Countdown

5...4...3...2...The problem with counting down to something is that I tend to shift focus, like a laser beam, to that moment when the countdown will hit "0", and patience is not my strong suit. So instead, I try not to think about the exciting things ahead, and focus on today. Notice I said "I try," not "I do," because I'm not too successful at it. Currently I have two countdowns going: the one until I fly "home", and the one until PETER GETS HOME. Oh wait, there's a third countdown: the one until Santa arrives (I've been very good this year).

The top 10 Things I'm excited to do over Christmas break...

1. SHRED. My prayers have been answered, the heavens are dumping snow, and it's going to be a very White Christmas. I also have a stellar lineup of ski buddies this year...

2. Nights spent soaking in the jacuzzi...104 degrees and a starry sky, need I say more?

3. Christmas puzzles and working on my needlepoint stocking

4. Christmas movies, pool tournaments and testing out the new couch

5. FOOD. Park City has some of the best food around, some of my favorite restaurants- High West, Teriyaki, Szechuan, Loco, Adolph's and Flying Sumo. Escargot or Tokyo Nachos, anyone?!

6. Mornings spent at the kitchen table in front of a roaring kitchen fire, reading and drinking tea, then yoga.

7. Music: playing the piano, singing on Christmas Eve and attending church with my family

8. Tennis. Potter family tennis tournament is already in the works, and whether it's Florida or PC, my mom is a steady challenge for me to improve my game.

9. Gift giving. I absolutely love watching people open gifts, and the older I get the more I look forward to giving my own gifts! Sometimes surprises are the best :)

10. Spend time with my family and those I love most. Whether it's ice skating, bowling, xc skiing, sleepovers, running errands in the car or heading to the gym, I love each opportunity to spend time with such a uniquely wonderful and talented family.

I've been ping-ponging between busy work schedules, insomnia, and an overbooked social calendar for the past couple of weeks. It's led to this culmination of total and utter exhaustion, and drinking diet coke at 7 AM. This morning started out just like that, except with some cab issues on top of it all. Today's my work holiday party, which means I know I won't be getting extra sleep tonight anyways. Safe to say I was already in a pissy mood. The one nice part was that I chose this super cute, white/gold dress to wear for the holiday party. I was getting so many compliments on it, down to how great it looks with my skin tone.

At 11 AM I'm leaning over my keyboard, working on a project, when I hear a pop. Hmm. I sit straight up. I become aware that something has occurred with the zipper on my dress. I feel in back of me, and there's a small slit that has come unzipped. In about 5 seconds I have managed to widen that slit to halfway down my back. Talk about wardrobe malfunction disaster. I surreptitiously walk over to my jacket and slip it on, then hurry over to my coworker.

Her solution is to take off my dress and try to fix the zipper that way. Makes sense. I head to the bathroom, shimmy the dress over my head, and try to work the zipper. It's not budging. Not even a bit. I can zip the top half of my dress, but the part from my bra to my bum is fully exposed. Stumped, I'm considering my coworker's needle and thread idea, although it's quite a large area to sew. And my sewing skills pre-date home-economics class in 8th grade. I slip the dress over my head and try to shimmy it back down. It's not budging. I'm literally stuck, my dress bunched up around my head, trying to ease it down. That's when the second pop happens (let's be honest, it was coming) and the zipper flies completely off and the entire back of my dress is now wide open. I'm in shock. How did this happen?! How did my day get to THIS?! It's not even noon.

Fast forward 30 minutes later and I'm on an emergency "lunch break," wearing my trench coat, in search of the exact same dress. My reasoning is, if I can find the same dress, no one will Ever Know!! And given the fact that I've already had at least 15 compliments when I was wearing it, if I switch dresses everyone will ask about it. I locate the store, locate the dress and there is one left in my size. DONE. Then, to be extra safe, I swipe a similar, second dress off another rack. Close enough in color. I thought about explaining the fiasco at the register but let's be honest...it's a $20 dress. You get what you pay for. And it honestly does look super cute and quality made--clearly they cut costs on the zipper. So here I am, sitting straight up, same dress, more compliments, and  no one the wiser.

Some days the crises are all your own.

the original dress when I first bought it

 

RED

"This is a state of grace

This is the worth while fight

Love is a ruthless game

Unless you play it good and right

These are the hands of fate

You’re my Achilles heel

This is the golden age of something good

And right and real"

-Taylor Swift

 

Like the danger flags waving in the wind on the beach, like striped candy cane Hershey kisses, like Taylor Swift's latest album (which is A-MAZING), like the furiously blinking light on my blackberry that says I have emails to answer, like the majority of my wardrobe purchases in the past 6 months (a fact I just recently discovered), like the color of my favorite time of the year, like loving hearts, like the stripes that make up our national flag, like Five Guys Burger & Fries, like the Sun coming up over the horizon, like Santa's coat and like the color for passion and A-type personalities, it would appear...that I'm obsessed with RED.
 

