Random :)

So this is way random...

But for some reason I think it is so fun to look at people & find their celebrity look alikes!

Crazy?? Probably... but I find myself doing this a lot at work with my patients.. haha.

And let me tell ya I have found some super close matches!!

So here are some celeb's i've been told I look like:

Audrey Hepburn

Anne Hathaway

Rachel Leigh Cook

(people usually just say the girl from She's All That. haha)

Here are some that I think look like Mike:

Matthew Lawrence

Mark Wahlberg

Like I said... way random. But what I can I say?! I live for random :)

Happy New Years!!!

Week in Recap

So Mike & I went to the lights as told before ... and we did NOT take enough pictures!!!

I even ran into my friend Karyn and did I take a picture!?... no! How dumb. ha ha

Here is the one shot we managed:

Mike was kinda silly & just wore a jacket so he got quite cold.. had to sport my cute gloves.

He really thought that was fun :)

So I really suck at wrapping presents and had to take a bunch of pictures of Mike wrapping because I thought it was so cute... ha ha.

We had a great Christmas! (did I get pictures.. NO!)

Mike spent all of Christmas Eve with my family, including a trip to see my little sister Maddy & Garcia grandparents. Of course they loved him!! Who couldn't!?

Talking football with the guys always seems to win them over.... ha ha

Christmas morning we spent with our own families & then I met up with the King's for Christmas dinner. It was fun to meet more of Mike's family.

His family is so small in comparison to mine... quite a different Christmas scene for me.

And to finish off the week my family went to Kiley's farewell!! My cute cousin Kiley will be serving in the Fortworth, Texas mission. Those Texans are sure lucky to have her coming!!

Such a fun week :) this break has been the best!!!

I am gonna head back to school next week kicking & screaming...

SO I am sure gonna try & enjoy this last week of bliss! My parents are going to Jamaica for their 20yr wedding anniversary & I will be watching the kids... should be pretty fun around here. ha ha

Temple lights TONIGHT!

Temple lights TONIGHT!! With this cute face & his friends :)

[p.s. this is Mike's angry bird face. the latest craze....

we have this thing about getting obsessed with games]

more pics to come! Happy Monday :)

Put in Perspective

I absolutely love this time of year!! Well, everything but the snow... but we haven't had to really worry about that part yet so it has been great :)

So as I was looking online at gift ideas for those I still need to buy for and at some things I have been hoping to get for Christmas, I started reading some blog posts from friends and came across the blog that never fails to bring a smile to my face or tears to my eyes... Snapshot

This amazing woman, Heather, has been living in Africa to help start out a school for Mothers Without Borders. Her last post humbled me so much and made me SO grateful for all the things I have & of course made me feel guilty about the things I was asking for.

I know people talk about this subject a lot, having something make them realize the true meaning of Christmas & what really matters, but this REALLY hit me. I have not been able to think about anything else for days and keep praying to come up with solutions to make a difference.

You have to read Heather's blog to understand, and I ask you to please! It is really heavy, sad stuff but I promise you, you can't read her blog and not be grateful and inspired to have a more grateful heart.

It's my goal to find a way to raise some money for those little babies.

That is all I really want for Christmas.

Freedom!!!

I am SO excited that I have completed one semester of nursing school!! :) woohoo!

I'm that much closer to being done!!

SUCH a good feeling.

And for now... I am going to completely enjoy my 3 weeks of absolute freedom from school!!

I cannot even begin to explain how ecstatic that makes me!!

So hopefully I do some fun things to share!!

Happy Holidays everybody!!

just a great saturday

So I had a pretty fabulous Saturday that I just have to blog about!

So lately in nursing school each week we have been working on packets. This week our focus was on a teaching packet, so through the NSNA (National Student Nursing Association) a few of my friend's and I went to Macey's to take blood pressures & teach people about healthy diet habbits and avoiding high blood pressures.

I was a little leery about this but it actually ended up being pretty fun!

My new nursing BFF Tracy (we decided we would be BFFs on the 1st day of class - haha) and I can make just about any situation a good time. If you don't believe me you should see us in our lab... i'll have to try & sneak some pictures. Don't be alarmed that we are the nurses of the future :) ha ha

Then I was able to attend the AMAZING Mother's Without Borders boutique with some of my family. As we walked in there was a gorgeous quilt that people were bidding on.. I didn't think too much of it because there was no way I had enough money to bid. So I went around talking to all my friends I ventured to Africa with & was looking to buy some great items. My dad came up to me & told me that he bid on the quilt and I just though "how awesome!!" and continued on. But then they annouced my name & said that I had won the quilt by a generous bid! I was shocked! I of course immediatley started bawling and thanked my dad.

