Thank You Heavenly Father!

Almost didn't want to go to the gym this morning....and almost missed out on the two, er, three great blessings of going too!!

Blessing #1: I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE when Jen and I go work out and who happens to show up??? The Chula Vista Fire Department!! WELL HELLO BOYS!! Oh man, and do they look good in their dark blue shirts and short,tight shorts... WOW!! LOVE IT!

Blessing #2: While Jen and I were on the Elliptical machines gettin' ready to get off this guy walked by. VERY CUTE guy, may I add! So he's kinda lookin' up at us and I'm peering down on him because he looked very familiar! Jen asks me if he went to our ol' high school. I ask her if his last name was Martinez. She nor I could really recall. So he walks off down the row to another Elliptical machine. I'm trying to see his face and look in the mirrior at him. I then realized who it was! It was my late friend's younger brother. I haven't really kept in touch with her family since she passed away eleven years ago. I ran into their mother at the market about 2 months ago. It was nice to catch up! Ms. Martinez said to stop by their house--didn't really give me an address, just a location. I've always used that as my excuse as to why I've never gone by. (They moved a block away after Ana passed away) ANYWAY--So Paolo comes over and kindly says, "I don't mean to scare you, but I've been looking at you and I know you! Do you remember me??" (That was so kind of him to start off that way...sweet, if you ask me) So I tell him that of course I remember him and it was good to see him. This gave me the opportunity to finally stop and we start chattin' til he says, "Oh, don't let me stop you, keep going! I'll jump on this one next to you!" (Noooo, I wanted to stop, REALLY!......ahhhhhhhh!! GREAT! Now I'll be sweating AND out of breath while talking to you. NICE, real nice!! ugh!!) So he gets on and we're talking and catching up...of ALL the days to look horrible--EEK!! He on the other hand is far from the 'younger brother' I remembered. Gone is the baby fat he once had as a young teenager, now replaced by a masculine physique that made me quiver with giddiness and nervousness. HOT!! WOW--now my face was red for a whole different reason. He looked GOOD!! So we're talkin' about what was going on in his life and how he's getting out of the military to join the local law enforcement. WOW--HOT METER thru the roof!! (I have a thing for guys in uniform!!) So he mentions that we need to exchange numbers--[NICE!!] I told him that I had nothing to write it down on nor did I have my phone with me...so he comes back with his and his Mom's numbers' on a slip of paper. We continued a nice lil convo til he mentioned "...then my fiancee said I should have...." [can you hear the sound of a record player abruptly coming to a screeching halt?--yeah, I did!] DAAAAAANNNNNNNG IIIIIIITTTTTT!! So yeah, now I'm gonna have to be happy for him and not seem disappointed. But of course, I was happy for him. They'd been together for about 3 years and are getting married early next year. [New game plan: Lose weight & look hot for his wedding--hot guys have hot friends, right?]. So we chatted for a lil while longer til he had to take off. What a pleasant visit from an old friend!

Blessing #3: While walking out of the gym, one of the firemen had his walkie talkie in hand walking out as well...you know what that means, when one's walking out to the fire truck, they'll ALL be walking out soon. And yes they were! It was like standing in the middle of a "HOT MAN" parade!! So we're walking past the fire truck and there they are changing. There was a park bench right in front of the fire truck. Quite a temptation to just go sit and watch them change....WOW--THANK YOU HEAVENLY FATHER!!

I love being blessed for going to the gym.

*Revised Tueday's To-Do List

1. Take Midol.

2. Go to sleep.

(new blog I found today--quite informative.)

Tuesday's To-Do List

1. SERIOUSLY need to read my Book of Mormon!! No more slacking Ehu!
2. Ok-need to fill up gas ASAP!
3. Check out different county jobs again? I dunno...maybe?
4. See if Jen wants to go to the gym tomorrow, if not-do up playlist w/ new workout music.
5. OH! Call Aunty Keala for info on Ruth's memorial service.
6. AHH! Call Rebecca about the hymns for Otay Mesa ward, this Sunday.
7. Mom's bday gift and bring Simi along.
8. Call Khany and ask about trip to China. I hope she brought me back a coin (to make into a necklace)
9. Talk to Liz about Saturday, Padres game tickets & going to Ikea.

