#1 Jared's Birthday

Last week Jared turned 26...so I planned a few things to celebrate.
First...a bunch of us went to the Old Spaghetti Factory and has some delicious food.

Yes, we invited Kreepy Kyle.



Then on Jared's actual birthday I cooked dinner for us and we ate here...in my backyard. I know I don't usually talk about romantic things very often...but come on...that's cute...right?




I also got him some presents...that I was probably more excited to give him than anything else. Including a Disneyland pass (let me know when you want to go) and Season 1 of TailSpin...which suprisingly might be Brock McNeff's favorite thing ever (Jamie...if you ever read my blog...there's a good idea for a Christmas present)

Alanna - Tardy but Present

I know I haven't been a good little blogger lately. I've been busy...I know...LAME excuse...but it's true. But I plan on catching up real soon. Here's what I still need to blog about:

1. Jared's B-day
2. 2nd Annual DATDD
3. Fuel

So look forward to some pics and stories soon. Sorry for the lameness. The only question is do I start from the most recent and go back in time...or do I blog in cronological order?

Fuel

Fuel is coming up...and if you are in junior high, high school, or college...you need to be there! It's going to be a Great night of worship!

Here's some promo cards that I made. Pretty sweet huh!?

Halloween

I know it's a little late...but I wanted to share some pictures of my cute little brother on Halloween.

Holy Banana Bread!

Ok...Andy Samberg's crazy imbalanced little brother. Am I right?
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE watch this video. We laughed so HARD. Jared really does need his own show.

Jared's Video

And now a poll. What do you think Jared will have as his profession when he grows up?

I'm officially an adult.

Turning 25 didn't really make me an adult.
Buying a new car, NOT co-signed by my parents didn't make me an adult.
Being on my own car insurance didn't make me an adult.
Finishing college didn't make me an adult.
Having a full-time job didn't make me an adult.

But THIS did.


Yup...that's right. I am now officially a member of Costco Warehouse. My card came in the mail with MY name on it. I'm getting old!

Now Hiring:

I need a full-time live in model.

Otherwise, I end up taking embarrassing pictures of myself. Ha ha.

Another Self-diagnosis

Tonight, as I was doing some cryptograms like the nerd that I am. I determined that I am dyslexic...very minorly...but nonetheless, I think I am. I mix up my M's and W's so much! It's so annoying. And as I was researching Dyslexia...I also found out that another sign is using one hand to write and the other to play sports or other things. I'm totally like that too. I write and eat with my left hand...but in sports I'm right handed...I even use scissors with my right hand...facinating, huh? I think the only reason I use scissors with my right hand is because in kindergarted I refused to use the lefty scissors...they were old and ugly and had the gross green handles. So I trained myself to be right handed in the world of scissors.

Man, this was like the most boring post ever...I apologize.

Isn't it ironic?

That we had to cancel our praise and worship event titled "FUEL" due to the FIRES?

Don't you think?

Justice has been served!!!!!!

Thank you, thank you thank you little Randi for not being a mindless goon and standing up for what's right and for NOT voting for Taylor for town council. I don't know what my deep sense of justice would have done, had Taylor been re-elected.

Little kids of the world...I hope this show is teaching you a thing or two about leadership. A good leader never says, "DEAL WITH IT"...other variations of this phrase include, "My way or the highway." "Get over it", "It's my decision, what you say doesn't matter." A good leader gives guidance and explains decisions and leads by example. And they don't SAY they are going to work hard to rebuild Bonanza city and then refuse to do any work! Ok...I'll come down off my soap box now. I'm just glad Taylor got what she deserved.

In other TV news (cuz that's what's important in life) what was up with The Office tonight? I mean I thought it was a comedy? Talk about Debby Downer! The whole fun of the Office is laughing at how dumb and stupid and wierd Dwight and Michael are. You can't make fun of people you feel bad for. Now it's like laughing at widows and orphans...and I'm not down with that.

it's the most wonderful time of the year...

almost...

Gingerbread Lattes start being sold on November 9th. I can't wait!

another chance to have your voice heard.

I've been working on my portfolio for photography and design...so I've been working on a logo for myself. Which one do you like best? Oh...and the M stands for MARIE...my middle name. Don't go crazy. Ha ha ha.

Oh Kid Nation, How I love you so.

Thanks for promoting underage alcoholism.



Thanks Taylor for being such a hypocrite and letting me hate you so much.



Thanks Alex for holding so much wisdom in your single tooth. That is one powerful tooth!

Now I am Happy...

