The Best of the Best BYU Experiences

I know everyone thinks I raced through school. I know. I've heard it. Over and over and over again. I've heard it from my mom, my dad, my aunt, my grandparents, my friends, people from my ward, people from my old ward, and people from school. I. Have. Heard. It. It makes me upset not because I think they are right but because they don't understand. I do not feel like I raced through. I feel like I went at a good speed and I happened to finish early. I am sad that it is over now, but sadness often comes with change. I, however, do not feel like I missed out on anything. Not long before graduation, I went to dinner with Dani and her husband Tyler. One of the questions Dani asked was whether or not I felt like I got the full BYU experience. I smiled and felt my eyes sparkle as I answered with a resounding yes. Yes. I feel like I got everything I wanted out of BYU, and I am so thankful for the opportunity I had to go there. Let's start at the very beginning because as we all know it's a very good place to start.

Leading Up to College

First, the year before going to BYU, I went up to Utah with my family and Kaitlyn's family. We did the BYU tour on the golf cart, and our tour guide had an English accent. So, it started well. Fast forward to the application process. So stressful. I would have been able to get into any university in Texas automatically, but we all know I did not want to go to one of those. All of the girls in my seminary class and I anxiously awaited that acceptance email. The day finally came and I was screaming at 5:00 in the morning. It had been a hard choice deciding between BYU and TCU since I got a hefty scholarship from TCU, but I feel like once my decision was made no one was going to change my mind. I went to seminary that day, and Kaitlyn and I got out of our cars, looked at each other for a minute, and we both smiled because we knew we both got in. We were going to be Cougars. I will admit I creeped on my roommates once they were assigned. I couldn't decide if I was going to like them or not. Meghan was a track star and looked fun but a little crazy. Was she going to be loud and always have weird friends over? Makenna had only just gotten a Facebook and there was nothing on it. That was a little weird to me... Emilee I seemed to like when I talked to her as I anxiously awaited the time for me to be able to sign up for my first classes. And then there was Dani. Cute, beautiful, and pictures of Europe on her Facebook. I was jealous and wondered if she was going to be amazing or one of "those girls." I was just going to have to wait and see how two Utah, two Washington, and two Texas girls were going to get along.Senior year of high school flew by along with my summer, and all of the sudden I was in the car with all of my stuff on the way to Utah. I threw everything in my room as quickly as I could and kind of introduced myself to my roommates before I had to go. My mom signed me up for Foundations of Leadership. I did not want to go. I was already nervous enough about school without having to go to a leadership conference beforehand. I went and loved it more than any HOBY conference I had been to. Not only did I love it so much, but I met Rachel there and was introduced to BYUSA. Little did I know how great an impact this would have on me, but more about that later.

Fall 2011

I got back from FOL and hiked the Y with my cousin Becca since we went up to BYU the same year. How we managed to get up there without acclimating ourselves first I will never know, but we did it! Going back to the dorm I slowly got to know the roommates better. I loved all of them! I still spent plenty of time with Kaitlyn going to football games, tracing our faces on the mirror with an expo marker, hiking and lighting the Y for homecoming, being part of the homecoming parade, going to conference at the Conference Center, doing the blue foam slip and slide down a hill at Helaman Fields which is a homecoming tradition, laughing at the plastic wrapped statues on campus when the Utah game came, and took walks in our cowboy boots, but spending time with roommies was always fun. We played spoons in the elevator, ate cookies from our FHE brothers, got candy when someone (Dani was first) went on a date, watched a crane collapse, went to devotionals (especially the one with President Monson), went to the football opening party at which I won a sweatshirt, going out to play in the snow that had the biggest flakes I had ever seen, and having sleepovers in our living room.