Grr...I think I'm forgetting some tasks. Oh well, there's always Wednesday.

Tagged...like everyone else.

What were you doing 10 years ago?
Oh man, ten years ago I was finishing up the last leg of my Senior year in high school. Wow…ten year reunion already comin’ up…AHHHH!!!!

5 things on my to do list:
Tomorrow:
1. Get over this stomach cramp funk!
2. Work out at the gym tomorrow.
3. Find the CHEAPEST gas possible and fill my car up. Good luck me.
4. Schedule two massages tomorrow after the gym.
5. OH MAN! Buy Mom’s bday present tomorrow! AHHH!!!

5 snacks I enjoy:
1. Bartlett Pears
2. PB or Peanut M&M’s
3. Mangos--any way possible: fresh, pickled, ice cream flavor ;)
4. Prunes--yep, I really do like them!
5. Trail Mix-I think it’s the purple bag from Wal Mart.

5 places I've lived:
1. South Jersey
2. Provo, Utah
3. Orem, Utah
4. San Diego, CA
5. Dang--I don’t have a #5 :(

5 jobs I've had:
1.Deli tech - Albertson’s
2.Asst. Mgr. - The Avenue
3. Auditor - RGIS
4.Senior Clerk (Financials) - Deseret Industries
5.Health Attendance Specialist - CVESD

5 things you may not know about me:
1. I taught myself the piano and organ. No formal training in either…so if you hear me play at church and I mess up, please please please remember that tidbit--oh and the fact that I get extremely nervous when I play.
2. I love the smell of the tires at Costco & Payless Shoe Source (they're nostalgic for me). Odd, I know. I can just hear the heckling already.…
3. Talking to me on the phone when I’m falling asleep is pretty much the equivalent of a drunk dial. Not that I’ve ever been drunk, but that’s the closest I’ll ever sound to it.
4. I hate shopping. Please don’t ask me to come along. You may think of it as a ‘bonding’ experience, but I think there’s other ways to bond, we don’t need to do it over shopping. I don’t like shopping for myself, so the fact that we’d be shopping for you---Shoot me in the head. Oh and I don't like riding roller coasters AT ALL!!! S-C-A-R-Y!! Not believing that I'm scared of them and asking me a million times over, "Really? You don't like roller coasters? How do you not like roller coasters" gets old after a while and my answer will never change.
5.Being Hawaiian does not equal "loves pineapples on my pizza". Quite the opposite. NO THANKS!! YUCK!! I like pineapples, yes…just not on my pizza.

The good, the bad & the ugly.

The Good: I went to the gym this morning and had a great work out. I love being able to say, "I'm going to the gym right now" or "I just got back from the gym"--it rocks!

The Bad: IT’S SO EXTREMELY STIFLING HOT RIGHT NOW!! I JUST WANT TO CRY!!!!

The Ugly: It began today. It’s hot, I have cramps--couldn’t tear open the Midol packet, wished Jake was here because he puts up with my crap when I’m crabby and could probably open the packet without going crazy and I want the Very Berry Sundae from Costco (at least it's Non-Fat WHOOOOO HOOOOO!). Now I have to go to Wal*Mart to get the goods (luckily there's a WM by Costco, but it's 4 miles away--UGH!). I’m already in ‘b*tch’ mode…so I’m afraid I’ll bite someone’s head off @ Wal*Mart.

I just need to be in time out right now...with air conditioning, please?