Gearing up for November I wanted to dedicate that month to service, promising myself that I'd try to make time for one act of service each week. Then Hurricane Sandy hit, and I was marooned in Florida with 5 of my closest friends for 10 days. NYC was shut down, so while everyone else was figuring out how to get around a city with no public transportation or electricity below 38th Street, I baked to a golden brown on white sandy beaches. I surfed, paddle boarded, rode bikes and played tennis so much that by the end of the 10 days my body could barely get out of bed to catch the sunrise each morning. I quickly forgot about the promise I had made.

 

But God didn't forget. By the time I got back to the city, Mormon Helping Hands and the Manhattan stake began organizing service weekends. Time to bring my yellow shirt out of retirement. Technically our wards were assigned specific days (Saturday or Sunday), but since the YSA wards were always assigned Sunday, I decided to help the work go faster and contribute my time on both days.

For the past month I woke up at 6 AM on Saturday mornings, donned up to 5 layers of clothing and topped it off with my giant yellow shirt. Then I rode the subway an hour to Brooklyn. Then loaded myself on a bus, to get shipped out to the Rockaways.

It looked like the set of a Hollywood "end of the world"-type movie. I swear I saw tanks rolling by (although Doug keeps asking for proof).

My first day volunteering was the worst of them all. I struggled getting out of bed, unsure if I wanted to go when all of my friends were going Sunday. I was one of the last people to arrive on the subway and somehow found myself on a bus with the Chinese branch. No one spoke English. When we loaded off the bus I quickly distanced myself from the Chinese, only to find myself in a group of members from the Spanish branch. Who also didn't speak English. We loaded up on masks and gloves and walked to find our assigned house to work on.

Where would you send a group of Spanish speakers over the age of 60?! Surely not the sand house. I affectionately call it the "sand house," because the Entire house was full of sand from floor to ceiling. Our task was to shovel the sand into buckets and dump those buckets outside the house.

It was grueling, tough work. I was worried about the other members of my group, the buckets of sand were so heavy. I have no idea how my team members managed. I worked feverishly, from 9-4, 7 long hours of shoveling and carrying buckets of sand. My arms ached, the pads of my fingers had blisters forming, and my back felt like it would break in half. Despite the physical exhaustion, it was an emotional high. I picked up some new spanish words, and my team members led us in the Spanish version of "Count Your Many Blessings."

When we started doing hurricane relief, we'd be walking down the street wearing bright yellow vests/shirts and carrying tools. People would stare and sometimes we'd stop to see if they needed help. They seemed unsure of us, By the end of  November, we were local celebrities. "The Mormons are here! The Mormons!" I can't tell you how many times I heard that phrase be exclaimed with such joy from streets we walked down. Every single person we helped was so appreciative- I received countless hugs and words of gratitude. A guy in my stake is a professional videographer, and he made a film from one of our days helping. The film was an overnight hit!! CNN, GMA, Washington Post and countless other media outlets called attention to this film and the work we were doing. I'm posting it here, if you look closely you'll spot me at the end: Hurricane Sandy Helping Hands

In total, we had over 42,000 people help out during this period. We did over 242,000 hours of hurricane relief service. That equals almost 27 years for a single person, work that we did in a month.

"He who gives money gives much. He who gives time gives more. But, he who gives of himself gives all." --President Thomas S. Monson. I could not be more proud of everyone that gave not just their time and money, but themselves. For me, these acts of service make the holidays the most wonderful time of the year!

Merrily yours,
Lo

Made it on CNN during Election Night

 

Harry Potter World!!!

Strawberry Swing

"Just put your feet up to the edge, put your face in the wind

And when you fall back down, keep rememberin'

Every storm runs, runs out of rain

Just like every dark night turns into day

Every heartache will fade away

Just like every storm runs, runs out of rain"

 

Typhoid Mary has struck again!

The Top 10 Things that got me out of bed this week...

1. Vitamin Water and tissues at Duane Reade
2. Tuesday night tutoring with 6 yr old Clever, he read me one of my favorite books- Miss Nelson Has A Field Day
3. Premiere of Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" complete with cast and Q&A with Spielberg
4. My dad proudly showing me he learned to play Bob Marley songs on the guitar
5. NY Cares day aka Service Saturday at Central Park East elementary
6. Armineh's (former roommate) birthday party...and it was all chocolate
7. Solid jams- loving this week's favorite of oldies, currents and country (ask me for the playlist)
8. Wheeling, dealing and Massive Leaks...made sick days next to impossible (you know what I do)
9. The UFC mag my boss brought me, complete with poster-size photos and motivational slogans
10. If D Rose can do it, I Can do it... ADIDAS Commercial: All in for D Rose

Secretly I've been praying for a sick day, where I could relax, sleep, work from bed, etc. I finally got sick, during what could not be a worse week for me. There was no way I could work from home. I have never slept so much in my life or gone to bed before 9 that many times in a row. And true to my nickname, I managed to take down a couple people with me...sorry Natali. Half my floor at work is sick, but honestly, that's beyond even my capabilities to get that many people sick. Can't wait to be back at 100%.

