Best Mike Trout Moments

Today is Mike Trout's 24th birthday. Therefore, in honor of his awesomeness, I have compiled some of my favorite Mike Trout Moments. Enjoy!


We will start off with the basics. Mike Trout doing what Mike Trout does (a.k.a. stealing home runs)
Nevermind the fact that he jumps halfway over the wall.

Mike Trout is praised a lot for his bat or his ability to steal home runs, but let's not forget about his ability to throw a ball all the way across the field in a perfect strike and nail the runner. observe:

Observe again:

Mike Trout has been an Allstar 4 times. If you combine all of his 1st at bats in those four years Mike Trout has hit the cycle. 2012: single, 2013: double, 2014: triple, 2015: home run. What's next?

Of course we can't forget about Mike Trout's base running skills. Mike Trout has been clocked at running 22.5 mph while tagging up on a fly ball. And here is his infamous steal:

Then there was the time that Mike Trout hit a Grand Slam straight into the "Trout Net" as though it were easy... (Trout went 4-4 in this game with 2 HR and a BB)

And sometimes he entertains us by catching the ball without even looking

And last but not least, we can't forget the time when Fernando Rodney prematurely celebrated his victory by shooting his trademark arrow at the Angels dugout. How could he think that the game was as good as over when he still had to face Mike Trout and Albert Pujols? Silly Rodney... You can put a halo on this one.

Happy Birthday Mike!

Venting

I am so sick of hearing about Bruce Jenner. Up until now I have not voiced my opinion because I didn't want to shine any more lime light on the matter, but this has gotten ridiculous. You can be happy about what he did, or think that people have the right to morph themselves into whatever they would like to be, but let's at least be honest about it. Bruce Jenner followed the current trend of "equality, be what you want to be" and became more famous for it. Which by the way is something that many people have done before him. Yes, you can say that it was brave because it is a subject that so many people have strong feelings about, but again let's be honest: how many of Bruce Jenner's friends and the crowd that he hangs out with are as far left and liberal as you can legally be? He made a decision that he knew that the majority of the people around him (especially the media) would not only support but also praise him for. Call it what you want but that's not all that brave. And if you don't support his decision, than you are considered an "evil, hateful, bigoted" person. In other words, if you believe that someone who is born male will always be male, even if they like to play dress-up, than you are closed minded and have no heart. I'm tired of it. I just had to get that off my chest. Best of luck Bruce Jenner. Please stay out of my news feed.

Marriage is what brings us together today

Yesterday two of my best friends got married to each other. I have been planning this wedding for a LONG time. Ok, not really "planning" it, but I've been wanting it to happen. Same thing right? hahaha. They are so perfect together. They are both the kindest people you will ever meet.

Lance (aka, our extra roommate,) you have been such a great friend for the past 4 years. You were always there when we just wanted a buddy, sometimes till much later then we expected :) You watched Emma, the proposal, and other girly movies with us, and you even got up at 5:30 am on Friday mornings to play volleyball with us. You are amazing and I couldn't imagine anyone better for Jessica.

Jessica, I am so grateful that Sella invited you to come study a few years ago and I am so grateful that our amazing friendship came out of it. You have such a big heart. I'm so happy that you found someone that will always treat you like a queen. I know that you will be so happy with Lance.

I love you both. Congrats!
Live long and prosper.

My Birthday Week

I had a wonderful birthday week. I didn't really want to have a birthday party this year (because most of the people that I cared about were out of town for my birthday.) The only thing that I really wanted to do was to go see Captain America: The Winter Soldier with my family before they left for California, because Captain america is my favorite (...and it was pretty much destiny that it came out 2 days before my birthday.) Thankfully we were able to go, and it was great. I was sick on my actual birthday so I mostly just stayed in my pajamas all day and watched conference with my brother in law, his family having abandoned him too :)

Later that week I was able to go to California to join my family for my nephew's baptism. It was such a fun trip. We were able to catch an Angels game (which we won!) and go to the beach. But what I really wanted to talk about was my birthday gift.

