This past week, I took the week off and spent it with my mom down in Oceanside. I was able to spend Thanksgiving with Scott and Tyler and their families, which was so fun to see my nieces and nephews!!!! They are growing up so fast! I also went to Disneyland twice...the first time was with my friend, Heather Wilson, who is my "Disneyland Regular." Mom and I enjoyed the sunsets, and we took Kaleb and my boss (who was staying with us) to Seaworld on Sunday, then on Monday, I took my boss to Disneyland for her first visit! I feel very blessed to be a part of my family and to have a boss who I can also call my friend. It was a great week...I didn't want it to end. Now I'm back in Utah where it's under 20 degrees (actually, I think this might be the first day in a very long time that its been over 10 degrees!)...part of me feels good to be back, another part of me wants another week of vacation! BUt it was a great week, and I'm grateful I was able to spend it with friends and family.

Here's a couple pics of my place from the last week....the sunset was so pretty a couple nights and we had our first snow last night!!



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Here are some pictures of Motley, Heather's dog. She hasn't been feeling so good, so I got her a little get well present that she apparently took to bed with her and is really enjoying at the moment!

100 Truths...

I'm sick....I'm bored...so here's something to pass the time...100 Truths...enjoy!

WHAT WAS YOUR:
1. Last beverage: 7up/gatorade mix
2. Last phone call: my mommy
3. Last text message: Erickson family...no training tonight because I am sick :(
4. Last song you listened to: Realize by Colbie Callait...and I was singing along on Disney's Sing It on the wii!
5. Last time you cried: yesterday...but I don't think crying when you are sick counts...so last Tuesday

HAVE YOU EVER:
6. Dated someone twice? H... NO!
7. Been cheated on? Yes
8. Kissed someone & regretted it? Nope
9. Lost someone special? Yes.
10. Been depressed? Yes.

LIST THREE FAVORITE COLORS:
12. Navy Blue
13. Red
14. Black

THIS YEAR HAVE YOU: (2010)
15. Made a new friend? YES!
16. Fallen out of love? No
17. Laughed until you cried? No
18. Met someone who changed you? YES
19. Found out who your true friends are? DOUBLE YES on this one
20. Found out someone was talking about you? YES
21. Kissed anyone on your FB friend's list? NO!

GENERAL:
22. How many people on your FB friends list do you know in real life? 99%...there's only one I've never met...he and I met on an online dating site, still haven't gone on a date, but we enjoy chatting! lol! eek!
24. Do you have any pets? No but I REALLY want a dog!!!
25. Do you want to change your name? no
26. What did you do for your last birthday? Worked, coached soccer, had class, went for ice cream with some friends, and my boss drove all the way to bountiful to get me a BIG cookie from my favorite cookie place!
27. What time did you wake up today? 7:30am
28. What were you doing at midnight last night? I was sick....you don't want the details :(
29. Name something you CANNOT wait for? eat real food again!
30. Last time you saw your Mother? Sunday!
31. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life? I would like a full time job coaching college soccer, and it would be nice to be married to a nice guy.
32. What are you listening to right now? the wind outside my window
33. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom? Yes, I coached with one once!
34. What is getting on your nerves right now? not being able to eat real food!
35. Most visited webpage: facebook and my work email....no doubt about it!
37. Nicknames: "Nels"....my former students still call me this, even the ones who have long since graduated!
38. Relationship Status: single
39. Zodiac Sign: Aries
40. Unlimited texting? Who doesn't?!
41. Elementary: Mark Keppel
42. Middle School: Toll Jr. High
43. High School: Crescenta Valley HS
44. Hair color: blonde
45. Is it long or short? med....trying to grow it out, but its getting annoying...I'll chop it before Thanksgiving
46. Height: 5'10"
47. Do you have a crush on someone? Sorta...he's a total dirtbag, I wouldn't date him, but he is definitely HOT.
48: What do you like about yourself? um...not too sure about this one right now...I'm sick, remember?!
49. Piercings: Ears
50. Tattoos: No.
51. Righty or lefty? Righty (but I am left footy!)