I'm not usually into making endorsements, but apparently along with increasing waist sizes in this nation of ours, we have increasing calf sizes. I'm talking about women's boots being made for people with gigantic calves! Actually, the shoe store salesman said he prefers to call them "athletic calves." Right. What about those of us with little chicken legs? Men, you are so lucky. Well I finally found THE PERFECT pair of boots. Narrow, but not suctioned on like alien boots (I've seen those too, horrible idea) and they are the perfect classy equestrian boot. Paired with my quilted jacket, scarf and jeggings, I look like the cover of Horse & Hound, I kid you not. They are super comfortable with padded soles. I give you... Naturalizer Juletta Boots.

Ok, NOT me, but...similar in style.

I always feel like I miss out on Saturday evening's conference session. You men get all of the best speakers in one session! I've spent a lot of time thinking about President Thomas S Monson's talk: See Others As They May Become. He shares example after example to demonstrate, "We have the responsibility to see individuals not as they are but rather as they can become."

This reminded me of one of my favorite talks on love. Many like to think of love as "blind", blind to a person's faults, flaws and weaknesses. I think love is exactly the opposite. It's looking at someone as they are, but focusing on the positive person they will become. How can you build someone up/help them become a better person, if you are more pre-occupied with their flaws than with their strengths? The same thing applies to friendships. Sometimes I fall into the trap of thinking I don't want to be this or that person's friend, because they don't seem trustworthy, or we don't have much in common, or they do something that really gets on my nerves. In this case, it is me that is missing out, for there are many other people that see that person's strengths and potential, whereas I focused on the flaws. It's hard to believe that 2012 is almost over (um...remember those goals I made in February?!), but I do want to focus the rest of this year on establishing that habit of seeing the potential in others.

My final thought, is not my own. But my little brother Pete's. I loved it so much, I want to share:

"The most glory, happiness and blessings don't go to the man who races past the rest to get to the top of the mountain first, but rather to man who, although able to go at a faster pace, slows himself down to encourage and lift those who are traveling at a slower pace. To help those who, if unhelped, perhaps would have stopped, given up hope and never made it to the top with the others. The first man is selfish and is in it for himself. The second man clearly is not. I think too often I see life as a race that I have to win instead of a journey where the greatest goal is not to be first but to get everyone to the top. And then take a sweet picture."
Life is a team sport...

 

I call this...PROGRESS

Chicken Fried

A couple of weeks ago I had this dream. It was so realistic, I was convinced that it had happened. I put on this pair of hipster glasses, and I instantly became so attractive, I was certain I had become the sexiest woman alive. So certain, I was sitting at work the next morning, frowning as I searched for my "life-changing" glasses. It was an even weirder moment, when I realized that I've never actually Worn glasses at any point in my life.

I thought about titling this post "hoochie coochie" but to be honest, I'm not sure I know what it means. I thought it meant a kiss? But at the risk of being wrong...it's just fun to say. It's from a country song, "way down yonder on the Chattahoochee, it gets hotter than a hoochie coochie..." Still ambiguous, right?! Guesses??

I've become obsessed with country music this past week. It all started with Chattahoochee, my winning pick in the family trivia game. The obsession quickly spiraled to "Chicken Fried" on repeat. If you don't know it, you Need to listen to this song...so catchy. I also like "I'm Still A Guy" by Brad Paisley, best lyrics. All this country music made me really want a truck...bright red. In my mind I can totally see it-jeggings, chicken fried blaring, and my blonde hair blowing in the wind as I four-wheel it in my red pickup to go hiking...or biking...or maybe to Walmart...or Home Depot...or help stranded travelers on the road (kidding, dad!!! I'll leave that to the men). Sounds fun right?! I really want a truck...

Other notable highlights from the week-our ward started the BOM challenge and I'm right on track, I played so much tennis my back/butt is seriously sore (10,000 hours...just gotta get there), BYU actually won, tour of American Art at the Met, fall cleaning and hanging photos in the apartment, and the number one highlight: VIP access to a Lindsey Stirling concert. I honestly had no idea what I had agreed to when I said I'd attend a concert by an electric violinist...but epic, life-changing, and totally nerdy have probably never appeared in the same sentence until now. The crowd was almost all men-some stoners, some carrying pocket protectors, some grungy, some hardcore dancers, all rocking out in a massive pit of about 400 people, to Lindsey. We went backstage and met her, quite possibly the nicest person ever. So tiny! I can also say that I never thought I'd witness a massive sing-along to the theme song of Zelda (it's a nerdy gaming thing)...another concert highlight. Of course Lord of The Rings was played too. The encore was this amazing rendition of Phantom of the Opera. Special thanks to Aubrey Potter for the coolest/craziest thing I've experienced in the city.

Every day I listen to a new talk/devotional, from the list of about 200 that Grandpa Glenn gave me. I particularly liked the talk by Steve Albrecht, a professor at the BYU Marriott School. He began his talk by reading a poem/song, I've come to love. The poem was written by Sandy Chapin, who wrote it for her husband to make him realize the importance of spending time with your kids. It was later put to a melody, and topped the Billboard charts. It goes like this:

My child arrived just the other day, He came to the world in the usual way. But there were planes to catch and bills to pay, He learned to walk while I was away. And he was talkin' 'fore I knew it, and as he grew, He'd say "I'm gonna be like you dad, You know I'm gonna be like you".

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon, Little boy blue and the man on the moon, When you comin' home dad? I don't know when, but we'll get together then son, You know we'll have a good time then.

