A New Start

The new year is right around the corner and resolutions are going to be set. I am so excited about mine that I think I am going to start right away and make it a way of life. I have been full of positivity lately and I just want to serve other people. I want to write down every day in my planner of something I did for someone else, whether they know me or not. For at least one day a week and maybe later it turns into a few days a week, but I want to write either thank you notes or uplifting cards for strangers. I hope this works! I pray with all my heart that I can touch at least one life a month and hopefully much more. I know this will not be easy, especially with school and work but I know I can do it! It is giving my life a new start and hopefully it is giving someone else the strength they need to make a new start as well. 

-I got my idea from the movie, "The Letter Writer".

The Cleanse!

So me and my dear mother decided to be crazy for a week and do a cleanse. It is called the GM Diet if anyone is interested after hearing about all of this. It goes for 7 days and you have to follow a very strict diet and drink A LOT of water (10 glasses) everyday. The process goes as follows:

Day 1: Only allowed to eat fruits! (No bananas though).

It was a good day at first since you can eat as many fruits as you would like, especially melons. By the end of the day I was starting to get sick of all the sweetness that came from the fruits. I was craving something crunchy and salty, like a cracker! On top of all of that, you have to force yourself to drink much more water then normal so the bathroom became my best friend every half hour.

Day 2: Only raw or cooked Vegetables! (You are allowed a potato for breakfast)

Lets just say I was glad to see this day come, and the potato for breakfast was so delicious! Today wasn't too bad since it wasn't all sweets and the vegetables could be cooked or raw. I got through the day just fine and came up with creative ways to cook up food. I decided to stop drinking water past 8 PM so I could actually get some sleep and not always be running to the bathroom.

Day 3: Fruits and Vegetables :) (No potatoes or bananas)

Today was not very bad since I could mix and match between fruits and vegetables, sweet and salty. I was pretty hungry today tho and went to bed early due to hunger. It was very hard to drink the required amount of water because it was starting to taste very blah, so I have lessened my amount of water intake then what is required.

Day 4: Bananas and Milk. Plus a special soup!

Today was okay, but I lost a sense of cravings today so I was doing okay. I woke up and blended the bananas and milk together with some ice and it was yummy! The soup was actually really good but that could also be the hunger speaking. The soup has no limit but you are only allowed 8 bananas and 3 glasses of milk. I did not reach 8 bananas but I got to my 3 glasses of milk. The soup was interesting to make since it was a bunch of random ingredients thrown together but heyy it was good.

Soup recipe: 28 oz, Water, 6 Large Onions, 2 Green Peppers, Whole Tomatoes (fresh or canned), 1 Head Cabbage, 1 Bunch Celery, 4 Envelopes Lipton Onion Soup Mix, Herbs and Flavouring as desired.

Pour it all in and cook it! Unlimited eating and makes a lot of soup.

Day 5: Consume lean meat and tomatoes.

(2 10 oz. portions of meat and increase water up to 4 quarts)

This was the hardest day since meat and tomatoes aren't the yummiest by themselves. Hamburger is okay but lets just say I barely ate anything all day long and went to bed so very hungry.

Day 6: Beef and vegetables. (unlimited amounts of both)

This day was a lot better then the day before. I actually ate some food and got full. I was okay with that. I could definitely tell that I did not fit into any of my clothes anymore. I had lost weight and I liked it.

Day 7: Brown Rice, Fruit Juice, and Vegetables

This was by far my favorite day and I was so happy to be on the last day. :) The brown rice was very good especially with a little bit of salsa (which is veggies) mixed into it. I have never loved fruit juice as much as I did on this day . Good day for sure.

Over all I only lost 5 pounds but I could tell that it was for sure off and not just water weight which was the goal. I could tell my body felt better and I had more energy. I had gotten rid of all of the toxins in my body, or most of them, and I felt great. It was a hard process to go through but I really did enjoy it and after it was all over, I did not want any sweets at all. That was a great feeling! I got offered to go get ice cream and I felt like eating an apple instead. It was definitely good for me to go through and it taught me to eat a lot healthier. I would do this again for sure!

