Princess Jasmine's Castle

The end is near.....for this blog.

2009-09-03T08:25:00.000-07:00

At some point in the near future I will be discontinuing this blog....once i figure out how to delete it. There's no point in keeping up my own when Jeff and I have one now. Plus, I don't have the time or desire to keep up 2 blogs. I already spend enough time reading everyone else's. So.....add our new blog site to your lists and start checking that one when you want updates.

www.jazandjefftownsend.blogspot.com

See ya!

4 more days!

2009-08-18T08:00:00.001-07:00

I can't believe I'm getting married in 4 days. Well, I sort of can. But time has really flown by these last few weeks. I've been so busy with work and school, that I guess I haven't noticed the big day approaching so quickly. If I measure how far away the wedding is with how much I have to do before then, it seems like I still have tons of time. But then I realize that I really don't.

I'm not stressed at all with wedding stuff. My maid of honor, Marta, and my moms (Jeff's mom too) were super awesome with helping me plan way back in March/April/May. So much so that this summer has really just been about the small wedding details....which can definitely add up. But we've had this wedding thing under control for quite a while. The thing I'm most stressed about right now is my homework. I took an independent readings class this summer and I hate to say that I was less than productive. So now I'm trying to get as much done as possible before we leave for our honeymoon and then head back to Indiana. Why do I get myself into these situations? Oh yeah...because I'm an overachieving perfectionist.

Well....off to deal with wedding cake stuff. Yay!!!

Pics from the Bridal Session

2009-07-22T09:31:00.000-07:00

Invitations to go out soon

2009-07-01T20:50:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. Invitations/announcements will be going into the mail soon. Thanks to my mom and jr. bridesmaid Kailie for all their hardwork in stuffing envelopes. Check out the family blog here (ahh....isn't that cute) for information about the wedding. Some of it might be farther down the page, so I'll move it to the top. Hope to see you all in August. Now that it's July I can say that I'm getting married NEXT MONTH. Weird.

Happy 4th of July!

The proposal

2009-06-09T12:35:00.000-07:00

Jeff officially proposed to me last night. I wrote all about it on our blog, so check it out here. I love this guy. And that's about as schmoozy as I'll get in the blog-o-verse.

NRPA Presentation

2009-05-26T11:02:00.000-07:00

For those of you who read about the day the stars and planets aligned to make my life difficult back in January....this post is an update.

In January, I submitted an abstract of my thesis research to the National Recreation and Parks Association annual congress. I recently found out that it was accepted! Yay!!! The congress meets every year in a different place. This year it is being held in Salt Lake. Which is mighty convenient. I will be presenting a poster on October 14th (Wednesday) from 5-6:30. I would say that everyone should come...but it's just a poster presentation. And I'm pretty sure you'd have to pay to get in. It's not even free for members of NRPA.

So yeah. Good things. Have a great week!!!

California pics

2009-05-23T20:35:00.000-07:00

I went to CA with Jeff this week. I wrote all about it on my other blog...check it out. But here's a few teaser pics.

www.jazandjefftownsend.blogspot.com

The End of the First Semester

2009-05-09T13:56:00.000-07:00

I survived my first semester of my PhD program. I would just like to thank the people in the following pictures: Gretchen and Pei-Chun (from my program) and Jill and Sarah (from the branch). These 4 ladies took me under their wings and showed me around and pretty much made sure I survived. Thanks guys!

Jada's First Haircut

2009-04-24T17:23:00.000-07:00

In the Korean culture, you don't cut the baby's hair until after their 100-day birthday. Jada's hair had been growing really slowly on top, and more quickly in the back. So she had this kind of mullet thing. We decided it was probably best to just shave her head and let it all start out evenly. She was amazingly good throughout the process. Didn't shed a single tear and even had a smile. Now she has a buddhist monk-like look. I think she's cuter bald. But then again, my mom shaved my head every month and I was bald, too, until I was one.

More Pictures

2009-04-24T17:11:00.000-07:00

On the way to church. Such a cute family!

Jessie was wearing heels and ended up being taller than grandma thought.

It's not as if I have any strong loyalties to IU yet. But I'm getting these guys started young. This summer, I will buy them BYU paraphenalia and set them on the right track. :-)

She's just so CUTE!!! In her little IU shirt and jeans, she looked like she could fit in perfectly at a basketball game. But she looked a little bit like a boy, so we had to make sure we put the little pink ruffley thing on her head.

Jada's 100-day Birthday

2009-04-24T16:59:00.000-07:00

This last weekend I went to Tacoma for Jada's 100-day birthday. This is a celebration that is a pretty big deal in the Korean culture. Lots of traditional Korean food and lots of people. It was a lot of fun to see Rachel, Jessie, Jonathan, and Jada. This is the first time I've been able to spend any time with them since Andy and Rachel's wedding. One of the downfalls of them living in Washington and me living in Indiana. But it looks like ARMY stuff might take them permanently to Provo this summer, which will be GREAT!!! Here are some photos of Jada and the kids. They are all getting so big.

Jada is just beginning to smile and laugh.

All the traditional food. Some of it is just fruit, but it all stands for something (longevity, health, etc...). Besides food, you are supposed to bring gifts for the baby too. I obviously brought the IU shirt. But she got lots of other baby clothes too.

Jessie, Jonathan, and Jaz. From the moment I got off the plane on Friday, to the minute I left the house on Monday morning, all I heard was "Aunt Jasmine? Aunt Jasmine?" So many questions!!! My brain hurt after that weekend.

Jada and her favorite Aunt.

More pictures to come.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T13:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter to all! This is my roommate Jill, on our way to church. It was a beautiful day in Bloomington. I find it interesting that no matter where you are, Easter Sunday is always a beautiful day. Any coincidences here? Hope everyone is having a wonderful day.

Spring is Here!!

2009-04-11T17:31:00.000-07:00

Just a few pics from around the IU campus yesterday. The daffodils grow like crazy here! They were the first to bloom.

New pictures of Jada

2009-04-06T20:36:00.000-07:00

I just got some new pictures of Jada from my mom today. She is now just about 3 months old. She's a whole lot cuter now that she's older. Why do newborn babies look like little aliens?

New blog for a new life

2009-04-06T11:21:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I have looked into getting a wedding website. I even did a free trial of one and posted the address on my blog. However, we have decided to just start our own new blog for wedding information. Eventually it will evolve into our family blog. But for now, check it out for any useful wedding information you might need. We'll try to keep it updated as much as possible. As of right now, there's not much on it. But soon. I think one day I might consolidate blogs and just keep one. Who has the time to do multiple blogs? I can barely handle my email, Facebook, and one blog.

Here is the address.....

www.jazandjefftownsend.blogspot.com

Hope everyone is having a great spring day!! It's beautiful in the spring here in Bloomington, despite the monsoons and tornado watches we've been having. I hope to post some pictures soon.

Boyfriend 5.0 vs. Husband 1.0

2009-04-01T13:52:00.000-07:00

Oh man......I thought this was so funny. I've been chuckling about it all day. Enjoy!!

INSTALLING HUSBAND Version 1.0

Dear Tech Support,

Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0, and noticed a distinct slow-down in overall system performance - particularly in the Flower and Jewelry applications, which operated flawlessly under Boyfriend 5.0.

In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalled many other valuable programs, such as Romance 9.5 and Personal Attention 6.5, and then installed undesirable programs such as NFL 5.0, MLB 3.0, NBA 4.0, NASCAR 4.2 and Golf Clubs 4.1. Conversation 8.0 no longer runs, and House cleaning 2.6 simply crashes the system. I've tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these problems, but to no avail.

What can I do?

Signed, Desperate

Dear Desperate:

First keep in mind, Boyfriend 5.0 is an Entertainment Package, while Husband 1.0 is an Operating System.

Please enter the command: "http://www.I-Thought-You-Loved-Me.com" and try to download Tears 6.2, and don't forget to install the Guilt 3.0 update.

If that application works as designed, Husband 1.0 should then automatically run the applications Jewelry 2.0 and Flowers 3.5. But remember, overuse of the above application can cause Husband 1.0 to default to Grumpy Silence 2.5, Happy Hour 7.0, or Beer 6.1. Beer 6.1 is a very bad program that will download the Snoring Loudly Beta.

Whatever you do, DO NOT install Mother-in-law 1.0 (it runs a virus in the background, that will eventually seize control of all your system resources). Also, do not attempt to reinstall the Boyfriend 5.0 program. This is an unsupported application and will crash Husband 1.0.

In summary, Husband 1.0 is a great program, but it does have limited memory, and cannot learn new applications quickly. You might consider buying additional software to improve memory and performance. We recommend Hot Food 3.0 and Lingerie 7.7.

Pictures of wedding stuff

2009-03-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

Ok....here's the dress. This is one of my favorites of the back. It has a perfect length train. Not too long, but still long enough to look like a wedding dress. This dress doesn't really have a red sash. We just wanted to see what it would look like. Better without the sash for sure. Don't know if you can tell in this picture, but this has lace all the way up the back. It makes it very fitted, like a glove.

Here's an up close of the front. I learned some new words while I was dress shopping. Ruching. I don't know how to spell it. But that's what all the wrinkly stuff is. Supposed to be very flattering. The trim around the neck and the sleeves has some very tiny little crystals on it. Just enough to sparkle but not enough to be obnoxious. And that's pretty much all the design on it. Just enough.

Here is one with the veil. I don't think I'm really going to get a veil this long (cathedral length). It was a bit too long. But I think I would go with a floor length veil.

One of the great things about this dress is that I don't need anything altered. Not a single thing. This dress was meant for me. Perfect in the shoulders. Perfect length. Perfect in the bodice, waist, whatever. It fits. And it's perfect.

This is what our cake is going to look like. Not sure about the bow on top though. And maybe some red ribbons on it. Haven't gotten that far yet. But I like square. And our colors are black, white, and red. So this cake is perfect.

