Tuesdays with Morrie

so i finished a book today.

yes me. i did it.
when i was younger i used to read like it was my job.
my favorites as a child were Walk Two Moons, The Giver, & Number the Stars.
now that i am older i don't make the time like i should to read.
all i read are textbooks now. lame. boring.
or the scriptures. neither lame nor boring.
so, my goal this summer is to read as many books as I can.
so far i've finished 3 and they are: The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot, The Uses of Adversity by Carlfred Broderick, & Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom.
The Princess Diaries was fun. Mia Thermopolis has such a saucy attitude for a 15 year old.
i love it.
The Uses of Adversity was awesome. Really shed some light on my life right now.
highly recommended.
however, today i would like to explain my experience with my latest page turner...
Tuesdays with Morrie.


As enhanced on the cover, this book is about an old man, a young man, and life's greatest lesson.
every time i read this book i was sitting on our boat while crewing.
either in the snack bar sitting on a cooler full of ice cold drinks or laying down on the padded bench with the wind blowing my hair.
(p.s. saw a baby dolphin today! WOOT!)
ok...back to Morrie.
this young man, Mitch, grows up to be not quite what was expected.
he became greedy, power hungry, and selfish.
his old professor, Morrie, is dying from an illness so Mitch decides to go back and learn, once again, from his most favorite college professor.
they meet every tuesday, hence Tuesdays with Morrie.
each tuesday they discuss a different topic. some of them being:
regrets
death
family
emotions
aging
marriage
& forgiveness
topics with real meaning in our world today.
topics that we could all talk about for endless hours.
topics with some meat...like my cat, Swampy, who has gotten to be quite the porker while i've been gone.
anyways, this book really hit me.
it made me realize that i need to live my life.
now, even though i've had a rough year i still am pretty lucky.
i have the gospel.
i have an amazing family.
i have the best friends in the world.
i go to a top notch school with great teachers, sports, and morals.
i have legs to dance.
i have a voice to sing.
i have hands to play the piano.
i live a mile from the beach.
i have so much to be thankful for, but Morrie has taught me that i am not living my life to the fullest. i have much to do still.
much to accomplish in my time left on earth.
i don't want to spoil the whole book for ya, but here are some of my favorite passages:


"The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in." I like this because i've been hurt. someone i loved really hurt me. i am so scared when the time comes to love again i won't be able to cause of my fear of giving my heart away. but, this sentence helped me not be so scared.

"Everyone knows they're going to die, but nobody believes it. If we did, we would do things differently...The truth is, once you learn how to die, you learn how to live."

"Devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning."

"The problem, Mitch, is that we don't believe we are as much alike as we are. Whites and blacks, Catholics and Protestants, men and women. If we saw each other as more alike, we might be very eager to join in one big human family in this world, and to care about that family the way we care about our own...We all have the same beginning--birth--and we all have the same end--death. So how different can we be? Invest in the human family. Invest in people. Build a little community of those you love and who love you. In the beginning of life, when we are infants, we need others to survive, right? And at the end of life, when you get like me, you need others to survive, right?" His voice dropped to a whisper. "But here's the secret: in between, we need others as well."

"As long as we can love each other, and remember the feeling of love we had, we can die without ever really going away. All the love you created is still there. All the memories are still there. You live on--in the hearts of everyone you have touched and nurtured while you were here...Death ends a life, not a relationship."

Well...that's my schpeel [spelling...dunno?] about this book.
it's great.
i loved it.
Morrie was a wise man.
go to Barnes & Noble right now. get a drink from the cafe and then curl up.
i learned a lot from this book. i learned a lot about myself and i learned a lot about what i want to do to better my life.
i want to forgive others.
i want to forgive myself.
i want to smile at everyone i pass.
i want to serve others.
i want to appreciate my family.
i want to verbally tell others how much i love them.
i want to not be afraid of aging.
i want to treasure relationships like the gifts they are.
overall, i just want to have a zest for life no matter how exciting or how not exciting a day might be. live it and have no regrets.

i'm going to start another Mitch Albom book now. it's called For One More Day.
i'm excited.
as a sidenote, i'm also in the midst of a book by Camille Fronk Olsen called In the Hands of the Potter. it's great as well. i love love love Sister Olsen.
so once i finish those that'll be 5 books for the summer so far!
hooray for me.

Hannah is wise.

