Happy Holidays from Ashley and Laura...

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Happy Birthday C-Rod!!!

One of the hardest parts of living away from home for me and Ashley is that we have to be away from our other third. I have known Carlee since junior high when I idolized her for getting all the guys and being so hot. I have to admit, I was really jealous. I really got to know her in high school, and even more in college where we became the best of friends. Years later, I only feel closer to her as the years go by. I get a little teary-eyed writing about Carlee because she has meant more to me as a friend than she will ever understand. She has been there for me through everything - her love, friendship and understanding always constant. The three of us have had so many memorable and fun times together. She turns 25 today and is only getting more amazing and beautiful with age. Ashley and I have come up with a list of the top 10 reasons of what we think makes Carlee great:

1- She is always positive and uplifting. Whenever something is going wrong in either of our lives, we can count on Carlee to bring us back up.
2- We can trust Carlee to always be honest with us. She always has our best interests at heart and is incredibly trustworthy.
3- Always a barrel of laughs, Carlee is always up for anything. Even when we know she doesn't want to do something, she will still humor us, and come along. She is easy-going and laid back and the day/night is always more fun with her around.
4- Carlee is incredibly openminded and doesn't judge. You will never find Carlee gossiping about anyone. It is beneath her and she will always consider another's point of view.
5- She is confident. Carlee has been a great example to us. She is confident with herself and it shows in all areas of her life.
6- She is caring and kindhearted. Everyone loves Carlee. Enough said.
7- Carlee will never tell us what to do. As much as I beg her to make my decisions for me, she will lend an open ear, give her advice, but always tell me that, "she is not going to tell me what to do". I know she truly cares and will be there for me no matter what decisions I make in my life.
8- She just cares. Carlee is the first person to call when something happens. Good or bad. She is just the person we want to talk to because she cares. She would be there in a second and drop anything if we needed her.
9- Her laugh. Carlee has the most contagious laugh. I laugh just thinking about it.
10- Her family. We L-O-V-E the Roderick's. They make us feel like family and we consider them just that. Its easy to see that the awesomeness runs in the family.

Ok, we couldn't stop at 10...
11- Her eyes. And smile. Carlee is gorgeous and everyone knows it. One time I got really sick of everyone telling Carlee how "pretty/beautiful/amazing" her blue eyes are and I told her. I was jealous. And now I feel bad about it. Cause they really are incredible.
12- Carlee is just an amazing friend. Everyone should have a C-Rod in their life. They would be happier if they did. She is the best and we love her.

There are about a million things to write about Carlee, but to keep things short....C-Rod, you are awesome. We wish we could be with you today! We love you so much! Happy Birthday!!!!

Thanks-Giving, Attitude, Service and all the good stuff....

With my flight home to Utah less than 24 hours away, I could not be more excited. I miss my family so much, and am anxious to spend some quality time with them. I think this will be my last post before Thanksgiving, so I thought I'd make it a sentimental one. With the holiday season approaching, you can expect a lot of these from me. Already being a bit overly-emotional, I get even worse around the holidays, so bear with me.

Ashley and I had the opportunity this last weekend to spend the day at the Phoenix Rescue Mission with our ward, passing out food for Thanksgiving and spending time with the kids. The families we were able to help were SO grateful, and it really set the mood for my entire week. We have so much in our lives to be grateful for, and it is so important to realize that giving back to others and the community, really is, "the pure love of Christ". We should all be taking the time to notice the little acts of service we can be doing everyday. It takes a lot of work, but I definitely notice a difference in my day. Because of this, I have also been thinking about 'attitude' a lot lately and how much it affects my everyday life. I was lucky enough to run across my sweet sister-in-law, Amanda's sister, Natallee's blog (does that make sense??) and she had an awesome quote about attitude. Over the last couple of months, I have noticed that my attitude about a lot of things has changed for the better. I thank the Gospel being present in my life for most of it...the rest to Bikram yoga - which has made me unusually calm and stress-free (for those who know me as just plain, crazy). And for those of you that were worried...I can feel the bitter cynicism in me passing. So, with this I leave you...I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!!

