Asian Adventures of Two Amuricans

Since arriving home, I've been craving Chinese food from China Town (our local Chinese place), but, alas, we blew our eating-out budget at a small diner/grill in Yellowstone, where I had, no lie, the BEST bacon cheese-burger I've ever had (also the the only). It was amazing. It could have been the intense hunger or it might have been the burger. Either way, I was dying of love for this burger while my parents choked down their grilled chicken sandwiches. Sad healthy choices.

The Best Burger. Ever.

And now we will return to the main subject of this post.

So I've been craving in particular this amazing beef and broccoli stir-fry.  So I decided that my mom and I would make this along with fried rice.  So we got out our elk roast and thawed it all day long and I cooked some rice to make fried rice with later today.   Then I headed out the door to Toni's house to have a Girl's Only Party with sweet Toni, Aubrey and Brynn.

I showed up at 6 and barely stopped my parents from eating left-overs.  I pulled up my recipes and was determined that we would eat this TONIGHT. We looked at the recipes and quickly realized we were missing some key ingredients.  So we decided to go rouge! Our experiment as Asian cooks switched to Asian chefs! We threw in ingredients at our leisure and created what I would call two wonderful dishes. New recipes are so much more fun now that my taste-buds are dying, and I'm less of a picky eater! The elk still tasted a little elky, but the broccoli and rice were spot on!

Not bad for two Amuricans

Although, it turns out you can't please everybody.

That's ketchup folks!

In Which I Weigh In: Modesty

It seems that in recent months my Facebook news-feed has been filled with videos, quotes, and shared blog posts about modesty.  I'm not sure if this is a topic that actually concerns that world at large or just the few, the proud, the Mormons.  Regardless, the topic of modesty is, and has been for quite some time, an interest of mine.

The most recent uproar has been this post, in which a women with three sons and daughter, writes to teenage girls of the world letting them know that the provocative selfies they post on Facebook are actually viewed by people, in particular young teenage boys. And their parents (awkward). Girls who post such things are blocked, no second chances in that home.

As you can imagine, there have been several rebuttals to that post.  I read one in particular that I thought was well-thought out and also had some good points. She basically says boys can see girls in a respectable way after such pictures have been viewed and that people should be given second, third, and fourth chances.

After reading both posts, I would like to share my take on modesty.

1. Modesty is about motives and attitude. One time I saw two girls in bikinis. One of them was modest (which is not to say that I believe bikinis are modest clothing - but rather a statement about the attitude of modesty).  Those two girls wearing bikinis were different.  One of the girls was wearing her bikini with the intent to show off her hot bod to all those wrestlers sharing our hotel. Her body was helping her get attention and she liked it.  The second girl was wearing a bikini simply because it was the swimsuit she brought.  She did not appear to be seeking attention in the least. It was here that I learned that the specific clothes you are wearing have less to do with modesty than why you are wearing them***.  Are you clothes enhancing your full self - mind, spirit and body? Or are they being worn for the sole purpose of showing off that hot bod of yours?  When these are your motives, just about any clothing could be immodest -- no matter how skimpy or covering.  You are a daughter of God -- your body is housing a SPIRIT -- something divine. I wonder if our eternal spiritual selves (the part of ourselves that can remember living with God as just a Spirit person) cringe a little when our physical bodies are used for such short-sighted purposes such as high-lighting our bodies in a purely physical way.  You don't need to be a display - your body is given to you create, to do, and to accomplish great things. Don't sell yourself short thinking that your body was meant to be only an object to be looked at - you are in all reality better than that. 
2. It's not hottest. Stop telling me that. Now to everyone that has ever said, "Modest is Hottest." It's not. We know that. So you can just stop.  I will not be hotter or sexier or more seductive by being modest. BUT THAT'S OKAY! I do want to be attractive, but I want to be attractive in a way that compels someone to know more than just my appearance.  Hot implies to me a limited perspective. It's something you say about a model/actor/actress/someone you see across the room. So maybe we could all just stop pretending that modest is hot, because honestly that's not the goal.  Modest is respectable, wholesome, and pure, but it's not really hot. So let's just let that phrase go... and soon...
3. I'm not doing it for you, but I am aware of you. For all the ladies out there that say I shouldn't have to dress so that the young men out there can keep their minds out of the gutter: YOU ARE RIGHT. You don't.  For me, modesty is about understanding my relationship with my Heavenly Father. I have a potential to become something much like Him.  He has given me this body as a gift with a purpose.  Knowing these two things helps me to know that my body should be cared for and covered up.  With that said, it's very Cain-like of us to say, it's not my problem what's going on in somebody else's head. Can't we all help each other succeed?  So while I dress the way I do for myself and because I know who I am (a daughter of God), there is definitely added bonus that you get to be your brother's keeper in just a small way! (This blog-post talks about Young Men talking responsibility for their own thoughts! I love this article!)  So if the men of the world help themselves by keeping their minds clean and the women of the world keep themselves clean -- we're all winning! Cool huh?

