An Award??

Hi everyone,

So my friend Jo (or Jona as she's known to the blogging world) nominated me for the Liebster Award. 

I have no idea what that means either, but here are "The Rules":

• You must link back to the person who nominated you 
• You must answer the 11 questions given to you by the nominee before you
• You must 11 pick nominees with under 200 (or 2000 if you want to go with that) followers to answer your questions
• You cannot nominate the person who nominated you
• You must let the people you nominate know they have been nominated

So here are Jo's questions and my answers. Enjoy:

1. Why’d you start blogging?

-Because I enjoy talking about myself entirely too much. Also, my mother wanted updates on my life. 

2. Celebrity crush?

-I don't really have one....

3. Favorite book?

-All of them. No seriously, we don't have room to list my favorite books. 

4. Bad habit you’re trying to kick?

-Staying up late. 7:30 classes are great incentive to break that one though.

5. What are you looking forward to most right now?

-A nap. :) 

6. Of all the posts that you’ve written, which one is your favorite? (Link it)

-Thoughts of a Teenage Girl

7. What do you want to change about the world?

-Lots of things... Why can't we all just get along??

8. What word do people typically use to describe you?

-Smart.

9. Favorite color?

-Turquoise

10. A unique/weird talent you possess?

-I can put my foot behind my head. Be impressed. hahah

11. Favorite item of clothing in your closet?

-Jeans. Always jeans. 

My nominees are:

Tales of a Barefooted Bookworm

Life of a Practice Room Dweller

and I don't follow many blogs so that's going to be it for nominees (yes I know I broke the rules).

My Questions for them are:

1. Favorite movie?

2. Favorite food?

3. Celebrity crush?

4. Dream job?

5. Summer or winter?

6. Hobbies (besides blogging)?

7. Favorite Disney character?

8. Why'd you start blogging?

9. Favorite type of music/artist?

10. What would you say is your best feature?

11. Your house is on fire and you have 60 seconds, what do you grab?

P.S. You should check out all these blogs.

Excellent.

-McKenna

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! 

This Thanksgiving in the midst of turkey comas, food babies, and backyard football, I thought I would make a little list of things I am thankful for....as you can see, it grew. I am thankful for:

Mum

Dad

Hannah

Ashton

Grammy Kathy

Grandpa Burd

Grandma Wilson

Grandpa Wilson

Grandma Nadine

Grandpa Joe

Grandma Pratt

Cousins

Cousins’ kids

Aunts

Uncles

Great Aunts

Great Uncles

Sarah

Austin

Shelby

Dallin

Spencer

Quinten

Jo
Laramie

Melissa

Taylor
Kelser

Allie

Keni

Becca

Best Friends

Roommates

Abraham Lincoln

George Washington

Joseph Smith

William Tyndale

Theodore Roosevelt

Albert Einstein

Thomas Edison

Walt Disney

Thomas Jefferson

William Shakespeare

Sir Isaac Newton

Chocolate

Pork Chops

Steak

Trout

Potatoes

Corn on the Cob

Cake

Brownies

Ice Cream

Garlic

Tapatio

Jalepenos

Onions

Computers

Internet

Printers

Toilets

Running Water

Heaters

Air Conditioning

Garage Door Openers

Lights

Cellphones

Email

Letters

Pride & Prejudice

All the Harry Potters

Vampire Academy

The Host

Sherlock Holmes

The Scarlet Letter

The Foot Book

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

The Notebook

The Chronicles of Narnia

Hercules

The Princess Bride

Pocahontas

Serendipity

Castle

Mulan

Leap Year

The Notebook

P.S. I Love You

Aladdin

Bed

Afghans

Quilts

Laptop

Heated Blankets

Sweaters

Jeans

Running Shoes

Yoga Pants

High Heeled Shoes

Eyes

Ears

Nose

Lips

Birthmark

Fingers

Feet

Legs

Arms

Brain

Basketball

Yoga

Running

Football

Hot Baths

Singing

Listening

Hugging

Sleeping

Talking

Nyssa, Oregon

Home

Church

Logan, Utah

Apartment

Twin Lakes

Owyhee Dam

Oregon Coast

United States of America

Fruitland, Idaho

pinterest.com

facebook.com

gmail.com

hulu.com

google.com

usu.edu

Wikipedia.com

Etsy.com

Youtube.com

Spotify.com

Jesus Christ

The Atonement

The Plan of Happiness

The Scriptures

Father’s blessings

Patriarchal Blessings

The Sacrament

Preach My Gospel

Prayer

Temples

Eternal Families

Missionaries

Cats

Kittens

Dogs

 Sheep

Horses

Puppies

Seahorses

Goldfish

Cows

Birds

Utah State University

Calculus

Math

Reading

Nyssa High School

Journals

Physics

Mirrors

Blogs

If you made it this far, thanks for reading. I am so blessed to have so many things to be thankful for. I hope you have a great day with your loved ones! 

