Its Time to Get Political!

Tis the season...to pick the candidates that will represent our party!  Party, party, friday friday....

Anyways, I'm a little bit torn.  I lean more towards the republican side.  I'm torn between Romney and Ron Paul.  Peter is all about Romney...and our Relief Society Advisor is all about Ron Paul--she says he truly stands up for the constitution and no other candidates do that.  She also stated that Romney was Pro-Choice and pushed that in one of the states he served in.  If our Church is all about being pro-life, then how can I believe that he will stand up for good principles, even if he is LDS?

So, who do YOU think will be a good president??

:) 

Thankful For...

Well considering today is Thanksgiving, I think its a good time to think of things I myself am thankful for. I decided for the month of November to write down ten things I was thankful for for that day each day in my journal. This lasted about 4 days....hahaha(got a little bit distracted and not as much journaling has been going on since a boy has entered my life..haha...I'm trying to do better though!) So I think I will make another one...albeit is definitely NOT complete!

Family
Friends
The Gospel of Jesus Christ (Truth!) and the Restoration of the truth back on the earth that was lost after the death of the Apostles.
Sunshine
Summertime
Spring
the Scriptures
A car that runs
A roof over my head
A heater
Warm bed to sleep in
A job (and I even get out at 3...its great. It makes me get up early too...which I think is good for me!)
A body that can move and breathe and eat and that works pretty well for the most part!
A head of hair (PS my aunt that has lung cancer is in remission as of this week! YESS!!!)
The Temple. Oh how much I love the temple!!
Good books!
A chance to live in this country where we have everything we need for the most part, and don't live in fear of our lives
Cell phones (how would we get along without them!!)
Texting
Good movies
Entertainment
Facebook
Computers...everywhere!
Hot running water! (oh come on, you all know at least once you didn't have hot water for one reason or another! Isn't it fantastic when we have it???)
My mother and father
The Gift of the Holy Ghost
The Atonement of Jesus Christ, without which we would not experience any real joy in this life I dont think!
A washing machine...even if it isn't IN my apartment....at least there is one nearby...and at least I have been able to pay to use it!
Neighboors!
Coworkers..the people at USH are so friendly!
Cool websites like Pintrest...
A swimming pool!
Education
BYU
Running shoes :)
....Shoes...
Cookies (especially pumpkin chocolate chip)
MUSIC!!! (it can seriously turn my entire mood around!)
Quotes from Sister Hinckley
Toilet Paper (can you imagine the alternative?) and feminine products..I dont know how the pioneers did it. Gross.
The ability to read and write.
Medical supplies (thank you medical world!  You save so many lives!)
....
I could go on forever! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

Dating Can Be a Challenge!

So, as many of you know, or maybe you don't know, I'm dating a mister Peter Decker.  This has been going on for about 3 months now.  I NEVER EVER expected to be dating him. Ever. lol.  And yet I'm going to meet his family on Thanksgiving....eek!  I've already met his brother and sister-in-law, and his oldest sister and her family.  I'm coming to enjoy all of our game nights at his brother's house.  They are pretty hilarious when you get them together....

Peter treats me really well. And this is why I like him.  He's a kind person....despite his intermittent annoyances with certain people--and occassionally his annoyances with just people in general.  He has a quirky sense of humor--and just the other day I was asking myself why on earth I am dating a guy who is getting distracted by listening to all the ogre and troll belching noises from some video game called Starcraft or whatever....lol...but he's very kind to me. Even if I am rude to him or critical. He's kind.

That brings me to another point. Me and Peter are both similar and very different.  For example, we are both pretty stubborn. I'm not so sure this is a good thing. Haha!  For another thing, we both value education and being prepared for the future.  We both value intimacy in relationships (I mean, emotional intimacy...cuddling isn't so bad either :)  We both come from families we love (accept his isn't all divorced and all over the place--his parents are still happily married and his siblings are happily married from what I understand...)  We both like to work out and stay healthy, both want a happy family, both love the gospel...we also have both worked in facilities with troubled youth.  He got his degree in Psychology, I got mine in marriage, family, and human development. So we are similary interested in people.  We are also both pretty frugal--I think he may even be more frugal than me!  (I admit I've loosened up quite a bit in this arena in the last couple of years) We also both moved around a lot as kids. And we work through our problems pretty well I think. 

