iSeptember Selebrations!

Learning.

What a crazy concept!

Heavenly Father is the most amazing teacher - how is He supposed to ensure billions of His children learn and progress on Earth?

His methods are sound, but my goodness, they are overwhelming.

Once upon a time, I was at the epitome of blessedness.

Life could not possibly get better; I was smitten with the joys of it!

I remember telling a coworker distinctly that if I was getting this blessed, I was terrified for the trials of the future, because they'd have to equal my blessings.

Learning is a process.

It comes from all directions; people we meet, places we see, things that happen.

Every single day has a purpose to give us a knowledge of something more.

It's so efficient.

But heavens alive, is it exasperating haha.

The scariest thing I can remember happened last night,

and I'm still stumbling through the lessons that were smothered into me.

I almost killed six of the best friends I've ever had.

The guilt I felt for driving recklessly, inexperienced, and carelessly wouldn't stop throbbing in my head. Despite knowing that many or all of the factors were beyond my control, and that I did the best I could with what I was given, I couldn't get rid of the guilt.

I've never felt so awful and completely helpless.

The wonderful people I'm honored to be friends with surrounded me with love and forgiveness.

My family supported me with love and confidence.

My Heavenly Father blessed me with peace and knowledge.

And I've come out having actually learned something.

Sure I don't have a truck anymore, but I actually feel okay about it.

I'm so grateful for my friends and family, and that they're alive.

I'm grateful for the reminder of the fragility of life.

And I'm grateful for the opportunity to develop greater love for everything I have

and a greater faith.

I love the gospel, I love my family, and I love my friends!

Have a fabulous day and remaining September, everyone!

Remember how blessed you are to be alive!

RIP Geraldo!

You're welcome for your token cheesy blog for the day.

I aligned it in the middle and everything.

Facespace

Oh hey, everybody. I'm Tracie. Hope you didn't forget me. Just in case, I feel the desire to re-inform you that I am alive, still large and most definitely IN CHARGE!

Hence, facespace mybook quiz:

1 - Your Favorite Song:

Hardest Question is first, of course. I think currently, though it's

You and I - Ingrid Michaelsonhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvMVCHhwTPs

2 - Your Favorite Movie:
Singin' in the Rain with Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds

3 - Your Favorite Television Program:
The Cosby Show, She-Ra, and That 70's Show (sorry, mom, guilty pleasure...)

4 - Your Favorite Book:
The Wind in the Willows

5 - Your Favorite Quote:

"Sometimes God Calms the Storm, sometimes He calms the Sailor, and sometimes He teaches the sailor how to swim."

6 - 20 of my Favorite Things:
Snow, Outside, Rain, Logan, Sherbet, Dance, Gospel, Family, Friends, Laughing, Sleeping, Fake teeth, Music, Singing, Being Awkward, Beatrice rides, Bear Lake, Jane Austen, Skewompus hair, and PBS.

7 - A photo that makes you happy:

 (We decided to make Pioneer Day cards to send to our loved ones. And yes, those are stick horses and weeds in our hands.)
and this pictures makes me almost as happy. 90's grunge party, everybody.

8 - A photo that makes you sad:

Niccole took a spill on the longboard and put a hole in her favorite jacket. It was very sad. BUT! Good news. We found a Rainbow Brite patch to cover it up. Thanks, Laura. :)

9 - A photo you took:

 Bloody nose on trek. Yikes.

10 - Something you are OCD about:
Toothpaste caps. I hate messy toothpaste caps. That's right, I wish they'd straight up die.

11 - Your Favorite Outfit:
My sparkly pink horse shirt with the moon and forest in the background, my H & M shoes, and my roll up Bermuda jean shorts. :)

12 - Your Favorite Shoes:
12 buck H&M shoes. So stoked for Fall H &M!

13 - Your dream house:
Don't care. As long as it has a piano, a huge yard, and lots of windows.

14- A song that makes you cry:
Mama's Red Slippers for Christmas. Kidding. I'm not even going to try to figure out the real title of the song else it'll be in all of our heads. Worst day ever.

15 - An art piece:

16 - My future wedding:
Outside reception, very simple, and filled with family, friends, laughing, and sparkling apple cider.
We'll be rich.

