Stucki Family Reunion 2010

For the annual Stucki family reunion we all headed up to Yellowstone. I haven't been since I was really little so it was way cool to see! Unluckily, most of us got sick while we were there. That part was not so bueno. But here's a few of the family pics we got, we were so excited that Tavin made it home in time to go too, and "Ding-Dong" may now be the biggest inside joke ever to grace the Stucki family. :)

Tavin's Homecoming!

Ok, so I'm terrible, so we're going to get a few posts all crammed in today. The first is going to be about Tavin coming home from Scotland. I took a few videos and they're cute, so I'll post them! He came home on July 7th, 2010. :)

 

 

The Secret Life of Prince Charming

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I was reading a book called The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti, and although it's not what I expected it to be, it was really good! And even better, it had some great quotes that I just really want to share. :)

"I'd choose one to be interested in the first few days of class. Usually just the cutest. I want to say I grew out of that, but I didn't, not for a long time. If there wasn't a guy to like, a guy on the scene, I felt bored and restless. it made things way more fun and interesting. And when I had someone to like, things felt like I could settle back a little. Safe, maybe. Boyfriend, yeah, I had one, even if that meant I might be always on the lookout for someone better to come along. I'm not gonna lie, I was. I always had someone, always. I think now that maybe boys, men, were some sort of putty in my own cracked cement, so to speak. They filled in gaps. My own gaps, gaps of time and... in-between-ness? Gaps of aloneness. Gaps of same-old, same-old. I had "friends" around guys, to fill in for the times I wasn't "in love." I didn't even like them all that much sometimes. It was just a person who was there to be the focus of the moment. Having a "relationship" made me feel better. It wasn't so much about the actual person, but about feeling more alive and okay."

"This is what I know. Don't settle for 40, 50, even 80 percent. A relationship- it shouldn't be too small or too tight or even a little scratchy. It shouldn't be embarrassing or uncomfortable or downright ugly. It shouldn't take up space in your closet out of a guilty conscience or convenience or a moment of desire. Do you hear me? It should be perfect for you. It should be lasting."

"Love is light and not darkness, that love that is not good is not worthy of you, that love can only truly be given by those who are able, those with hearts of quality and with careful hands."

"Sometimes you think you've found love, when it's really just one of those objects that are shiny in a certain light a trophy, say, or a ring, or a diamond, even. Glass shards, maybe. You've got to be careful, you do. The shine can blind you. The edges can cut you in ways you never imagined. It is up to you to allow that or not. You are the protector of yourself. The most basic and somehow forgettable thing is this: Love is not pain. Love is goodness. And real love - it's less shiny than solid and simple. It's the stuff of sunflower spirals and seashells, where there is beauty and mystery, but where there is logic too. You do not need protection from it. It is not about lies that someone else tells you or that you tell yourself, but about the truth. Real love is clear. It's as uncomplicated as that shell. It's as timeless. When you find it, if you find it, pick it up. For all the reasons, pick it up and hold it close."

Guitar Update

I apologize in advance to anyone who actually likes this song!!! :( Sorry. Greenday's Good Riddance Time of Your Life.

Top 5 Favorite Movies

1. The Blind Side

2. A Walk to Remember

3. John Tucker Must Die

4. P.S. I Love You

5. Mean Girls

Yours?

Teaching Myself to Play Guitar

Meet the Challenge

The HURD here at Utah State decided to do a mini version of Extreme Makeover Home Edition and call it Meet the Challenge. A family was nominated and volunteers from several different sports teams and the HURD all showed up to provide free manual labor to re-carpet, paint, and generally beautify this family's house. This family is really great, they have a son that was left completely paralyzed by hydrocephalus, so we also built wheelchair ramps for them. In all of the bedrooms we had our amazing ASUSU president Tyler Tolson do some awesome murals.

This is the parent's room.

This is the paralyzed little boy's room.

This is the little girl's room, it's hard to see but it is pink and orange and has flowers painted on.

That's Captain America. He's not done yet, but it should be AWESOME!

 I'm not sure why this is sideways, but that is the AWESOME car.

This is the mother's craft room. This was a last minute project but it was the room that needed some of the most work! Where you now see green paint, there was wood paneling. So we tore all of that out, took all of the carpet out, painted, put a chair rail in, and although you can't see it, there will be laminate wood flooring. This was mine and Hannah's pet project, we also helped with pretty much all of the blue paint, and painted a closet white.
In addition to this we also painted their fence, fixed up a play/tree house, built ramps to the front and back doors, and fixed up their family room with a really cool U-State logo. Hannah and I arrived bright and early at 6am and stayed until about 10:30. I had to work at 2:30 but they let me leave early at about 5:30 so Hannah and I headed back over to the house around 6:45 to see the "finished" product, but when we arrived there was still a ton of work to be done. So we picked up our paint brushes again and helped out until the family came to see it at 9:30. As you can see, it wasn't quite done but me and Hannah decided to leave the rest to the people already in the groove and working on the projects that needed finishing. So we hit Cafe Rio right before they closed and had a mini happy birthday to Hannah on Monday celebration. :) Great day, and a really cool project. Looking forward to Meet the Challenge 2011!