My new LOVE/HATE relationship

I had my membership on hold for the last 6 months.....till it became active again, 2 days ago. I'm pretty proud of myself that I've gone 3 times since then. Oh man, I wish I had a Costco size bottle of Ibuprofen right now. My whole body will be in excruciating pain by tomorrow since I've got Volleyball tonight. It feels so good walking out of the gym after a great work out. I love the new gym I've been going to in Chula Vista. SOOOOOOOO much nicer than the one near my house--plus firemen work out there...THANK YOU HEAVENLY FATHER! I know that I need this in my life. I need to work out and just better my life. I don't exactly like my body right now...it's definitely not what it looked like when I moved home from college. I can't even wear my favorite pair of jeans. I told a close friend, back in January, that my goal was to wear my favorite jeans and my cute Padres shirt for my birthday. I bought the shirt about 4-5 months ago. It kinda fit then, but I want it to look good come September 11. She was a lil antagonistic-’realistic’ if you ask her- towards my goal. So in a way, I want to prove her wrong…I want to show up to the Padres/Giants game that night looking FABULOUS!

I know it’s possible, cause I’m going to make this happen!

Wish list worthy?

I don't know who did this or WHY? but I think it's the funniest thing I've seen all day.

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEPH!!

Today is my bestest friend, Stephanie’s birthday.

I think she’s one of the most kindest, most wonderful and heart touching people I have ever met in my life. I couldn’t be more grateful for the friendship I share with her. Today, I thought I would do a birthday dedication to her.

I met Stephanie (then ‘Sister Cobb’) on Wednesday, July 24, 2002 in Provo, Utah at the Missionary Training Center (MTC). It was our very first day as missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

After saying goodbye to my parents and receiving papers on end about the MTC, I headed up to the room I would be sharing with 3 other sister missionaries. Things they left out of the introductory meeting--4 floors and no elevators at all. NICE-REAL NICE!! I opened the door to walk in the room, and there was a sister missionary sitting on a chair in the middle of the room, facing the door wearing a lavender blouse with perfect hair and looking like she grew up on the affluent side of the tracks. In the first millisecond of stepping into the room, I judged her, pretty harshly. I thought to myself “Oh great, this chick and I are gonna be throwin’ down. I can just see it already. SNOB!” Wow, startin’ off life GREAT as a missionary, right? WRONG!!
The next thing I knew she perks up, with big bright blue eyes and a grin from ear to ear and says to me, “HI! I’m Sister Cobb! Nice to meet you!! Where’s your stuff? Let’s go get your luggage!”. Behind her she had already unpacked her suitcases and set up her desk. Not even able to catch my breath from the 4 flights of stairs, we head back down. To myself I kept thinking, “Is this chick for reals?” Non stop talking, perky as can be. We get my 3 large suitcases and scripture bag. UP the stairs we go. I finally had to stop--it was summer, hot and in the desert…oh and did I mention 4 FLIGHTS OF STAIRS?!?! I get up to the room a minute after her and sit down. Next thing I know my own companion comes walking thru the door…and what do I hear? “HI!! I’m Sister Cobb, this is Sister Lomu! Nice to meet you!! Do you need help? We’ll help you with your stuff! Let’s go get it!” WHAT?? I don’t remember volunteering!?? Are you kidding me?? Down we go….
About a half hour later we’re all unpacking and me-still trying to catch my breath…when the door opens and Sister Cobb, not missing a beat says “HI! I’m Sister Cobb! This is Sister Hansen and Sister Lomu! Where’s your stuff?? I’m really tired, but we’ll all go down and help you with your stuff!!” ARE YOU KIDDIN ME?!?! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! But we went anyways. That has always been one of my favorite mission memories, of how I met Sister Cobb. Here I had judged her, when in fact she was quite the extreme opposite of what I would have expected.