FIRSTS:
52. First surgery: ACL Aug 1998
53. First piercing: ears
54. First best friend: Chris....we met in the third grade and we are still very close friends today!
55. First sport you joined: Soccer
56. First vacation: Laguna Beach or Hawaii...two family faves when I was growing up!
58. First pair of trainers: um....please define "trainers" are we talking bikes, bras, soccer coaches???

RIGHT NOW:
59. I'm typing
60. I'm drinking: 7up
61. I'm about to: post this post
62. I'm listening to: the washing machine and the wind outside my window
63. I'm waiting for: my prince to come (well, he doesn't have to be a prince, but he better be a down to earth, good guy!)
64. Want kids? hopefully
65. Get Married? I would like that, but have accepted that it may not happen....
66. Career? ha ha ha....in limbo...surfing somewhere between an English teacher and a college soccer coach

WHICH IS BETTER:
67. Lips or eyes? Eyes
68. Hugs or kisses? hugs unless the guy is a hottie, then I'll take the kisses! jk
69. Shorter or taller? I refuse to bend down to kiss anyone!
70. Older or Younger? hmmm...few years span either way
71. Romantic or spontaneous? Spontaneous...always ends up being romantic and more fun!
73. Sensitive or loud? Sensitive.
74. Hook-up or relationship? Relationship.
75. Trouble maker or hesitant? Trouble-maker...though it depends on the kind of trouble!

HAVE YOU EVER :
76.Kissed a stranger? ewwww......no
78. Lost your glasses/contacts? don't have any
80. Broken someone's heart? unfortunately, yes
81. Had your own heart broken? unfortunately, yes
84. Cried when someone died? yes
85. Fallen for a friend? yes

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
86. Yourself? Try to.
87. Miracles? Yes
88. Love at first sight? no
89. Heaven? yes
90. Santa Claus? of course! there's a Santa in all of us!
91. Kiss on the first date? lol...depends on the date!
92. Angels? yes

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:
93. Have you ever had more than one bf/gf at the same time? No
94. Is there one person you want to be with right now? Yes.
95. Did you sing today? Disney's Sing It on the Wii!!!! I'm a POP STAR! :)
96. Have you ever cheated on somebody? No.
97. If you could go back in time, how far would you go, and why? Four years....would like ONE more day with my dad. :(
Did anyone else notice there's no #98?! Yes. Also missing are 11, 23, 36, 57, 72, 77, 82, and 83.
99. Are you afraid of falling in love? Yes and no...yes because usually the guys I date want the perfect girl and I am FAR from perfect....and no because it will be fun to go through this life's adventure with someone (the good and the bad)
100. Posting this as 100 truths?! Yes...on my blog...because I'm bored and no one reads my blog! :)

Bald Eagle Sighting!

So I'm sitting at home, with the stomach flu (ugh), enjoying the beautiful scenery of this storm that is coming through. The sun was just barely breaking through the clouds and I see this bird soaring in front of my window...it had a white head, a white tail...it kinda looked like an eagle!!!!! I was in such awe that I didn't think of grabbing my camera until it was to late and it had dipped down into the trees by the lake...it was so beautiful soaring through the wind like that!!!! I have never seen one in real life!

It reminded me of my dad...he LOVED bald eagles because they are a symbol of this beautiful country we live in.

Family!

Mom was in SLC this weekend at Kevin's, so after ODP, I stayed at Kevin's overnight to spend time with the family. Mom and I went shopping for some new jeans for me (and I'm looking into getting a fancy camera for picture taking!) and then we had dinner at a restaurant called Biaggi's at the Gateway! It was really fun to spend some time with her. When we got back, Kevin and Heather were waiting up for us, so we all just chatted for a bit then went to bed. This morning at 7:30am (it never fails!) the girls came and woke us up because it was time to play. I told them to go wake up Nana and I rolled over and went back to sleep! I WAS TIRED! Sheesh! I played with the later though so mom could rest before heading back to Cali. The girls are growing up so fast, I'm glad I live close enough to see them a little more than usual because after this year, who knows how much I'll get to see my family each year. It will be interesting.

YAY!!!!!

Things are looking up!!!!! Here's what's turned around in the last two days!!!!!

