happy halloween!

Halloween holds a lot of fun childhood memories for me. 

The occassional trip to the witch house in Beverly Hills:

No joke. Someone owns this house. Don't ask me who, 'cuz I don't know. But if I lived in that house, I'd be constantly creeped out.

Or Trick or Trunk--which if you don't know what this time-tested Halloween tradition is--you are missing out. Big time. Trick or Trunk is where kids go from open trunk to open trunk to get their candy, instead of door to door. People decorate their trunks and it's a safe way to trick or treat.

Since I lived in LA--yeah, well, we Tricked or Trunked. ;D

Or thinking of Halloween costumes.

This year, I was Malificent.

Yes, from Sleeping Beauty.

Versus me:

Granted, I'm smiling, but I did a pretty good job in only a couple of days. Don'tcha think?

Anyways, I enjoyed Halloween on Friday night at a huge regional dance in LA. There were definitely a couple of thousand people who showed up. Whew. 

At the dance, I was helping out with the Speed Dating. Yep.

I almost screamed running away from it. Half the boys--ahem, "men"--participating in the Speed Dating were 17 or 18 years old. Ridiculous, right? 

I'm almost 24. What's the use of Speed Dating when these boys are still in high school. Ugh. It was a bit disconcerting, if you ask me. 

But you didn't ask me, so I'm just going to say:

Happy Halloween!

Enjoy the pumpkins, the candy and the horror films!

And NO CHRISTMAS MUSIC UNTIL AFTER THANKSGIVING!

LA1

I am now in the Los Angeles 1st Ward--the best singles ward in LA. ;D

Quite frankly, this ward is FANTASTIC. We have so much fun, and I'm making so many new friends.

This weekend was stake conference. After the Saturday evening session (which was very uplifting), I tagged along on the ward's biannual tradition of going to Roscoe's after Saturday's stake conference.

Roscoe's. As in Roscoe's Chicken N Waffles Roscoe's. Yep.

We had so many people, there were a few tables around the restaurant with a bunch of dressed up white people on a Saturday night. LOL.

We were all so hungry, we couldn't even smile! ;D

My new friends: Kenny, Ali, Julia and Jessica.

Some boys in my ward:

 I probably shouldn't have, but I ordered what you HAVE to order as a newbie to Roscoe's: 

Chicken n Waffles.

Literally.

And it was delicious!

And of course, Bishop Thomas and his wife came too! Sister Thomas was one of my first young women's leaders, right before I moved to Simi Valley.

As you can tell, my social life is starting to pick up again, THANK GOODNESS! ;D

But I still miss you Utah people.

cancer survivor

My grandma had her very last chemotherapy session today!

Granted, her neutrophil counts (a type of white blood cell that fights against infection) were low--but she has an awesome Doc who understood that as it was supposed to be her last chemo, it would be a low blow to make her wait another week. So she got her chemo today--a grueling 12 hour ordeal, most of which was waiting. (The actual drip-drip of the chemicals takes 6 hours). And then tomorrow, she has to go in to get a Neulasta shot to boost her neutrophils so that she doesn't crash. And we are happy that it's Neulasta instead of Neupogen because the latter is 3 shots over a period of 3 days, instead of a 1-and-then-you're-done shot.

I just have to say that the more I've been involved in the treatment/recovery of my grandmother, the more I respect doctors. They are amazing. What would we do without them in serious situations as these?

Anyways, Grandma Sheranian is a cancer survivor! Way to go! She's going to be exhausted for the next week--to the point where she won't be able to get out of bed for a few days.  But after that, we are excited to know that she will get her energy back--AND HER HAIR!! Grandpa is hoping it will come back red. I guess we'll see. ;D

top ten: of all time

Since I've been reading constantly these last couple of months to fill in the time while I am just sitting (at a hospital, rehab center, doctor's office, ER, etc), I decided to put up a list of my top ten favorite books of all time.

This is in no particular order. I couldn't order them if I tried.
Before I list them, I should also admit that these top favorites are books that blew my mind when I read them, or were so good, I've read them more times than I can possibly remember. So, with no further ado...

Top ten favorite books:

1. The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo

This book is short, entertaining, and brilliantly written. It's not gripping or anything, but it is philisophical enough that by the end of the book, my thoughts were, "Oh my. I am SO not living the way I should. I'm just gliding through life without really enjoying the journey. I need to count my blessings." Coehlo really made me stop and think about my life. I loved this book. I own it and I've read it multiple times.

2. Exodus by Leon Uris

My grandparents gave this book to me for Christmas in highschool. I looked at it and thought, "Hm. Huge book. I'll get to it sometime." And... I put it on my shelf. A year later, I glanced at my shelf and felt a little guilty. So I picked it up and started to read.

