Ethics and Values

So, this semester, I am taking an Ethics and Values class. I was reluctant to take it at first, but am now finding it to be both my most frustrating and most amusing class. So far, we have gone over everything from torture, to the existence of God, to abortion and so on. I find myself constantly in a state of confusion with what I have been raised to believe and what I find myself realizing I believe now. I will often comment in class and as someone counters my argument, I find myself realizing that I was wrong all along. I think back to my high school years and the view of the world I had then and compare it to my beliefs and world view now and realize that not in a million years would I have expected to agree with some arguments I agree with now. If someone had told me that I would do complete 180's on many ethical and moral topics in the future, I would not only have thought they were crazy, I would have been angry at them. As a whole, we like to close our eyes and ears. We get angry when others challenge our beliefs. "We are what we believe". I want to change this in my life. "I am what I decide to believe." The most mind numbing thing I have learned in this class is my lack on knowledge of the world around me and the history of why people are they way they are and why people react the way they do. The most recent occurrence being this article I had to read for my class on the Holocaust. "The Childhood origins of World War II and the Holocaust".
In many ways, I am furious at my high school history teachers. In other ways I am furious with myself. I recall the countless times my dad tried and tried and tried to open my eyes to history and the world around me. I blatently ignored him, 'knowing' that it's history....boring! I was taught all about the holocaust and WWII in school, but not once was it explained why something like this could happen. I always wanted to know HOW people could be so apathetic to what is going on around them. Although perhaps not to the same extreme, it still blew me away when I came up with the epiphany that WE are a part of this. The countless examples; starving children, countries with STD's out of control, India with it's lawless brothels; we are apathetic to the suffering. We do little to solve the problems saying "it's not our country, not our problem". I want to make a difference in the world. If it means teaching mothers how to raise children healthily, saving lives, or going to Africa to educate on the importance of washing your hands before delivering a baby, I want to do it. This is why I want to be a nurse, so that someday, I will be able to make a difference in the world.

Update

Haven't blogged, not apologizing. :)

So, since my last post, not a ton has happened. Well, a lot has happened, but not anything too exciting that I can really post pictures on or anything. Biggest life changing event: I quit my job so I could go back to school full time! It was a hard decision. I have been with the clinic for 2 1/2 years and have loved it! Every job has those things you will never miss, but all in all, I loved it. I loved the quirkiness of the doctor I worked for, I loved the everyday schedule I held, and of course I loved the biweekly paycheck. I miss a lot of it, but I am happy with my decision. I love being back in school. I feel like I am progressing in my life plan. I feel like I have a life plan! I feel smarter! I am studying to be a nurse, and only have a few classes left before I can start applying to nursing schools...the last two are the hardest too...Anatomy and Physiology. I had started the semester out signed up for both, but as it turned out, Physiology is just not my cup of tea. I am all things retarded when it comes to Physiology, so I decided to take it slower and switch around some classes. I am now on track to receive my associates degree at the end of this semester.

A few odds and ends that I think I may have left out:
I am currently enrolled in a tap dancing class. I have wanted to learn to tap dance ever since I was a kid! I signed myself up in September and got to work. I am now in the intermediate class. I love it so much!...Ryan could tell you that! I can't stop. If there is a hard floor, even carpet, I am usually tapping. Most of the time I don't realize I'm doing it till he looks at me with his "you're doing it again, and everyone is watching you" look. I was even in a recital at the beginning of January. If anyone remembers me from high school...they know how much I have being put on the spot in recitals! It usually ends bad...but this, I couldn't wait for!

Callista is doing great, she has grown a full 2 inches and a good deal around. You probably couldn't tell if you aren't me, but I'm excited. However, I think I have decided that I like her more this size...I can sit and watch movies while I hold her and play with her.

I have also enrolled in an Ice Skating class through school. It is really very hard. I am supposed to lean this way and put my other foot...where?? Are you crazy? Ok....OUCH!. Needless to say, I might need two new hip bones and a new elbow by the end of the semester....But, I can skate forwards, backwards, turn around while skating, do one jump...badly, and forward crossovers...I'm still working on backwards crossovers...

