Finally :)

It finally happened!!!

 < before

              
 
        after >

Everyone warned me that my teeth were going to feel "slimy and huge" ....boy I couldn't wait!!

I got to the Orthodontist with tear filled eyes...literally...

In no time at all the brackets were off and my teeth felt suuuuuuper slimy...yet rough as a scuffed up sidewalk!

They smoothed off the glue, and my tongue was instantly addicted to its new best friends!

The first thing I wanted to do was FLOSS!! It used to take me a good 10 minutes to feed the floss between the wires and then repeat that process over and over.  I was amazed when I finished a good flossing in less than a minute!  Oh the simple joys in life!

The first glance at my new smile was a bit awkward

"I look just like my brother." 

I felt timidly-naked as I smiled in the mirror...It was a bitter-sweet feeling...(I can't tell which one is the bitter and which one was the sweet...timid and naked?? hahaha)

It was strange looking in the mirror...like I was spying on a strangers mouth...or at least my brothers...??

But soon it began to grow on me! At every stop light on the way home I had to check on them in the rear-view mirror...I don't know what I was looking for....just...checking them.

By the time I got home my smile was ear to ear and I couldn't hide my new smile even if I wanted to! 

My teeth were actually straight!! A sight I haven't seen in a very long time! 

What a neat experience to re-due a biggest regret (losing my retainer when I was 16 and never doing anything about it...) Never again!! I learned my lesson!!  This is my forever smile!!! ...And I am definitely ok with that! :)

Spending time with Sisters

This month I have spent more time with my sisters than I have in my entire life!!! 

...ok...so that might be very far from the actual truth...but it has sure felt that way!

We LOVE spending time together!!  There is no one that compares to their...uniqueness...hahahahaha

They are AMAZING!!! I look up to them in EVERY way and hope someday I can be just like them. :)

we party hard.

hahahha Welcome to my life! :)

sexy staches ;)

Good friends + Nickle City + tons of tickets = Sexy Staches :)

Daily Delights:

Tuesday, February 8:

      We were outside in the hall in working on a reading assignment when I asked Victor, an adorable 12-year-old, Latino boy in my 6th grade class, to go check what time it was.  He replied, "Miss Kitto, I don't know how to tell time on those old-fashion clocks." (Referring to the clocks that aren't digital haha) I was very surprised...and yet very excited!  "Alright, bring me a piece of paper instead!"  I said as I smiled. :)

When he returned, I quickly drew a large circle and began to write in numbers and draw little dashes between them.  I drew a little :00 next to the 12, a :05 by the 1, :10 by the 2, :15 by the 3, and so forth...  I saw his eyes start to light up.  Then I explained the "big hand" and the "little hand."  "But what if the little hand is in between two numbers??"  Victor asked, you could tell this was something that has really bothered this kid...he was so anxious to learn!  I explained, "Once the little hand hits the number it becomes that hour, and it stays that hour through all of those little dashes, until it hits the next number."  (It made more sense when we were looking at our picture! haha)

You could have seen that little light bulb in his head light up from a mile away!  "Miss Kitto!!!! I GET IT!!!!"  :)  My favorite phrase in the world :)  Throughout the rest of the day he would come over to me and announce, proudly;  "Miss Kitto, (he always says my name haha) It is 12:17!!"  then later, "It's 1:02!!" ...and so forth. :)

Knowledge is power.  And Victor was definitely feeling it. :)

Disciplined

I did not get around to transferring my photo's off this blog and onto my new one....meaning...I still don't have enough room to post new pictures.  That kinda sucks some fun out of blogging.  I love pictures so much!  They just bring life....to life! hahaha So, I'm sorry you have to read another picture-less post from me!  Hopefully I can get around to it tomorrow! :)  (I am trying to post more regularly...seeing as I wont be able to post for 18 months, starting in 33 days!!!)

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On the first Sunday of every month I always take it as a great opportunity for me to give up something, or to try to gain a new habit, and really focus my efforts on something that will bring me closer to Christ.  This month I am working on DISCIPLINE.

I am soon going to be living a VERY structured life.  Wake up at 6:30...always, exercise for 30 minutes, hours of studying, teaching, preaching, serving, and in bed by 10:30... consistently, for a year and a half.  I always picture myself 19 months from now and try to think of the woman I am going to be.  It excites me sooooo much!  I am excited to gain these habits!  I am excited for my growth!  I am excited to be that much closer to reaching my potential!

After making a quite lengthy list of the woman I desire to be by the end of my mission...I got to thinking: "Rachel, why wait?  Be her now."  I looked back over my list and realized that I did not need to serve a mission to be this person!  I felt inspired to make a few adjustments in my daily schedule.  I felt inspired to be DISCIPLINED.

The first habit I need and truly want, is to be an early riser.  I want to be the girl that gets up every day at 6:30, opens her eyes with a burst of energy, pops out of bed, makes the bed immediately, (I have been doing pretty good at that one!)  pops on her cute 80's workout video (that I LOVE), and then completes most of the days to-do's before 10! :)  (In Preach My Gospel it states that the most important hours of the day are 6:30 am -10:00 am....and what you do in that time will greatly effect your success as a missionary...but I also think it applies to everyone! Something to think about!) 

Well in order for me to keep up this habit, I have to master another....go to bed by 10:30 each night....or in my case, 10:00.  Let me tell ya, it has been AMAZING!!!!  I know everyone's lives are different, so it might not work out for you to get to bed this early...but it is the best thing I have ever done!  This week has been productive and successful!!  Although when 6:30am roles around, I still feel all sorts of sleepy.  I am hoping that it is just something that my body needs to get used to and that one day I wont feel tired anymore! :)

This life is all about self-mastery (control or restraint of oneself or one's actions, feelings...).  No one can change us, live life for us, or make us become a certain way.  We choose our lives.  We choose how to live them.  I hope that as I focus on becoming more disciplined, I will be able to overcome many weaknesses in my life.  What an exciting thought! :)

Here's to a month of DISCIPLINE!

Success :)

Failure only brings us that much closer to success....and I can prove it.

You see, after spending way too many minutes creating (and cute-ifying) my new photo-blog....blogger laughed in my face and recited his familiar, taunting chant:  

"We're sorry, but you have exceeded your photo upload quota. For more information do not click on the following link, for it will not help you at all. Thank you, and have a picture-less day."  

To which I replied:

"How can this be? This is my FIRST post on my NEW blog.
.......oooooh......"

Something hit me,

"It's not my BLOG that has run out of space...it's my ACCOUNT! I need to create another blog using a different email address!!"

SUCCESS!!!  I created a new email...and my new blog was born!!

I will begin the process of moving my photography from this blog to the new one tomorrow....right now it's Biggest Loser time...

:)

Maybe?

So I just made a photography blog in hopes to transfer over my photoshoots from this blog over to the new one...which will clear up TONS of room for me to post more pictures of my crazy life!!! 

I really hope this works!! 

Cross your fingers!!