My Testimony of Modesty:
    As I've said, modesty has been a topic I have studied for a while now.  The things I was hearing just weren't making me feel motivated to be modest.  So I thought to myself, what would I tell my 14-year-old self that would make me want to be modest for more than just obedience purposes? Then I went to work figuring that out.  And for me it all comes back to the Plan of Salvation. I have been given a body with a purpose to progress and return back to my Heavenly Father. This body I have is a further extension of the spirit I have had for much longer! To respect my spirit and the Father that gave me this body, I wear modest things. I know that I have been blessed by this choice.

***Disclaimer: I think the clothes you are wearing are IMPORTANT.  I think the Prophets and Apostles have given us guidelines to help us understand in a world that would easily confuse us as to what's appropriate and what's modest.  The statements made in #1 are simply me exploring the doctrine BEHIND the guidelines.

You Haven't Lived till You've Lived in Colorado

At least that's what the Coloradans will tell you.  

For example, I went hiking in Colorado, with a group of Coloradans.  At least three people from the group/that knew about the hike said, "This is your first hike right?" in actual astonishment at my lack of hiking experience.

As if to say that if you haven't hiked in Colorado, you haven't actually hiked. 

They also call the Continental Divide Trail the Colorado Trail there.  (Let me remind you the Continental Divide spans the CONTINENT, lest you forget.) Talk about extreme amounts of state-pride.  My friend Amanda calls it "state-ism" (like nationalism on a state level). And Colorado has a pretty bad case of it (we'll be fair and say Texas takes the cake though).

As a girl with her own state pride, I must remind you that the Rockies also run through Wyoming, and although we don't have any 14-ers, we do boast the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains outside of Colorado, coming in at 13,800 feet. (Who even cares about that extra 200 feet anyway?)  And I myself have hiked a mountain in Wyoming that comes in at 12,841 feet! Which, by the way, is HIGHER than my Colorado hike.

Life from 12,800 feet

Priceless photo-bomb to show just how rough Wyo-hiking is.

What I'm trying to say is Coloradans are crazy about Colorado.  And while I know that life can and is lived very well there -- turns out it can and is lived very well outside of there as well! 

I will say for Colorado that the prettiest road trip I've ever been on was between Denver and Provo last Saturday. 

Glenwood Canyon was my favorite part of the drive!

Such beautiful mountains and canyons and skies.  So I guess they do have something to be crazy about, and now that I'm back here in Wyoming... I think I may possibly miss them and their state just a little bit, or maybe a lot a bit.

You Know What I Love?

Families.  

I love them.  I love mine and I love other people's. 

That has been one of the highlight's of working at Craig (and the low points, but mostly the high points).  It's truly heart-breaking and heart-warming to see the families at Craig.  As you can imagine, if you end up at one of the top rehab hospitals in the country, something has gone terribly, terribly wrong.

So even when your brain stops working and you become virtually a new person, with perhaps a completely different personality, families stand by each other, love each other, and advocate for their injured member.  Even when they don't understand at all what's going on or why the doctors and therapists are doing what their doing. They are there and doing their best to love and support the person they used to love, and still love despite not really knowing them.  

Or when your body stops working and all you've got left is your eyes and your face muscles and that beautiful mind stuck inside a body that for the time being seems useless. And yet your family still leaves their jobs to be at your side so they can move your sip and puff control to your mouth at the click of your tongue and to help you realize that you are more to them than you ever realized.  

You being you is all they ever needed. 

Isn't that both great and terrible? 

Another part of families that I absolutely love is siblings.  Especially the kind that love and respect each other.  It's been so fun to see the siblings I know here in Colorado be together.  It brings me joy in the very middle of my heart.  When they help each other in their callings and save seats for each other and when they do their best to make their sibling look funny or smart or whatever it is their trying to be.  Maybe because I've been family-less for the majority of the summer, I've been more sentimental about the great friendships I see in all the siblings I know.  It's just so sweet and it makes me miss my own sweet siblings who are forever encouraging and confidence-building for me! 

God created families for a reason. I'm so grateful that He also created a way for me to have mine forever! 

