Times and Seasons

Life changes fast.

High school.

Freshman year. AKA Snow Hall

Brent leaves.

Sophomore year. AKA The Colony

Moab.

Junior year. AKA 1/2 Year at Stadium Terrace AKA Prison

Spain.

Summer from "Dating H-E- double hockey sticks"

Dating, Engagement.

Christmas.

Each of these seasons in my life had highs and lows. Regrettably, I succumbed to the lows more than I should have. If I could have kept my head up, and endured it well, I would've realized that whatever situation I was in, it wouldn't last long, it would somehow shift, and soon, and I should just make the best of it. Some things went according to plan and some didn't. But I love where it's taken me. Lesson learned.

This is the foreseeable plan. The times and seasons coming up in the near to immediate future. Let's see if I REALLY learned my lesson.

New Year.

Marriage.

California.

Back to Utah.

p.s.

Ha ha ha ha, I'm totally not eavesdropping but let me tell you a funny sentence I just heard, "I'd rather be married as many times as I've been married, than be single as long as you've been single." Funny though it is, I'm inclined to disagree with the sentiment.

Santa Run, '09

Ok. So I hate to post something recent when there are so many cool stories from the in-between that I have yet to post, but I actually have this pic on my computer, whereas I am still waiting for some other ones.

Brent James had to work, poor fellow.

Charley finished her first ever 5k, and thus is the jolliest winner of the day.

You may observe Mark's leg in the left portion of the photo.

And I, I hoisted my belly as a bowl full of jelly around downtown Provo for 58 minutes last Saturday morning. Don't tell ME there's no Santa. I saw 200 of 'em!

3rd post of the day, this one by popular request ;)

Click on pictures to enlarge

We're here!

The CALIFORNIA letters were all peppermint-striped for Christmas,

way cute.

'Ze boyz

We were all glad Brent brought his Camelbak,

except for when he drank it so much he had to go potty all the time!

Here's the story:

Mark - Jen, I PROMISE, the front is the driest spot you can be.

Jen - You swear?

Mark - Would I lie? (he he he)

Rockin' the 3D glasses

Major red eye.

A sign that we should definitely NOT be going on this ride.

They don't call it Tower of Terror for nothin!

Space Mountain, I believe. Always a crowd-pleaser.

Tradition:

On the last day in the parks,

when it's dark and cold and no one is in line,

ride Splash Mountain over and over and over again just before you leave.

As Brent would say, "This is an incredible photo."

Universal Studios, Hollywood!

Click on the pictures to enlarge

The lovable Homer J Simpson (one of the best moments of my life here...)

You may be able to tell from my face, I'm a little confused as to why a picture is being taken at this moment in time. However, when Jen showed us the amazing, blue, purple, AND bright orange background, this instantly became my favorite picture of the trip.

Whispering sweet little nothings into his ear in Spanish. Actually, when he said, "Hablas Espanol?" She actually looked confused. I don't know how it's possible for a costume to look confused, but it was clear the character inside the suit did NOT habla.

Muah!

Something to be grateful for

Charley...

If only there were more of her to go around.

Born in 1963

A true California girl

Married and sealed to Tim Dawson on December 19, 1981

Bachelor's from UVU, Master's from BYU

Mother of Wendy, Shauna, Sandra, and Mark

Hobbies include:

Social working it up in Pleasant Grove, Utah

Spending time with loved ones

Traveling whenever possible

Being awesome

She's an excellent maker of Nanaimo bars,

each year she recruits her daughters to help

because she has so many requests

she ends up making over twenty batches,

and if you don't know what they are,

go discover them and make your life a happier place.

A mother to more than her own children,

Charley is willing to expend comfort, advice, and food to almost anyone.

She has a distinguished laugh that makes you smile,

and she loves riding in her convertible with the top down.

Now I just realized,

I don't know if this sounds more like a eulogy, personal ad, or mini-bio,

but the point is, this Thanksgiving, among my many other blessings,

I'm grateful for Charley.