My son turned ten just the other day. He said, "Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let's play. Can you teach me to throw", I said "Not today, I got a lot to do", he said, "That's ok". And he walked away but his smile never dimmed, And said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah You know I'm gonna be like him".

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon. Little boy blue and the man on the moon. When you comin' home son? I don't know when, but we'll get together then son, You know we'll have a good time then.

Well, he came home from college just the other day. So much like a man I just had to say, "Son, I'm proud of you, can you sit for a while?" He shook his head and said with a smile, "What I'd really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys. See you later, can I have them please?"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon, Little boy blue and the man on the moon. When you comin' home son? I don't know when, but we'll get together then son. You know we'll have a good time then.

I've long since retired, my son's moved away. I called him up just the other day. I said, "I'd like to see you if you don't mind". He said, "I'd love to, Dad, if I can find the time. You see my new job's a hassle and kids have the flu, But it's sure nice talking to you, Dad, It's been sure nice talking to you".

And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me, He'd grown up just like me, My boy was just like me.

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon, Little boy blue and the man on the moon. When you comin' home son? I don't know when, but we'll get together then son. You know we'll have a good time then.

This song never fails to make me cry. I can't imagine what that father felt when he finally got around to making time for that relationship with his son, and realizing, much to his sadness, that it wasn't there, because he hadn't put in the time to show his son how much he loves him.Steve Albrecht sums up this song in one sentence:

"The only quality time we will spend with those we love is quantity time."

I have never been more grateful to my two parents, that literally sacrificed their own needs and desires, to spend as much Quantity time with me as can be humanly possible. The older I get, the more I realize what an impact that has made on my thoughts, dreams, desires and the strong bond we share. It's also caused me to realize, that I need to try harder with my siblings and friends, and build the quantity time I spend with them. My relationship with my parents is determined by all of the little quantity times-the talks we had while we drove to and from school, ate dinner together, went on hikes, drove home from my basketball and soccer games, school plays, playing catch in the backyard, swimming in grandpa's pool, learning to ski, and holding my hand as I looked for shells on the beach; not just the big occasions.

It's by small and simple moments, that I learn the most from those I spend them with...

Live Free

Saturday was officially, the First day of Fall. The weather has been cooling down a bit, I can finally break out my quilted jacket, the leaves are changing colors, jegging season (no no, Not jogging...jegging. yes, the stretchy pants) is right around the corner, and...the winds are changing. Can you feel it??!

I experienced an absolute first. I was mobbed in a Domino's, over pizza. We had just arrived in Boston and after dragging the boys all over kingdom come looking for Jacob's burger, we had admitted defeat at 2 AM. Unlike NY, apparently Boston shuts down early. In what I thought was a stroke of pure genius, I whipped out my phone and ordered three large pizzas. We sent the hungry boys home while the three girls hopped in a cab and rushed to Dominos. When we got there, the entire place was filled with groups of men, looking for pizza to sober up. Unknowingly we had ordered the last three pizzas, a fact that quickly reached the attention of the men. Lots of hands reached for those pizza boxes, as us three girls looked on with wide eyes. The Domino's lady had a firm grip on our pizza boxes, while men began making us offers. "$60 a slice! Just one slice!" It was nearly a riot as men crowded around us, yelling and gesturing, some drunk, some hungry, some very drunk and very hungry. Miss Domino's looked at us and somehow I ended up with three pizza boxes in my arms as Jenny and Meagan covered me on either side, creating a path as the three of us sprinted to the door. By the time we got outside, we were more than a bit wary. We still had a cab to catch. Cab after cab passed us, and a large group of men sauntered over. They tried dancing/grinding for pizza, compliments for pizza, and harassing us for pizza. We managed to hail a cab only to have the cab driver peal out with Meagan almost inside! A man on a bicycle pedaled over, chasing off the group of guys. He said there was no way we could get a cab, but that he'd help us. For some pizza. SERIOUSLY?! We repeated our mantra, "these pizzas are for some very hungry men at home, we can't give you any" and bicycle man turned nasty. He threw in a couple of expletive-laced suggestions. What is with Boston and pizza?! After a few more minutes of pleading with cab drivers and keeping a lookout for pizza-hungry predators, a towncar pulled over. A white knight to the rescue, or in this case, a half-italian half-maroccan man named Kamal (just like Downton Abbey!) Thanks to Kamal, we made it home, pizzas and all, to some very grateful (and hungry) boys. Never a dull moment in Boston.

The next two days were spent on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee...paradise the way Mother Nature intended. We got our carnivore on at Huck's, demolishing steak n' cheese hoagies. I've never craved meat the way I crave a steak n' cheese (AKA philly cheesesteak), why is that? We tested out the infamous rope swing, cruised on the lake and tested out wake surfing. We piled 6 people in a canoe, and reenacted the sinking of the Titanic with some strategic wake maneuvering on Jimmy's part. At night we roasted smores and told scary stories/most embarrassing moments. In the morning I sat on the deck and read as a trio of men headed out to catch the women some fish (their words, not mine). We sat on the deck, soaking up the sun in lounge chairs, and reminisced on what it was like to be a child, with zero responsibility. When it finally came time to leave, we made a steak n'cheese stop, then drove back, singing along to Lion King playing on the overhead TV. "It means no worries.." As the state motto of NH suggests, "Live Free or Die," putting the "free" in our worry-free weekend. I miss it already.