Our reception is going to be at Wadley Farms in Lindon, Utah. Check out the website. It's a beautiful place. www.wadleyfarms.com We also have a wedding website for all things wedding related. Any information that anyone might need for our big day will be on this website. It's under construction at this point, but I will keep it as up to date as possible.

www.jazandjefftownsend.nearlyweds.com

Hope to see all our friends and family at the reception. Yay!!!

The hardest secret to keep

2009-03-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

In February, Jeff and I decided to get married. But we haven't really be very open about it. No posts on Facebook, no mass emails, and this is the first time I've written on my blog about it. Jeff asked me to keep it on the down low for a little bit while he informed his family. Remember....he's in Spain. A phone call to the parents is not as easy (or cost efficient) for him as it is for me. So for a whole 2 weeks, I had to keep it a secret from my parents while he sent "email hints" to his parents. Then finally he just laid it all out, and I called my mom and dad. And slowly our friends and family members have been hearing about it here and there. So now it's out in the blog-o-verse. Does that make it more official now? Who knows.....but I did notice that I've only mentioned Jeff in my blog one or two times. Guess I didn't want to jinx it or something by writing all about our relationship. I'll spare you and not start now.

So yes....August 22nd, 2009, in the Salt Lake Temple. I was in Utah last week for Spring Break and got a great jump start on wedding stuff. Got THE DRESS, booked the reception site, ordered the cake, the invitations and save-the-dates are in the works, centerpieces. Lots of little details and such. Who knew planning a wedding involved so much? Well....I guess I knew since I've had so many friends get married, but it's different when you are doing it for yourself. We have a wedding website that I think will prove to be very useful in the coming months, as we can put all sorts of information about the reception, ceremonies, registries, etc... on it. Even pictures. It's under construction, and I'll try to keep it updated as much as possible. I don't seem to have too many pictures of Jeff and I just yet. I'll see what I can find and upload them. So check it out....bookmark it into your favorites. Comment on the blog section, ask questions, give advice.....whatever you want. Hope to you see everyone at our reception this summer. Yay!!!

www.jazandjefftownsend.nearlyweds.com

Angels in Bloomington, Indiana

2009-03-14T11:24:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Kate and Richie, for returning the contents of my wallet!! Apparently, Kate was out walking her dog and came across my debit card. As she walked further along she found a ton of stuff with my name on it. So she googled me and found by blog and read about my stolen wallet. She tracked down my email address through IU. It was awesome. I went to her apartment today to pick everything up. And it was almost all there. Debit card, credit card, gas card, drivers license. It was great. The only thing missing was my social security card and the actual wallet. So now I only have to deal with the credit reporting bureaus.

There really are angels in the world. And a few of them live in Bloomington, Indiana. Thanks again, Kate.

Blasted Thievery

2009-03-10T11:37:00.000-07:00

So last night, my car was broken into and my wallet was stolen. I know!!! I know!!! Why did I leave my wallet in my car? I promise you, I NEVER do that here. Especially since the first day I moved in to my apartment, someone riffled through my car. Good thing there was nothing in it. From that day on, I have never left anything of value in there...except for my ice/snow scraper. Why couldn't they have taken that??? Or the trash on my floor???

I usually ALWAYS have my wallet in my backpack, where it is nice and safe. But I took it out to drive to church on Sunday. And I totally spaced about it afterwards. I mean....it's always in my backpack, so I didn't even remember that I had taken it out. The unfortunate thing about this incident is that my car doors don't unlock with my keys. So I can't lock them. It makes my car a prime target. That's the main reason I never leave anything in there. It figures that the one time I do, it happens. There must have been a huge neon sign on the roof of my car that was flashing WALLET INSIDE!!! DOORS UNLOCKED!!!! with big arrows pointing to it. What kind of a neighboorhood do I live in? I've known it was a ghetto place from the first day, but this just underscores the point. I'm so glad I'm moving out!

I feel incredibly violated. Someone who doesn't deserve to know anything about me at all, now knows a whole lot of personal and important things. I've spent the day cancelling credit cards and trying to figure out how I'm going to get an ID fast enough to make my flight to Utah for Spring Break on Monday. I'm hoping IU with come through and replace my ID card without needing a picture ID. I just realized how difficult life can be without some form of ID. No drivers license, no school ID, no bank cards. My passport is expired, so it's not like an airport would accept that without some other form of ID. My social security card was in there, my insurance cards. Ugghh....the thought of all the bad things someone could do to me really makes me angry and worried. I'm paranoid about identity theft. Now it's worse.

Out of all the things in my wallet, the one thing that I am most angry about having stolen is my temple recommend. It's probably the easiest to replace, but it of course has the most meaning.

Argg.....

Now I have to try to focus on finishing a paper for my midterm tomorrow and studying for a stats test, also tomorrow. Yeah right.

2009-02-21T15:45:00.000-08:00

Yay!!!! It is now more official that I am done with my thesis. The bound copies came in the mail today, in all their beautiful sparkly glory. So I had to commemorate the event and take pictures. Just in case you can't read the title, is says: Contributions of Family Leisure to Family Functioning Among Families with and Adolescent in Mental Health Treatment.

The thesis and the diploma.

So happy! Too bad I'm not standing next to the Cougar in Provo with the graduation gown and the hat and tassle thing and all my friends who are graduating with me. Commencement is in April, but I don't think I am going to make it back to walk in the ceremony. Too much money for the plane tickets and bad timing.

Valentine's Day....a little history!

2009-02-14T15:03:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!!! Jeff sent me flowers all the way from Spain. Well, they actually came from the flower shop in Bloomington, but you know what I mean. I've had a smile on my face since I picked up the box. I never thought I would be the type of girl who would get giddy and stuff about flowers. But I guess it turns out I'm a normal girl and kind of like it. How did this come to be a standard on Valentine's Day? So here's a little history on the whole sending people flowers thing.

The art of floriography (literally flower writing) came to Europe from Persia 300 years ago. There is a similar tradition in Japan called Hanakatoba. For the largely illiterate population, love letters were impractical and in those more modest times it was difficult for lovers or would be lovers to meet – flowers full of scent and beauty became a popular and practical way of sending messages back and forth. The tradition reached its height in Victorian England when every young man and lady were well versed in the language and could carry on conversations, even relationships through the exchange of blooms.

Red roses, as we think of them today, are the traditional symbol for love and romance. The modern red rose we are now familiar with was introduced to Europe from China in the 1800's. However, the meanings associated with them can be traced back many centuries, even to some of the earliest societies. The color red itself evolved from an early primal symbol for life into a metaphor for deep emotion. In Greek and Roman mythology the red rose was closely tied to the goddess of love. Many early cultures used red roses to decorate marriage ceremonies and they were often a part of traditional wedding attire. Through this practice, the red rose became known as a symbol for love and fidelity. As the tradition of exchanging roses and other flowers as gifts of affection came into prevalence, the red rose naturally became the flower of choice for sending the strongest message of love. This is a tradition that has endured to the present day.

Red roses continue to be the most popular way to say "I love you" to someone special. The rich heritage of the red rose has culminated in its modern day image as the lover's rose. They are the definitive symbol for romantic sentiments, representing true love, stronger than thorns. Red roses are a meaningful gift, perfect for expressing feelings for a loved one on Valentine's Day, an anniversary or simply "just because." For the budding relationship, a red rose bouquet can also signal the beginning of romantic intentions. They can send a message of commitment and an invitation to take the next step. Even the simplicity of a single red rose can elicit a powerful response. Whatever the occasion, red roses have an allure that is hard to resist!

Red roses symbolize true love and passion; pink shows happiness; yellow friendship and white purity. Red and white together in a bouquet speak of unity, pink and white together symbolize joy and contentment. Tea roses promise memories to come while cabbage roses act as ambassadors of love; musk roses are charming and the Christmas rose calms anxiety.

Interesting.

The rest of it.

2009-02-11T19:51:00.001-08:00

Here's the other question that goes along with my last post on describing yourself.

Those characteristics that you used to describe yourself....are they related more to your leisure activities (non-obligated or free time) or your non-leisure activities (obligated time like school, work, care-giving, etc.)?

There is, of course, no right or wrong answer here. These are just interesting things to think about when examining our lives. Maybe the descriptors might wake us up a little bit in terms of how we live our lives. Maybe not.

Let's see....in other news related to Indiana. It has been approximately 60-65 degrees everyday for the last 5 days. It's been GREAT!!! Although, I know the loveliness of the warm weather won't stick around. Something about highs and lows, and pressure and blah blah blah. It's supposed to be cold again in the coming days. Not exactly ice storm, -5 degrees cold. But chilly.

I'm in the process of applying for some funding to do some research this summer. The grant proposals are due this friday. And I'm not really done with them. YIKES!! I see my first all-nighters as a doc student coming up. I'm trying to go to Spain to do a mixed-methods (quantitative and qualitative) study of the cultural application of the Core and Balance model. I know what you're probably thinking...Spain, Isn't that where Jeff is? Yes. Madrid to be exact. I want to visit. Plane tickets are expensive. So unless I develop a SEND JASMINE TO SPAIN website with a convenient PayPal account that accepts credit card donations (like the lady who just had octuplets....seriously??), getting funding to do research pretty much sends me there for free. And I'll just hire Jeff as my translator since I very obviously do not speak Spanish. :-) I'm also hoping to get money to do a small qualitative study at the NAC....after I get back from Spain, of course. I'm interested in understanding what the constraints, barriers, and stresses to family leisure are for families with someone with a disability....all from the Core and Balance perspective. So....keep me in your prayers in the coming weeks. I need to be productive this summer and these grants will allow me to do that. Plus, I really don't want to spend the summer in Bloomington and humidty. I've gotten very used to dry desert heat. How do people survive in the midwest??

How would you describe yourself?