Ready for Round 2?

Volleyball Update

K, guys, we're up to 11 team members on the roster! Sweet! I know it seems like a ton but it'll be nice on days when not everyone can show up. If we do have 11 people every time, we'll just take turns, it'll be a blast.

Cort, if your guy friend wants on, I need his Net ID.

First game is THIS Friday, 6:15. Come a little early and maybe we can do some warm-ups and make sure everything is good to go. If anyone is serious enough to want to do extra practice, let me know and we'll see how many people are interested.

Jessica, you and Marie can join if you'd like! But I do think we need to get together one way or another!

Questions? Comments?

Cheeky Canadians Reloaded

Team 148 In Coed Volleyball: Lower Division

Schedule:

Friday, 10-23, 615 PM, 138 Court A

Thursday, 10-29, 915 PM, 144 Court A

Wednesday, 11-4, 815 PM, 144 Court B

Tuesday, 11-10, 815 PM, 144 Court C

Saturday, 11-14, 915 AM, 144 Court A

Current Roster (Please notify me if you should or should not be on here) :

Jordan and Mandee Brame (Confirmed)

Eric and Courtney Bready (Confirmed)

Trevor and Katie Olsen (Confirmed)

Becky Bunnell (Confirmed)

Cort Wright (Confirmed)

Garrett? Last Name?

Sandra Dawson (Confirmed)

Rebecca Weiler (Confirmed)

Laura Wilde (Confirmed)

To get confirmed on the official roster, I need your BYU ID or NET ID.

By Thursday, please.

And $3. (BYU fee, not mine)

Are you ready for this?!

Homer - You tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is 'never try'.

The title of this post has nothing to do with the actual post, I just put it up cause Homer's great.

So I've been delaying posting anything new because I've lost my camera and it has some pictures of a pretty big event I want to share with you.

Yes.

My room.

Few are the friends who were lucky enough ever to experience the now-deceased "70's Room" I lived in at my mom's house. Looking at the floor was like looking into the sun; red, orange, and yellow, long shaggy carpet gazed back up at you with joy. It was impossible to know how much life was supported within the shag, but it's all gone now. The walls were a dark brown arrangement of authentic wood paneling. This too, is now a thing of the past. At the beginning of the school year, I decided I needed a better "study" environment. Where did I go? Home Depot! Two weeks, two coats and two new Ikea lamps later, the room was reborn. It's beautiful. It's amateur, but it's my new home, and I love it. Pictures to follow.

My New Love

I love Photo Booth. I do. What a cure for boredom.

bAck to the MAC!

from - Moab.

it's labor day weekend and this city is hoppin. long hours and free food have never made a better team. strawberry banana bolthouse has never been so refreshing. the sunset safari has never had better company. (except for maybe rog-a-roni, who came last year...and is now 4, woo hoo)
(Translation: Life is good.)

take a step back. cougars. B-y-u, b-Y-u, b-y-U! Ra ra, ra-ra-ra, Ra ra, ra-ra-ra! gooooOOOOO COUGARS!!! Better luck next time, Sooners. (Translation: No. 20 BYU upsets No. 3 Oklahoma in a brand new stadium, 14-13, the fans watched live, Jacobson is back, and it's gonna be a good season.)

take a step back. Killers. Ingrid Michaelson. Family. Isn't it about time? (Translation: I have been to two concerts. The Wiggles. The Fray. It's been two years. I'm going to two more concerts in two months. Killers with bro and bro-in-law. Ingrid with sis and sis. We shall party like the stars of rock.)

take a step back. Volleyball. ACSM Cert. Springboard Diving. Swimming. Marriage/Family Prep. NASM Cert. Personal Finance. Scuba diving. (Translation: Senior year at BYU is looking good.)

*I truly enjoy reading all your blogs. If I don't have yours posted on the right hand side of mine, tell me your url so I can add it. I promise to add pictures one day and think of something witty or intelligent to share instead of just these random journal-y posts.....ciao

My life on August 3rd.