-My two recruiting trips/coaching course/coaching convention were approved...I leave on December 26th (after spending Christmas with my family in So.Cal) and Orlando to recruit at two tournaments....I'm really excited to see teams from all over the country play...I will spend New Years Eve in a hotel room in Orlando...kinda excited about that. I would try to hit Disneyworld, but not sure I will have the energy after spending all day on a soccer field with two full days left on a soccer field after that. I am there for work, not play...then I drive to Ft. Lauderdale for a coaching course through the NSCAA called the Advanced National Diploma. I am SO EXCITED about this course...but I need to get in shape between now and then because I will literally be playing for for 7 days straight in 2-3 sessions per day! I will be training with a boys U13 team locally and trying to hit some indoor games in Ogden when I can. After the Adv. National, I will fly to Baltimore, Maryland. There is a coaching convention there through the NSCAA, but I am flying in three nights early...so, I am taking an airport shuttle down to Washington D.C. to stay with my friend, Beth Bauer, who lives just a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol building, and I will spend two and a half days there with her! Beth and I played club soccer for three years when we were in high school! I haven't seen her since my senior year! Then I will take a train for $7 to Baltimore and attend the coaching convention and return to SLC on January 16th...I will be gone for a month!!!!

Going Wrong...a little venting session

You know how sometimes everything seems to go wrong? Yep...last two days, everything has gone wrong (well, except dating because...well...I'm not dating, and church....things are all good there). School, soccer (pretty much the only two things I do)....everything with that has gone wrong. NCAA jobs are posting...but USU may not have the money to help me go to a coaching licensing course I need as well as to a coaching convention that will help me network a little to give me better chances of competing in this college soccer circuit...so somehow I have to come up with the money myself. Well, the guy who broke into my car owes me money..nope, not paying it til he gets out of prison (possibly in 5 years) and I was told by the case worker that I will probably never see that money. So that leaves club soccer...a possibility there of earning some money...nope, USU's spring schedule makes it so coaching club most likely will not happen, and finding a part time job is out because we could practice anywhere from 4pm-8;30pm depending on the weather...I have no opportunity to earn money at all. And the study abroad course in South Africa? That's out if I can't earn money. And I may not even be able to go to the coaching convention because the class I am taking that has been offered on Mondays is now on Thursdays and last year when I was planning on taking the course, the professor told me he wouldn't work with me and my USU soccer schedule so I needed to take it another time, then he went on sabbatical for a year...so no convention, no recruiting, and I may be in trouble because my mom and I leave for Africa on a Tuesday....but my class ends on a Thursday...and why didn't I take this class last semester when it was offered on Mondays...well, I decided to coach a club team as a favor to a friend....yeah, that team was pure hell and the parents were pissed that I wasn't around all the time because I was coaching college soccer...so I altered my life for a bunch of ungrateful people...awesome, I could've been out of here anytime in the spring if I had chosen NOT to coach club, it was a mistake but there's nothing I can do about it now. Then I was told something about finding a job at the college level that may make it even more difficult to find a job...basically, if things pan out the way they might, my chances of finding a job coaching at the college level are very, very slim...which means I will have to teach, which I don't want to do, but I may not have a choice in the matter. Oh, and using my evenings to possibly go to mid-singles activities and try AGAIN to make friends here...not going to happen with the USU spring schedule. I was really frustrated yesterday, and things didn't stop til I went to bed last night. Luckily, I talked to three friends (two over the phone) and one had me over for dinner. We just "shot the breeze," didn't really talk about my problems or their problems, just talked. It was truly a blessing and just what I needed. I feel stronger this morning...I can do this, I just have to have faith that Heavenly Father has a plan...what that plan is right now, I'm not quite sure...it will be an interesting ride to find out that answer. Tyler and Kevin both called me last night to see how I was doing. I appreciate it when they do that...good to have brothers who care. :)

Thoughts...ENDINGS, FRIENDS, BEAUTY!!

I woke up this morning with several thoughts on my mind....first of all...CAR THEFT UPDATE! The guy arrested pleaded guilty on two accounts of car burglary...he has been sentenced 180 days-5 years in prison and he owes me some restitution money...I was shocked last night when I got home at 1am and saw that letter in the mail to me. I appreciate the money, but I really just want my stuff back!!! :( Last night was also my last RSL game. I didn't renew my season tickets because I have no idea where I'll be next year...lots of things ending this weekend....its been rough....below are some pics from the last two years of enjoying this team in a great stadium!!!

