A PICTURE OF SOMEONE YOU COULD NEVER IMAGINE YOUR LIFE WITHOUT.

A PICTURE OF SOMEONE YOU COULD NEVER IMAGINE YOUR LIFE WITHOUT.

There are so many people I feel this was about but most likely the one who comes out on top is my sweet baby brother, Michael. This kid is my buddy and one of my best friends. I honestly cannot imagine my life without him or trying to go on with life without him. Michael is about 12 years younger than me so I feel like I played a pretty big part in taking care of him growing up. In fact, when I worked at his elementary school everyone thought he was my son! Here's my handsome little (getting much bigger) guy:

My mom wasn't supposed to have anymore kids because of her health and complications. I remember us kids all begging my parents to adopt a baby boy because we knew something was missing from the family. Within a year my mom was pregnant with sweet baby Michael. I don't think I have ever been in love as much as when I met this angel. He completes our family on so many levels and we all adore him. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my other brother and sister, but Michael is the baby and very special to all of us.

 Here we are being silly when we went out shooting. I really do miss my siblings and feel bad I don't visit more and get to be a part of their lives. I hate missing out on their accomplishments.

 Here's mijo and I after a little date night together. When I live at home I try to include him in as many activities as possible. He runs errands with me, pumps my gas, helps babysit, and participates in many other things that helps him learn and gain life skills. He is so fun and always spoiled (he knows if he comes with me to do errands he'll get a treat or a toy or something).

Michael has the sweetest heart, anyone that knows him will tell you that. He was called up on the stand by Elder Nelson once in Stake Conference because they had made a little connection. Elder Nelson picked him up at the pulpit and gave him his baptismal interview. Michael drew a picture of them together and we later snapped a picture of the two together (Michael in his arms).
 He really stands out from other kids his age.

One time Michael and I were going into the grocery store and we saw an old and weak homeless man outside the doors. I didn't have any cash on me so I gave Michael a basket and told him that he was responsible for picking out a drink and some snacks for the man outside. Michael carefully picked out items and then helped me checkout and pay for them. I let Michael deliver the goodies to the man when we left the store. The man was so grateful and started to tear up when thanking him. Buddy walked away with a huge smile on his face (that lasted hours). When in the car, Michael said, "Man, that felt great. I wish everyday was be nice to a bum day!" I promised him that anytime we saw a homeless person and we had time, we could do the same for them, and we have.

Michael has such a tender heart and is the sweetest helper to little kids and those with special needs. I swear that kids is going to be something really great one day. I love my baby boy and miss him like crazy!
I'm planning something big for him this Summer. We are going to go to DISNEYLAND!! So, what do you think Michael? Will you go with me? I think it would be super fun for us!
 I love you Michael Richard! :)

A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE BAND OR ARTIST

 A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE BAND OR ARTIST
Anyone that claims to know me well would know this is a no-brainer. In fact, they've probably endured a viewing (or in Suz's case 20+ viewings) of my favorite artist and his History DVD.

It's the one and only MJ. I think family and friends think I have an unhealthy relationship with him..

Here's my DVD that most of you have probably seen. It's bomb

Seeing this for the first time made me think that I was put on this Earth to dance. (I was not)

I don't know what it is that makes me really like my bi-colored friend here, but something about the dancing, music, and hysteria is amazing to me. I could probably listen to his music or watch his videos ALL day. ( I say probably so it doesn't sound like I've actually done this...because I have). I use to get to work before everyone else to put on his greatest hits CD. 

I just love MJ. I was seriously considering selling a kidney to see his tour and then he suddenly died. I wish the world had been exposed to such greatest that I know was in the tour, but it is also kinda nice that he didn't have more time to do any other bizarre things and ruin it for me. Maybe he was a weirdo creep in real life, I don't know, but I do know that his music has inspired me like crazy. I love Michael Jackson (as a musical artist and icon).

Oh, I almost forgot to mention the music video we did together. Remember when we made Scream? I know, not our best work but I got to wear that cool shirt and flip the camera off. Rad.

Rest in Peace MJ. Don't worry, I still rock it out to all your songs and music videos :)

A PICTURE THAT MAKES YOU LAUGH

A PICTURE THAT MAKES YOU LAUGH 

I have limited resources to the Webb archive of hilarious pictures because I live in a different state now. But here are some of MY pictures (how vain) that I laughed out loud at when I saw them. I am truly the Queen of awkward photographs, but I'm kinda okay with it. I guess I have no pride posting things on the internet.

Up until this picture was taken at my Uncle's wedding I though my seesta, Mah, and I were decent dancers. I blame bad timing for making us all look like weird robotic dancers. We're all made of hinges...