Winter 2012

I didn't go home for Thanksgiving, but I got to go to Washington to spend some time with my favorite aunt (don't tell the others) and her cute family which may have been the best thing I could have done. I loved going home for Christmas, but it was even harder to go back to that winter semester. I think I lived off of tortillas with butter, hot chocolate, and Jamba Juice. I am not a winter fan, but when I came back I had fun roommates to look forward to and a class by Hank Smith. Winter was filled with time with FHE brothers that included shoving 13 people into a car and having the cops show up at the park we were at, walking to the temple with Kaitlyn, planking in the elevator and down the stairs, more sleepovers, spending time with a friend from FOL and heart-attacking our peer mentor's door, roommate shirts with individual quotes from our song "Party Rock Anthem", blanket forts, room decorations, snow, snow, and more snow, and of course the festival of colors. Yes, all this time I was in classes and doing presentations for BYUSA. Those presentations are where I met one of my best friends. Eric. That boy always made me laugh. I eventually made a point to go to devotionals early so I could sit in the front row because he was on the stands. Apparently he noticed because one day he texted me and asked if I could come meet him in the office. He offered me a position on his team the coming school year. I didn't really think about it before I said yes because I loved BYUSA and he was pretty great too. My mom did take some convincing though since I would be coming back to BYU for summer. I won her over. At the end of the year we had a BYUSA retreat and a BYUSA party where I beat Eric on a blow-up obstacle course, and I was in heaven!

Spring/Summer 2012

Mom came to pick me up after winter semester, but I had to go to my first friend's wedding reception first. One down! When I came back to school for summer the fun really started. Friend dates with Eric were like once a week whether we went for crepes, J Dawgs, or frozen yogurt. I lived with Meghan this summer which was easily the best choice. We went to Seven Peaks almost every day, started a Fourth of July tradition that continued every year, and became even better friends with Janessa who had lived across the hall from us freshman year. Janessa, her roommate Leah, Dani, Meghan and I had watched "When a Stranger Calls" together during the school year. After that we slept on the living room floor falling asleep to church music because we were so scared. Anyways, Jan, Meghan and I watched scary movies all summer at Jan's house. :) That summer I also was in the Fourth of July parade and made s'mores on the belltower lights with Meghan and Mallory and Jessica from BYUSA. That summer I was also a peer mentor for FOL and had a blast with my BYUSA team every single day.

Fall 2012/ Winter 2013

Fall came around which lifted some responsibility off my shoulders since I was acting as VP in BYUSA. Eric was done with his internship and took over. I had new roommates but lived in the same building as most of my old roommies so we still did stuff together all of the time. We went to the stadium party and got pics with Van Noy and Brandon Davies. #winning. We also played in the park at night and went to the Brigham City temple open house. For football games this year I had 50 yard line seats on the front row with BYUSA. Best thing ever. Seriously. BYUSA took up most of my time, but I had fun with my roommies too. I even dressed up with them for Halloween (which I NEVER do). I spent Thanksgiving in my apartment this year with Becca. We made a delicious dinner and even had a meringue war when we were making the pie. The trees with red and yellow leaves somehow changes to bare branches with snow overnight. Christmas came and went. With the snow we made giant sculptures on the patio of our apartment. Michael came to visit and Becca and I took him to Temple Square, Hogle Zoo, and the This is the Place monument with about a foot of snow on the ground. My roommates and I also went to the Festival of Colors again this year. Why miss the chance to become a rainbow? This year of BYUSA included even more adventures such as a day at Boondocks with go-carts, bumper boats, an arcade, a batting cage, and laser tag, a luncheon in the brand new convention center, a leadership ceremony where I won the BYUSA dedication award, our final winter retreat, and multiple fun, random days, events, and activities.