So we have these framed photographs in the hallway of our office as you walk into the student ministries area. I hated them. They made me angry everytime I walked by them. I'm sorry if the person who chose them/ took them is reading my blog...but they were out-dated...I don't think there was a single kid in them that hadn't already graduated. AND they were pretty much of nothing at all. High School kids from far away eating food at tables, an adult flipping burgers, blurry faces, getting soda from a machine. I mean c'mon! I don't really think that they accurately portrayed what we do in student ministries. So I changed them. It was quite an endeavor. The dumb pictures had been stapled and sealed to the frames...so Katie Shannon and I had quite the time removing the staples with things such as, exacto-knives (or box-cutters...if you are Allison Murray), screwdrivers, letter openers...etc. But the most important thing...we did it! Here's the pics that made the cut!

Photo Caption Contest

Check out the gem in this photo:
Want a closer look? You got it!

See if you can come up with the perfect caption!

or this one?

Decision 2007

Vote for best band picture please...
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

In other news...Mean Girls is on TNT. I didn't know that it's been long enough for Mean Girls to be put in the same category as such classics as: Ten Things I Hate About You, Never Been Kissed, and Save the Last Dance (which is actually on now.)

This is kind of cool...

One of my photos has made it on to the MTV website. It even has my name on it...I'm kind of a big deal. Ha ha ha.

You can check it out here .

I couldn't be more excited!

December 5th, 2007: Ryanne, Allison and I are seeing the Spice Girls in concert!

It's kind of a dream come true. Don't act like you're not jealous!

There is a first time for everything.

I think this might be the first time in history that my room, my bathroom, my desk at work, and my car have ALL been clean at the same time. Remarkable!!!

I'm really sorry that I haven't posted in a while. As you can tell from the picture I've been busy. I painted my room. You can't really tell the colors in that picture but it's green and tan...I enjoy it. Now I need to just hang up all my pictures. But I did paint that painting above my bed. Cute huh! Here's a better picture...although the camera phones aren't real good at white balance. Sorry!

I promise, I'll be a better blogger, but we are getting new carpet tomorrow so we have no internet right now. Grace is appreciated.

True Story

Today I raced a road runner...



.....and I lost.

Fun with T-9

This made me chuckle today:

I was texting some of our bassists to see if they could play in San Clemente this weekend, and I typed "Could you play in San Clemente this weekend? We'll provide the rides." But in T-9, "rides" typed out as "sheep". So I said that we will provide the SHEEP. Ha ha ha. I thought it was very funny. I hope you do too!

Have you seen this?

Brian Hurst showed me this...and I think it may be the funniest thing I've seen in a while...especially if you're a Harry Potter fan. Please...ENJOY!

Why I am cool

I went to the very first show in Justin Timberlake's Futuresex/Love Show Tour...and I also went to the 101st show...last night. 1 and 101. That's pretty cool.

It was very fun...the same exact show, except I don't remember Justin singing Tupac and Snoop Dogg in San Diego...ha ha ha.

The highlight/saddest moment of the night: Behind us were these girls who were probably 19 maybe and were getting completely drunk. I was actually convinced for the first half of the show that they were just drinking lemonade and acting drunk to look "cool". But then one of them completely fell on my head...like her entire body fell on me and the girl next to me. THEN she said, "That was the f@&#*^% coolest moment of my entire life!" Wow...that's depressing.

Reason #768 not to drink.

I told you so.

Dear Timbaland:

I apologize. You owe me a BIG "I told you so." When I went to the last Justin Timberlake concert months ago, you came out to promote your new CD that was coming out this summer. I was so annoyed, because I came to see Justin and you took up 45 minutes playing your music and telling me how awesome your album was. I was really angry at you. But now, I love your album. It's so fun to listen to and dance to and play loud in the car. I'm sorry. You were right. Your album is good.

Sincerely yours,
Alanna

The week of JT

This might be some what embarrassing to admit, but on Wednesday I will be seeing Justin Timberlake in concert for the 13.5th time. (The .5 is for "The Kids Choice Awards" which I went to for the soul purpose that 'NSYNC was advertised as performing there, and they performed "via satellite." What a BUST! Although we did meet Danny Tamberelli that night! So not a total loss!!!) Anyway, I'm seeing Justin on Wednesday...and I'm so excited...so I've self imposed an all Justin all week festival. Which really isn't that impressive because really it's just consisting of listening to only Justin on my ipod this week. Although Ali and Erin are spray painting T-shirts which also sounds like fun. Ha ha ha.

AND...I just talked to Dillon who is literally feet from Justin, VIP at the concert right now. I really don't know a time when I have ever been more jealous. What can I say, Justin brings out the 16 year old girl in me.

