Live for the Weekend

Meghan and I decided we live for the weekend. It is nice because since I have no class on Fridays, Thursdays are like my Fridays. Fridays are my Saturdays. Then, Saturdays are my Saturdays. I love it. Yesterday was definitely like my Saturday. It was amazing! We went to Janessa's house to watch a scary movie. I got lost even using my GPS. That seriously takes skill, but according to my GPS, Jan's house is on a trail head. It isn't. It is down the street in the opposite direction. When we got there we got to meet some of her family. It was great. We then proceeded to watch some Glozell videos which had us all crying. When that was all over we watched "What Lies Beneath."We carried on our Friday Fright Night tradition. We were all so hot wearing our pajama pants and wrapped up in blankets, but we were so scared we did not dare uncover and stretch out. When we were done, Meghan and I put the top of my car down and drove home at one in the morning. We were escorted home by a motorcycle gang. There were six guys on four motorcycles. Two got in front of me, and two were behind. We were surrounded and they stayed like that all the way home to our apartment. Kind of scary at one in the morning after watching that movie, but it makes for a good story. Meghan decided my theme for when I drive is "Adventure is out there!" Today was a blast as well. We were at the water park from 2:30 to about 7. I love it there. It is in an odd way relaxing for me. Afterwards we got pizza with our group and went to a park to eat it. We were there until 8. I love being with friends. I had a blast. Now I am going to eat all the food! I am still hungry. I wish I could have this much fun every weekend... or every day. 

Being a Mormon

Being a Mormon or LDS or a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (people know it by different things, but it is all the same) has its ups... there really are no downs besides people judging you because they don't really know what you believe in aka polygamy or the magic underwear. Anyways, I am so glad that I am a member of the church. In my Strengthening Marriage and Family class we were talking about getting married, of course. I am so excited to be able to get married in one of these...

  You don't have to pay to get married in any of these beautiful buildings. And do you know what? There are so many more! They are all over the world. These are just a few of my favorites. I think they are amazing. Every last one of them are just spectacular and take my breath away. What more could you ask for? Well, in my church we believe when we get married it is for time and all eternity rather than "til death." It is a wonderful feeling knowing no matter what happens in your life you will be able to be with your family forever. 

Just Wondering

     So, I have been thinking about a lot of things recently. Such as: 
     Why can I go through the whole winter matching the snow, and right when I get a tan in the summer time my freckles begin to show? I love my freckles, and sometimes in the winter all I want is a break from my all-too-white complexion. Why can't they just stay on my face in the winter, and how do they show up above my tan? It just doesn't make sense to me. At all. 
     Next, how does a pot know when you are watching it? I know this probably sounds crazy, but really, how does it know? I sat watching one the other day for twenty minutes waiting for it to boil so I could make my food. I leave the kitchen for literally thirty seconds, and when I came back it was boiling over. Way to go. When I left there were no bubbles at all, and in thirty seconds it was boiling over, making a mess, and making it take longer for me to be able to eat.             
     The next matter of business is boys. I do not understand them at all. One of my friends pointed out it is not because they are too complex, but girls are too complex so they do not understand the simpleness of guys. Great. I think I may be forever in the dark on this issue. What I really hate about all of it is when you really like a guy, but you are almost invisible. Then, another guy comes along and really likes you, but you just don't like them. Next thing you know, the one you really like is continuously giving you praise and compliments, and the one who really likes you gets jealous. See? I think they are complicated. There is nothing simple about this. 
     Next comes the fact that I am in an 8am class. I distinctly remember telling myself I would never do this again after my first one in he fall. So, why am I in one? I do not know. I guess I was not paying attention when I signed up for my classes... or something. I would get out of it, but it is so enjoyable. I have so much fun in that class, it is required for my major, the teacher is great, and I am learning valuable principles about marriage and families. I love it. I just wish it did not have to be at eight in the morning and last for two and a half hours. 
     One last thing. Why do teachers always put your tests on the same days? It always happens to me. Every single time. Just wondering. So, you can tell what is on my mind right now. There are plenty of other things, but these are the biggest ones at the moment. :)

Needed a Smile

So, one of my new roommates told Meghan and I to watch this... 