Here is a picture of the quilt - in each of the white squares it has the name written by a child at the Children's Resource Center in Zambia that I grew to love so much.

The first picture is of me & Kathy my hero and founder of Mother's Without Borders. Is that not the most amazing quilt you have ever seen!?

And finally I was able to visit my friend Karyn in her native West Valley! We went to her place of buisness Lanta's Frozone - delish :)

It was such a great day with so many people that I love :)

Best News EVER!

Well I have the best news ever...

My boyfriend Mike is getting baptized!!! :)

I am beyond excited! Mike is such an amazing guy and I am so proud of him & couldn't be happier with his decision. I love this boy so much & I am so grateful for the sacrifices he makes for me. He is a major blessing in my life and I don't know what I would do without him.

I love you Mike!

Nursing School...

Nursing school is hard.

I find that all my time is being consumed by it.

If I'm not doing homework or studying for school...I'm stressing over the fact that I should be doing homework or studying! It's pretty much a constant thing.

On my first day of clinicals my patient DIED. Yeah.

So honestly... at first I hated nursing school. Hated, hated, hated. Somedays I still feel that way.

It's starting to get better though. I've done a lot of praying over it & had my dad give me a father's blessing & I've decided to continue pursing nursing.

I am definitely still keeping my options open, as funny as that sounds. I know nursing will be a great career but I don't know if it's all that I want.

I would love to be work for a humanitarian organization. I don't know in exactly what role... but that is a goal I am going to pursue.

I only get one shot at this life & I want to squeeze all the happiness out of it I can :)

Give 'em 5!

Friends & family: I have an amazing opportunity I am asking you to be apart of.

As many of you know, I was fortunate enough to travel with a group called Mothers Without Borders to Zambia, Africa. Not only was this experience the neatest thing I have ever been apart of but was so life changing & more rewarding than I can even express.

So to my point now... :)

Mothers Without Borders is trying to raise enough money to build a school in Africa and all they are asking is a $5 donation! $5!!! We just need 15,000 people to donate

$5 and we are set!

If you donate $10 or more dollars you can get a cute shirt:

*Lori & Julie - some of the most amazing women I went to Africa with!*

The goal is to have the money raised by Thanksgiving and we already have over $4,000. With your help I know we can do this!

Check us out on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=138228756212977

(definitely check this page out: cute pics of my little African friends & the current school they have running!)

AND Just click the following link to donate:

https://www.motherswithoutborders.org/donation_form.php?type=five

(Let me know if you donate over $10 & I will get you hooked up with a shirt!!)

Please email me with any questions - I have TONS of info on the project if you want more to pass along to your friends and family. I appreciate you taking the time to read this.

Mothers Without Borders means the world to me and I am so excited to share this opportunity with you guys to join in and help this amazing organization! Thank you, thank you, Thank you!!

Changes.

Ever have one of those days where it feels like after it.. things just won't be the same?

Not that things are necessarily changing for the bad but,

I am totally having one of those days.

I start nursing school Monday.

I am so thrilled, nervous, anxious, overwhelmed, & ready to puke all at once! I know nursing is the career for me and I am prepared to work hard but there are always those "what if's" that like to pop up and pester me.

McKall moves to college.

This is both an excellent and sad thing. I am so happy she will be getting the college experience (and not keeping me up every night, since I get up for work at 4 am! sheesh!! ha ha) but I have always been so protective of McKall. I just worry about her.. guess it's the big sister in me. Along those same lines... I have been panicking that my little brother Kaden will be in high school next year & baby sister Shelby is in junior high!! People always get mad at me when I say this but it makes me feel old!!!

It's crazy to see my family growing up and changing. I am so excited for what the future holds for the amazing Killpack +1 Garcia family :)

I guess I wouldn't have things any other way...

As hard as change is.. I know it is necessary & (gulp) good!

My great guy!

Micheal Lee King & Taylor Michelle Garcia

So as I was editing & putting together some photos for Mike to take as he heads back down to school... I decided I had to share.

I am so grateful for Mike & the amazing boyfriend he is :)

We have some great times together & he makes me really happy!!

He is one amazing guy & I am so lucky to know him.

(I know.. mushy, mushy)

but... he is fabulous.

The end.

Foreign Exchange Student!

Say hola to Christina our foreign exchange student from Spain!!

She has come to stay with us for a few weeks and we took her out to a nice American meal... Teppanyaki. :)

It has been so fun to have Christina around and to learn so much about a different culture! I love it. It's funny to ask her about the simplest things because in Spain.. they do everything so different.

One thing I found funny - Christina has had a hard time adjusting to our meals because she eats lunch at 4pm & dinner at 11pm! wahh!! Crazy. But awesome. I'll keep you posted on the fun things we do...

adios!