Pics from my last RSL game :(





Pics from the last two years...









Other thoughts...I kinda got a slap in the face last night from a friend that I've been trying to help or have been helping with different things in his life....I always tell him I have girls to set him up with, but he tells me he has no friends to help me out in that department. He keeps complaining that he has no friends in Logan (that's great, because I think I'm his friend and I live in Logan), and how he has no one to hang out with there (again, I'm in Logan...and I've made efforts to hang out, etc). We talk a lot about soccer, being LDS and single at our age, church, etc...and its been cool just to talk to someone who "gets" it because in the Church, I feel like its such a hard position at times and I know that coaching soccer (and the schedule that comes with it) isn't making things easier for me, and people don't always understand why I can't just quit soccer, make friends or find a guy and get married...its not always that easy and when I wasn't coaching soccer awhile back, my situation didn't change. But I was also hoping that through befriending my friend, I would just find a good friend to hang out with here. So last night he told me about how he exchanged numbers with a really cute girl (who is much younger than he is-which isn't a surprise because he is naturally attracted to younger girls-- but it's exciting for him because its a new prospect and its new and that's always really fun, right?), and then he said, "at a minimum, she will be really fun to hang out with." That's great, so here I am, taking the time to be his friend, help him out, etc...hoping to just find a good friend up here in return....and apparently, I'm not young enough, fun enough, or cute enough for him to hang out with. Hmmm...I'd say this probably isn't an ideal friend situation and its time to move on...maybe that's selfish, but for anyone who knows me well remembers the experience I had in SLC with someone who was very similar, I gave a lot and he took a lot, never was a mutual friendship...I got burned pretty good in the end...learned my lesson the hard way...once bitten, twice shy, ya know?

My house...I moved to Hyrum in July..it's beautiful here. Everyday I feel so blessed to live with such beauty right before my eyes...its just amazing. See pics below...

Its Been a Good Run...

USU Season is officially over....its hard to believe that this most likely is my last season here and next year, who knows where I'll be! We ended up in the season finishing 9-7-5 and sharing the WAC title. Last Sunday, we were going into our game 4th place in the standings. In order for us to finish 2nd, we had to win and Idaho had to lose. In order for us to finish in first, we had to win, Idaho had to lose, and San Jose needed to either tie or beat Boise (the winner of the San Jose/Boise game would win the WAC). If Boise had beat San Jose, with us winning and Idaho losing, we would've finished 2nd. Boise ended up dropping to 5th! That's how close the standings were. Heather, Sara and I went to Texas Roadhouse after our game vs. Hawaii and we watched the score tracker of the San Jose/Boise game on my phone knowing what the possibilities were based on our win and now on the score of that game! It's still crazy to think that we won the WAC...if you had asked me two years ago if I would ever coach college soccer and coach a college team who won their conference, I would've laughed! After calling and texting my family and close friends, Sara and I went to campus to take pictures with the Blue A...whenever an athletic team at USU wins a game, the A on Old Main (the oldest building on campus) is lighted blue. On Wednesday morning, the team left at 6:30am on a chartered plane (previously flown by the L.A. Galaxy just a few days before) and flew to Monroe, Louisiana via Lamar, Colorado. I got to take my picture in the cockpit of the plane!!!! The WAC tournament was in Ruston, LA...and USU got to bring home the WAC 1st place trophy (San Jose will have their's mailed to them once it is made), so on the way home, we buckled that sucker into a seat on the plane! Despite not making it to conference finals (which was really disappointing), it was a fun trip home. Another highlight of the trip was my mom came out for it with her cousins, Martha and Gilbert McCown. It was fun to see them and have family there...and of course my mom took lots of pictures!














Here's a random pic from Halloween. Heather, Sara and I carved pumpkins on Saturday night, then watched Clash of the Titans. Motley, Heather's dog was lying on my lap, and I was hugging her because it was a pretty intense movie (don't laugh...I really was scared!) and something jumped out and I screamed and poor Motley had no idea what was going on, and left me to cuddle with Sara. :( It was a fun night though! I great Halloween!