Lastly, my favorite class this semester is also the shortest and most dangerous. Snowboarding! I love it! And I have learned so much! I love boarding. It is so much fun! Unfortunately, it is also the most painful. I think I am just starting to learn how to board well enough that a helmet may start to come in handy......hence the whiplash I am currently experiencing. The mountain is really really Icy right now because PA is hogging all of the snow! Half of my snowboarding class is out of commission with broken bones. I keep thinking...it's only a matter of time...but I'll be careful. If it does happen, and I have access to my arms...I'll be sure to post about it. For now, though....this was a very condensed update.

Oh, and I'd like to share my sister's new blog with everyone! She makes jewelry and she makes some of the cutest and most elegant stuff! I am so jealous of her talent I am green!
Fashionable Finery

Callista

So, as creepy as I know everyone says it is...but, Callista is my brand new baby Python! For my birthday, Ryan purchased her for me. I have wanted one ever since high school when my physics teacher brought his baby python in to show the class. We picked her up on November 8, 2009 and we fed her a thawed fuzzy mouse for the first time the other day. She lives in my living room! My 3 roommates were hesitant to agree with me that it was a great idea, and after only one week, they all love her! Kat has only held her twice, and Tacie was very welcoming the first day. Jamie took 2 days, but now holds her all the time. Here are some pictures!



We measured her at about 20-21 inches....it wasn't easy to do!


This is the home we built for her. This is practically a mansion to her. At the pet store, her cage was about 1 foot tall, maybe 8inches deep and wide.


...............The First Time Feeding!.........................

YUMMM!!!!!

She's our new best friend, and will become about 4-6 feet and live roughly 10-15 years!

Bekah's Christmas Gift

So, I know I took FOREVER to post this, and I'd love to say it's because I'm busy...but really, I'm just REALLY lazy. So, this last year, instead of breaking the bank and getting all 8 brothers and sisters a gift, we decided on getting the sibling younger than you a gift....I really am not a picky person and I don't need much. This is the absolute only thing I wanted and you can't really buy it. My roommate has one and I always steal her earrings from it, so I desperately wanted it, especially considering my recent explosive fetish for jewelry. Bekah is absolutely amazing! Not only is it exactly what I asked for, she also made me a necklace to go with it and a necklace and bracelet holder too! She's the best!

Gabirella!!

Alright, so I keep forgetting to post this. My niece Gabi is so adorable! Her giggle always makes me laugh and feel so much better, no matter what is going on in my life! I ADORE her!

Oh, and did I mention my brother, Adam is crazy!



Yeah...That's right, Dare Devil!!!..I blame Adam!



This is for Mom!

It's been a while

Yes, I know. I suck at blogging. I enjoy reading everyone else's blog much more than writing up my own. Anyhow, a little mix:

Thanksgiving:
Thanksgiving was great! I went up to Rexburg to spend it with Ryan. We made our own dinner and everything. I was really nervous about the turkey, but it turned out just fine. We each made something for the table.






Ryan carving the turkey


Cleaning the turkey


Okay, so I guess we didn't have any dishwasher soap, so Ryan thought he'd be clever and use regular soap...The outcome?....




Christmas

So, for Christmas, Ryan came down to Provo. We went and spent Christmas Eve Night and Day with some really good friends of his down here, Adam and Hayley. They were so fun to spend it with. We also go to go to my brother's place for a little bit and say Hi. It was a good Christmas!



Ellie


Adam and Hayley


We also went out to dinner with Adam and Hayley to a Japanese restaurant. It was really neat!







My baby brother, Jarom, came to visit utah for Christmas and I took him snowboarding for his first time. I think he had a blast, but I almost though he was going to kill himself with how fast he would go down the hill because he "couldn't controll his board". ;)

"OUCH"


Exhausted!




The group of friends I got together to go with us


I think, besides the soreness and exhaustion, we had a blast!


Almost Forgot!...

