Update

Wow. I've been really bad at updating. I'm sorry. Things have just been rather stressful at work and I've spent a lot of time at home trying to de-stress... which hasn't always been successful. And as much as I want to tell you all what is going on at work through this blog--it's not going to happen. Sorry. You never know what people can read on my blog. Maybe I should just make it private. *shrug* One day.

So, besides work being stressful and unnerving, I enrolled in my first two classes for grad school. One starts on January 5th and the other doesn't start until January 26th. That's right, three days before my birthday I will be on the internet getting my homework assignment. Crazy. I can't believe it's finally here.

Thanksgiving was wonderful. I went home to San Diego, and as always, I didn't want to leave. That place just makes me feel so good. And I'm sure it had everything to do with so many of my family being there. Four of my brothers and my sister were able to be in San Diego for Thanksgiving. For six days I was able to leave behind work and really enjoy myself. And I did!¹

Then I went back to work. We got the January 2010 Liahona. I'm so proud of this magazine. We redesigned and created something new to hopefully bless the lives of the members of the Church throughout the world. If you haven't seen it... you should check it out.

And lastly, I've already started making plans for 2010. Not just school plans--my friend and I bought tickets to see Michael Bublé in concert. I have one of his concert dvds from my days of working at PBS affiliate, KBYU, but something about being able to actually go is going to be awesome! I can't wait. Seriously.

Well, I think that's all from me for now. Hopefully I'll have some blogs after Christmas and into the new year that are more exciting than this. I'm also planning to create a blog that reviews all of my books, so my ever growing list off to the right of this screen will disappear after the end of this year. I mostly kept that record for myself--I don't know if anyone else ever read it. But I'll be sure to link to my new blog once I have it up and running.

Merry Christmas!

¹Plus, I have to say that my sisters-in-law, one of my brothers, dad, and mom were all very complimentary to me regarding my weight loss. It felt so good!

Inspired

My apologies for not posting in awhile. Here's hoping that this week I can do an update post.

But in the mean time, you should take a minute and read a story. It definitely has inspired me.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/stephanie-nielson-intro-120609.html

This is a quote from Washington Irving that was in the article and now I want to print it out and put it on my mirror:

There is in every true woman's heart a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity; but which kindles up and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity.

Triumphs!

Well, I've been trying all this year to lose weight.

I've added in daily exercise (though some weeks I'm better at it than others).

I've tried to eat better.

And I can finally say it--I'm almost to my goal weight for Thanksgiving. I'm three pounds away from that goal.

Why Thanksgiving?

Because, a majority of my family will be gathering in San Diego to bless this little guy:

And I'm sure a myriad of family photos will be taken. So I wanted to look at least somewhat skinnier so I don't stand out in the crowd.

I just hope that I can get those 3 pounds gone before then. And I really hope that someone notices.

When did that happen?

So, I never realized that I had gotten "hot" until a couple of weeks ago.

I'll be honest--boys don't give me a second look. Sometimes not even a first look. I get maybe a glance. It's okay. I accept it.

When I was at the library a couple of weeks ago, I was straightening shelves and a guy walks up to me and asks about getting onto the computers. As I'm not very knowledgeable regarding internet policies or getting onto a computer, I offered to find him a librarian because I was only a volunteer. I found the librarian on duty and gladly passed him along.

He made it a point to ask my name. Told me his name was Marco.

I laughed after he left. As I explained before---these things don't happen to me.

Marco came back though. And tried to chat with me. While I straightened shelves.

I wondered what I would do if he asked my number. Did I know anyone's number off the top of my head? Only my mother's, but she would just pass my real number along. Maybe I could tell him it's a new phone and I don't remember the number and pass him along to one of my friends.

He never asked my number. He just said, "Well, I'll be on the first floor. At a computer down there." *wink wink*

I left 10 minutes later to go home. Didn't see Marco again.

There may be something to this whole librarian business.

Then again, it hasn't happened since.

Free Shutterfly Book

Have you ever wanted a 20 page 8x8 book from Shutterfly? Well, you can get it now (you just have to pay shipping and handling!). Here's how:

Snag a FREE 8x8 20 page photo book from Shutterfly! You will have to pay a shipping fee, but this is still a sweet deal! All you need to do is go here and login to your Facebook account. After logging in, scroll down to the bottom of the page and you should see a banner advertising this FREE Photo Book offer. Click on the ad and you'll receive a special promotional code to use, then just sign into your Shutterfly account and save your code.

