A New Way to Waste Time

So, I'm always looking for good ways to pass the time at work (not that being a secretary is totally boring, but there are some down times...) and I had always heard about this, but never realized how AWESOME it is, and what an incredible time waster it can be! If any of you have ever tried StumbleUpon, then you know what I'm talking about!

They have a "like" button on StumbleUpon, and I found that I was pretty much liking every single page that came up! There is so much cool stuff online! Here are just a few things I found while stumbling around today...

A really cool picture

Something I totally want to try

We need this at the Camas Pool

It is awesome that this is legal! (Devynne, this one is for you!)

What I would do if I had lots of time

I have to show Owen this one and this one

Anyone who understands my love of paper snowflakes can see my joy with this!

Need to go here and here or even here

Too bad I just bought a white zip-up jacket...

Okay this is awesome and this is too

Something to think about

I'm totally going to use my new Photoshop skills to try this!

Okay I want all of these in my house

Why did I never think of this before?

Somehow I am going to have to persuade myself to only do this at work, or else

I will surely waste my whole life away...but this website is seriously awesome!

(Now don't go wasting all your time here either...or at least don't blame me for it :) )

ALSO, we went to Winco today (oh beloved Winco) and of course we had to pick up our standard two containers of Tillamook ice cream, when to my joyful surprise,

THEY HAD STICKY BUN!!!!!!!!!!!!

This was the flavor I got when we went to visit the Tillamook factory and it was sooo delicious and now they are selling it at Winco for a limited time! I literally started jumping up and down with excitement. Now that I think about it, it was probably pretty embarrassing, but let me tell you, this ice cream is WORTH IT. We had it over some caramel dumplings I made...heaven.

Where I Grew Up

I can't decide if this is cool or not, check it out for yourself:

http://www.thewildernessdowntown.com/

This is what I do while Owen has his evening class...

Photoshop is Awesome!

Okay, I know I already blogged once today, but I can't help sharing how awesome Photoshop is! I just took an Advanced Drawing Skills class through BYU OIT (it was free! Check it out!) and it was so cool! Here is one of the projects I made it class (click on the image for a bigger view):

I learned how to use different blending modes, create clipping paths, work with vectors and rasters, and even how to make my own brushes! I wish that I had unlimited time to play around with all of the awesome features that Photoshop has to offer instead of doing boring ol' homework...which I probably should get back to right now...ANYWAYS--Photoshop is cool!

Silly Bandz--Are they really silly?

I first heard about silly bandz while working at the Camas Pool. One of my teachers, Daniel, was wearing a weird shaped rubber band on his wrist, and like any normal person, I asked him, "What the heck is that?" He took it off his wrist, let its natural shape reform, and showed me that it was a gecko. He then went on to explain the concept-how they are a new trend and come in all sorts of shapes and people can buy them then trade them. I thought they were a little lame at first, but then he started telling me about the mythological set of silly bandz, and I started warming up to the idea a little more (come on, I'm a huge Percy Jackson fan). I saw a few more Silly Bandz fans show up over the summer, my friend Jaimee, some kids who were taking swim lessons, and didn't really think that much more of it.

Then we went on our honeymoon to Disneyland, and for me, one of the most fun part about Disneyland is SHOPPING! I love trying to find the perfect souvenir gifts for everyone and going around to all the different stores. I wasn't sure what to get for Lyvia, but then I saw these:

I figured that she was just about the right age (14, in middle school) for this pretty cool new trend, but I couldn't decide which set to get for her. The Disney princesses are of course awesome, but the Mickey Mouse set has all the classics. So I bought both and decided that I would give her half of each container and keep the other half for myself! I gave some to each of my little cousins who were visiting, and then brought the rest with me here to BYU.

To my surprise, I saw 5 people on the first day of school wearing silly bandz! I was so excited! Though not as popular as they are in elementary schools on the east coast, silly bandz are definitely becoming a hot commodity for students on BYU campus. Even celebrities are getting into the trend!