I learned this week that there are some things I can't live without. Wednesday night institute, the sun on my skin, fresh air, adrenaline rushes, infectious laughter and quality friends to name a few. I got all that and more this week, what a way to welcome in Fall!!

R.S.V.P.

“It's like when I had this garden party for my father's birthday, right? I put R.S.V.P. 'cause it was a sit-down dinner. But some people came that like did not R.S.V.P. I was like totally buggin'. I had to haul ass to the kitchen, re-distribute the food, and squish in extra place settings. But by the end of the day, it was like, the more the merrier. And so, if the government could just get to the kitchen, rearrange some things, we could certainly party with the Haitians. And In Conclusion may I please remind you, it does NOT say R.S.V.P. on the Statue of Liberty!”

The Top 10 Things I'm Most Excited About this week:

 

1. My new best friend Rob at AT&T has promised me I will be cradling a newborn white iPhone 5 before Friday

2. Institute...is back up and running! Brother McConkie is teaching "Doctrines of the Restoration" and already the first class was amazing. I'm beyond excited to see what this semester brings.

3. Tennis on the pier...it never gets old.

4. Boston this weekend?!...road trip!

5. LifeProof...finally someone listened to my need to make reading possible in the shower/jacuzzi. Waterproof casing for iPhones and iPads, perfect for filming my upcoming Florida beach trip!

6. My mom is giving me her backup professional canon camera, and it arrives this week! I can't wait to dress up in photographer clothes and snap cool pictures...

7. EVERY DAY IS GAME DAY. Like a champ, Chlo snagged me a couple of this year's BYU football t-shirts (you know, the ones they only sell in the bookstore), white with blue lettering...for me and Aubs. Say hellooo to college football season, in STYLE

8. Mom said she sent me a present from dad...it could be a sock he picked up off the road and I'd Still be excited, I love getting mail...but the anticipation is killing me

9. The National Zoo's Mei Xiang gave birth to a new baby panda...speaking from past Zoo Tycoon experience, I know exactly how big of an accomplishment it is to re-populate the panda population!

10. Flu Shot!! Right. Is Anyone excited about those?! But the nurse gave me two lollipops for my bravery...and non-stop nervous chatter.

 

Do you ever get glimpses of your life and feel like you’ve seen it before, you know, like maybe…in a movie?! Don’t laugh. I’m serious! Regional YSA conference, and we had 50 people without places to sleep. I already had my friend Shannon staying with me from DC. A large group of Canadians (boys and girls) had no place to go and were attempting to sleep on the floor of the church for the night. Seriously?! That’s the best we could do?? Come On New York!! That Friday night I found myself leaving the fireside with an extra four girls, after convincing James that he too was hosting a slumber party this weekend. (To be fair, once he was on board he really took charge-great type of person to have around for these moments). Once we got them situated, we met up for food with Jacob and his crew at 1 AM. He with his guys, me with my girls, feeling like chaperones…and totally exhausted. I have to hand it to my roommate Natali, zero notice and she immediately got to work, setting out towels, sheets, pillows, asking who was hungry or thirsty, and making four 18 year old French Canadian girls (total strangers) feel welcome and loved on their first visit to New York. Later, I texted my thanks to Natali. I loved her response: I hope you know I would have done literally the exact same thing. After all, if we can’t be charitable, who are we suggesting our comparables are?” It was just like Cher said, the more the merrier. And in the process it felt like we made lifelong friends with Jessica, Sandryne, Ariana and Catherine.

 

Tacombi...best Corn esquites EVER!!

Hot fudge sundaes on a Sunday night are a Johnson family tradition, something I'm only happy to continue on my own. I called my mom while I was stirring the big pot of homemade chocolate sauce and she told me she was packing for Florida. My parents are taking a road trip across the US, to Florida, where they've rented a house for two months. They're traveling Bill Johnson style- a giant sprinter van outfitted with a shower, microwave, drop down TV, Vespas, surfboards and who knows what other toys. Just the two of them. I can't help but think it's the coolest idea ever.

 

My word of the week is "glamping." Technically this is defined as "glamourous camping," but SEE ALSO: Bill Johnson. My dad pioneered glamping, so I'm only too happy the rest of the world finally caught on. Basically you have all the luxury amenities-A/C, king size bed, shower, toilet...with the outdoors. Think giant tree forts, spacial yurts and kingly tents. All for a low nightly fee. Specialized camping. It's the hot new thing, tons of websites have surfaced featuring glamping accomodations, shout out to Aubrey Potter for this find. You can still be adventurous, still be outside, and yet you don't need to pack the camping stove, burn your hand on your tinfoil dinner, or mistake poison ivy for toilet paper. Idyllic? I think so!

Friday night Clayton Christensen showed up for a fireside. I couldn't take notes fast enough. Seriously, my thumb has developed some kind of nervous twitch when I get typing too fast. My favorite quotes:

"We will only learn when we are ready to learn. When we ask a question it creates a place where an answer can be put; God can't give us the answer unless we ask questions."

