Throwback Thursday: Lake Powell 2010

All I knew how to do was get out of the wake then go straight.

Right now, I'm sitting at home waiting to head off on yet another Lake Powell trip!  This will be my 4th time going with the Sheerans. The first time we went was May 2010, we got to skip a few days of school for it! :) The water was pretty cold because it was so early in the season, so I got to wear the super fun wet suit. I felt pretty cool! It was my first time ever wakeboarding.  I was able to get up and get out of the wake on my first try, but that was ALL I could do.  I remember Parker standing on the engine of the boat trying to show me how to twist my hips to cut in, but I would face plant every time I tried.  The next year, we went twice and by the end of the two trips I could cut in and out and even jump a little bit. I went boating with them several times that summer, but I haven't touched a wakeboard since last October! I'm so stinking excited to get back on the water again.  Gliding across glassy water is one of the best feelings in the world! Aside from wakeboarding, the Lake Powell trips consist of amazing food, cliff jumping, diving, kayaking, and just enjoying life!  So, so excited for the trip today. Can't wait to post about it when I'm back.  See ya then! :)

Me on the Boat 2010

Court and Me 2010

Father's Day

Santa Monica December 2011

I love my daddy!  My favorite memories are of when I was in Elementary School and he decided to be my very first running coach. I remember going on runs with him and he would give me this whole lecture on running up hills.  He always explained how normal people go the same speed when they get to hills, so their pace slows down.  Then he'd say, "But we're Simonsons, so what do we do?" and I'd say, "Go faster! That way our pace stays the same!"  Good times.  I've had so much fun with my dad over the years.  Sometimes, it surprises me at how alike we are.  Other times, we seem completely different.  Either way, I am SO grateful for my dad!!

Note to Self

^Sometimes.

"Okay, there is WAY too much estrogen in there." -Jake Powell


Note to Self: From this point forward, never, ever, under ANY circumstances invite friends over to dinner on mom's Bunco night.  If you are stupid enough to do this, brace yourself! Nothing in the world could possibly be more humiliating than a room full of your former YW Leaders who know a little too much about your life's secrets and are extremely excited to meet one of your friends that they have heard a lot about.  You may here phrases such as, "Go for number two!" "Just stand here for five seconds so we can look at you!"  "Oh, look how red she's turning!" etc.
Sincerely,
Meghan DeLee Simonson

Okay, to be totally honest, I love those women to death!  They're so fun.  My mom was making an AMAZING dinner for bunco, and since Nefi and Kat were joining me and Jake for our Temple night, I thought it would be fun to let them come over for dinner before we left.  It WAS fun, but definitely a little crazy.  Okay, a LOT crazy.  My poor friends!  Actually, I don't feel bad for ALL of them.  Nefi and Kat joined in on the crazy lady fun right before we left.  Well, all I can say is that my house would have been kind of boring that night if it was filled with a bunch of normal ladies.  I'll take the crazy ones any day! :)

Throwback Thursday: Moving Day

Summer 2008, living room of the Chokeberry House

I can so perfectly remember preparing to move from Bloomington Hills up to Layton.  I was scared out of my mind!  I can't believe I'm actually half-smiling in this picture, I'm pretty sure this was the only time throughout this whole period that I wasn't crying.  If I remember right, when this picture was taken I was packing my bag for the trip to South Dakota.  That night, I was going to sleepover at Jandee's, then the next morning I would get on a plane (by myself, I felt so big!) to go live with the Finau's for a month or so.  Then, they would drive me from South Dakota to my new house in Layton.  It was good to have the trip to break up the move instead of heading straight to the new town.
I remember walking to Jandee's house and a bunch of kids from the ward had just finished nightgames.  I talked to a bunch of them, and then walked towards Jandee's with Kyle Owens and Parker Sheeran.  Parker's circle came before Jandee's and when he turned off and said goodbye I started thinking "Oh my goodness! That kid drove me insane, but I am going to miss him so stinking much!" Then, when we got to Jandee and Kyle's circle, Kyle hugged me goodbye and wished me luck.  I was still holding it together pretty well.  A little while later, Berkley's brother came to pick her up and I hugged her goodbye and watched the Jeep drive off.  I remember feeling all numb and dizzy and scared.  Everyone else was still inside, so I sat on Jandee's swing and just started bawling my eyes out.  Jandee came out and saw me, her face was huge and swollen from her recent jaw surgery.  She could barely talk, but I could understand her anyway.  I can still hear her mumbling voice in my head saying "Oh sweetie!" and hugging me.
The next morning, we went to my house and I said goodbye to my room and everything, and then my mom drove Jandee and Courtney home, where I stood on each of their driveways to say goodbye.  Jandee was hiding her chipmunk face in a hood and hugged me and told me I'd be alright.  Courtney surprised me by getting all choked up--she hardly ever showed emotion.  I think my mom almost cried just watching us.  Emily was at a family reunion and was trying to get back on time to see me.  When she texted me to find out where I was, it broke my heart to tell her I was already in Mesquite on my way to the airport.  We were both upset that we missed our goodbye, but in a way, it was probably a good thing.  The way we both are emotionally, a clean break was probably best.
Looking back on the whole experience makes me so grateful for all that I learned throughout the trial, the friends that I made in Layton, and that, when all was said and done, I ended up back in St. George where I belong with the people I love most!

