letters of my life

Dear Virtue,

2012-01-30T08:39:00.000-08:00

Yesterday at church we talked about virtue which got me to thinking just how important it is. Virtue leads to a power and confidence. It helps women to feel strong with who they are and comfortable in their own skin.

Think back... When have you felt most uncomfortable or lacking in confidence? Is it when you wore a shirt that was too low cut or a skirt that was too short? Was it when you put on a face that was different than who you were so you could fit in with the people around you? There are so many things going on around us today that we, as women, need to stand up for something more.

"I truly believe that one virtuous young woman or young man, led by the Spirit, can change the world, but in order to do so, we must return to virtue... Now is the time to set our course and focus on the finish. A return to virtue must begin individually in our hearts and in our homes." - Sister Dalton

There are three levels at which we compromise our virtue.
1. Tolerate
2. Accept
3. Embrace

We need to draw the line early. Yesterday I decided I will not even TOLERATE the things that compromise my virtue, my power, and my confidence. Virtue is important and includes so many parts of life. It includes modesty, dating, integrity, and confidence to name a few parts. Virtue is moral excellence.

"The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity." -Sister Nadauld

What woman will you be?

Here are two printables for you.

Love,

Deidre

Dear Pageant Goes in Idaho,

2012-01-30T08:21:00.000-08:00

The pageant season is upon us. And Miss Idaho is ready to get some more local title holders for 2012. Here is a list of the upcoming pageants. Come compete.

Miss River View Saturday February 18, 2012
This program will take place in St. Anthony and is open to young ladies of who meet eligibility
For more information about participating contact:
Jennifer – jennifercookphoto@gmail.com or 208-351-2926
Sarah – the3hills@hotmail.com or 208-313-7714
Miss Boise Friday February 24, 2012
This program will take place in Boise and is open to young ladies who meet eligibility
For more information about participation contact:
Susan – susanhessing@hotmail.com or 208-371-0713
Miss Meridian Saturday February 25, 2012
This program will take place in Meridian and is open to young ladies who meet eligibility
For more information about participation contact:
Jennifer – jpetroviak@gmail.com or 208-871-9038
Miss Gate City Saturday March 3, 2012
This program will take place in Pocatello and is open to young ladies who meet eligibility
For more information about participation contact:
MissIdahoBoard@gmail.com
Miss Rexburg Saturday March 10, 2012
This program will take place in Rexburg and is open to only young ladies who reside within set geographic boarders and who meet eligibility
For more information about participation contact:
Lori – MissRexburg@yahoo.com
Miss Tri-Counties Saturday March 17, 2012
This program will take place in Nampa and is open to young ladies who meet eligibility
For more information about participation contact:
Kara - kjackson20@gmail.com
Mary – rstyle@cableone.net

Love,
Deidre

Dear World,

2012-01-27T10:48:00.000-08:00

I mean.... I know people are reading these because I get view counts. But at the same time I secretly wonder if blogger is lying to me because no one ever comments. So are you there? Or am I just being funny for no reason?

Love,
Deidre

Dear Nan,

2012-01-26T12:47:00.000-08:00

Well... being home in Twin always means a trip to see my Grandma, commonly known as Nan. And if you go to visit Nan you have to help her open cans, change lights, and get things out of her car. Here is a nice picture of my mom grabbing some things out of Nan's van for her. (You bet my grandma drives that GIANT van... she is 93).

What does a 90 year old woman smell like?

----

Depends...

(credit for that joke goes to my sister in law Jo)

Love,

Deidre

Dear Tool,

2012-01-26T12:42:00.001-08:00

Thanks for the warning.

Love,
Deidre

Dear MLB,

2012-01-26T12:38:00.000-08:00

Get ready for the next big thing. I am going to brag about him because he wont do it himself. Adam pitched for a handful of scouts yesterday and did AMAZING. I just love to brag about him and tell everyone because I am so proud of him. He will probably get mad at me for posting this, but who cares? I am posting it because I want everyone to know how great he did!

Okay, so he threw a bullpen yesterday at practice and a bunch of scouts were there watching. They were watching a few guys pitch but as soon as Adam got in his groove they all ended up at his net with radar guns. How fast do you think he threw the baseball? 88 or 91? Nope. Guess again. He was sitting at 96 and even hit 97 a couple times! Once that started happening the scouts started to pull out their cameras and film him. Then they walked around to watch his mechanics. I am sure they were all shocked at how great because he just got back from a two year mission to Mexico in July! The majority of the scouts stayed until the very end of his bullpen and a few waited to talk to him after. They are all pumped to see him once season starts and he has a few letters waiting for him.

He is so happy and I am so proud of him.

Love,
Deidre

Dear Flowers,

2012-01-25T13:31:00.001-08:00

There is nothing better than coming home from work and seeing a rose on your doorstep. How did I get so lucky? I don't know... but I am keeping him!

