Prevent Cervical Cancer!

Cervical cancer is one of the few diseases that is easily prevented by the HPV Vaccine. Take advantage of this!! People think requiring this will encourage teens to have sex earlier or think they're invincible, but this is the same incorrect thinking that goes along with abstinence-only sex education. This type of sex ed has shown to be ineffective and does not prevent kids from having sex. Instead, education on STDs and their dangers and how to protect yourself helps them know the facts, be safe, and does NOT encourage earlier first intercourse. Plus, when it comes down to it, wouldn't you rather your kids not get cancer or other terrible diseases than to risk not vaccinating them because of a fear not backed with facts?

• Cervical cancer is caused by the HPV virus. Females between the ages of 9 and 26 can get an HPV vaccine that prevents 70% of cervical cancers.
• To prevent cervical cancer women over the age of 18 should get regular pap tests even if they have had the HPV vaccine. See www.cancerutah.org/prevent for more information.

Getting regular PAP smears is also an important part of prevention of this and other diseases or problems. Once a year is recommended, I believe, I think after you become sexually active. I don't think they're as bad as perceived and the doctors are usually super nice. You can request female doctors too, if that helps. Don't be scared! Your health is important and worth it!

Feliz Dia del Padre!

Memories of my Daddy:

During sacrament meeting I loved sitting next to my dad. It was always a privilege. He'd sneak us cough drops (or other real candies..) and play with our hands and let us play with his tie. It was always so fun!

My favorite game to play was Hide 'n Seek. Once in the first house I can remember, we played and couldn't find him FOREVER. We searched and searched but he had disappeared! We finally found him when... we sat on the couch in confusion and realized he was laying flat on the couch underneath the cushions. Haha...


He loves taking pictures and recording videos. The huge clunky videorecorder that he carried everywhere finally broke one day, when we went on The Ghostrider rollercoaster at Knott's Berry Farm one summer. He decided it'd be a good idea to record the ride, it'd be fun to watch right?? Well... it knocked around and broke and for the longest time we didn't have any recordings... so strange. Now he has a new digicam, and a digital camera, and he's never seen without one or the other.. or both! I think my love of photography blossomed from him. :)


We would have "Daddy Interviews" with him when we were little when we got our one-on-one time with him and just talked with him. I can't remember what we talked about but I remember I loved them and always wanted to go first. We just loved being with him.

He raised me on music-- the Oldies, specifically. In fifth grade The Beatles were my favorite band, but I was embarrassed to tell people because I didn't know any other "popular" bands. But now I'm so glad that I got such an amazing musical education. I'm a legit Beatles fan!!


"Daddy Lectures" were famous in our house. He loves giving advice and wisdom. While we made fun of it then, now I always seek his advice on my own. A father's advice for his children is so important and should be listened to. I'm grateful for it now.

Daddy, thank you for everything you've taught me and given me and not given me. Everything's impacted me. I'm so lucky to have an awesome dad like you. :) I love you. Happy Father's Day!

Catching a bunny is the best thing that's happened to me this summer.

So Jamie, Caroline, and I were driving home on Saturday night when the dialogue went like this:

Jamie: Look! A cat!
Me: That's not a cat, that's a bunny!
Jamie: A bunny?! Let's catch it!

She swerved to the curb. I jumped out of the car. We chased the bunny.

"BUNNY! BUNNY!" "CONEJITO! CONEJO!"

After chasing it across the street to the duck pond, up rape hill, down rape hill, around the grass, after laughing hysterically and having to stop because we wanted to puke, after getting laughed at by passersby, Jamie finally trapped it under some sticks and grabbed it! We had caught the bunny!!!!!!

We put it in the back of the car and I sat with it while we drove on. Eventually we took it to Jamie's house (in Orem) b/c her lil sister used to breed and sell rabbits so she had a cage and food already! What luck! We named it Tuley because I was telling them about Tularemia, a disease you can get from rabbits. (I know I know, I would do something like that..)

He's doing well! We made fliers and put them up around Provo, so hopefully the owner will see it and call us! Oh, I should've mentioned that. It's definitely a pet rabbit and not wild. So no worries, we didn't capture some poor native rabbit, but one that needs to get back to its owner. We saved it from being road kill!!!

So if you know anyone who lost a rabbit around South of Provo, let me know!!!

what I am to you is not real

From a starburst poker night

"Volcano" --Damien Rice

I'm taking a sick day from work. I got five hours of sleep due to not being able to sleep. Ha. My nose is going nuts, my room was littered with used tissues until I cleaned up just a minute ago, my throat kinda hurts and I'm coughing like I have TB (ha ha). So I'm takin it easy today. I have the nicest friends and home teachers ever. They brought me meds and juice! So nice... :) And I had myself some chicken soup, watched some House, now I'm tidying up while listening to Pandora (which is being fantastic at the moment) and just enjoying the downtime.

I miss fall weather. I miss wearing long sleeves and sweatshirts and not having to shave.

Summer is going well. I'm liking the wacky weather actually. I know most people are mad that Utah's not being stable and just being hot and dry, but I'm so glad-- I'd be going crazy right now and never leaving the house. I don't like it when it's too hot unless I'm in the water. I miss lakes and oceans... anyways. I like the intermittent rain and dark clouds.

I'm kind of excited for summer term to start. I know that's weird. I also know I'll be eating my words soon. I think I'm going to be burnt out winter semester. But that's okay, I'll fight through it, on my way to victory, freedom, and a bachelor's degree! (Finally!)

Here's some photographic evidence of what I've been doing the past monthish:

Jamie's parents run Best of State-- a Utah competition for restaurants, businesses, etc. It was black tie and we volunteered. So fun!

Memorial Day pool party



Girls' night out! We dressed up and went out to eat then to a dance then watched a movie!

I have no idea what the h I'm doing or thinking or feeling and I can't seem to solve anything and I feel like a failure at everything I do, including just being happy.