Thanks to Hip2Save!

Now I've got to figure out which pictures to use! Twenty pages is definitely not enough!

Nashville Tribute Band

If you haven't heard of the Nashville Tribute Band, you're totally missing out. Let me use this post to educate you a bit.

Before 2005, Jason Deere had an idea to write some songs about Joseph Smith and make it a little bit country. He got together with Dan Truman of Diamond Rio and the group Due West and so many others and they created:

Since 2005, they've toured around giving this AMAZING presentation about Joseph Smith. Then, they recorded another CD: "Trek: A Nashville Tribute to the Pioneers". Next year, they will add "A Nashville Tribute to Missionaries".

Last night I had the opportunity to go and see the Nashville Tribute Band perform. They were amazing. Truly amazing. It was a great feeling to be in the Tabernacle and to hear them sing and praise Heavenly Father and His Son for a prophet on the earth today. I laughed, I may have shed a couple of tears, and I walked away with a great understanding of my own faith and testimony.

I just wanted to share a couple of songs that I loved, so you can get a flavor for this music.

First is the song: The Rising. This tells of Joseph and what he went through as he tried to figure out which church he should join and then the persecution he experienced after he had his vision.

Second is my personal favorite: He Walked a Mile in My Shoes. It expresses the emotions that Joseph went through while in Liberty Jail. But on a personal level, it expresses how each of us often feeling after having a difficult day. We want to know that someone "gets us".

Please, go buy their cds and be uplifted. Enjoy pure testimony as the Lord speaks to you through music. And if you discover that they're coming to somewhere near you--DON'T MISS THE SHOW! It'll be the best two hours of your life, ever.

Congratulations J & H!

I just got the e-mail from J (brother #5) that they're expecting a little girl!

You have to understand, the ratio of boys to girls amongst my siblings is 3 to 1. Last night, my niece and I did some math and realized that for the next generation--my niece and her cousins it's 4 to 1. We need more girls!

So, in honor of the announcement of Baby Girl being born on March 9, 2010, this is a video that I want to dedicate to them! Congrats! I can't wait to meet her!!!




Congrats! I can't wait to give you her gift!

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

I haven't posted a recipe in awhile. So, here's a new one. Best thing ever!

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Beat 3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
2 tsp vanilla

Add:
2 cups grated zucchini
2 1/3 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup cocoa (I used unsweetened cocoa powder)

*For extra chocolatey-ness, add a big handful of chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 350. Pour batter into greased (or use nonstick cooking spray) and sugared loaf pans Sugaring is just like flouring a pan--but do it with sugar. It makes for a delightfully sweet and crispy crust. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes

Knick Knacks

So, it seems that it's been some time since I had an actual post.

Life is pretty bland these days. That's what you get when it's only you, I guess.

At work we are knee deep into Conference stuff and while I don't have anything to do--my co-workers are busy meaning that my work kind of comes to a stand still. I don't need to give them any extra work.

But I'm pretty proud of myself this summer. I actually went to New York and knocked some place off my to travel list. The ward my friend, Annie, attends is trying to go on a cruise in February to Mexico. I'm thinking about going. For one, I haven't been to Mexico very often. At least down south. And two? I need more adventures in my life. We'll see how it turns out with the whole grad school business.

I'm happy to report that I found a new place to live. It's about a mile from my current apartment and it remains in my ward boundaries. This is definitely a blessing. I'm sharing the apartment with another girl, Camille, but it's a townhouse more than an apartment. 3 stories and we each have our own bedroom and bathroom. It's right next to a high school so I can go running at the track instead of around my block (which is what I've been doing). Plus, I will be saving lots of money (which will go towards grad school). An e-mail will be sent out soon to the family and those who want it with my new address.

Well, it's 7:42 AM and I need to start getting ready for Church and review my lesson. Did I mention that I'm a Relief Society teacher? It's a lot of fun. Much easier than being a Sunday School teacher.

Tradition. Honor. Spirit.

It must be a weakness since I discovered Rudy, but I cry through the last bit of any sport movie where a team or a player overcomes the odds. And the coach always has a great speech.