Owen thinks that they are pretty ridiculous, but I have convinced him to wear them every now and then (even to our open house!) I'm thinking that I should get the Marvel comics set of Silly Bandz--there's no way he'd be able to resist them then! Though they might be a silly little trend for now, I think they are a fun conversation starter and a cute way to display some of your favorite hobbies or interests--I'm wearing Snow White and Pluto right now!

This kid thinks Silly Bandz are awesome.

Dad

Though it isn't something I really want to dwell on for long periods of time, I felt that it wouldn't really be fair to not mention the other significant event that occurred this summer. This summer, on August 25th, my father passed away from a long battle with lung cancer. Rather than going into all of the details of the non-fun-ness that accompanied that event, I will share with you the tribute I gave at the funeral.

To many of you, the man we are here to remember today was known as Chef Mike. Or maybe you remember him as a basketball coach, a gingerbread house pro, a cubmaster, a motorcycle and jet ski enthusiast, a husband, a son, or a friend. But to me, Michael Andrew Barret was my dad. And like most fabulous fathers, my dad has taught me many important lessons that I will always carry with me. Not only did my father give me awesome freckle genes, but he also has taught me the importance of service, a positive attitude, and love for family and the gospel.

My father has always set an example of service for me. He always is unselfish, and sacrifices his own wants and needs to improve the lives of others. He even sacrificed sleep in order to ride the Hollywood Tower of Terror with me five times in a row late at night when we went to Disneyland. Not only did he encourage me to serve others, but he set an example of service, building shelters for Girls Camp, helping members of the ward move, and cooking up special events through Beaches like the annual green eggs and ham spectacular. My father even made my school lunch for me every day until my sophomore year of high school--though I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to forgive him for putting a raw potato in my lunch in third grade!

I have never known anyone with a more positive attitude than my father. During the past two years while I have been at school, my father has sent me regular letters to keep me up to date with the family. Even after battling lung cancer for a year, my dad sent me a letter that says “All is well! Mom and I walked up Sierra on Friday. No prob! Next, I’ll embarrass you and Devynne at the pool with my most excellent swimming skills. You missed the bomb cinnamon rolls today. I’d send you one but you never call me or facebook me. One crummy email every two months doesn’t make up for all the poopy diapers I changed on you.” Whenever I was feeling down or unsure of what direction to take in my life, my dad always reminded me to think of soft pink fuzzy bunnies. While most people might roll their eyes at something as absurd as the notion of soft pink fuzzy bunnies, it was always a way for me to put life in perspective and help change my attitude. My father always reminded us of our great potential, and his positive encouragement helped many achieve far beyond their own expectations.

The final lesson my father taught me was the importance of family and the gospel. He always told me that joining the LDS church was the best decision he had ever made in his life. The most blessings and the greatest joys in his life came from his family and the church. He always set an example of prayer, temple attendance and making family his top priority. I owe so much to him for driving me to seminary every morning at 6 am, and for teaching me of the importance of the temple. The most special memory I have with my father is when we were able to go to the temple together as a family. I’m not sure why my father has been taken at this time, but I am comforted and blessed to know that I will be able to spend the rest of eternity with him. I have no idea how I would be able to endure this loss without the knowledge of the eternal family unit. I know that I will be able to see my father again and be with him forever in heaven thanks to the blessing of the temple.

We have so many people to thank. There are too many to name, because everyone here in the audience today has helped my father and our family in some way. At a devotional at my school, BYU, President Holland once said “many people go about God’s work in very quiet, very unspectacular ways...As you invest your time--and inconvenience--in quiet, unassuming service, you will find that ‘his angels have charge concerning thee; and in their hands they shall bear thee up.’” Our family has indeed been supported by the hands of angels, and we are forever grateful for all of the service we have received. Between my wedding and the help everyone has given with Dad, we will be writing thank-you notes for a very, very long time. I will also forever be grateful to the lessons my father has taught me, and for creating such a wonderful family. And remember, always watch out for soft pink fuzzy bunnies!

See ya later, Dad

We're Going to Disneyland!

Okay, not only did we have the best wedding ever, but we also had the BEST HONEYMOON EVER!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, Disneyland was definitely the way to go for us!

