basketball

As many of you all know, I am a student manager for the IUPUI men's and women's basketball teams. Yes, I know...I'm crazy for doing both and it makes for an extremely busy schedule, but I do it because I love it :)

So far this year, the guys are 1-2, losing the last two games on the road and the girls are 0-1 after taking on #16 Purdue. They have their regular season home-opener today against St. Francis, N.Y.

This coming week is going to be absolutely I.N.S.A.N.E. This is what my schedule looks like through November 30:

11/19: IUPUI(w) vs St. Francis, N.Y.
11/20: IUPUI vs Eastern Michigan
11/21: leave for ISU
11/22: IUPUI(w) @ Indiana State
11/23: leave for Kansas
11/24: miss thanksgiving :'(
11/25: IUPUI(w) vs Florida Atlantic @ Kansas
11/26: IUPUI(w) @ Kansas
11/27: IUPUI(w) vs Lamar @ Kansas
11/30: IUPUI(w) vs North Dakota State

WHEWW!!! This is going to be a super long week, but I'm looking forward to it!
Here are pictures of my second families :D

Music :)

Lately, I've been trying to listen to as many hymns as possible throughout my day. I recently came across a piece by a guy named Ricky Valdez that I absolutely love. He did a composition of "If You Could Hie to Kolob" and "Adam-ondi-Ahman". It's probably my favorite piece that I've come across and I wanted to share it with everyone, so here it is!!

NBA lockout

Okay...so I was on Facebook this morning and came across a post by someone I know that kind of bothered me. This person was talking about how the players don't need anymore money and that they're all super greedy, and that they don't seem to care about the effect it will have on the cities and those who work for the NBA. So many people really don't know what this lockout is all about, so I'll tell you all.

The NBA is on a lockout because the the amount of money brought in from media coverage and whatnot is not being shared equally. At this point in time, the athletes receive 55% of what's brought in, while the owners and those at the top only get 45%. The commissioner and owners want the income to be split 50-50 and the players don't want to do that. While I don't agree that fighting over a measly 5% is worth it, I can see where each side is coming from.

While reading the comments on the status from this individual, I became more and more upset over what was being said. One person went as far as saying that "...if they had any other talents other than playing basketball..." a second person said that "it's utterly despicable. they should be ashamed of themselves" and another individual stated that "aren't most professional basketball players gangsters anyway?"

I have come to know many NBA players this summer and can tell you all that these statements are, without a doubt, completely and utterly wrong. The guys I've met are the complete opposite of every stereotype that was presented in that conversation. Many of them are really intelligent and are family men. I've seen the way they act around their families and they are just like the rest of us. Everyone has struggles and problems (and free agency) and they have to deal with the consequences of their actions just like the rest of us. We shouldn't judge people by a general stereotype, especially if we don't know them.

And, on a side note, many of the athletes DO care about how the lockout is affecting the cities and people losing their income/jobs that come with it. I came across an article that demonstrated just how some of them feel and what they are doing to help out. Here's the link to the article that was posted in the IndyStar, and it also made national news.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011110200428

How Can I Be?

I absolutely love this song. I came across it a few months ago and have listened to it at least once a day since then. This is probably my favorite version of the song by Nela Otuafi.



How can I be like my brother Nephi?
And my father Lehi of old?
How can I be like Captain Moroni
In the wars that were told?

How can I see forever
Like the promise to the three Nephites?
I wanna be Samuel the Lamanite
I wanna be Benjamin the Wise
I wanna be like Abinadi
Oh tell me how can I be like them?

How can I be like Alma the Younger,
Strong servant of the Lord?
How can I be like Mighty Ammon,
Whose heart was his sword?

How can I be a stripling warrior,
And learn to fight by faith?
I wanna be Samuel the Lamanite
I wanna be Benjamin the Wise
I wanna be like Abinadi
Oh tell me how can I be like them?

How can I be like my brother Joseph,
When he prayed in the grove of trees?
How can I have the strength that he had
And the love he had for God?

