I Married My Best Friend

I can honestly say I married my best friend.

Haley's thoughts and recollections of her wedding day, December 27th, 2011.

Getting Ready

The morning of December 27th, I was frantically rushing to get ready. I wanted to look perfect. I had previously gotten acrylic nails and was using Crest whitening strips. I put my hair half up in a bun using a fake hair piece. I curled the rest in ringlets. I also did my own make-up. Looking back, I really wish I had someone else make me look pretty... My hair didn't turn out well. Oh well.

Chloe and Jasmyne came over early for moral support. I should of woken up earlier so I could have more time. Because I was so preoccupied with getting ready, I didn't really have time to focus on what was aout to happen - it wasn't until the car ride to Manti that I realized I would be married in less than 2 hours! It wasn't until we were actually driving that I began to become nervous. Not real nervous - just a few butterflies. I clutched Michael Bear in one arm and held Michael's hand with my other hand. We rode up with my parents. 

The Temple

When we got to the temple, Michael and I were separated. I went with my mom into a special room just for brides, where she and another temple worker helped me into the temple clothing. 

After, they took me back downstairs where I met Michael also dressed in Temple clothing. He looked so handsome and I felt an unbelievably powerful feeling of love for him, Michael James Brooks, the man I was about to marry, the one who I was going to spend the rest of my life with. He wrapped me up in a loving embrace. 

We were led into the sealing room. There, we met our sealer, an old brother from the small town Scipio. He talked to us for a bit, and then our guests started filing in. Before the actual ceremony the sealer gave a nice speech and words of advice. I was so submerged in my multiple feelings (anticipation, nerves, wonder, undying love) that I didn't pick up on what he was telling us. I'll have to find someone who was there and can jog my memory. Maybe Michael remembers. During the ceremony, if I wasn't looking at the sealer, I was looking deep into Michael's eyes. I felt so so blessed to have him across the alter promising to love and take care of me. I surprised myself by not crying. Michael's eyes watered a little. Seeing him emotional was really touching. It made me feel so special and loved.

Just like that we were married. 

My name is Haley Brooks (I wonder how many times I have written that before we were actually hitched :) He would be surprised.)

There was a small ring exchange, and my mom forgot to grab the rings!! She had to run and go get them. Ha ha.

Michael and I stood by the door while our loved ones hugged and congratulated us. Nadine was proud to inform me that I was #60 of her family. It's cool because if I'm remembering correctly, I'm #60 in the Wilber family as well. Grandpa Wilber by the way came all the way from New York for the event. He couldn't witness the temple sealing, but he still came. I felt special.

After the sealing, I went back to the dressing room and changed into my wedding dress. I had white gloves, a tiara and I honestly felt like a princess. I walked down the stairs, and what happened next was not what I had anticipated. For one, Michael was not in the waiting room and secondly everyone else was! I had imagined meeting Michael and then exciting the temple to the group of people who would be waiting outside who would cheer as we came through the doors. I guess I couldn't blame our guests, it was cold outside! But where was my husband?! Who ever heard of a bride waiting on the groom? Well... that was me, and it was super awkward. I was waiting on him for over 15 minutes! Well, maybe not that long, it's just what it felt like. Finally, Michael met us in the foyer, and I say just how breathtakingly handsome he looked in his tuxedo. Michael's uncle Mike ushered the guests outside the temple and ten things proceeded to go as I had imagined. We walked outside where we were met with cheers and hugs. After, with persistent inquiry, Michael finally admitted the reason he was late was because he had some digestive problems. Ha ha! That is something that is definitely going to go down in history. 

Outside the temple we took pictures. My bridesmaids were so pretty. Chloe, Jasmyne, Grace, Kimberly, Jessica, Abbey and Wendy were the girls I had asked to be my bridesmaids. I also loved how his nephews were all dressed in the red vests Camille had made for the occasion. I mean OUR nephews! I'm an aunt now. 

We were very blessed to have nice weather. It was chilly, but the sun was out and we had no snow whatsoever. I'm very grateful.