My parents gave me tickets to go see Les Miserables at the Hale Center Theatre in West Valley. I love plays so much and I love the story and music from Les Miserables. The Hale Center theatre always puts on great productions but this one was exceptional! I wish that I could go see it over and over again. The stage at the West Valley theater is magnificent if you have been there before then you know what I mean, if not, then you will have to go.



Jean Valjean and Javert were so magnificent. Javert was played how is supposed to played (I love the movie but can not stand Russell Crow.) He was powerful, and his death scene was pretty epic!

Valjean's Bring Him Home was probably the best version I have heard of that song. He had an incredible voice and lungs that could hold a note forever!



Overall it was a great birthday.


P.s. Let's not forget about the Captain :)

Help promote good clean books!

I love to read. Growing up my mom would read books aloud to us. Then my older sister would read to me, then I would read to my younger sister and then she began reading books to me. And I don't just mean when we were 8. My sister and I still get together and read books together.

A good book just satisfies a certain part of your brain and heart that nothing else can. It is a great leisure activity. I can't explain the feeling of getting lost in a good novel but I'm sure most of you (hopefully) have felt it before. When I read a book I completely throw myself emotionally in to the story and the characters heads. When the characters are mad, I am mad. The same for when they are sad, happy annoyed, etc. (This is assuming that the author has done their job by making the characters well rounded and easy to relate to.)

 Sometimes though it can be difficult finding a good book. Most times when I read a book it is because it has either been recommended to me, or I have done some googling and research online to find it.  I hardly ever just pick up a book off the shelf and read it. The reason for this is because, although I have found some good books that way, you often have to go through a lot of mediocre or terrible books to find the few good ones.

For this reason some friends and I created a blog. This blog reviews and discusses good clean books of all different types of genres (Although I admit that most of them are young adult novels.) I know that everyone has their own opinions but this blog can help you to get a better idea about some books that you may be interested in reading without having to worry about if there is anything inappropriate in it.

Help us to promote good clean books by following our blog! And keep reading alive, there is nothing like it. :)

Here is the link:
http://biscuitslibrary.blogspot.com/

My Car Accident

So.... I was in a car accident just over 2 weeks ago. Long story short, I was driving straight through an unmarked intersection and another car came and t-boned me at full speed. Thankfully with the exception of a few cuts, bruises, and whiplash I was unharmed. My car on the other hand did not get off so easily. It was totalled. I was so sad because I love my car! I've had it ever since I got my license in high school

But the good news is that I got a new car! I was really lucky to find another Toyota Corolla (a newer one.) And I love it!

This whole experience has made me so grateful. I am so grateful that I was unharmed but most of all I am so grateful for my dad. I was in shock and in pain when I got in my accident and my dad was there right away and helped through everything. He helped me deal with the police, the insurance, getting a rental car, and finding a new car. I was really touched to see how much my dad cares about me and everything that he is willing to do for me. I love you dad.

Robin Hood

"Robin of Locksley, master of the bow, champion of the poor."

I have recently started watching BBC's tv series: Robin Hood, and I love it! Ever since I was a kid, I have always loved the story of robin hood. It's one of those stories that has it all, action, adventure, romance, humor. So when I heard that a new Robin Hood movie was coming out in 2010 I was disappointed that it was not as good as it could have been. I know that there are a lot of Russell Crow fans out there but he just does not do much for me. At the time I remember being disappointed because another Robin Hood movie probably would not be made in awhile. I did not know at the time that the BBC Robin Hood tv show had already been made and that I would LOVE it.

I originally started watching this show because I like Richard Armitage as the Guy of Gisbourne.  In my opinion, to have a good "Hero, good vs evil" type story it is vital to have a good villain.

What I love about this show is the lightheartedness about it. It is also a very clean and moral tv show. The characters that are meant to be the "Heroes" actually are heroic honorable characters. Yes, there are some cheesey moments but once you get into the show you do not even care anymore. While the heroes are good people, the villains are very evil. Even though this show is for the most part lighthearted the bad people are bad and therefore do bad things.  Still, very mild when it comes to tv shows.

