clouded over by little patches of fog here and there- but not just physical fog, the mental fog as well.

I found myself beaten down by stress and worry. I tend to do that a lot... and I'm really tired of it. But no matter how irrational I know the things I worry or stress about are, I just can't seem to talk myself out of it.
In search of relief I went to the scriptures. In Sunday School we learned about the temptations Christ went through while he lived on the earth. In every instance he referred to The Word of God, so I decided to pop those scriptures open and see if I could find something to calm me down. I searched. I earnestly looked for something. I didn't find it. While I know that the scriptures hold many truths and comforting power, I find it difficult sometimes to pull stuff out of them to help me. I think it's just something I need to work on, but meanwhile, I decided to turn to a different source.

I decided to dig deep down into the archives of NieNie's blog, way back to the time when she had just come out of coma from the accident. For those of you who aren't familiar with Stephanie Nielson, she is an LDS woman who, on August 16, 2008 got in a near-fatal plane accident in which she received burns on more than 80% of her body. A most inspiring woman.
So I began to read and I couldn't stop. Her faith and determination brought tears to my eyes as I thought of how selfish I had been today. How I had freaked out because I hadn't saved a paper that I started to write and it got lost, when-despite the little troubles (like perhaps a lost paper) NieNie blogs about being thankful that she could move her arm without as much pain that day. Her words were humbling, but most importantly, they brought me comfort and consolation in a time when I needed it.

The Word of God comes in many forms. Today, it was in the words of Stephanie Nielson, a complete stranger who inspires me every day to have faith and keep going. I keep focusing on the things that I can't see, the things that the fog blocks from my view. I've learned that the things I can see are the things that will keep me going. I just need to look for those things.

Tomorrow is a new day. And I don't think it'll be so foggy.

Landing

My alarm clock goes off at 5:45 a.m.
I stare at the time for a minute and realize that I've only been asleep for three and half hours by now.
Don't wake up.

Ten minutes later...
"Angie you need to get up! You have to be on the ice in a half hour!"

Another five minutes...
"Mom left and I'm going pretty soon, are you up?? You need to get up! I'm not going to be able to come make sure you're awake because I need to leave now."

Now, I'm awake. And very, very late for skating.
This happens every Monday and Wednesday morning. I've been trying to battle something that feels like insomnia, for the past couple weeks so that doesn't really help me as far as waking up in the morning to go skate.

Still, I get up, throw some tights and a dress on, put my hair up in a very unflattering up-do, grab my keys and skates, and run out the door.

When I get there it's about 6:30 on the dot. No time to warm up, so I run around the warm-up area a couple times and stretch one leg as the other gets a skate on.

From there the session goes like this:
6:35-I'm on the ice and skating around to warm my legs up a little more
6:45-I've done all my singles (and probably laughed at myself for stumbling through them because I'm still half-asleep)
6:55-All my good solid doubles are warmed up and now it's time to go on to my not so good ones...
7:00-Joleen comes over to see what I'm working on and to start my lesson
7:05-By now we've done all the easy doubles and she asks me if we're going to do double flips and lutz's today. My answer? Yes. Not only because if I say no, she'll get mad or give me that disappointed-coach-look, but because today, I'm going to land one.
7:10-7:30- Fall. And fall. And keep falling. But I keep getting up, because I will land the next one. And if not that one, the one after that. By now I'm pretty bruised. My tail bone feels broken and I have an ice burn all the way up my arm and leg. I didn't land one.

That's the typical story. In fact, that is the story of my morning ice routine. But on some, very good days, things go a little different; I do land one. I land a double flip. Just one. If I'm lucky, it'll be two in one day soon.

One of those very good days was today. I landed a double flip! Nothing feels better than doing something that is actually really scary, and finding yourself landed straight up, with your leg checked out and not toppling to the ground for the hundredth time. I look over to my coach and she's beaming! She gives me a hug and her next question is:
"So, shall we do some double lutz's now?"

By the end, I'm always happier than when I got there (even if I do have a few more bruises than before). Even on a few hours of sleep, skating can change my attitude for the rest of the day. I love it; I love my parents for getting me out of bed in the morning to go do something they know I love, I love my coach for always making me feel like I can do anything, and to be quite honest... I love falling, because that's what makes landing that much better.

Tasties

Whether they like to admit or not, it's nearly every single person in America's new years resolution to lose weight or try to eat healthier, am I right? I think so.

I didn't start the year out with any plans to lose that much weight, however, I did notice how terribly un-nutritious my diet was. What can I say? I honestly can't resist chocolate and ice cream.
SO, I've decided to cut out some things that I can live without; soda, never-ending snacks, too much sugar (I say "too much" because there is no way I could get rid of it all...), and so on. Now don't get me wrong, Those things are still there. I will maybe drink soda on occasion- even though I'm not a huge fan of it anyway... except root beer- and I still have snacks throughout the day, but I think this is a good start to eliminating the bad stuff.