So, I cried a little when I heard this:



My dream is to one day write a great historical book about BYU football. I don't care if it's ever made into a movie, but I think the story of BYU should be told. Enjoy.

To My Absentee Home Teachers

Dear Home Teachers Whom I've Never Met,

Hi. I'm Laurel. My name is probably the second one on your list because your list is in alphabetical order. I know we haven't met. I'll be honest--I'm really shy around boys. And I know that the ward directory is online and therefore really difficult to look at, plus my picture isn't all that, but I would really like to meet you.

I live alone. In an apartment. I have plenty of friends, but I do live kind of far from my family. One of my brothers lives thirty minutes away, but I don't want to have to call him when I have problems. I would love a visit from you. Even if it's just right after Church.

Why?

Because I like having visitors. I like discussing the gospel. Yes, I do know what the First Presidency Message is about nine months in advance, but I still want someone to share their insights from the article.

I also like having boys as my friends. It reminds me of my childhood growing up with my brothers. I'm pretty self-reliant (thanks to them and my mom) and low-maintenance, but it would be nice just to have someone around.

If you come, I can make one promise: I do not expect a date to come out of it. In fact, I plead with you NOT to ask me out.¹

So, that's all. My number and e-mail address are both below my name. Please call me this month.

Sincerely,

Laurel

¹ It's not that I won't go on a date with you... I get freaked out by dates in general. It's nothing personal. Besides, I'm way less threatening now that you don't think I am in love with you or anything, right?

Accepted

It feels so good to write that.

San Jose State accepted me for their Distance Learning Masters program. It's 43 credits and I will have a masters of library science and it's completely online. I'm thrilled. So excited.

I'm still looking at Simmons College and their dual masters program. It will take longer and be more expensive and I won't have the luxury of not having to care where I go, but I feel compelled to continuing researching (plus the fact that I have to take 57 credits and NOT turn in a thesis or a portfolio for the degrees is sitting well with me). But I'm going to start with San Jose in January. My plan is to take one course and see how disciplined I am now. If it works, great--if not, I should be able to transfer the class over to Simmons.

But rejoice! Things are moving forward! Which is more than what's happened to me in the past two years.

Summer Nights

It's been awhile. Sorry.

After coming home from the reunion I had lots to catch up on. So, I've been busy. My kind family took pity on me and sent me home with a cooler (or two) full of leftovers. I gathered together my friends and we had one last BBQ before Meagan left for Virginia and Becky for Logan, UT.

Still no word from San Jose State. I'll keep you posted.

Going Back to School

I know I've been talking about it, but this past week, I finished the last thing I needed to do in order to apply for an online master program at San Jose State. Classes start in January. I will hear in 6-8 weeks if I was accepted.

My plan is to take 1 class and see if it's worth trying to do my whole master program online. It would involve a lot of discipline on my part. But we'll see.

However, as a backup plan, I am preparing my personal statement and have decided to try and reapply to UCLA (which I probably won't get into due to the economic crisis in California) but I also found a school in Boston. Simmons College. They have a dual masters program--I would graduate with a MA in Children's Literature and a MS in Library Science. How cool is that?! I definitely feel good about the school, but there are some trepidations--such as it's in Boston which is far from most of my family and many of my friends, and it's also a private college so it would be expensive. So, we'll see.

And just so you know.... I am doing better than I was two days ago. No need to worry too much about me.

There Are Days...

Just so everyone is clear: I do believe that there are days when it's necessary to throw in the towel.

And sometimes there are weeks.

This week is that week. It makes me want to buy this book:

And read it while eating homemade ice cream in my bed.

*sigh* Next week will be better.

Family Reunion

7 days. Lots of laughter. Lots of stories. Lots of people.
I loved it.

And Karen? I'm already working on the family stories. I'm calling it "Growing Up Teuschers". It might just become a best-selling memoir.

Hiking and Babies

No, the two subjects don't really go together. But I realized I haven't updated for awhile and I want to get to the family reunion because they are some fun pictures there.

A week before the family reunion, my ward and Annie's ward went hiking for FHE. It started great... and then we realized we had been going the wrong way and had to climb UP the mountain. It was hot. And I whined. But Annie kept me going all the way to the top (or at least the end destination).
That same day, my friend, Michelle had her baby! I went to the hospital the next day to see her and meet Drew (Andrew Tyler) and was so excited that I got to hold him. He was so adorable. So quiet. I wished for one of my own. And then I realized that a) I still needed my job and b) I wasn't married. But for a moment, everything was right with the world.

