My Irish Heritage and My Grandpa O'Leary.

Confession time...I kind of forgot this blog exists.

I stopped writing in it the summer of 2012. I had great intentions, but it never really stuck. Plus, let's be honest, I've been going through some stuff. Hard stuff. And just when I felt like I had my head above water, another wrench was thrown in the plan and Heavenly Father reminds me that it's actually His time and His plan and not mine. Imagine that.

Plus, I've been blogging a lot more on my other blog, www.beingmarthabecomingmary.blogspot.com. Kerri (my best friend) and I started a spiritual blog, so if you get a chance, check it out. Over there, we talk a lot about daily struggles and lessons learned through the Gospel.

Finally, I thought no one read this hoopty. I mean, really, it's just me talking about whatever. I'm not even a great writer, and I hardly proofread. But when I went to post on the Being Martha, Becoming Mary blog, blogger logged me into this one. And I realized that there were a bunch of views of this blog yesterday alone. So SOMEONE is reading it, and I really hope it's not just one person who logs on a bunch of times a day to see if I've posted. Ew.

Anyway, since it is St. Patrick's day, I'm going to celebrate my people.

 

I come from a very strong Irish heritage. My ancestors fought to come to the U.S, and almost all of them entered the United States through Ellis Island. I didn't know this until fairly recently, when I started really working on my family history a year ago.

 

Family history is also how I came to know my grandfather, Dennis O'Leary (pictured center, above). I think to call him a badass would be an understatement, but because I also think he would be offended by the term, I won't actually call him that. But I kind of already did. Oh well, you get the point.

 

Grandpa O'Leary was a Deputy Sherriff in Silver Bow County, Montana, for a good chunk of his life. From what I understand, he loved it. But one election night in 1898 changed his path forever. I think that, in many ways, that night never left him. It also ultimately led to his death in 1912.

 

You see, grandpa O'leary was shot by masked gunmen that election night while protecting a voting booth. The battle between William A. Clark (the Republican) and Marcus Daly (the democrat) was fierce that year. So fierce, in fact, that both parties spared no expense in making sure their issues won out.  They were down to the last count, and Daly was ahead. The Dublin Gulch precinct, where my grandpa was a sheriff, had yet to be heard from. As they were tallying the votes, armed robbers burst in and demanded everyone "reach for the ceiling".  Instead of doing that, grandpa O'leary grappled with the gunmen as John J. Daly (an election clerk) rushed to his aid. The gunmen fired, and the election clerk was killed. Grandpa O'Leary suffered terrible wounds, including a shattered shoulderblade,  and he was never able to work as a sheriff again.

 

Ultimately, the ballots were safe and Daly won the election. Had the armed robbers been successful, the outcome would've been much different and could have altered Montana history in serious ways. All because my grandpa, Dennis O'leary, didn't hesitate to grab the barrel of a gun.

 

He did so many other things, such as going on to be a watchman at a mine when he could no longer work as a sheriff. But I love this story best. It speaks courage to me, and gives me a little piece of my story as well. I now know where I get most of my sassiness from, and, I believe, the reason I don't take any crap from anyone. Thanks, grandpa.

 

I hope you all enjoyed your St. Patricks day!

 



Summer Lovin'

Hey Ya'll!!

It's about time for a super fun summer post, right?? Last time I checked in, I was immersed in introspection and excitement for my upcoming solo roadtrip. And boy, did it turn out AWESOME!!! I had the time of my life, had a lot of "firsts", found myself a super hot cowboy, and recharged my batteries for the rest of the year. If you're considering it, I would highly recommend a solo road trip. But be forewarned, it isn't for the faint of heart!!

Since I don't have the time to write an actual blog post about the adventures that Summer 2012 has brought my life here in this lil' corner of the globe, I've summed it up in photogrids. Besides, writing is boring. Pictures are fun!!!

It all started in April.

Birthday trip to Vegas.Sushi with Friends.Solar Eclipse (that pic is my super high tech viewing tool, a national park entrance permit with a whole poked through!!). Me wearing my "Shirley's Girlies" T shirt at the 5K for M.S.

Then June.

Sun studio giant guitar(I danced to Howlin' Wolf with British people I didn't know. Awesome.).Lunch on the Mississippi riverfront with awesome people.National Civil Rights Museum @ The Lorraine Motel.Random street art in Memphis.