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than apperance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in certain ways. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one thing we have and that is our attitude...I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our attitudes." -Charles Swindoll


**The picture above is of a Arizona sunset, which I have really grown to love and appreciate. See...my attitute IS changing. I found something good about the core of the Earth that I live in.

How to drive in Arizona...

Ashley and I drove to L.A. last week to visit Darren and Lacey (more details of that to come) and I would just like to point out that we left in the early afternoon and got out of Phoenix just as it was getting dark. So, for those who might be visiting in the future, or to serve as a reminder for those who have and want to visit again, this is to let you know how awesome the driving is...

1. You must first learn to pronounce the city name, it is: 'FEE-NICKS'.

2. The morning rush hour is from 5:00am to noon. The evening rush hour is from noon to 7:00pm. Friday's rush hour starts on Thursday morning.

3. The minimum acceptable speed on most freeways is 85 mph. On Loop 101, your speed is expected to match the highway number. Anything less is considered 'Wussy'.

4. Forget the traffic rules you learned elsewhere. Phoenix has its own version of traffic rules. For example, cars/trucks with the loudest muffler go first at a four-way stop; the trucks with the biggest tires go second. However, East Valley, SUV-driving, cell phone-talking moms ALWAYS have the right of way.

5. If you actually stop at a yellow light, you will be rear ended, cussed out, and possibly shot.

6. Never honk at anyone. Ever. Seriously. It's another offense that can get you shot.

7. Road construction is permanent and continuous in Phoenix. Detour barrels are moved around for your entertainment pleasure during the middle of the night to make the next day's driving a bit more exciting.

8. Watch carefully for road hazards such as drunks, skunks, dogs, barrels, cones, cows, horses, cats, mattresses, shredded tires, squirrels, rabbits, crows, vultures, roadrunners, and the coyotes feeding on any of these items.

9. Maricopa Freeway, Papago Freeway and the 'I-10' are the same road. SR202 is the same road as The Red Mountain FWY. Dunlap and Olive are the same street too. Jefferson becomes Washington, but they are not the same street. I-17 is also called The Black Canyon Freeway as well as The Veterans Memorial Highway. And if all that isn't enough to remember SR 51 has recently been renamed to Piestewa Freeway because Squaw Peak Parkway was too easy to pronounce. SR 101 is also the Pima FWY except west of I-17, which is also The Black Canyon FWY, and The Veterans Memorial HWY. Lastly, Thunderbird Rd. becomes Cactus Rd. but, Cactus Rd. doesn't become Thunderbird Rd. because it dead ends at a mountain.

10. If someone actually has their turn signal on, wave them to the shoulder immediately to let them know it has been 'accidentally activated.'

11. If you are in the left lane and only driving 70 in a 55-65 mph zone, you are considered a road hazard and will be 'flipped off' accordingly. If you return the flip, you'll be shot.

12. For summer driving, it is advisable to wear potholders on your hands.

Gaining a little perspective....

As the end of the year approaches, I have thought a lot about the last 11 months of my life. I have thought about how much I have changed and I am always hoping that it has been for the better. I feel like I have aged 10 years in 1, but I know that the experiences that I have had are helping me turn into the person I hope to someday be. I have become acutely aware of the world around me, and I think that I have slowed down a bit. I notice more about the people around me, trying to take something good from each day. I've learned that we can gain so much from our relationships with others, and whether good or bad, it helps shape our lives in so many ways. I haven't had a overly-sensitive, cheesy post in a while, so I thought with the holidays coming up, this would be appropriate.

As many of you know, I am working at a high school in the Special Education department in Arizona. Over the past couple of months, I have gotten to know some amazing kids. Some of the biggest hearts I have ever seen have been with this program. One in particular, Dillon, has taught me more than almost anyone I have ever known. Dillon has Cerebral Palsy, a neuromuscular disorder that affects his entire body - most specifically, his motor and speech skills. His handicap is one that is so debiltating that constant supervision is almost always needed and his muscle spasms will cause him noticable pain quite a few times during the day. He struggles to walk, talk, write, etc. Daily living is always a struggle. Still, his sweet spirit is constant and he has helped me see life from a different perspective. From the moment I started my position, Dillon has always been so attentive. He is always asking if I am liking my job and if I'm "finding my way around the school Ok," wondering if he can help. Dillon always greets everyone with a huge smile, and asks how they are doing - you can tell by the way he looks at you, that he is truly listening to your response. He remembers details about your life, because he listens and really cares about what you have to say. He never judges. Never discriminates. He has a great sense of humor. He is humble. He cares. He the epitome of a Christ-like individual. He is just happy to be where he is, and grateful for those around him. At the end of each day, he gives me a hug and thanks me for my help. It makes my job seem so meaningful, even on the toughest of days. To me, it seems like he has every right to be an unpleasant individual, and get away with it. He couldn't be further from that. He has helped me realize that no matter what I go through, I have so many things in my life to be grateful for.