Eat Pray Love

I recently read this book over my Lake Powell vacation (amazing) and totally loved it!

I admit I first wanted to read this book because I knew it was being made into a movie with Julia Roberts. Who doesn't love her?

But as I began to read this book it really opened up my eyes as to what I want out of life. I was so envious of her adventures and found myself thinking: "Hey, I wanna eat pasta in Italy! I want to meditate in India.. I want to have my palm read by a medicine man in Indonesia!"

For some reason this book really put into perspective what I want out of the big picture in my life... and that involves a lot of traveling! I want to see everything I can... set foot on every continent (maybe not Antarctica.. haha) and experience all that this beautiful world has to offer. After going to Africa and falling in love with the people & the culture I developed an itch inside me that seems to drive me to adventure out & involve myself in my global surroundings.

As cheesy as it sounds, it's the truth... "live life to the fullest, you never know which breath may be your last"

And that is definitely what I intend to do :)

Red Sox!!

What a great way to start a week.. road trippin it to Colorado to watch the

Boston Red Sox take on the

Colorado Rockies!!!
It was a long & hot drive but oh so much fun :)

Sadly the Red Sox lost but it was still a pretty great game.

It was the best to go with my cute boyfriend Mike & my girlfriends!! Especially Karyn because she is the biggest Red Sox fan I know & she has taught me much about the game of baseball and the Red Sox team. I think she feels about the Red Sox how I feel about Johnny Depp... so that's really sayin something there!!

I am super grateful to Mike for being such a good sport about the trip & being willing to spend over 1,000 miles on the road with 4 girls. We are so funny & sometimes I don't know if he felt the same.. ha ha. Mike is such a good boyfriend & I love him for all he does for me!

And well of course, no real baseball game is legit unless you have a ballpark hot dog!! I was not let down at all!! Delicious. I loved this little trip & hope to make it to many more Red Sox games... especially ones at Fenway Park! Go Red Sox!!

Bye Bye Brother!!

Yesterday my little brother Kaden turned 14!

And today... he left for Spain.

I cannot believe it!! Although I am going to thoroughly enjoying the quiet his absence will bring I am gonna miss him over the next couple weeks. Kaden is going to Spain as part of a foreign exchange student program. He goes to a charter school where he has learned a TON of spanish and is going to Spain to further his learning. I am so proud of him and super jealous!

Kaden is such a caring, funny, and loving brother. I am so happy he gets to participate in something so neat! I love you Kade :)

College Days

My little sister McKall starts college in the fall at Utah State! This really freaks me out. But mostly it makes me jealous!!! I remember how much fun I had moving away to college... all the excitement & nervousness of being on your own for the first time & completely in charge of yourself. I think I was way more of a kid at college then any other place or time... ha ha.

So here are a few pics from my amazing Snow College days...

College is SO fun! I had the best experiences and really did grow up so much. I have never worked harder, learned so much, & come to know myself more then my 2 years at Snow! I am really excited for my sister to go out and have all this fun for herself. I love you McKall!!

Lately...

Lately....

I have really sucked at blogging.

My little sister graduated high school

I spend as MUCH time in the pool as possible :)

I see my cute Mike King whenever I can

I still work WAY to early in the morning.... :(

I'm trying to get things in order for nursing school

but mostly...

I miss Zambia all the time!!! I am heartbroken to not be going back this year & have made a goal to go back as soon as possible. It may be a few years but it will happen. Africa changed me for the better & I need to keep going back to remember the person I want to be. Maybe sounds ridiculous to have to travel so far to find myself but I swear... my heart belongs in Africa!!!

I love TOMS

So it's official... I am now 21!! I had a fabulous birthday!

My mom made a delicious meal of homemade chinese (my fav!) & I got to spend the day relaxing with my family & Mike. The best!! My parents also did an outstanding job on my gifts... I got TOMS!!

Toms are simply amazing shoes & the best part is when you buy a pair of Toms, a pair of Toms shoes are donated to a child in need. Seriously can't get much better than that! It's called the "One for One Movement" - and you have to go to the website to find out more: Toms "One for One" I am so stoked about this organization & can't believe that I can make a difference by buying a pair of shoes! It's that easy!! You can even design your own pair! Please check out the website :) it's amazing!

Spring Ball!

This weekend was such a blast! I went down to Ephraim for the Spring football game, and to visit my cute boyfriend Mike & meet up with my old roommate Karyn :)

I love Badger Football!

The best part was that my family came down to see Mike & the game! Well, and me of course... maybe... haha. Mike is so cute with my family & they love him. Makes me very happy indeed!!

My family has come down to visit me before but once again Mike, Karyn, and I had to show them the best parts about good old Ephraim:

Bowling & Trailer Park Tacos!!

