Decor

Remember this crafty project we did? 

Don't you think it looks so much better all spread out along the window sill? 

I think it looks awesome. 

We Are All Bonsai Trees

I learned a little something today and I've decided that God is a Bonsai gardener. 

My Grandpa Crosland owns a small army of bonsai trees. They vary from pine, maple, multiple kinds of juniper (buffalo, sargent, and nana), ficus, spruce and elm. Basically you can take any tree and transform it into a bonsai tree with the right pruning. 

Now the tree determines the pruning needed. Some trees grow all summer long, like the junipers, and they need to be cut back a few times a year to keep the shape you want. Some trees only grow in the spring like the pine so you only prune them once a year. 

In order for the tree to develop into the desired shape there are multiple and long steps that need to be taken. First you need to inspect the strength and health of the roots and trunk. My grandpa had a tree that came to him half dead so he had to strictly work on saving the roots for a couple years and then progress from there. Once you have a healthy growing tree the shaping comes from winding wire around the branches so that they will grow in the direction you want them too. You have the start the wire far enough back so that the branch is supported, which typically means from the trunk. When you prune the tree it causes that branch to shoot out more leaves or branches causing the leaves to grow together, giving the desired "cloud look effect". 

The trees must be watered everyday. In the winter you bury the pots in saw dust up to the lowest branch. At first I wondered if you could just bring the trees inside to protect them from the snow but my grandpa replied with, "They need to go through everything else that other trees go through. If you bring them inside they'll die. They won't become strong enough."

Heavenly Father knows exactly what shape we are capable of becoming. Some of us require diligent work first on our roots and trunk. We need to develop a stronger foundation, gain a testimony. Some of us need our branches to be redirected. We have to be wired all the way back to our foundation and then out to the furthest tip of the branch in order to grow in the direction that Heavenly Father wants us to. Some of us get cut back more then others. Some are fine just being pruned once a year. But no matter what, we all need to go through some pruning. Trials are the only way that we get tested and can have better growth. It can take years to get to the desired shape but it's the only way that we can turn into that beautiful bonsai tree that God is shaping. 

That's why I think that God is a bonsai tree gardener. 

Stevie Wonder

Just some more music goodness. 

Goodbye Stranger

I feel I should sing this after I finish getting an x-ray of a patient. 

"Goodbye stranger, it's been nice, hope you find your paradise. 

Tried to see your point of view, hope your dreams will all come true." 

Painting Jars

(1 tbsp glue + a little more, 1 tsp water, food coloring)

(1 drop blue)  (3 drops blue/ 1 drop green)  (4 drops blue/ 1 drop green)  

(3 drops green/ 1 drop blue)

We're thinking of adding some rope or wires around some of the tops. We'll see what happens. 

Feeling Better

It's been interesting the span of emotions I've had from getting accepted into the radiology program. It's gone from ecstatic joy to uncertainty. There's four of us that will be doing clinical hours at the American Fork hospital and when I found out that two of them have shadowed there for over a year and already know everyone I felt discouraged. I felt like they would have a leg up on me and already be more advanced and in sync with what's going on. This morning a few of us got together with the clinical instructor for an orientation at the A.F. hospital and I feel a lot better now. The girl that shadowed is just as lost as I am. Granted she knows her way around the building more but she's just as nervous and unsure.

I realized today that I'm going to love having my clinical hours at the A.F. hospital instead of the Provo hospital. A.F. is small, cozy, relaxed, fun. Everyone is nice and willing to help you out. There's only four students there which means more learning for me with less competition. And it's very likely I could get a job there even during my two year program. They're in need of man power and they depend on the students. I like that. It forces me to get a handle on things that much faster. 

Anyways, I'm just really excited to start. I'm ready to be busy in school work again. I'm ready to start working in a hospital. 

Hearts

Average beats per minute: 70
Average beats per day: 100,000
Average beats per lifetime: 2.5 billion

Average blood pumped per beat: 2 1/2 ounces
Average blood pumped per day: 1,980 gallons
Average blood pumped per year: 660,500 gallons

Thank you dear heart for the constant care you give my body.

Motorcycles

I can now officially say that I've ridden on a motorcycle.
Lots of fun. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Plus we had the added bonus of watching lightning. How much better can you get?
And not five minutes after I got home, it started blowing like crazy and dumping rain.
We have perfect timing.
I would say all in all it was a successful ride.

The Conversion of Saul

We talked about the conversion of Saul today in church and I had this song playing in my head the entire time.

Cookie Cups

Great idea yes? I know, that's exactly what I thought. And let's just look how how easy this is. I mean, cookie dough, back of muffin pan, cook, peel off, stick some ice cream in there, done! So my friends and I decided to try it. 

First piece of advice: always start with less. 

I think you'll understand what I mean when you check out the next picture. 

It kind of turned into a ridiculous mess. 

And it didn't come off the pan very well at all. 

So we ate cookie crumbles and ice cream in a normal paper bowl. 

My second piece of advice: do not put on the oven cleaner if you have big chunks of cookie dough sitting in the bottom. 

Yeah, that's what we did. And there were flames inside the oven. And tons of smoke billowing out of the oven sides. I sat there questioning if that was normal. It wasn't. No worries nothing horrible happened. We canceled the oven cleaner and I cleaned it out this morning. No harm done. Next time I'll just try things a little bit differently. 

Cousins

I ran into my singles ward bishop today. He game me sound advice as I headed to the library. "Go meet someone there." Okay bishop. Since I'm having so much luck with meeting people. Let me explain.

I went dancing last weekend. I love swing dancing. And even though some of the guys there are just.... yeah. They can at least dance, and as long as I get some good swing dancing in I'm happy. But there was a pretty good looking guy there that night that I saw right when we walked in. He actually came up to me after the dance exclaiming that he knew me from somewhere.
I've never seen this guy in my life.
But he asked me to dance and we continued talking. Although not very well because lets be honest, how much of a conversation can you get in while constantly spinning and trying to yell over the music? Not much. He was really nice and still hadn't figured out where he knew me from. But I continued on my way, dancing with whoever asked me. (I was practicing my body language while standing, aka trying not to stand with my arms crossed, which I have to consciously think about and it really works! Thanks to the little workshop at the YSA Summer Summit I got asked to dance on every song.) Anyways a slow song came up and the guy asked me to dance again, so we could actually talk. Still no progress on how he knows me.
The next thing to happen (if actually planned) would have been perfect from that workshop on dating techniques. But even though it wasn't on purpose, it worked all the same. Chelsea and I went outside to get something from her car and the guy saw me leaving. He ran out and yelled for me, asking if I was leaving. Nope. Oh. Well I'm leaving soon... can I get your number?
Ha! Score. See the trick is you have to make the guy work to get your number. If he has to work a little harder then he'll be more likely to call you. (This is all according to the workshop.) If you just give him your number without him asking for it, he won't be as likely to call.
He sent me a text later that night with his name so I would know the number. And guess what that name was?
Brandon PACKARD.
Yeah, I know. Packard. Meaning, we're probably related.
And long story short, we're second cousins (I think that's how it works out.) Our grandpas are brothers, his dad and my mom are cousins.
He was definitely bummed when we figured it out the next day. Oh well, Packards are always cool.
They just happen to be taking over the world is all.