We are different in sooo many ways though as well, and this causes quite a bit of conflict between us.  For example, just on Sunday, there were tons of things going on as usual.  Lots of gatherings of people--ward prayer, meetings, a party after ward prayer for a sister in our ward..I wanted to go to all of them and mingle with all the people.  I feel like I get socially starved during the week.  Though I really enjoy my time with Peter, I really enjoy my time with other people as well.  Peter, on the other hand, is more of a small-crowd person.  He prefers the intimacy of one-on-one interaction or just being with close friends. He figures, I have my girl, so what is the point in interacting with all of those OTHER people that he isn't close to, and who frankly annoy him?   This causes a conflict mostly because our inherent belief of why we socialize in this gospel is different. (ex:  I think that we all have a responsibility to be a friend to everyone, especially at this time in our life when there are many lonely people around us who can very easily slip off the gospel path. and Im thinking we shouldn't get so annoyed with people but find things to love about them...and he's thinking, we are supposed to be focused on our family, not everyone else) We also have a very different sense of humor.  He laughs at things that I think are not all that funny.....and when I tell my sarcastic jokes like "I hope you have an AWFUL day!"  he calls me a jerk.  haha  So I get mad at him for getting so annoyed with people..and I get frusterated sometimes at how we look at things so differently (which comes from the way we were both raised I imagine).  He's super nice to me and I, well, I feel like I tend to be more critical.  Maybe this comes from fears?  I laugh at the things that are difficult....he withdraws and feels depressed.  I want to live in California, he wants Missouri.  I like music that makes me want to dance, he likes music that matches his mood or that is a little more serious (and that kind of music gets me down sometimes).  I am a dreamer and idealist, he is definitely not. haha.  I want to play in the rain and laugh through life, and he's focused on the more serious things.  (I'm not sure playing in the rain would be very fun for him...lol) He's timley and efficient and to the point, and sometimes can come across as being hard nosed and wanting to be in charge of everything.  I'm like, lets enjoy the moment! 

But he's so sweet!  And all the people in my ward just tell me that he's "so nice".  I don't even ask their opinion.  They just tell me. :) 

I guess this is why dating is stressful sometimes...but I imagine no matter who you date or marry, you will have differences.  Trying to take two people who come from different families, backgrounds, cultures (even though we are both American, our family cultures are different) and blend them into one requires a lot of personal changing.  I might have to start laughing at those troll farts (oh...forgive me...OGRE..) oh man...and I might have to start enjoying video games (which I feel suck out my brain cells) and maybe even learn to play chess (yes, my friends, he says chess is one of his passions....I guess it could be worse ;)  haha)  and if I marry him I'll have to get used to snoring (one of my pet peeves) lol.....

but what can I say? we are both stubborn....I just hope and pray that we can figure out a way to blend all of this together....lol! 

Have an AWFUL day!  ;) 

Another note on holidays....

So did anyone hear that a ton of retailers are opening their doors now at midnight of Thanksgiving night (for the Black Friday fiesta)?  I'm not so sure how I feel about this. Part of me says, well sweet, I don't have to get up at 4am! Yet...the lines will be crazy, which means you probably have to leave early, like around 10, and MY family is usually still hanging out around that time.  So it seems like retailers are kind of messing with our family time during the holidays.  Of course, we don't HAVE to go shopping, but you know what it will look like just a few hours after you get started--everything will get picked clean! 

Our world is really becoming so commercialized and focused on STUFF :(  Sad! 

Halloween is Over!

Well, halloween is officially over!  (ok I know this post is a little late.....)

Anyways, it is now time to move into the HOLIDAYS!! Yesss!!!! Not Christmas quite yet....come on people...haha....

But when I think of Christmas I think of cheerfulness and joy.  I think these are very wonderful qualities to cultimate in oneself.   There is a proverb that my grandma had on her wall that said "A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance."  When I think about it, some of my favorite people in my life have been those who have been full of cheer. They buey me up and give me strength to enjoy my life!  My sister Courtney is one example of a cheerful person.  My Grandma June.  My mom at times.  Some of my best friends.  :) 

Where does cheer come from?  Well, from the mouth of Shayna, it seems like cheer comes from someone who actively seeks the good around them.  They are full of gratitude and humility and see things from an optimistic perspective. They think, "How can I make someone's life great today??!"  They see the good in everyone around them. (or at least they try to...) It exudes in their very countenance.  It comes from several personal decisions to think of good things. When I meet the Lord face to face, I would like to think that He will be a cheerful person. 

Anyways, that is my thought for the day! Let us be cheerful! :)

So...ready, set, SMILE!

Yay the Troops are Coming Back!

I saw this article in the Washington Post this morning:

http://apps.washingtonpost.com/national/fallen/

It shows each individual soldier that has fallen in the Iraq/Afghanistan war that has been going for so many years

I was moved deeply when looking at this list, because many of my brother's close buddies are on it.  These are real guys with real lives!  Thank you each for your sacrifice, and may we all make choices to keep our lives free and happy!