"If we think we have all of the answers there is no need for revelation."

"God doesn't hire accountants. God doesn't need to aggregate people, the way he measures has nothing to do with numbers or hierarchy."

"The comparable isn't perfection because the Lord knows we aren't going to be perfect. The comparable is: 'Are the people that we interact with becoming better people because of their interaction with us?'"

"Our higher calling is to be a doer of good and a person that helps other people be better."

He shared a story about struggling to teach at Harvard in a way that all of the students would enjoy. He had received feedback from some students that they didn't like his teaching style and they were struggling to learn in his class. Someone gave him the advice to teach with Love. So before each class he prayed to be able to teach with love, that his students would be able to feel his love for them. It made all the difference. He said that no matter our church calling, career choice, or background, our most important calling is to help people around us become better.

There's another way to look at it though--am I being the type of person that others Want to keep around? Small yet important distinction--do others see me as bettering their lives? I know for a fact there are friends in my own life that I keep around because they make me a better person, I can feel it and I can see it, by so many of the little things they do. I think the key is being that kind of person. The irreplaceable, the "linchpin," the "go to", the "it" girl with a Pollyanna attitude, cheerleader support and dog-like loyalty. Or whatever strengths you produce that added up, contribute to bettering others. I read an incredibly moving story about a NYC taxi driver, that inspired me to be better: The Last Ride...A Sweet Lesson on Patience

"We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments...But great moments often catch us unaware--beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one."

Big or small moments, every interaction has the potential for greatness.
 

Clueless

sunset while playing tennis on the pier Friday night

Where does the time go?! And how is it Tuesday Already?! Sigh. Another new week, which means it's another new top 10....the Top 10 Super Random Facts This Week:

1. Lions produce their own Vitamin C...not to be confused with Vitamin D which you get from sunlight
2. iPhone 5 gets announced Wednesday...Handel's Hallelujah chorus will be raining down
3. Utah State beat Utah in football...Utah State's first win vs. Utah since 1997
4. Medical studies say that eating sugar before bed leads to nightmares
5. I've had Pad Thai 3 times in the past week...time to end this obsession
6. Songs of the week: Something Like Olivia, Turn Up the Love, Whistle, How We Do, Pound the Alarm, My Time
7. 104 NYPD Officers carrying radiation detectors (among other things) make up the anti-terrorism unit that patrols NYC's subway transit to prevent terrorism attacks...at least 14 terrorism attacks have been prevented since 9/11, police inspect 10 unattended packages Each Day
8. The Baltimore Orioles are currently ranked second (Second!!) in the AL East, behind the Yankees
9. Andy Roddick retired...we can only Hope this means he will be commentating, hands down best press conferences. ever.
10. I'm currently indexing passenger lists from the 1800s and it is so cool...510 names this weekend


I think I may know how Federer feels...Kim and I totally thought we Had it!! Apparently not. We lost 6-3, then 8-0...the only semi-positive thing I have to say about this is that I successfully returned over half of Ian's serves.



the color coordination was unplanned

 

It's finally getting colder!! I guess it's bittersweet because I already miss the beach, but I'm also ready to break out the new leather and quilted jackets. Walks in the park are at an all-time best...I took some of the prettiest pictures this weekend. The leaves are just starting to change, and the humidity is dying down a bit. About time. I slept a record 13 hours on Friday night. I'm not sure if I should take that as a sign to slow down... or Not.

playing tennis as the storm hit NYC

 

Deep down, I love being a nerd. There's something about learning that is so...exhilarating. For most of my life, Fall has meant back to school time- getting excited for hours of studying at the library, ace-ing assignments, and packing my school bag. I like to think there's a bit of Hermione Granger in me- that bossy, hate getting into trouble attitude, that passion for reading, and love for the library and having all the answers. Who am I kidding, that's a big part of me! But I have to admit, after work last night, it was nice to be able to go to the gym, make dinner, and then watch Clueless as I folded laundry and indexed, no homework to do. In fact, I think if you combined the personalities of Hermione Granger and Cher Horowitz, you'd have me, spot on. The most literal example of this is when I realized that high school grades were really more of a "jumping off point to start negotiations," and freshman year I successfully convinced my teacher to change my grade from a B+ to an A-, simply based on my powers of persuasion.

One of my favorite scenes in the movie is a conversation Cher has with her dad, because it reminds me of when I'm frustrated that things aren't working out fast enough, or my efforts aren't getting me what I want.

Cher: Daddy, did you ever have a problem that you couldn't argue your way out of?
Mel: Tell me the problem, and we'll figure out how to argue it.
Cher: I like this boy.
Mel: Yes?
Cher: And he likes someone else.
Mel: How could that be?
Cher: I don't know! But I feel wretched.
Mel: Well, obviously this boy is a complete moron. You are the most beautiful girl in Beverly Hills. And to tell you the truth, I'm not sure I want you with a stupid fella like that.
Cher: Well, actually, he is a smart guy and, you know he's one of those do-gooder types, and now I feel like all my after-school commitments are just not good enough.
Mel: How can you say that? Who takes care of everyone in this household? Who makes sure that Daddy eats right? To tell you the truth, I have not seen such good-doing since your mother.
Cher: Really?
Mel: Really. Now get back to work.