Some people care too much...I think it's called love

McKenna

A Conversation with a Book

This week Utah State has been having an event called the Human Library. 

Yep. Humans. In a library. 

And they give us permission to check them out....

Not like that! Stay focused.

The Human Library is collection of individuals who have unusual life experiences. When you walk into the Human Library (which is inside the actual library) and they have a collection of "titles" and "book descriptions". They had everything from secret society members to "Mormon turned Pagan". 

Yep.

Welcome to Utah. (There's also a Post-Mormonism club on campus, I didn't even know that was a thing!)

Anyway, I checked out the "Lifelong Learner" and took my "book" to a table to talk. 

They gave me a sticker. :) 

My book has earned multiple degrees (both undergraduate and graduate; she has her PhD!) and has worked as an academic advisor. I was expecting to have a nice conversation about college and learning and yada yada...

I. Was. Wrong.

It was honestly one of the coolest conversations of my life. My book has gone through so many things and experienced so much!

She got a bachelors in one thing.

Got a graduate degree in something else. 

And hated her career.

So she decided to do what she loves (and took a significant pay cut) and now advises students.

And is getting another undergrad.

And did I mention that the reason she kept going to school was to get a little freedom from her then husband.

And she had cancer. And kept working while she had cancer.

This book was fantastic. 

She told me to always keep learning, that it had kept her sane and had kept her sharp. She told me that it never hurts to have a career that pays for your learning habit (engineering anyone??).

And she gave me some advice:

That when people are dying they regret two things: not spending enough time with the people they love and not taking enough risks.

And she said that at the end of your life you will regret the books you didn't read, but don't let it be because you didn't read, let it be because you just ran out of time.

Isn't that just the coolest thing you've ever heard?! 

I loved the Human Library.

On a related side note, here's my Education Mission Statement that I had to write for a class: 

I will learn

From teachers and students

I will have an open mind

And I will change it often

I will be prepared to learn outside of the classroom

Especially from those who I think have nothing to teach

I will think critically with my mind

But never forget to involve my heart

And at the end of my life

I will regret the books I didn’t read

But not for a lack of reading

Keep a weather eye on the horizon,

-McKenna 

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind...and lines

Let me tell you about a book. This book is called The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope. (It's a mouthful, I know.) Here's the summary:

William Kamkwamba was born in Malawi, a country where magic ruled and modern science was mystery. It was also a land withered by drought and hunger. But William had read about windmills, and he dreamed of building one that would bring to his small village a set of luxuries that only 2 percent of Malawians could enjoy: electricity and running water. His neighbors called him misala—crazy—but William refused to let go of his dreams. With a small pile of once-forgotten science textbooks; some scrap metal, tractor parts, and bicycle halves; and an armory of curiosity and determination, he embarked on a daring plan to forge an unlikely contraption and small miracle that would change the lives around him.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is a remarkable true story about human inventiveness and its power to overcome crippling adversity. It will inspire anyone who doubts the power of one individual's ability to change his community and better the lives of those around him.

(Credit:http://www.amazon.com/The-Boy-Who-Harnessed-Wind/dp/0061730335)

I had to read this book as a "Common Literature Experience" for my University Connection class, here at Utah State....and I really loved it! I like most books, but this one is truly great. It is inspiring and moving, and it is current (all the events occurred in the last decade). Even better, this week I had the opportunity to hear William speak twice. I was so impressed his ingenuity, drive, and general cheerfulness. After everything he's gone through, he could be bitter, but he's such a positive person! I thought that was amazing. 

Now, because I enjoyed the book so much I really wanted to get my book signed by William, and luckily enough USU held a book signing this afternoon. It started at noon, so I showed up a few minutes before then...and the line was HUGE. I got in line and prepared to wait. 

And that's exactly what I did.

For over an hour.

75 minutes. 

...

And then, the Connections coordinator announced that William had a flight to catch and would be leaving in 15 minutes.

And there were still 30 people in front of me. Mother of Pearl.

I decided that since I had waited so long, I should just stick it out and hope for the best (being positive and all that jazz). And the line creeped forward...

Inch by torturous inch...

And...

I made it! It was close (he left just a minute or two after signing mine), but I made it.

And that's all that counts. P.S. Go read this book! 

May the force be with you.

-McKenna