2009-02-10T20:15:00.001-08:00

In my Social Psychology of Leisure class this week, we are talking about leisure (of course) and how it influences our identities. One of the questions used in a study on identity formation was "How would you describe yourself to someone who doesn't know you?" For myself, I thought: athletic, adventurous, hard working, dedicated, fun, easy going. Now, there are quite a few other aspects to this study that ask about what kinds of leisure activities you do, how often, how important they are to you, etc...and then it ties it all together to tell you about the influence of your choice of leisure activities on the formation of your identity. Too much to talk about in this post. If you are REALLY interested, let me know, I'll send you the article. But I just wanted to throw it out there as some food for thought for all 3 people who read my blog. Enjoy.

Top and Bottom 10's

2009-02-03T18:51:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been almost a month since I've been in the land of the Hoosiers. I have yet to get an answer from anyone on what a Hoosier is. No one seems to really know what it is or the origin of the word. So for now I'll just settle with Hoosiers being students at Indiana University.

In no particular order, here are my top 10 and bottom 10 lists for things here in B-town (that's what everyone here calls Bloomington, I promise). I hope that in time, the bottom 10 list will disappear and the top 10 list will get longer. After 4 weeks, I not so sure it will happen. I'll be totally honest here.....I struggled to come up with the Top 10. The bottoom 10 came without hesitation.

Top 10
1. Midwesterners are nice people.
2. A cute stray cat lives in the hall outside my apartment. I want to adopt it.
3. Big-Ten college towns = cheap furniture (can be questionable though, I'll be careful).
4. My stats class is easy. That might move to the bottom list next semester though. We'll see.
5. Proximity to cool places like Chicago. I haven't gone yet, but my list of places to visit is getting longer every day.
6. Dinner group has saved my life in terms of getting to know people (and saves me $$). Thanks guys!!
7. People here RECYCLE!!!!! YES!!!!
8. Student housing is Pet-friendly. :-)
9. Trees everywhere.....it's like living in a forest. There aren't any leaves on them now, but I'm sure it will be awesome in the Spring and AMAZING in the fall.
10. I hear the park near my apartment shows movies on those cool blow-up screens on summer nights....FOR FREE!! Free is good.
11. (I had to include this, even though it's a top 10 list). The local strip club near my apartment, Night Moves: A Gentleman's Lounge, always has catchy phrases on it's marquis. When I got here it was "Wanted: More Nice Girls". We got a new one today "We Have Our Own Stimulus Plan". Apparently people wait with anticipation to see what the new sayings are. You gotta love the small towns.

Bottom 10
1. Ice.
2. Wind.
3. One-way streets.
4. No Clean Air Act....people can smoke indoors here!?! I guess California and Utah have spoiled me.
5. The lack of snow-plows.
6. Parking at IU is not free.
7. Lack of family and friends. I really miss everyone.
8. Football in Indiana? Ha, yeah right!
9. Slower pace of things at school. I shouldn't complain but I'm used to being super busy.
10. No office space at school. I'm less productive at home as it's always easy to find other things to do that are more interesting....like taking a nap.

So there they are. I keep telling myself that I will like it better here when the weather gets better. I'm sure I will. This winter has been yucky. And I think I will like it better when I move this summer. No more neighbors standing outside my door and smoking. In fact, my roommate and I checked out an apartment complex today that quickly moved to the top of our list. It's still under construction so it will be brand spankin new when we move in in August.....hopefully. The other great thing about it is that our upstairs neighbors are in our branch. It will be good to have friends so close.

So overall, the jury is still out on my first month in Bloomington. But it gets better every day. The sun was out and shining on Sunday. It was about 47 degrees....I wore shorts while I did laundry. It gave me some hope for a great future. :-)

Winter storms

2009-01-30T14:35:00.001-08:00

After living in Utah for 10 years, I would say that I've grown used to snow and winter storms. But I would have to say that I've never experienced winter stormageness like this.

This is an icycle on my windowsill..... INSIDE my room.

Up close and personal.

Our balcony. At least it's kind of starting to melt.

We never got any cool icycles like this in Provo.

It's official....Jasmine Nutter, M.S.

2009-01-30T14:08:00.000-08:00

I got my diploma in the mail from BYU today!!! It's awesome. Here's a link to see the digital version of it. I don't how long this link will work, so check it out. I didn't think I was going to get it until I walked in commencement in April. And I was kind of bummed about it because I recently realized that I won't be able to fly back to Utah in the end of April to walk. It's really bad timing since that will be the week before finals for me here at IU. Also, it will be really close to Jada's 100 day birthday, which is a big deal in the Korean culture. So anyways.....I'm glad I got the diploma in the mail. So exciting!!

You can be sure that I will walk when I graduate from IU in 2012. That seems so far away. But I know it will come sooner than I think. :-)

https://www.michaelsutter.com/emaildiplomastatus?mailstatusid=8118-1820137-351

P.S. I did successfully submit my abstract to LRS monday night. I won't know for a few months whether or not it got accepted. Wish me luck!

The universe is working against me!!!

2009-01-26T19:22:00.000-08:00

I believe that all the planets and stars have aligned tonight and that it has created a massive forcefield of power that is keeping me from submitting my abstract to the Leisure Research Symposium by midnight. As follows is a Series of Unfortunate Events (thanks go to Lemony Snicket for the great title):

First: The time difference between Utah and Indiana is quite inconvenient when my committee chair Ramon (in Provo) and I (in Indiana) are both trying to make edits to my abstract (at the last minute of course) and email them back and forth. I'm sure I ruined his night with his family and for that I feel HORRIBLE.

Second: The internet doesn't work at my apartment therefore I am stuck in the office on campus. So as Ramon was working on some edits I went home to get dinner (aforementioned time difference). He sent some back to me and I had to high tail it back to campus. When I got back to the office, it was locked. Do I have a key? HA.........yeah right.

Third: It hardly ever snows in Bloomington, however, tonights forecast calls for 4-5 inches of fluffy stuff.

Fourth: There is NO GRAD OFFICE in the HPER department at Indiana University. I believe this is cruel and unusual punishment....for what crime, I have no idea? When the previous department chair was approached about the need for graduate work space his response was "You do realize that costs money." It wasn't a question.

Fifth: When I realized the department offices were locked I miraculously found the small library in the building open. I was kicked out 15 minutes later as it closed at 9:00 p.m. What kind of a university library closes at 9????

Sixth: BYU parking lots are open to anyone at 4 p.m or so. It's great for us late night workers. IU, on the other hand, provides lovely PARKING TICKETS 24 hours a day and night. I have no parking pass. I didn't care......I parked in a chancellors spot or something....it said Reserved for someone important...not you! It was practically gold-plated. God showed mercy on me and I didn't get any tickets.

Seventh: After getting kicked out of the HPER library at 9 pm I drove like crazy amidst the snow and one-way streets (a deadly combination) to a branch members house. I knew she had wireless. I was going to "borrow" it. Luckily she was home and was willing to tolerate my barging in. She even fed me homemade cheesecake. Unfortunately, my computer wouldn't hook up to her wireless connection. Is this really happening??

Eighth: While eating cheesecake I was educated about the 3 other libraries on campus. Hey....I'm new here. They have computer labs open 24 hours. So I bust a move to the closest one. Ramon finishes his edits. I finished filling out the submission form online. He sends me his edits and high tails it home. It looks like the night is going to be a success. Unfortunately, I called him as he pulled into his driveway and informed him that he sent me the orginial abstract....without all our revisions. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Where is the revised one? On his computer in his office.

So.............I have 1 hour and 13 minutes to get it submitted. I figured posting on my blog would help the time pass while Ramon decides if he wants to drive all the way back to the office to resend the abstract. I really wouldn't be suprised if this freak winter storm makes the power go out as soon as I hit publish on this latest blog post. It would be a fitting end to this day.

As for now, I will continue to sit here in the library....in my pj's because that's what I happened to be wearing when I ran out of the house. I think days like this are meant to happen every once in a while....just to keep us in check or something. Wish me luck that things turn out.

Jada's Commentary on Life

2009-01-19T11:30:00.000-08:00

Jada is so cute. My mom sent some more pictures and said she's already changed so much in just one week. One thing is for sure though. She definitely has Andy's hairline. Poor girl. Hopefully it will grow out quickly. Right now her hair is so short it looks like stubble, just like Andy's short military cut.

I LOVE MY AUNTIE!! Her arm is in the way, but that's what her shirt says.
This is my clown outfit. What do you think?

Stiking a pose. This is acutally my favorite picture of her. So much PINK!!!! Mom says she has Andy's nose and my lips.

To Rachel and Andrew, From God. Mom did this one. If you look closely, you will notice that Jada is screaming her head off. She was furious about this picutre. I'm sure she's not so happy that she doesn't have any clothes on.

All bundled up with nowhere to go.

Do I have to continue to wear this much PINK??? I know I'm a cute cuddly little girl...but come on. Look at my hair....when is it going to be long and flowy??

Why did you insist on taking me out of that warm, cozy womb? I was so comfortable in there. And you continually put that camera in my face? Do you expect me to smile? Because I won't.

Yeah.....she's definitely got some attitude. But she's a cute one. We love her to death. She went to dinner with the entire family the other night. Everyone was holding her up next to Andy and making comparisons in the noses. She sleeps 8 hours through the night already. My mom had to wake her up to feed her. Whose child is this?

I'm an Aunt.....again!!!

2009-01-13T10:27:00.000-08:00

Yeah!!!! On January 9th at 8:30 am Jada Rae Nutter was born. She weighed 7 lbs. 15 oz. and was 19 inches long and she had tons of dark dark brown hair. The jury is still out on who she looks more like....but apparently everyone thinks she is going to have blue-green eyes. Here are some pics from the hospital.

Jada's first bath. It doesn't look like she's enjoying it. Jonathan and Jada. He was worried that Jada wouldn't like him. :-)
Jessi and Jada.