Exploring the Crystal Shrine Grotto.Country Music Hall of Fame.Largest Tree House in the World.Nashville Parthenon.Tennessee Sunset (gorgeous!!).Singing onstage @ THE Grand Ole Opry!!.My tootsies in "the circle" @ the Grand Ole Opry.Dinner with friends at Pete and Sam's in Memphis.

Homebound.

Salt Lake Real game with the fam for July 4th celebration. Boating with the fam to celebrate mom and brother's birthdays (incredibly fun!!).I saw my first dust devil in Kansas on my drive home from the South.

And finally....

More roadtrips.Dressing up my dogs (Don't judge, I work from home. Gets lonesome in these parts some days!!). Karaoke with my neat friends. Attending WGU commencement to see my students graduate and reminding myself why I do what I do. Playing in random toystores after our weeklong WGU conference with some of the ladies I am so blessed to have in my life.

So there you have it. So much warm weather left before Fall hits our doorstep, so more pics to come. I'm looking forward to Oregon, the farmers market, and so many other adventures, including the Utah State FAIR!!!!!! Can't wait!! I am so incredibly grateful for the experiences I've had this year, the good and the bad. We are all blessed with opportunities to grow, and we have the choice to do with them what we please.My hope for all of us is that we continue to take life by the reins, and continue to grow and enjoy life with the Lord in our hearts.

“Life is to be enjoyed, not endured”



― Gordon B. Hinckley

Introspection

Wow, get ready for Teary Tuesday. Just kidding.

Today is a calm day. I like Tuesday mornings because I work late and I can dilly dally to my little hearts content. Sometimes I sleep, sometimes I study, sometimes I do nothing at all but wander around and play with the puppies. Today was "Pinterest" day. I created that Williams Sonoma lemon/water/rosemary/vanilla mixture that is supposed to make your house smell just fabulous. I must say that, so far, it is quite delicious. Win.  I also created a homemade pet mess cleaner out of hydrogen peroxide, dawn, and baking soda.  It says on food.com that you are supposed to wait a couple of days then vacuum. Honestly, I don't think I will wait that long. It's been about an hour and the mystery stain is nearly gone. And the carpet is still the same color, so that is good, right?? Oh, Pinterest, you are my love. And thanks to great friends who pin  great stuff.

So, exciting things are happening around here. I'm getting ready to go on another Solo Road Trip (or SRT, if you want to be really gia gia and of those "in the know"...ha). I'll admit, it wasn't initially intended to be solo. It's over 1600 miles, and I've never driven that far alone before. I've traveled that far, but not driven. I traveled by myself to the same destination, but via plane. Turboprop, to be exact. Given that I'm not of model build, it wasn't the most pleasant experience. What? You try crunching your not so tiny self into a turboprop next to the meanest looking, chaw-chewing, down home cowboy from Houston. Not. Good. After I got home, one of my students mentioned to me that Houston is the armpit of texas. Suddenly, all made sense. But I would more accurately call it the buttpit. People were mean.

So, taking into account that I will be at said destination for over a month, I will need a car. This city isn't exactly known for its public transportation. Also, to be frank, it's hotter than hannahbell there and I am not too keen on waiting for a bus/train whatever in the sweltering heat with humidity at 148.9%. I have naturally curly hair, 'nuff said.

So, I'm driving. And no one I know can go. I'm ashamed to admit that I briefly considered not going. There are many reasons, but one of them was the fear of the what if's. SERIOUSLY??! I, the girl who got on a train and got off in Ohio to work as a maid, the girl who ended up working in the armpit of the nation (Wall, South Dakota), the girl who has traveled numerous places by herself, including Seattle numerous times, was scared?? What the hee haw, man?? What happened to me???

Have I gotten (GASP) OLD?!?! Goodnight, Mary! I had to give myself a proverbial smack to the head to get it on straight. Apparently, I am in a dire situation and need this more than I thought. I need my adventure back, I need my moxie. Somewhere along this journey, it has disappeared.

"So, Christi, what are you going to do about it??" Funny you should ask. I'm going. And I'm going to have a great time. I've got a brand new car and a full coverage warranty, the fixins' for sammiches, a brand spanking new membership to AAA, a GPS and a list of places to see. I'm going, and it will be great.

My brother and sister in law will be with mom in case she needs anything, so I'm going. And I'm going to see this:

And this:

So, it's time to take Miss Vida Boheme (my car) and hit the open road. Woohoo!