And then came the reunion. Which I will post about next. Maybe tonight? Or tomorrow morning. Cheers!

Part Six: Last One... I Promise

My two days in Spain were crazy. Monday morning I woke up early and dragged my suitcases to the bus stop. The elders and Hermana Allen were kind enough to accompany me all the way to the train station. Then was the train ride to Barcelona, the attempt to get up to the main floor where I met some office elders. I was whisked to the office and had my exit interview with President Watson.

After that, I was put with another sister whose companion was in a meeting that evening about becoming a trainer. Hermana Scott and I had served near each other for only one transfer but I had the opportunity to go back and visit some old friends in the L'Hospitalet area.
Our first stop was to an investigator, Sofia. Her neighbor was the ward mission leader in the Cornellá branch. He had invited Sofia to multiple Family Home Evenings and she came. During my last week in L'Hospitalet, Hermana Whitford and I were able to teach her the first discussion. It was a very strong spiritual experience. From the time I left in July to January, she had continued the discussions and been baptized.

When we went over there, Sofia's daughter, Laura, opened the door. We told her to keep it a secret. Sofia asked who was at the door. Laura smiled and said, "Las hermanas!" I walked into the apartment and as soon as Sofia and I saw each other, we both began to cry. It was a sweet moment to see her and how much she had changed. We talked for awhile and she told me her conversion story. I will NEVER forget that moment. After that, we went to Carolina's house. Carolina was a very strong member who was so kind to me. I loved Carolina. She always made me feel wonderful. We had a quick dinner and a traditional "suck the flan" contest as my send off.

The next day was preparation day. Hermana Estrada was in Barcelona so she was my companion for the day. We ran around doing some last minute souvenir shopping for me then it was off to get her new companion and for me to have my final dinner and meeting with President and Hermana Watson. There was one other elder going home at the same time.

After dinner and the meeting, we headed to Plaza Catalunya for one last Transfer night singing and then to say goodbye to the missionaries. I felt so alone. A group of elders were my "companions" and it was so hard to just leave, realizing that it might be a few years before I returned. I stayed in a room in the mission home by myself, got myself up in the morning and 23 hours later I arrived in San Diego. I wish I could explain how the mission changed me, but to be honest--I don't know. I hope it made me less selfish, more willing to look outside myself at others. I know my testimony grew immensely. I hope that it made me become a stronger person and able to do what I need to do. It's hard to judge my own self because I don't see the changes. But I know that when I walked into the MTC in Provo 5 years ago, even though I REALLY wanted to go home--my mission was the best thing that has happened to me. At least thus far in my life.

Part Five: Almost done

Phew. Almost done.

So, after paradise, I was sent to Zaragoza. The best part about this transfer was that it was of my own choosing. President asked where I wanted to go and I told him. How cool is that!

I arrived and met Hermana Allen. She was the best companion. We laughed so much. We saw so much of Zaragoza. And I got to watch her grow as a missionary. She was amazing.This is me with the model of the Aljafería. I was inside of the palace at this point.
The cool thing about this palace is that it was originally built by the Muslims and then as the Christian Kings and then the Catholic kings came to power, they simply added onto the existing palace. And you can see each section and note the differences.

This staircase was built for Ferdinand and Isabella. The steps are not very deep because they wanted to appear as though they floated down the staircase.
Like I said before, Hermana Allen and I laughed a lot. This is her after our long two night adventure to Barcelona by bus for the mission Christmas conference. Her reaction is to the fact that we only get a few hours of sleep and we have a baptism that evening. Our baptism.This is Hermana Allen pondering how we're going to manage everything.And this is her just being cute.
This is Delia. She was from Romania. She was absolutely amazing. She read her scriptures daily. Her husband was going to be baptized with her, but he decided he couldn't do it. So she went forward anyway. After she was baptized she told me and Hermana Allen that she felt like she was walking in the air.
Yes. That's -2˚C. I have no idea the conversion. But the coldest temperature I saw there was -6. It was cold.Funny story (for which I wish I had better pictures). On Christmas, the elders got stuck in an elevator on the way to an eating appointment. We had to call the service guy to come in on Christmas Day to get them out.