I discovered this song on a bike ride a few days ago. I thought, "Man! Who would WANT to be with someone after listening to this song?" As you'll hear for yourselves if you care to listen, "Ooh, it, feels good to be free!" is pretty catchy.

Turns out, however, most people don't like breaking up. At least we have this song.

Sad, but true. Or is it funny, AND true?

First Time

I don't usually do this, but today, the blog = journal. Not some wacky post trying to be clever and analyze a little part of life, not a snapshot of some wild adventure, not a complaint, not an opinion poll, a journal.

This is how most of my journal entries run -

Mon July 27, 2009

Was going to go to work, but slept in. (big surprise....) Mom upset I didn't ask to borrow truck.

Took Brent to orthopedist, has to get surgery. Tomorrow. Lazy rest of day, sock shopping in the mall and chicken enchiladas. Life is good. - Sandra Dawson P-J-S-

The PJS has been going on for a couple years now, it's an idea I stole from seminary and started using when I wanted to make sure I wouldn't miss a day of scripture reading. P is for prayer, J is for journal, and S is for scripture, and I try to mark these every day. Confession: I almost always mark off the P (95% of the time) but I don't almost always pray (closer to 70%). I don't know why. I'm embarrassed to admit, even to myself, that I forget or am too lazy to say my prayers.

I can say, though, that in the past 25 months, I have only missed one day of opening my Book of Mormon, and that day I was pretty darn sick, I fell asleep before I could even think about it. My dad's stake president once challenged the stake to read in the Book of Mormon every day for the rest of their lives, even if just a verse. My dad missed 3 days in the first 18 months, another day in the year after that, and then, to the best of my knowledge, hasn't missed since.

In Spain, there was Faustino. And he has one of the most fervent testimonies of journaling (two l's?) I've ever felt. "This is your STORY," he would say, "this is your HISTORY!" What does it mean if the days go by and we forget them; if we don't record the experiences, what will we learn? Your life is interesting, your life is important, and no one knows the events, feelings, ponderings and musings of your life like you do. Write it down, if for no one's benefit but yourself. (yourselves?)

Opinion Poll

Is this country? (The song, not the windmill, I couldn't figure out how to just do the music, so I made a video. No, nothing interesting happens, it really is just that windmill the whole time.)

Yes: 1.

No: 1.

Looking for a tiebreaker here.

These are a few of my least favorite things....

I'm too lazy to put a picture up, and I have faith in y'all that you won't need a visual.

Mosquitoes.

Hate them.

What's their purpose?

It's 1:20 am. I have to shower before I go to bed. I have to get up by 7:30 and make myself look nice. But here I am, blogging, because I am so upset at the bloodsucking bugs.

Now, if you'll please excuse me, I'm going to put my fingers to use doing something far more helpful than typing.

Tradition...kind of

I have this friend I do this thing with.

Friend: Rebecca
Thing: Go to Utah temples

We are the differentest samest people I know.

We're both hilarious, for one.
We're proud fans of Cougars, scooters, and missionaries.
We're Utah girls. We raft, we hike, we camp, we fish.
We like swiss chicken. (That doesn't even count, everyone likes swiss chicken)

She's blond, I'm brown.
She's focused, I'm scatterbrained.
She's logical, I'm emotional.

Ha ha, blond, focused and logical, she's out of the ordinary.

And although I'm eating a Rebecca food at the moment, carrot sticks, I'm planning on devouring a Sandra food in a couple minutes, white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies. Freakin yum.

Anywho, we both believe in documentation. Hence, this blog post. I hereby document the June 3rd visit of Sandra and Rebecca to the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple open house, in which said persons skipped the orientation video, oo'ed and aw'ed at the pretty-ness inside the temple, and then enjoyed cookies and water in a nearby "tent" that could double as a prom or wedding or bar mitzvah location.