One minute of Floating Above it All

This is a selfie I posted on Facebook.  What would compel a girl like me to post a selfie I did in fact take of myself in a bathroom -- note the shower rod -- on Facebook?  This picture was especially special because it was taken about 30 minutes before the next picture and 30 minutes after I woke up. 

And why is that I woke up at 4:00 a.m.?  So I could potentially get my patients up in one of these: 

Turns out the winds were squirrely and therefore we could not take the patients up in the air.  Except for one -- who weaseled his way up into a balloon.  My supervisor for the day thought she'd give me a chance to understand what was going on in the air -- so I weaseled my way into the air as well!! Lucky me right?

For about one minute -- I found myself floating up, up, up and away... and it was very normal feeling.  To be on the ground and then floating above the ground: it was like nothing changed -- no fear or anxiety -- just grounded to floating in the blink of an eye!  .... Until I was unkindly pulled back down to Earth, by the rope that had tethered our balloon the entire time.

I'm starting to see this as a metaphor for my summer -- I've been flying high for a few short months in the beautiful state of Colorado -- and I'll very shortly be pulled back down to a jobless, directionless reality! 

I guess the only thing to do is enjoy the rest of this ride!! 

Three Reasons Why Life Isn't That Bad

Remember my last post -- the one where I was hating on one of God's most abundant creations? Although, I'm actually really not a tree fan, I usually can find in my heart to give them a break and not write blog-posts about my deep-rooted (get it?) loathing.  The problem on Thursday was I was lonely and crying AND I got pulled over a dumb reason, so all my frustration and sadness came out in one tree-hating post.  So today.. one week later, I'm feeling a lot better and I'm excited to fill you in on recent events!

I've made quite a few friends down here in the great state of CO, so it's been fun getting out and doing fun things with them.   Things like:

An early morning hiking adventure!

   I use the term hiking adventure loosely.  Apparently walking through trees can be considered hiking in these parts.  WITH THAT SAID it was a nice walk through some nice trees with some beautiful vistas like the one above.  Apparently the legit hikes around here are only 14-ers (which I think means it takes 14 hours?), so I'm gonna have to get in shape real soon to do some real hiking!  ... we'll see if that one happens. ever.
   One funny thing: that some of the rocks were tagged with spray paint.  Like somebody needed to mark their territory all the way out here. What a waste of spray paint, am-I-right?

Disclaimer: the hike was easy, but I wanted to look intense -- hence the poses. 

Bonus of easy hiking: looking like a million bucks when you want to take a photo of yourself! :)

A late night Rockies game:

I accidentally talked too much while we were watching said game, but I always like going to sporting events in person for the experience! So it was worth it to me -- probably not for the people sitting near me that had to hear me talking, talking, talking.  But it's always nice to see the Rockies win.  It feels rewards after years and years of listening to static-y, barely-there, radio announcers talk about Rockies games to see that this team is worth something, at least sometimes.

That we won!!

And going to the Cheesecake Factory --- only for cheese cake! With this sweet girl who is also one of the four lucky people who I call my BEST friends!

Isn't she great?

Stacey came for the weekend.  Literally. She flew in Saturday and left Sunday.  We made the most of it-- getting some fancy brunch, buying matching cardigans that look smashing on both of us, and Stacey meeting all my best friends down here! It was soooooooooooooooooooooo much fun to show her around and show all my friendy-friends down here what cool people I know.  She's the best!

So while life does have it's ups and downs --- I am doing great overall down here in the Centennial State! (ha ha ha -- lamest state nick-name ever am-I-right? It's got NOTHING on Wyoming -- please read that with no sarcasm, because I would much rather be the Equality State than the Centennial State, blech.)

5 Reasons Trees Are the Worst

1. They block the view. 
• For instance, say you wanted to see the fireworks on the Fourth of July, you can hear them all around you, but for some reason you can't see anything. One word: trees.
• Or maybe you had a great view as a child outside your bedroom window, and your dad decides to plant a tree.  And you can no longer see anything. But leaves.
2. They hide things.
• Like moose when you are hiking or rapists when you are running.
3. They fall over and hurt people.
• During storms and hurricanes and at summer camps.
• And during the season finale of the show "Providence" that one time.
4. They add to peoples list of worries:
• Am I killing a tree if I write this note to my best friend? 
• Am I wasting a tree's life by making confetti for my favorite un-officialy holiday?
• There is already too much to worry about people -- don't let trees get to you.
5. They burn down.
• Which adds to forest fires, and houses burning down, and sadness everywhere. 

Good thing they provide oxygen, or I would be totally over this whole tree thing.

Happy Independence Day