Day Seven

A Person/Event that has changed your life.

I thought of many pivotal moments in my life that could be the answer to this question. When it boils down to it, there is only one event in this life that dramatically changed the course of my life.

On November 30, 1997 my family was driving home from Tyler's soccer competition Thanksgiving weekend. We got home and I remember hearing my mom screaming from downstairs and thought to myself "Oh mom! She probably saw a mouse or something". I walked out of the bathroom and Brent and Tyler were sitting on the staircase trying to hear what Mom and Dad were talking about so I sat with them. Brandon came upstairs and said, "Jory died." We started to cry.

Jory was my oldest cousin from my Uncle Kim's family. He had just gotten back from a mission about 8 months earlier and we just learned he had died.

The four of us kids went downstairs to my parents' room where they were talking on the phone to someone who delivered more bad news: it wasn't just Jory. Our cousins Heath and Rick had passed away too.

Their whole family was driving home from their aunt's house. Uncle Kim, Aunt Darlene, Kimi, Kelly and Shannon in one car. Jory, Heath and Rick following behind in Jory's brand new mustang. Uncle Kim watched them the entire drive home through his rear-view mirror, so he saw when Jory's car was side-swiped by a semi-truck which blew the tire and caused the car to steer into oncoming traffic. They were then hit by an oncoming expedition. They ran to their boys' aid and saw the Jory and little Rick, only 11 years old, were already gone. Heath, who had been asleep in the backseat, was alive but in critical condition. They life-flighted him to the hospital and tried desperately to save him, but couldn't. In a flash of an eye, their family had been cut right in half.

My family drove to my grandma's house where the rest of the family was waiting for us. I remember the song "How Do I Breathe Without You?" by Leann Rimes came on the radio.

"How do I get through one night without out? If I had to live without you, what kind of life would that be?"

I couldn't imagine an event being more tramautizing. I know that they ONLY way we made it through was by the grace of our Heavenly Father. He wrapped His arms around us and helped us to make it through. This event testified to me the presence of our Heavenly Father-he is real and cares about my problems.

This event taught me the importance of Family. That it's the most important aspect of this life and so we need to make our families our main priority. I know that this is what caused my family to be so close, because we were able to see how fast things can change and so we cherish our time together.

I saw the damaging effects that this event had on people. Some fell away from church, some fell away from family, some fell away from living. This event taught me of the reality of Satan's power. He made people (even me, sometimes) believe that God didn't care about us, because if he did, he would have never let this happen. The truth is, bad things happen to undeserving people every day. This event gave me perspective. I know that Heavenly Father only gives us what we can handle. I know that if bad things happen, it is because our Father knows we have the strength to endure it. Keep that in mind.

It's been nearly 13 years since this tragedy occured and I'm sitting here bawling as I write this, because it feels like it was yesterday. Not a day goes by that I don't think of my cousins and I try to live like Christ so that I can make it back to Heaven to see them again. While I am saddened about the event, I am grateful for the knowledge that I gained from it.

I love you Jory, Heath and Rick.

Day Six

Favorite Super Hero and Why

Well, I'm sure I'm supposed to write about Wolverine or Superman- but that ain't gonna happen-

For Christmas a couple of years ago, my Mom bought me the Season 1 DVDs of Veronica Mars. I opened it, and because I had never heard of it, I was thinking to myself, "oh, gee thanks." (I know! I'm a brat!!) So there it sat on my shelf for quite some time. Finally about a year later, she said "Oh! Let's just watch it. If you don't like it after five minutes- we can turn it off". I reluctantly obliged.

Good thing!

Veronica Mars became my obsession: I couldn't get enough!! I would think about watching it all day. The plot goes something like this: Veronica is a smart-ass high school student who works with her dad as an undercover private investigator. She solves small crimes in every episode while working on a big case throughout the season. The action is intense, the girl is witty and the whole show is just entertaining.

I want to be like her. She is tough and doesn't care what anyone thinks of her. Veronica knows that family is the most important; so flakey friends don't matter. She stands by her convictions and is so sarcastically hilarious. She is all the things that I want to be.

If you haven't already, rent borrow, buy....do whatever it takes to get this show!

Day Five

A Place You've Been

This actually works out perfectly. I was just thinking to myself that I never wrote about the cruise I went on in March so now I can!!

In March, the week of my birthday, I had four midterms and an interview for a scholarship position. Needless to say, I was very stressed. On my (21st) birthday I stayed at the library studying until 11pm-I know! I'm living the college life. haha

So that friday, Me and my three best friends: Rob, Alison and Joyce drove down to St. George for the night. We stayed with Uncle Ryan and Aunt Brook. The next morning we woke up really early and drove to San Diego. We boarded the Elation ship by Carnival Cruises and set sail to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

That was the first time I had ever been out of the Country, my first (real) road trip, and my first trip without any parental supervision.