Stewart Falls and Cornbellys

Cornbelly's...Actually its just one picture lol. I didn't like the way the others turned out...

And..dun dun dun...Stewart Falls..Wow talk about a beautiful hike! I was so invigorated by all those beautiful colors...I LOVE being in Heavenly Father's creations.  

 Peter:  Now look MAD!!

Peter got some pretty good shots from the car...this is up towards Aspen grove in case anyone is wondering :) 

Fall is in the Air!

So Peter asks me what kinds of things I want to do.....I had this huge list of Fall activities that I thought would be fun...and a lot of them included Apples!  So....we made caramel apples, CANNED applesauce (I've never canned anything before so Peter showed me how...)...and soon we will also make an apple pie. Yes! Yumm!!

OHOP with Christian!  (Yes, you heard that right!  Original House of Pancakes in SLC. It wasn't bad!)

And my favorite....Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies! Yessss!!! We made this batch that ended up giving us about 40 cookies! Yikes! It was great though, we just delivered them to a bunch of people! 

Chocolate and Dead Bodies

It is Thursday, which means it is almost Friday (aka payday) Yess!! And then it is almost the weekend!! 

I am absolutely loving this time of year. I thought I would hate Fall, I could feel my negative ninny trying to burst out, but instead of hating it, I decided I would focus on the fact that Fall in Utah is gorgeous.  Secondly I decided to start getting ready for Christmas so that I would have something fun to look forward to when the weather DOES start to get colder.  Right now its just perfect for driving with the windows down. :)

One wonderful thing about today is:

Have you ever tried Lindt chocolate?  Oh man, its really, really good. One day I was visiting my dad and he broke me off a piece of a 70% cocoa Lindt dark chocolate bar.  That means with the higher percentage of cocoa that it is a lot richer and has more of a bitter flavor.  But it also means it tastes fantastic...AND it is a lot better for you. Chocolate itself is actually good for you. It's all the stuff they put in it that makes it not so healthy.  And guess what...I found the same exact kind of chocolate at Macy's the other day! Yesss! So here's to chocolate! :) 

And secondly, 

I got one of these bad boys, and am loving every minute of having a dead man's arm hanging out of my trunk!  (that isn't my car...but I'll put up pictures soon..)

MFHD Nerdiness Coming Out!

Hey all!  So I was remembering some of the stuff I learned in MFHD the other day, and this particular concept came to my mind:  the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse by Gottman.  Basically, these are 4 very dangerous things to do in a relationship, and if you are in a relationship it is very important to look at yourself, and at your partner, and if these behaviors are happening, figure out how to fix them!  Because they will ultimately destroy your relationship.  Not to get preachy because by all means I struggle sometimes!

I found this article online and I would like to paste it in here...keep in mind that I didn't write this :) no plaguarizing (sp?) here!:

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Based on John Gottman's, PhD, Relationship Research
Adapted from his book "The Seven Principles for Making a Marriage Work"

by Gudrun Zomerland, MFT

Dr. John Gottman can predict with 96% accuracy within the first three minutes of a couple having a conversation whether the relationship he is watching will survive over the long-haul or not. He bases his predictions on four potentially destructive communication styles and coping mechanisms: (1) harsh startup, (2) the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, (3) flooding, and (4) body language. In this synopsis I will focus on the Four Horsemen.

The Four Horsemen are a metaphor depicting the end of times in the New Testament. They describe conquest, war, hunger, and death respectively. Dr. Gottman uses this metaphor to describe communication styles that can predict the end of a relationship.

The first horseman in a relationship is criticism. Criticizing our partner is different than offering a critique or having a complaint. The latter two are about specific issues, whereas the former attacks our partner at the core. In effect, we are dismantling his or her whole being when we criticize.

Example: "I was scared when you were running late and didn't call me. I thought we had agreed that we would do that for each other" is a complaint. "You never think about how your behavior is affecting other people. I don't believe you are that forgetful; you just don't think about me" is a criticism.

The second horseman is contempt. When we communicate from this state, we are being mean, treating others with disrespect by using sarcasm, ridicule, name-calling, and/or body language such as eye-rolling. The partner feels despised and worthless. Contempt is toxic and cannot be replaced with anything. It must be eliminated.

Example: "I've been with the kids all day, running around like mad to keep this house going and all you do, when you come home from work, is to flop down on that sofa and become a couch potato. You are just about the sorriest excuse for a husband I can think of."