A Question of Etiquette?

In conversation, while you are answering a question, a conversation tangent is formed. Do you initiate bringing the conversation back on track and continue talking about what you were previously? Do you wait for someone to say, "Ok, go on with what you were saying?" Do you just let it go and leave the question unanswered or story unfinished?

It's a difficult one. You don't want to seem self-centered and over-eager to talk about yourself...but you also want to finish what you were saying?

What do you think?

I also hope you get my obscure photo reference.

80 GB of possibilities

I got a brand new ipod for my birthday! Hooray! I'm so excited. It's 80 GBs. That's HUGE! I spend a good majority of my day yesterday on itunes, organizing and expanding my music collection...

I have a lot of music...but nowhere near 80GBs...so any suggestions for some music I should include on my new ipod? Any sweet playlists I should make? I made playlists for songs I loved in elementary school, jr. high, and high school....dance party, work-out, worship, songs to sing in the car... Any more suggestions? I open to expand my musical horizons!

My 24th year...

It's so crazy that one year can be the best year of your entire life, and at the same time, also the worst year of your life. That's what my 24th year was. A year of excitement, amazing good times, and new adventures, and also one of the hardest years of my life. It's so wierd. Pastor Rick is right. Life is not a roller coaster with highs and lows...it's a rail road track with all the bad and the good happening simultaneously.

Maybe since the last few days of my 24th year were some of the very hardest, that means that my 25th will be smooth sailing and will just be the best year of my life. That's probably doubtful. Oh well...bring it on.

*Note: I did not turn 73.

Self Discovery

Don't worry, this isn't going to be a super deep blog about getting in touch with your inner star or anything like that. But...I did discover something interesting about myself recently. I discovered a syndrome that I suffer from. Now...I'm not a hypochondriac...but I've had this "thing" that happens to me sometimes that I never understood. It's really hard to explain...but occasionally this weird thing happens to my legs (mostly in my right ankle) where it gets this really strange sensation at night when I'm going to bed. It doesn't hurt...it just feels REALLY uncomfortable, like I HAVE TO move it. They just feel really restless and I have these uncontrollable urges to move my legs. Really weird I know...and it's really annoying and keeps me up at night. In fact, the first night of camp it was the worst it's been. I couldn't fall asleep because of it, despite how tired I was...and on top of it, I was taking medication that sometimes causes insomnia. So I couldn't sleep, and decided to take a sleeping pill. Well...that was a BAD decision. Something went crazy in my body and every time I was close to falling asleep my body would start convulsing uncontrollably. It was the weirdest/scariest thing ever...and not sleeping at all the first night of summer camp is never a good thing...

Anyway, so this has been going on for years...and I never knew what it was. In fact, I kind of thought it was because of old ankle injuries from gymnastics or because of shin splints that I had in gymnastics...BUT Friday night Jared and I were watching TV, and a commercial came on for a medication that treats....get this...RESTLESS LEG SYNDROME or RLS. Can you believe it? It's an actual syndrome...and it can be improved! I'm just really glad that I'm not crazy. Well...I guess it kind of does make me crazy...because it is a neurological disorder... awww man.

But at least I'm not alone in the world.

Lord of the Flies [Killer]

So...ever since I got home from San Diego, my dad's house has been overrun with these little flies (like fruit flies). Gross...I know. So it has been my mission to rid the house of them. In the last couple days I've killed hundreds of them. It's been a very good and much needed stress reliever. I'm doing some experiments now to see where they are coming from. So, if you need an exterminator...you know who to call.

My Summer in Numbers

6: Prescription medications taken
4: Countries I was in
9: Rooms I slept in
36: Days I lived out of a suitcase
9: Days in the office
1: Ipods lost or stolen
46: Hours spent flying
6: modes of transportation
2,832: Pictures taken
2: Islands visited
21: Nights I slept with Shea
5: trips taken
3: Sunburns
19: Species of Wild animals seen
5: hours spent digging in the dirt
26,276: dollars held in my hand at one time

It's been a very eventful summer!

Discovery Channel in my front yard

When I came home tonight I was able to witness a spectacle of hunting prowess in my front yard. I witnessed as a spider captured two moths and spun them into his web. Lucky for you I had my camera handy...

Here you can see both moths caught in the web...and the spider working on the lower one.

In this one you can see he's finished the lower one off and is now stalking the second moth. In this one, you can see him spinning the moth into his web.

And finally...he's accomplished his mission.

What an educational night! And in 15 minutes, there is supposedly going to be an amazing lunar eclipse...I'm going to try and stay awake to check it out. I'll let you know if it stands up to it's hype!