One-way streets in Indiana

2009-01-10T07:16:00.000-08:00

Ok....so I've been in Bloomington for 3 whole days now. And I am quickly realizing that I must have slept through the one-way street lesson in drivers ed. They're EVERYWHERE!!! I know I've been honked at about a dozen times and I may have almost caused an accident. Everytime I turn left I have a small anxiety attack, thinking that I missed the one-way sign and am really driving in the wrong direction. The other thing I'm struggling with is the lack of mountains for reference. Bloomington is probably similar in size to Provo or Orem. But I have yet to figure out where I'm going (refer to above comments on one-way streets) or how to get there. I wouldn't know what direction I was facing if I didn't have my Tom-Tom Navigator that I got for Christmas. THANKS DAD!!! Everyone has told me that I will figure it out eventually. I hope so.

So I'm all moved in to my apartment now. When I talked to the girl who was moving out, she offered to let me buy all her living room furniture for 60 bucks. So I did. And that turned out to be a very smart thing because I could only bring what I could I fit in my car....which wasn't much. My bedroom had nothing in it. So Target was my first stop for a computer desk and a bookshelf and a lamp. Then I hit up Wal-Mart for a futon. After hours of putting all of these things together (emerging with a minor injury) I have a bedroom. Here are some pictures. Due to the graphic nature of my injuries, viewer discretion is advised. :-)

This would be the puncture wound from stabbing myself with a screwdriver. I've never seen the fat in my hand before. It was interesting. That's going to leave a cool looking scar. Phillips head shaped, I think.

This would be the futon that contributed to the injury. Not too shabby for Wal-Mart furniture.

And here is the room completed. Bookshelf and computer desk from Target and bed from Wal-Mart.

The futon I aquired when I purchased unseen furniture. Our attempt at decorations includes multiple clocks set at different times. Red clock=California, Black clock=Indiana, White clock=Spain.

A coffee table, tv stand, and 2 chairs. And my furniture is complete. :-)

I got registered for classes yesterday. I have 4 this semester. A stats class that I'm sure I won't like but I'm trying to change my attitude about stats....so.....I'm going to LOVE it. A Social Psychology of Leisure class that seems similar to one I took at BYU. A Program Development and Consulting in Therapeutic Recreation class which I am SUPER excited about. If there is one sentence that describes exactly what I want to do when I'm done.....well, that would be it. And finally a Doctoral Semiar class, which is where all the doc students meet and we help each other with presentations and stuff. We can practice presenting research that we might take to a conference, or we can present our own dissertation research proposals and get feedback from each other. That seems like it will be a cool class too.

Ok....my injured hand is hurting. I'll post more later. Have a fabulous weekend!!!!

Just a few more

2008-12-30T21:01:00.000-08:00

Another great picture of Shelley and William outside.

We had to have some Chaco pictures at the reception. Leigh, Me, and Shelley. Good times.

More wedding photos...

2008-12-30T20:57:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I guess I can't post more than 4 pics at a time. Lame.

The bride talking on her phone during the hair process. I stole it from her after this. Probably one of the better things I did that day. :-)

Her hair looked AWESOME!!! I will definitely bring a picture if I ever get my hair done again. It turned out exactly how she wanted it.

Add to that the professional make-up......and she looked like a movie star.

Shelley and William at the Houston Temple. :-)

Shelley's Wedding in Houston

2008-12-30T20:50:00.000-08:00

I'm not so much a fan of Texas. No offense to all my Texan friends out there....but I don't think I'll be going back anytime soon. I was in Houston for 4 days for my best friends wedding. I got stuck in the WORST traffic I have ever seen. I sat through 20 changes of a stoplight without moving once. It took me more than hour to go 4 miles. I was not happy. I don't know how anyone lives there. We were trying to get last minute wedding things done but had to plan everything around the traffic rush hours. I think I spent more time driving that doing anything else. Ok....enough of the complaining. On to the pictures. These are the before and afters of Shelley and I getting our hair and make-up done on Saturday morning. As you might notice, there are no after pictures of me. This is on purpose. Just imagine Texas prom-queen circa 1982. It was pretty bad. What about my hair says, "Please please make me poofy?" I was not a happy about it. To make things worse, the hairdresser guy burned my scalp with the freakishly hot curling iron. This smile on my face....as fake as it was because I was so EXHAUSTED...didn't last long.

Shelley's before.

Shelley had the awesomest girl doing her hair. She was totally on top of it. Of course it probably helped that Shelley brought in a picture of what she wanted her hair to look like. I, on the other hand, did not have a picture. And apparently my explanation of what I wanted was sufficient for my hair guy. Oh well. Now I know......for the future or something.

Shameless plug for Tropicana OJ? Nope.....Shelley didn't have a water bottle and improvised at the last minte.

A few more things that I forgot

2008-12-28T16:33:00.000-08:00

So after I posted my 7 Things I realized that I hadn't finished my 7 things that attracted me to my boyfriend. Ooops....that doesn't look good. I have many things about Jeff to put on this list but was having a hard time deciding which 7 were the best. So here are the rest.

4. His hugs and kisses.
5. His athletic prowess......he thinks I'm a status dater. Ha....yeah right. :-)
6. His lackluster cooking skills.
7. His random text messages to me. They make me smile no matter what.

Ok.....now I don't feel like such a crappy girlfriend. Like I struggled to think of things to put on the list. Sheesh. I'm better than that!!!

7 Things.....

2008-12-28T15:52:00.000-08:00

Feel free to steal this from my blog and add it to yours. I stole it from someone else's. Isn't that what the blog-o-verse is all about?

Seven things I was doing 10 years ago...
1. Working one of my last shifts at Red Cliff Ascent.
2. Getting ready to move to Logan, Utah to go to school at Utah State University.
3. Wondering if I should go on a mission.
4. Still driving my little blue Mercury Capri.
5. Still getting used to winters in Utah.
6. Was completely oblivious to winters in Logan, Utah.
7. Just having fun.

Seven things on my to-do list right now...
1. Move out of my apartment.
2. Move to Indiana.
3. Spend every minute with Jeff before we both move.
4. Make sushi for dinner tonight.
5. Go snowboarding one last time in Utah before I am stuck with ice in Indiana.
6. Visit my grandma in Idaho before I move.
7. Donate blood.

Seven books I want to read/reread...
1. Divine Justice by David Baldacci
2. Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell
3. The Brass Verdict by Michael Connolly
4. A Single Voice by Kristen M. Oaks
5. The Book of Mormon...always on the reread list.
6 and 7. These will most likely be my textbooks when I start school in January.

Seven places I want to visit...
1. SPAIN
2. Italy
3. France again
4. The East Coast
5. New Zealand/Australia
6. Turkey
7. United Kingdom

Seven places I have lived...
1. Provo, Utah
2. Logan, Utah
3. St. George, Utah
4. Canyon Country, California
5. Rexburg, Idaho
6. The middle of the southwest Utah desert
7. Soon to be....Bloomington, Indiana

Seven things I would do if I were a millionaire...
1. Travel everywhere.
2. Buy a new car...one that doesn't cost more to run than it did to buy.
3. Build me a nice house somewhere....I haven't figured out where yet.
4. Donate it....not sure where though. So many people are in need.
5. Share it with my family.
6. Save what's left for a rainy day.
7. Buy some new clothes.....I need to go on What Not To Wear right now.

Seven snacks I enjoy...
1. Rice crackers from Costco
2. Swedish Fish
3. Pears
4. Fruit Leathers from Costco
5. Strawberries
6. Wheat Thins
7. Almonds and Cashews

Seven things I can do...
1. Start a fire 5 different ways without using matches or a lighter.
2. Research......I love it.
3. Tie a cherry stem in a know with my tongue.
4. Run for a really long time.
5. Bike for a really long time.
6. Hike for a really long time.
7. Live out of a backpack for most of the year.

Seven things I can't do... yet...
1. Put the letters PhD after my name......3 years to go.
2. Go on a shopping spree...see above.
3. Buy a house...or a car....see #1 as well.
4. Spontaneously travel.
5. Fix my car without calling my dad.
6. Wiggle my ears.
7. Water ski without adaptive equipment....but I'm getting there.

Seven things that attracted me to my boyfriend...
1. How much he loves working with kids with disabilities.
2. His humor.
3. His sense of adventure.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Seven favorite foods...
1. Italian food.
2. Shrimp.
3. Mexican food.
4. Salads.
5. Bread.
6. FRENCH TOAST.
7. Anything my mom makes.

Seven things I say most...
1. Um...
2. You are such a dork.
3. Have a great day!
4. Go team!
5. Uh oh...
6. I don't see this going well for me....or you.
7. I'm at a loss here......

Seven people I admire most...
1. My mom and dad.
2. Ramon Zabriskie, my committee chair.
3. Jeff
4. Andy and Rachel
5. Joseph Smith
6. Jesus Christ
7. All the girls (and the 2 guys) in my grad program who are married with kids and still going strong. You are my heroes.

Thanks to the New York Times!!!

2008-12-11T12:05:00.001-08:00

Check out this full-page ad in the New York Times defending the LDS church and other faiths. I agree that whatever your political or moral opinions, violence and vandalism are unjustified.

http://www.nomobveto.org/images/nytad_lg.png

Facebook Virus and other things

2008-12-04T14:01:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to alert everyone I know in every possible way I can. My Facebook account has been compromised in some way and is sending out questionable emails. Please do not open any Facebook emails that you may receive from me. I don't usually email from Facebook anyways, but just in case you get one.....DON'T OPEN IT!!! There is a virus attached to it and it will send questionable emails to the people on your Friends list. So sorry that is happening to any of you who may be my Facebook friends.

Other than that, things are going absolutely great. I am now officially done with school at BYU. I sent my thesis to the library the other day to be bound. Christmas presents for everyone. :-) Ha....yeah right. It's $15 to get each copy bound and I had to do 5. So......Christmas for mom and dad. Yea!! I've been getting things ready for my move to Indiana in a few weeks. I looked up the drive the other day and realized that I will be driving through the middle of nowhere America. I've never been to Kansas, Missouri, or Illinois. Not that it really counts as "going there" when I'm just going to be driving through. It should probably take about 2 1/2 days to get to Bloomington. Jeff might be driving with me....which will be nice since it is questionable whether or not my car will make it all the way to Indiana. If I get stranded....at least I won't be alone.