After the group pics, our guests left and Michael and I walked around the temple while his uncle Mike and Tiffany filmed and took pictures of us. 

I'm so happy I got to be sealed to Michael in the Lord's house for time and all eternity. 

The Luncheon

We left the Manti temple and drove straight to Mapleton where Camille had planned a luncheon in a nearby ward building There, I changed out of my wedding dress into some church clothes. Camille really went way out. The gym looked really nice. All the tables had table clothes and red fabric. Each one had some flowers and a picture of Michael and me.

Michael, his parents, my parents and I all sat at a head table. The lunch consisted of bow tie pasta with bolomaise sauce, salad, artisian bread and brownie cupcakes with cream and strawberries on top. Bonnie made the dessert. All the food tasted incredible!

After everyone ate, Kimberly sang "When I Fall in Love." I wish I had a voice like hers. Then, Michael's uncle Mike played a slideshow of us growing up and then of us together and at the end, there were some bridals he had previously taken. It was put together really nicely. I absolutely loved it. During the show I glanced up and Michael and he was crying. Once again I felt and indescribable love for him. I am so blessed and lucky to have Michael in my life.

After the slideshow, was when everyone got up to say some nice words. I was very first... I said a few short words about how much I love Michael. It was kind of lame compared to some of the other things that were said, but I was really nervous and didn't know what to say. I just hope Michael knows how I truly feel about him. My feelings for my loving husband can't be put into words.

My dad got up and got emotional. Michael was a little emotional too. I'm glad I was wearing waterproof mascara because those two most important men in my life made me cry. Many people got up and said nice things. Grace got up and said how she loved me and was going to miss me, but she was excited to have her own bathroom. Ha ha. I felt so proud and special that she got up in front of all those people. It's scary! Chloe said something about how a couple years back I showed her a picture of "Mr. Brooks" and told her that was the guy I was going to marry. We both just laughed, and then it actually became reality! So many people got up and praised Michael. I just smiled and agreed with every one of them. Michael is just so perfect. Chloe mentioned something after about how I must feel so lucky to be with Michael after all the nice things that were said. I responded that I already knew all those things and I've always felt lucky to be with him.

The Reception

The reception took place the day after we were married. We decided to make it two days for a couple of reasons:

1. It put more emphasis on the Temple

2. So the bride (me) wouldn't be under too much stress and so I could focus more on the details of the events and be less likely to forget. 

I know it probably wasn't very convenient for a lot of people, but those who loved us came to all three events.

Like the previous day, I got myself all prettied up while Michael played Mario Kart with Adam. And just like before, I was late getting ready. Grandma Barb made us English muffin sandwiches so we wouldn't be starving. Michael and I rode to the reception center in his car. I was trying to put lipstick on when he stopped short and I got it smeared above my lip. I had fun trying to get it off. 

W arrived at Primrose at 5:30 for pictures. It was very pretty all set up. The tables looked great with the table runners borrowed form Emily and Jareed's wedding. My parents made homemade center pieces to go on each table. There was a giant mirror where I stood in our wedding line- that way people could see what my dressed looked like from behind. There were some black and white chairs and couches for people to sit down and relax if they chose. The entire place was very elegant. I couldn't have been happier. I had always imagined having an outdoor reception, but Primrose was just as good if not better! 

The refreshments that were served at the reception consisted of: chicken salad and turkey cranberry on croissants, meatballs, fruit and chocolate and red velvet cupcakes. To drink we had a raspberry/sprite beverage, or water. Primrose catered it. I never got to try the meatballs, but everything else tasted great. 

Like I stated before, we went at 5:30 so we could take family and bridesmaid pictures. It was a little frustrating because relatives from both sides of our families showed up late, but everything turned out fine. 

The Ring Ceremony

The ring ceremony was short and sweet. It started at 6:00pm, and was opened with a prayer. My bestie, Chloe, played a violin piece. She's amazing! Susan Thompson, my former Young Women's president, said some really nice words as well as Bishop Tervort. Then we exchanged rings and kissed. The ring ceremony was mainly for the people who were not able to witness the actual temple sealing. 