17 - A talent of yours:
I can make friends with anyone! I love to test this one out... Anyone with a challenge in mind, let me know. :)

18 - A hobby of yours:
Falling off my longboard daily and loving it.

19 - A recipe:
 Onera on anything, delish.

20 - A website:
 www.pandora.com
love my Regina Spektor, Killers, and Edward Sharpe stations!

21 - A youtube video:
Kid History. So cliche, so funny. Episode 6 does not disappoint!

22 - Your day, in great detail:
Woke up late, longboarded to lab, learned how to use a microscope and identified several slides (surprisingly thrilling!), went to Subway, walked at Icon and talked to my good friends Diane, Heidi, and Brian ha, rode Beatrice, laughed very hard in Dr. Harris' Chemistry class as I sat on the floor in the back of the room (I was late ha), sat and talked with my best friends upstairs, went to Opinionology to chat with some kind folks, came home to many goodies my wonderful roomies make, stretched and talked to my bff's upstairs, blogstalked, and blogged. Phew. Big day.

23 - Your week, in great detail:
Crazy. Started school, I love it!

24 - Your worst habit:
Mocking people because I think it's funny! NOT funny! Mean. Very mean.

25 - Hopes, dreams, and plans for next 365 days:
Get real teeth, work hard and succeed in school, dance with my whole soul every single rehearsal, run a half marathon (amazing Diane at work did it, I can, too!!), make many many many new friends!

26 - A dream for the future:
Earn my blessings by being the best I can be and help those around me as much as I possibly can:
Show them how much Heavenly Father loves them!

The end. You know are reacquainted with Tracie Paul, 19, Logan, Utah.
Lovely to see you all again!

Father's Day post: remix: testimony!

My testimony on families has always been solid. I personally believe that one's very personality, lifetime, and choices are all affected enormously by circumstance and environment, which makes family all the more fragile and sacred. I can't fathom the responsibility two people feel as the head of a family.  It is their charge to ensure that the spirits they are blessed with have the best perspective on life as possible before they go out and make decisions.
Just yesterday, my good friend and I were talking about how if we had had different parents, how we would have turned out. She said if her parents were any stricter on her, she'd go crazy and rebel; but if they'd been anymore lax, she would have gone crazy without feeling of consequence. It's so true. I don't know how confident my parents were in their methods of parenting at the time. They probably felt guilty, insufficient, or not enough in their punishments or in giving me boundaries or advice. The miracle of it all is that it was enough. They didn't go too far in keeping me on a leash, but I sure as heck knew the leash was there. 
As I've gotten older, I notice what my parents did for me. I realize that I am because of them. Even in my false sense of independence, I realize that they are the ones keeping me independent. They quietly pass me money when I'm desperate and offer their basement as store with every visit. Heaven knows I've only bought toilet paper once for the past year. 
My parents are two of the most amazing people I've ever known. My mother is truly the sweetest woman alive, and I could go on and on about how much I worship her and how I love everything about her. But, it's Father's Day. So that will have to wait for Mother's Day, because I want to talk about my Dad.
Kim Paul is the funniest man I know. He doesn't even try. When he laughs, it's hilarious. His face gets red and his mustache twitches. I've never seen him laugh as hard as when he noticed someone on the news named Kim Paul Something get arrested, and remembering that that person was the son of a coworker my dad helped twenty something years ago, who named his baby after my dad in exchange. 
My dad is the most giving man I know. Completely selfless, he goes out of his way in a heartbeat for anyone and everyone. There are countless examples of the never ending service that he tirelessly gives to everyone at all times. So many have been blessed by this insanely talented man, and he never gives one indication of pride. If anything, he's one of the most modest men, in all things but mustaches and trucks.
My dad is the best dad in the world. I have always, always known with a fact that I had someone at my back. He calls constantly, and despite laughing in annoyance at times, I'm immensely grateful and humbled by the love he shows me. He protects me at all costs. If I'm ever having a hard time, or even slightly unlucky, he emotionally cuddles me right up and makes me remember how loved I am. He feels the pain with me and tries to console me. He spoils me rotten and I love, more than anything, making him proud. If I can find a man with as much strength, endurance, service, consideration, love, pride, and hard work as my dad, I will definitely be in the best of hands.
Families are one of the greatest blessings we have here on Earth. It astounds me how truly amazing Heavenly Father is, that he can coordinate and weave so many different elements into one solid existence, for billions of spirits. I can't imagine having a different or better dad, and I'll forever be grateful that Kim Paul is mine. Here's to the greatest parents someone could be so dang lucky to have!!! I love you both!

