Sprint Down Memory Lane

15 years ago...

I actually was a senior (Kate, hehe). Here's a shy kid's story... so I decided to try out for Madrigals, the elete choir at Shasta High, at 17... if any one remembers me when I was a teen I was really REALLY shy, ie I had to think of things to say to the cashier at 7-11 when I was buying a soda before entering the store... hehe. Anyway the tryouts were pretty difficult (for me), you had to prepare a solo and sing it! I think I stunned my parents by going out for it! Even more surprising I made the choir!! The most surprising thing of all was that I accepted an invitation to sing at a stake conference. My parents were probably thinking "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" because that was so out of character. The music programs at Shasta gave me a lot of confidence that I could do whatever I set out to do. I would have never tried out for any choir had my parents not pushed me into it on the advice of one Peggy Grimmius. She heard me singing around the campfire and told them they had better get me into something! The opportunites that singing has afforded me include but are not limited to: a trip to Japan, a trip to Europe, traveling around the state, singing at BYU, which included concerts for the prophet a couple of times, being involved in a national honor choir, etc. The pic below is from the trip to Europe. Ah Paris!

10 years ago...

I was just coming home from my mission to Florida Tampa/Orlando spanish speaking. Another shocker for my parents was my decision to head out on a mission. Although feeling pretty good at my abilities as a singer, I was no where close to going up to strangers and telling them my feelings in another language. Ha! I'm sure my trainor on the mission thought I was so strange. I made her do all the talking although I could speak spanish better (she went out as an english speaking missionary and was changed after she got there to spanish speaking, can you imagine?).

I came home to a fairly empty house, although the airport was CRAZY full of family, my immediate family were all out on missions. Steve had left in the summer for Peru and Kate had left days before I got home to the MTC for her mission to Argentina! It was 3 years before I saw Kate and a little more than that for Steve! We were all out on missions for like 10 days! Poor mom and dad!

I came home a few days before Christmas and I remember I was FREEZING! After the warm weather (warm... what am I saying, more like roasting hot) of Florida the cool winters in California had me shivering. I remember staying in the bathroom after a hot shower taking in the warm humid air. I never EVER took my coat off that winter!

5 years or so ago...

I moved from my favorite city, Redding, to Sacramento! I stayed with my parents at first, down in Elk Grove and attended junior college CRC where I picked up more musical techniques and info, studied and spoke spanish (I even worked in the language lab... got paid I mean), and learned how to use an SLR camera. I took pretty much every fun class I could think of, not taking me any closer the goal of graduation, but definitely keeping me busy and enjoying it as I went. I started on in the admin department at BFBA (where I currently work) to earn some extra dough. Who knew I would stick it out here so long!?

I've gone through a slew of roommates in the last five years! Most are married and have kids now! Which is why I have opted for a non-LDS roommate. She is very respectful, but I don't think she is going to run off with any guy she has been dating for a couple of months and get married, like some of my other roommates. I've met some FANTASTIC people through all my adventures in housing! and of course the occasional Pig Pen wannabe... I've learned SO much about myself and I've really learned some amazing things from my roommates/friends.

Also around five years ago I became an Aunt Jenna! As you may have gathered from previous posts, I'm in LOVE with my nephews and now my beautiful niece! I had the priveledge of being there for the birth of my nephew (no better birth control)! Kate was such a nervous wreck. She couldn't relax and was constantly listening for that fast fluttering heart beat! When Tyler finally made his appearance, it was like he'd been part of the family forever. He is such a beautiful loving boy! I love hanging out with him and I hope he will always want to hang out with his Aunt Jenna! Its GREAT being an aunt, all the love, hardly any work!

A little less than 5 months ago...

I was able to meet the newest addition to the Fink Family tree! Baby Bella! It's SO different than with the boys! She's still so young that I don't know what to make of her yet, but I love love LOVE holding that little heater! She is SO soft and cuddly, when she's asleep, she's pretty wiggly when she's awake, but I think she starting to get to know her Aunt Jenna. Good thing Kate's an Aunt this time! She's got to have an that'll take her shopping!

5 things on my to do list for tomorrow...

1. Exercise - it's Saturday and its fast becoming a tradition to run the American River trail and go to breakfast at Denny's with Kate, Mom and Dad.

2. Clean up - my bedroom looks like a tornado passed through, well rather, sat there for a day or two to reak havoc in my room and then moved on. Who could the tornado be?

3. Read the end of the Lovely Bones. I keep getting distracted. Really it is a good book that I've been reading for too long!

4. Make sure my nephews get enough sugar. What else are aunts for!

5. Weights - my trainor has been on me for not doing more strength training.

5 things people don't know about me...

1. I never sleep with the covers over my feet... even in winter! They also dangle off the end of the bed... on purpose. I think it was because I used to be affraid of having my feet hang over the edge and be uncovered... I couldn't let the monsters under the bed win and I've been sleeping like that since.

2. I can say good morning/day in probably 15 languages... what good that does I don't know, I can at least be polite in the morning in all those countries! Guten morgan! Ohiogozimas! Bon jour! Bon Journo! Buenos Dias! Not actual spelling!

3. I LOVE comedy! If they could edit out all the crude humor I would be at comedy shows 24/7! No better remedy than a good laugh, even on your own!

4. The outdoors is my favorite place to be. I, unfortunately, am too lazy to get out there as much as I would like, but there is nothing better than the smell of fresh air.

5. I'm affraid of swimming in the ocean. I don't like swimming where something might eat me, call me crazy.

5 bad habits....

1. Lazy... I have SO many things I want to accomplish it makes me too tired to do any of them!

2. Foodie...this goes with out saying, if you like to eat, it will eventually show up in your dress sizes!

3. Opinionated... this could go up in the things people might not know about me, because I may not tell you what I think, but I definitely have an opinion about it.

4. Don't work enough at work... hehe... I'm doing this post at work... whoops!

5. Bad at cell phones - I don't call people back... I answer the phone SO much at work that it puts me off answering any phones at any other time... plus I HATE talking on the phone... much better to talk in person. So, if you've been the victim of my unreturned phonecalls, drop by, I'll definitely talk to you then, well maybe.

5 places I've lived...

1. Provo, UT

2. Kissimmee, FL

3. Redding, CA

4. Elk Grove, CA

5. Sacramento, CA

Tag people... No.