Back to the reception. At the temple I carried a silk flower bouquet, because we were worried it wouldn't last in the winter weather, but at the reception I had a real one. My bouquet was very pretty. It was made of red roses, white carnations and it had some sparkly silver spirals coming out of it. I loved my bouquet. 

The reception lasted from 6:30 to 8:30pm. The receiving line went in this order: my dad, my mom, me, Michael, then his parents. We had so many guests come and congratulate us. Here were the top four questions of the night.

1. How does it feel to be married?

2. Where are you going to live?

3. Are you tired of smiling?

4. Are you anxious to get out of here?

Answer to question one (for me personally): It feels great! Two: Here in Spanish Fork. Three: I can't help but smile, he makes me so happy! Four: It seems like I would be, but honestly, I love getting all the attention and I feel like a princess. (I didn't actually answer #4 like that, I just felt that way) 

I loved that people could see how happy I was to have married Michael.

Toward the middle of the reception we cut the cake. Sister Amy Walters made our cake. It was chocolate with a vanilla custard filling. It was white with black ribbon, swirls and candy beads on it. On top, we had a topper made of red roses. My cake was beautiful. Amy did a really good job.

 I told Michael prior to the cake cutting, I wanted him to feed it to me nicely but I was going to smear it in his face. His response: "I'll respond the same way you do." So basically, if he got cake smeared in his face so would I. We cut the cake together. My cousin, Seth, said something like, "They look so intense, it's as if their a couple of black belts." Ha ha. After we had gotten a slice, Michael fed me first. He was very nice. I was slightly more violent feeding him, but lucky for him, it all made it into his mouth. 

A little after the cake cutting, it was time to throw the bouquet. I accidently threw it too short, and it landed on the floor... The girls hesitated for a few seconds, but then Chloe came and got it. I'm glad my maid of honor got the bouquet.As for the garter, Andrew got it. The best man. I thought that was awesome!

Before long, it came time for the daddy-daughter dance. We danced to butterflies by Miley Cyrus. I thought I might cry. I also thought my dad might cry, but neither of us did. After, Michael and I danced to True Companion. I love that song. I love my boy!

When the reception was over, we excited to our family members waving sparklers and blowing bubbles. It looked really neat.

When we arrived at the car, we weren't surprised to see it completely thrashed. Adam and Tanner had written things like "get some" and dangled coke cans from the back of his car. (They drank 3 cans apiece right then!) Someone else had written "just married" and "together forever" on the sides and stuck Oreos all over. The inside of the car was completely covered with balloons! Michael had to throw a lot into the parking lot just so we could fit. It was crazy!

We were driving away when we suddenly heard a voice say, "so... where are we going?" I screamed as Jacob Cochran emerged from the balloons with a video camera. He honestly scared me to death! Michael pulled over next to K-mart and firmly told Jacob to get out of the car. Ha ha. I haven't seen the video yet, but I'm sure everyone got a kick out of it.

After Jacob got out, we finally drove off to live our happily ever after.

My dad said I had a fairy tale wedding, and it's absolutely true. I DID have a fairy tale wedding. I'm so grateful for my parents and all the money and effort they spent on it. I had the perfect wedding!

Our House In the Middle of a Street

Michael and I found the perfect place to live. It's the cutest little apartment here in Spanish Fork. We signed papers and paid the down payment for it last night. Mrs Tuttle, our landlord lives right next door. She is almost 90! She sure is a talker. Finding a home where we're going to spend the first of our married life, makes it that much more real. We're actually getting married in December! :)

The Proposal

I'm engaged! For real... or should I say officially.

Saturday, September 3rd, we started the night off by going bowling. Oh man... I suck at bowling. Oh well. We did a little mini golf after that. 


After we were done at the bowling alley, he told me we were going to Mapleton for dinner. I figured we were just going to eat at his house, but no- It was MUCH better than that.