The biggest lesson I take from both Hermione and Cher's examples is this: Be Yourself. I came across a quote yesterday that said, "You do not need to be different from who you are. You only need to be more of the person you already are." Sometimes, when things get difficult, I react like Cher, "how am I not good enough?" and reflect on the person I'm not rather than the person I am. Along with this, Elder Holland spoke on Sunday, one of my favorite devotionals thus far. Don't ask me to re-tell the three stories because I can't make it through the third without crying, but all three had great messages. I took notes, and here are my favorite excerpts:

-We try to be at Our best in a desire to help others be at Their best.

-This church can never dumb down its doctrine, it is only the high ground of revealed truth that gives us any footing on which to lift another

 

-Our compassion and our love must never be interpreted as compromising commandments.

 

-There is a wide variety of beliefs, and there is moral agency for all, but no one is entitled to act as if God is mute on this.

 

-To distinguish perfectly between the sin and the sinner. Few distinctions are harder to make but we must lovingly try to do that.

-We should be a source of light in protecting our own communities. If we don’t take gospel blessings to our communities, we will never have enough policemen to enforce moral behavior

-We must try to help when and where we can, because we are not checking our religion at the door.

-We aren’t going to solve every problem in the world, there will still be poverty and unemployment and abuse, we can’t do everything, but we can do something.

 

-I recognize you not by your title, but by your life. The way you’re trying to live and the standards you are trying to defend. I see the integrity of your heart, I know you’ve tried to make things better, first and foremost by being better yourself, and then by declaring my word. I know you weren’t always successful but I believe you honestly tried, I believed in your heart, you truly loved me.

 

The last part of Elder Holland's talk was incredible, I love that phrase- I recognize you not by your title, but by your life. There's something so wonderful about knowing that God already knows the good as well as the bad side of you, and loves you as YOU! One of many reasons, I'm sure, why we are meant to have children and learn how to be parents-so that we learn how to show that kind of love.

 

In honor of 9/11 and the ability to live in a country that values our freedom so pricelessly, I'm spending tonight in my red skinny jeans and leather jacket, cheering on Bryce Harper and The Nationals as I chow down on a shake shack burger. Nothing quite says America like grilled hamburgers, Baseball, the Star Spangled Banner and fall nights under the stars.

 

Love,
"Chermione"

(new nickname, perhaps?)
 

Untouchable

"Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address." (Bonus points if you can guess what movie that's from!) Confession. Every time Fall rolls around, I have to stop by Staples. There's something about buying notebooks, color-coordinating folders, pens, pencils, staplers, planners...that has me excited that it's Fall, and school time. I walked through central park on Sunday, with my parents. We sailed sailboats in the pond and wandered through the mall. I'm drawn to the Bethesda fountain and the mall in ways I don't know how to describe. It's another magical place for me. I do, I love New York in the fall. If you haven't been in the Fall, come see it. Better yet, I'll show you.

Sailor at heart

 

Why is it that time always flies with the ones you love? I was so sad to see my parents leave for the Bahamas, and yet, I understand that after raising four wonderful and uniquely successful children, it's their time to have fun with each other. An important observation rang true this week, that although you can be happy with a lot of people, life is a lot more fun if you end up with someone that enjoys doing similar things with you and likes adventures. I'll take any adventure that involves the beach and/or sports.

We ran the gauntlet of subjects this weekend; my mom has been reading Katie Couric's The Best Advice I Ever Got, and we talked about our favorite responses. One of our favorites is by Ina Garten, better known as the Barefoot Contessa. Ina got burned out at her job, hard worker that she is, and wanted to make some changes. I loved that her husband was confident enough in her, to push her to quit her job. He continued to express his confidence in her, repeating his mantra of support as she took a year off, then eventually opened a cooking store and began her own cooking show. What is neat about her story is that she did something she had no experience in, but she succeeded because she's smart, and she works hard. For someone like me, this calms the stress. I don't need to worry so much about one job or one thing defining who I am (an area I struggle with), because I have the brains and the commitment to work hard at something to make it a success...and, like Ina, there are people that have an immense amount of faith in me. Being with my parents was like being drenched with buckets of faith and support; they repeated that same mantra over and over this weekend - don't worry, that no matter what I choose to do with my life, I will make it a success because I am smart, and I work hard. You is kind, you is smart, and you is important.

 

On our way back from surfing, we discussed Thomas Friedman's response, about being an Untouchable. "Do what you really love to do, and if you don't know quite what that is yet, well, keep searching, because once you find it you'll bring that something extra to your work that will help you ensure that you will not be automated or outsourced. It will make you untouchable." We talked about what makes each of us an "untouchable", and how we've used it to benefit others.

On Sunday, we sat on a bench overlooking Sheep's Meadow, and talked for a long time. We talked about what commitment means, how love is very much a choice, and how it can be both fun and hard to be committed to being your spouse's best friend. But that it's worth it, because you become a much better person. I laughed as they told me dating isn't really like marriage. We talked about friendships you make, those you keep, and those you are grateful for. And as it started to get dark, we talked about how crazy wonderful it is to be living in New York, and making my wildest dreams come true.