I'm not sure I spelled macadamia or bar mitzvah correctly, and although Rebecca might be the kind of person to look that up before publishing, I am Sandra.

Kauai

Myself and Shauna, exploring along on oceanside trail

Nothing says family vacation like piling into the back of a minivan

Here I am trying my hand at deep sea fishing.
I can't believe I had time to stop and pose for this picture, you know, between the four hour boat ride and not catching a single thing.....I was pretty busy.

"The Bat"
In case we caught something that I couldn't beat to death with my own two hands.



The trip consisted of:

-Late night visits to the hotel fitness center
-Early mornings with a way too energetic Shauna
-Reading "Angels and Demons" by Dan Brown to get caught up

before the movie comes out
-Making purchases at Costco of course,

including the ultimate Costco dog. The hot dog.
-Teriyaki pineapple burgers and coconut shrimp
-Aloe vera lotion and lots of it
-Snorkeling, snorkeling and more snorkeling
-Kayaking
-Hiking
-Walking under waterfalls
-Jumping off of solid ground, swinging on a rope

and plunging into the water
-Cruising around the Na Pali coast on the Zodiac with Captain Joe
-Taking pictures
-Long plane rides


That's about it....until next time.

Aloha HOY!

I definitely should have blogged more and captured more experiences from Spain, but I didn't. And I'm not going to sum it all up now. Maybe later. Moving right along.

I'm starting my day in Orem, Utah, wearing my favorite PJ combo of boxers and a T, eating a bowl of HONEY NUT Cheerios. How will I end it? I don't really know. But I'll be in Hawaii.

My mom just graduated with her Master's degree (woo hoo!) and we are going to Kuaui (spelling?) for a week to celebrate. Celebrate on the beach, celebrate on a hike, celebrate on a pineapple, celebrate on a snorkel set...you get the picture.

So that's all for now, I mean, I have a plane ride to catch. I wish you could've come, anyone. My sister is bringing her boyfriend, my brother is bringing his best friend and as said sister so lovingly put it, I "have no one". But! Do you really need someone when you're in Hawaii? I mean, come on, I'll have 2 pina coladas, one for each hand.

I just haven't blogged in a while, and it's May, and I felt the need to put something up. Even without a photo. Who knows, maybe something interesting will happen on my trip and I can post about that. Like if I get bit by a jelly fish and have to be peed on.

You. I would pee on your sting wound if you came, you know. Hasta lasagna.

I found him.

Movies!

This happens a LOT, we stand there, looking like fools, THINKING that we're about to have a picture taken, and no, it's a video.



See? A LOT!

Flamenco in Sevilla

Typical Spanish Dance.
Easily one of the funnest things I've seen in Spain.

Behold the Woman

Ladies and gentlemen, it's my pleasure to introduce you to....Pilar.

In some ways, this is a very fitting picture of her, she's regal, she's Spanish, and she's covered in fur. (with a matching purse, if you didn't notice)

In other ways, I'm looking forward to snapping more of a candid shot and introducing the REAL Pilar, the one I see every day. See you next week on "Sand in Your Eyes"!

(Click on the picture to enlarge)

Home Away From Home

I have labeled this photo, "Happy Camper." I really, really am.

My Funeral

Ok. I know it's morbid. But this is completely hypothetical.

If I die within the next few years, I think I want this song played at my funeral! (Ok, maybe not seriously seriously, but maybe!)

The thing is, this is kind of a goofy song. Kind of weird. Like me. And not everyone gets it. But I do.

So I'm going to give you a play by play commentary on why this song is so awesome. Especially for my funeral.

"If I had my time again, I would do it all the same. And not change a single thing, even when I was to blame." I have done a lot of fun things, I would live my life the same way, and even though I made some mistakes, the theory is that you learn from them, and every experience is a part of your development. It's what makes you YOU.

"How I love to be your (wo)man, through the laughter and the tears." I love laughing til I cry and crying til I laugh, and to have THOSE kinds of experiences with friends and family are some of my favorite memories.