He took me to a forest area. It was dark, and we used his lantern to navigate through the trees. Before long, we came to an opening where a candlelit dinner for two was placed. It was very fancy. There were candelabras, we ate off of china and drank sparkling juice out of crystal glasses. The menu consisted of: Chicken Cordon Blue, rolls with Camille's delicious honey butter, yummy potatoes, cooked carrots (my favorite!) and chocolate covered strawberries. Dinner was very good. 


Not only was there a table, but there was a large screen set up as well. It was hooked to a genorator back in the trees somewhere. After we were finished eating, he sat me down in front of the screen, and played a slideshow of us. It was very cute.


When the slideshow was over, he told me to stay right where I was, he had to get something from his car. He returned with a guitar. Michael doesn't even play, but he had learned one song. Our song. :) He's a sweetheart. 

After the song, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. The ring he picked out is beautiful! I cried.


I'm so happy. I'm going to marry the love of my life, my angel, my handsome prince, my inspiration, my best friend. We will be together for eternity. 

Test, Tournament and The Big Black Boot

Well folks, there's a lot that's been happening lately. One of the main events took place on May 14th. On that day, Jess, Michael and I promoted to third degree black belts! Woo Hoo! That means we now get to wear the black gi - we look legit, I'm not going to lie.

Yup! there we are :)

These are the Black gis I was talking about! Oh and two of my darling students.

Also that same day, was the tournament. Surprisingly, I did pretty well. I took first in Contemporary Forms, Traditional Weapons, and Self defense. I placed second in Traditional Forms and Contemporary Weapons. I didn't place in sparring, but I did put up a fight, so yeah.... Six events! That's a lot! 

When Michael was sparring he was doing a kick, and rolled on his foot. He immediately went down, and we later found out that he ripped ligaments and tendons. They gave him a gigantic boot at a nearby insta-care. It was horrible to see him in so much pain, but he is much better now, he even taught a class yesterday!

Michael and I are going strong. We get closer everyday. We told the Lawrence's about us, they were very cautious at first, but after 48 hours of debate, we both ended up keeping  our jobs. Thank goodness! I love Michael sooo much! even if he is a little OCD ;)

Marriage?? Psshh...

What if I graduated early and got married... Just a thought.

Prom 2011

Benji took me to Prom this year. I have to say, my dress was pretty stunning! We went out to eat at a fancy Italian restaurant at Riverwoods, and then to the dance. The dance was held at Primrose Retreat; the perfect place! I had a great time. I hope he did too. I think he did, because Hopper told me later he had never seen Ben smile so much in his life. :)

Oito!

Spring break was so much fun! I went camping in southern Utah with the Williams, need I say more? Well... not really, but I'm going to anyway. 

We first went to capitol reef and staid in a campground called Fruita (seriously, I don't know what these crazy mormon settlers were thinking, when they named their town that!) Anyway, we went on several short hikes. Little Miles and Hope were always wanting to hold my hand. I think they were kind of getting on Chloe's nerves, but I thought they were super cute. I also carried Aiden on my shoulders through one of the hikes. We also visited the Fruita school and Pride Rock.

 We also went to visit some Uranium mines, which were full of radiation... don't worry though, Chloe and I are immune.

Whenever we loaded up the van, the Williams kids would count off. I became number 8. 8 in Portuguese is Oito. Good times, good times. 

The third day we went to Bryce Canyon. It is so pretty there! We went on some more hikes, and on that third night, we slept in a cabin. Playing games with the Williams' is really fun. We played mafia, California Speed (I actually beat Chloe once!!), and Chloe taught me how to play a game called cribbage. It was really fun!

Thank you Chloe, for the BEST Spring Break ever!