Love,
Deidre

Dear Mean Girls,

2012-01-24T15:53:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I feel bad for Gretchen Wieners.

Love,
Deidre

Hey Everybody,

2012-01-23T15:26:00.001-08:00

Come see how good I look...

A lot of you have been asking how you can help me get ready for Miss Idaho. Well, this is your chance.

http://missamericaforkids.org/donate/deidreedmunds

Love,

Deidre

Dear Bloggers,

2012-01-20T08:28:00.000-08:00

Why are all of your blogs way cooler than mine? This will not do... I am inspired. Haleigh. Thanks for being a new blogger that makes me jealous every single time I go to you page. Mallory. Thanks for being so crafty all the time with your computer skills and making me feel slightly less domestic. Meg. Thanks for always looking so cute... maybe I should start washing my hair more often? Syd. Thanks for always being so cute and posting pictures of everything so I can see how adorable you and Spencer are all the time. Those are a few blogs I read. And love. And now I know what I must do...

UNDER CONSTRUCTION...

Love,
Deidre

Dear Fitness Gurus,

2012-01-19T15:33:00.001-08:00

I just want to say... I admire you. Figuring out diets and calories and writing down everything I eat is absolutely nuts. I don't know how all these people look so good all the time and are always so fit. I look through pinterest sometimes at night and see these women with amazing physiques. I applaud them. I know it takes hard work and dedication. That is something I am learning very quickly and I hope to see the results soon.

Love,
Deidre

Dear Skype,

2012-01-17T15:14:00.000-08:00

Thank you for creating moments like these...

A match made in heaven. Pinky promise.

Love,

Deidre

Dear Miss America,

2012-01-17T15:12:00.000-08:00

What a fantastic week it was to be in Las Vegas watching the Miss America pageant! After three nights of preliminaries and the final show Miss Wisconsin was crowned Miss America 2012! And I loved her. Honestly thought she was fantastic. Every night I would text Kyra and Meg to tell them when I thought and each night I said "Miss Wisconsin was good at ________" fill in the blank with whatever prelim she was competing in that night.

Our Miss Idaho, Genevieve Nutting was WONDERFUL. She was beautiful. She was fantastic. She impressed me so much. I was so proud of Gen. She is truly an incredible woman and she lit up the stage with every time she entered. Her talent was precise and beautiful, she looked elegant as ever in her gown, she had a rocking bod during swimsuit, and her on stage question was answered with a perfect exactness. I look up to Genevieve and hope I can follow in her footsteps.

Being at the pageant was an experience. Sometimes I was so overwhelmed with everything and competing at Miss Idaho in June and sometimes I got so pumped for the pageant. All I know is at this very moment I am more excited than ever to be competing for the title of Miss Idaho 2012.

Love,
Deidre

Dear Holidays,

2012-01-10T08:43:00.000-08:00

You might have been the death of me... getting work off and working from home for nearly two weeks made coming back to work the most difficult thing I ever had to do... Lucky for me I am leaving again today. Here is a brief holiday summary with detailed posts to come:

Drove home to Idaho with Mom
Eric gets home
Dad gets home
Merry Christmas Eve shopping for Mom from Dad (might be one of our longest standing traditions)
Christmas Eve Prime Rib
MERRY CHRISTMAS with Ham and Santa
Drive to Utah
Family fun for three days in Utah
Fly to California to be with my favorite man
Celebrate Adam's birthday just one day late
Disneyland
New Years with the Miller Family
Relaxing in 80 degree California weather
Fly back to Utah... only after being stuck on the tarmac for an hour and a half

Now here I am. Back in Utah. Back to real life. A rest of the week break starts this afternoon... Miss America here I come!

Love,
Deidre

Dear Walkers,

2011-12-20T12:29:00.000-08:00

A long time ago I wrote some campus rules for college... since graduating I have realized that rule #4 extends far beyond a campus. It extends to any sidewalk or aisle in the whole world. Especially if it is holiday shopping or a regular day at Costco... let's revisit that rule (anything campus has been removed because as I said.. it applies to everything), shall we?

Rule #4 - Walking, merging, and stopping. Let us talk about sidewalk etiquette. I am just going to go through a few key rules within this rule"
1. If you are going to chat with a friend, do not stop in the middle of a hall or sidewalk, kindly move to the side.
2. If you are going to merge in front of someone, do not slow down, stay at the same pace because it will cause a collision otherwise.
3. If you want to text, please do not text and walk at the same time unless you can clearly see you will not hit a single person.
4. Stay with the flow of traffic, do not walk extremely slow.
5. Do not cut someone off and then stop walking to talk.
6. When you are walking straight at somebody and one of you needs to move just pick a side and commit, you'll run into somebody half the time but they'll be the one feeling guilty for not picking the right way to go.