"Rush for a change of atmosphere" I'm the kind of girl who wants to experience every kind of scenery, situation, ATMOSPHERE. From moving to a different side of campus every year, to Moab and to Spain, I like to experience the different lives this world has to offer.

"I can't go on so I give in" Typical Sandra. "Gotta get myself right out of here."

Enter fun piano.

"Now I'm fully grown, and I know where it's at." From experience comes...knowledge. Taste the different atmospheres and you find your true home.

"Somehow I stayed thin, while the other guys got fat." That's just funny. (Plus, the drums are kickin it in the back)

"All the chances that are blown, and the times that I've been down" Another good line from another song: It's not always rainbows and butterflies, it's compromise that moves us along.

"I didn't get too high, kept my feet on the ground." One of my favorite quotes: Manage your expectations.

There are so many things going on in the back, piano, guitar, drums, it's so funky, I love it.

Enter funny Englishmen. First, the singer goes nuts, and he actually sounds like me, how I sing, in the car. Best line? "Mm, I wish I could sing like that."

Now the song changes. I love when songs change their feel halfway through. And this one even goes back. But life is like that, sometimes we whistle different tunes so to speak.

This part with the organ, can you feel the bounce in it? This is when the pall bearers start moving my casket, and they bounce to the beat as they carry me to the hearse. "A time to cry and a time to laugh." And by this part in the song, no one will be sad that I'm dead, they'll just be laughing and thinking, "Stupid hilarious Sandra, what the freak is this song?"

Then there's like, this 80's piano or something, I don't know... and it sounds like my soul is rising to heaven.

"And of all my friends, you been the best to me" This is to make everyone in the congregation feel like I'm grateful for them coming, and for those who are really close to me, each one of them will think that that line is for them, and they'll be right.

"Soon will be the day, when I repay you handsomely" Like, cause I'm an angel, now, get it? I'll send you a cute date, or shorten the line at the DMV, other little things that I can do from the beyond. And when something goes right in your day, you'll wonder if that was because I pulled a string for you with the Big Guy.

"Broken hearts are hearts 'll mend." This is for y'all to know that it's ok to be sad, but you'll get over it.

"But life just carries on, even when I'm not there."

Now, during the chorus, it sounds like a plane is taking off, this is my soul REALLY leaving and going to heaven (or the other place) as it says ,"Gotta get myself right outta here."

Cool, right?

RUSH!

Who on blogspot decided that every blogger is creative enough to think of a title for every post? Sheeshum.

This is Allyson making fun of my double thumbs up.
Also...it's a pic of the ice cream making room

They know me here.

Today is a good day!

I had class at 9, with Rebecca, we got our Spanish books (prepaid for), we got hot chocolate at Starbucks, checked out the local "Correos" (post office), had a grueling conversation class at 12:30, Pilar made us MAC AND CHEESE for lunch, and now we are doing homework.

Unfortunately, the internet is on and off so I could only upload 2 fotos for now, but I suppose I shouldn't subject you all to seeing my face over and over again anyways.

Oh, by the way, mi tarea consists of writing the plural form of about...10 words. Que dificil. I love study abroad.

We have religion class at 6, FHE at 7:30 (to which we invited our Holland-ian roommate, who has never heard of the Mormon church before, but has now listened to MoTab, seen The Best Two Years, and been to all 3 hours of church.)

Oh, and after that we may be purchasing tickets to Palma Mallorca??? It's an island below Spain we can visit on our free weekend on the 23rd and the flight would cost....30 dollars. We'll see.
Out.

Espana Uno

Well, folks, I made it. I was going to post the rest of my pics, but it takes forever to upload and I just ran out of time. Soon. Soon. Here is the unbelievable snow. And probably my favorite saying in Spanish, EVER! Excluding, of course, "a veces" y "tu cuerpo necesito dormir". Be good, you Americans! See you en Abril!