So I love my onesie pajamas, I don't know why. They are most definitely made for a child and don't help my figure at all. I also love jumping on beds. A couple friends from work and I went on a last minute mini road trip to Wendover to gamble and play. Here is a picture taken from after a night of losing money and drinking caffeine. I think I was preparing for my "power jump" in this shot. That power jump sprung me right into the wall and floor. Just thinking about it makes me laugh...I flew! 

You know you've given up on life when you post a picture of you and you can't tell if it's Jabba the Hut or yourself...ooh this is bad. But the situation is hilarious. I was attacked by strange birds in China all.the.time. At the time I was terrified of birds so every encounter was terrifying. I think this shot is me trying not to pee my pants and laugh about it at the same time. Whatever it is, it's awful. Look at the bird coming in from behind to get me too..scary!

Thankfully I was able to cope and come up with much more socially acceptable facial expressions. Now I'm not scared of them so it's all good!

I hope those were entertaining to someone because it was mostly painful for me. Have a great day!

My Special Boys

Here's one of my favorite kids of all time. My little cousin Cole is so very special to me and I was blessed to do therapies with him for a while. In all honesty, I almost didn't move away from school because I didn't want to leave him and my little brother. I miss him all the time and think about all the fun things we have done. He is a very special boy and will do great things in his life, despite his obstacles with autism. 

With this month being Autism month, I've been thinking a lot about my job and the children I have worked with that have Autism. I try not to refer to them as my Autistic kids, because autism does not define someone. Each child is individually unique and extremely special. I've been blessed with having the opportunity of working with a few boys that have Autism, all on very different levels of the spectrum. I feel very strongly about the fair treatment, available therapies, and attention in schools, home, life, and the community. I'm so tired of the stigmas that society has placed on disorders like depression, down syndrome, and autism. Autism is neurological and affects the brain. The brain is an organ in the body just like the heart or a liver. Should people with a heart condition or liver disease be treated like outsiders and second class citizens, just because they can't control an organ in their body to operate at full capacity? Why is it different for someone struggling with a chemical imbalance or neural development disorder?
 I try not to get angry with people or judge them when they say rude comments or give me or my kids dirty looks while out in public. I can try and brush it off and make excuses for them, hoping that it is purely ignorance and not hate. Sometime when I talk or think about my boys and how special they are to me, their families, and our Heavenly Father I get emotional. The past couple years I've been trying to work with these special spirits and teach them how to better function in the world we are living in. The more I get to know and love them and get a glimpse inside their minds, the more I wish I was like them. I truly believe they can access parts of their brain we can't and they can experience and notice things we will casually look over. I always think of the boy I currently work with and say, "Why am I trying so hard to bring you into 'our' world when your is so cool?" I love him. Heavenly Father sent these special children to Earth to learn and grow just like us but they will need extra help. I definitely want to do my part and bring more awareness so they have a chance to develop and blossom just like their peers.
To all the parents, caregivers, teachers, and friends. You are truly amazing! The Lord entrusted us to take care of his children to the best of our abilities, even when times are tough. I'm so grateful I've been given time and developed relationships with my wonderful boys. There is nothing more rewarding then to see them succeed. When times get tough, try to think of things with an eternal perspective. I can't wait for them to overcome this earthly trial and be perfected. Try to be a little better, helpful, understanding, and loving to these children. You will be surprised what you discover and won't regret what you receive.

A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY

A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY
Sorry for always talking about China and what a great time I had, but it was the most fun I've ever experienced and it definitely shaped my life. My favorite memory was my week long vacation in Guilin, Guangxi, China. Everything about this place was mystical and captured my soul. Seeing a picture of the mountains still will take my breath away. I always say that I left a part of my heart in China, well, I know I left some pieces in Guilin!

Isn't it amazing? I'm no Richard Webb so I apologize for the poor quality of my photographs.

Getting to this magical land was not fun (30+ hour train and hour long bus ride) but it was so worth it for me. We stayed in Yangshou on West Street during the Moon Festival so we were joined by people from all over the world! Guilin had some sweet shopping but the best part was the outdoor activities. We rented mountain bikes and rode them to the Li River to bamboo rafts on our first day.

Here you can see we strapped down the bikes and sat in little bamboo seats while we were guided through the beautiful scenery.

After our journey down the river we hopped back on the bikes with the mud caves as our destination. The ride was long but the view was incredible. I got off track a little bit and ended up biking at least a mile in the opposite direction into an unsuspecting village. I'm pretty sure the people had never seen an American before because the whole town came and surrounded me on my bike. They were touching my hair, skin, and eyelashes like I was some freak of nature. I couldn't help but think, "They are either going to eat me or make me their deity, I've never seen people look at me this way!" Luckily, one of the Chinese guides found me and redirected my path so I didn't have a chance to find out what my future was in the crazy village. Finally, we got to the mud caves after biking, hiking, and carrying our heavy bicycles through rice fields. We then hopped in boats and went through the water into the caves. After a little hiking we came to pools of mud and we're welcome to jump in and play around, which we did.

