one hundred and one: things i love

1. short nails

2. smiley faces on big toes

3. the first snow

4. frost on the grass in the morning

5. the smell of soil and new books

6. everything about bonfires

7. the helpless look in a hurt child's eye

8. my chacos

9. letters in the mailbox

10. regular bowel movements

11. coming home to tia and erina's unconditional love

12. the feeling i had in kenya

13. clean teeth, feet and hair

14. the color green

15. being outside

16. people in front of me that smell good

17. love texts

18. busy weekends

19. sweating to the oldies with richard simmions
20. listening to stories
21. decorative balls made out of tissue
22. some show tunes
23. spontaneity 
24. fun knick knacks 
25. lots of vibrant colors
26. fabric 
27. how green california is in the winter
28. how my house looks in the fall
29. forts in the living room
30. temporary tattoos 
31. false mustaches 
32. hanging up snowflakes during the winter
33. giggly people 
34. pictures and lots of them
35. plane tickets
36. swings
37. being able to make a difference in the world
38. when the last person finally gets the joke
39. trying new things
40. watching plants grow
41. planking
42. yard sales
43. hearing swahili
44. road trips
45. giant slides
46. thrift stores
47. not wearing shoes
48. being sun burnt
49. cream cheese frosting 
50. the zoo
51. having flowers in the house
52. my red laptop
53. all one hundred and six boys in thika
54. playing dress up
55. homemade meals
56. around the house projects
57. hair peak-a-boos 
58. writing on whiteboards 
59. long eye lashes
60. snoasis snow cones
61. blowing bubbles
62. childhood friends
63. mission call openings 
64. getting cornrows on one side of my head
65. farmers markets
66. teenagers
67. youth dances
68. hearing embarrassing stories 
69. making exciting secret plans
70. discovering new spots in my hometown
71. looking back at funny moments and they are still just that funny
72. when people think i am dating my best friend
73. when you sing a song and your voice cracks 
74. small towns
75. www.urbandictionary.com 
76. the sleepy sillies
77. when people follow through 
78. summer freckles 
79. really awesome coincidences 
80. when i go to the store with my mom
81. that song that never fails to make my heart get all giddy inside because of all the memories it is associated with
82. kids saying silly things
83. when someone you haven't heard from in a long time calls out of the blue
84. back scratches
85. cardigans 
86. moments that feel like they are from a movie
87. late night trips to denny's
88. ding dong ditching
89. winning raffles or contests 
90. new cds from the rocket summer
91. good hair days
92. oranges
93. intense idaho sunsets
94. broken down old fences that are falling over and beautiful
95. bows in hair
96. lying on warm cement
97. homemade bread
98. putting band-aids on children 
99. finding lost money in pockets
100. paper chains 
101. when boys hold open doors for me

AIDS

I know that AIDS is real. 

I know that it kills. 

I had no idea what it did to a person until I went to Kenya. 

When I got there I just found out the textbook stuff. 

I learned that it shuts down the immune system until your body cannot fight anything. 

Then eventually it kills you. 

I never saw anyone in Kenya with AIDS.

Everyone told me, "You will know someone has AIDS because you can see it."

I never saw anything out of the ordinary. 

I never saw AIDS, 

Or I thought. 

On the left of this picture is a boy nicknamed Boss.

 I lived with him at the center. 

Boss just recently was told he has AIDS. 

It is very prevalent in his body and it is taking over. 

I was there when they pulled him out of school because he was "sick." 

The boys and staff just told me that he had rashes all over his body. 

I saw them. 

I believed them.

They were just protecting me. 

Never in my life did I think I would even see someone with AIDS.

Anal Fissure

-noun [eyn-l fish-er] An anal fissure is a crack or tear in the skin of the anal canal. Anal fissures may be noticed by bright red anal bleeding on the toilet paper, sometimes in the toilet. If acute they may cause severe periodic pain. 


This is the recent story of my life. Well, not recent but recently discovered. 
You know you are super lucky when the doctor tells you that not only do you have 1 large fissure but 2 small ones too. Now my friends, that is pure talent. 


I went to the doctor here in Rexburg. They gave me these pills. 
They didn't work. 
I went back.
They said I needed to go to a specialist in California because of my health insurance. 


I went to California. 
I loved my doctor. He is a hoot. 
I he saw that I have 3 fissures. 
He called up the surgeon. 
The surgeon prescribed me 2 creams but if that doesn't work I am really lucky. 


Botox to the butt will be my solution. 
My doctor was giggling when he told me that. 
I hope you are doing the same. 

I could have included some pictures off of the internet of what this looks like .

I didn't think that people would like that.