When Meghan and I did, we were laughing so hard we were having to wipe tears from our eyes and cheeks. I really just love her so much. Glozell provides much needed laughs sometimes. I realized today how much I miss having Brother Smith as a teacher. Last semester he was the teacher who was always happy, always made me smile, and always made me laugh. He even made me laugh when I went to his reviews at seven in the morning, and that is saying something. So, without him as a teacher, I am lost. I walked around today just wishing he would be on campus to provide an awkward hug, a high five, a pinky promise, or even just a goofy smile. Without him, I guess I am just going to have to watch Glozell until I can run into him again in the fall. 

Revvin' in a Mini Van

     Today was the first day of my classes. I woke up at 7, and my first class is not until 12. I kept getting this weird feeling that I should go on campus early. I did not know why, but at 9:45 I left my apartment. Oddly enough, I ran into an old friend. Good old Jan. She was about to be late to class in the MARB which is an old and rather confusing building. I knew where her classroom was so I just walked her there. We texted the rest of the day. :) I miss her. 

     When it was time for my class to come around, I walked to my classroom and waited. I met some really weird people, but I also met some amazing ones. It was nice to have someone to talk to in class, and our teacher seems pretty neat. 

     When it was over I ran back to the apartment to change out of my skirt and get into "summer clothes." My BYUSA team was headed to a ropes course. We had so much fun. Now, I do not do well with balance so some of the things I had a hard time with, and at one point there was a rule that we had to talk with our tongues hanging out and then I fell off so I had to repeat everything Eric said (when he was talking about being a tree hugger and how his family was going to kill him or when he was blindfolded and was talking about us being led by the blind it got a bit ridiculous but it was still fun). Wow. Then came the giant swing. You sit in a seat and they harness you in. Then your team pulls you up, and you have to let go of a string to fall and actually swing. When I got to the top I was not letting go. I looked down, and it got worse. When I finally let go, panic and terror rushed through me. you are holding on to nothing until you make sense enough to grab on to the bar in front of you. I am pretty sure our coordinator got plenty of pictures of my panic stricken face. It was fun after that initial drop though. 

        I am sore, tired, and I smelled SO bad until I got a shower.  Worth it? Definitely. We drove a new mini van up there. It was really funny. Eric said we were a little Mormon family. He was totally revving the engine the whole time. It was kind of making me laugh because, you know, we were in a mini van. Who revvs the engine in a mini van? When we got back we had more work to do in the office. Then he asked if I would drive the mini van back since it was a rental. I drive a bug. Mini vans are HUGE in comparison, but I finally gave in. When we turned it in, he said it was good practice for being a Mormon mom. I did really like it, but it is going to take some getting used to. I guess by the time I have my six or seven kids I will be totally fine with it. Bring on the Mormon mom with a mini van. 

                                   

          ^this can be me^

                 Now I kind of have to go do my homework... This week is going to be a great one!

Perhaps the greatest truth of the universe… I’m beginning to understand…

Did you ever wonder what is was like when we left heaven to come here? We left our Heavenly Father’s side to come to a world of trouble, strife, and heartache. We left because it was His plan, and we knew we must do it to learn and accomplish so much. But did you ever wonder what you thought right before you left? Were you excited to be a part of something so perfectly thought out? Were you worried that when you crossed over the veil you would never come to remember your Father again? Were you sad that you had to leave such a beautiful place? Were you worried about whether you would come back or not?

All of these thoughts came running into my head last night as I watched The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. At the very end they are all saying their goodbyes. Lucy asks if Aslan will visit them in their world and he responds with, “I will be watching you always.” He tells her she must learn to know him in her world. That by knowing him there for a little you may know him better in his world. We knew our Heavenly Father before we came to earth, and we must always remember him. By learning to know Him here for such a little while when looking at it in an eternal perspective, we know Him better when we return to Him. Our Heavenly Father is always watching out for us. Sometimes He sees us fall, and I know he probably so badly wants to pick us up and dust us off. He wishes He could, but all of our trials are for our personal experience so that we may come to know Him personally.

I started crying in a movie made for kids from a book I read when I was in the fourth grade. I am coming to understand one of the most powerful and greatest truths. We were probably feeling every last one of those things. As I come to BYU each time and leave my family behind I feel all of them. I am so excited to come and experience so much more, I am worried about my family and how they will get along, I am sad to leave my home, and I am always worried about me getting too caught up in everything that is happening here and miss out on something important there. I understand all of this now. My family just like my Heavenly Father wants me to be happy. They want me to come here to learn and grow closer to Him. When I am having a hard time they want to come up here and fix it for me right away. How do we make it through to meet Him again? We must remember that He is always there for us and only wants the best for us. We must come to know Him. What a simple thing, but if we really knew Him, would the world be the way it is? That is going to be my goal while I am here at BYU. I am going to truly come to know Him. 

