Muscle Men

The packing, loading, unloading, unpacking routine of moving has become quite tiresome the past week... However, the apartment is starting to look fantastic, and I am loving every second of living with Kaylyn! Soon Anisa and Tycee will move in and it will be a non stop PART-AY! Yesterday it came time to move the TV from my house to the apartment. No big deal right? NBD. Well any normal TV, or even a relatively bigger TV would have been do-able. Na, we like to super-size things around here. :) Remember the old wide screen TVs? Before they made the flat screens that you hang on a wall? Yeah these old ones they decided to make as big and bulky as possible, and as a bonus they weigh a bajillion pounds. Big selling point for more man points I guess? Anyways, my parents were getting rid of their old wide screen TV and mentioned that they might just take it to the DI. Light bulb.

"Could.... I have the TV?"

"If you can find some big buff guys to take it to your apartment, sure."

Excitement started to build inside of me as I thought of how many conversations I'd be able to start with some strapping young men, such as: "Hey, what's your name? Handsome Rob? Great, I'm Hailey, and I have a big screen TV." Instant connection. Genius right? Besides attracting big TV loving men, it'll be great to fill up some of the space in our big living room, and it'll be awesome to watch my shows on the big screen! Well I was able to round up Karlie's strapping husband Jacob, my strong pops and Kaylyn's dad brought his man strength along with the truck. They lifted that large mass with their super strength like it was no one's business, we tied it down and were off! Trent met Kaylyn, Jake and I at my apartment to help get it to the third floor. Oh yeah did I forget to mention that? Weird, I seem to keep forgetting to tell people that kindly agree to help me move heavy things that I live on the third floor...

Well the first flight of stairs went fantastic! The second and third we took a little slower but even then they lifted better than any National Weight Lifter I've ever seen. By our rest stop on the second floor I was so racked with guilt for putting these men through this and I was trying to come up with something that could repay them for all their hard work. Coldstone? Dinner? A new car? After a few more grunts and hoists we made it! It fit perfectly in our apartment and again the excitement came back for all the future movie nights we will be hosting.

I blog about this for two reasons. The first being to document that the previously impossible feat of carrying a massive TV up 3 flights of stairs is in fact possible, and secondly to publicly thank Jake, Trent, and the two dads for all their muscular man-ness. These guys are great! I am so grateful for your willingness and quick thought to serve. Hopefully you will get a lot of blessings in the days to come for this.

Movie anyone? :)

Happy One Year Anniversary!!

Today is the one year reunion of my knee surgery! I can't believe it has already been an entire year... Besides ruining my chances at becoming a famous knee model which was bound to happen eventually right? ;), this surgery has blessed me time and time again. This little knee of mine has held up stronger than I ever thought it would and I couldn't be happier. At the rate I'm going (Soccer League, Bowling League and Softball League) most would expect to see me back in the OR for my second tear. However I figure the stronger I keep it, the less chance I have to tear it again! What doesn't kill us makes us stronger right?


So.... How am I going to celebrate this special day? MOAB! A bunch of friends are heading down to Moab tonight for a nice little camping get-a-way complete with hiking, tenting, laughing and chillin' (literally... lows are suppose to be 34 at night). I've never been to Moab so this should be quite the new adventure :) I can't wait! Dirt filled pictures and posts to come!

Account Balance = 0

Today is a glorious day!! I have a beautiful view of some nice blossomy trees and the light snow falling (yes. SNOW.) from my office window, I'm wearing a contradictingly spring outfit, I started moving in to my new apartment yesterday and last but not least....... I just sent the check to the bank to pay off my car!!!!!!! Huzzah!! Hailey is debt free! It's a pretty fantastic feeling, and I have the good ol' tax return to thank for it. I feel as if I should hand deliver it and do a little celebration dance! Anyone else in for a debt free jig?

A Little Privacy Please?

For a long time now I have had this guilty feeling when I listen to cute, lovey dovey, mushy love songs.

Allow me to explain.

Artists create music for the public to make a living, right? However, the lyrics and music must come from somewhere, and usually they come from the artist's personal experiences. So when there is a particularly great song like "It's your love" by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, I can't help but feel like I'm stepping in on something private when I listen and love every second of it. I wonder if the woman these men sing about ever feel a little slighted that 4 million couples have this as "our song." I have a lot of respect for artists in that not many other careers broadcast their diary secrets nationally. I'm pretty sure that if someone wrote a song specifically about me and a month later I overheard a couple declare that same song as "their song" I'd be a little upset.

Not only do they expose their love lives, but they expose their family issues, personal struggles, triumphs and weaknesses. Yes, "Sara Beth" by Rascal Flatts makes me cry for the girl with cancer, but is Sara Beth embarrassed that her personal struggle has been broad casted? When a singer speaks of his alcoholic dad does the dad feel like his son/daughter has betrayed him by uncovered his 'secret' in front of the entire world? In all honesty, I usually don't think twice about the subjects in these songs...but now that I have started to, I can't stop.