I'm Craving a Shake

Mr. Michael James Brooks, I'm sure glad that you said something, because there's no way that I would've ever come out and said it. :)

6th Annual Bob White Invitational

On Friday, March 25th, my dad drove Blake and I to compete in the 6th Annual Bob White Invitational the following day. The Bob White Tournament in Huntington Beach, was very intense. I did not place in anything- actually, no one from BLK placed. If Bao would have skipped whatever band event he had, and joined us, he definitely would have. Here's a list about the going ons of the Tournament:

• Bob White is an old guy with a hunch back
• I competed in forms, sparring, and team sparring
• There were three asian girls who were absolutely amazing in the kata division. Their forms were extremely intricate, they had strange hip movements and they hissed like snakes. Two of the three placed. They kicked butt!
• I slaughtered my form :( Sad, but true. I always get so nervous.... I messed up multiple times. When the division was over, it took all I had inside to keep from crying.
• Sam and I were on a team for sparring, along with another a cute kid named Zack. I felt a little bad for Zack, but he was a good sport about being placed on a team with two extremely nervous girls.
• Sam was kicked in the nose during her first match. It kept her from competing in individual sparring. We later found out that it was broken. 
• I did pretty well in team sparring. I lost, 6-7, due to some unfair points that were called against me. (Even Master Lawrence said so) I felt good about the match though. My confidence and performance are all thanks to Michael.
• There was a demo team from Idaho I believe. There demo was purely self-defense, and it looked mega painful. I would not want to meet a single one of those people in a dark ally way. Take that back, I wouldn't even want to meet them in a light ally way. Haha
• In individual sparring, I was put up against a third place world champion. I had no chance. I did score two point however. I was eliminated the first round.
• Michael Bartold was awesome in Sparring! He won his first three matches! He was doing fantastic until he got kicked in his already injured ribs. Even after that however, he should have won the next match. Anyone could tell you that. I swear the judges were biased against him. 

This was the first time I have ever competed (or even seen for that matter) an open tournament. It was a great learning experience. Now that I know what they are like and what to expect, I would like to compete again in the future. 

Once the tournament was over, I begged him to go to the beach. He agreed, so we went to see the ocean along with my grandparents, Blake, Sam and her dad. Grandma Decker had filmed my form, and was planning on sending it to my relatives, but I told her film me one more time on the beach and send them that one instead. That way, they wouldn't have to see all my many mistakes. For your entertainment, here are two videos that were taken on the beach, along with some photos from our trip to Cali. 

Nevermind. Vidoes not working. grrr.

Confidence?.. Uh.. Sure

Michael has been sparring with me practically every night, with hopes that I might actually have a chance at Saturday's tournament. Ha.. right... When we practice, Michael let's me win a lot. Let is the key word here. I've seen Michael spar for real, and trust me he could kick my trash. I doubt I would be able to score one lousy point!

Anyways, he always gets hyped up about how great I'm doing, and that I'm going to do really well in Cali. I'm sure he can read my doubtful expression, but he just goes on:

"Haley, your Two One Blitz is amazing!"

"Haley, your going to do so great!"

"Haley, you've gained so much confidence!"

Tonight he even got Jess to join in the flattery. I appreciate what he's trying to do, but sometimes I just want to strangle him until he admits all his lies; until he admits I'm going to get dominated in the sparring division. I'd tell him myself, but he'd just get upset, and that would break my heart. Especially after all the time he's spent dedicated to preparing me.

I'm glad I have a friend like Michael. I'm also a little scared that I like him a little too much... When all's said and done, I'm going to miss these sparring evenings.

What Time Is It?

Ever since we changed our clocks back, both my car and bedroom clock are correct; it's driving me CRAZY! Before the time change, my bedroom clock was ten minutes fast, and the clock in my car was 60 minutes fast. I've lived with these clocks for months, and grew used to them. When I get ready for school in the morning or karate after, I'd always plan on the extra ten minutes to drive to the places I need to go. I no longer have those exta minutes now that my clock is on time. Because of this, I've been tardy to Ednet atleast three times within the last week! I think I'm going to set them so they're off again. Life will be much simpler. ;)

Ironed Money

Today was a great day. I passed the first of my three tests to reach my third degree!Wahoo! :) Thank goodness for Michael Brooks, who was there encouraging me throughout the physical portion. For reasons I won't go into, the physical was extra difficult today, and it's because of Michael that I made it through the crushing self inflicted torture! I was seriously tempted to run and give him a hug when he had to take off early... but I doubt the Lawrence's would've approved.