Childhood Dreams: Walking Away

Aside from the fear of change, there was one other major thing that almost kept me from SUU: my childhood dream of running in college.  I knew that, if I ran at Dixie, I'd be one of the best on the team and would have a lot of success. I'd be able to travel all over the country--even to Hawaii--to do the thing that I love most.  It was the perfect set up--or so I thought.  The more I thought about it, the more I realized that doing what I expected to do--running college cross country, taking 18 credits, and working--was next to impossible.  How could I juggle work and homework with two-a-days?  Plus, with all the health issues I've been having lately, it would be extremely taxing on my body.  If I wasn't getting a running scholarship, was it worth it to run?  Before I would let myself decide which college to go to, I needed to decide if I was going to run or not.  Obviously, if I decided to run, I would know to go to Dixie.  If I decided not to, I could still choose either school. 
I thought that I was being a whimp for contemplating giving up my dream just because I realized it was going to be extremely hard.  After all, isn't it supposed to be hard to achieve your highest goals?  But, I started realizing that my extreme do-or-die attitude was rather childish.  If I did run, I was going to have to sacrifice just about everything else.  I knew that my grades would be a lot worse if I ran because of all the time and travel.  I knew that the whole health thing would be a serious issue.  But running is who I am!  How could someone that's so in love with the sport NOT do it in college? It seemed crazy to walk away from something that meant the world to me.
However, there was one prompting that made up my mind for me.  Just after finishing a prayer, the Spirit hit me powerfully reminding me of one of my goals: "Simplify your life."  I could not deny the power of that prompting.  I realized that if I ran, I would push out some extremely important parts of my life.  I wouldn't have a social life if I ran, and college is an important time for making friends and dating.  My grades needed to be a top priority if I wanted to be accepted into the Master's Program in a few years.  And, most importantly, I wouldn't have much time for the small and simple things of the Gospel that are so extremely critical, especially at the college age. 
Plus, it's not like I would ever have to stop running.  Coach Fielding has promised us a thousand times that this is a sport we can do for the rest of our lives.  There are always people to run with, races to race in, and goals to meet.  I didn't have to run for Dixie in order to get my 19 minute 5k.  Running on my own would also give me the opportunity to set PR's in 10ks. half marathons, marathons, triathlons, etc.  I could still push myself, I could still improve, I could still run every single day and reap the benefits of doing so.  But, I'd get to do it on my own time, when it fits into my schedule.  And on the days when I don't feel too well, I really need the advantage of saying "I can't do a hard workout today, I need to take it easy" or "I'm dizzy, I need to stop."  You just can't do that on a team.
When I felt firm on the decision to not run in college, I needed to Email the Dixie Coach and tell him.  I avoided it for several days, then told myself to just get it over fast---like ripping off a Band-Aid.  So, I did.  Surprisingly enough, I felt a million times better after pushing send.
I guess running in college was more of a status symbol to me than anything.  I'm a runner, so I have to run for a college team. Right? Well, now I realize it's wrong.  Not running college cross country doesn't take away all the years that I spent running high school cross country.  It doesn't change the success that I've already had, or take away from the running success that I still can have in the future.  Just because I won't be on an official team doesn't mean I will love running any less!  In fact, being able to do it on my own terms will probably make me love it more!  I thought about my Coach who didn't run in high school or college, but he's still the most dedicated and talented runner I know.  So, no matter what, I'll always be a running-obsessed, crazy girl! And, I'm going to get dang good at it! :)

A Change of Plans

I'm crazy. That's the bottom line.  I did some serious reflecting this last week about my plans for College and life in general.  When I really started looking deep into it, I realized that my decision to go to Dixie State was based purely off of fear.  I didn't want to leave my home, friends, family, ward, and life in general behind.  I didn't want to have to worry about money, food, or rent.  I wanted to run Cross Country because, at this point, I don't think I remember how to not be on a team.