Life's Little Pleasures

Once all the bad times and the negative feelings get the chance to leave, everything seems so amazing! There is positive things all around you, we all just need to open our eyes and look for them. Happiness to me, is the key of life! Nothing will work out or be accomplished to the best of your ability if you have a negative attitude. I decided to change the way I look at things and it truly feels amazing. I have an amazing family, have the gospel in my life, have the opportunity to go to college and choose my own major, be surrounded by the people that I enjoy and love, have unlimited opportunities to do anything I choose, I'm even being more positive about my body and appearance. (as you know, for women, its a little bit more of a difficult thing to be okay with) But I am trying and doing the best I can to look for the positive influences in my life. I can say I wake up every morning and am happy, even if I only got a few hours of sleep, and I CHOOSE to have a great day! I CHOOSE to L.O.V.E this life I have!

What do you choose to do?

Life's Many Adventures!

So throughout the ups and downs, twists and turns that we have in life, we begin to realize more about ourself and those around us. With our high moments, its amazing to see how everyone just wants to be with you and is your best friend! They help you enjoy your accomplishments and the time when nothing can bring you down. As soon as life decides to throw one little twist your way, some of those people decide your not worth their time and leave while others stick to your side and keep encouraging you on. We begin to think that those people who stick around are our true friends and the closer you become. Life is not through with you yet and the surprises will come your way. Possibly could have more time being on top of the world or you could go down into the dumps. When you are at your very lowest is the time when those close to you are tested. Those who are the 100% real friends will stay by your side and all others will leave, even those who you thought were your true friends. It is always a harsh reality to see those close to you leave because of the trials that you face, which can make you feel even lower. Just pause, forget about the craziness around you, and just breathe for a minute. You soon begin to realize who means the most to you and how they have never left your side for even a fraction of a second.

I have had my own moment of realization and I see who I want to stay with me and who isn't worth my time. I feel dumb in saying this but the one person that I know that I can turn to and will always be there is my Mother! Deana Hafen Whatcott! She is a true gem! I couldn't ask for anyone better. She is always there to help me and speak words of wisdom. For those times that no words can be thought up to help, then she always gives tender loving care which is sometimes all that is needed to help get through the day. I love her hugs and seeing her smile. I may look like her but I want to strive everyday to be like her. She is a best friend that anyone could ask for and I appreciate all that she does for me. I love her with all my heart! Granted there are other people out there that are there for me that I love but my mother is just someone that I realized once again that she has never left my side!

XOXO L.O.V.E You!

LiFe!

My life is still just as crazy but I love every second of it. It has been such a good thing for me to move out and learn things on my own. I have learned to just relax and things will work out. It is your choice whether or not you want to be happy, sad, stressed, etc. That is YOUR own choice. Since I have learned that, I have tried to wake up every day and say that I am going to be happy and enjoy what I have around me. I have been so blessed in my life that it would be very selfish of me if I didn't appreciate the things around me and be positive with all things I do. I see one of my roommates that is always happy. I am not going to lie, but I am so jealous of her. I envy her positivity that she always has. I am trying to be more like her, she is such a good example to me! I see our neighbor boys that are always so laid back and chill. They can play pranks and be messed with but they know how to laugh it off and just enjoy the time that they have with their friends. They show me that no matter what they are doing, they can find the fun in it! For example, one of the boys and I had to study history for our test the next day. We ended up making a fort and studied in that. Something so simple made the time go by quickly, and I actually remembered a lot for the test. The simple things in life is what makes life go round. Smiling, saying a nice comment, or as my room roommate does, make my bed, or just playing silly pranks is something I look forward to every day and try to improve on those areas as well. I just have to say that I am so lucky to have the friends that I do and the family that I have. I like to just sit back sometimes and watch them go through their busy lives and realize that even tho they are just as busy or busier then me, they still make time to include me and make me feel loved. I hope that I have returned the favor back to them.

So this is a shout out to any of my family or friends, or even anyone that I know since I am sure that you have influenced me in one way or another,

-Thank you for everything. You honestly do not know how much I appreciate the love and kindness you have showed to me at any given point in my life. We may not always be close or never have been but either way, I have taken something from our relationship and hope to just build on that. You will always be in my heart and mind. Don't forget that you are an amazing person and that I L.o.v.e You!

Love always, Jacee :)

August 29-September 3

So this week has been complete torture! I have just wanted to crawl into a hole and hide for a while until things just calm down. I honestly don't know how much more I can handle to completely honest. Let me just let you in on what has been going on, but please, no pitty!