Unpacking, J-Dawgs, and Frozen Yogurt

     I am finally all unpacked. It took literally all day. Going back and forth from my storage unit to make sure I had everything was crazy. It took one trip to get everything here, but I went back to make sure. When I unpacked my car after multiple trips from my car to my apartment and vice versa I did not want to do anything else because I was so tired, but I did it anyways. It needed to be done. Then came the actual unpacking. It looked like a tornado went through the room and then a bomb exploded. I did get it all worked out. Trying to figure out where to put things to make it look nice and not too cluttered and how to make it look more like home was the hardest part of the whole day. It was a lot of work, but it was all worth it, and now when Meghan comes back it won't be crazy.
     I feel better now. I ate a lot today too which probably helps as well. The past four days I have just not been hungry so I have barely eaten, but today I feasted. First off, I want to ask how BYU deems an apartment approved housing. I do not know if mine should be approved. It is too close to this hot dog place called J-Dawgs. Now, I know most of you are thinking it is just a hotdog. No. These are not JUST hotdogs. These are like manna from heaven with their "special sauce" and if I am in the mood sauerkraut or banana peppers. I would never eat either of those things any other time, but it just makes my j-dawg better. I ate three today. I know that is not good, but I bought two for myself. They did not believe that I could eat both of them because I am kind of tiny and these are not small so just for their entertainment they gave me a third one for free. I ate all three. I can pack it down. I put some guys in there to shame. I bet they will never do that again! They watched me the whole time I ate to make sure I would eat it all. One thing I learned at EFY is guys like girls who can get dirty and pack it down. I can do both! Today proves both of them. I got hot, sweaty, and dirty while moving, and I certainly packed it down!
     I also got to spend time with a couple guys I work with in BYUSA. We went to a frozen yogurt place close to one's apartment and enjoyed. It is weird, but the more I talk to one of them the more I realize how alike we are. He could be my big brother and no one would know the difference. Today we got talking about our favorite things to do. My favorite thing is to curl up in a blanket no matter how hot it is outside and watch a movie while eating extra buttery popcorn. Strangely enough, that is his favorite thing too. Another example. I am not sure I want to bring my fiance to my home ward before I get married. It is a lot of pressure from family friends that you just don't need before you get married. He is the same. There are other things that I learned from being with him every day this week and almost every day the week before I left. He is just like a big brother. Like he said, we are the Ice Cream Amigos!

Back in Provo

I am back in Provo. After driving over 1200 miles for 21 hours, hotel hunting, an oil change, a car wash, a walk around temple square, and a really good dinner later I am back. It has been an insane day. I am pretty sure we went to every hotel in the area. My mom just called it a long crappy day. Yeah, that it was it has been. I am exhausted. That is the only way to put it. There is so much I have to do tomorrow. 

Reunited!

My Poor Dog Spent All Day Looking for Me

Today I started my journey back to Utah. We left a little after six in the morning and have landed in a hotel at eight thirty, but we gained an hour. My mom and I were in the car for so long! Only a little bit longer until I am back in my beloved old Provo. A good friend pointed out I will be there before lunch! So, this adventure is starting. What will summer term be like? I don't know. I just have to wait to find out. My mom talked to my dad when we got to the hotel. Apparently my little mostly blind and deaf terrier whom I have had since I was five has been searching the house all day looking for me. He often mopes when I leave, but he has never walked the house all day. Usually I explain that I am leaving but that I will be back before he knows it. I tried yesterday. He could not hear me and was too tired to care. So, my thirteen year old dog won't even lay down on the bed because he can't find me. Way to make me feel bad. Maybe he will lose all track of time like I always do, and I will be home for Christmas to see him and my family all again!

All This and I Have a Wedgie

Today was a lot of fun. Going to church and seeing my friend Emily always makes my day brighter. Imagine a younger Sandra Bullock with maybe even more sarcasm and you get Emily. 

We are always laughing right before the picture so we look weird, but this is us!