But, I've always wanted to go to SUU.  I love the way the class sizes are so small. I love the location. I love the thought of growing up and being on my own, but still being close to home.  I love the thought of making new friends.  It's always sounded so great!  I just told myself that I would wait for awhile--until I was ready.  Until I had enough money, until I knew what my family's plans were, until I felt old enough.

While me and my mom were sitting in the Doctor's office waiting for more (yes, even MORE since the last post) blood tests, a casual conversation about how I wanted to maybe go to SUU in a year or so, turned into a serious discussion about the possibility of me going up this Fall.  At first, I thought my mom was crazy.  I mean, it's already June! It seemed impossible to change my plans so suddenly.  Then, she said the thing that would change my whole mindset: "If you want to go to SUU, go to SUU. You only live once."

YOLO? Did my mom really just YOLO me?? Now I had to think about it!  We started talking about how my dad could get me a job at Lin's and that it wouldn't be too hard to find housing or get into classes.  I had some serious reflecting to do.

I prayed. A LOT.  I went to the Temple alone for some pondering.  At Institute that night, we had a lesson on personal revelation and  that lesson was for me.  LITERALLY.  Brother Hatch said, "Maybe you're here today and you're having a hard time because you can't decide if you want to go to Dixie for college or, say, SUU.  He might just be telling you that either one would be a good choice and that you'll do well at either place.  In which case, the choice is yours."  

For the next couple of days, I continued to ponder, pray, and go to the Temple.  Finally, I noticed a pattern.  The times when I felt that I wanted to go to SUU were the times that my mind was the most clear--when I first woke up in the morning, when I was at the Temple, when I was driving, etc.  But the times I felt that I wanted to go to Dixie were the times when I was the most frazzled--when I was talking to friends who were going to Dixie, when I was stressing about money, when I was running errands.  These were all times that were later in the day and I had had plenty of time to let fear creep into my heart.  Knowing myself extremely well, I knew that I only doubted my decision to go to SUU because I was afraid.  So, I decided to be brave.

I was confused, though.  Awhile ago, I felt SO right about Dixie, how could that change?  I mean, Heavenly Father doesn't change, so why does it feel like His plans for me did?  Then, I realized the truth: I had changed.  I had started to grow up, I had different desires and needs than I did a year ago when I felt good about Dixie.  I had changed, so my plans needed to follow suit. 

 Plus, the more I thought about it, the more I felt that either decision was okay with Heavenly Father.  When I asked about Dixie, I felt comforted.  When I asked about SUU, I felt the same thing.  When I reread my Patriarchal Blessing, I realized that it was very specific in telling me to carefully choose my curriculum when I went to college, but it didn't say anything about which college I should choose.  Since both answers felt right and I knew the decision was mine, I decided on SUU.  Deep down, I knew that I wanted it most, but fear was telling me otherwise.

Since then, I've gone up to SUU, seen the campus, picked out an apartment, met the manager of Lin's, and signed up for classes.  It's official: I'm going to SUU!

I'm crazy. That's the bottom line.  I could have gone to Dixie where I would have attended for free, had plenty of friends, and been able to run Cross Country.  Instead, I decided to throw those plans overboard and follow my heart.  But really, when is there ever enough money? When are family plans ever set in stone? When does anyone ever feel old enough? In my case, probably never.  So, might as well go now!

Throwback Thursday? Sure!

 I've noticed some "Throwback Thursday" pictures on Facebook and I thought that would be a way fun thing to do for the Blog! I went through my folder where I keep my old pictures and this one made me laugh.

Jake and Kyle on XC Bus Sophomore Year

 

Oh, what children we were!  Sophomore Year was so fun for me.  Everything was just so new and exciting!  I had so much fun with the XC Boys even if we did act like 6 year-olds most of the time.  One trip, we thought it would be really funny to use my hair-tie to pull Jake's shirt up, then stuff his undershirt full of our trash.  I don't remember why or how we got the idea, but I remember us all laughing like crazy!

