Here we go again...another new year!

This year got off to a rough start, what with a visit to the ER, kidney stones, a new calling (FHE co-chair) and a few million tears shed during a particularly rough week.

But...there is some good news!

Last week I started school again for (hopefully) the last semester! Yes, you heard me...Courtenay is FINALLY graduating in May! And my dad will be happy to hear, that yes, I WILL walk in the graduation ceremony. My friend Marilyn and I will suck it up and do it together, just to please our fathers...her father being Earl, who is like a second father to me.

As the thought of finally being a college graduate is sinking in, I've started thinking of all the things I want to do in my life, when school is done and gone. Some of the things I'm starting to do now, some things will have to wait until school is officially over.

As you all know, music is my life, my obsession, my escape. I've played the piano for over 20 years now (WOW!) but I've always wanted to learn how to play the guitar. I tried to teach myself once when my brother Jon was on his mission. I kept his guitar and was sure that I would have perfected the art by the time he returned home two years later. Instead, during that time I learned only two chords and the beginning riff from "Smoke on the Water."
So, a few weeks ago I went out and bought myself a beautiful guitar, and start lessons with my friends Kayla and Shilo next week!
Hopefully this will also help me to fulfill my dream of writing a song. I started writing lyrics to a song about 10 years ago, and maybe, just maybe I can write some music to complete the thing!
Now the only problem lies in overcoming my fear of singing in front of people so that I can actually share that song with others. That leads into the second exciting thing I am doing this year...
I start choir practice tonight and we get to sing in General Conference in April! Yes I know, there are like 200 people in this choir, but maybe singing in a choir again will actually give me the confidence I need to sing on my own...maybe...

The other night my friends and I were talking about things that we want to do in our lives. And my friend Stef asked us all "What is one thing you've done that you think everyone should experience in their lifetime?" After thinking about it for a little while, I came up with climbing Dunns River Falls in Jamaica. Seriously, it doesn't get much better than climbing IN a waterfall!
The conversation then turned to "What would you do if you were given a million dollars and you had to be selfish and spend it on yourself?" Of course my first answer would be shoes! But then came the real answer of building a library in my house...another goal which is taking shape as we speak. All the books in my house are slowly but surely being moved up into the spare bedroom in my condo. Hopefully soon I will invest in some good bookcases and really comfy chairs! One day I will own a home where I can have floor to ceiling bookcases with a ladder, comfy chairs in front of a fireplace, and a spiral staircase leading up to an observatory...but until then this will have to do!

My dream of working with a non-profit organization is starting to take shape as well. I want to work with a children's organization of some sort, maybe with foster children. But I was recently asked by my friend Joshua to be on the Board for a NPO that he is starting called FUSE. It's a group dedicated to helping troubled youth gain empowerment through the martial arts. It's a bit intimidating to think of all the work we have cut out for us to get this thing off the ground, but it's a challenge that I'm excited for!

All in all, I think that this is the beginning of a crazy, exciting, stressful, beautiful year!

This is me and my friends Tami, Shelley and Kirsten at a birthday party for our friend April earlier this year.

Now, I have to tag 5 people to post the 5th picture from their 5th album. I choose:

Sara
Rachel
Kim
Sarah
Lydia

My little Carter is 2 months oldMy first nephew, Carter just had his two month birthday last week. He's getting so big and handsome! I just love that little fella, and he has brought so much joy into the lives of all his family. Chad and Lydia are amazing parents, and it's super sweet for me especially to see Chad with him. It's fun to see the softer side of my brother! Here are just a few of the hundreds of pictures we have of this little guy's first 2 months with our family!Just moments after he was born...looking a little beat up, but still a cutie!Future Mr. Right indeed...he's a charmer! Just look at that grin!

Things I've done
I got this off of Rachel's blog and thought it would be fun while I'm waiting to get some work! You just bold all the things that you have done in your life.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked (kind of...we got picked up by a trucker when our car broke down)
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class (will be soon, anyway!)
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (just a fish)
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake (waded...does that count?)
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Here's a brief review of my life so far in 2008.

One of the biggest things to happen was that I was called as the secretary of the Relief Society Presidency in my student ward. The four girls I served with are amazing, and some of the greatest friends I could ever ask for! Recently the presidency was released, but I was called as the secretary in the new presidency as well. I look forward to forming friendships with the new presidency, and continuing to nurture the relationships formed with the old.

This is the first picture of us all together...and it only took 3 months to get it!

We did lots of fun things as a presidency, sleepovers, dances, lip-syncs, fundraising walks...it's been a fun year!

In February my youngest brother Jon married his sweetheart Aubree in the Jordan River Temple. This is with my mom, step-dad Russ, Chad, his wife Lydia, Aubree and Jon.