Something We Can All Keep in Mind.

My Divine 29!!

Whew, last week was quite the whirlwind!! I turned 29, and I will never get any older. Nope, never!

My birthday itself was mellow, just how I wanted it. I woke up to balloons and a sweet message from my mom, had some delicious breakfast, and worked. The night was spent at a laid back sushi joint with two of the cutest ladies I know. Just perfect!

I had some serious wanderlust going on, so we decided to do a (kind of) last minute get away to Las Vegas. It's far enough away that you still feel like you're on vacation, but not so far that you can't do it in a weekend. Plus, Instagram for Android came out. Woo woo!! I'm sure all my fb friends are so sick of seeing my attempt at art. But hey, I tried to keep it interesting!

Our first night was spent at Boulder Station. What a steal!! Seriously you guys, I paid $19.00 a night for our rooms. Of course, there was a $14.55 "resort fee" plus tax. But with easy access and free valet parking, it was still a steal! I was a little leery about the price. I thought that we might be staying somewhere the "Ladies of the Evening" like to frequent. But, my bestie is from Vegas and she vouched for them, so we took a chance. We were not disappointed! The rooms were super clean and modern, and there is the best breakfast buffet ever downstairs for $5.99. Oh. My. Goodness!

The other two nights were spent at a timeshare property, and were magnificent. I had such a good time I didn't take any pictures there!! But believe me, the pools were so great!                                                

I also got my first massage! It was a great experience. Little weird to get used to at first (in your birthday suit with a stranger and nothing separating you but a sheet? Yeah, took a minute..), but it was sooo nice!!I will definitely do that again!   

We did lots of shopping, sleeping in, eating, and laughing. All was as it should be. So grateful to get away with some of my most favorite women!!

Besties Gonna Be Besties.

 Boulder Station

 Hash House A Go Go. Biggest food in the West...

 Salmon Sandwich @ Hash House

 Big Ol' Pork Sammich @ Hash House

 Did you know my mom can blow fire?

 Roadtrip Silliness

 At Terra Rosa, my favorite. Best Calamari!

                                                                                                

(Mostly) Wordless Wednesday: College, 'Nuff said.

Happy Monday, ya'll!

I'm pooped. Seems counterintuitive, right? I should be well rested after the weekend. But a couple fabulous weekends in a row can really take it out of a girl!

The weekend started out right, when mom and I had some girl time at sushi. LOVE it! I could eat sushi everyday and be completely fine with it. Seriously.

Saturday was spent down south in Spanish Fork, UT at the Sri Sri Radha Krishna temple for the Holi festival (also called the Colors Festival). The festival is intended to celebrate the coming of spring, and also the downfall of  Krishna deity Holika. While I am not Krishna myself, I respect them and am excited that they invite the public to be part of such a fun spring celebration.

    {Via}

Essentially, at a certain pre-determined time, chalk/cornstarch powder in many colors is thrown. For a moment, you're immersed in rainbow cloud. When the dust settles, you have become a rainbow yourself. Quite the experience! While not for everyone, especially young children and our older friends, it's something worth checking out if you've got a sense of adventure. And patience, lots of it. It took us 4 hours to do a 1 1/2 hr drive because of traffic. Also, they started charging this year so the line was outrageous, which was frustrating since we had taken the time the weekend before to drive down and buy our color and admission wristbands. I don't think you should have to wait in line if you pre-paid, but I'm sure they'll work out the kinks.

But my most favorite part was Sunday. I LOVE being excited to go to church again. Our Relief Society lesson focused on time management, and priorities. Girl, was the lesson made for me or what?! I am what I like to call a "leisurely" girl. I don't like to be rushed, like at all. I take my time getting ready in the morning. I dilly dally. I'm late to quite a bit, which is something I'm working on. The lesson emphasized that we need to prioritize our schedules, and make time for sacred things. Our lives are busy, but we should never be too busy to do those things the Lord has asked of us. I must admit that my scripture reading is somewhat lax these days, as is my Temple attendance.

The class teacher mentioned that when she sat down and actually wrote down her schedule, she found she had a lot more free time than she thought. She had us write down our current schedules, then write down our hopeful schedule. I found that I have way more free time than I thought, including working and studying. Remember the time I don't Zumba because I don't have time? That's a lie. So, this week, I am committed to re-prioritizing. I'm committed to making sure I am putting the Lord first in my life.

What can you change in your week to put the Lord first?