Homecoming Queen!

Homecoming Queen...how knew you could be homecoming queen at age 28? Well tonight at a Tri-Stake Young Single Adult dance our theme was Homecoming. We also had a football tournament this afternoon. I decided to show up like I was already the winner. I wore my old bridesmaid dress, sparkly jewlery from Pakistan, cheesy white gloves, and a plastic Tiara. I asked everyone to vote for me and I won. It was so much fun. I got to choose a slow song I wanted and who to dance with. I asked Kevin Christensen because he was the most handsome guy there in a suit and I needed to look good. We danced to Michael Buble's "The way you look tonight". Sadly there were hardly any other guys there from my ward. I still had fun hanging out with the other girls.

I always knew I was royalty, just wish my lost Prince Charming would hurry up and get here!!!

Super Awesome Trip!

For many reasons, I decided to take a trip to Utah this past weekend. I flew in on Thursday night and stayed with Beth. I had a lovely time chatting with her, getting my butt kicked in a video game, eating yummy chocolate chip Krusteaz pancakes made by her great husband Brian, and getting playing with 13 month old Clark. Clark is adorable! His new thing is to scowl at people, something I was not exception to. I did get some smiles out of him in the end.

Beth drove me down to Orem on Friday about lunchtime. I then got to hang out with my brother Devin and grandparents. We are a pretty casual group, quite content to sit and chat. Devin is looking good and seems very happy. (Except for on Saturday when his laptop stopped recognizing his operating system and he will now be without a computer for 2 weeks as it gets sent in to be fixed.)

Friday night was the first home BYU basketball game of the season. Grandpa took Devin and I out to dinner at Golden Corral. He sure does love that place. Grandpa got extra tickets and Devin, Paula Prince, and I enjoyed the game together. They played Long Beach State University and won. Devin’s favorite player Lee Cummard scored 36 points! It was a tight first half, but BYU kept a lead most of the second half. I sure do love singing the Cougar Fight song!

On my way back from visiting my grandparents during half time I ran in to an old friend from my BYU ward 6 years ago. Ryan Serr was sitting about 5 rows behind Grandma. I haven’t seen him in years. I went to a girl’s preference dance with him my Junior year and had a small crush on him at one point. It was fun to catch up with him. He came down from Salt Lake for the game. We are now friends on facebook. (Got to love facebook sometimes!)

Saturday was another sports themed day. I got to watch the UT vs. Kansas State game on TV in the morning and then the BYU vs. Air Force game at 1:30. Both teams won, by teams I guess I mean MY teams! Wahoo! BYU’s game was a bit scary in the first half, but then they came out and showed Air Force who is boss. I have really enjoyed watching football this season. I admit (and don’t tell Grandpa Hutchison), but I think I might bleed a little more burnt orange than blue when it comes to football. I got a lot more excited watching Colt McCoy, Jordan Shipley, and Quan Cosby than I did watching Max Hall and Austin Collie. I think my dad would be proud.

Saturday was the New Kids on the Block concert in Salt Lake City. Yes, I went by myself and didn’t tell a lot of people what I was doing, but I am happy to report right now that I had a fabulous time and I don’t regret it one bit. Good times, good memories. So I started typing this at the airport. I stopped because I saw 2 girls with NKOTB shirts on and had to go talk to them. We exchanged pictures and had fun talking for 20 minutes. They both had childhood friends here came out to SLC just for the concert. I love how this trip down memory lane brought me out of my shell with random strangers. Somehow I will return to the real world.

So I figure my blog is about me and even though this is already ridiculously long, I have a story that is not finished yet to write about. On Thursday on my flight from Denver to Salt Lake a really cute guy sat in front of me and he had an OU hat on. I started talking to him, told him I thought it was dangerous to sit a Longhorn and Sooner near each other. He said he thought we could get along. We chatted just a bit before take off and when we landed. He is from Dallas and had business in Grand Junction but stopped to visit family in Utah. He does investing and is also a UTAH fan. Guess he really bleeds red. Well I thought about him all weekend. I am on my flight now back to Denver and who is 10 rows in front of me in a red OU hat? Mr. OU! I am going to be daring. I am wrote a quick note saying hello and giving him my email address and I am going to ask the flight attendant to give it to him. That is the kind of mood I am in…stay tuned.

Enjoy the pics, I sure enjoyed taking them all. Let me end with a funny story. One of the best conversations I had this weekend though was with Grandpa Hutchison. We were watching BYU play and he said he hopes that in Heaven we get to play football. He wants to be a quarterback and he wants Devin to be his tight end. He also wants Jordan and Tyler to be his receivers and Justin to play on defense. Devin and I laughed so hard, it was a delightful moment.

