What a Wonderful Ability it is to Smile

Alrighty, I'll just jump right into it: On Sunday, I gave a talk in Sacrament Meeting. I was super nervous beforehand because I have not given a talk in FOREVER! That and i was giving the talk in front of almost 400 strangers...yeah, it's a big ward. Anywho, so i was just as nervous as i had anticipated I would be (the previous night i wrote out every single word to make sure that some of my Shalysse-ness slipped in there in the event that i would be too shaky to remember who i am). Reading my words, helped out and even made it possible for a few improv sentences (which weren't quite as successful as i would've liked them to be, but it still worked out) anyways, so i get done with my talk and i stop shaking and sacrament meeting ends and i was totally expecting to just make my way over to my seat in Sunday School, but this is where all of the smiles come in.

I had just stood up when a man speedily came up the stairs and on to the stand, stopping right in front of me. He looked down at me (yes, i know i'm short) and he said, "You must be beating them off with a stick! I fell in love with you from the very beginning of your talk. Thank you so much for being so energetic!" (after the falling in love comment, he cast a glance at my mom that seemed to ask "is it okay that i said that?") All of these things combined made me smile more than i had in a while. He totally made my moment.

After he left, the bishop came up to me and asked, "So when do we lose you to the real BYU?" Super wonderful! That man has his priorities in the right place. Once again, i couldn't help but smile.

After church, i was wandering around outside trying to find where my dad had parked my lovely black-cherry-purple van when an adorable little old lady cam up to me and said, "Did you give a talk in Sacrament? Well aren't you bubbly! You've got a lot of spunk!" I had to smile at her word choice and the adorable facial expression she wore while she was speaking to me. =D I love old people!

At my Young Single Adult activity, we had the opportunity to sample quite a few Canadian candies. I had no choice...I had to laugh at myself when I started gagging after placing a piece of soap flavored gum in my mouth. And then I had to chuckle as i thought of all the people who kept that gum in production as the #1 Canadian Gum because they liked that flavor. Don't try it, just trust me: dryer sheets, soap, and maybe a little bit of grass...it was...ummm...super delicious! ;)

I also had to laugh when, at that same activity, I was compared to Eunice in She's the Man... Maybe it's just me, but I fail to see the similarities. =D

On Monday, Logan was watching TV. A commercial came on for this device that sends out a high pitched ringing noise to keep pesky animals out of your yard. To prove the need for this device, they showed a few clips of animals doing not ideal things. One of these: a family of raccoons tipping over trash cans. I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing when Logan muttered, "Darn Raccoons! Why do they do that? Don't they know that that makes people not like them?" =D (Maybe this is where he got the information about raccooons?)

Monday evening, my dad walked in the door, put his work stuff down, took off his shoes, and asked me to put in Psych. This coming from the man who, just a week previously, would not come near the stuff. If you know my dad, you understand.... =D

Lastnight, I had a really great conversation with Slade. It is funny to see the way that his mind works. Was I ever as much of a 15 year old as he is?
              Slade: Why is it that only older girls like me?
              Me: Who told you that they like you?
              Slade: No one, i just know that only the older ones do.

             Slade: It's normal for Garrett to get married! He's a guy!
             Me: Slade, if he gets married, he's going to marry a girl.
             Slade: Yeah, but it won't be you, so it won't be weird.

             Me: Why don't you just go lay down? I will turn the light off when i'm done. You
                      know that when you go off to college, when you go on a mission, and
                      when you get married, you are going to have to know how to sleep while
                      there are lights on.
            Slade: Yeah, well, I can learn then. Right now I'm enjoying the ability of not
                      being able to sleep with the lights on.
            Later...
            Me: Slade, when you date girls....No, never mind.
            Slade: No tell me! I need to know about when the lights are left on!

            Slade: Do you find me annoying?
            Me: As a brother, yes. As a person, no.
            Slade: (chuckles) What's annoying about me as a brother?
            Me: Well, you know how you know that I'm trying to be serious and make you
                    serious and then you aren't serious on purpose?
            Slade: (looks at me with a puzzled look)
            Me: You know, when I'm trying to intimidate you into giving me something of
                     mine, or leaving Logan alone, or doing the dishes...I'm trying to be all
                     serious and you know it, but you still make some sort of joke out of it by
                     picking on me instead of Logan or making fun of me. Yeah, i don't like
                     that. Why aren't you intimidated?
            Slade: I do that?

And then there are his comments that border on the "i'm invincible" side of teenager-ism:

           Slade: I once jumped off of a dam. It was cool! We weren't supposed to be up
                 there.

          Slade: The only reason that we got caught that one time we went ding-dong-
                 ditching is because Frank got caught on the barbed-wire fence. If he had
                 let me go first, I totally would've made it over

yeah, good times. Another thing that makes me smile is watching Logan play video games. The kid sits criss-cross-applesauce with his back completely straight, and then, when he wants to see around a corner in the game, he will turn his own head while his eyes are still glued to the screen. Most adorable thing ever!

it also makes me really happy when Logan let's me play Lego Star Wars or Batman or Indiana Jones with him. (They're pretty much the only games he'll let me play with him) He kills me on purpose to watch how i'll react, and if i'm too slow for him, he'll double back and push me over the edge so he can continue undisturbed. =D

I had to laugh at the ordeal it was to get the grocery list my mom gave me today:

Celery

Green Bell Pepper

Milk (1%)

Very Vanilla Soy Milk

"Okay, that should be good...(hands it to me)...No wait! (takes it back)"

Celery

Green Bell Pepper

Milk (1%)

Very Vanilla Soy Milk

One 4 oz. can Green Chiles

"Okay, make sure that you get the milks last so they aren't warm by the time you get back...(hands me the list)...No wait! (takes it back)"

Celery

Green Bell Pepper

Milk (1%)

Very Vanilla Soy Milk

One 4 oz. can Green Chiles

                                          If you have time:

Mild Cheddar Cheese

Fritos

"Okay, i think that's it. Don't forget to get the milks last so they aren't warm by the time you get back...(hands me the list)...No wait! (takes it back)"

Celery

Green Bell Pepper

Milk (1%)

Very Vanilla Soy Milk

One 4 oz. can Green Chiles

                                          If you have time:    Get these!!!!!

Mild Cheddar Cheese

Fritos

It was super cute. After that she proceeded to tell me that if i felt like it, i could pick up "5 apples and 3 bananas...no, better make it 4 apples and 2 bananas...i don't know what do you think? 5 apples and 4 bananas?" In the end, i didn't get any apples or bananas. =D I love my mom! This is generally what happens when she sends me out to pick up a few groceries. 

Anywho, i hope that these stories helped you utilize your wonderful ability to smile. I hope that things are going well and that you are taking time to laugh every day.