All of the characters are so likeable. You just can't help but Love this group of outlaws :)

"We have many problems, most of them guard-shaped" - Robin

  I highly recommend this TV show. It is on Netflix now, so go watch it! (skip the pilot episode, it's not very good)

Robin: Marian...why is it everything you say to me sounds like a criticism?

Marian: I do not know. I suppose this is the lives we have chosen, always different directions.

(Also, One of Robin's outlaws looks just like my brother in law. just saying...)

Harmless Pranks

As I mentioned in my last post I love harmless pranks. so when an opportunity presents itself I just cant help it, I must take advantage of the situation.

I guess that you shouldn't fall asleep next to me during a movie. Especially when you sleep like a rock :)

Now before you all start feeling like I'm a horrible person, I should let you know that he got me back. Or... at least tried too. 

He tried to block me into my apartment with blocks of snow. Although it might have worked better if I was in it. Instead my mom was the only one inside and she kind of caught them. I appreciated the gesture anyway  :)

A few of my favorite things

(in no particular order)

Volleyball
Music
Reading good books
Re-reading good books
Rook 
Movie and hot cocoa on a rainy day
Lemons
Baseball
The Beach
My family 
Swimming
Looking at old pictures
Harmless pranks
Cheesy jokes
Girls nights
Boys
The church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Game nights
The United States of America
My nieces and nephews (they're so cute!)
Colors
The Kevin Bacon game.

DO NOT IGNORE THIS POST JUST BECAUSE IT TALKS ABOUT FAMILY HISTORY. It's awesome

This week my roommate and I decided to venture into the world of family history work. Like most members of my church I've been feeling like this is something that I should do for a while but had no idea where to start. The whole idea seemed way too overwhelming. However this last month the feeling that I needed to start became even more overpowering then the feelings of fear that I had before. So, with the help of a friend, my roommate and I began our work (and I really do mean "began" We have not gotten very far, haha!) I had no idea however how much fun it would be. Already we've shared several laughs at some of the family names, like Bastardo (ironically there is not a father listed for him.) We also had a good laugh when I tried to Google my great great grandparents to see if I could find any records on them that would give me their birth or death dates and ran into an article about a Simona Castillo who had several counts of murder and was currently being charged with the death of Elias Castillo. I was very glad to find out that this was not the Simona and Elias that I am related to :) So the search goes on. I don't really have a purpose for this post other then to say that family history work can be fun. Especially when done with friends. Do it!

For any, or I guess I should say all of you, who are now interested in doing family history work after reading this random post here are the websites to get started.

familysearch.org

lds.org and do a search for family history and there are sites that tell you how to get started

(or you can just become friends with Spencer Cope, he's awesome) 

Silly Me

Sometimes when I am really tired I cant tell time.











Funny story:
I go to work early in the morning when it's still dark, however I don't always make sure that I go to bed early. Whenever I wake up before my alarm I always wake with a start worried that I slept through my alarm. One time I woke up, frantically looked at the clock, and jumped out of bed as fast as possible. I got ready  for work at a record speed and rushed out of the door. I was starting to relax when I got to the freeway (which is about 4 miles from my apartment) when I looked at the clock in my car and realized that it was just after 2 AM! I didn't have to leave for work for 4 MORE HOURS! Needless to say I felt ridiculous as I drove back to my apartment and even more so when I ran into my roommate outside my apartment saying goodnight to her fiance. silly silly me. But I have to say as ridiculous as I felt then, it was nothing compared to how I felt the next week.
When I did it all over again.

"We're going on a Trip in Our Favorite Rocket Ship"

Last weekend I got to go home to California, and like it always is, it was lovely. The weather was perfect (in about the 80's) and I got to see all of my family down there. My sister and her three kids came down with me so it made for quite a different kind of road trip then i'm used to but it was great. The kids were very good for us.

Clark and Alfred

October Jane


I also got to see my old roommate Karlyn while I was down there. We went to Disneyland where we ran into all kinds of other friends like Alice, the mad hatter, Woody, and Princess Tiana. Also some unfriendly ones like the evil queen from snow white! In short we had a grand ol' time :)

(random side note: there was a 75 minute wait just to see Rapunzel. Crazy!)