We washed off and explored the caves. I love China for so many reasons but in the caves they let you kind of do whatever. At the Timp Caves in Utah, they'll shoot you before you can accidentally bump up against something. In China, it's like "here, hang from this stalactite!" Gotta love the Asians and the lack of conservation.

The next day we went rafting down a little river and some rapids, it was way sweet and Suz and I got some pretty hilarious pictures out of it. We were soaked and loving it! We sang Nsync and Backstreet Boys songs the whole way down to entertain our foreign friends, just trying to rep for the USA. That night we went fishing with a fisherman and his fish-catching-and-swallowing birds. It was super cool to watch, even if I was a little terrified of the bird and its possible diseases. 

Here is our fisher friend and his incredible underwater diving bird. This guy would steer the little raft with one foot and control the birds with his hands. The birds had their throats tied off so they wouldn't swallow the birds when the picked them out of the water and into their mouth. Awesome.

Next day we rented bikes to go visit a market, which supposedly was having some type of special day (it wasn't). Our group got separated but it was fun nonetheless and I got to eat this:

Yep, that's some tasty dog

And do this:

After our long adventure we found a Tai Chi school and paid them a visit. They were so gracious and brought us food and let us watch demonstrations. They could have easily kicked off  my head but they chose not to, and for that I am grateful. We took some pictures with them and then headed back into town. We ate at some  little outdoor place and did a little shopping. 

The next day we visited some rice terraces about three hours away. They were amazing and so were the people. It was a fun hike and so cool to see their culture and the minority living in this area.

There were lots of other good times had in Yangshou and Guilin but you get the gist. I hope I can go back soon, I would love to explore some more and try to get better pictures this time! I highly recommend this trip to anyone thinking of visiting China :)

A PICTURE FROM YOUR FAVORITE NIGHT

I'm taking a break from my all night study session. My boss asked me today if I was doing anything fun tonight. I wanted to respond, "Same thing we do every night Pinky, trying to take over the world," but instead I said "Same thing every night, homework and studying." I am so boring, except for my occasional adventures with Rachelle that almost get me into trouble!
 A PICTURE FROM YOUR FAVORITE NIGHT
 I decide to go for that one time I was in China and I went to a Jay Chou concert. What was that, you don't know who Jay Chou is? Hmm.. don't feel bad, only like 75% of the earth population does! Let me break it down for you: Jay Chou is to Asia, as Justin Timberlake is to the world. He's kind of a big deal. Here he is in all his Asian glory:

He's just my Taiwanese boyfriend, no biggie.

Anyways...My friends Susannah, Molly, Katie, Brianne, and Cara all purchased tickets with me to see this concert in Shanghai. The whole situation was sketchy, we had our foreign coordinator purchase the tix, and then we were to take a 2 hour train ride to Shanghai, and try and figure out the Chinese address to a ticketmaster to pick them up. None of us spoke Mandarin so the chance of us finding the place, actually getting the tickets, finding the stadium, and getting there in time was not looking extremely promising. Nevertheless, we went off on our journey and made some friends along the way. We ended up finally finding the shadiest ticketmaster on the planet and getting our tickets. We found our way to the stadium and even had time to buy glowsticks and light up Hello Kitty and Ultraman magnetic pins to wear (we were sooo Chinese!).  The concert featured four other artists before the main event- Jay! The other people and groups were good but jay was even better, of course. In case you didn't know, Jay can sing, write, direct, act (questionable), dance, play piano, cello, flute, drums, and probably a few other things. He basically does it all, and in style! Jay just recently played Kato in the new movie version of The Green Hornet (I wouldn't recommend it..). So we were all really pumped for the concert, obviously, it was so Chinese of us to get into and participate in the pop culture. Here we are super excited!! (Super attractive faces, huh?)

And here's the stage:

Little did we know that proper Chinese protocol for a concert is to pretend you are extremely bored and rather do anything than watch an amazing performance. We didn't get the memo so we were the ONLY ones standing, dancing, singing, screaming, and being wild. We would dance on the seats and scream out for our beloved Jay Chou and whoever the other people were performing. Apparently, such behavior is actually MORE exciting than the pop stars and people turned around and started the take pictures and video tape the funny American girls. We tried to get them to join in to no avail. When Jay did come on, the crowd decided to stand and very conservatively wave their glow sticks. I was super happy they decided to act like they were still living and could hear the music. It was so much fun and we all lost our voices. Afterward we threw elbows and battled it out for Jay posters and Suz and I got rings with Jay silhouette on them. We're not obsessed or anything, or nor did we have a wall covered in his posters that we dedicated as his shrine...

Here is why Wo ei Zhou Jie Lan. (I love Jay Chou):

I'll never forget the adventure that night, and most definitely the late night train home when I pretended to be pregnant for a seat, not my best moment, I know. I miss China and it's craziness but at least I have pictures to remind me of the good times!