And I Could. Not. Put. It. Down.

Should be considered a classic. If it isn't, I declare it so.

Uris masterfully conveyed the situation of the Jewish people right after WW2 and their plight in creating a national state of their own. He recreated the struggles of the Holocaust in a manner that grips the reader, brings them to tears, and then makes them sob as the survivors build their lives once more.

3. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Seriously, Card has an amazing imagination. I've read this book so many times, my copy is falling apart. No matter how many times I read it, I get excited about the battleroom. I get anxious for Ender. I want him to win. I've never been a huge sci-fi fan. But if anything has made me so, it's this book.

 

4. The Giver by Lois Lowry

I loved it as a kid. I love it now. And every time I read it, I see some new symbolism or parallel to my life. Lois Lowry is brilliant. All I know is, I don't want to conform to anything in life. I want to see the color in my life and feel things: even if I have to feel pain so that I can understand and feel joy.

5. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Do I need to say anything? Isn't it self-explanatory? People always make fun of the popularity of this book. The thing is--it's the ultimate romance. A lot of struggle, a lot of class, and a happy ending. What else do you need?

6. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Every time I read this book, I can't put it down. Even though I know the story, I am gripped by Dantes' road to revenge. I feel his anger and his loss. Dumas knows how to bring characters to life and how to portray emotions so vividly that you begin to feel it for yourself.

A classic.

7. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

This is a great adventure story. My Dad read this to me when I was little, and since then, has always been one of my favorites. I remember dreaming of the adventures in this book. And no matter how often I've read it, Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which are still my favorite characters, and I still cheer Charles on in his quest for his father through time and space. I am definitely reading this book to my kids one day. Gotta carry on the tradition. ;D

8. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again." It does not get old. A mysterious love story, so convoluted and dark, you don't know what's going to happen next.

9. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

I have read this series so many times, it's laughable. So bright, so sweet, so cheery--I'm never sick of this easy read. You can't help but love Anne and hope that one day you'll have your own bosom friend. You cheer for Gilbert Blythe for years as he constantly fails to live down his "carrot" hair comment of his youth.

10. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

I just discovered this book over the summer. It was so delightful. There's no other word for it. Their is love, tragedy, friendship, laughter. I caught myself giggling several times. I had to get used to the style of writing, though. It's written in letters back and forth between the main character, Juliet Ashton, and a group of friends on Guernsey (an island off the coast of England) who banded together when German forces captured and occupied their island for the majority of WW2.

Hope this list gives you a few books to read. I can guarantee you will enjoy all of them.

flipped

So, this is for you, JSchro.

I just read this FANTASTICALLY adorable book called

Flipped

by Wendelin Van Draanen

It is also a movie---which I have yet to see, but am looking forward to doing so.

Ok, so I have to discuss it. If you haven't read it, DO SO, and get back to me.

**SPOILER ALERT**

**SPOILER ALERT**

Overview:

It is about this boy and girl, Bryce and Juli, who meet in the second grade. Her heart "flipped" when she first saw him--she fell instantly in love because of his to-die-for blue eyes. Bryce, on the other hand, ran away as fast as he could--literally. They tell their story together, taking turns every other chapter. They start in elementary school and take their story to middle school, where, although they have been neighbors all their lives, they start to really get to know one another. By eighth grade, Juli isn't so sure she wants to know Bryce because of some things he has done. She thinks he might be "less than the whole of his parts"--maybe all he can offer are beautiful blue eyes. But Bryce is finally starting to crush on Juli because he begins to see what a truly smart, compassionate and creative person she is--looking past her dumpy house and strange convictions for a 13-year old.

There are some great morals to the story--

hard work,

coming together as family during hard times,

don't judge people by their appearances,

create strong relationships with your family,

be creative,

find something in your life that makes you realize how great it is to be living...

They both have drastic paradigm shifts at 13 years old. Of course, at thirteen, everything is taken in drastically. Both feel highs and lows so acutely. I remember being 13 too. Man oh man. Hormones make you crazy. This book seriously reminded me of what it was like to become a teenager. It also reminded me that NO ONE--and I mean, no one, could get me to relive those years.

Anyways, they both learn about relationships, families, and honesty in a very realistic way.

Juli learns that to-die-for blue eyes are not the best reason in the world to fall in love. Bryce learns that people who live in houses with dumpy yards might be cool people.

When I read it, I started asking myself questions about how I would handle certain situations.

Is it better to be honest or to be polite?

Is it better to be honest or to protect your children from the stress of worrying?

Is it better to run or to face difficult situations?

It is totally awesome when Bryce stops running from Juli and she starts running from him.