• Wednesday I spent a long time at the hospital just waiting. (keep reading for more information) since I was there I had to cancel swim lessons for the following day, had to find someone to work for me, and make it to my student alumni meeting which I was not prepared for at all. I missed out on a lot of opportunities to meet more people and hang out with my neighbors from my complex. I ended up never going to bed that night.
• Thursday I worked at 5 am and since I never ended up going to bed, it happened to be a very long shift. While I was there I could not keep my eyes open and I probably looked like a very drunk person roaming the area with how out of it I was. I could not pay attention to any of the swimmers, which I am grateful that
• no one got hurt or drowned. I went running around the parking lot, splashed water on my face, ate food, jumped around and so on, but nothing worked to keep me awake. I finally got home at 9:30 and crashed on my bed until around 12:30.
• I skipped my first class which was at 12 and just went to the one at 1-2:15. The whole time I was zoning out and going to fall asleep. I had a grumpy look on my face and didn't make one comment the whole time. I went home and had to get ready to go teach swimming lessons. I taught and just wanted to die the whole time. I got done and went home. I finally went to bed around 6:30 pm. I felt so sick, was way tired, and was a grouch. So I went to bed :)
• Around 9 pm my roommates started screaming on the top of their lungs, I woke up and was so confused/angry about what happened. I gave them the worst look ever and told them to be quite. I feel kind of bad but it happened. I slept until 4:30 am and went to work at 5 am again.


• Friday I worked at 5 am and it wasn't bad at all. I stayed awake and was in good spirits. I got home and got all ready to go to the gym and work out. I got there and was about to start running when I got a text telling me I'm late for a meeting. Wow! Bad timing. My brain is just not functioning. I then was all hurried and stressed out.
• I had to go work AGAIN on Friday night from 3-10 pm at the city pool. Everything was going good until the last rotation which was at 9:40 pm. I had just got down to the bottom of the slide when a guy who is 39 goes down the slide. When he came out he was yelling that he dislocated his knee. Everyone, including me, started laughing cuz people get hurt all the time on the slide, but he was serious. I go over and look at it and sure enough it was badly dislocated. We turned off the slide, sat him on a backboard and carried him out to the front so he could be taken to the hospital by his wife in the truck. I start filling out the accident report form and next thing I know, the guys son is standing in front of me and starts yelling. He got so mad at me since I started laughing and didn't believe the guy at first. Then I couldn't help him fix his knee. I was just getting thrown around by his comments and nothing I said would help him calm down. When he was done and the whole pool stopped watching, I went and finished the accident report form. I don't do well when people yell at me so I started to tear up, :( and my head guard said, "Jacee, are you okay?" I tried to brush it off and say yes but I think he saw a tear in my eye. I walked out and got my shoes just so I could calm down. When I came back, a lady came up to me and was saying how bad she felt that I got yelled at and that I didn't deserve it. I just felt so bad that I didn't know what to do and just wanted to cry, but I kept my cool.
• On my way home I almost get in a car wreck cuz some idiot decides to pull out in front of me and almost T Bones me. It gets me very angry and I just want to get home.
• Saturday I find out that someone hits the front of my mom's car with a hitch. Which I'm sure it was the Utah Barricade Truck but not for sure. I have to deal with that while I'm dealing with telling my head guard that I am not coming into work that day since I honestly could not find one person that would take my shift. I tried everyone and no one was available. So I didn't show and am getting written up for that.
• Later after the game I met up with city police to figure out the damages to my mothers car. Not much can happen since I left the scene and there is no facts showing who did hit me for reals. I got to ride in the back of a police car to my parents house to see the damage to the car. After that is all done, I can finally go home and relax. A friend of mine was going to come over and watch a movie with me and my roommate but he ended up bailing. And not to mention, I have had a headache pretty much the whole week. Its been great!

Some good things do happen in the midst of all the crazy drama that happens. I have been trying to focus on the positives to help me through but as you can see, there hasn't been much of that anywhere.