...To mention school! By the way...I went back to school last semester. I'm attending UVU right now, Pre-Nursing. Last semester, I took Chemistry (from Jolene Young, best teacher I've ever had), a Chem lab, and Nutrition. That's 8 credits, and 40 hours a week at work. It's hard. I just started up this next semester taking Biology, Bio lab, Into to Nursing, and English-technical writing. 9 Credits and 40 hours at work. It's hard, but it's still fun. My roommates never see me, and everyone wonders why...I love being back in school. It makes me feel like I am progressing somewhere in life. I can apply to Nursing School after this semester. UVU is the #1 Nursing School in Utah, so I will try for it, but the plan is to apply a lot of different places. Ideally, UVU is where I want to go... So, I will also apply for the spring semester next year. I'm not sure what area I want to work in as a nurse, but I do know that I at least want to be a surgical nurse of some kind, assisting in surgery. I love that kind of stuff! Anyhow, it's a long update, and I'll do my best to keep on top of things from now on!

A Seattle Birthday!

So, I turned 21 on November 1st and had a blast! Ryan's birthday is the day after mine, and he turned 24. So, for our birthday, we packed our bags and headed to Seattle to see the the Seahawks battle the Eagles. It was so much fun! We went to this really neat science museum where we got to do all sorts of fun stuff!

Arrival at the airport!

These big blue disks were so neat! If you whispered into the little loop the person standing where the camera is (where another blue disk is) can hear you! And then you put your ear up to the loops, and you can hear them! So neat!

There was this cool duck that ate out of our hands!

We also mosied on over to Pike Place Market, where we got to see them throw a few fish! Also fun to watch!

Ryan's family threw us a combined birthday party! It was so great! I love them, they are so thoughtful!

The cake with our names on it!

And of course the game!

Oh yeah, and just so you know...We had killer seats!!


I had such a blast! It was such a good day! I had the best time and definitely didn't want to go home..oh well! It was amazing!

Things I Have Done

Things I Have Done

I found this tag on my sister's blog and thought it would be fun to complete. I have accomplished some things but there are a lot of things I haven't done yet. Bold/change color of the font of the things that you have done. I invite anyone to complete this.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland (also Disneyworld)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (I was on the beach)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables-I count helping my mom
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping--don't ask.
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (all but platelets)
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

LA: Picture Packed!

So, for vacation this year, my best friend, Ryan, and I went to LA. We had a BLAST! I couldn't believe that we had to come home so soon. We were there for 5 days. The drive, not so great. 9 hours in a car to and from...gag! Next time I fly! So, on our first day there, we went straight to 6 flags. No stopping to drop our stuff off or anything.




After 6 Flags, we hit up Sea World! That was super cool! I think I took the most pictures here. We had such a blast!

Shamu!



Ryan has this dream of swimming with dolphins in Florida, and so the dolphin show was by far his favorite part. I thought I had taken a little boy to Sea World with me!





We got Drenched!






Of course, I had my fair share of acting like a little girl. The bat rays were MY favorite part of Sea World!



After Sea World, Ryan surprised me with tickets to see Wicked In Hollywood! Best gift in the world! He had been telling me that he had a big surprise for me for weeks...ever since we started planning the trip! I was beaming for hours!! Here are some pictures from our Hollywood trip!



I needed to cuddle up to Elvis!


...And maybe a little Johnny Depp, please and thank you!


Everytime we took a picture with someone dressed up, they were super sweet until you started to walk away. "Please, don't forget to tip"!






After Hollywood, the main event: Disneyland. I have to say, Disneyland is great, but Ryan and I both agreed that we our one day pass was plenty. We had a great time, but we saw everything we wanted to see!

Entering Disneyland!



On Splash Mountain!

In front of Splash Mountain!


Sweet! My very own personal Indiana Jones!


You cannot go to somewhere like this and NOT eat Cotton Candy!


I had to BEG BEG BEG to go on the Tea Cups...It took a lot of begging!





Space Mountain, our favorite! The ride is so disorienting and almost pitch black

And....Leaving Disneyland :(

We hit up Downtown Disney while we were there too. Not too much to see, just Leggoland...and I thought I had taken a little boy for the dolphin show....little did I know... ;)





We also went to the beach once, on our way out, and spent a couple hours there, but nothing to great. I have always been terrified of the ocean....Afraid of under-toes...No reason in particular. Anyhow, so, I didn't go in too far. Ryan went in once. The water was icy-butt-freaking-cold!