Also, since I skimped out with wedding photos and talked WAY too much on the last post, I'm going to make up for it with an overload of pictures and a lack of words here!

We stayed at the Camas Hotel on the evening of our wedding-definitely an awesome choice, we loved the quaint details and the people running the hotel were sooo nice.

The next morning, we hit the road! Owen was SOOO excited for the 16 hour drive ahead :)

Thank goodness for Percy Jackson on tape and for Red Vines. I'm pretty sure that's what saved our sanity.

Beautiful lake--if we weren't in such a hurry to get to DISNEYLAND we might have gone for a swim...

We were singing Disney songs at the top of our lungs by this point.

Next day: FINALLY at the park! YESSS!

First stop, Adventureland!

I touched it..

It is surprising how uncomfortable these hats are...

Meeting Mater and Lightning McQueen

Goofy in an awesome aviator suit

The big-eared man himself! We hardly had to wait in a line at all to meet any of the Disney characters--we were so lucky!

Owen's first time on California Screamin' haha

We got trapped in the Toy Story box

it's tough to be a bug

Pluto is awesome!

I totally would go see a movie called "Beauty and the Bees" :)

Lookin' classy on Paradise Pier

The beginning of my long series of photos from the World of Color show--it was AWESOME! Sort of like Fantasmic, but way cooler! And thus I had many pictures:

The next day was our Magic Morning. We were pretty pumped to be there at 6:45 in the morning...

We were RIGHT behind the family they picked to open the park...so close!

Hello Disneyland's Main Street! We had the street all to ourselves because we maybe sort of sprinted through the entrance gates...

The Matterhorn--got to ride it twice in a row!

Owen was SUPER good at the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters--he got all the way to Level 6!

This is probably more fun if you can't drive an actual car...

Don't even remember how many times we rode this one...

I felt kind of creepy taking pictures of other people's kids, but the Jedi Training was just too cute!

We splurged for dinner at the Blue Bayou :)

The water server guy was the best!

Do take notice of the awesome pins

Best. Gumbo. Ever.

The whole reason we ate here: the famous Monte Cristo sandwich. We started eating it before we remembered to take a pictures--we couldn't help it! Soooo delicious.

The Classic Disneyland Photo #1

I love Beauty and the Beast

We're lucky we both have names that correspond with "California"!

Meeting my hero. Kind of weird now that I might be older than her...

We've decided that meeting the Disney princesses is much less awkward if you have children with you. Which we didn't...

Grizzy River Run!

Princess Tiana was awesome--such a cute Southern accent :)

This is Owen in 40 years

We also love Indiana Jones.

Part of the Fantasmic show aka Awesome

We loved the new 4D Toy Story ride! Totally worth the 40 minute wait--especially since it was the longest line we had to wait in the whole time we were there!

Meeting Jessie and a Green Army Dude

These ice cream cones seriously saved us this day

Coolest building of the whole park. One day we want our living room to look like the inside of the Animation Studio

We learned how to draw Winnie the Pooh!

This was the morning we totally lucked out with Disney characters--they were all over Main Street and there were no lines! It was awesome!

The Classic Disneyland Photo #2

We met the Evil Queen from Snow White--she was so scary! She also made fun of the fact that we were matching.

He almost got the sword out of the stone...

We couldn't avoid the classic ride

Meeting Cinderella

Best food to be found in all of California--Dole Pineapple Whips!

This is Joe, our friend from the Rainforest Cafe who accompanied our meal with random grunts and other jungle sounds

Had to take pictures of the food of course

My personal favorite ride--though I didn't enjoy it as much after a full stomach from the Rainforest Cafe!

Sadly we had to drive home :( This is passing through Las Vegas, which was much less eventful than I was expecting. Even St. George with the lovely red rock was more exciting.

All in all, it was more than I could ever ask for--going to Disneyland was definitely the perfect choice for us! It was so fun to get to spend that time together not having to worry about anyone except ourselves and getting to run around and relieve some of the stress that came from the wedding at the happiest place on earth. And we most definitely want to go again. Like tomorrow.