Sadly the taco place was closed :( ha ha

It was such a good weekend & I loved spending time with some of my favorite people in one of my favorite places :)

New York, New York!!

New York City :)

In 23 days I will be there!!!

I am very VERY very excited. My father booked our hotel on times square!! I am going with my parents for my "big" 21st bday :) I wanted to go to Vegas but then my dad suggested New York and I was like heck to the yes! I would pick broadways over casinos any day! ha ha

Maybe lame to say but I swear I live vacation to vacation - I LOVE traveling so much!!

I drink Miracle Grow.

I decided that I wanted a little change...

One of my good buds Megan, is an amazing hairstylist & she recently took a class on extensions! Needless to say she needed a guinea-pig for her first client & I was more than willing to lend my head :)

BEFORE

and ... AFTER

She was nice & styled it curly cute for me & I say that because it looks a bit longer straight! ha ha. I really love it!!

Wow! Rough day.

Work was really something today...

I had my first code.

I won't go into details but I will just say it was a frightening experience! The worst part was feeling helpless & in over my head!! Luckily we have amazing nurses & a code team that comes at the drop of a hat.

I can definitely see how the people on Grey's Anatomy get such a rush off of such things. ha ha

As weird as it sounds, today was really rough but made me more excited to be a nurse. I can't wait be a RN & save my patient's life instead of stepping aside & letting the pros do the job.

I am ready to s a v e lives!! :)

Watch out Weber State!!

I am very excited & pleased to annouce that I have actually been accepted to

Weber's nursing program!!

Excited is an understatement really.

I am anxious to start school & get through the program & begin my career.

I am planning on deciding what kind of nursing to go into as I do my clinicals but I would love to work for the Red Cross or some relief organization that travels & provides medical care to underdeveloped countries.

I promised myself that when I was a nurse I would go back to Zambia & help Mothers Without Borders in a medical clinic they hope to open.

I am so excited to be a nurse!! :)

Excitement!!

Here is my nerdy post to just say that I am VERY excited about Friday.

Why you may ask??

Well if you know me, you know the answer:

A Johnny Depp movie is coming out!!!

Yes, I am indeed a tremendously huge Johnny Depp fan & Tim Burton fan so I am quite stoked. Alice in Wonderland is a movie I use to watch on the regular as a child (ask my mom she was SICK of it) so I am very excited to see how Tim Burton interprets the story.

It is actually more like a sequel then the original story - Alice returning to Wonderland!

I am anxiously waiting for Friday now!! Hope you all get to see it too ;)

Life is GOOD

I really have had the best of times lately & have been so busy having fun I didn't

have time to post a blog about it all!!

I was able to go on a 7 night Mexican Riviera cruise with some of my girlfriends!

Our ship made stops in Cabo, Mazatlan, & Puerto Vallarta.

It was my first cruise & it was such a BLAST! I highly recommend going on one :)

Our trip in a summary: eat, sleep, dance, lay on the beach & REPEAT!

We met some of the funniest people & the best part was that we had nicknames for everyone...

Dinner was definitely a highlight - our waiters were a hoot. Manoj from India & Patrick from Romania :) I miss those men. ha ha

Then I had to wait a whole week (worked everyday... it actually was pretty rough :) haha)

and then I got to go to Disneyworld with my family! I am a tremendously huge Disney fan so I was VERY excited about this! I hadn't been to Disneyworld since I was small & my dad forced me to ride all the rides... very traumatic.

It was much better this time around!!

I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to spend so much time with my friends & family and to be enjoying some of my all time favorite things: the beach, swimming with dolphins, Disney & Jack Sparrow.

Life is GOOD!!

Current Events

Well, I don't even know where to start!

I guess I just want to say how grateful I am for all the love & support my family has received these past couple of days.

It has been completely overwhelming how many people have contacted my family to just let us know that we are in their thoughts & prayers. Thank you!

My family is definitely not viewing these current events as a tragedy... more just a disappointment.

From this I have learned that sometimes our greatest blessings come in disguise through our trials - My family has already begun to become so much closer & it can only get better from here.

Its been hard that my family has to go through something so personal so publicly but I am glad my dad is the great man he is and for being so strong.

As everyone keeps reminding us ... this to shall pass.

2010

I cannot believe a new year is here!!

I don't know why but I am pretty excited about it.

Things are already starting out pretty different....

I am not attending school this semester (weird!) - just working at the lovely surgical unit at McKay-Dee hospital.

Trying to pay off my Africa debts & get myself back there ASAP!

I am applying to nursing schools & keeping my fingers tightly crossed to attend in the fall.

If that doesn't turn out I'm thinking maybe a mission??

Ah! It's a hard decision. But regardless... I have a good feeling about this year :)