My New Mission Address in California!

Hey everyone!! Here's my current mission address:

Hermana Rachel Biornstad
6835 Laurel Canyon Blvd. #408
North Hollywood, CA 91605

MTC Mailing Address!

If anyone wants to know my MTC address with mailbox number for the next 7 or so weeks here it is:

Sister Rachel Biornstad
MTC Mailbox # 179-0909
San Fernando CA Mission
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793

Thanks! I appreciate everyone's love and support! I really prefer that you either send me regular mail, or use the dearelder.com site, I don't have enough time to respond to regular emails! Sorry if that is an inconvenience to anyone.....

Mission Addresses!

I know you are all so excited to start writing me, so get out your address book and write this one down!!!

This is the mission office address (send stuff here when I'm in the field until I get out there and tell you otherwise):

Sister Rachel Jenae Biornstad
California San Fernando Mission
23504 Lyons Ave Ste 107
Santa Clarita, CA 91321

NOTE: this is also the address that you will send packages to while I'm on my mission, no matter where I am specifically located.

That's all I have right now... I'm sure I will get you my address in the MTC as soon as I get there.

Also, while I'm in the MTC, I highly recommend you sending me letter through www.dearelder.com. It is an awesome site that mails your letters for you! In the drop down menu on the main page, just find the "Provo MTC - FREE" option... it's the first one listed!
Then you click on "write letter". It will take you to a new page that allows you to fill in your address and mine. For me, pick Hermana (Sister en espanol) then fill in my name and as soon as I get there, I will find out my MTC box # and mission code and then you can fill those in and then my estimated departure date is September 9, 2009.
It should be pretty selfexplanatory, but I thought I'd try to explain for those of you who may have never used it before. It's great really, if you get the letter in before noon, Utah time, they deliver it day of M-F! It would make me oh so happy to get a letter every day! ;)

The actual hooding...

Graduation Weekend 2009

Welp, folks... I did it. :) Here are pics from the Hooding Ceremony, Ivy Cutting, and Commencement!

Weekend in Portland

Graduation 2009

Here's me and my great first grade class (aren't they CUTE!?!). I'd like to invite you all to my graduation on Sunday at Safeco field at 2pm. The catch is, if you'd really like to come, you need to let me know because I have to give you a ticket. I only have 10 tickets left.
Here's all of the info:
Safeco Field in Seattle
Sunday, June 14th, 2009
2pm (doors open at 12:45)

I'm also going to the graduate hooding and ivy cutting ceremonies on Friday the 12th. Please feel free to join me! It is free and no ticket required. http://www.spu.edu/events/commencement/schedule.asp

They called me on a mission!

Dear Sister Biornstad:

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the California San Fernando Mission. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 18 months.

You should report to the Provo Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, July 8th, 2009. You will prepare to preach the gospel in the Spanish Language...

That's pretty much what you wanted to hear, right? :)

I hope they call me on a mission...

Well folks, the papers are in! We're now in business. Shane has generously offered to give $10 to the lucky winner so get your guesses in quick. Only family can win the money on this one but please please guess either way: where in the WORLD do you think I'll get called to?!? You have three guesses. Leave your comment with your three guesses and your name and Shane will calculate via google who is the closest to where my actual mission call is. It's simple. You have about 12 days to get your guesses in. Polls close upon packet opening. Good luck! :)
Ugh, I've had to come back and edit this post because some people (not mentioning any names) think they are above the law. Please put a COUNTRY and a city, if not the actual mission itself. Nice try yoohoo.

Giveawaytoday!

Check it out! http://www.giveawaytoday.blogspot.com/
They are giving TONS of stuff today!! I love it!!!!

You've gotta try this!

I just screamed and squealed at work! Why you ask? Well, I just won AGAIN on giveawaytoday!! I'm so stoked. Here's the CUTE item I won: http://babybonkin.com/Cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=78
You all need to do this! I might just have a new string of luck, but it's worth it! It's so crazy exciting to see your name. The stuff they give away is sooo adorable too! All of you mama's and everyone else (clearly, I'm not a mama yet...) should be commenting everyday to win stuff... it's incredible! :)

(Disclaimer: I would give it to a family member, but since all your babies are nearing the one year mark, it won't fit (sizes only go up to 9 months). I have a classmate in my program that's prego now, so I think I will give it to her for her baby shower coming up in a couple months.)

No one reads my blog...

Well, you know no one reads your blog when you offer to make 5 people something extra special just for them and NO ONE comments! hahaha. This is no one's fault but my own because, well to be frank, I suck at blogging. I used to only post pictures, I've written a tiny bit here and there, but now I'm just here, attempting to get back in the game and everyone has moved on. Does no one have me on their google reader?

Google reader is the best time saver ever. I highly recommend it if you don't already use it. I used to waste my time checking everyone's blogs every day and to my dismay, no new posts (not that I can blame them, I guarantee I wasn't busting out any new posts either). Now, I am often the first one to comment. This is a function not only of google reader informing me when new posts have been published, but also high on the list is the fact that I am underworked at my job and consequently am online... a lot.

So, here is my question. Do you read this blog? If you do then I guess I need to work on my creativity, because you didn't sign up to get something from me made especially for you... trying to tell me something??

48 things

...just thought I'd share since I did this on facebook (Friday, Jan 30)...