Why my life is aboriginal as it gets.

Aboriginal.

As original.

Get it?

REASON ONE:

I totally have a freaking scooter. 

A genuine, motorized, 150cc, blue, gorgeous, ticket-able without a motorcycle endorsement scooter.

Her name is Beatrice and she has 210 miles on her as of today. 40 more and we can venture about 35 miles an hour.

Watch out, Logan. 

REASON TWO:

Since I'd become quite tired of work, I decided THIS GIRL needed some frozen yogurt from the Twizlberry across the street. So off my girl Beatrice and I went.

I packed on the goods. Cake batter and every chocolate topping available. 

I weighed it.

14.0 ounces EXACTLY. (yes, almost a pound. Don't judge.)

SURPRISE! Today's Weight of the Day was 14.0. WHICH MEANS it was one hundred percent 

FREEEEEEEE!!

REASON THREE:

I have the greatest jobs in the world. One, I talk to fabulous people all day while breaking workout equipment.

And also, sometimes we get to take a jump rope outside and I always see this snake on the side of the violently pregnant Logan River, in the same spot. I've seen him five times now. He's scared of me. But give us a few more weeks. We'll be pals yet.

The other, I talk to fabulous people all day while on a headset. I have so many great stories of hilarious people. I love calling America.

Those are mostly my reasons for having an aboriginal as it gets life. 

And also, sometimes I stand like this.  

 Oh and also. I'm pretty brown, too. 

homesick... while somehow managing to be as unhomely as possible. who knew?

the smell of lucy's tummy

drinking a huge swig of dad's ice water in the middle of the night

the smell of my basement

friends

warm silence

mowing the lawn

cosby/mash/nova/the simpsons/secret snatches of that 70's show

eating whatever, whenever, not caring how it fit in my weekly grocery budget

no competition

my piano

kat's house

singing as loud as possible

mom and dad's bed

transportation

curfews

the trampoline

bear lake

mailbox runs

grandma's garden runs

neighborhood runs

home in the summer!

Trolloping Tractors Tragically Trash Tracie's Trainers.

The good news is that I have an insanely awesome job that I start tomorrow! I'm terribly excited for it.

The bad news is that I spent a good portion of the last 24 hours throwing up.

The good news is that I feel much better.

The bad news is that I'm a pirate.

The good news is that I'm a pirate.

The bad news is that when someone rides a longboard, they get asked a lot of questions, much about legitimacy. Why do they care? It's a mode of transportation. Weirdos. Country Bumpkins. Goons. Silly Cindys.

The good news is that I'm meeting millions of people. Literally.

The bad news is that I just lied. Not literally.

The good news is that there are attractive men living in my building.

The bad news is that they scare me, so I will likely be mean and sarcastically witty to them in an elementary school way to show them my interest.

The good news is that I'm just a baby, so it doesn't matter, anyways. Friendship!

For other news, visit bbc.com, but it's not nearly as riveting as mine, sorry!

Thank you, and good night.

Deep Breath

Guess what, everyone?

Life is super scary.

I have an entire summer before me.

I have no idea what it holds, and I'm quite nervous.

As I am essentially by myself for the first time, I've felt a lot of insecurity lately. My best friends have all left, and I need to find new people to love.

There are 48,174 people in Logan.

And I plan on meeting at least three of them everyday for the next three months.

I'll look at the library, the CVTD (bus), the store, church, my building, everywhere!

I will learn their stories, fall in love with them, and tell them how appreciated they are, and write about what I've learned from them here.

I want to find a better friend within myself. I need to better acquaint myself with me and my Heavenly Father. These two important relationships have severely suffered in being constantly surrounded by stress and the comfort zones of good friends.

I'm determined to make this seemingly lonely summer turn into one of the most lovely I'll ever have.

As my co-worker Chelsea, always says, "Friendship!"

Here's to breaking comfort zones!