More Blood Tests/Laughing Instead

"Next time you're tempted to groan, try laughing instead!"

-Joseph B. Wirthlin. "Come What May and Love It!" Oct. 2008 General Conference

At the end of last week, I was still feeling my normal dizziness and fatigue.  Eager to be able to run again, I made an appointment with John Powell to reassess the situation.  Yesterday, we sat and talked for awhile and I was thinking "Wow! What a painless appointment. No needles this time!" However, after talking to me, he sent me down to the lab. I was bracing myself for one last blood sample and telling myself I could do it.  Well, turns out this test would require 4 blood samples.  They drew the first two right when I got there and, because I'd been fasting all day and already have problems with needles, I became real light-headed and was on the verge of passing out. So, they brought in this mat and helped me lie down.  Then, they told me that the way the test worked, they had to take the next sample in an hour, and then the next one an hour after that.  Because I'd gotten so light-headed, they told me to lay there for the rest of the time.  So, not only was I having to face so many needles, I had to lay on the hospital floor for two hours!  At first, I was feeling sorry for myself.  But then, I remembered my favorite quote from Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Next time you're tempted to groan, try laughing instead!"  I started thinking about how pathetic I must have looked.  I could just hear the guys saying "Ah look at her look at her look at her!"  So, instead of feeling sorry for myself, I just laughed at myself!  I took a picture of myself, to keep the laughter coming.

How funny that the girl with the fear of needles had to take this test.  How funny that after becoming so cocky during Cross Country season, I had my dizziness keep me from having much of a reason to be cocky during Track season.  How funny that, after I had planned to have the perfect race at Region, I ended up eating track with only a lap and a half left.

It's a lot harder to CHOOSE to be positive than it is to CHOOSE to be negative.  However, after the choice is made, it is a whole lot easier to live life positive than to live it negative!

Best GUY Friends/The Letter I'll Never Send

My last  post about Good Friends vs BEST Friends had a bit of a flaw.  I have some amazing BEST guy friends, but they won't necessarily walk into my house, pee with the door open, share a bed with me, criticize my outfit, or anything like that, but that's just kind of a gender barrier.  Anyway, I got SUPER lucky with these guys!  When I started Cross Country my Sophomore Year just after moving back to St. George, I was worried I would have zero friends on the team.  But, there was a group of boys on the team that I had known for quite awhile--some from my ward and some from elementary school.  I just kinda clung to them, hoping I'd find at least one person to talk to.  I don't know if I actually fit right in, or if I was just an annoying tag along, but either way these guys instantly made me feel welcome, and introduced me to more of their friends.  Aside from some of the older girls on the team teasing me about being a huge flirt, it was the perfect situation!  In some weird ways, I'm actually a little bit more open with the guys than I am the girls!  From being on the team with them, they've seen me exhausted, angry, sweaty, grumpy, hyper, motherly, dirty-minded, injured, sleeping, ecstatic, salty, sick, snoring, lost in thought, laughing hysterically, bawling my eyes out, etc etc!  I'm definitely a lot crazier around them than anyone else (poor guys!), but I love them to death and they've all changed my life in their own little ways.

Anyway, aside from my best guy friends from the team, I have a couple of other great guy friends.  Among them is Vince Garcia.  On May 9, 2012, Vince reported to the MTC to prepare to serve in the Suva, Fiji Mission.  I'm usually too prideful to admit this sort of thing, but, in all honesty, I cried for three days straight after he left.  It's weird, because it's not really like he was my closest guy friend, but we just had a different friendship. He was the person I could ask to hang out just because I was bored.  We usually ended up watching reruns on Netflix, playing pickleball, eating Icees, or going to movies. He was also the person that I always vented all my frustrations, fears, and trials to.  He knows about all the guys I've liked in high school and all the drama that came with them, he knows every detail of my immediate and extended family, he knows...well, let's just say he knows quite a bit!  Anyway, even though we were born in the same year, he's just always seemed so much older than me.  Maybe it's just because he's a grade ahead of me in school.  Either way, he just always seemed to have a relaxed, grown-up view of my problems and he always made me feel better in a brotherly way.  I also like to think that, in the times he vented to me, I was able to give some helpful advice, too.

