Thursday, June 5, 2008

8 Things

8 Things I'm Passionate About
  • my family
  • teaching my kids (about the gospel, racial equality, loving our neighbors, being honest, taking care of and being responsible for themselves and their actions, working hard and having integrity)
  • my husband and our relationship
  • maintaining relationships with my siblings and their spouses/others, parents and basically all family
  • photography, and constantly studying and growing in that field (there is so much to learn, I work really hard at it daily)
  • the gospel, learning every single day about something new in the scriptures. It's so fascinating. I hide this from people, I have no idea why.
  • writing. I write daily. I have for years. It's cathartic for me. Less expensive than therapy.
  • MUSIC! I probably have music on for at least 12 hours a day. It's like oxygen for me
    .
8 Books I've Read and Enjoyed(lately)
  • Cell by Stephen King
  • To Kill A Mockingbird (hence the name of our youngest...Harper!)
  • The Book of Mormon, seriously though, some of those stories are crazy!
  • Choke by Chuck Palahniuk (basically everything by Chuck P.)
  • Standing For Something by Gordon B. Hinckley
  • Lisey's Story by Stephen King
  • Everything's Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer (or anything by him, he's phenomenal and moving and honestly I suggest everyone reads him)
  • Life Of Pi by Yann Martel
8 Things/Words I say often
  • ni-night!
  • K, love you
  • SHUT UP! (said like "you're kidding me!")
  • Awwww
  • Do your jobs!
  • Is your homework done?
  • K, call me later
  • Dude, I swear...
8 Things I want to do before I die
  • Visit all the Disney parks with my family
  • Lose this weight for good
  • Fix my teeth
  • Serve a mission with my sweet husband
  • Live by the beach (as in, within walking distance, and I'm talking about living in a house or condo, not as a homeless woman)
  • Run a marathon
  • Teach seminary for a year
  • Witness all of my kids have happy marriages
  • (nine, sorry!) Get sealed to Michael!
8 Things I learned or remembered this year
  • The Lord knows what I need, and he'll provide it if I ask for it
  • Teaching my kids to be hard workers through example is crucial to them learning it
  • Personal sacrifice can be excruciating, but overall...worth it
  • Faith is an "action"
  • Giving to those who need it comes through listening to the spirit. Almost everyone who really needs help...doesn't ask for it.
  • The Lord blesses those who give freely, and who sacrifice to do so.
  • Family is the most important thing you can honestly ever have.
  • Forgiveness means never holding the past against someone ever again

35 comments:

Mandy said...

i thoroughly enjoyed this post. everything in your things to remember section, i swear you wrote that for me! :)
over the past 6 years i have been in your family, you seem to have truly blossemed in my eyes. you have found the strength to turn your life in the direction you wanted it to go and you made things happen. i dont have a doubt in my mind if you always follow the lord you will accomplish everything you set out to do. keep at it. :)love ya!

sidenote: i know we are 2 totally different people but i have noticed lately we have a ton of similarities...

Allison Easley said...

Mandy, I love you, first and foremost. You're as much a sister to me as Ash and Eliza, there is no "inlaw" there. Also, about the similarities, I totally take that as a compliment. You're such a good example to me. ♥ you!

K. H. said...

haha "do your jobs!" haha you do get to say that a lot. kids!!! i tell ya.

Eliza said...

so much for "taking a break for a little while". You are the blogger lady this week. I liked this one! Not that I don't like your other ones ...YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN! (sorry for yelling, do you forgive me and promise to never bring it up again? ;)

-KJ said...

I loved this post. I can't wait too see you get sealed! One day lady. It will happen.

You are such an example to me. I cherish our conversations, and I can't wait to do more of the in person. I love that we are so much alike. It is nice to know that psychosis runs in our family and that we embrace it. ;)

Michael Moore said...

When you do live by the beach can Nancy and I come visit you and Mike. What beach would you pick? I would have to pick one in Hawaii, because Nancy went to school there and loves Hawaii. But I want you to know if you lived by the beach as a homeless woman we would still come visit you.

Michael Moore said...

Have you ever played this game? If you could have 5 homes any where in the world, where would you choose?

Michael Moore said...

This is all part of my effort to make it on the "who comments the most here anyway???" list.

Alli Easley said...

Michael, I believe this game you're speaking of is M.A.S.H. If you aren't familiar, ask any 13 year old girl. But I do appreciate the fact that you'd still come visit me if I were a homeless woman. Also, if I could live on any beach, it may just be La Jolla, or Coronado Beach.