Most fortunately I had the wonderful opportunity to serve 4 months of my mission with her in New Jersey. Those were the greatest 4 months of my mission and life. While with her, I experienced a car accident, roach infestation in our apartment (thanks to our neighbors!) and a 2am fire…and in the end she was always the calm and sensible one. She’s so willing to give everything she has and then some. She smiles and gives hope when the rest of the world wants you to give up. She’s listened to me bare the deepest parts of my soul and never judged. She truly has a heart of gold. Jokingly, we made a pact that when we had kids that if I had girls I would send them to her for her to raise because she’s so feminine, gentle and heart sensitive -unlike myself…and I would raise her boys because I like to rough house and do all the crazy boy stuff. If & when I have daughters, I wouldn’t mind at all if they grew up wanting to be like her…I know I do. She’s positive in the bleakest of times, generous in immeasurable amount and pleasant to those that are ill-mannered towards her. I’ve learned so much from her. I can only hope that someday in this lifetime I can possess half of her qualities. She truly has a heart of gold and I am blessed beyond measure to call her my friend.

Happy Happy Birthday Stephanie!!

Friday's Fave Five!

**MY FRIDAY'S FAVE FIVE!**

1. First and foremost--getting to hang out w/ my brother Wayne last week!!! What an absolute blessing that has been!! I haven’t seen him in 6 years, so it was wonderful having him visit. It was nice feeling like a ‘lil sister’ to my two older brothers again. I wish he could have just stayed forever!!

2. Pandora.com - A friend turned me on to this earlier this week. Oh man, it’s been great!! I love using it!! A customized radio just for me!! LOVE IT!! It also introduces me to other artists in the same genre that I would have never come across. Check it out today!

3. Green tea ice cream & coconut crème brule at RA! - YUM TO THE TENTH POWER!!! This stuff is so EXTREMELY delicious, scrumptious, mouthwatering, (I could go on)! I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who likes Sushi! (“Ra” is a sushi restaurant in the Gaslamp/Downtown SD)

4. A cool new blog: Found this blog while blog surfin’ today. I really like his take on music, because it’s pretty similar to what I listen to and reminds me of bands/artists that I haven’t listened to in a while. GREAT blog!

5. San Diego: I love living here SOOOOOOOOOOO much. Right now, it’s gorgeous outside, super sunny and the most perfect beach weather!! Actually, I am going to the beach in 2 hours. I LOVE IT! It’s always good to be home. There’s so much diversity here, which I LOVE & need! I love seeing people of different colors, cultures, religions, walks of life…it’s the best! Did ya check out the link to the picture? Who says we don't have it all?? Mountains, beaches, deserts, lakes...it's all here!

Two things.

1. Today, I seen a lot of people (myself included) wearing:

Shorts & Slippers---Summer's right around the corner! YAAAAAAAAAY!!

2. Went to my nephew Kea's Volleyball game. An away game at a different gym. Walked in to the gym behind my sister-in-law and niece...tripped on the rug/mat. Walking in front of the bleachers--BARELY missed gettin' hit by someone's "kill". Started to walk up the bleachers--tripped on the first step in front of Kea's teammates. All this in less than 2 minutes. It's a wonder I made it out alive.

Best Friends - est. 1980

I'm so grateful for my best friend Liz. This photo was taken Saturday evening at my friend Tanya's reception. She was very willing to come to a Mormon reception in which she knew no one and isn't even a member. I'm very grateful for her willingness.
Liz and I have lived across the street from each other since we were born (except for when I left for my mission and college). We attended the same schools all of our lives. She's been like the sister I never had. We’re quite different, always have been. Yet in the same aspect, we’re very similar. However in the end, we compromise which always helps. She puts up with all of my crazy antics and lame jokes, but never complains. I'm so grateful to have had her as a constant friend in my life. She has a big heart and gives beyond measure. Thanks for everything Liz.

To-Do List

(I needed to do a "To-Do" list before I forget EVERYTHING!)