Here are the rules - post this list on your blog. Replace my answers with yours. I tag: TRYNA since she is amazing and doesn't have facebook (p.s. I'm jealous).


1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? No, I don't think so. But, my niece was named after me! :) Rachel Jenae and Kaya Jenae.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Hmmm... dang PMS... that would have been on Sunday night... yes, the Sunday that just happened (1/25/09). That really sucks to admit. :(

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Um, I don't really care... which is probably why no one else likes my handwriting and I don't exactly think it's the greatest... it's so messy!! Sometimes even I can't tell what I wrote, haha!

4. What's your favorite lunch meat? Turkey... the real kind after thanksgiving. YUM.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Yeah but they are in heaven waiting to be born... :) there are a lot of them... ;)

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Duh! :)

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?All the time.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yep... maybe we should part?? Is it common to not have them?? I don't have my adnoids...

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Oh my gosh.... HECK YES. BUT, it's gonna have to wait a couple years because I hear it's extremely stupid to do anything crazy before your mission... I'd rather not detain that any longer because I was an idiot... ya know?

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Cinnamon Toast Crunch, or chex (the corn kind)

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Yep, but unless I was working out, my shoes usually don't have laces...

Ummm... there is no #12... I will have to make something up I guess. Oh this is perfect (and super specific): are you underworked and overpaid? Yes.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? goo goo cluster.... YUM!

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Hmmm... If they are happy, if they have friends/are alone and need one, if they look at me in the eyes, smile, their tone of voice... etc.

15. RED OR PINK? red

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? Troy brought this to my attention last night... the fact that I have flem issues.... HAHAHA... for anyone who doesn't really know me, this is probably kind of, I dunno, not nice sounding? Those of you who do know me, know it's REALLY not nice sounding! ;) Oh I miss my old Roomies!!!

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Duh. If you don't know the answer to this one... we need to hang out more.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST? That would be super duper neato if they did. :D

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? light blue jeans, black shoes

20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? the sound of hammers and a generator outside on the site and this beastly computer next to me that has a very loud fan

21. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? I dunno... is this supposed to somehow define me?? Adam would probably say I was a pink crayon (I remind him of the pink flowers in Peru... and yes, I expect you to be saying, "Awwwwe!" right now)

23. FAVORITE SMELLS? I could probably just list a bunch of different foods here... I love the smell of people that I love. My mom's perfume... I swear if some lady is wearing it, I automatically love her!

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? my dad

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Of course! I try to be as generous as Amera... It's one of my goals. :)

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? SPU Basketball or Volleyball... but I'd MUCH rather play nearly any sport than watch... any day... I have my brace now... bring it!

27. HAIR COLOR? All I know is that it's my natural color... some say brown, some say dirty blond, I think it's got some strawberry in it... sometimes it looks orange in pictures (ew).... when I got a speeding ticket a couple of weeks ago, the cop put that I had red hair. :)

28. EYE COLOR light blue 29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? no

30. FAVORITE FOOD? Whatever Mr. Sweet makes.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings, I'm a major sap. I hate scary movies!!!

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? the one that caused me to cry for a really long time on my way home (see #2)... No Reservations

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Lavender, but I'm wearing a black zip up over it and a black fleece over that

34. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer but I used to answer Winter to this question... I guess I have better memories of Summer...

35. HUGS OR KISSES? Hmmm... are we really expected to pick? I love getting hugs and giving them too. Kissing... do you really not know me at all?!? (Angie and Megan, yes you Megan Friesen!... haha... I hope you're laughing right now!)

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? I have no idea

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? many people probably won't respond...

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Shoot, I don't remember the name of it.... something about personal revelation and of course my scriptures and the preach my gospel manual and the conference edition of the ensign... oh and I finished my textbook for this quarter already... haha... didn't I say I was underworked and overpaid?? yes, I read at work, I am blessed. :P (at least for another 29 days that is)

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? I don't have one!

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? I don't watch TV

42. FAVORITE SOUND(S)."Hunny, I'm home!" :)

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? uh, Hawaii is probably farther from here than Mexico or Alaska, right??

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Of course I do... I can only think of unlady-like things...

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Orlando, Florida

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK? Tryna's

48. WHERE DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER? Although he doesn't remember it, I guess I will include the first time we met... at a combined activity with my U1 RS and his Sammamish Valley EQ... Amy (Olsen) was all over him... HAHAHA, I love watching that girl flirt!!... and since I'm not really one to compete... I just sort of steered clear. He remembers me from a Halloween party much later (maybe 6 months later? I can't remember when that initial activity was... spring sometime) where I hardly remember him being at (I'm pretty sure I was cuddling with two boys... Rachel sandwhich anyone?)... but alas, we finally both were on the same page at a dance party at TJ, Russ and Randy's place... thank you boys for such a fine evening, and the rest is history. ;) Oh and of course a special shout out to Nicole for arranging the hang out on night #2... wow, if it wasn't for her already having his number... I'm pretty positive my life would be on quite a different course right now...!

Something especially for Y-O-U!

I will make something especially for Y-O-U. Think of it like Christmas in July...(or March, May, September or June). Here's how it works:

The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!

2. What I create will be just for you.

3. It'll be done this year (anytime).

4. You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a story. It may be poetry or an article on properly cleaning your face before a masque. I may draw or paint something. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!

5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange. The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog.

The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did, win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me! Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!