Do The Blind See Better Than We Do?

I haven’t blogged in forever and I know that I owe those faithful followers a more detailed update on my life but I just wanted to talk about some amazing people I get to work with for the next few weeks.
I am currently temping covering the reception at CNIB (The Canadian National Institute for the Blind) and the people I meet here amaze me!
Today I met a 93 year old man who sat through 6 hours of testing and teaching and still was upbeat enough to joke around with me about putting his picture in the paper (you had to be there). The man uses a walker and is blind, but he is in much better shape that people much younger than him and in much better spirits.
Today I also met a boy who needed my help finding the address for the SPCA. The boy took out a bus map and held it an inch away from his face to try and find the address. He was distraught when the first address was 6 blocks away from a bus route. Luckily we found an alternate address and he went off to catch his bus. The fact that he can barely see and is taking public transportation amazes me enough (I’m scared out of my mind to take the bus, in Edmonton, who knows where I would end up), but that he is taking his time afterschool to go to the SPCA is incredible.
These are just two examples of the amazing people I get to interact with everyday for the next 3 weeks. Being blind is not a hardship for them it is a way of life.
I won’t be hypocritical and say suck it up these guys have a significant trial and they’ve made the best of it, because honestly I know that some of the hardest trials are once that you can’t see. But I hope that I can keep these people in mind next time one of those trials comes my way.

Spiritual Extreme!

Conference was pretty sweet this weekend. I love hearing the prophet and apostles speak. I will be honest, listening to eight hours of talking is not something I am good at but I definitely recommend looking up President Uctdorf and Elder Snow's talks.

Also, unrelated to conference I had a pretty sweet tithing experience this week. I was at my friends house last Saturday and I was like, oh no how am I going to pay tuition next semster, I haven't heard back about my loan and I have zero dinero right now. I was like tomorrow I will pay my tithing and then I will hear back about my student loan, and guess what I gave the Bishop my tithing and two days letter I got my student loan information! Yay!

Put 'em up!

There is really not much to say other than that we had a Cowboy and Indian themed Graduation party for Kyndra and Natalie a couple of weeks ago and it was pretty dang sweet. Check it out!WANTED for various crimes!

But I am super sneaky and never get caught.
It's called Talent.

Where's Krystal?

Adam on the other hand not so sneaky.

Taken the boys for all they've got.

Literally

The natives were running wild that night.

But Kyndra and I can handle ourselves.

This one got a little out of control.

In the end we all made peace.

We even began to teach them what we knew.

Tubular Sweetness

A tribute to the 80's, or and 80's montage!

Hope you enjoy!

A closer look at the sweet action outfits we had!

What I have done...

Bold the things you have done. (or color)

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a Praying Mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Been to the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa at the Louvre
20. Slept on a train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Dated someone you met online
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing - (on a rock wall.)
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Swam in the Taiya Inlet in Alaska
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Tied a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a Bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating - (well. a fish.)
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Visited Italy

Spicy Tomato-Avacado Salsa

1/2 Bunch cilantro (cut off large stems)
2 scallions, white part and some of the green stem
1/2 Medium onion, peeled
2 Tomatoes
2 serranos or 1 jalapeño, stemmed (seeded if you wish)
1 avacado, peeled
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

Divide first 6 ingredients into 2 batches. Coarsely chop ingredients of one batch. Put cilantro, scallions and onion from that batch in a blender with 1/2 cut water and pulse briefly. Add tomato and chiles from same batch and pulse briefly again. Add avacado from same batch and pulse again. Do not overblend. Pour into a bowl and set aside.

Finely chop ingredients from other bathc and stir into blended salsa. Add salt to taste. Serve immediately. Makes approximately 4 cups.

Tips:
Don't leave food processor on for long, strain excess juice
Pull Leaves off of cilantro and chop with onion
Avacado should be a creamy texture - cake batterish

Teresa and Kevin, Ros and Ryan

This is the final of Kevin and Teresa's Wedding invite. I know it is a little different than what some of you may have gotten in the mail, but I thought the type needed to be sized down a bit so this how it is now.

And this is Ros and Ryan's invitation, but the type maybe different when finished because Ros wanted to put on her own type.