Spring/Summer 2013

This was the year I also dated a boy for the first time. Andrew. It lasted for one month which makes me laugh, but it obviously just wasn't meant to be. That spring I got to see Wicked for the first time for my birthday, and I spent my last birthday taking pictures with my best boy. That summer he died which took me what felt like forever to stop crying about. Needless to say I didn't get the best grades in my classes that summer. Oh! And the first of my roommates got married. Emilee got married!!! I made some of the best friends at BYUSA, and I applied to be the VP like Eric was. I didn't get the position, but I realized why later. That summer my best friend, Eric, got married, I made my first solo road trip, spent more time with Meghan (we enhanced our 4th of July tradition by going to the fireworks and concert at Thanksgiving Point on the 3rd as well as the Stadium of Fire fireworks on the 4th), made a trip to Washington with the roommates, got to see the Manti temple pageant, fell head over heels for a boy that moved away and suddenly stopped talking to me, went to a hot air balloon festival, went to the rope swings in Mona, saw a Pioneer Day parade, went to another wedding reception, got showered in glitter on a rough day, got a job, made a new friend (Julie Anne), and did the ropes course at the Olympic park. And, at the end of the summer, I was once again a peer mentor at FOL (I loved it even more this year) and was roped into being a peer mentor for New Student Orientation. 

Fall 2013/Winter 2014

This semester I roomed with Dani, Kaitlyn, and Makenna again, and we went back to our fun shenanigans and adventures which included wedding ring shopping one night. My new job was with the Alumni Association planning events. I mostly worked with the Student Alumni. It was a lot like BYUSA, but I got paid for it and worked in the Hinckley Center! This job had its perks. I got to watch the BYU v. Texas game in the President's Loge with the First Presidency of the church and the head honchos of the school. I drove the Alpine Loop in the fall, had picnics in the park with Meghan, drove in the convertible with Kennedy to the pumpkin patch, went to football games with Dani and her boyfriend/fiance Tyler, and was Becca's companion for a day before I dropped her off at the MTC. Jan, Julie Anne, and I made a trip to Park City in a blizzard, my roommates and I saw the Catching Fire midnight premier since we had seen Hunger Games together the year before. I made a trip to Arizona where I got sick for the first time since going to college, but Ami, her family, and I still ended up going to Cali anyways (my first time!). Dani and Ty got married and I got to be a bridesmaid! I survived winter once again and saw the lights on Temple Square and drove through the Thanksgiving Point lights with the top of the car down. I went on a retreat with my Student Alumni group and got to go tubing at Soldier Hollow. I went to the hot springs, planned and attended Traditions Ball, got to see Andy Grammar in concert, met and hugged Sister Dalton, and just had fun! 

Spring/Summer 2014

All of the sudden my final terms at BYU came. James and Kaitlyn got married, and I was the Maid of Honor! I finally went to Arches National Park, I hiked the Narrows at Zion National Park, Meghan, Janessa, and I went to the actual Stadium of Fire concert where Carrie Underwood performed, I spent most of my time with friends, I made a 4.0 for spring and summer, I had an internship with the Department of Child and Family Sservices, and I had almost a week long vacation where I missed class and went to California. 

So, I had good and bad roommates, I was in love and heartbroken, I had good and bad wards, I had fun and worked hard. I was involved. I made friends. I had adventures. I went to football, basketball, and even some volleyball games. I had experiences that most students don't get to have. So, thank you to everyone who made my BYU experience a FULL BYU experience. Roommates: Kaitlyn, Dani, Emilee, Makenna, Meghan, Jenn, Alanna, Melissa, Mallory, Alexis, Maren, and Ashley, their husbands, my BYUSA team: Bryon, Angela, Kennedy, Austin, and Devon, Eric Cecil, Angela Blomquist, Amanda Nuttall, my favorite teachers: Anne Hodge, Erin Holmes, Justin Dyer, Hank Smith, and Katie Isaak, my bishopric members, the Bishop's wives, the Student Alumni team: Flint, Michael, Mady, Christina, Brett, and Brody, Curtis Isaak, Julie Hatchett, my internship mentors: Liz and Kobie, Janessa, Julie Anne, Justin, Andrew, the best visiting teachers ever: Brooke Ellis and Blythe Beecroft, Alyssa Harkness, Becca, and Aubryann McClune. Thank you for allowing me to say that I had the best of the best experiences I could have ever asked for at Brigham Young University. I am thankful that I could leave my mark at BYU, but I am even more thankful that it left its mark on me.