Alli Easley said...

Also, you're almost on my top commenter list. Keep 'em comin.

sixmoores said...

He's trying to make your list. He also had never heard of MASH, so I just filled him in...no sisters in his house.

sixmoores said...

I also found a marathon we could do together next year...www.newportmarathon.org/

Michael Moore said...

Who wants to live in a shack anyway? How about this game? Would you wear a 7-Eleven uniform for the rest of your life for a million dollars? How about ten million dollars? What if it where a hot dog on a stick uniform, and yes you have to wear the hat?

Alli Easley said...

Nancy, I think that we should play MASH with Mike every second when we get together next. Also, I'm totally down for the newport marathon. Holy crap that's a scary thing to think about!

Also, Mike, I'd certainly wear the 7-Eleven uniform for ten million dollars, and I'd have to think about the hot dog on a stick one...I'm not really into tank tops. Or primary colored stripes for that matter.

Laurie said...

You have no idea how alike we are. It was almost scary reading this today...

Allison Easley said...

No Laurie, I already knew that ;)

Also, email me about the wedding! I need pics. Are they on your flickr?

Sarah said...

You amaze me! I loved this post!

Thanks for brightening my day!

Eliza said...

HEY!! I have the top commenter thing on my blog too! Just not at the top.

So look mike and nancy...you can be the top poster on 2, get it TWO blogs if you want.

-KJ said...

Sorry kids. I am winning here. Awww yeah!

Oh the weird games you come up with Michael. Classic. Are we sure Tay didn't wear one of those Hot Dog OAS uniforms, just for fun? He impersonates the lemon juicers perfectly.

Allison Easley said...

I do a mean lemon smasher impersonation as well. There's a rhythm to it you know.

Lyd said...

Actually, Ashley is winning, but I'm right behind you in 3rd sister. You best watch your back!!

I need to see this lemon impersonation. I have to do it every time I go there. Have to give my roommates a demonstration because they have never been there.

And I can't day that I have a ton in common with that because...I don't have kids and first off, I'm not married. But I will strive for those things, so that makes us in common. :)

And we should play a game of M.A.S.H. on here. That would be great fun.

Eliza said...

Kj doesn't know her numbas.

I do believe that your mother (susan) is the queen of the lemon smashing impersonation.

Lyd said...

Um, I don't want to see that.

And yes, she doesn't, because I am now ahead.

Michael Moore said...

Look, I really want to be the top commenter, so if the rest of you could ease up a little--the competition is just so stiff! I can't keep up. Do I have to spend the whole day checking the blogs? And I don't think I have the blog lingo down either--"you go girl," and "I'm loving me some of that (fill in the blank)." I can't do that. I won't do that.

Michael Moore said...

Also, Nancy just pulled up the video for your favorite song "little star," and I'm not sure what is going on with the girl snuggling her mittens to her face in that oh so bashful, aren't I the coyest thing alive, manner. And than there is a barn burning down. I'm so confused.

Alli Easley said...

The reason for her acting that way is simple:

she's Swedish

'nuff said. (oh and put that phrase in your blog lingo vocab too, we use it a lot)

Michael Moore said...

Thanks for the explanation. I had no idea the Swedish where so coy.

Allison Easley said...

Just look at me, I'm the coy-est person I know.

Allison Easley said...

by the way Michael, you are now number 10 on my comment list. Looks like you're movin on up like the Jeffersons.

Michael Moore said...

Wow. The top ten list.

Michael Moore said...

Sorry I haven't responded to your comments on my blog. I couldn't waste a comment where it would't contribute to my totals on your blog. You understand, right?

Alli Easley said...

You never were one for "etiquette"...

Michael Moore said...

I never commented on your photo of chocolate covered bacon. Wow. I love bacon--but I don't love chocolate. I have always been puzzled when someone tells me they don't like bacon. It is shocking. I have even reworked songs in honor of bacon. "All you need is bacon" (from the Beatles); "Bacon on my shoulder makes me happy" (John Denver). But chocolate covered bacon--I now realize I do not love all bacon.

Alli Easley said...

Hey, don't knock it til you try it, that's my motto. Also, how about the bacon remix of "Don't Go Chasin' Bacon-falls" (T.L.C.) or "Bacon Got Back" (Sir Mix-a-Lot)?

Eliza said...

What about Re'Bacon' Lynn, Brian White.