After church, we had a party to prepare for. My family came over for teenie weenies in bbq sauce, chips and salsa, pineapple upside down cake, fresh fruit with chocolate dip, and lemon crinkle cookies. So good! I am getting so fat! Not really, but I feel like I am always eating sweets!! I am all packed and ready to leave tomorrow morning. I even have all of my movies picked. Still weird to think about, but I am going. My dog saw the suitcases and is now moping. I am watching a movie with my mom and little brother for the last time until Christmas. My little brother is skinny! He used to be a little chunky monkey, but he lost weight and grew so all of his pants are too big and hang down so his underwear show. I always tell him if I see them I am going to give him a wedgie. He never believes me, but right before the movie started I gave him one. Before he could fix his pants my mom laid on him. Then, I got on top of her, and our Dalmatian started to get on top of me. So here is my little brother, "All this, and I have a wedgie!" I am going to miss him. I am going to miss all of them. I know they don't believe me, and they think I am going back because of a guy. Not true bytheway. I am going back to be in BYUSA and to enjoy my time in Utah meeting new people, experiencing new things, and learning!

Let's Go to the Movies (& Get a Mani/Pedi)

This is the next to last day for me to be home with my family. It is weird to think about it. I am leaving right as summer has just begun. So today we went out for breakfast. Yum. Pretty sure I gained 10 pounds. We went swimming, went to see "Snow White and the Huntsman" (not a movie I would recommend, but it was still nice to be able to go see a movie with my family), and my mom and I got manicures and pedicures. Now, my nails look nice, I got quality time with my family, I am mostly packed, and I weigh a bit more. You know, the usual. 

Sock Monkeys

Today I got to see my best friend once again. We went and had lunch and then I helped her find a few things she needed for her Hawaii trip that she is leaving for tomorrow morning. This was the last time I will see her until Christmas break. I gave her the graduation gift I got her and pray she likes it. She got me a gift as well. So here's the thing... I don't like sock monkeys... at all. There is something about a creature whose mouth and butt are exactly the same that just doesn't sit well with me. When I went to Granbury with her a few weeks ago they had them in every store. It was seriously creeping me out. So, she went there again last weekend and again ran into those creeptastic animals. She thought of me every time she saw one so finally she just bought me one. She bought me a cute one though. He is just a baby so his butt is normal, and he is kind of cute. I like him. He sits in my car and keeps me company when I am driving alone. I love Ashley, and I always miss her. I gave her a few tips for college, and I hope they help her at least a little bit. 

Hurricane Harbor and Family Pics

My little brother and I went to Hurricane Harbor today. We had a lot of fun. I actually got us there and back without a GPS! I was proud of myself. When we got there the lady asked us if we were going to stay out of trouble... She thought my little brother and I were dating. I have to go back to Utah. I cannot continue to have people think I am dating my little brother. It makes my life awkward. This is not the first time it has happened. After I got over that I started having fun. We went on almost all of the rides without much of a line in any of them. On one of the slides Ryan was leaning into the curves, and somehow we were flying down that slide that was supposed to be kind of slow. By the time we got to the end we were moving. The lifeguard tried to stop the tube we were in and got run over. She was not going to stand in our way. So, we almost killed a lifeguard. Oops. We got a good lunch (I am pretty sure Texas is one of the only places you can get a REALLY good bbq sandwich at a water park) and went on more of the rides, played in the wave pool, and went down the lazy river. We had another adventure in the wave pool. A guy a few feet away from us starting drowning. Now, I still have not decided whether he was actually drowning or it was like in the Sandlot and he was pretending to get the pretty lifeguard to jump in and save him so he could hit on her. Either way, he was drowning. After being there for four hours we both had burns on the bottom of our feet from the hot cement, and we were starting to get tired. So, we finally decided it was time to go home. We had fun being with each other. I am now  a shade slightly darker than honey and completely exhausted. Something about being in the sun all day really takes it out of you, but it is almost always worth it. 


On another note, my family and I had family pictures done a couple weeks ago. I was kind of skeptical about how they were going to turn out, but I really like some of them. I love my family. Here are some of the pictures. 

My family.

My handsome brother. At least when people think we are dating they think I am with such a good looking guy.

This is me.

My momma and daddy.

All together.

The fam bam. 

He is so big!

My brother and I.