Later this afternoon, I helped Sam out with a birthday party. She did an awesome job, especially when you look at the rambunctious children we were forced to deal with.

Christian, my reckless neighbor is coming home from the hospital tomorrow. The kid fell 70-80 ft in Moab earlier this week. He was life flighted to a hospital in Colorado. It's a miracle that he didn't die. This is definitely a manifestation of God's hand in preserving his life.

Later tonight, Sam invited me to come with her, Hannah, Nathan and Bao to the movies. I feel bad, because I'd already had plans to hang with Chloe, but I kind of blew her off. Well actually, I wanted her to come with me, but I could tell that she wasn't too fond of the idea of hanging out with people she hardly knew. I promise, I'm going to make it up to her soon.

To my great disappointment, Bao never came. It is probably a good thing that he skipped out on the event, on the account that I most likely would have returned from tonight's excursion with an aching heart. It's actually his 17th birthday tomorrow. I got him a gift certificate to Cold Stone, and dropped it off in his mailbox on the way home from Orem.

The movie that we decided to see is called The Adjustment Bureau. This movie was very well done! (I'm not saying that just because Matt Damon was in it, though that definitely contributed. hehe) If you have not seen it, I highly recommend it. Best movie I've seen in quite a  while.

Nathan Starley. Interesting kid, no doubt... In my phone he is listed as Negative Nathan. Every time I hang out with him, he proves just how perfect the given name is; truly fitting. He complains constantly! Tonight he wore white skinny pants, and we received several stares. He also informed me, Sam and Hannah how he couldn't stand crinkled dollar bills, and resorted to ironing them. Yes. Ironing! On an actual ironing board! It took me a moment for my laughing to subside after the latter comment was stated. This kid is insane! Who in their right mind takes the time to iron their money?? Hahaha

After the movie, we dropped in at Tani's house where he was holding night games. Naakaii, the poor kid was sitting in his car with his mom having a talk. He was crying; I would have never before believed it, if I had not witnessed it myself. I think it's safe to say that as of tonight, my irrational sense of intimidation that always seems to bite at me when in his presence, has evaporated. Naakaii is such a tough and admirable person. I hope he'll soon be able to escape whatever trials are in his path.

To conclude the evening, we went to Cold Stone to wait until Sam's boyfriend, Jake, got off work. We all shared a bowl of chocolate ice cream, and told stories. Jake is really nice. They make a really cute couple. Jake informed us how on slow days the employees held ice cream wars. If I didn't have a job at karate, I think Cold Stone would be an entertaining place to work.

The epic night came to an end, and after I dropped my friends off, I took the tedious drive home in the rain. It was a scary experience, but I made it home in one piece, so we're good. Tonight was really fun! I had the great opportunity of getting to know Sam and Hannah. We'll have to repeat our outing sometime soon.

Pink Nail Polish Did Nothing

For those of you who are my friends, you've most likely found that it isn't hard to make my day. A good test score, a simple compliment, a funny youtube video, finding treasures in the parking lot... The list could go on and on.

Today however... Well let's just say today SUCKED!

My mom painted my nails pink earlier. On a ordinary day, having my nails painted brightens my mood. Today however, was definitely not one of those days. 

I brought the grief upon myself when I decided to visit our old park and walked the surrounding trail. It wasn't long before I found myself sitting underneath our tree, replaying those happy memories of us together. I sat there missing him and wishing for our former relationship. This melancholy dreaming only brought unhappiness.

From that point, my day continued to get worse. Karate was especially bad. I was horrendous at sparring today. I got my butt kicked by several different people. How in the world am I supposed to enter this tournament in Cali, when I can't even win a match against Jess?? Well, here's the answer to the question: I'll just do it. I'll enter. I'm warning you though, I'm not going to live up to expectations. Tonight was additional proof that I lack talent and should give up on sparring.

I need some serious work on controlling my emotions. Ha, how ironic, Control: our word of the week. Well, I'm a hypocrite as well I guess, because I broke down as soon as I reached my car. 
Later tonight, I realized that my stupid cat peed on my towel. I made the discovery after I grabbed it to dry my face. Blech!! One of the worst days of my life...