Now these artists may be strong enough to open their heart to the world, but do you think they are ever prepared for the criticism they receive? "Here let me give you a piece of me and I'll let you tell me how I should crawl in a hole and die my song is so bad." I understand that there is bad music out there, but the meaning behind this music is still real. People are still producing this stuff, not robots (yet).

So now I'll step off of my soap box, but before I do I just ask that we become a little more conscious about our criticism. I'm making a goal to work on this and to try and value everything I hear for what it is - expression.

On a lighter note, I'm obsessed with this song. :) Take a listen, and then listen to it again. Hear it twice and I have no doubt you'll be bobbing your head and tapping your feet. Yes, it is a country song but at the very least Jerrod Niemann is pretty good looking so that should keep the females entertained for awhile.

Elder Jordan Tyler Francis

Today was the day that one of my best friends left his family and friends to serve the Lord. Last night Jordan was set apart as a missionary and that was a really fantastic experience. I wasn't going to be able to make it at first, (but then I realized who is in charge) and randomly my class got out just in time for me to speed down to Mapleton. He has turned into such a responsible and confident man and I am so proud of him. Of course for some reason my body associates the feeling of pride with crying, and so without my control there have been some water works the past few days. Luckily I've been able to keep my cool and not have to deal with gasping sobs. That in and of itself is a blessing for anyone around me.

All last night my mom went through Jordan's whole suitcases and explained detailed instructions for usage, dosage and washage for everything she had packed. It took about 4 times longer than it probably should have due to sarcasm and humor, but nevertheless it was still entertaining to sit and watch. After, Jordan and I went through his room and 'de-junked.' Or in our house that means, "give to someone else so that it may clutter their room instead of mine." I scored with all my new treasures!

This morning the whole family went to Cracker Barrell for breakfast after finally convincing Jordan that he could in fact leave the house as a missionary. Breakfast was great, and we had fun, but those stupid butterflies would not leave my stomach. After taking a bunch of pictures, it finally came time for us to pack up and head to the MTC.

I couldn't bring myself to talk much on the way there, because the pit in my stomach just wouldn't allow it. We drove in, parked next to a bajillion waving missionary hosts, unloaded, snapped a few pictures really quickly and left. Of course, not before I got a final hug. Again, I felt sooo proud of my little brother for being brave enough to venture off into the MTC and then off to Albania. And again, pride equaled tears.

I love you Jordan.

P.S. For my own selfishness I'd like you to hurry it up and come back already, but I know you will be the best stinking missionary Albania has ever seen. God be with you till we meet again.

Lamanites?

Once upon a time there was a fashionable shoe that in the last year or so has filled women's closets like no one's business. Recently, a co-worker was wearing this type of shoe and I attempted to compliment her on them. The conversation went like this:
Me: "I really like your shoes!"
Fellow co-worker: "Oh thanks! They are a little different, but I like them too!"
Me: "Yeah, I don't know why, but they always remind me of Lamanite Shoes."
Fellow co-worker: "Lamanite? Uh.. you mean Gladiator shoes or something?"
Me: "Oh right, of course..that's what I meant...."

In my defense, I've been reading in Alma for the past long while... However, the first thought that came into my head after this conversation was, Hailey you live in a bubble and you're such a Mormon.

Oh well, they do look like Lamanite shoes.

"I Got A Tick-Tock Rhythm Runnin' Through My Veins..."

4 points to anyone that can guess the song and artist of this post title. :)

One week ago today Kaylyn and I attended a fantastic concert held at the Complex in SLC! Runner Runner, A Rocket to the Moon, Go Radio, Valencia and Anarbor were there for a smashing time and they definitely delivered! Runner Runner was my favorite, for their music and for their faces, and A Rocket to the Moon was a close second (mainly for their music though, they look like they are little boys). I was able to touch Ryan Ogren on the shoulder as he passed me and after he said, "Hey, nice shirt." Oh that smile... He was inadvertantly complimenting himself as I was wearing a Runner Runner t-shirt (yes I looked like the typical concert junky teen... sadly enough), but I didn't mind. I could exaggerate a little and say that we had a nice conversation he and I, which I just might if I met another Runner Runner obsessor. I highly recommend you check them out. They only have one CD so far, but in talking with Nick Bailey (yeah... we also chatted) they are already working on their next album. Hooray!! It's been awhile since I've gone to a concert, and after this one I am starting to get antsy for the next! Warped Tour is coming up in August, but I don't know if I can wait that long. Here are some pictures, we are pretty nasty in most of them... so enjoy! It's not a good concert unless Stino is there!!

