Possibilities

Well it's finally here the year 2014,never thought the day would come!

To be quite honest I thought it would have ended in 2009 when someone who will not be named became president. But shockingly enough we are still alive and for that I am thankful.

Twenty-Thirteen, as it is sometimes called, was a good year to me.

I did things I had never done before... and probably wouldn't ever do again...like go on a 12 mile hike in Canada to the top of a literal mountain

But I also did things that I would do again in a heart beat…paddle boarding in wet suits, yes please 

Live with the most spontaneous people you will ever meet…take me back 

Go to Hawaii for my best friends wedding... duh 

Send this gem of a friend on a mission…maybe not my first choice but I do love pen palls 

Travel to England, Austria, Germany, France, the Chez Republic, and Italy….i'd get on a plane tomorrow 

Be in another best fiends wedding…wouldn't miss it! 

Live with my Grandparents for a few months…wouldn't trade it for the world 

Go to Disneyland with my favorite people…any day

It has been a year of joy, opportunities I never thought possible, and experiences I wouldn't ever want to forget. 

But i'm ready for the new year. I may not know what lies ahead, but i'm ready for what ever life throws at me. I know the beginning of the year will start out with a bang as I get to be in more weddings (my cousin get's married in two days) and go to Africa (28 days in counting). But aside from that all I have are goals and possibilities. Maybe i'll...

Graduate from college 

Run a marathon 

Write a book 

Get in shape 

Get a boyfriend…maybe

Try new recipes 

Go back to Hawaii 

Do the Dirty Dash again 

Get to reunite with my best friends 

What ever the new year throws at me, i'm ready. 

Hello 2014! 

And of course i'll remember to be…

Positively Contagious 

A not so white Christmas

The typical Christmas for my family is located in California while the rest of my extended family is in Utah all having a party without us. But guess who party crashed this year….this girl!! I love everything about the Christmas season: Lights, baking cookies (over eating cookies), gift wrapping, gift giving, tree decorating, picture taking, memory creating. The list really could go on and on and that would make for a rather boring entry. 

It's hard to believe Christmas has already come and gone and another year is beginning. Call me cheesy, but the spirit of Christmas has seemed to linger a little longer this year. I was able to experience Christmas with all of my favorite people in Utah and then headed to California to the "Happiest place on Earth".

We ate bags of cotton candy while we raced through Cars land

lost our voices on California screamin (the name suits the ride well)  and lost our stomachs multiple times on Tower of Terror.

Among the pure joy I couldn't help but think about the little phrase that describes Disneyland so well. What is true happiness, what makes me happy, and how do I carry that happiness with me.

                                      

 Again I could make a list, but lets be honest that's the quickest way to loose people's interest...if I haven't already. Ultimately I came to the conclusion that our happiness depends on our attitude. Extremely profound and very creative I know. But it's true. 

Life is not always going to be easy and there are going to be times when we just want to be angry, annoyed, or frustrated. Which, granted, is sometimes healthy and necessary. But at the end of the day there is always something to be thankful for. I have come to realize this lately in my own life. No matter what happens during the day, I can find one thing that makes me happy, that brings a smile to my face, and helps me realize that I can be truly happy. 

The Holiday season can become overly hectic. As we take a step back all that matters is being with those you love and creating memories that last a life time. And above all remembering the true meaning of Christmas. To celebrate the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ and the perfect life he lived and who made this Christmas season possible.

So, make your own "happiest place on earth" where ever you go and what ever you do 

and in doing so you will be….

Positively Contagious 

Microwavable Lemons

I really can't complain..Utah has been good to me.

I get to live close to family

 I get to go to Temple Square with friends,which is  probably one of my favorite things in the entire world 

I have the lovely opportunity to wear a jacket thicker then a cardigan. Although I may look happy, I hate the snow... not only hate but "loath entirely" (tis' the season for Grinch quotes)

I get to live by the mountains and see picture perfect sunsets every night

I get to go on cousin dates to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in real life which is way better then on TV 

And last but not least, I get the experience of living with grandparents.

 I love these sweet grandparents of mine. They are the most kind, tender hearted, loving, generous people you will ever meet. However, after being alive for eighty-eight years, they pretty much have life all figured out, all down to the little things.

Let me give you a little glimpse into our lives here in the Brewerton home and how I am slowly discovering where many of my strong character traits come from.

There is a typical routine I go through before I leave for work in the morning, and laundry is always included. At first I went about doing laundry the way I typically do; sort into colors, change the warm/cold settings, add some detergent, softener, and throw in the little plastic detergent cup. I went about this for quite some time but one morning my grandpa beat me to the laundry room.

Time out, side story. Many of you know I have an internal alarm that goes off around 10pm. When that time hits, Courtney has a one track mind and it always includes going to bed (turns out I get that one from the G-pa). "Early to bed, early to rise" is his life motto. And sometimes that includes vacuuming…at 6am when everyone else is still asleep…there is such thing as too early Grandpa.