Thank you Michael Brooks for believing in me. I'm sorry if I let you down (which is pretty much guaranteed.)

Shattered

Have you ever felt like nothing is turning out the way you expected??
Have you ever had someone hurt you emotionally? How about physically??
Have you ever had your heart broken??
Have you ever had the one person you couldn't stand the thought of living without, leave you??
Have you ever caught a cold that never seems to leave??
Have you ever lost sleep??
Have you ever been upset with a test score that you know you could have improved on if you had only taken the time to study??
Have you ever had your art teacher tell you that you look like you got out of a dryer??
Have you ever been the 4.0 student torn by an A-??
Have you ever made a serious mistake??
Have you ever felt the urge to punch someone??
Have you ever felt like your slowly losing a friend??
Have you ever been jealous??
Have you ever had a day when no one texted you? not one lousy text??
Have you ever had slight feelings for your co-worker...? ?
Have you ever felt angry with your boss because she won't let your co-worker/sparring coach support you at a tournament??
Have you ever had your boss get upset with you??
Have you ever missed the opportunity to stand up for yourself??
Have you ever felt that you're not good enough? you're inadequate??
Have you ever broke down and cried??
Has the thought of giving up ever crossed your mind??

Aspire to Be Like Li

Master Lawrence shared this story with us today:

One day in ancient China, there were three friends in search of a job. Their names were Li, Bos and Dos. They entered a Chinese Restaurant, known for having the finest dumplings in all of China, hoping to find work. The three boys were informed by the owner, there was only one position open; a dish washing position. The owner told the three friends to spend one day washing dishes, and after he would give the job to the person best suited for the task.

"Now," said the owner, "You must wash each dish three times, dry it, and then stack it in a pile." The three boys were put quickly to work.

When the day was over, Li compared his pile to Dos's pile of dishes. Li was disappointed to find that his own pile was half the size. "How did you wash so many dishes?" Li asked Dos.

"I only washed my dishes twice." Dos stated. "Look," he said, holding up one of his dishes, "You can't even tell the difference." And it was true, Dos's dish appeared just as clean.

Li then turned to Bos, whose pile was three times greater than his own. "How did you wash so many dishes?" Li asked Bos.

"I only washed my dishes once," Dos boasted. "Look, no one would be able to tell the difference," he said, holding up a gleaming dish.

Li  hung his head as the owner walked in. "My measly pile will never get me this posiition," Li thought to himself.

 The owner looked over Bos's pile first. Bos puffed out his chest as the owner fixed his eyes on the big pile of washed dishes. The owner picked up a plate and examined it. He plopped a dumpling in the dead center and then tilted the plate. The dumpling quickly slid off the plate. "How many times did you wash each dish?" the owner asked.

Bos looked down at his feet. "Once," he mumbled.

The restaurant owner then examined Dos's pile. He plopped a dumpling onto the center one of his plates. He tilted the plate. Though not as swift as the first dumpling, it also slid off the plate. "How many times did you wash this plate?" the owner inquired of Dos.

Dos also looked toward the ground. "Twice," he sheepishly said.

The owner then examined a plate from the Li's small pile. He plopped a dumpling onto his plate. He tilted the plate, and the dumpling staid exactly where it had landed. The Owner smiled at Li. "You washed these dishes three times each, didn't you?"

"Yes," Li said proudly.

The owner took a step back and addressed all three boys. "We make the finest dumplings at this restaurant," he began. "When costumers come here to eat, not only do they expect to have the best dumplings, they also the dumplings to stay in one spot while they are cutting them. If there is even the slightest grease on a plate, a dumpling will slide. We therefore, need our dishes washed not once, not twice, but three times." He looked each boy in the eye before continuing. "Li was the only one who did not take shortcuts, and executed my exact instructions. Li will receive the dish washing job."

Li smiled. "Thank you sir."

This is Li :)

The moral of the story: Don't Take Shortcuts.

Are You Contagious?