We had such a good time and the only thing that I fear is that life will take us in such different directions (Rob is applying to Medical School!!) that we won't be able to do anything like that again. If that is the case, I can still smile because we had so much fun and made so many memories.

<3<3<3

Day Four

First of all, I just want to say that I'm proud of myself thus far. I mean, I figured I would have given up long ago. With that being said, we are on Day Four:

A Habit You Wish You Didn't Have


Mine is Cursing

Unlike this little girl, It's not cute or funny when I swear. I have what some might call a bad temper and it makes me feel better to swear. So horrible I know. Kristin always tells me that "Pretty Girls Don't Swear".

I'm going to make a conscious effort to quit swearing!
(or at least cut back :/)

Day Three

A Picture of You and Your Friends

I have very different sets of friends and so I will post a few.

My Work Friends

Colby, Jeff, Krissy, Nichole, Teneil, Elysha, Me, Jonathan, Lacey.

These friends have taught me to be open-minded. That MY way of living isn't the ONLY way. They are a group of the most loyal people; people who stand behind you whether you are wrong or right. I can call them at three am and not only would they answer, but be anywhere, do anything I needed them to.

High School Friends

Teddy, Brent, Trevor, Alyssa, Nuthaniel, Tre and Chad

Katy, Kylee, Whitney, Me, Alyssa, Morgan, Joyce, Jen and Brittany

This group of friends have taught me who I really am; only the good ones made it through high school. We don't see each other often, but when we finally do it's like there was no time in between the last time we met.

College, Namely UPC, Friends

Alison, Michelle, Me, Ashley, Jeremy, Rob and Erin

These friends, in one short year, have become the group of friends that I would be the saddest about losing. They are the greatest group of people you've ever met and make me a better person by association.

Day Two

Reasoning Behind Your Blog Name

Well, it's nothing too exciting. Brandon and Kristin started a blog and then I'm thinking "Well, what about the rest of us?" So I decided to make a blog so nobody missed out on all that is exciting here at the Sellers' household. So the Blog name became "What's Left of the Nest".

But it's really just about my life. Like that's a big surprise to anyone, right?

Our URL is topsellerslist because I wanted to incorporate our last name into it and "BEST SELLERS LIST" was already taken.

Like I said before, nothing too exciting.

30 Day Challenge

ALL I hear from Grandma is how I never update my blog and because I love her I'm gonna try one of these "30 Day Challenge" things. Starting with day one: a recent picture of yourself and 15 interesting facts.

1. When I'm walking by myself, I spell my name with each step. Right step: I say in my head "R", left step: "A", right step: "C" and so forth. What's extra weird about that is that when I do this I spell my name RacheAl. I don't know why, I have done this since I was little.

2. I despise socks. Even if it's -10 degrees outside I refuse to wear socks (when I'm not wearing shoes of course). It even bothers me that Tre wears socks. I beg him to take them off when we are together, but he loves socks. One of the divides in our relationship.

3. I don't chew gum. The feel and even the look of it disgusts me. I am currently taking anatomy and we use real cadavers (REAL DEAD HUMAN BODIES), well people have been telling me that I need to chew gum to help with the smell. I'll take my chances, thanks.

4. I have recently started watching "the Jersey Shore". And I've gotten my mom hooked, too. We laugh so hard at all of the ridiculousness. Reality TV is my guilty pleasure.

5. I hate shopping. I'm like a guy that way. I have to go to the mall with intent (i.e. I need brown shoes) or else I get crabby.

6. I hate trying new things.

7. I won't eat ice cream or watch scary movies until it's dark outside.

8. I get embarrassed when people SHHH me or tell me I'm being too loud. Unfortunately, it happens quite frequently.

9. I love weddings. I would go to bridal expos for fun. (Me and Alison (who shares this love of weddings with me) have actually talked about going.)

10. My nostrils flare involuntarily when I laugh.

11. I can take a nap almost anywhere no matter what is going on around me. As a sleep-deprived college student, this is a gift.

12. I love music. I make lists of songs I want to download and then buy 10-15 at a time. I make a playlist and listen to it for weeks on end. Lyrics mean a lot to me and music makes me feel better about any situation.

13. I love shows about murder (i.e. 48 Hours Mystery, 20/20, Snapped) because I am so interested in what motives people have to do such horrible things.

14. A perfect day would be a day at the beach. I love everything about it. When life gets too hard, I always threaten to run away and live in Hawaii.

15. I'm addicted to facebook. I claim that I'm not, but I am. Simply because I like to make fun of the stupid things people put on there.