In addition....

7. Do not walk at a diagonal, and if you choose to please watch for oncoming traffic.

Love,

Deidre

Dear Gingerbread House,

2011-12-20T12:23:00.000-08:00

I must build one of you. So I can smash it to welcome the new year. We all remember how that goes, right?

Love,
Deidre

Dear Pageant Girls,

2011-12-20T12:18:00.001-08:00

I found the BEST swimsuit. Watch this video to see what you could be sporting this year!

Love,
Deidre

Dear Twin Falls School District,

2011-12-20T12:13:00.000-08:00

Coming and presenting at your schools has been a serious highlight of my year as Miss Magic Valley. I have loved coming and handing out awards, signing autographs, and talking to your student about the anti-bullying. The response has been extraordinary. I appreciate the constant support from the community. I love hearing about how the students at your school remember how I teach them to STAMP out bullying and how they are working hard to make their school a better place for everyone.

Stay away from bullies

Tell someone

Avoid bad situations

Make friends

Project confidence

It has been fun to be a part of your school and for the local news to capture and share my message as well. I can't wait to move forward as Miss Magic Valley and share my message further.

Love,

Deidre

Dear Haleigh,

2011-12-16T14:20:00.001-08:00

THIS ONE IS FOR YOU!
Thank you for reminding me that I am not boring.
But for reals.... I am going to blog real things.

Love,
Deidre

Dear Fail,

2011-11-22T10:19:00.001-08:00

Where in the world have I been? I was doing so great at blogging every day.

I'll be back. And with stories and details this time. Be prepared people.

Love,
Deidre

Dear Memories,

2011-11-15T11:26:00.000-08:00

I am so thankful for all the people in my life and the memories we have shared. You know the memories that just one word can remind you of a whole story? I am grateful for the moments when I can sit down and just laugh because of an old photo or smile because my friend texts me the word "Backstroke". That is what life is about. Remembering the good times and treasuring them forever.

The reason I am so grateful for memories today? In addition to MANY other happy and lucky days in my life, this little encounter right here...

Love,

Deidre

Dear Chicken,

2011-11-14T12:40:00.000-08:00

Or any kind of meat. Today I am thankful for meat. Chicken, beef, or pork. That seems like a weird thing to be thankful for.... but when you are on a raw foods diet with girls at your work you will understand. I mean, I like vegetables but I am starting to realize how much I really do like things that are made from animal. You can hate me or think that sounds harsh to all those chickens and cows... but come on people! How could you not love a good steak? Or Chick-fil-a? Or roast beef? Or Sweet and Sour chicken? Or a J Dawg? Or even a turkey sandwich? Once this week is over my life will be so much better.. Well. My life is good now. But I realize. I am thankful for a nice hamburger.

Love,

Deidre

Dear Veterans,

2011-11-11T09:33:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for every single veteran that has ever lived. I am thankful for the fights you fought for me and for this country. For the price you paid for OUR freedom. The United States of America is the country it is today because of you.

"On this 11th day of November we celebrate and honor the Veterans and those who have and continue to fight so hard for our country. Over 40 million men and women have fought and are fighting for our freedoms. Freedoms that can be so easy to forget we all have. Freedoms that we have been blessed with in our lives that in return give us the rights and privileges most people throughout the world do not have.

Today, I want to salute the men and women who have fought so hard for our freedom. They continue to fight each and every day so we can enjoy the rich blessings this great country provides to each and every one of us. President Ronald Reagan once said: "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." This is what the men of women of our armed forces continue to do every waking minute of our lives. Let us not forget this nor forget the great blessings we all have been blessed with. Let us honor and thank them today and always."

The people around me could not have said it better... We are ever so grateful for the things you have done.

Love,
Deidre

Dear Google,

2011-11-10T15:17:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for Google for many reasons. They have made my days much more entertaining with their random finds and gadgets on the home page. They have supplied me with Mystery Google and Google Analytic. But today they reminded once again why I am so thankful for them with their "I am going to guess what you are searching" feature. I went to type in "Why did Joe Pa get fired?" (I wanted more of the scoop since my AM radio went out this morning...) and this is what it guessed....

Thank you Google for that little chuckle. And thank you everyone who has wondered why Mormons are so hot so that Google would make that an important search.

Love,

Deidre

Dear Bed,

2011-11-09T07:34:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for a comfy place to rest my head each evening. I know this is something that seems so silly and unimportant, but I am grateful for a nice warm apartment with my own room. That way every night when I am tired I can go crawl into my bed and sleep like a rock. I don't have to sleep on a couch or an air mattress. I don't have to sleep on the floor. I know that every night when I retire to my bed I am retiring to a place that is comfy and will help me feel happy for the next day.

Love,
Deidre