The third horseman is defensiveness. This is an easy one to fall into. We feel accused of something and think that, if we tell our partner our excuse for doing what we did, he or she will back off. But the excuse just tells our partner that we haven't considered anything he or she has said. Basically, by defending ourselves we are ignoring our partner.

Example: She: "Did you call Betty and Ralph to let them know that we are not coming tonight as you said this morning you would?" He: "I was just too darn busy today. As a matter of fact you knew how busy my schedule was. Why didn't you just do it?" He not only responds defensively but turns the table and makes it her fault. A nondefensive response would have been: "Oooops, I forgot. I should have asked you this morning to do it because I knew my day would be packed. Let me call them right now."

The fourth horseman is stonewalling. When we stonewall, we avoid conflict either because we are unconscious of our own feelings or because we are afraid. Rather than confronting the issues (usually they tend to accumulate) with our partner, we make evasive maneuvers such as tuning out, turning away, being busy or engaging in obsessive behaviors. We simply stop engaging in the business of relating to another person.
Note:

My experience as couples counselor for the past 16 years has validated what Dr. Gottman's research has shown. When all four horsemen are active and alive in a relationship, it is most likely too late to turn it around. I believe when the latter two, defensiveness and stonewalling are present, your relationship has a chance to survive if you seek outside help such as couples counseling. In order to change the first two horsemen, criticism and contempt, the person who engages in them really needs individual counseling because the attack on another person's worth usually stems from childhood wounds such as parental criticism, shaming, belittling or excessive demands. Feel free to call me for a free 20-minute phone consultation or to set up a regular appointment.

Visit Dr. Gottman's website at http://www.gottman.com/marriage.
"The Seven Principles for Making a Marriage Work" is available at Amazon.com.
article taken from :  http://www.chinnstreetcounseling.com/zomerland/zomerland_8.shtml

Anyways, like I said, oh my goodness I do these things all the time!  I do have an old roommate who did this a TON to her now husband when he was trying to date her.  But now they have such a great relationship....so maybe it relates more to a marriage relationship than when you are dating and trying to figure each other out.  However, I am certain that its very rarely good to do these things...gulp...I guess this is why repentance and forgiveness are also needed to make a relationship work.

Courtney, California, Roommates oh haaayyy!

Yeah, yeah. It's been awhile..I know! But it's only because its been such a busy month!

1.  Courtney came to visit me for 2 weeks before we both left for California.  River came with her! I just love this little baby!! We gave her whip cream for the first time..I just love the faces she makes! ha!

"Hmm...ooohhh...this is kind of GOOD!"

Then the happy grunting began! Until we wiped it off her face and she started screaming...

Haha! Best face ever....Courtney: "Shayna, Look at these Granny Pants!"  River: "What the CRAP!"

2.  CALIFORNIA!  I got to see my brother for the first time in 3 years. He's a Marine stationed up in North Carolina and has been to Afghanistan twice.  And they won't send him back again! Thank goodness! Way too many close calls! His wife, Rosa, is moving in with my mom for the last year of his service, then he will be coming back to California. 

 Rosa and Ryan's dogs..they are big!!

I was stalking my mom and sister at Target....My mom hurt her knee and has to use a walker, so we call her Walker Texas Ranger..A Walker to Remember...A Walker in the Clouds...that old lady is probably thinking, "oh haaayyy...I'm like 40 years older than you and still kickin it, baby"

 Siblings all together again for the first time in 5 years!!

 Grandpa...

 And this would be Taco, the dog that mysteriously showed up at my aunt's house and has been a fun little blessing to have around :) 

 Uncle Buddy, my grandma's brother from Ohio, was also here to visit! He bought these PJ's at walmart and got a huge kick out of em. Ha..bunch of goofballs, my family is! I love em!!

 Danielle's hair is getting SUPER LONG!!!

 This can was carried around by my grandma's dad for YEARS. He would put his hot drinks in it and it would keep them hot all day. Don't worry, it was just a silver can when he used it...haha

And this is the Zimpel fam! Plus 2 nurses. I grew up with them and lived with them for a few years. I love these guys!!

 Dirtbiking is so fun for EVERYone! :)

 Yah, I was totally raiding the pictures from back in the day ;)  this reminds me that 1.  again, we've all been goofballs from the start.  and 2.  my dad never changes from the amazing dad that he is :) (he was probably making my bed because it was a horrible mess, and probably trying to teach me how to make it right...obviously I wasn't listening....)

3. Roommates...

 Late night usuals....why we pick the hall to hang out I have no clue. Ha i have the funniest and best roommates ever!!

Erin is HOT.