Tangled

Okay okay.... Princess and the Frog previously was my favorite Disney princess movie until this came out.

It is so stinking funny!! I love all the characters in this movie, especially this guy. haha so great!

Kay, D rag and I saw it last night in 3D at the not so dollar theater. There were a few cool 3D parts that I had to sit on my hands to resist from reaching out and grabbing the lantern (oh wait I did actually reach out and grab for it), but for the most part 3D isn't anything toooooo crazy. It is pretty cool that we have the ability to view things in 3D though! The best part is that I kept my 3D glasses, and when I put them on outside of the movie theater everything around me is still in 3D!! It's so great! ;)

Really one of the biggest reasons why I love this movie is because for once Disney made a princess movie with a full family. Usually all Disney movies have only one parent around, but this one Rapunzel had both parents and they were both fantastic people! At least I assume they were as they were the King and Queen... although those two weren't very chatty... Granted Rapunzel did live with the crazy lady that kidnapped her for 18 years, but still, she found her family and they all lived happily ever after!

P.S. I just researched all on the kidnapping statute for my research class, so I can tell you whether or not this actually constituted a kidnapping if it were to take place in Utah. Fascinating, I know.

So at the conclusion of this post I would like to recommend this movie to each and every one of you and that a happily ever after will surely come shortly thereafter!

P.P.S. wanna know something else super great?!

ANISA IS COMING TO UTAH TODAY!!!!!!!!

Hooray!! Sheesh we have such a good weekend ahead of us. Let the fun begin!

Something Tells Me We Should Celebrate

I've decided that for the most part, packaging makes or breaks an item. As shown above, this bottle looks like a party is about to happen and I want to be invited. Although this same bottle could be covered in a brown paper bag and I would start to get uncomfortable... even though inside it is still just bubbly apple cider. Now the boxes of Rocky Mountain chocolates made me want to re-enact I Love Lucy and play "taste tester" for the day. Sooo good.

I received these wonderful items from work which were sent by another attorney in our area. Huzzah for how likeable my attorneys are and for how they love to share their goodies! Immediately when that green bottle was set on my desk I felt a spark of excitement inside of me. Is it the fact that it looks like a cheap imitation of a bottle of wine? Who knows. I never remember what sparkling cider actually tastes like anyways so why else would I be excited? I brought it home and received the same excitement from my brother. We felt all fancy when we found an occasion to create a toast to and to finally "break open the bottle." Well looks like we still have some work to do on the fancy part because we drank it from paper cups, no clinking or swirling. However, we were celebrating conference so that's toast worthy right?! ....Irony?

Conference brought a lot of golden nuggets this time around! I loved spending time with my family watching conference, always do. and going to dinner with Kaylyn, Terryl & my mom for a girls getaway during Priesthood session. I also had the wonderful opportunity to join D-rag (the nickname he proudly gave himself....?) in the Sunday afternoon session and boy was that great. The spirit was so strong throughout all the heart felt messages that were shared. Conference never fails to humble, motivate and rejuvenate me. I'm excited to start in on re-reading/listening to the sessions so I can pick up on where I overlooked. Also, with all the talk about marriage I'm curious to see how many engagements arise within the next few months. Bring on the flood of receptions! Joking aside, I do think that everything said was needed for one person or another, and everything I heard, I needed. I loved having two people in front of me that were frantically taking notes on each talk given. Curious, I leaned forward to see what they had both just written on the last talk. To my surprise their notes were not even close to the same. What a great lesson: The spirit speaks to each of us individually, our Heavenly Father knows each of us personally and the messages we specifically need to hear. Thanks.

This weekend also brought a few more surprises......

All I could think about was how I could definitely handle listening to our Prophet's voice from here....

Come on Utah.... realize that Winter is now being selfish. Give summer a chance to shine. :)

Happy 4 day!!

Today is a day that is better than almost any day. Today is 4 day. April 4th (4/4) is my favorite day because we get two 4's instead of one this month! I can't wait until I'm 44 in year 2044 on April 4th. Oh yeah, it's going to happen. Not really, but it would have been awesome. Maybe I'll lie about my age on that day. Who knows if blogs will even exist, but if they do, you better believe there will be a blogtastic post that day. I already missed 4:44 am (barely) and so I'm really looking forward to 4:44 pm... and trying to come up with 4 awesome things I can do at that time. Any ideas? There is really no other reason for this post besides the fact that I haven't posted in awhile, and to make you all aware of the greatest day ever! At 4:44 pm today, I hope you take a second and do 4 crazy cool things. So far, all I've got is 1) give a high four to a stranger 2) celebrate with 4 friends 3) sign up for a soccer league as #4 and 4) wear a 4 pendant that I made out of a paperclip around for the rest of the day. Obviously I'm needing a bit of help in the creativity area today.

HAPPY 4 DAY!!!!!!!!!