The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway

It was hard to pay attention in class as there was a crying child outside. She was so loud, and after seeing all of the fun things the BYU preschool kids get to do I could not imagine why she was so upset. As I was being pulled out of class I honestly had no idea what was going on. One minute my teacher was leaving the room to take care of a crying little girl and the next she was asking me to go out with her. Um... I knelt down in front of the little crying girl and with tear-stained cheeks she shyly smiles and says, "Elsa?" I go with it. After all, she stopped crying. She asked me if I was really a snow princess. I say, "Yep!" and hold out my always freezing cold hands. She puts hers on top and a huge smile breaks out on her face as she yells, "I KNEW you were real!" Then, she happily skips off to wherever she was supposed to be going before she saw me through the window. My teacher explained to me later that after she saw me she insisted on meeting me. My blonde hair in a braid and purple eye-shadow must have made me look like Elsa. I'm glad I could make this little girl's day because she absolutely made mine! That is two little girls thinking I am Elsa within a couple of days. Winning. 

Do I look like her? I guess to little girls I do!

So Much On My Mind

I love it when I have weeks where I feel like I learn in and out of the classroom. Quality education I tell you. I have refused to accept that it is winter, and I have been wearing little dresses with cowboy boots or capris with boat shoes. Texas girl for sure. I refused to accept it was winter until Thursday when it snowed. Right when you think it is almost spring and get a little too confident Utah puts you back in your place. Back to the sweaters and boots for me! Don't worry though. I was back in Sperry's by Friday. 

Tuesday's devotional was amazing! It was about making a difference in the world. It is hard to beat that. The speaker gave us four things we could do: we could make our world bigger, not think or talk but act, have passion and courage, and bringing our best effort every single day. She shared a quote by Calvin Coolidge that said, "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race." She talked about how balance was found in meaning not time. I love that. Balance is found in what I find meaningful rather than the amount of time I have. Lastly, she mentioned that measuring progress is like keeping score, but we need to beware of the illusion of progress v. true impact. I loved it all. 

I also got to read a few articles in BYU Magazine. One article was about the Sacred Gifts exhibit that is in the Museum of Art right now. It is a beautiful exhibit. If I could live there I would. Most of these paintings have never left their homes before and probably never will again. One painting I love in particular. It is an angel leaning over Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. BYU gave the permanent homes of all of these paintings filler pieces so their halls wouldn't be empty while we borrowed them. All spaces have been filled except the one of this picture with the angel and Christ. The museum that owns it said to leave it empty because it meant the angel was out protecting someone else right now. That angel is protecting BYU. Beautiful. The other article just made me happy. It is definitely worth a read. Click here if you have some time and want to make your day a little brighter.

This week I answered over 900 emails. I went into work and typed the entire time I was there each day. By the time I went to my classes my fingers and sometimes hands were sore. Each day I woke up dreading having to go to work. One morning when I woke up looking like a lion even when wearing a ponytail I knew I was in for a long day. I am sure I will have more emails when I go into work tomorrow, but I think I'm ready. I had a good week. I finished it off with movies with Julie Anne and Janessa and a party with Meghan. I love spending time with these girls. Tonight I am watching the Super Bowl solely for the commercials. The Cheerios, Coca Cola, Heinz ketchup, Audi, Doritos, and Budweiser commercials are my favorite. And, I broke out the Toblerone I got for Christmas. Yum! 

 Oh! And my mom sent me pictures from over Christmas break. So, one picture is me at almost 20 years old. The other... 1 year old. Nothing has changed. At all... 