This pastry was to die for. Napolitanas. They are amazing. If you go to Spain, you have to get one. This was my favorite--a creamy inside. Usually you can get one that has chocolate, but I liked the cream.Ruth was an investigator. She was totally amazing. Surprisingly, we taught quite a few Africans.Hermana Allen is contemplating a traffic sign that translates as: Speed Can Kill.
The Butlers were an American family living in Zaragoza while the dad, Joseph, went to a program through MIT (I think). They were so good to us. The kids were adorable and Emily and Joseph definitely made us missionaries feel at home.The Wolfarts. What can I say about them? The COOLEST people ever. Jochan and Ines were always so nice and funny. Their two children, Ayla and Eric were absolutely adorable as well. Eric sang along to all of the hymns even though he didn't know the words. Jochan was the branch president and on my last Sunday (which also ended up being my birthday), there were no sacrament meeting speakers. He asked me to give a nice testimony. I forgave him enough to go to dinner that night.Ines had all of the missionaries over for dinner on each of our birthdays. The elders couldn't make it on this Sunday night and so it was just me and Hermana Allen. I remember Ines made burritos for us. They were incredible. This is them singing "Happy Birthday" to me, in German, no less.
Hermana Allen and me with the cake. It was such a great way to finish my mission. I was so sad to leave. I didn't want to. But all good things must end.

Part Four: Will it Ever End?

After spending most of the year in Barcelona, President assigned me to the south of the mission. It was paradise. Alicante.

My companion was Hermana Bambrough and we had so much fun together.
We found old parts of town that were adobe buildings and small walkways--no cars allowed.
If you recognize this picture, that's because this is the one I sent to all of my friends. It's the only one I liked and wanted them to have. (Alright, I confess--I was hoping they could find someone for me to date when I got back! Some guy at BYU would walk by the fridge and ask about me.)

I experienced the real meaning of tropical storms and had to purchase an umbrella that understood as well (I miss that umbrella).
I ate paella. I don't know if you really want to know WHAT that piece of meat is. So, I just won't tell you. This paella was made by a woman who had some disabilities. A very nice woman, but a little crazy. She fell asleep during our eating appointments at the church building. One time, she had a made a flan as a dessert and it was pretty gross. She wanted us to take home the leftovers. She fell asleep and we convinced the elders to flush the remainder down the toilet. Then we had to unclog the toilet. It was a great way to spend an hour.

I did crazy things in order to keep the men away from me. It was insane what Spaniard men will do to get your attention. Especially if you have blond hair.
I played basketball with the young women and had a blast doing it. (It also helped that they made me look like a REALLY good player.)I visited pueblos that were in my area and that included getting slightly closer to the beach.And I met Leslie.Leslie was thirteen years old when she was baptized and had just had a baby a couple of weeks before. It was weird to teach her when she was pregnant because I felt like I should be teaching someone my own age or older. Not someone so young. We grew so close. Her baptism day was such a great day. Her family was there with her and everything went perfectly.

After three months, President sent Hermana Bambrough away and gave me Hermana Estrada. A native companion helped improve my Spanish from mediocre to at least decent.We spent some time on exchanges with the sister missionaries from Elche. Hermana Hernandez came over and we learned to make paella from the Relief Society.President told me that my time in Alicante was coming to an end, so I quickly learned to appreciate every moment that came.
Mariela was baptized the Sunday after I left the area. She was from Cuba and the elders had found and taught her husband a few years before. She had decided it was time to be baptized. She was amazing and I was so blessed to visit with her.
The eight of us missionaries in the city had so much fun together. We met up to do contacts in the park, and afterwards would enjoy a nice pizza meal. I think it was the only time the elders didn't eat cereal.Patricia was wonderful. Every Sunday night, after we had our numbers for the week, my companion and I, without fail, would go to Patricia's apartment and watch the sunset. We would talk and eat ice cream and just have fun. I never felt more at home. And I never wanted to leave. It was such a peaceful feeling being at her house.Alicante felt that way to me. Although I had been in Barcelona and loved it, Alicante was laid back and is a favorite spot in Spain. I need to go back. I want to go back. But I was destined for opportunities in other cities.