How can I be courageous
And strive to choose the right?
I wanna be Samuel the Lamanite
I wanna be Benjamin the Wise
I wanna be like Abinadi
I wanna be like Jesus Christ
Oh tell me how can I be like Him?
Oh tell me how can I be like Him?

daughtryyyy :D

I cannot even begin to tell you all how excited I am for Daughtry's new album to come out!!! Daughtry has been my favorite band since they came out. I loved Chris Daughtry on American Idol, so I guess that's one of the main reasons I love his band lol Anywho, their new album drops on November 21 and I don't know if I can wait that long (aaaahhhhhh!)

Here's the new single off of their unreleased album,Break the Spell. It's called "Crawling Back to You" <3

Indy Pro Am

This summer, I've had the opportunity to help out with a summer basketball program called the Knox Pro-train Indy Pro Am created by Carlos Knox. This has been going for three years now and I've helped out for the last two.

Carlos Knox played basketball here at IUPUI. His number has been retired and he continues to hold many of the school records for basketball. He played professionally for the Pacers as well as in Germany and Venezuela. He is currently a volunteer coach for the Indiana Fever. He is one of the nicest guys I've met and I'm very grateful that he has given me the opportunity to help out with his program.

Because of having the chance to work for him, I have met many wonderful guys. His Pro Am league is one of the best in the Midwest. It is NBA and NCAA sanctioned so that not only professional athletes can participate, but college athletes can as well. I have met at least 10 NBA players and quite a few European players as well and I have become quite close to a few of them :)

Here are a few of the NBA players I've had the chance to see this summer

Mario Chalmers (Miami Heat), Eric Gordon (LA Clippers)


DJ White (Charlotte Bobcats), Jeff Teague (Atlanta Hawks)


Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz), JaJuan Johnson (Boston Celtics)


Jeff Green (Boston Celtics), George Hill (Indiana Pacers)


Mike Conley & Zach Randolph (Memphis Grizzlies)


Paul George (Indiana Pacers), Shelvin Mack (Washington Wizards), Lance Stephenson (Indiana Pacers)


Once again, I am beyond grateful that I've had the opportunity to help out with this. It has made this summer one of the few that I'll remember for the rest of my life.

i loveee...

VOCAL POINT lol

I know that I'm extremely late on this...but I've totally fallen in love with their sound :)

Now that they're on the tv show "The Sing Off", I hope they go a lonnngggg way in the competition! ((and I know I'll forever be hooked on listening to them haha))

Here are a couple of the songs that they've done that I really enjoy:

"Just the Way You Are"--Bruno Mars



"Home" ((idk who it's by...but I do know that Blake Shelton sings it, but I know he's not the only one lol))

awesome day!

First off...lemme say how thankful I am for awesome friends! My only morning class got cancelled and a girl on the team let me come over and hang in the apartment. I L.O.V.E having the opportunity to make new and good friends by doing something I enjoy.

While I was just sittin on the couch, one of the guys I went to high school with walked out into the living room. I haven't seen him in probably close to 7 months. This guy, I might add, plays for the Atlanta Hawks. He has been one of my favorite people ever since I met him on October 31, 2006 at basketball tryouts my sophomore year of high school. Jeff is totally awesome and it was beyond great to see him today. I most definitely didn't expect to see him and it absolutely made my day! :D

9/11

Last week I had the opportunity to see the new 9/11 memorial that they put up here in Indianapolis. They transported 2 beams from the WTC. One of them has an eagle on the top of it that is facing towards NYC. It was beautiful and extremely surreal. It was one of the most empty feelings I've ever had, but it was nice to remember the sacrifice and dedication that the firefighters and all the volunteers made to help out. It was also nice to have a chance to really take the time to think about our armed forces and their love and loyalty to this amazing country we live in. Here are a few pictures I took at the site.

marrying my dreams

We had our first team meeting last night :)

Coach had the 2 seniors say something and Janna found this wonderful quote that I really love:

"I cheated on my fears, broke up with my doubts, got engaged to my faith, and now I'm marrying my DREAMS."
~~unknown

TRAIN & MAROON 5

Last night, I got to go to the Train and Maroon5 concert. It was easily the BEST night of my summer. I went with Jennifer and we met up with our friend Cristina and her group. Our seats were in zone 3, so we were sitting in the upper balcony...no worries though, we to sit front and center :D

I didn't expect Maroon5 to be so awesome...but they ROCKED #lowkey hahahaha
My vocal chords are still sore, but it was totally worth it!

..........~*Me and Jennifer before the concert*~...........



.........................."~*((Maroon5))*~"..........................



..............................~*\\Train//*~................................



................................!!!CRISTINA!!!................................

just because

in my last post, i stated that i met a nice guy ((and that he was a non-member)) at the last church dance and that we were going on a double date with a couple of other friends. my grandmother found out and proceeded to lecture me about him.

she pointed out that most relationships with people outside our faith don't work out and compared me to my uncle's first marriage, which ended in divorce and him being inactive for half of his life. i feel like she doesn't trust me...like i can't judge who's good for me to date and who isn't. it's put me in a bummed mood and i can't seem to shake the sad and disappointed feeling. i just wish she could've given him a chance before she completely distorted and destroyed his entire being.

truth is...i know that most relationships in life won't work or last very long. just because someone is completely different than you or isn't a member of the church doesn't mean that you shouldn't give them a chance. they may surprise you in the end.

Palmyra Trip & YSA Conf!

These past 2 weekends have been the best times ever! I haven't had so much fun in months!

2 weeks ago, I had the opportunity to go on a spontaneous trip with Caitlin, Kiersten, Kallie, Shelby, Rachael, Parley, and Michael...a few people from YSA and institute people along with Brother and Sister Nehring. We left Friday morning and made it just in time to see the Hill Cumorah pageant. We got invited to go to a dance with the Rochester YSA branch ((which didn't even start until 11!!)) Saturday, we got to visit the Palmyra temple and go to the Sacred Grove. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. We then began our long drive home, stopping in Mansfield, Ohio to visit Rachael's family. We spent more time driving TO and FROM Palmyra than we did IN Palmyra, but it was super amazing and I would go on another trip like this in a heartbeat!

This past weekend was a YSA mini-conference. It included pretty much all of the YSA branches in the state of Indiana. I didn't get to attend until Saturday, right around lunch time. We had 4 one hour long workshops, all of which were awesome! After dinner, we had a dance. You'll never guess how long it was...4 HOURS! Crazy intense, but it was the most fun I've had in so long. I met some really awesome people and I'm even going on a double date with one of the guys I met. He's a non-member, but you know what they say...flirt to convert! hahaha jkjk

Here's the Palmyra temple :)



Here's the majority of the girls that went, minus Kallie and Caitlin



And the whole group! <3

new favorite band!

So, I know I'm probably SUPER late...but I've decided to jump on the bandwagon...lol
I watched the movie 'Just My Luck' with Lindsay Lohan in it the other day. In the movie is a band named McFly. Up until that night, I had no idea they actually existed, so I checked out some of their songs the next day and I've been listening to them NON-STOP since then. I'm gonna try to post a music player with some of their songs on it ((hopefully it works))

If not, you'll just have to take my word on this and see for yourself just how awesome they are!! :)

a post about absolutely nothing lol

Haven't really been on here all that much recently. I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm alive and well! School ended about 3 weeks ago and I've done pretty much nothing worth commenting on since then. I ended up with 3 A's and a B+ with a semester GPA of 3.75 ((which I'm totally psyched about!))

Life has been pretty simple (and kinda boring) since basketball ended. Sometimes I don't know what to do when I'm not around my guys and girls...I miss them sooo much! I most definitely can't wait until basketball season starts up again :)

Hope everyone's been doing well!

--Much love!

~allison~