In Young Women's, we've always been taught that letters to missionaries need to be short, light, and happy when talking about our own lives, and then give a Spiritual thought and ask about their progress.  It's been a lot harder than I thought it would be to write "short, light, and happy" letters to the person I've always vented to.  These last couple weeks, I've so badly wanted to write him and talk about how sad I am that my high school running career ended the way it did, how frustrated I am not being able to run, how much I worry about missing high school, how scared I am for college, how hard it is to not have my body functioning normally, and how much I miss him.  Every time I write him, I'm tempted to say all these things.  But, I've forced myself to stay strong and write happy, Spiritual letters.

This has probably been really good for me, though.  I've turned to Christ a lot more lately.  Every time these things and other trials in my life creep up on me, I just pray really hard, and I find comfort just like I did whenever I told Vince all these things.  Luckily, I've been reminded that my all-time best friend is my Savior.

Good Friends vs Best Friends

The first week of Summer has been pretty slow! I haven't started working yet, and most of my family is out of town, so things have been quiet.  However, Thursday night I had Jandee, Courtney, Emily, Jodi, Berkley, and McKell over for a Girls Night.  It was just us home, and we were sitting upstairs watching The Notebook when I felt something scratching my arm.  I looked down and saw Brandon crawling on my floor. Holy Cow! I screamed SO loud. "I heard we were having a Girls Night??" he laughed.  We all tease him about being a girl because of his long hair.  He stayed for most of the movie, but left before we got to straighten his hair. Bummer! McKell, Jodi, and Berkley had to leave, too, but Jandee, Courtney, and Emily stayed for the night. 
Throughout the whole night, I kept thinking about these funny, stupid little lists you see all over Facebook and on Emails and Greeting Cards.  They list the differences between Good Friends and Best Friends.  As I watched my friends, I started making my own list of real things that go on between us.

Good Friends vs. BEST Friends

 Me, Emily, Jandee, Berkley, Jodi, Courtney

Good Friends always smile and act happy, BEST Friends openly express their anger.
Good Friends return the clothes they borrow from you, BEST Friends keep them until they forget they ever belonged to you.
Good Friends will keep it secret when you tell them who you like, BEST Friends will instantly chase down the boy, tell him, and start trying to hook you two up.
Good Friends will sleep on the floor at sleepovers so that you can have the bed, BEST Friends will just hop in bed with you, spooning you all night long.
Good Friends will give you time and space when you need it, BEST Friends will never leave you alone, torturing you until you finally give in and tell them what is wrong.
Good Friends will text you to find out how your games/meets went, BEST Friends watched the whole thing, and possibly screamed at the Refs a couple times.
Good Friends will pretend like they like your outfit, BEST Friends will tell you if you look ridiculous.
Good Friends will comfort you when you cry, BEST Friends will cry right along with you.
Good Friends will shut and lock the bathroom door while they are using the toilet, BEST Friends..well, they won't.
Good Friends will leave you alone while you use the bathroom, BEST Friends..well, again, they won't, they'll come in and do their hair or take a shower or something.
Good Friends knock on your door, BEST Friends walk right in.
Good Friends will silently hold grudges, BEST Friends will confront you, maybe punch you once or twice, and then move on.
Good Friends listen to you, BEST Friends interrupt and try to finish your sentences.
Good Friends wait to see what kind of mood you're in, BEST Friends can predict what mood you'll be in.
Good Friends will let you know if you're about to do something dangerous, BEST Friends will do it with you!
Good Friends are careful about what they say around you, BEST Friends tell it like it is, holding nothing back.

I love my best friends!

Trying This Again!

Random Cool Picture from Internet

I am still pretty behind on my Senior Year Blog, but I wanted to be able to post things here as they happen, and still go back and post about things that happened during my amazing senior year.  Hopefully, I'll have my Senior Year Blog finished up by the end of the Summer.  But for now, I'm going to post here!
I named this Blog "Freshman Nineteen" and, no, not because I plan on gaining nineteen pounds instead of the stereotypical Freshman Fifteen!  I named it this for two reasons: 1) Because I'll turn nineteen in September, and 2) because the number 19 is written all over my room right now, reminding me that that is the approximate 5K time I need to get down this fall so that I can do well on my College team!
This blog will basically cover my life from when I returned from Senior Trip until I finish my first full year of College.  Here's hoping that I will have a whole bunch of fun, happy things to post about!