Friday April 11, 2008

TO DO

1. Say morning prayer/read Book of Mormon for AT LEAST a half hour/write in journal.

2. Shower-but don't wash hair so I can dye hair a lil later. Or dye hair first? UGH!?

3. Check email REALLY quickly (try not to log onto MySpace or Blogger)

4. Cook & eat breakfast, maybe oatmeal and toast tomorrow. Sounds good.

5. Start some laundry. Have I dyed my hair yet? Probably do that. Locate vaseline for hairline.

6. Let hair dry-start pedicure.

7. Don't forget to pick up Noe @ 12:50--After, swing by Andy's to possibly get adjusted??

8. Don't forget Kalani at 1:20 at the theatre-Check Hot Topic for silver guitar pick. If not, go to the music shop on Third Avenue near La Bella's.

9. Take him to Kohl's to pick out Grandma & Papa's birthday gift for him.

10. Finish dress for Tanya's wedding!! Straps, elastic band and bottom seam. AHHH! MOM!!

11. Call Ernest to ask about parking Candice's car at his house Sat. morning. Double check w/ Tanya for anymore help needed.

12. Eat lunch to avoid migrane from craziness!

13. Hopefully not have to run any errands for Mom & Dad...but, of course, do so if needed.

14. Double check w/ Liz for final Saturday night plans and her outfit.

15. Charge camera battery.

16. Set aside jewelry for wedding, contacts stuff and finish mani/pedi.

17. Go to sleep EARLY!!

18. Email Ashlee and congratulate her on graduating!

Blessings.

Today’s one of those days that I truly love my life. I love Sundays. I love the opportunity that I get to spend time with my family. I like it when we really get to spend it as a ‘day of rest’. I love my life. Today has been such a wonderfully uplifting day. I loved every second of General Conference today. I’m so grateful that I took time out this week to prepare myself spiritually to receive the testimonies and talks of our inspired General Authorities. It has truly made a difference. I couldn’t get enough of it. I loved all of the talks. I love our dear prophet, President Thomas S. Monson. The Mormon Tabernacle & other various choirs performances were spectacular, as always. There’s a definite difference in a home when the Spirit is present.
Right now we’re waiting for our kalbi ribs to be pulled off of the grill. There is nothing that I love more than having Sunday dinners with my family. I love it when I can look around the table and see everyone present (well, with the exception of my brother Wayne who lives out of town.). How blessed I am to spend the rest of eternity with these people. Plus, Sunday dinners seem to be a lil more than the average weekday dinners. Tonight we’re having (Korean) Kalbi Ribs, rice, corn, potato salad and crab won-tons. Talk about DELICIOUS!!
I’m grateful for this weekend and the things that I’ve been able to learn, appreciate and recognize as blessings in my life.

Hmmm??

So...I've been blog surfin' lately. And I have a question...is it ok to comment on blogs that you like? Cause I mean, if it's something that sparks your interest or catches your attention...wouldn't you want to say something about it? Even though you may not know the person? Then do you not want to leave a comment cause it's a perfect stranger? Plus, why is it called a "Perfect Stranger"?? What's perfect about a stranger? Isn't that the exact type of person your parents warned you to stay away from....now how are they suddenly perfect? Wow, maybe I should just really go to sleep. Ok, so really---stranger's blog--comment or no comment?

I LOVE it when...

...White people dance. It's kinda funny.



and

GRR!!

Ok, when I said that this was going to be me on April 12th...I meant dancin' the night away and havin' fun!

So, I'm kinda mad, but I prayed this morning that I wouldn't be so mad about it.... but since I already have my dress for my friend's wedding next Friday--it kinda stings a lil more.

I asked my friend PJ--back in February--if he'd accompany me to my friend Tanya's wedding. I know it's going to be a wonderful wedding (ie: delicious food, great dancing music and close friends & family) so I couldn't go stag. I asked my friend PJ because I thoroughly enjoy his company. He's extremely funny, charasmatic and a gentleman that has some sweet dance moves. (We happened to both serve our missions in New Jersey & now he lives about 40 miles north of me). As awesome as he is, I knew in my heart of hearts that he would flake--since he's done it before. Yet, I allowed myself to get my hopes up. GRRR!!!

So when I said that this was going to be me... I didn't mean, having to use an escort service to find a wedding date.