Life is sometimes crazy, hard to plan, and sometimes it doesn't make sense. But when my parents come to town, the puzzle pieces fit together, the picture starts to form, and the sun starts shining as I realize that life is wonderful and God always wants me to be happy. Always!

Don't you love New York in the Fall?!

 

 

 

Podium Charging

The 5 Most Important Decisions You Will Ever Make:

1. Choose to believe in yourself. What would you try if you knew you could not fail?
2. Choose to do the work which your goals require. Remember the law of the harvest.
3. Choose to put God first in your life.
4. Choose to stay away from "avalanche zones." Don't do anything where the holy ghost couldn't be present.
5. Choose to bring others with you across the finish line. Life is a team sport

I made my debut on national television. On the Today show. In my bikini no less. On the opening credits. I'm tempted to point out to Kate Upton that even She hasn't achieved this type of fame yet. Apparently, I was filmed at the beach on the fourth of July...as stock footage. Which NBC then used as the opening for their show and for their segment on sunscreen scamming. So on the first day of my vacation in Utah I woke up at 6 am to a screen shot my friend posted of me on the Today show. To be fair, it was me and Ryan...so I guess this means we will have to share next year's SI swimsuit cover. Kidding. The whole thing was so bizarre, I still don't know how neither of us noticed a cameraman filming us. Needless to say, it was my first morning of vacation and I got no sleep as I skyrocketed out of bed and raced down the stairs to see it for myself.

Can you believe it's Monday?! I spent the past three days with some of my very best friends, how lucky am I?? Really, really lucky...and blessed. It had been a year since I had been home; I was looking forward to seeing my family, that familiar feeling of sitting on the kitchen bar stools and chatting, playing with the dogs, playing games, driving my car, and sitting in the jacuzzi staring at the stars. What I didn't anticipate was the immense amount of effort and sacrifice that everyone made on my behalf. I kind of made a list, of things that I wanted to do. Ok, not kind of....I typed a list. Down to the hour. (At first I thought I was being too OCD, until I saw Chloe's method of packing for BYU-confirmation that it runs in the family) I honestly thought we'd get maybe half of the things done. It turns out, not only are we a family with various amounts of OCD, but I get my insane amount of energy from both parents. We played tennis, picked raspberries, ate at Teriyaki, went for a run in the mountains, went paddleboarding with the dogs, played the piano, went to Chloe's concert and my dad came home early from work to take me to the gun club. Not to mention some epic scooter rides...Vespas for life. My cousins drove up to spend time with me, my grandparents took us all to dinner, my dad, after riding an insane race uphill, played doubles tennis and then still took everyone on a horseback ride, followed up by sushi, then built us a fire to roast smores. The sacrifices were endless this weekend, and to each of my family members, it meant more to me than I can express.

Saturday morning I was reminded once again, that we are missing one of us. As we stood at the top of the Snowbird hill climb, what looked like a skinny boy in his teens, with blonde hair, charged past us to claim first place. Waves of nostalgia crashed down on me, as I thought of Pete. In the summer you could find him doing laps up and down the Colony road, or hear the TV blaring from the family room as he pedaled away on his stationary bike. The snowbird hill climb was Pete's first major race. It's a grueling 10 mile, 3,500 ft of climbing, perfect for the type of person that doesn't feel pain the way normal people do. This year my dad raced it alone, no Pete. He wanted to podium, but it wasn't meant to be this year. To his credit however, he gave it his all, and I was proud of him. I expect he will break all of his records when he races again next year. As we drove down the hill, my mom told me that Pete had said the race is just one long climb of intense pain. "Euwww," I said, wrinkling my nose a bit. "That sounds....Awful." She agreed. But one of the amazing things about biking is overcoming that pain. A sport like no other.

In addition to getting to spend time with my family, I got two unexpected surprises. One was from Grandpa Glenn, a small thumb drive with over 200 talks by general authorities and church leaders, to put on my phone and listen to as I head out to work. This includes a number of talks by people such as Joseph F. Smith, Spencer W. Kimball, people that I've never heard speak before. That little thumbdrive is worth its weight in gold...and then some. My other surprise was a gift from Grandad, to help me survive in NYC, extremely generous and kind of him.

On Sunday, we played croquet on the lawn, uncovering new sides to the Johnson competitive instinct. We developed a catch-phrase to describe our efforts, using my dad's desire to podium as a reflection of our effort. "Did you podium" or the verb "podium" became every day jargon.

I have a sign that hangs in my room, listing those 5 Most Important Decisions, but my favorite one is the last, number 5: Choose to bring others with you across the finish line. Being with my family has never made that more profound. Despite our differences or the fact that we don't always share physical space, there is a unity among us that works towards helping each other reach the finish line, despite being at different points in life. It is such a strong and unique bond, and I'm so grateful to be a part of that. I see it most acutely with my parents and siblings, as they help me and I help them. We're a team. And I'd like to add, a team that's going to podium! But I also see my larger team, a team that includes grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, second cousins, great uncles; all of us working to bring each other across the finish line of life.

Charging it to the podium in NYC,

Lo