This past week I caught a pretty violent cold. Though it's no fun being sick, the experience has been one extra reminder of how awesome my friends are. They brought me a kong cone during lunch one day, shot me "get well" texts, convinced me I was well enough to be dragged to seminary, made fun of my altered voice and came to watch movies with me. Even Chloe came over last night, though she was afraid of getting sick herself. I sincerely appreciate all the love. Hopefully, someday soon, I'll get my singing voice back. Haha!

This video actually has nothing to do with the above post, but I found it inspiring and thought others might enjoy it as well.

I Butcher Pigs

The title is weird... Yes I know. Don't go thinking I kill innocent little pigs; that is definitely not the case. In fact, the part in Sherlocke Holmes, when their at the place that slices the dead pigs in half... *shiver* ugh! that part makes me feel sick inside.

My only intention is to relate a conversation that took place last night between Adam and my mom. It goes like so:

My mom walked into the theater room and interrupts Taken, the movie we were watching (btw, thanks Hopper, for leaving that at my house. Don't worry, I took it back to Redbox for you).

Adam: Get Out.

Mom: Make me!

Adam: I don't make trash, I burn it.

Mom: I don't make pigs, I butcher them!

All of us instantly burst out laughing. My family is hilarious - or maybe just insane.... Haha

Sweethearts

I asked Ost'n You-Dell Fehn, aka Austin, to go to Sweethearts with me this year. The way I asked him was pretty dang creative, if I do say so myself. I got a Book of Mormon, and had him complete a scripture hunt:

3 Nephi 16:16

Helaman 11:13 ?

Alma 24:8

Alma 37:37 ,

2 Nephi 8:24

2 Nephi 9:14-15

Moroni 10 Chapter Heading

Alma 33:5

1 Nephi 8:11

Mosiah 24:12 ?

Page 429

Page 90

Those were all of the references that I gave him. I was thinking about having everyone figure it out themselves, but then forgot, I had hilighted the few words that I wanted him to get out of each section. Anyways, it turned out to say something along the lines of "Verily, verily, Wilt thou soften thy heart, put on thy beautiful garments and accompany me to Sweethearts?" Yup, I felt pretty genius. I had Mr. Blackham, who wouldn't touch the book with his bare hands (he was afraid he would burst up in flames), give it to him. Haha

Anyways, after he was sure that he would be able to get work off that night, he confirmed that he would be able to go. That's when I started to stress. I think I kinda half expected him to say 'No.' I was afraid Austin wouldn't have any fun with me. I didn't really know him, and I'm not exactly the most outgoing person... To my great releif, I had nothing to worry about. Austin is hilarious! :) He filled the silence with his funny comments.

Chloe's parents are awesome! They volunteered to take our entire group up to the Myan in their 15 passenger van. Little did we know, that they went all out. When they came to get us, I had to supress my laughter. Brother Williams was all decked out in a tux and sunglasses. He was the perfect chauffer! The van was also decorated on the inside. Red christmas lights surrounded the windows, and paper hearts dangled from the ceiling. It was legit. :)



Bother Williams, our Chauffer, outside our sweet ride

So like I mentioned before, we rode up to the Myan. Before our reservation was called, we had someone take pictures for us outside. The Myan was awesome! :) The food and the Entertainment was great.

Throughout the night, the boys in our group were making up stupid scales like: 

• "Between 1-Russia, how cold is it outside?" or
•  "Between 1-adventure, what would you rate this resturaunt?"  

They were being ridiculous, but I was relieved that they were entertained. After dinner, we made our way back to Spanish Fork for the dance. The dance was a lot of fun. Austin reminds me a lot of Corbin, and the way he dances. The simularities were almost scary.

We didn't stay too long at the dance. I actually wished we could have staid longer. Oh well. When we were finished at the school, we went over to Mari's house and ate Chloe's homemade ice cream, along with a lot of other treats. We also played ping pong, and watched Nacho Libre. It was fun. Around 11:30, I drove Austin back to American Fork. (yeah, he lives far away!) And that concluded our night.

I'd say, on a scale of 1-party, Sweethearts was a BLAST! Thank you Austin Fehn!