And last but not least Brookelynne and Eric we're married. It was the perfect day to get married and the best place to do it, and the perfect couple to be joined together. It didn't hit me till the monday after, that it was official. that my best friend and roommate (off and on) for the last 3 years is now married. I always joke that I have a curse that my roomates and best friends always get married since this is the third summer in a row that has happened. This one is a hard one though, even though I know that we will still see each other. It comforts me at least to know that she picked such a great guy, They are perfect for each other. I am so happy for them and their future life together! let the good times roll!

Chick Flicks: Pornography for Women

I know I've said this before but I really dislike chick flicks these days. Most of them are so full of trash that they're not even enjoyable anymore.

Men and Women are obviously different. In the past pornography has been more of a problem for men, however the prophets are telling us now that it is becoming a bigger and bigger problem for women.

The more chick flicks I see these days, the more I think chick flicks are pornography for women. They have so many terrible things in them but because they are mixed in with a love story, girls eat it all up (no matter how dumb the love story is.)

Almost all chick flicks these days have at least one of the three things (if not more then one)

1.) A "love" scene

Most follow this pattern: a couple meets, they're attracted, they are "intimate" before even knowing each other, there is a conflict, and then they get back together in the end.

2.) Unmarried couples casually living together

This is obviously very common in most movies these days, however it is still unacceptable for our standards.

3.) Homosexuality

Chick Flicks, more then any other genre of movie, contain the most homosexual references and people (well, comedies might tie.) Most times they like to make this character one of the lead females best friends.

Its really a shame because I, like all women, really do enjoy a good love story. I would just rather watch one that is not constantly attacking the standards that I am trying to uphold.

A Clean Chick Flick:

NOT A Clean Chick Flick:

Grandpa

I am terrible at keeping journals, I always have been. I think the main reason for this is because when something big happens to me I always feel too overwhelmed to write about it, and then by the time I do write again I feel like there is so much I have to catch up on. That's probably why I haven't blogged in awhile.

On Sunday November 21, 2010 my grandpa passed away. He was 89 years old, so it wasn't too unexpected. However, I still couldn't seem to hold the tears back when I heard the news. My grandpa was a wonderful man.

I actually went down to California the weekend before he died to be a bridesmaid in my cousin's wedding. It was a beautiful day and I got see alot of my family including my grandparents. That night my grandparents competed in a slow dance to see who had been married the longest, and of course my grandparents won (after being married for 69 years!)

The next day I made my way back to Utah. I had to wait in St. George for awhile to meet up with someone, so my friend and I went and walked around the St. George temple. It was beautiful even if it was freezing, and the spirit was so strong. As I drove out of the temple parking lot I got the call to let me know my grandpa passed away.

I was not planning on going home for thanksgiving because I had gone down the weekend before for the wedding, however since I had to go down for the funeral that Saturday I decided to be with my family for Thanksgiving. I can't really talk about that weekend. It was amazing, I felt the spirit so strongly. Each of my grandparent's 8 kids spoke a little at his funeral. It was definitely something I'll never forget.

So I know that this is really long which means that I've probably lost everyone's attention by now, but I don't care this was mostly just for myself. A chance to recognize how truly blessed I am, and a chance to say I love you Grandpa, you are such an example to me.

They seek him here, they seek him there....

I went and saw The Scarlet Pimpernel musical, a couple weeks ago, in the Hale Center Theater in Orem. It was amazing! If I could go see it again I would in a heartbeat.

I love the story of The Scarlet Pimpernel. Set in the early stages of the french revolution, The Scarlet Pimpernel is about a group of (20) English aristocrats who begin to smuggle aristocrats out of France to save them from meeting "Madame Guillotine."

What I love about The Scarlet Pimpernel is that it has everything I could want in a story, adventure, romance, humor, all set in a time of terror that really happened.

Read it! Watch the movie ( I like the Leslie Howard 1934 version!) See the play!