With my step-mom Lori, Dad, Chad, Lydia, Aubree and Jon. I'm not sure why my brothers got all the height...but at least I got the looks, right? ;)

In March the Midgley family took a cruise for my grandpa's 80th birthday. We cruised to Mexico; Cabo, Puerto Vallarta, and Mazatlan. It was a fun time, and that's when Chad & Lydia gave my dad the happy news that he is going to be a grandpa! Now we're just over a month away from little Carter joining our family!

Lydia and I at our hotel in Long Beach waiting to go on the cruise.

On "Divorce Beach" in Cabo...the waves were unbelievable there! Lydia and I in Puerto Vallarta in our matching dresses.

The whole family (minus a few cousins and an aunt and uncle). Chad and Lydia the night they told the family that they are expecting a baby boy in October. With our amazing waiter, Alan.

And our assistant waiter, Avil.In April my dad took us to Tuscon, AZ for a spa/golf weekend...it was a lot of fun, and Aubree, Lydia and I had to show off our manicures!

ABC's About Me

A- Attached or single: Single

B- Best Friend: Vee

C- Cake or Pie: Cake

D- Day of Choice: Saturday and Sunday

E- Essential Item: Lip Gloss

F- Favorite Color: Purple

G- Gummy Bears or Worms: Worms

H- Hometown: Murray, UT

I- Indulgence(s): Clothes and shoes

J- January or July: July

K-Kids: Someday

L- Life is incomplete without: The gospel of Jesus Christ

M-Marriage Date: Someday in the future

N- Number of Siblings: 2 brothers, 2 sisters-in-law, and 2 step-brothers

O- Oranges or Apples: Apples

P- Phobias or Fears: Being alone, clowns, spiders

Q- Quote(s): “Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want” – Randy Pausch

R- Reason to Smile: The gospel of Jesus Christ

S- Season: Spring

T- Tag Eight: Aubree, Lydia, Sara, Tommie, Kim, Olivia, Katy, Rachel

U- Unknown Fact About Me: I have a very light birthmark on my belly

V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: I love meat!

W- Worst Habit: Criticism

Y- Your Favorite Food: mashed potatoes

Z- Zodiac: Cancer

It's been nearly a year since I've blogged...seems to be a pattern for me! I do plan on lots of updates soon, so much has happened this year already. Mostly I've been busy with work and church and school. In December I was called into the Relief Society Presidency in my student ward. That has been so much fun, and so much work!
February was an awesome month...my youngest bro, Jon got hitched to a beautiful girl, Aubree, and the next day, my other bro Chad and his wife Lydia announced that they were pregnant...needless to say, I'm looking forward to October when I get my first nephew...and that little Carter will be spoiled rotten!

How I spent my summer vacation...

Since it's been a year since I blogged...here are a bunch of pictures of all the exciting things I did this summer...it was full of fun, romance, heartache, music and laughter! I wouldn't trade a second of it! (well, except for that heartache part...)


At The Fray concert in July




At the end of July Mom, Chad, Lydia and I went to Vancouver to visit the fam...The Strang clan!I'm not related to him!My grandma JoanThe Empress Hotel...I really want to stay there one day!Courtney Street in Victoria! Why must they always spell it wrong?We visited my grandpa's grave.

I met the very same Johnny Depp look-alike that I mentioned in my blog from a year ago! He still works at that restaurant...they aren't hiring anymore though...sniff!The boys were SO embarrassed!We're not strange or anything...With the statue that looked like my grandpa...Beth never did get to smell his feet!Jesse, Julian, Marcia and I spent most of the weekend reading the final installment of Harry Potter! (Much to Joe's chagrin, "Put those books down! This is not a library!")still reading...and reading...My mom's the best! Jaime, Kayla, Brit, Katie and I went to Disneyland and Sea World in May.This pic never ceases to be funny!We're hot!!!The only rules at Disneyland are that you must hold hands, but NO DANCING is allowed!His nose was too big!I finally got mouse ears with my name on them! Pirate Princess ears, no less!At the end of June I visited Kim in AZ for the weekend! It was too hot to do anything except shop and eat...but that's what we do best!Kim donated 16 inches of her hair to Locks of Love while I was there!Shopping, shopping and more shopping!Together again after too many years!Waiting for Jericho Road...yet again!

My 28th (82nd?) birthday was celebrated the entire weekend! My friends planned a fantastic night on my actual birthday. Ben cooked dinner and then we hiked up to Ensign Peak! On Saturday night we played Nintendo Wii at my dad's house, then Sunday Russ cooked a wonderful dinner for me!A woman's place??? Barefoot (but not pregnant!) in the kitchen...Party at my dad'sMost of the gang at the top of Ensign PeakWhat attitude?Slip N Sliding on the 4th of JulyScared of the dark!Kayla, me and BritDustin, me and Mike at the Jon Schmidt/Peter B/Ryan Shupe concert

My cousin Jonelle got married! I was jealous of her shower gifts and she wanted to kill me for tying the bows in her hair!This week we hiked to Donut Falls...the scene was much different than when we snowshoed in this past winter...