Random pictures....let's see. I went to see my grandma a few weekends ago in Idaho. She's recovering from her 3rd surgery since she fell and broke her hip in September. I got some pictures off her computer (that used to be mine) that I haven't seen in forever. Thought I'd post some good ones. Ahhh...the memories.

This is one of my last shifts at Red Cliff in 2005. We had just finished a great hike to the Outpost and were chillin in the shade. A bunch of little butterflies were flying all around us and landing on our toes and fingers. Maybe they liked licking the sweat off of us. This little guy was adventurous and went for my face. :-) Good timing on the pic!

This was after I got out of the field that same week. The classic chaco picture that everyone must have. Can you guess which feet are mine? I'm the one on the left, wearing the 2 anklets. Ahhh...the memories. :-)

One more thing!

2008-11-17T14:44:00.001-08:00

I defended my thesis last Friday. It was totally awesome!!!!!!! Thanks to everyone who came and participated in the great discussion. I wasn't expecting so many people and it made me more nervous than I was to begin with. I passed with minor revisions. Phew! So now I only have a few changes to make and it will be sent off to the library to be bound. Christmas presents for everyone. :-) Then it will be off to a journal for publication. Yeah!

Jasmine Nutter, M.S. :-) I don't think I'll ever be including those letters on anything. So I had to do it here.

Curiosity

2008-11-17T14:27:00.001-08:00

I stole this from a friends blog who stole it from a friend, who probably stole it from somewhere else. I've been laughing so hard I have tears streaming down my cheeks.

"Pocket Taser Stun Gun, a great gift for the wife." This was submitted by a guy who purchased his lovely wife a "pocket Taser" for their anniversary.

Last weekend I saw something at Larry's Pistol & Pawn Shop that sparked my interest. The occasion was our 22nd anniversary and I was looking for a little something extra for my wife Toni. What I came across was a 100,000-volt, pocket/purse-sized taser. The effects of the taser were suppose to be short lived, with no long-term adverse affect on your assailant, allowing her adequate time to retreat to safety.... WAY TOO COOL! Long story short, I bought the device and brought it home. I loaded two triple-a batteries in the darn thing and pushed the button. Nothing! I was disappointed. I learned, however, that if I pushed the button AND pressed it against a metal surface at the same time; I'd get the blue arch of electricity darting back and forth between the prongs. Awesome!!! Unfortunately, I have yet to explain to Toni what that burn spot is on the face of her microwave.Okay, so I was home alone with this new toy, thinking to myself that it couldn't be all that bad with only two triple-a batteries,. right?!!! There I sat in my recliner, my cat Gracie looking on intently (trusting little soul) while I was reading the directions and thinking that I really needed to try this thing out on a flesh & blood moving target. I must admit I thought about zapping Gracie (for a fraction of a second) and thought better of it. She is such a sweet cat. But, if I was going to give this thing to my wife to protect herself against a mugger, I did want some assurance that it would work as advertised. Am I wrong? So, there I sat in a pair of shorts and a tank top with my reading glasses perched delicately on the bridge of my nose, directions in one hand, taser in another. The directions said that a one-second burst would shock and disorient your assailant; a two-second burst was supposed to cause muscle spasms and a major loss of bodily control; a three-second burst would purportedly make your assailant flop on the ground like a fish out of water. Any burst longer than three seconds would be wasting the batteries. All the while I'm looking at this little device measuring about 5" long, less than 3/4 inch in circumference; pretty cute really and loaded with two itsy, bitsy triple-a batteries) thinking to myself, "no possible way!" What happened next is almost beyond description, but I'll do my best.....I'm sitting there alone, Gracie looking on with her head cocked to one side as to say, "don't do it master," reasoning that a one-second burst from such a tiny little ole thing couldn't hurt all that bad.. I decided to give myself a one-second burst just for the heck of it. I touched the prongs to my naked thigh, pushed the button, and HOLY MOTHER, WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION !%@*#&!@*!!! I'm pretty sure Jessie Ventura ran in through the side door, picked me up in the recliner, then body slammed us both on the carpet, over and over and over again. I vaguely recall waking up on my side in the fetal position, with tears in my eyes, body soaking wet, both nipples on fire, testicles nowhere to be found, with my left arm tucked under my body in the oddest position, and tingling in my legs. The cat was standing over me making meowing sounds I had never heard before, licking my face, undoubtedly thinking to herself, "do it again, do it again!" A minute or so later (I can't be sure, as time was a relative thing at that point), collected my wits (what little I had left), sat up and surveyed the landscape. My bent reading glasses were on the mantel of the fireplace. How did they up get there??? My triceps, right thigh and both nipples were still twitching. My face felt like it had been shot up with Novocain, and my bottom lip weighed 88 lbs. I'm still looking for my testicles. I'm offering a significant reward for their safe return. Note: If you ever feel compelled to "mug" yourself with a taser, one note of caution: there is no such thing as a one-second burst when you zap yourself. You will not let go of that thing until it is dislodged from your hand by a violent thrashing about on the floor. A three second burst would be considered conservative. SON-OF-A-.. that hurt like hades!!!

Moral of the story. . . .Don't let your curiosity get the best of you.

More Lake Powell Pics

2008-11-09T22:35:00.000-08:00

I just got some more pictures from my roommate Jenn. Thought I'd post them. When I first moved to Utah all I heard about was how great Lake Powell was: Lake Powell this, Lake Powell that. Blah blah blah. I thought it was over-rated. After all, growing up in Southern California provided me the beach within 30 minutes. So I didn't really understand. Then I actually went to there for the first time in 2006 and I was humbled. Now, I'm hooked. Too bad I don't have a boat. But if you get enough people together, like 15 or 20, a houseboat isn't that expensive. Anyways....

Jeff and I swimming. Jenn's camera is super high tech and can take pictures underwater. This is seriously one of the coolest pictures ever.

Here we are on the boat jsut crusin' around. I think we were actually looking for a suitable campsite. We found the best one ever. We practically had our own little island for 2 days. It took us forever to get there because we went almost all the way down the Escalante Arm. But it was worth it.

It's finally done!!!

2008-11-04T19:11:00.000-08:00

It feels really good to say that I am completely done with my thesis. It hit me today, while I was at the gym of all places, how much work I have put into this thing. Especially since the beginning of this semester. In September, I sat down to figure out what I needed to do to finish. I looked at my deadlines and realized that I needed to be done with the whole thing by Halloween. This seemed totally do-able......til I realized that I needed to do an emergency 2nd data collection. For anyone who doesn't know what that means...I basically had to get as many families at Heritage to take my survey because I didn't have enough in my study to find anything significant. Sounds easy, but remember, this is a residential treatment center. So the kids are here in Provo, convenient, but the parents are spread out all over the country....mostly in California and Alaska. I honestly don't know how it happened....it's all a blur of no sleep and running around like a chicken with its head cut off. But I ended up with 181 participants in my study. Yeah!!!

So I did the fastest data analysis in the history of......well, something, I'm sure. And for the past 2 weeks I have been in the grad office til 1:30 am or so....almost every night....writing, writing, writing. I turned it in on Halloween (YEAH!!!) and scheduled my defense for Novemeber 14. The defense is where I get up in front of my committee, professors, fellow grad students, and anyone else who comes, and give a 20 minute powerpoint presentation about my study. At the end, anyone can ask me questions or make comments. After that, I sit with my committee and they tell me whether or not I passed, and what revisions, if any, I need to make. I'm not too worried about the defense. It'll be pretty easy. And everyone is super supportive as they rip apart my study....haha....just kidding.

Anyways, here are a few pics of the recent happenings in my life.

Andy was in town for a few days in September. He came to a BYU football game with me and Jeff. Figures that he would ruin picture. Think his face will stay that way permanently?

This is one of the many football games I went to with Jeff this semester. BYU vs. UCLA Score was like 59-0 or something. Go Cougs!!!!!

In September, my friends and I went to Lake Powell for a few days. I learned to wakeboard. I love it!!!! You might be thinking....All she does is play!!! While that may seem true seeing as how I was jet skiing or biking or something almost everyday this summer, that was all for work. This trip was purely for fun with friends.

One friend had the boat, another had the suburban. You get enough people together and it's a relatively cheap trip. From left to right in this picture, Me, Jeff, Bryce, Jeremy, Amber, Jordan, Jenn, and Reuben. Good people! Good times!

Jeff and I swimming. This was actually in this sweet place called Cathedral in the Desert. When the sun light hits the water just right, it lights up all the walls and turns the water bright green. It was pretty cool. That's an understatement, but I'm really tired right now.

Yeah!!!! Shells came to visit me in August all the way from Texas. I will be visiting her in Houston in December, as she is getting married!!!!! Yeah!!!! Can't wait to be there for it.

Finally some pictures!!

2008-09-12T10:41:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures of my adventurous summer at the National Ability Center. This is Kristen, the other intern. She came from the University of New Hampshire. This is at a free concert at Deer Valley Resort. Local bands and stuff.

Here's me working on the ropes course with a girl who is blind. This cool contraption is called the 4 to 1. It allows someone to pull themselves up to the top without using much effort. If you weight 100 pounds, it feels like you are only lifting 25 pounds (hence the name 4 to 1).

Yeah!!! Little E!!!! One of the coolest kids I got to hang out with. Tons of fun!

This is at the 4th of July parade. The young boy is on a hand cycle. I'm walking with a guy on a recumbent bike...all adaptive equipment.

This is Kristen and Tracy, our intern supervisor. I took them rappelling in Pleasant Grove on our last day. Good fun!!!

More 4th of July pics. These are a few of our COOL horses that we use in our Equine program. The big one with the mohawk mane is called a Norwegian Fjord. Beautiful, powerful horses. This ones name is Ayla. The mini horse is Hercules. :-)

After spending the whole summer at the NAC, I'm kind of sad to be done. I won't miss the drive to Park City every day. But I will miss all the cool people I worked with. I guess it won't be too bad, though. They hired me to teach horseback riding lessons in the barn. Sweet!!! I'll get to spend the whole day with the horses. I even have some advanced riders. They make my job easier. I have a good life.

