Where to begin

It has been so so long since I've updated this. I know I need to be better at keeping a journal of my life, but I really struggle for some reason. My BFFAE is so amazing at keeping journals, pictures, mementos from events in life. I really admire her and her perseverance to do so.  I wish, so badly that I could write so eloquently as other friends, or even just write.  Period!  I do have the thought that I need to start writing more about my life growing up and let you all indulge on some of the events that have happened in "the story of MY life" including the many struggles, trials, and funny times (like the random blind dates, or other dates, but the blind ones are definitely more entertaining).  I hope that I now have a little bit more time to rearrange my time, that I can be better at this. I enjoy reading about others experiences and I can only hope that is the same for others reading mine.  I also hope that I can share my testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  I am typing this in between Conference session on Sunday and I do know that we have been given such technology to better this world and share the gospel.

I went back and was looking through some of my last posts and I can't believe that it has been so long since I've updated things.  I look back at where my life was, and where it has ended up right now.  Never would I have thought that my life has taken the changes that it has.  I couldn't be more grateful for the experiences that I've had.  Never in a million years would I have thought that I really do, at the age of 27, own my own franchise (of course not without the help, support, and partnership of my family).  I've always thought about it, but never really thought that it could happen.  Everyone said to not go into business with family.  I'm so glad I chose not to listen.  I couldn't imagine going into business with any one else.

I'm 27. Single. A business owner. And taking my life into my own hands, with the guidance of my Heavenly Father.  I'm going to make something of my life.  I'm not going to sit around and wait for the next adventure to present itself.  I'm going to go find it!

PS
I have a couple of drafts of the cruise to the Bahama's, I just need to find the pictures.  Hopefully I'll get the chance to blog about my other cruise with the Julian's to the Mexican Rivera, as well as the many adventures in between then and now.

the Bahamas!! Day 2 - Key West

 So we came into port, sometime in the morning. I'm not sure what time it was, all I know is that it was really loud, and scared the bajeebers outta me! Since our room was towards the front of the ship, when they docked at the port we could hear all the motors running to let out the ropes.

We got up, ate, and with our Seapass and ID in hand we walked on to solid ground. Apparently there is a lot of history in Key West. Ernest Hemingway spent a lot of time there (for those of you like me that don't like books, so you might not know who he is, he's a famous author. I can't tell ya what he wrote, I just know he wrote words on paper. . .). You can go to the southern most point of the continental US. The first Sloppy Joe's Bar is located there. I mean honestly, how could you get any cooler than Sloppy Joe's?! (I actually ate two of them today! Not the original ones, since I'm back home and posting this. Just good 'ol homemade Paul Sloppy Joe. So I guess that would make it a Sloppy Paul. Anyways!)

As soon as you get off the ship, they have TONS of shops. Yes it is a total tourist trap! It was still cool. It was almost as if between every other shop, there was a food place to get some Key Lime Pie. I didn't realized the connection between the two till about mid day. KEY West - KEY Lime Pies. Go figure! ;) (No worries, I know I'm blonde. It's cool!) So before the day was over we had to be sure to find a shop with some true Key Lime Pie from good 'ol Key West! We walked all over Key West. Can I just tell you, there are some of the most interesting lil shops there I've ever seen! They have a ton of shops that sell t-shirts with different things on them. A lot of them were not very nice shirts, but they were still pretty funny! I had to take a picture of this one for my dad!

Leave it up to me to be sure and find the Harley store!

The group was walking down the street and I just got sucked into it. Next thing I know, Sharesa is right there in the store with me. I guess the group noticed I was gone so they looked back, and Sharesa knew exactly which lil store I had to have gone in :D She's such a good friend! After we wandered our way through the streets, we found Ernest's home. We then decided to head to that most southern point. It's only 90 miles to Cuba from there. . .I guess we saw all the cool stuff we could see (so we thought!) so we headed back to the ship. On the way back we saw the Hard Rock Cafe, more t-shirt shops, bought our pie to eat on the ship, and we then saw this man. . .

bahahahaha!!! Only in Key West!!

  

Once we got back on the ship we were of course hungry, so we went to Johnny Rockets! It was the only restaurant on the ship that you had to pay to eat there. $4.95 for all you can eat. . .it was definitely worth it! While eating, we came across our 'friend'. Did I mention that I saw more speedo's this trip than I have in my life!? With our bellies full we decided to head out to the pool for a bit. Today's pool side entertainment was the Belly Flop contest! There were some GOOD flops!! And some total duds too. But all in all, we gotta see Tom, and have a good time! By the way, Tom is our new friend. He's from Australia, and he works on the ship. He's just under the cruise director so we saw him A LOT. Shalese is gonna marry him. NBD :) haha After the poolside fun and gettin some sun, we decided to head down to our rooms and get ready for dinner.

Tonights dinner was the formal night. Ya'll know me, I'm not the girly girl type to get all fancied up. But it was a good time and pretty sure we had the best lookin group on the ship, for sure!! OH and this is the night we learned our magic trick from Samphan!!! Dinner this night was better than last night for sure! Eating amazing food (as much of it as you wanted), and laughing for two hours straight, is probably the most fun you'll ever have! This was the first night that Marco decided to start coming over to our table and hanging out with us, even though it wasn't his table to wait on. Sanjeev and Samphan were HILARIOUS!!!

Tonight we had our first lil towel animal. . .our cute lil Elephant! After taking pictures with our new friend, Mr. Elephant, it was off to dream land to prepare ourselves for the next day to come! zzzzzzzzzzzzz

Commercial Break

My parents got a new computer. YEA!! I love this new computer. It does all sorts of fancy things. The only down side is that I have all of my pictures from the cruise on the old computer. I have the posts written, just no pictures. All I need to do, is hook up a monitor (and hopefully I can get the old computer to work. We got a new one for good reasons. It was starting to be temper mental) to the old computer and burn the pictures onto a few cd's. As soon as that happens I'll update you on the Bahama cruise. I really need to get that done soon, since I just got back from another AWESOME cruise with some cousins to the Mexican Rivera!!