I've also started trying to eat more nutritious foods. Finding things full of good calories, not empty ones. Which brings me to something awesome that Jenny showed me yesterday! She introduced me to caloriecount.about.com. It's an online food plan and calorie counter that's a lot like Weight Watchers Online only it's FREE! Yes, that's right, free!! I've only been a member a day, but I'm already obsessed.

By applying, you answer a bunch of questions and it determines your BMI and helps you set goals. For example, if you wanted to lose 3 pounds by March, it'll determine how many calories you should eat a day and what you should be doing to help you attain your goal. Also, it gives you a daily analysis of the foods you've eaten (as long as you've entered exactly what you ate that day) and tells you what you need to have more/less of in your diet. It's so cool! I'm not on any sort of diet, but it has definitely motivated me to get the right nutrition into my daily foods. If you're interested, you should totally join! Like I said, it's free, and it's actually really cool with all the information it gives you. It's super easy too.

Another app that's included in Calorie Counter is the ability to enter recipes in your log and it'll tell you the nutritional facts about it. Which brings me to my NEXT point. I created a really really yummy recipe!! With all this nutrition stuff in mind, I tried to come up with something that was really tasty and healthy. When I was at Primary Children's they had a cafe that served a delicious quinoa stuffed bell pepper. It was SO good so I decided to recreate the recipe with a few modifications. Mmmmmm you really should try it out, here it is:

Quinoa and Vegetable Stuffed Peppers

mmmmmmm

 Ingredients: (makes 4 servings)

2 large bell peppers

1/2 cup quinoa

3/4 onion

2 celery stalks

1/2 cup cauliflower

1 peeled carrot

3/4-1 can chicken broth

1 clove of garlic- minced

1 1/2 tbs. olive oil

Colby Jack cheese

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Slice bell peppers in half and clear out all the seeds. Once the peppers have been washed, coat the insides of them with a small amount of salt and place them on a cookie sheet. Put the peppers in the oven while you prepare the quinoa and vegetables.

Once the peppers are in the oven, chop the vegetables into small cubes and saute them together in the olive oil and minced garlic until the onion is almost completely cooked.

It looks like a ton more than what the 4-serving size calls for because I was tripling the recipe when I took these pictures. Don't worry, it's really not that much I promise!

Now add the quinoa and chicken broth and cover the pan to let it simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the quinoa is completely cooked. (If there is still chicken broth at the bottom of the pan, but the quinoa is cooked, take the lid off and let the moisture cook out). Add salt and pepper for taste. 

After finishing the quinoa and vegetables, remove the peppers from the oven and stuff each slice with a heaping amount of filling. Top the peppers with cheese and place them back in to the oven for another 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted. 

Serve and enjoy!

 

I entered the recipe on Calorie Counter and it gave me the nutritional facts. Only about 180 calories per serving! And so tastey.

Even if you don't like peppers or quinoa, give this recipe a try! Everyone who has eaten them has loved them so far so cook it up and let me know what you think!

Grandma Days

For Christmas, Mom decided that it would be a fantastic idea to get my sisters and I crocheting materials in hopes that we would learn how to do it. My first thought was, no way. I've tried knitting before and when I all I could create was a giant knot, I didn't think I could bring myself to going through that frustration again.

I put the materials aside cheating myself into thinking that I might pick it up a little later... Then Jamie started learning. Well. If she can do it, I can too right? Yes.

After a couple hours of learning the basics, I'd become a crocheting mad woman. Sometimes I feel like a grandma as I sit on the couch crocheting and watching Little House on the Prairie... Needless to say, I'm hooked (wow nooo pun intended).

This is my crochet pouch that my mom made for each of us! She let us pick the colors of fabrics and ribbon then she made up a pattern off the top of her head. She's amazing.

It holds all my hooks, a needle, and stitch markers. It's a LIFE SAVER. I don't know how I'd keep track of all this stuff without it. 

Here are some of the projects I've completed:

This is my first completed crochet creation. A hippo! I never got around to sewing eyes on him, but he's still pretty cute!

Project #2 Seal

Project #3 Baby Bird: Jamie gave me the pattern for this cute little guy and we made them together! Click here to see the bird friends together.

This was the last thing I've made so far. It's a GIANT kiwi bird! When I started making it, I thought it would be a million times smaller then it actually was so I was quite surprised when I finished and found out how big it turned out. (I don't know if you can tell but half way through I ran out of yarn so I had to use a different color!) Once I put eyes on him, he's going to work with my mom so he can sit happily on her desk :) If you're interested, here's the pattern!

I can't wait to get started on some new projects! Jamie and I are planning on crocheting lots of little popcorn kernels and stringing them together to make decorations for Christmas trees! I guess I'll just have to see how long this enthusiasm lasts...