The other days of the week I spend working on my thesis. Trying to get it finished so that I can graduate in December. I'm still planning on IU in January. I'm not overly excited about it yet because I have lots of things to get done in order to go (THESIS). But I'm guessing some time around Thanksgiving it'll hit me.

BYU football rocks!!! I'm going to the game this weekend against UCLA. Go Cougs!

Good to be back...but so close to leaving!

2008-09-03T13:37:00.000-07:00

School started at BYU yesterday! I'm done with all the required classes for my masters degree, so this semester is going to be pretty chill. I am hoping to defend my thesis sometime in October. With that, I will be completely finished with my masters degree. It's a bittersweet feeling, being thisclose to the end of my time here. I've really come to LOVE BYU and have thoroughly enjoyed my experiences. I have had (still have, will always have) the best professors, colleagues, and mentors any graduate student could ask for. So here's my shout out to the RMYL department at BYU....a little early since I'm here till Decemeber, but very much overdue.

Endless thanks go to Ramon Zabriskie, my committee chair, mentor, boss, chocolate provider, life saver, friend, and many other things. Thanks for always have more energy than is humanly possible at all hours of the day....it's contagious. Thanks for keeping me on track with the thesis, helping me just enough so that I don't drown, but not so much that I don't know how to do it for myself. Thanks for making me say NO when all I really want to do is say YES anytime someone asks me to TA yet another class or work on this study or that project. I know that I can not do everything I want to. That was a hard lesson learned the very hardest way. Thanks for going on sabbatical and letting me pretend I was a real professor for 6 months. I love your office and got quite comfortable in there. Thanks for all the opportunities to work on studies and get published at such an early point in my academic career. Thanks for inspiring me to achieve great things and preparing me for my doctoral program by using and abusing me (as Casey puts it). Indiana University has it coming!

Thanks go to Neil Lundberg for being a great mentor. Thanks for introducing me to the world of adaptive sports/recreation research. It all started with wheelchair rugby and it has changed my perspective on what I thought I wanted to do. Again, presenting at conferences and getting published this early was a huge reason I got into IU. I've learned so much from these experiences!!!! Thanks for letting me first author these studies when you need the publications more than I do. Your endless knowledge and humility are inspiring.

Thanks go to Brian Hill for being a great mentor and friend. Thank you for accepting me to this program. It has absolutely changed my life in ways I never saw coming. Thanks for being such an adventurous professor and taking me along on those adventures every summer. They became mental health months that I wouldn't have survived without. Lake Powell has quickly moved to the top of my list of favorite places to go. I've come to love Southern and Southeastern Utah in new ways. I'm hooked! Thanks for bringing important insights to my thesis, ensuring that I do quality work. I am truly grateful that the Lord blessed you this summer and kept you in our lives. The world would be a boring place without Bri-Ahnnnn!

Thanks go to Mark Widmer and Stacy Taniguichi for being great mentors. I will always appreciate the opportunity to be the director at Camp WILD. I learned more about myself, program developent, implementation, and administratively duties in 4 short months than I thought possible. Thanks for asking me the tough questions and trying to poke holes in my research. It keeps me on my toes and makes me work harder.

Thanks go to Paula Curtis, the greatest office manager and friend the RMYL department has and will ever have. Thanks for dealing with my paycheck issues from the first day I walked into your office. BYU payroll hates me and I hope that they get my first paycheck as a professor right. If not, I'm calling you first. :-) Thanks for being a great workout buddy and inspiring me to do pilates. I wish you all the best in your new life with Kevin. Glad I was witness to the love story. :-)

Last but not least, much thanks go to Casey and Beate Schenk (and Lukas too!). Casey: Thanks for being such a great partner in crime for the last 2 years. Thanks for throwing me into the deep end with camp and then leaving to go to Norway. I learned it all the hard way and that was probably for the best. Thanks for the great conversations about research. I hope that I provided as much insight into your research as you provided for mine. Thanks for all the advice on life in general. I feel like I've inherited another brother, one who stinks up the office just as much as my real one stunk up my car in high school. :-) Beate: Thanks for being so cool with me spending so much time with your husband. You are awesome and I wish that I could have spent as much time getting to know you as I was able to with Casey. But I feel like I got to know you through Casey, and I think you are amazing!!!! Your family is beautiful and I wish you guys the best in all that you do. Thanks.

Wow....my eyes are little moistened right now. Be strong!!! I still have 4 months till I move to Indiana. I'm sure that I will have just as many adventures there and make just as many great friends as I did here. And it may be equally as hard to leave. I'm going to make the next 4 months the greatest that I've had since I've been in Provo. That way I will always remember what I'm striving to come back to. Who would've thought? 10 years ago we moved from Southern California to Spanish Fork and I hated it!!! These past few years, I've realized that Utah has really grown on me. Maybe not so much Logan (who loves a high of 8 degrees in the winter?), but definitely BYU and Southern Utah. Ahh....good times, good times! Too many great things to write about right now.

Next post I'll upload pictures from my fantastic summer.

Looking to have a great summer!

2008-06-22T14:08:00.000-07:00

So I went water skiing at Jordanelle Resevior this weekend. It was great! The water was a little chilly, and at exceptionally high levels, which brought out lots of people. But it was great fun. I've never actually been successful at water skiing when I've tried in the past. All I really remember from those lovely experiences is drinking half the lake. This time was different. I didn't miraculously learn how to water ski or anything. This little excursion was with work, which means I was skiing on an adaptive water ski. We had 2 models; one with outriggers, and one without. The outriggers are attached to the ski and keep it pretty stable. The person just sits in a little basket type thing that is attached to the ski and holds on to the tow rope. Almost anyone with weaker core strength, quadreplegia or paraplegia (or any disability) can water ski thanks to this contraption. The other model of adaptive water ski doesn't have the outriggers attached, so it takes more core strength and balancing capability to stay upright. Here's a picture of a ski with the outriggers. We are practicing doing a transfer of someone who might not be able to walk or swim without assistance. It looks quite difficult, but in the water it was actually much easier. Ahh....buoyancy.

I got a new camera this week, to replace the one that went swimming in Lake Powell. These are the first pictures from it!! I've included a picture of my chaco tan. Thanks to never having to sit at a desk and helping with the water skiing and jet skiing sessions at work, this year's tan is looking like it will be the best one I've ever had. Don't click on the picture. Since this is a new camera, I don't really know how to size the pictures when I post. It will likely blow up HUGE and you will get a very close inspection of my feet. I think it's time for a new pedicure.

I set a New Year's Resolution this year, which is kind of weird. I've never really decided on one and tried to keep it. I resolved to get back into competition, whether it is running, biking, or whatever. I just want to be a part of that again. It's been 6 years since my NCAA eligibility ended and I couldn't compete in cross country and track any longer. At first, I was kind of glad. I'd been competing non-stop since I was 14; so at 23 I figured I deserved a break. But that break turned into a lot longer of a hiatus that I really planned. I've kept running (sporadically) and have incorporated some new activities into my life (canyoneering, mountain biking, rock climbing, etc....) to replace that sense of belonging I had with my team. But I have yet to race again. Until now. In April, I registered for the St. George Marathon. I was hopeful that I would get selected in the lottery. But I didn't. Bummer. There are so many other racing opportunities in Utah Valley, that I can literally just open a calendar to any day and probably be able to find a race somewhere. So for now I am planning on running the 10k at the Freedom Festival on the 4th of July. I've run this course before; it should be fun. My biggest goal for this summer is to compete in a couple of triathlons. The Utah Half Ironman Trialthon is August 9th. A few friends from the NAC are interested in racing it. I think we are going to try to put together a team. I'll do the running leg, which is a half-marathon (13.2 miles). I'm actually super excited about it. It feels nice to have something to train for. I spent so many years training for some race that I never really understood what working out to stay in shape was all about. But now I have definitely learned about the other side of the exercise spectrum. I don't think it will be too difficult for me to jump back on the racing bandwagon. I can already feel the butterflies!! Welcome back. :-)

Drama is so unnecessary

2008-06-08T19:02:00.000-07:00

Long story short.....my data collection is taking A LOT longer than I hoped/expected/planned. Because of that, I was going to have to postpone going to IU until next fall. But when I called and talked to my advisor there, I was informed that I would likely lose my funding FOREVER, which apparently was quite difficult to obtain!!! (They must be excited to have me there if they made it happen.) So I had an emergency meeting with my committee the other day. All I can say is Ramon and Brian came to the rescue. We were able to shuffle some things around with my study so that now I am back on track to graduate in December and head to IU. Phew!!! I was a basketcase for a few days.......on the verge of tears. And you know me....if tears are involved, it must have been crazy.

Like I said.....drama is unnecessary!

I started my TR internship this week as well. For the next 3 months, I will be working everyday at the National Ability Center in Park City. www.discovernac.org Check it out!!! The NAC is dedicated to the development of lifetime skills for people of all ages and abilities. They do this through the use of recreational activities and they were extensively involved with the Paralympic Games that were held in Salt Lake City in 2002. I'm so super excited! As of now, I will be working in every program that is offered at the NAC (cycling, archery, water skiing, equestrian programs, adventure learning programs, the climbing wall, canoeing, and swimming). The training over the next few weeks is going to be intense, as I have to re-learn how to do all of these activities with adaptive equipment. Adaptive equipment allows people with many types of disabilites to participate in any type of activity. Think hand cycles instead of mountain bikes for someone with quadriplegia, sit-skiis for snow skiing, etc... As the summer progresses, I will be spending a large portion of my time working with the ASD (Austism Spectrum Disorder) camps that are offered for young children. This is going to be a big challenge for me as I have spent the last 8 years working with kids in mental health treatment (drugs, alcohol, behavior). I have limited experience working with people with disabilities. So I guess I'm cut out for this internship. Good times!!!