• On Wednesday, Whitney, my sister in law, was admitted into the hospital because she was going to have her baby. After 14 hours of waiting, Mckay Robert Whatcott entered this world at 2:12 AM. He weighed 7 lbs 14 ounces, and was 20.5 inches long. He is the cutest baby ever. His dark hair, tiny fingers and toes, precious face, and angel like presence is just the best thing that could have happened to me this week. I keep looking at his pictures, I was able to hold him, and just knowing he is here is a miracle. I am grateful for him and I know that my brother is going to be such an amazing father.

• Thursday, I was begin such a grouch and my roommates where being so kind. They were giving my compliments and taking care of me.
• Bree, my room roommate, made my bed. Obviously it's not how I would have done it, but I don't even care. She is so sweet and wanted to just do something to help be less stressful.

I have seen many miracles in my life and those are just a few that mean a lot to me that happened this week. I know I am pretty lucky!

FLORIDA!!!!

Days come where things happen and we lose privileges, but as an outcome some very fun memorable times come about and are enjoyable. My wonderful sir is having her birthday soon and is turning 23, but since she is getting one year older and wiser too, she is no longer allowed to use the flying benefits from my mom's work, Sky West. Due to this loss, a trip was planned as she wanted and her, my mom, and myself went to Florida. It was a very long red eye flight but it was also funny. The way to the airport I was being so funny and just spouting out randomness.

• Me: "You are no limo, you are a short bus...." (said towards Dani)
• "Heyy look over at the trash can, hahaha it's white trash!" (white man sleeping in the airport in front of the trash cans)

Once we got on the plane my mom took half an ambien, and I took one dramamine. We got loopy real quick and things were just funny. I hate planes so being mostly gone on dramamine helped me cope and I didn't really realize what was going on. The flight was only 3 1/2 hours long and we arrived in Florida at 6 AM. We were so tired and headed on our way. I ended up sleeping almost every time we drove somewhere since I had the back to myself with my blanket. We went to the temple and took pictures. Saw lizards mating, they should get a room! We hit up the clothing stores since I guess that is what girls do. We all got some really cute clothes for pretty cheap prices. We even got to watch my cousin play baseball, which he did so good! Made us all proud :) ha On Saturday we went to the funnest thing ever. It was in the Mossi Science and Industry building, but we went and did a rope course. It was 3 stories and each level seemed to get harder not to mention higher. Once we got to the top, I was ready to be done even tho I had a blast. Me and Dani laughed together and sweat together. We got to the beach about an hour later after we finished. We went to Siesta Key Beach. It is the most desired beach to go to. It was BEAUTIFUL. The sand was white, the water was warm, and we only had one towel with subway! ha It was a site for sure. We stayed in the water the whole time until the weather made us leave. That night we just mainly stayed in our hotel but went and got dinner at NY Pizza Grill. Not the best choice to go but it ended up being an adventure. We ordered pizza, and a salad. But as an extra we got 4 breadsticks. These breadsticks were about 4 inches tall and half an inch wide, funniest part.... they were BURNT! ha no wonder why they were free ha. On Sunday we flew home, we got to the airport at 6 AM and had to return the car, the plane didn't leave until after 10 so we sat around and played cards and laughed the whole time. We ended up being in an airport for 5 hours, being on a plane for 7 hours, changed planes 3 times, and had to drive an hour and half home. (Dani had to take another flight to get to salt lake) It was a torture. Sometimes being able to fly free has its negative side but heyy, who can beat randomly getting first class and being treated like a princess? Not me! The trip ended up being worth it and I loved being with my mom and sister!

My Life Changed Today....

Today is so interesting.... Chipper is now a 16 yr old sophomore! So weird! He drove to school today, granted I was with him but still. He hasn't gotten his license yet due to the teacher not ever being available but soon he will get it and he will drive the roads crazy! He will be getting the truck so I am officially beginning my goodbyes to my dear friend. My little brother isn't so little anymore. Granted he was never that little but still!

Another thing that is happening today is that I am moving out of the house into an apartment downtown. I will be right next to campus so I can walk. I will have 5 other roommates which one of them is my really good friend Bree Donovan. :) I am excited but also super nervous since I have never done this before and wont be able to just come on home and escape the crazies out there in the world! I love my family and not going to lie, this is hard for me to do. I almost don't like to talk bout it cuz I am afraid I will make them feel bad! I would just like them to know that they will always be in my heart no matter where I am located, whether it be down the street or in another continent! They are mine forever! Love them!