Goodnight,

Tamara

Part II

I'll do this in a couple posts. I confess, I did it...I went to another NKOTB concert while I was in Utah this weekend. I figure I am young and single, and can do these random crazy things. This time it was even better. Well, obvsiously the anticipation of what would come next was unique the first concert. This one was fun because I was on the floor and then they moved to the revolving stage in the middle half way threw, they moved us over closer to that stage. Literally, I was 6 feet from the stage. I could see their facial expressions and it was fabulous! I sat by 4 strangers and asked if I could be their friends for the night. They were happy to be my new best friends. I gave the scoop on what to expect and they were excited too. This time I brought my camera. I used up all the memory, mostly on videos, so if you care to listen...enjoy!

This one is Jordan singing "My Favorite Girl".




And more....
Now the revolving stage- "2 in the Morning".



And more...can you tell I was a bit excited?

"Tonight".

Hook'em Horns!!!!

Everybody knows that football is big in Texas. Even Elder Packer was fully aware of that this weekend. Because I am nice and spoiled, I got my dad's ticket this weekend while was out of town and went to my 3rd University of Texas Football game of the season. This game was time for UT to bounce back from a heart-wrenching defeat by Texas Tech the week before. Happily, we won 45-21! I am on the bandwagon for Colt McCoy to be the Heisman winner. I mean have you looked at his arms? I love some nice anterior and middle delts, and biceps! Those arms are what I call some good dancing arms- my hand would fit perfectly on his arm for a slow dance. As mom and I were talking out of the stadium the walkway goes under the tunnel the players cross to return to the locker room. We stood there watching them leave and I was eagerly waiting to see Colt. Then the mean event staff lady with the ugly neon shirt told us we were blocking traffic and had to move. How dare she, I know Colt was just around the corner. Sadly we listened and moved on, but as I walked I thought I could have politely told her I would move in just a minute and stood my ground. Oh well...



Back to football...I had a great time! Mom and dad have seats on the 50 yard line, 45 rows up. Not much in life can be perfect, but those seats sure are.

Enjoy the pics and HOOK'EM HORNS!!!!! And remember, the EYES OF TEXAS ARE UPON YOU!

In the meantime? No! I'm not waiting, I am becoming!

This semester has been one of the busiest times in my life. I am amazed to think I can keep going at the speed life is racing. I work 3-4 hours a day, go to school, teach Body Flow at Golds Gym, have been learning new stuff to teach, sub other classes, meet friends for lunches or dinners, attend institute, and try to serve my family, friends, at church, and those around me.

Here is an example of one of my days last week...Thursday: 7am-9:30am- Work, 10:00-11:30- New Testament Class, 11:45-12:30 Walk around Lady Bird Lake, 12:30-1:00 buy new walking shoes, 1:00-2:45 Anatomy Lab, 3:00-4:00 Donate Blood, and 4:45-7:00 High School Musical 3 movie with Angel. Run, run, run, run, run...

I started to worry this past weekend that maybe my lack of motivation in the dating department is because I am too busy doing other things. Did I subconsciously decide that I want to put a career in front of family? I put a lot of serious thought in to this all day Sunday, then Sunday night while talking to a good friend, I realized that is just not true. It is not my job to chase men. However it is also not my job to simply wait around or tread water while hoping that my next phase of life will come. I don't have time to wait! I have thought I was ready to get married since I was headed off to BYU at 18! I am slowly realizing that although I am sure I have the maturity and abilities to be in a successful marriage, I am being blessed with opportunities that are preparing me for whatever lies ahead in my life. Even living in a house with other people, being single and 28 can be lonely, but I am surrounded with friends who are full of faith, hope, vision, and happiness, so I just have no room for the other stuff that happens to weigh me down.

My friend shared with me an awesome quote from the October Ensign.

"In looking forward to marriage, do not assume a wait-and-see posture. This is not just a period for making time or treading water. Seek to become a happy, productive person in your own right. If you have been unsuccessful in love or hurt or betrayed or ignored, break away from complaining and self-pity. Fill your life with all the things that will improve the head, the heart, and the hand."

Some other counsel in this article is to be happy, develop friendships, create order in your life, serve, maintain moral purity, and attend the temple. And I would add, allow all this to help you be more Christ-like.

So I step forward into this week with new encouragement. My life right now is not something to do in the meantime. I am not "waiting", I am preparing and "becoming".

"Come what may and LOVE it", and "Bloom Where You Are Planted"!!!!!