For those of you who were not fortunate enough to see the play, here are some pictures :)

Percy/the Scarlet Pimpernel and Marguerite

Marguerite and Chauvelin


Percy and Marguerite

Marguerite and Chauvelin

"Someone has to strike a pose, and bear the weight of well tailored clothes, and that is why the lord created men."

Lady Marguerite Blakeney and Sir Percival Blakeney

10 things i hate about the twilight series by kelly castillo

This an old favorite, I actually wrote it a year ago, but for those of you who have not read it, enjoy!

Ten things I hate about the Twilight series:

(please do not be offended if you do not share my opinion.)

10. Edward and Jacob would do anything for Bella no matter how stupid, ridiculous, and disturbing it is.

9. Bella has no real personality other then the fact that she is selfish, horny, and clumsy.

8. Bella.

7. The fact that edward sparkles in the sunlight. (its just a little lame that’s all I’m saying)

6. Everytime I thought the story was going to get a little more complex or deeper in meaning, and therefore more fascinating, she just went back to talking about how handsome Edward is.

5. Edward spends every night in Bella’s room.

4. These books are geared toward teenagers and they are full of talk of sex and in the 4th book… sex.

3. Not only have they made 4 lame books off of this but now they are making 5 movies too. HOW LONG WILL IT LAST!?!!?!

2. Bella wants Edward to turn her into a monster for the rest of eternity so she can be with him, but she doesn’t want to marry him.

1. Edward and Bella’s relationship is obsessive. They refuse to live with out each other if one dies the other will kill themself. This is not romantic. Its unhealthy and ridiculous, and I would never want my daughter to think that this is ideal.

I could go on but I don’t think I need to.

Song for Dad

Yesterday was my daddy's birthday. It was so tough not being able to celebrate it with him, but it was nice to talk to him anyway.

Alot of people don't know my dad like i know him, which is a shame, cause he is one of the most amazing people. I never have a doubt in my mind how much my father loves my family. Something I am so grateful for that my dad gave me is a sense of humor. My dad is the funniest person to watch movies with!

Dad, you're awesome! Thanks for everything

"The older i get, the more I can see,

he loved my mother and my brother and me

and he did the best that he could

and I only hope when i have my own family,

everyday I see,

a little more of father in me"

Chainsaws In The Bathroom

The fan in our bathroom has been making weird noises for awhile. So last time the cleaning lady came for cleaning checks, she noticed and kind of messed with it a little to try to "fix" it. Of course it didn't work, so now it just kind of sounds like a chainsaw slashing against metal everytime we turn it on.

My roommate and I love watching movies or shows together late at night on our laptops in our rooms. So the other night we watched a couple episodes of supernatural (particularly creepy ones that made us jump) and when we were done i got up to go to the bathroom. Yep, you guessed it. I accidently flipped the bathroom fan switch and the awful chainsaw noises started. I jumped a mile high and ran out of the bathroom as fast as i could. Then i just heard Rachel laughing from our bedroom.

I feel like I just got pranked by the cleaning lady. pranked bad.

Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?

I work with a 6 year old boy with cerebral palsy. Because of his severe condition he can not do too much, however he is such a sweetheart. One time i was talking to my aunt and my mom about my work and all of the exercises and activities i do over and over again with him, in hopes that he shows the tiniest bit of progress.

I mentioned that one of my favorite books to read with him is "Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are" by Dr. Suess. shortly after that my aunt said, "well he doesn't sound too lucky with all of his health issues." and that got me thinking, yes he does have terrible health problems, but in so many ways he is really a lucky kid. His parents love him so much and they do everything in their power to make his life as comfortable as possible. He is lucky his parents pay for private care. I have seen the school he would be going to if they couldn't do that, and ... yeah.

This job has made me realize just how lucky I really am. I mean, I've always known I am blessed. but I guess it has just made me so much more grateful for everything I have. I am grateful for Tristan and his wonderful parents who take care of him, and let me spend everyday with him.

"When you think things are bad, when you feel sour and blue, when you start to get mad you should do what I do. Just tell yourself duckie, you're really quite lucky, some people are much more, oh ever so much more, so muchly much much more unlucky than you"

-Dr. Suess