Now, back to the laundry…he was rather prompt this particular morning. I was surprised to find a load already done when I went in to start my morning routine. I could tell he was concerned so I asked what was wrong. All he did was hold up the plastic cup and I knew. Apparently left it in the washing machine from the last load I did. He just said, plastic doesn't need to get washed and I am to rinse it out and set it on the paper towel next to the detergent when I am done (where I get my weird habits). Point well made Grandpa. We haven't had laundry issues since that day don't worry.

Usually good ole' Grannie and I have a few hours of bonding time before I have to go to work. Most of the time it consists of making cookies. This week in the span of five days I think we made three batches of cookies…do you know how much butter that is!? Now let me give you a little background. My poor grandma can barley walk even with a walker and for some reason refuses to use it….go figure. Making cookies is hard enough and in the process, she suddenly gets the urge to address her christmas card envelopes, unload the dishwasher, and make fruit salad. Um…please tell me how any of those things fit together (my occasional ability to multi-task). As I scramble going from one activity to another she watches me like a hawk making sure I do things correctly. Let me remind you, I have been here for a good two months so I have a pretty good idea of how things go around here. As I make the fruit salad (she is still insistent on walking me through step by step, grandma its FRUIT SALAD) I don't microwave the lemon and she was not thrilled with that decision. Apparently it helps get the juice out? Last time I checked lemons have juice with or without a microwave so I did it my way. But her eighty years outshine my twenty-two (the lovely stubborn quality on both ends) and I eventually asked for forgiveness and promised to do it her way next time.

I have to admit, it has taken a lot of getting used to, and I have had many frustrating moments. But as time goes on, I learn to adapt, just as my grandparents do. Let's be honest, it's a whole new experience for both of us.

I really do love my grandparents so much and am so thankful for their examples. I wouldn't give up this time for anything and I know that I will look back and cherish these moments I have had to spend with them.

So for now, I laugh at the little things, adapt to their habits (as weird as they may be), and learn as much as I can from them.

Because in all reality they are just being….

Positively Contagious 

Forever Young

You always hear people say "O to be young again". And I never thought that day would come when I would say that, especially at 22. Let me tell you this last birthday was quite the downer. Not my birthday itself as It was the weekend of my best friends wedding, but in the sense that I was t-w-e-n-t-y-t-w-o.

I know Taylor Swift has a joy in feeling twenty-two, but frankly I like the sound of twenty-one a whole lot better. As a matter of fact I actually liked twenty and was fine staying that age for…well ever. I have come to the conclusion that age doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. You may look like you are getting older, and your body may start to feel it  (that's more for the older folks…don't hate me).

But I think I have found the cure for staying young forever…FRIENDS.

And the friends I  am referring to are not just the common Facebook acquaintance. Lately, it seems friends are desired in quantity not quality.  Im talking about the friends who have your back no matter what. The ones who love you for who you are. The ones that listen, and truly care about you. The ones you call when something exciting happens. The ones who know you better then you know yourself. Those friends are the ones that help keep you young forever. And when the roles are reversed you would do the same, if not more for them.

I really don't know where I would be without these friends of mine. Sometimes I burst out in laughter (yes it can be embarrassing) just thinking about some of the things we did. The occasional kitchen flour fights, music video making, hand stand contests in the hallway, eating muddie buddies until we were sick, corn dog eating, you name it, we did it. And some of my greatest memories are when we wouldn't do anything at all,  except sit around the kitchen table and talk.  Sometimes we weren't as smart as we should have been, none the less we had a blast and I wouldn't trade those moments for anything! 

I think anyone can attest that when ever you are with friends, it's almost as if time never existed. No matter what your actual age, you are young again. The stress of reality diminishes, you eat your worries away, and laugh until your abbs hurt. Although these moments seem to be happening less frequently as my friends get married, the times we do have are the absolute best!

So I think it's safe to say that we can be as young as we wish. With those friends by our sides we can escape back to any year we want. But preferably not the awkward Junior High years (we all had them).

It really isn't the number of years that define your life but the memories created in our life time.

And during those years we have plenty of time to be…..

Positively Contagious 

Stay-cation

I wish I could have the title of "Aunt" however, that will not be happening anytime soon for this girl as my siblings are quite a fews younger then I am. Luckily I have older cousins who I like to pretend are my older sisters and lucky (or maybe not so lucky for them) I consider their kids my nieces and nephews. This weekend I was able to stay with two of the little kiddos; Vivian and Jeffery commonly known as Viv and Jeffi. While their parents were in Hawaii having a vacation, I tired to make it a little vacation at home for the kiddos.

