I too was "Drugged" and I am thankful for it.

I read this on my friend's (thanks Wendy, hope you don't mind me sharing it) blog. After reading through it I feel that we need to "drug" the youth of this world more often.

Most times the things we don't want to do are the things that make up our character, help us become better people, and teach us what kind of people we ought to be.

SONORA GRILL

If you have never been to the Sonora Grill, it is delicious and I recommend you all go and try it out. It is located in The Junction in downtown Ogden, across from the Megaplex Theater. Right now they are doing the Ultimate Blog Giveaway. The prize: a free dinner for SIX at the Sonora Grill. To enter go here for all details. Check it out and see what you are missing. Happy Eating!

Sometimes it is just hard to buckle down and do your homework!

Okay, so it has been a while since I have been the student and had to do homework and some days I just don't feel like doing it. I can always find something else I would rather be doing and lately too much of that has been found on the television.


Here are a few of the reasons I don't want to do my homework:


MONK: Friday nights at 10:00 p.m. on USA

Adrian Monk is an Obsessive-Compulsive Detective that used to work for the San Francisco Police Department. He works on cases as requested and his goal is to get back on the force. Monk is scared of everything, yet he is a brilliant detective.


It is a really clean show and I never miss an episode.


Psych: Friday nights at 11:00 p.m. on USA


Shawn Spencer was raised by a family of cops. All of his life he has been groomed to become a detective, but because of a rift between his father he never became one. He has been blessed with uncanny observation skills. When he was young he would call in anonymous tips to help out with big cases.


Now that he is grown Shawn has teamed with his childhood friend Burton Guster ("Gus") to open a Psychic Detective agency. Posing as real psychics they are hired by the Santa Barbara Police Department as consultants on many weird, interesting, abnormal cases. Using Shawn's observation skills they fake their way as psychics and solve many a crime.


Another fun one that is pretty clean. Hey, I watch Monk every week, so I may as well catch Psych afterwards!




Ugly Betty: Thursday evenings at 7:00 p.m., ABC

Okay, so I don't know why I started watching this one. I think I was just bored one Thursday evening. I watch it if I am home, but don't panic if I miss an episode.

Gilmore Girls: Weeknights at 6:00 p.m. on ABC Family

This one I blame on Amanda, 100%. Casually she mentioned that I should watch Gilmore Girls, I put it off for a while, but this week when I was sick I found myself watching it every evening. Now I just need to track down those DVD's so I can catch up!

Jeopardy: Weeknights, 7:30 p.m. on KJZZ

This is just me getting a little bit of education every evening. I love learning new things, and interesting facts just make this show that much more enjoyable to me. I have been watching for years and the only complaint I have is that they ask too many questions about France and French as compared to other countries or languages. (Guess it helps that the host is French-Canadian, eh.)

Learning Opportunities

2008 was a long, rough, emotional, stressful, educational year for me. I am more than happy to see 2009 begin. I am not wishing that 2008 never happened, because I learned so much and grew in many, many ways. Here are a few things that I learned in 2008.
1. Whenever the Lord closes a door, He always opens a window.
After being removed from my coaching assignments I started a search for a new job. The perfect job literally fell in my lap. A call from someone I hadn't heard from in years, moving through the application and interview process at record speed, my dream job offered to me, all within a matter of 2 weeks.
2. Trials are to prepare us for what lies ahead.
It has been said: "What doesn't kill you will only make you stronger." Well, I am still here!
3. Prayers are answered in the Lord's timing & in His own way.
No matter what we think is best, the Lord KNOWS what is best for us in our individual circumstances. Sometimes what we WANT is not what the Lord has planned for our lives. Then comes the hard part of submitting our will to His, a long process in my case.
4. The Lord is mindful of ALL my needs.
It is awesome to realize that the Lord really does provide for us. When it seems like there is no way things are going to work out, suddenly something happens to pave the way for us to accomplish it. As long as we are true and faithful, He will take care of us as He sees fit.
5. The Principle of Compensation
Although I haven't seen this principle fulfilled in my life yet, I have faith in the promises of our Heavenly Father. " The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. That which is taken away from those who love the Lord will be added unto them in His own way. While it may not come at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude."
6.I have a long way to go & a lot of things to accomplish.
Life is full of so many trials, bumps, and opportunities. I have a lot to do to prepare myself for the day that I will meet my Father in Heaven.
I am truly grateful for the things I have learned and the experiences I have gone through. They have made me stronger, helped me rely more on my Heavenly Father, and helped me to know more about myself.

Temporary Hiatus

I got a 2 week Christmas Break from work and I have to admit that I did basically nothing during that time. I'll hopefully get this thing updated in the next few days, but until then, be patient!

My Christmas Letter for 2008

Greetings to everyone! I hope and pray that this letter finds you all happy and doing well. This year has been quite a year, full of many ups and downs. As I have taken some time to step back and reflect on my year I am reminded of how good my Heavenly Father is to me. I decided to make a career move, so I accepted a job teaching Medical Anatomy at Woods Cross High School. I am not doing any coaching right now, but that is fine with me and I may eventually look to coach again, plus, I am keeping plenty busy with teaching Science. I will be going back to school in January to start the Master’s of Business Administration program at Weber State with an emphasis in International Business. I am not sure what I will be doing once I graduate, but that is a few years away, so I don’t have to worry about that right now! As far as my love life goes, I am back to loving life. I dated a great guy for three months this summer, but it didn’t work out. I learned a lot in those three months and I am grateful for the experience. This Summer I did another four weeks as a volunteer EFY counselor and I loved it. I also spent a week in the Richmond, Virginia area with a good friend and her family. Then I took a four-day trip to Northern Orange County, California to visit my first Mission President and his wife. All in all it has been a wonderful year full of amazing experiences. I am so grateful for the experiences I have had and the wonderful people I have met. This year has brought new friends into my life that I will be eternally grateful for, and reminded me of old friends that have always been a part of my life. I have a safe, warm place to live, an amazing family, the greatest of friends, a fantastic job, the Gospel, and opportunities to learn and grow, what more do I need.
I hope and pray this Holiday Season finds all of you happy, healthy, and enjoying the bounteous blessings God has afforded you. May the peace and joy of the Christmas Season fill your hearts and lives at this wonderful time and throughout the coming year.
I love you all pray that the Lord will continue to bless each and every one of you and your families.
Merry Christmas!
Love,

Rachel

What have I done?
Yellow I have. White I haven't.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band-nope, just orchestra
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo-as much as it pains me to admit it!
11. Bungee jumped-no thanks
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea-how about from the beach, does that count?
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-just been out to Liberty Island, but not up
18. Grown your own vegetables
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-only if a public bath in Japan counts!
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise-what good is a boat if you can't go fishing from it?
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-won't that be the day!
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 Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated , platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a 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 Book of Mormon or 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 Sea
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Wow, that leaves me with quite a few things I would like to do and also a few that I have no desire of ever doing!