Ars Vivendi: The Art of Living

"For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands." Isaiah 55:12

"That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter until the perfect day." D&C 50:24

Today I had a day off a school and work. Holidays are the best. Four day weekend holidays are hard to beat. I went to bed late after excitement filled my apartment, and I woke up at my usual time to start on homework. I didn't get much done. I still haven't... Homework and holidays shouldn't mix. I should be working on a paper, but I don't want to. 

Today I pushed the homework aside and went to the hot springs with some friends. It was so cold as I was standing in my swimsuit getting ready to get in. Then, the water was SO HOT at first! When I got in I relaxed and sat in the warm water. Close to the end we were getting snow to cool us off and having a mud fight. I love stuff like that! After a while we decided we needed to go and got lunch. I walked around in my swim shorts, tennis shoes, my swimsuit top, and a jacket. Too hot for pants! I walked around in shorts when there was snow on the ground. There is a first and a last time for everything I guess!! That was a perfect way to spend the holiday. And, can I just say that I absolutely love getting emails from Becca while she is on her mission? I'm saying it. I love her emails! I look forward to them every Monday. It makes me laugh that she is slowly forgetting English. My favorite part of the email is when she closes it with "con amor por siempre." I will love her forever too! Now for this paper I have to write...

 

Does It Almost Feel Like Nothing Changed At All

It amazes me how the Lord answers prayers. Seriously. Whether it is a simple request for the class to not read your paper any further or an earnest plea asking him to get you through the semester. In class, the worst paper I felt I had ever written was read in class. The teacher and class were astounded by the quality of the paper... They thought it was good. I just said a simple prayer asking that they not read past a certain point where all my concentration had gone out the window and the quality went rapidly spiraling downward. Luckily (when luck really has nothing to do with it) enough, they stopped reading at exactly that point. Then yesterday... I had a class until 8:30 at night. After a long week the last thing I wanted to do was to sit in class that late. I walked in to see my group from my favorite class last semester. Oddly enough (again, not really odd at all), I was assigned to be in their group for the semester. Emilee is in two of my classes and is in my group for the semester in one. In my other two classes I am left to my own devices, but if I close my eyes... It almost feels like nothing changed at all. My Heavenly Father loves me!
I got to go wedding dress shopping today. Not for me of course, but it was so much fun! Kaitlyn looked so pretty in every dress she tried on. Helping her pick her dress was fun. Helping her pick her veil was fun. Helping her pick her headband was fun. Watching her as the lady told her she got a free garter was fun. Seeing her pay was even fun. Guys, my roommate is getting married! Didn't we just meet each other? Didn't she just go with me to my first dance? Didn't she and I just jump in the biggest puddle? Didn't we just come to college together and cry in our room together when our families left? Apparently not. She's getting married! 

So, obviously I made it past hump day! Now the coaster is flying down the largest hill with the end in sight. but I don't have time to think about it because of the exhilaration. Speaking of hills and exhilaration, I just went on the best Student Alumni retreat ever! We went to Soldier Hallow. You get a tube and head up to the base of the hill, maybe swinging it and trying to knock each other down on the way. Once you get there they hook your tube to a pulley and you're pulled up the mountain so you can slide down. I'll admit I was a little nervous at first. I lost that the first time I got air on one of the hills and adrenaline took over. I love adventures! I love being with friends! Going down in a big group was even more fun. Then Mexican food which was as good as you can get in Utah, two giant cookies with creme in the middle, and a lot of loud singing and crazy dancing along the way home. Surprisingly, the only casualty of the evening was the zipper on my jacket. I can hopefully figure out how to fix it though. I had so much fun! Please note the difference in the before and after pictures of me. They are proof that sometimes I look like a mess! At the end, Amanda, Mady, Michael, and Brody had gone inside because they were too cold. My boss told me he thought I would have wimped out before anyone. Rude. My love for fun and adventure always beats how much I hate the cold. I'm a trooper.
Tomorrow is movie night with Julie Anne as soon as I get some homework out of the way since I did not get any done today. And, just to add some enjoyment to your day, you are welcome to look at some of the most beautiful pictures I have seen in a long time. Cheers to the freakin' weekend! I'll drink (chocolate milk or hot chocolate) to that!!