So, I've decided in the last few months that Hannah Montana slash Miley Cyrus is a pretty smart cookie. Her songs have got it goin on. Now I know I probably shouldn't love her so much for a few of the following reasons, which are: she's young, most of her audience is 14 and under, and she is considered to be childish at times. But you know what...I just don't care. I love her. I really do. I think she's hilarious, cute as a button, and her songs have real meaning! haha.
Here is an example:

(chorus from "The Climb")
There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

Or how bout this one that is always a good roll down the windows and go crazy song called "Life's What You Make It":
Don't let no small frustration
Ever bring you down
No no no no
Just take a situation
And turn it all around

With a new attitude everything can change
Make it how you want it to be
Stayin mad
Why do that Give youself a break
Laugh about it and you'll see

Life's what you make it
So lets make it rock
Lifes what you make it
So come on come on (everybody now)

So seriously...is that not great?! I would encourage y'all that if you're ever having a bad day you pop in some Miley and let her give you a little advice on how to live life. And if you have the Disney channel...watch "Hannah Montana." It will surely give you a good laugh. At least I get a kick out of her. I have yet to see the "Hannah Montana movie" but I heard it was actually really good and she does a great job. So that's on my list to see...I think I'm going to go listen to her now as a matter of fact. Thank you. Have a great day.

Top 5 Things!

So if you're close to me you will know that life wasn't the easiest from about half way through 2008 to now. I've definitely been struggling. As I sat on the dock today while working for my daddy I was thinking about things that can make me happy. And obviously things popped in my head like family and friends, but I tried to think of other things that are sure fire to make me happy that people might not know. So I love you friends and family...but here are the top 5 things that will always put me in a good mood!



1. Chocolate Milk - Wow. What a divine drink. Could there be anything more amazing than milk mixed with chocolately goodness? I think not. As a Freshman I would drink a bottle of BYU Creamery Chocolate Milk every day. Seriously. I would go through withdrawls if I didn't have some. (Brittany Balleck can testify.) That's probably why I gained 10 lbs that year. I have put a limit on 3 times a week now. And you better believe I get all 3 of those times in. I thank God everyday for putting chocolate milk on this earth.


2. My 4Runner, Neil - He's cute, tan, and a 1994 model. I knew it was love the moment I saw him. My daddy came out to Utah to get me a car and when we went out to the lots, I knew Neil was the one. We test drove smaller cars, biggers cars, newer cars, older cars...but this 4Runner stuck in my mind. It's kinda been a dream of mine to have a 4Runner since I was like 12. I told daddy and he said ok. We had a few bumps in the beginning, but since then Neil has been a dream. I named him Neil after my favorite SYTYCD dancer on season 3. And I sure told the real Neil that when I met him after the concert in 2007. Neil is my babe though. One of my favorite things to do is roll all the windows down, open the sun roof, blast the music, and drive. It always makes me feel better after a long day.



3. Nike kicks - Oh Nikes...what a great brand of shoe. I love shoes as it is, but being a hip hop dancer, I really really really love Nikes. If they weren't so expensive I would buy a new pair every week. Someday...ahh. Sometimes I'll look in magazines or online just to look at all the cool designs. You'd think they'd run out of ideas, but nope. They just keep on comin.



4. Atlanta Braves - I'd say my love for this team is close to an obsession. haha. I remember going to games with my family as a little girl. My daddy played little league growing up and it's one of the sports he really does enjoy. If we ever went to a sporting event it was usually baseball...whether it was a high school team, a local college, the minor league team in Savannah, or the Braves. I remember very distinctly watching the 1995 World Series in a hotel room. I can't remember why we were at a hotel come to think of it...but I remember watching the Braves win the last game and them all running into the center of the field to celebrate. My love for the Braves grew stronger once I came to college. I think I had more time to follow them and I had lots of close friends who liked them as well. One of the reasons I first started dating my ex was because he played baseball...haha. The Braves didn't do too well last season, but I'm pretty hopeful for this season. They're doin super good so far! My absolute favorite player right now is the shortstop, #19 Yunel Escobar. I of course love Chipper Jones. I am also a fan of Derek Lowe, Jair Jurrjens, Brian McCann, and Jeff Francoeur. Then there are of course the legends like Hank Aaron, Dale Murphey, David Justice, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz. Oh I love these guys. My favorite part of summer is going to the games with my friends...esp Ashley Kay. :)