Update

"Crap."

That's all I could think of as I was taking the blasted PTCE. Why  did they have to post the worst possible case scenario questions on there? They chose the math I didn't quite have down, the drugs I hadn't quite memorized, and of course the abbreviations I didn't quite understand.

"I'm going to fail. I'm going to go home and have to tell everyone that it was all for nothing... I'm going to go  cry and feel very very bad for myself for about a week. Yep, that's what's going to happen. Dangit."

So, reluctantly after racking my brain for the last remaining minutes on a silly question, I pressed the Next button to end my test. This is what showed up on the next screen:

Dear Angela Welch,
We are pleased that you have recently chosen to test with us at the Pearson Vue Testing Centers. We hope that your testing experience was a positive one. Below is your result. You're official score will be sent to you in 2-3 weeks. Thank you again for your participation in the Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination.

RESULT:
Pass!!!!!

I can't believe that I'm done! As tedious as it was, those six months of classes and training all paid off. I was talking to my dad about it after I got home and he mentioned how this is something they can never take away from me. My license as a CPhTech is mine and there are no more tests or pre-requisites left to keep me from getting a job. It's such a relief. It feels so much better than I could ever even try to explain. Of course, I couldn't have made it through it without literally everyone close to me in my life. My friends, and most importantly my family. To all of you... THANK YOU!
I'm. All. Done.

Meanwhile... Not 24 hours after I published my post on the Canon Rebel I wanted, I was driving home with one of my own! Yes that's right, my OWN (Dad wanted to buy it off me the second we got in the car to go home. Of course I'll let him use it though!).

The day after the post, I went online to check out average retail prices for the Canon Rebel XT. They were what I thought they were going to be: expensive. So I went on KSL to see if they had any used ones for a good deal. That's where I found her. About half way down the page a posting came up for a used Canon Rebel XTi (an updated XT) including a case, two batteries, original box and instructions, a photography book retailing at about $50, a new strap, a brand spanking new lens with an image stabilizer... the list goes on but those are the most important things. What originally caught my eye about this camera was the price - $350! A dang good deal! So I called the woman and asked her some questions. She's had the camera for four years and it's seen a lot of use since she uses it a lot for her family and kids. She assured me that although it was that old, it didn't have a scratch on it and that it was in excellent condition; the only reason she was selling it was because she got a new one for Christmas and she didn't need it anymore. 
Sounded good to me. 
So in a few hours, Dad and I were driving to her home in South Jordan to check it out. I was sold immediately. It looked just like new. The lens itself was worth $200  and the things included were too good to be true. I talked her down to selling it to me for $300 because tuition is due soon an I'm running low because of lack-of-job. Anyway, her name is Shauna and she is a saint. I will FOREVER be grateful to her for her helping me get this camera. 


So I'm happy. It's been a fantastic week full of some pretty amazing blessings. All I need to do now is get ready for school next week and apply for jobs... how hard can that be?


Here are some of the first pictures taken with the camera:

Poor Charlie, he couldn't stop drooling after this.

After a few hours of studying I promised him a little play time.

I love this dog.

 

Acetawhaddawhat?? I'll just stick with some Tylenol please.

Tomorrow I take the PTCE (Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination.) No biggie, just a national test that decides my fate as a pharmacy technician.
Okay. So I'm a little worried.
In any case, I've spent the past six months of my life getting ready for this thing- be it driving up to the dreaded DATC five days a week for 4 months, getting to learn the ins and outs of the pharmacy at Primary Children's for a month, or the two months in between there somewhere that I pushed my memorizing abilities far beyond capacity as I memorized the brand name, generic names, classes, dosage forms, and doses of the top 200 drugs in medicine. I think I've done my part.
Now I just sleep and wake up tomorrow hoping my brain is ready to cooperate by the time it comes to take my test. Maybe I'll dream about Zack, a miserable man running in to the local diner for a surprise attack on the unsuspecting customers (My mnemonic for BN: Zantac GN: Ranitidine.) Or perhaps I'll dream instead about Dean. A clumsy man who falls in the proximity of the security camera, making the security personnel on the other end chuckle to themselves, as he regains composure (My mnemonic for BN: Feldene GN: Piroxicam.) It seems a little silly, but in a lot of ways, I hope this happens. The longer I think about these drugs, the more likely they are to stick... even if it comes down to dreaming about them.
Wish me luck!

My Top Pick for Pics

Alright, I've started a blog. Now I just need to keep it up. In order to do so, I've thought of some things I need to do.