Back to Basics

I have always been bothered by my lack of being asked out on dates. Ever since I turned 16, my dating life has batted a 0. It bugged me even more while at BYU when everything's topic is marriage. It still somewhat bothers me but not nearly as much. I read my patriarchal blessing the other day and at the part where it tells me that I will get married. I read that one sentence over and over again. Tears came to my eyes and a feeling of peace overwhelmed me. After that, I put it down and went to bed. I did not even finish reading it. Ever since then I feel so peaceful about whatever will happen. I was listening to my ipod the other day on my love song playlist, and the song "How Will I Know" came on. 

Wow. My ipod knows exactly how to make me smile. So here I am enjoying the song. How will I know is a question so many girls ask themselves including me. It was really funny when the next song that came on was "That's How You Know" from the Disney movie "Enchanted." 

It made me laugh when a Disney movie answered such a popular question. Most of the time all we need to do is look at the simple things and go back to the basics to answer our questions. Whether it be a Disney movie or the scriptures or my patriarchal blessing, the basics are always there. Doing something so simple.... reading two things that I have access to at all times made me feel so much better. 

Cuteness and a Grad Party

     Today has been a great one. I actually set my alarm right this time so I got up with plenty of time to get ready for church today. Wearing a homemade circle skirt my mom made me along with a Tommy Hilfiger blazer and an antique hat I felt grown up. I felt like the Executive Assistant that I am. It felt like the time I got all dressed up for my BYUSA pictures and my roommate Makenna looked at me and said, "If I were a cat I'd pounce on that!" When church ended my family came home for a snack and we watched part of a movie. Then it was time to go again. 

     Now, I know it is Sunday, and most of the time we would not go to a party on a Sunday... But, this was my best friend's graduation party. I had to go. Her and her family have done too much for my family and me over the years for me to just not go. So we did and we had fun seeing each other and getting to talk. I love her so much. Later tonight we will probably finish our movie as well as make red velvet cream cheese brownies for my mom to take to work with her tomorrow. I really do love being with my family. 

Saturday Adventures

     Today I woke up early to go and get my hair cut. I told her to cut off only the dead since I am trying to grow it long. All she needed to cut off was a quarter of an inch. Considering I have not had a haircut since before Christmas, I think that is pretty good.
     Then, we went to the aquarium. I love the aquarium! The otters and manatees are my favorites. They look so happy swimming through the water. The fish are always so pretty, the monkeys are cute, the penguins stink but I am almost positive they pose for you to take pictures of them unlike the uncooperative otters, and the birds are fun to watch.

     Dinner was next. We went to a place that I would much rather go to for breakfast, but Ryan likes it so I just sat back and was going to wait to eat until we got home. It is called Panera. They make all kinds of homemade breads and pastries. Ever since I left Utah I have been craving an asiago cheese bagel. I looked at multiple stores and could never find one. So, you can imagine my suprise/excitement when I saw a whole bunch of them. My mom and dad bought me three to get me through the week. I still waited to eat one until I got home because I like eating them along with a key lime pie yogurt just like in college. 
     When we got home my mom, brother, and I went to the pool. We were only there for an hour, but being able to be in the water always makes me feel so good. After we all got back home, we ate peanut butter/chocolate fondue. It was so good. My favorite things to dip in it were the pound cake and the strawberries. Nothing is better (except maybe asiago cheese bagels)! We watched "Joyful Noise" while eating as well. I enjoyed it. Some of the songs they sang were popular songs now that were changed to make them fit the theme of gospel music. It reminded me of some of the songs they do at BYU only I think they were cheesier. It was fun anyways. Loving life. This was a good family Saturday.

Friday Fright Night

    Tonight I watched a scary movie. Now, that is not a big deal unless you lived in my dorm room. After becoming friends with a couple girls from across the hall, somehow we deemed Friday nights as scary movie nights. The first one we watched was "When a Stranger Calls." Five girls curled together on a couch not letting their feet touch the floor in case of the creepy bad guy grabbing them from under the couch. Sometimes even screaming was involved. After that movie we would not even go to the bathroom alone. We had to have  a buddy. Watching movies that scary until two in the morning is kind of a bad idea. Anyways, we watched it in the room across the hall so when all was said and done a couple of my roommates and I went back to our room cautiously, made a palette (or bed made out of blankets... whatever you want to call it) on the floor, turned on church music, and slowly drifted off to sleep. It became tradition. We watched a scary movie every weekend after that so tonight when we picked "Red Eye" as the movie we were going to watch I got really excited. Let the tradition continue.