Create the Highest, Grandest Vision Possible For Your Life Because You Become What You Believe

It is now 2014. It is so weird to think about since a few weeks ago I accidentally wrote 2011 on one of my papers without realizing it until my teacher pointed it out. Oops... It's a new year, a time to start again, a time to stop thinking about what you are going to do and start doing it, a time to live your life and be who you are, a time to forget about what happened in 2013 and move on, and a time to take risks and make the most of life. 2013 is a year that I was happy to wave goodbye to. It has been a long one that I don't think I was prepared for but grew to understand and appreciate. It just continued to show me how nothing goes the way we plan. In 2013 I had my first kiss, first boyfriend, one of my best friends got married, I was heartbroken, I got to go sailing, I had three beautiful roommates get married, my puppy died, my bunny died, I took a risk and applied for an internship in Ghana, I developed a severe case of wanderlust, I went home twice, my great-grandma passed away, I got to go see Wicked which is just beautiful, I had so many adventures, made new friends, drove through blizzards, sat in the President's Loge with apostles for the BYU/TX game in which BYU won, decorated the Alumni Christmas tree which won a campus-wide competition and was on TV, went to California for the first time, made my first and second solo rode trips, got an amazing job with the Alumni Association and work with the best people, dropped my cousin off at the MTC, moved apartments, watched a Pioneer Day parade (oh Utah...), went on a trip to Washington with some friends, turned 19, realized I like fry sauce and a million other things I never gave a chance before, was completely covered in glitter, and so much more! It was wonderful and hard. I guess those two things are a package deal. Without one we would not have the other. 

As the semester was coming to a close my some of my roommates and I went to Temple Square to see the beautiful lights. I also went to Thanksgiving Point with Kaitlyn, James, and Julie Anne to see the lights there. I thought it sounded beautiful to be able to stay in my warm car as I drove through them after freezing in Salt Lake. But, we ended up putting the top down to see them better. It was still fun and the coco afterwards made it even better. And... There were reindeer and so many fun things to see! Also before finals we had to throw Dani a bachelorette party. Now, I live in Provo with a bunch of Mormons so don't let your mind go all crazy thinking of what we did. We went to dinner and she opened gifts. Fun but not too insane. Finals were beastly. I only did poorly on one final, and it was my last one (by that point I kind of just give up). When I looked at the test that was supposed to be dates, names, a map, and places, I saw only names. One hundred and fifty names to be exact that I had to match with what they did. Yeah right, but at least I asked for all of the right finals this time! That was a nightmare last year... I got good grades this semester.Going home was something I was excited and nervous about. When I walk in the door I usually go straight for the couch that Fenway slept on. It was odd not doing that. The house felt a little empty without his snoring or the bonks you heard when he ran into something. I just miss him so much. Being at home consisted of shopping trips, appointments, outings with Ryan, eating seafood and Tex-Mex, baking, talks with my mom and dad, being tormented by my loving little brother, musicals, and outing with my best friend, and movies! I love seeing my family. Sometimes I wish I went to college closer to home so I could see them more. Then, I go home and get sat on by Ryan who is HUGE, and I remember why BYU is the place for me. Christmas was a good one even without the "Christmas Day Fenway." Momma got sick around New Year's Eve. I felt so bad, but I was happy to make breakfast in bed for her. Going back to Utah was sadder and harder than it ever has been before. Now I am back... I don't know if I am ready for this new year. I graduate this year! I graduate in seven months and ten days. I guess I can take whatever this year throws at me. Bring it on, 2014! Bring it on....

 P.S. If you didn't know sock monkeys scare me. My best friend (pictured above) and her mom think it is hilarious so each Christmas I get something to add to my collection. I got THE socks this year. They are eating me...