So sad to be back....yet happy at the same time

2008-06-02T22:23:00.000-07:00

I am officially back from my expedition. I am sad and happy at the same time. Sad because I have thoroughly enjoyed spending a month with some extremely interesting people that I probably normally wouldn't spend much time with. Sad because I LOVE the canyon lands of Southern and Southeastern Utah. For our last week we hiked Upper Calf Creek Falls near Escalante, Utah; then spent 3 days in Coyote Gulch, which is a finger canyon off the Escalante Arm of the Colorado River. After that, we spent 3 days on a houseboat on Lake Powell, where we took our sea kayaks up some finger canyons to a special place called Cathedral in the Desert. You can find all of these places on Google Earth. CHECK IT OUT!! I only have a few pictures to post, as my camera took a dive into Lake Powell and did not survive. Apparently Ziploc bags do not act as the best dry bags when they have microscopic holes in them.

I'm happy to be back because I have so much to do this summer in order to graduate. I am still in the middle of my data collection for my thesis. I have been calling parents over the past 5 weeks discussing their family leisure. The calls have been going great. Unfortunately, I had to put them on hold for the last few weeks because trying to do calls and be an instructor on this expedition has been a bit overwhelming. One of our professors got sick the first week and found out shortly thereafter that he had a birth defect which affected the arteries and veins in his brain. The only reason he even found this out was because he was having such bad headaches that his doctor suggested a catscan. They found an "abnormality" and suggested an MRI. They determined that he has what is called AVM: Arterio-venous malformation. Where most peoples arteries feed into arterioles, then into capillaries, then into veins, etc....his malformation causes his arteries to feed directly into the veins. Apparently, veins can't handle this much blood and pressure. This increases his chances for a stroke by something like %100. He is quite lucky to have had this happen because they caught it early, before any damage was done by a stroke. His only option is to have neuro-surgery to re-route the blood flow...which will be happening soon. Needless to say, the doctors restricted his activities. I believe the exact words were "No backpacking, no houseboats, no kayaking, no canoeing, no camping, etc...". So I quickly went from the TA schlepping gear to the instructor on this expedition. It was a great experience! Too bad it had to happen under such intense circumstances. Keep Brian Hill in your prayers.

Here is a great picture that I took as we were hiking to the headwaters of the Provo River 2 1/2 weeks ago. Yes....just 2 1/2 weeks ago, we got a foot of snow in the Uintas. There were a number of people in our group who were not prepared for such a swing in the weather and woke up buried under snow. Good fun, good fun.

This is just about as close to the headwaters as we could get as it gets real steep, real quick. It starts as a spring bursting out of the side of a mountain and quickly turns into a gushing river. We collected bugs out of the river at this spot....something about stream ecology and studying the types and amounts of bugs in certain areas. I'm not sure what it was all about....I just wrote down numbers and used tweezers to pick bugs out of collection trays. Don't have any pictures of that yet.....After the Uintas, we headed to Bear Lake. We didn't actually get to camp there or play in the water. We drove there, stopped at the visitors center and had a history lesson about Lake Bonneville and Lake Thatcher. Both are ancient inland seas that covered most of Utah and Idaho in pre-historic times. Lake Bonneville, The Great Salt Lake, and Utah Lake, as well as a few others farther south in Utah, are the remnants of these seas. The amazing thing about it is that you can see the benches along the mountains that were the shorelines of these seas. The people who live on the high benches in Draper, Sandy, and Provo would have had ocean front property about 15,000 years ago. Now, the Bonneville Shoreline Trail is prime real estate for running and mountain biking trails. So interesting.........I remember going climbing in Logan Canyon when I was at Utah State. While I was sitting on the side of the mountain, I found some sea snail shells in the dirt. I couldn't figure out how they got there.....now I know. This is me at the Oneida Narrows Resevoir in Southern Idaho. This resevoir was created by a damn on the Bear River. There are natural hot springs here which were very refreshing. This area was also under water thousands of years ago. Ahhh....saved the best pictures for last. This is Cathedral in the Desert. This picture was actually taken 2 years ago when I was at Lake Powell on my C.O.L.T trip. (Refer to the swimming camera story above). When the sun shines down into the canyon, it sends millions of ripples reflecting onto the walls of the "catherdral". And the water!!!!! I've never seen such a color. The Cathedral is actually a series of waterfalls. Depending on the water levels of the lake, the falls are either non-existent, little trickles, or quite majestic. The water this year is about 15-20 feet higher than in this picture. If the water were 30-40 feet lower, this spot would be dry and the water fall would be about 40 feet tall. Because it was so much higher this year, we were able to kayak into the cove a bit further. We came to the smaller fall, where a handline had been placed (pictures below). This fall is about 20 feet high, with 3 different pitches to climb up. It was pretty intense, espcially because once you make it up the first pitch, there is a pothole full of water. If you fall in, you can't really touch the bottom, so it's hard to pull yourself up with just your arms. This is almost a keeper pothole (quite deadly). It would be if there was no rope to pull yourself out. Climbing skill was helpful at this point. Only a few of us attempted. But once we got up all 3 pitches, we hiked about 50 yards back to yet another fall. This one was only about 10 feet high and was just a trickle with a small pool. But it was amazing nevertheless. We were here at about 9:15 in the morning, so the sun was slowly making it's way down the walls into the cavern.

It looks like the upper wall is on fire!!

Here are a few pictures from Coyote Gulch. There are a few waterfalls in this canyon. We hiked up river the entire way. It's only a few miles from the drop in at Crack in the Wall to the exit at Hamblin Arch. And it was river hiking the entire way. We all opted to go barefoot as the river is quite shallow (only a foot in the deepest spots) and pure red sand. Only a few scattered pebbles here and there. This canyon is amazing for a million reasons....too many to list here. But one of them is that there are over 200 active archeological sites. Native Americans were numerous in this area. A friend took me down this canyon 7 years ago. He showed me a secret spot he and his dad found when he was a boy. It was an ancient grainery hidden against the wall, far away from the river and the normal beaten path. He said they found petrified corn cobs and other items inside it. After calling the BLM, those pieces were taken for safe keeping.

Yet another reason this canyon is so amazing......I feel like it carries the spirit of Glen Canyon (the area covered by Lake Powell). Coyote Gulch is a finger canyon off the Escalante Arm of the Colorado River. You can still access the Escalante Arm via Lake Powell. This is actually the way to get to Cathedral in the Desert. But Coyote Gulch is far enough back that the waters of Lake Powell don't reach it. This canyon is nearly identical to what Glen Canyon would look like had the dam not formed Lake Powell. I don't feel like I can take a stand as to whether the Glen Canyon Dam (and therefore Lake Powell) was a mistake. It provides resources in the form of water and electricity to millions of people. But at the same time, it is somewhat tragic to know that such beautiful places are now underwater....and will likely never be seen in their original state again. Hmm.....the spirit of Glen Canyon. I like that.

More pics as I get them.

Some sweet pics from my adventures so far this summer...

2008-05-15T09:31:00.001-07:00

Yeah!!!! INHUT rocks!! This is my group of fellow students and professors who are on this great expedition right now. This picture was taken on Dutch Peak, which is in the west desert overlooking Vernon, a little bit west of Tooele. We hiked through a few canyons in the Sheeprocks Mountains. Spring in Vernon is a little behind Provo. While we were on the peak, we got some snow flurries....and lots of wind.

This is a picture of the Ophir (O-fur) post office. The town is an old mining ghost town. People actually still live in this town (not many). The mines in Ophir aren't really active anymore so many of the people work at either Deseret Chemical or Dugway Proving Grounds, which are just about 20-30 minutes away.

Ahh....good times. One thing I learned while exploring the mines and workplaces in Ophir....miners are not good at cleaning up after themselves. Old carts and equipment were left all over the place.

If I use my imagination enough, I can almost pretend that this is like in Indiana Jones, when they are flying through the caves in the mine cart thingy....yeah....moving on.

One of the cool things about the people on this expedition is that they are all super smart and talented. (This class is through the honors department at BYU.) A few of the people are great photographers. So I have been picking their brains in hopes that I will learn how to use my camera better. Digital cameras are so easy and convenient. But I have always wanted to know how to really use it on the manual setting. This picture was my first attempt at changing around the apperature. I think it turned out alright. I hope to end up with some great pics by the end of this trip.

Here is yet another attempt at using my fledgling photography skills. Everything in this picture is basically just rusty old trash and equipment. But it makes for a great shot.

While in Vernon, we stayed at Greenjacket Ranch, which is owned by the family of one of our professors. We did a service project for them as payment for letting us sleep on their lawn....next to the rooster that crowed at 3:30 in the morning everyday. One of the issues ranchers face in this desert environment is whether to cultivate the plants and trees that are native or to develop the land for something else. These people have decided to cut down the juniper trees on some of their property in order to allow grass to grow for grazing. This also lets the sage grow taller, which provides habitat for sage grouse. It was quite interesting to see how it all fits together. In all my time in Utah, I just thought ranchers put the cows where the grass was naturally. I didn't realize they developed the land to grow the grass. This is me cutting down a baby juniper tree.

In our quest for Dutch peak we had to hike over a number of snow fields. Good fun!! I definitely wasn't expecting as much snow as we encountered. But we made it fun!

It was especially fun while we were hiking down the canyon. No skiis, but we improvised and just slid around on our shoes.

Striving for Dutch Peak....elevation....somewhere around 8800 feet.

I have many pictures and will post the best of the best as I can. Sweet!!!!