Our long weekend went a little something like this:

Cinnamon toast for breakfast...extra cinnamon sugar

Finger painting....extra paint... every where

Couch forts...the bigger and messier the better

Play dough sculpting....make sure you mix all of the colors together

Fruit snacks and Chicken nuggets for lunch....eat your fruit snacks first

Movie night and Candy before bed....every night

Trampoline gym....went for two hours not just one

Sugar cookie making night....Lick the knife instead of frosting the cookie

Bed time stores...hour story time

The gas station down the street...daily treat stop

Nap time...no thanks

Needless to say by the end of the day they were tuckered out. It made for long day for all three of us. Although, our morning wake up call went from 6:00am to a whopping 7:00am and i'll take that any day! Now it may have sounded like flowers and unicorns all weekend but let me reassure you, they are still children. We had plenty of diaper changes, meltdowns, whining moments, and sibling arguments.  During the moment they may seam life changing, but at the end of the day they are insignificant. As we piled on the bed all cuddled together, read books, and sang songs until they fell asleep it all became worth it.

Sometimes I find myself wishing this part of my life away. I can't wait until....I'm done with school, I have a real job, I'm married, I have my own kids, until, until, until. But this weekend I forgot about the "Until's" and just loved what I was doing. It is so amazing to think about how giving of yourself, your love for people and your own circumstances grow.

My gratitude for the role of a mother grew, the importance of a father, and my love for Viv and Jeff grew. And instead of finding myself wishing for what I eventually want, I loved everything about what I already had.

I have a loving family immediate and extended, I have the best "nieces, and nephews" I could ever ask for, I have the best friends in the entire world, I have constant support from those around me, I have stability, and I have a religion that I love and cherish. But I also have hope. A hope that one day those "until's" will become a reality. And I know they will, but I just have to be patient.

And sometimes as we are patient we have more opportunities to be.......

Positively Contagious 

Among the Chaos

The typical work field has never interested me, sad and maybe pathetic, yet entirely true.

  My ideal "work day" consists of playing with play dough, wiping boogers, changing diapers, and building forts. Well that is not for some, I wouldn't have it any other way. There is no better job then playing with the most precious little people on earth.

 Yes all kids have their moments. The ground suddenly transforms into a punching bag. Shirts quickly become stain magnets. Toilets become swimming pools. And between the hours of 5pm-bedtime the worst of both parents (babysitters) and child seems to emerge (mom's know exactly what I'm talking about).

Yet among the sometimes chaotic moments, I end up learning. Kind of an interesting environment to learn and grow,but it happens.  More frequently then you would expect too. As adults we have had years to master the art of holding grudges, being stuck in our ways, and being rather uptight. That may be quite the generalization, but I'm sure you can think of things that you have become proficient at over the years. Because of a child's short time on earth they have yet to develop these lovely adult traits.  Children have the ability to quickly forgive. No matter what crazy idea you have, they go with it, trusting you completely. And they find pure joy in the simple things.

I think it would be safe to say, we have a lot to learn from these little ones. Even better, I think we need to become like them. No, that does not give you permission to hit, slobber, or wipe boogers on people. But what you can do is find your inner child. As crazy as that may seem, we were children at one point too. 

As adults we tend to get wrapped up in our overly scheduled lives. But among the chaos we may fail to remember how fun life can be. So I here's a challenge.... take a break. A total of 30 minutes will not kill you, I promise.

As frustrating as it is, the homework, emails, laundry, and dirty dishes will still be there when you get back. So take some time to do something out of the ordinary.

 Draw with chalk....

Do something Spontaneous... 

Have a mud fight.... 

Go to the zoo... 

Make a wish.... 

Just do something, anything that allows you to laugh, play, cry if necessary. No matter how old you are you can find a moment in a day to become like a child. 

My favorite wise old man once said" Life is to be enjoyed not just endured" 

As you enjoy your life, others will enjoy theirs.

 Which allows you both to be...

Positively Contagious 

No If's, And's, or But's

Just some food for thought...

What if we served unconditionally.  What if we could be an unconditionally loving parent, friend, daughter, son, grandparent, or spouse.What if we looked at others and thought how we could unconditionally love them.

Better yet, what if we loved ourselves unconditionally.

This may seem like a strange concept, but hear me out for a second. We live in a world where there is constant comparison. They have a better job then I do, they make more money, they have a faster car, their family seems perfect, they have more friends then I do, the list could go on and on. And speaking on behalf of the girls, Pinterest....need I say more. Ready for some harsh reality... you are right! There are plenty of people who have more then you.

But, let me remind you...it doesn't matter.

A lot of the time we are too hard on ourselves and those around us. Im not saying slack off, or lower your standards. I'm simply saying, don't expect yourself or others to be perfect. There is no such thing.

 If we weren't so hard on ourselves all the time we may find our happiness increase and our desire for things decrease.  The fact of the matter is, if you don't love yourself then there is no object, no place, or no one who can make you happy. Do those things bring joy and happiness to life, absolutely! But loving yourself unconditionally is a life long task that we can chip away at every day.

 It will take work, effort, a different mindset, help from those around you, and even Heavenly help. But, it can be done.

As you unconditionally love yourself, you see your potential. With that comes the decreased desire to be, act, or look like someone else. Recognize your success. Find humility in your failures, but do not doubt yourself or your abilities. Look for reasons to love yourself, and you will find others striving to do the same.

For some it may be simple, for others it may be hard.

But you have reason to love the person you are, and with time will become.

And with that comes the desire to be...

Positively Contagious