5. Reba - Lastly, I would like to express my love about "Reba." If you have not seen this tv show you are missing out on some of the best tv around. It will make you laugh, cry, and laugh again. There are 6 seasons. I have seen all the episodes from 1-5, but not all of 6...mostly because it's not on DVD yet and I can't always watch it the times it's on tv. I started watching it almost 2 years ago with my sister, Karly, and best friend, Ciri. Ciri and I literally planned our days around being home at 4 to watch an hour of it on Lifetime. Then do stuff for an hour until it came back on again at 6. This show is a great bonding tool. If you talk about Reba with someone you are instant friends. You can talk about how funny Van is, how cynical Kyra is, how Brock always gets the brunt of things, how beautiful Cheyenne is, how crazy (but hysterical) Barbra Jean is, how funny Jake can be, and how amazingly talented Reba is. It's a great show that I will watch for the rest of my life with my family. It never gets old. Reba is sure to always put me in a good mood! I love it! (P.S. My favorite episode is from season 3 when Barbra Jean tries to teach Cheyenne to cook and when Reba and Brock are in Jake's fundraiser race for school. You will laugh your heart out.)

Dear Mama...

Since it was mother's day yesterday I decided I should do a tribute to my own wonderful mother.

Lorilee Ann Quilhot Maurer is one of the most amazing women I know. I think one of her best qualities is that she can love others so unconditionally. If someone treats her wrong she is quick to forgive and love them even still. As one of her own children I have learned this principle. My mama will love me no matter what. She loves her children and husband so much. Yep...this woman loves a lot. Sometimes my sisters and I get a little overwhelemed with how much love she shows, but deep down I think we like it. I would at least rather have a mother who wants to tell me how much she loves me 50 times a day instead of one that rarely does. I'm lucky to have such a loving mother...even with her smothering hugs and kisses.

Another great quality my mama has is her ability to have fun in any situation. Put this woman anywhere and she will make it the life of the party! She has no qualm to make a fool of herself. I remember all through high school she would sing Britney Spears or Nsync in the grocery store SO LOUD. And not just normal...in opera style. There's nothing like hearing "Bye, Bye, Bye" really loud like a lady with horns on her head singing in the Grand Ole Opry. I would run and hide every time. And yet, she kept doing it. Or how about whenever she picks us up at the airport? Those are always a fun time. There is always a party waiting for us at baggage claim. There will be balloons, signs, 50 people she's brought with her to welcome us home, or just her jumping up and down and goin crazy cause she's so excited we're back. I think my personal favorite was this past Christmas. Here I come up the ramp and there are my parents...in reindeer antlers singing. Normally I would be SO embarassed and keep on walking past them pretending I don't belong to them. but no...I've learned something over the past 4 years. Life is too short to be embarassed. What's wrong with having a little fun? So instead I put on the antlers my ma brought for me as well and was just grateful I had such studs for parents.

My mama is also a rockstar. Seriously...this woman is amazing. She has the best voice in the world...hands down. Put her against anybody and she can beat out their pipes. She might embarass them even cause she's so good. :) She was a music major at Florida State University, which is where she met my daddy. They were in the jazz band together. He was the electric bass guitarist and she was the featured soloist. From there they got married and had plans to go to New York. They could've totally made it. However, the Lord had a different plan. She got pregnant with my oldest sister, Krista, and decided that raising a family and being the best mother she could possibly be was more important and more fulfilling. So 30 years later...here we all are. I think she did a pretty good job with us 3 girls. She still finds time to let the rockstar in her out. She's had many leads at the professional and ameteur theaters here on the island, including Grizzabella in "Cats" and Mrs. Potts in "Beauty and the Beast." People that have been to New York, London, or Sydney said my mama played those parts better than the ladies in those other places. yep...she's that amazing.

Lastly, my ma is a great mother. She's an example to me of charity, service, and everything God would want of one of his creations. She's great. There's nothing else to say but that. Lori Maurer is fabulous. I know she gets the brunt of it sometimes, but hopefully she always knows we love her and appreciate everything she's done for us over the years. I love you mama! Happy Mother's Day!

My first blog!

Well hello! I can't believe I'm actually doing this. Everyone kept telling me to get a blog and I kept pushing it aside. And now...here I am creating my first blog. We'll see how it goes. I've been inspired by the following people as far as their blogs go so I'd like to thank the following people: Krista Maurer and Rachel Robbins. So there ya go...thank you. :) I have nothing much to say at the moment. Right now I just want to go edit my page because it is raining outside. I guess I should say that I'm home now to Hilton Head Island, SC. I do love a good Southern thunderstorm and it's going on right outside my window. We'll see how being home for 3 months is...let's hope I don't go crazy! Ok...well much love to all y'all that read this! Hopefully my posts can be exciting.