Integrated Natural History

2008-05-14T09:59:00.000-07:00

Life is crazy when you're on an expedition with 21 people. Right now, I am an assistant on an Integrated Natural History tour of Utah. This is a brand new class at BYU that integrates 4 disciplines: Biology, English, History, and Rec. Management. We've been backpacking in western utah and snowshoeing in the Uintas (where we got about a foot of snow last week!!). Yesterday we went kayaking down the Provo River. The water levels are so high right now!!! I've never seen the Provo River running so fast. It was great fun. I've learned more about stone flys and caddis nymphs that I ever really wanted to know. I think what I've enjoyed the most about this trip is the history side of things. I've been to many of places we are visiting this month, but I don't know the history behind them. Having been a history major at Utah State, I really enjoy hearing the stories about these places in Utah....Camp Floyd, Sundance, Vernon Creek, Bear Lake, Escalante, Lake Powell. It's all very interesting. This week we are heading up to Bear Lake where we will learn about the history of the lake, check out some more bugs, then canoe down the Bear River to Salt Lake. We are heading out to Antelope Island to learn about other bugs and rocks. (We have a very enthusiastic biologist on this trip.) The week I am anticipating most is our adventures in Grand Staircase National Monument. First we are doing a 3 day trip through Coyote Gulch. Then we are hiking to the Hole in the Rock monument at Lake Powell, where our houseboat will be waiting for us. Then we get to spend 3 days kayaking the Escalante finger canyons of Lake Powell. I AM SO EXCITED!!!! Check out some of these places on Google Earth.

I have a billion picutures already, and will have tons more. I will post them as I can. Get out and recreate this summer!!!!

Canyoneering Adventures in the San Rafael Swell

2008-04-13T21:48:00.000-07:00

Woo hoo!!! I love canyoneering!! What is canyoneering, you ask? Canyoneering is about exploring the cool landscapes of slickrock canyons. It ranges from civilized strolls through terrain suitable for small children to technical explorations requiring ropes, wetsuits and a short memory for the discomforts experienced last time out. Check out www.canyoneeringusa.com/utah/ Tom's Utah Canyoneering Guide....for some of the best beta on Utah's range of technical and non-technical canyons. Since I've moved to Utah, canyoneering has become one of my all-time favorite things to do. And with the San Rafael Swell and Zion National Park so close, I am lucky enough to spend most of my free time doing this.

I'm the T.A. for the canyoneering class at BYU. We teach our students about canyon safety, techniques, gear and equipment, and conservation. Our final test is an expedition to explore some great canyons in the Southeastern Utah desert. We just returned from our 2-day trip to San Rafael Swell. It was great!!! The first day, we went through Ding and Dang canyons, which don't require any ropes. They are great canyons for beginners as there are a number of sections that require you to stem across potholes and chimmy through some tight spots. In total, it was about 6 miles. The second day, we did Baptists Draw and Upper Chute Canyons. Baptists Draw is a more technical canyon that requires ropes and harnesses. It only has 2 rappells, but it is full of adventure. Depending on the season, it may or may not have water to swim or wade through. Last semester, I was the T.A. for this class. We did these canyons and they were wet, which required us to have wetsuits. That definitely upped the technicality of the canyon, as the trip was in late October, so the water was COLD!!! This time, we were lucky. There hasn't been any flash floods since October, so the canyons were dry. We had lots of wind this time, though. Once you drop into a canyon, there's not much sunlight. So even a light breeze can drop the temperature significantly. We spent most of the time bundled up in beanies, sweaters, and mittens. But it was an enjoyable time, nonetheless.

Overall, it was a great trip, with great people and great food. I must say that you just can't go wrong when cooking with dutch ovens. Everyone was responsible for bringing and cooking their own food. One of the perks of the job as a T.A. is being able to use the dutch ovens. So we made lasanga. There were definitely some students drooling over our meal as they ate their pop tarts and hot dogs. :-) But we were merciful and made some AWESOME peach cobbler for them. They were very grateful for us at that point...

What a great adventure to start off my summer! I have plans to do many more canyons over the next few months. Mystery Canyon (my absolute favorite!!) in Zion National Park, Neon and Fence Canyons in Escalante/Grand Staircase National Monument, and whatever else comes to mind that time will allow.

All of these canyons, plus some mountain biking, some sea kayaking at Lake Powell, some backpacking in the Uintas, some canoeing at Bear Lake and along the Bear River.....it's a miracle I can ever get any work done. Oh wait..... this is my work!!! Life is great. :-)

Still learning how to do this post thing

2008-04-03T21:13:00.001-07:00

So I'm just playing around to figure out how to put pictures in my posts. Obviously my last attempt with Festival of Colors pictures didn't work.

It seems like this one might work. This is one of my favorite pictures from Camp WILD last summer. We set up a traverse for the kids to try if they felt up to it. It was about 50 feet up in the air and spanned about 50 feet across. Good times!

One kid was in tears just sitting on top waiting for everyone to go. He said there was no way we would get him out on that rope. But when it came time for him to try, he was willing to at least hook onto it. No sooner did we have the carabiners locked and loaded when he jumped out on the rope and pulled himself across. When we unhooked him, he was smiling ear to ear. And for the rest of the week, he couldn't wipe that smile off his face. Talk about an overwhelming mastery experience. I love it!!!

Well, it seems that I am figuring out this picture thing. Here is another favorite picture. This is of me and Jenn (my roommate) fly fishing at Panther Creek, which feeds into the Salmon River about a mile downstream. This was my first time fly fishing. And I caught 5 fish. They were itty bitty little guys. We let them all go because we were there on an educational permit. But still, I had tons of fun and now understand the relaxing and refresing feeling of fly fishing. One of my professors is absolutely obsessed!!! In fact, he teaches the fly fishing class here at BYU. I hope he never sees this picture because I'm sure my form is HORRIBLE.

Here's some proof that I actually did catch a fish. I said he was little. At least I don't try to pass him off for a fish "that was THIS BIG....NO SERIOUSLY!!!" Hahaha

Good fun! Good fun! I think I picked the best thing in the world to do as a profession. I get to go fishing, mountain biking, rock climbing, canyoneering, white water rafting, camping, backpacking, cross country skiing, snowboarding..........pretty much anything outdoors. And I get to do it with all types of people. Not just kids in mental health treatment. It's all about quality of life. And I'm in the business of improving it.

It seems that spring is here finally. Get out and enjoy it! I am going on a canyoneering trip to the San Rafael Swell next week. I'm so excited to get out of Provo and enjoy my first adventure of the year. It bodes well for things to come this summer. :-)

Festival of Colors

2008-03-29T19:36:00.000-07:00

Today my roommate and I went to the Festival of Colors at the Hare Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork. It was so much fun! Talk about crowded....there had to be at least 6ooo-7000 people there....probably more. Everyone was thowing colored/fragranced flour stuff all over the place. What a unique experience. I hear the colors they use to celebrate the Festival in India are not washable! Yikes! The Festival of Colors celebrates the beginning of spring. I think everyone in Utah is past ready for it to be fully spring here. I know I am!

So I think I have made my decision on which school to attend for my Ph.D program. Come January, I should be living in Bloomington, Indiana, attending Indiana University. My program is Leisure Studies, with an emphasis in Therapeutic Recreation and Families. I'm so excited!!! And relieved, too. Sometime in early February I was accepted to Clemson University in South Carolina. They have a great program too, and they made me a really nice offer. But I've been holding out for IU. I must say that this was probably one of the hardest decisions I've had to make. Since I was accepted at BYU for my masters I have pretty much had my eye on IU. Most of my professors went there for their Ph.D's as well...and they all totally rock!!! But when I visited Clemson last October, I really liked it. So I was torn for a bit. But IU won out. They are pretty much the top university in the Leisure studies field, producing some of the most groundbreaking research. I'm so lucky to be able to go there. And Bloomington is a cute town. Now I just have to figure out what a Hoosier is.....

More pics of the Festival can be found on my google album page. Check them out!!

http://picasaweb.google.com/jasmine.nutter/FestivalOfColors

Once a week...HA!

2008-03-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

So my goal is to post something at least once a week. We'll see how that actually works out seeing as how I can't even manage to write in my journal more than once a year. So pathetic.

Life is pretty crazy right now. The data collection portion of my thesis begins this week. Woo hoo!!! So exciting! It's pretty crazy to think that this beast of a project is actually going to happen. I've been working on it for more than a year!! It's gone through a number of reincarnations but I think what I've ended up with is pretty cool. I've developed a family leisure education program to be implemented in youth treatment programs. What does all that mean in english? Basically, I am trying to teach families in treatment how to make their time together more meaningful. Hopefully, this will strengthen the family as a whole so that there is increased family functioning, increased satisfaction with family life, and less of a chance of relapse. Also, I'm hoping this will help strengthen treatment programs so that clients are admitted for shorter periods of time. Lofty goals....I know. But we aim incredibly high here at BYU. :-)

Spring is rapidly descending on Utah Valley. Last weekend I went mountain biking in Provo Canyon with my roommate. It was TOTALLY AWESOME!!! I got some sweet air off some jumps on this single track race course. Good fun!!! I love mountain biking!! Will post some pictures as soon as I download them. I have a perpetual flat tire and can't figure out what the deal is...I managed to blow through 3 tubes in one day. Not good. Anyways...Once I get it fixed I can start riding my bike to school again. Since gas is costing an arm and a leg, and quickly approaching your first born, my bike is going to be my best friend this summer. Sweet!!!

More to come later on Ph.D. programs......

P.S. I would like to thank Seth Flannigan for recently becoming a blogger and inspiring me to do the same. :-)

Getting started

2008-03-20T15:13:00.000-07:00

I tried to start a blog a few years ago and never posted anything or sent out the link. I'm trying again in hopes that I will actually keep up with it. I probably won't have anything witty or wise to post very often, but at least I can keep my friends and family apprised of the comings and goings of my life as I traipse across the country in search of my future.

For those of you who visit this site, I thank you and apologize that this is what it is coming to in order keep in touch. I'm just not much of a phone talker...but that's not really a good excuse. I don't want to admit how much time I spend on my computer, unfortunately that's the reality of my life right now. So this will be a convenient way to stay updated. Visit often! Post comments! I'm sure I'll respond.

Most importantly...........Have a fabulous day!!!