I totally cheered for the both of them.

Juli is being smart by protecting herself from a boy who could possibly hurt her in the future by his actions and comments. But she is also a kind and forgiving person--especially at her age.

Bryce is just a 13 year old boy who blindly follows his dad's example/expectations/attitude until he experiences a few things that makes him question the type of person his dad is, and in turn, what type of person he wants to be. You can tell that through the book, he is becoming a person of depth--someone worth knowing.

I loved Bryce's grandfather. Although I was mad at first that Grandpa took the time to get to know Juli, but not his own grandson, I realized that he knew exactly what he was doing--letting Bryce make his own mistakes and helping him to learn from them. He also wanted to teach him to take the initiative to create a relationship instead of running away from people. Bryce did that a lot. I felt like at the beginning of the book, Bryce was literally running constantly from everything that reminded him that he was living. Not just from Juli, but also from his grandfather, from his responsibilities, and from honesty. While Juli literally ran towards those things. She met things head on, loved feeling like she was alive and did her best to do so.

By the end of the book, you know that Bryce is no longer the shallow kid he used to be. He learns how to treat people kindly, to think of others, to apologize. He is finally worthy of being Juli's friend. And she is so cute and forgiving, you can't help but think that they will be great friends in the future.

I was slightly annoyed by how the story ended. It was a great gesture on Bryce's part to plant the sycamore tree for Juli. But I felt cheated when it ended without the two of them speaking. All you know is that Juli thinks that there might, after all, be something more to Bryce than his "to-die-for" blue eyes.

Tell me your own thoughts on the book.

What did you think?

Did you like it?

Were there things you didn't like?

And if you've read this whole post and HAVEN'T read the book yet, you better go and buy it and then come back and tell me what you think.

All I know is, after reading this book:

1. I'm glad I have a boy who used to live down the street from me who has remained my best friend despite his stupid shallowness as a teenager. He has become someone worth knowing.

2. I need to find a spot (like Juli found her's up in the tree) that reminds me daily of how great it is to be alive--to count my blessings.

this is what i love

The sunset.

The rain.

The lights.

The people.

The buildings.

I love it all.

This is Westwood Village just south of UCLA campus on the way home from grocery shopping. It was just so pretty, I couldn't turn down such a spectacular Kodak moment.

yellowstone

Ok,

So. At the very end of the summer, after all the wedding stuff, my family turned right around and went back to drop my sister, Marie, off at BYUI for her Freshman year of college.

We packed her stuff up in the car (oh my gosh, I don't know how my Dad and I organized it well enough to fit all 5 of us, our own dufflebags/backpacks for our week long trip, AND Marie's hoard of stuff. ;D)

But everyone still had a roomy seat in the car--except Bryan. I seriously should have taken a picture. Poor kid. He was scrunched in the back with boxes beside and behind him with his knees pulled up to his chin. Whew! You can imagine what 10 hours would do to him. Let's just say he was sorely tempted to kiss Utah ground when we reached Springville for our overnight stay before continuing on to Rexburg, Idaho.

I ended up staying in Springville (Bryan praised heaven for my goodness) and drove with Sarah and Brent the following day. We met our family in Rexburg, helped Marie move in, met her roommates, helped her shop, and participated in the orientation activities. And then we left her--with 5 boys already gracing her apartment. Not sure if I should be worried or not....

;D

You can judge for yourself:

Not that you can tell, but that's supposed to be fried cookie dough. *Shiver*

One of these days, I won't be surprised if we get a call telling us she broke her clavicle. I can hear her now. "I didn't do ANYTHING! I was just reaching for a textbook and it broke!!"

I love Marie. It looks like she's having fun her freshman year and I am consummately jealous! 

Well, considering how excited she was about school, Marie did not mind our family leaving her and taking a mini vacation without her before we headed home. So instead of turning around and completing the long drive back to LA, we masochists decided to tack on a few more hours of car driving so that we could enjoy Yellowstone.

Bryan blowing off some steam:

Enjoying the waterfall. The big one. Not the bigger one.

New Faithful:

 Scenery:

Waiting for Old Faithful to be faithful:

Living up to it's name:

Whew. Pretty spectacular, huh?

Yep, they walked right across the road.... a few different times...

 We did the whole loop (I use the word 'whole' loosely) in one day, coming back to West Yellowstone to our hotel room where me and Bryan slept on the floor because all 6 of us were in one room (Mom, Dad, Sarah, Brent, Bryan and I).

On our drive home, we stopped again in Rexburg (we didn't bother Marie), and visited the Rexburg Temple:

And then we drove home. All in all, I think we were in the car roughly 50 hours in a matter of 5 days.

But it was awesome, if I say so myself.