So, even though Dillon won't read this, he should know that because of him, I am learning more patience. I am learning the importance of charity and service. I have learned that kindness to EVERYONE is something to be striving for on an everyday basis. I understand the importance of the relationships around me and to cherish them each day. I am so lucky to have the family that I do. They support me and love me unconditionally. And even though it seems impossible, I think I love them more each day. The same goes for my unwavering, loyal friends, who bring so much love and joy to my life. I am learning to be more humble, and to strive for a more simple life. I am learning that love and kindness really do rub off on other people, and can turn a bad mood into good. I am striving to be more Christ-like and more like my sweet Dillon, everyday. So Dillon, this post is a shout-out to you, and I hope that with Thanksgiving coming up, we can all take the time to realize everything we have to be grateful for, and gain a little perspective on what is truly important....

"As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened, and it happened often, I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done." ("O Remember, Remember," Ensign, Nov 2007, 66–69).

"Absentmindedness is a sign of intelligence"

My mom once told me that absentmindedness was a sign of intelligence, and it is something I find myself repeating over and over to myself on a daily basis. Somewhere over the last year or so, I have become THAT girl. If there is a banana peel within a 100 foot radius of where I am walking, not only will I find it, but while slipping on it, I will land on something that will either cause me to bleed profusely, or break something. Many of you may remember how I not only slammed my thumb in my car door a couple months ago, but also locked it in there. One hospital trip and unnecessarily large ER bill later, my thumb remains attached to my hand. A couple of weeks ago, Ashley and I were in Anthropologie and while rounding a corner to the perfume table, my "Mary Poppins-sized" bag and myself took out about 15 glass candles. Immediately after the shattering of glass subsided, Ashley gasped, then yelled, "Oh, nice one Laura!" while she backed up as if not to be seen with me. The kind woman working there tried to make me feel better by telling me that they get little kids knocking stuff over all the time. Yes, little kids...and me.

So far, I have been able to hide this clumsy, and absentminded curse from my students at school. After today, that is no longer the case. It had just been one of those days. I spilled a drink all over my shirt on the way to school. My hair acted as if there was bubble of static electricity surrounding my head all day. I forgot some papers and my teacher ID card at home, and so on. While in between class periods, I was walking outside carrying a large stack of papers, when my heel got caught in a crack on the sidewalk. As a rush of panic began flowing through my entire body, I could tell that I would not be going down softly. As about 100 papers flew into the air, my ankle twisted in agony and I came tumbling to the ground. The blood immediately rushed to my face, and I laid there for what felt like 10 minutes. Its been pretty hard to blend into Westwood High School, as I am definitely the minority in a 90% Hispanic school, but now there was no hiding me. One of my sweet students who refers to me as, Ms. Soupa (Ms. Soup in Spanish...as in Campbell Soup. Creative, I know.) came to my side and didn't hide his laughter as he helped me pick up the papers surrounding me. I quickly got up and ran to my classroom. I'm sure there are going to be a lot of new nicknames for me now.

I'm thinking that this clumsy streak I have going on cannot last forever, but I will keep you all updated....

Oh so tired...

I have been a very bad blogger. I have stories and tidbits of information to share, but I am going through a little bit of a blogging funk. I really do want to write, as it has become somewhat of a stress reliever for me, but I cannot muster up the energy at the end of the day. I made fun of Ashley when she first started teaching because she would only sleep in her free time. Now, I know exactly how it feels. As soon as I get back on track, I will pick up my blogging, add some pictures, try to pimp out my page and so on..... Hope you are all doing well. I'm headed off to bed now.