Number one: Do things that make my life seemingly interesting. I won't write unless I have something to write about which means that I need to make more projects, participate in more interesting events or activities... stuff like that. I read all these blogs from family and friends and their lives seem so... well, interesting. So hopefully I can come up with stuff that makes mine worth a read. 
Number two: Get excited about blogging. Before when I tried keeping a blog about a year ago, writing a post was almost daunting. I was caught up in all the work of high school and to keep a blog almost felt like another blasted assignment. I've noticed a difference since I've started this one. I'm excited to write. I want to do things worth writing about. I want to record things almost like a journal since I'm so terrible at keeping a written one. I'm hoping I'll maintain this motivation and this time, I really think I will.
Number three: And possibly the most important step of all... Pictures. What do you need to have pictures? A camera of course! Yes, I do have a camera. A small simple camera that takes decent pictures... but for the three or four years I've had it, I've had no motivation whatsoever to take it places and document things with it. Which is why I'm looking for something new, something better, something that I feel like I can take a picture and be proud of it with, and most importantly, something I'll want to take places with me so I can start documenting my life. I'm young and if I get started now, my future family, friends, and I will be able to enjoy the pictures I take today.

If you haven't read my sister Jamie's blog, you really should. She keeps it nicely decorated with pictures of her adventures, crafts, and daily events. I love seeing the latest picture of her crazy puppy Clare rolled up in a ball wearing her favorite sweater, or Meg smiling wildly as puffy snow sprinkles her little nose. Her shots are fantastic, requiring little and more often times, no editing... besides that fact that her picture taking skills are far above average (you'll have to see the pictures she did for my cousin's recent wedding.) I'd really like to start taking pictures like that. So, after discussing with her what kind of camera she suggests, I came to the conclusion that I need to invest in one of these:

A Canon Rebel. Jamie has a 2006 and it's been completely reliable and industrial since the day she got it.  I figure if I invest in one now it'll last me pretty much forever. They're a little pricey for the newer models but I plan to get an older one and save a few $$$. They're pretty much the same and it'll get me started on my picture pursuit.

The day I get my hands on one of these will be a very good day. I can't wait to get started.

New

A new blog to start out the new year? I think so. After thinking of a billion ways to start the year off, I decided to give the blogging idea another try. Exactly a year ago today I started the blog "Life From Under the Hedge" about my life in 2010 and my new pet hedgehog named Fish. It didn't last long. So, I'm trying again and I'm bound to make it work.

2010 became a year of firsts and beginnings(hence the title of the new blog.) To name a few major ones:
High school graduation- On June 4th I graduated from Woods Cross High with an ending GPA of 3.9. I really did enjoy high school. I believe that I learned so much there. I grew so much, developed numerous critical life skills, and took advantage of the time I had to prepare for college. I'm so happy I got to go to a school where I was able to learn and grow so much, but I'm also so happy to be done with it.
Birth of my beautiful baby niece Chloe Autumn Chase- On April 2nd, my very first niece was born. Ever since she came, she has brought nothing but smiles to my whole family. She's probably the sweetest little baby I've ever met; hardly ever crying, and giggling at every little thing. I love that little kiddo and it's been so fun to see my little nephew grow into a fantastic big brother.
Start of my freshman year at the University of Utah- In the Fall semester of the U of U, I started GE classes at the Bountiful extension site for the U of U. Yes, I'm still living at home. No, I'm not technically on campus. But yes, I am saving a lot of money and I am doing the thing that will ultimately benefit me in t the end. For now, I really do love the school and the classes have been great so far. I've completed my first semester with a 3.8 so hopefully I can keep it up in the years to come!
Pharmacy Technician school and training- The week after my graduation I started going to DATC to go through the Pharmacy Technician program. I was considering pursuing Pharmacy school so with the advice that my almost-pharmacist-cousin, Heather gave me on becoming a tech first to see how I liked the field, I jumped right in. The process has been so rewarding and I've had so much support. It was probably the best decision I could have made. The program took me 4 months to complete and after doing a 180 hour externship at Primary Children's, all I have left to do is take my national exam to become certified. I'm scheduled to take it on Wednesday, wish me luck!
 
A lot more exciting things happened during 2010, but I couldn't possibly fit it in one post. I hope to be able to refer to last year in future posts because it truly was a fantastic one.
All in all, the year ended pretty perfectly. I had the annual new year sleepover with Jessica after going to a party at Katie's house. I was able to see a million friends I haven't seen since the end of high school since they were all home from college for the holidays. Most importantly, New Years Day was spent with my family. My amazing mom and dad, Jenny, Aaron, and my favorite niece and nephew Jason and Chloe, and Jamie and Shehan. I've been so blessed to have them around so much. Their love and support is so priceless. I don't know what I would do without every single one of them.
Just as Jenny was getting ready to pack up her family and go back home, I felt a little tap on my shoulder. I turned around to find sweet little Jason looking up at me and saying, "Angie, I love you!" After replying that I loved him so so much, he came back with, "I'm going to miss you so much!" If that's not enough to melt a heart in the chilly new year weather, then I don't know what is.

Happy New Year