Sunday, December 21, 2008

Peace

It was such a peaceful dream, the snow was coming down gently, and my parents and I stood there, knowing he was gone yet feeling peace. I awoke to a gently falling December snow outside my window, the world still. It felt so real. When the call came I stood at the window and talked to my dad. As I watched the snow fall, I knew he never would fall again, yet a few tears slowly fell down my cheek and all I could feel was peace. He left with a smile on his face, a smile of peace. No more pain, no more hurt. Just peace. I've been prepared for this. From the beginning I knew something was coming, something big, something life changing, and it came. And I'm stronger for it. And I'm better for overcoming it. And it still hurts, and tears fall as I type this, but now with the funeral over and the flowers fading all I'm left with are memories of yesterdays. And peace. So much Peace.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Taking A Break

Five upcoming finals....
It being a "reading day".....
The fact that I can't get a real Diet Coke anywhere on this campus....
A HUGE lack of sleep (mostly due to having fun, but still no sleep is no sleep)...
A serious need to work=a serious lack of time to get beautiful.....
All these things add up to this.....

Leggings, polka dot shorts, a Hill Cumorah Sweatshirt, red and white striped toe socks, and air dried hair= my studying look

For obvious reasons, finals better hurry up and be over....
On a better note...
Look at the view from my room!!!

Thats right, we finally got some Christmastime Snow!

Oh and when I took a break from all that studying for lunch, I got a real Diet Coke! Maybe finals time isn't so bad after all!

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

My Christmas List

What I want for Christmas:
Time, time is so precious, and I want more of it to spend with my family
Late night Christmas movies with my sisters
Sugar Cookies made with love and the special memories that come with making them
Dinner at Aunt Debbie's with everyone around
My Pops to go home, be free of pain, and to be happy
Finals to be done, and over
To just relax and look at the lights on the beautiful tree all night
Laughter that comes so hard and so fast my stomach aches
To sleep in my own bed and wake up to fresh beautiful snow
A break from everyone and everything here
To just be completely comfortable, like I only can be at home
To dance around the kitchen with my dad
To read books with my mom, and talk with just her
Snow to build a snowman with
To sit by the heater vent with a cup of cocoa, after being out in a beautiful snow storm
Time to hold still, late in the night when I'm just sitting in the living room with my family talking about life, our dreams, and our hopes.
A fresh new year, a chance to renew, begin again, and be better
To be surrounded with those I love and care most about
Time... more time surrounded by all the things I love most, in the place I love most

Its funny how things change as you grow up. I used to think that as I got older Christmas would lose its luster, but now I see that as you get older and leave home you look forward to it so much more, and need it more. I don't care about the camera or clothes I asked for. I'll live without the extra socks and candy. I wouldn't even care if there wasn't one gift for me when I woke up on Christmas, all I want is to be home with my family surrounded by love. Only 8 more days till I get to come home, and stay home! I can't wait!

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Decorating the Dorm

Everyone who knows me knows that I love Christmas and all the little things that come with it! I love all the lights, I love the treats, I love wrapping presents for people, I love the beautiful white snow(still waiting on that part) I love the smells, the music, I love laying on the living room floor staring up at the Christmas tree, I love how I totally become a little kid again... I just love it all. More than anything I love the smiles on peoples faces, the willingness throughout the world to love and serve your neighbor, the spirit of kindness and peace and most importantly the focus on the birth and life of our Savior Jesus Christ.

When I was home for Christmas we decorated our house! Which is not an easy job. Not because our house is large or anything, but because with the amount of Christmas decorations we've accumulated we could probably decorate an entire small country for Christmas. OK that might be an exaggeration, but we could at least decorate the entire state of New Jersey with them. My mom's love for decorating for Christmas and my loving parents made sure that I have Christmas decorations to put up in my dorm!


Ever since I was little I've loved to hang extra lights around my room during Christmas! It just makes me so happy. I'm not sure I should share this picture since I did take a box of never before opened lights that my dad doesn't know about! Oh well!

This is my first nativity. Last Saturday my Dad took me shopping and told me that I couldn't go back without a nativity so he let me pick one up. I love this cute little one I picked out! (ya, thats my lotion and stuff behind it, space is limited here in the dorms!)



This is my cute little Mickey Christmas Tree I got in Disney World this past summer! Its so cute and I love having it right by my computer to keep me sane while getting all ready for finals!

Mom also sent me back with tons of other decorations, and when I see them I think of my Pop, thanks Mom, Dad, and Pops, for making my dorm a little more Christmas-y!



Sunday, November 30, 2008

Thanksgiving

This past week has been so nice! Due to some classes being canceled I was able to head home Monday night and spend the entire week there. Thursday we had an amazing dinner at my Aunt and Uncles house with my great family. This Thanksgiving was different than past Thanksgivings though, with three less chairs around the table. That was hard, yet I'm so Thankful for the role each of those angels have played in my life. Friday we decorated the house for Christmas, which is one of my very most favorite things to do and went to see Four Christmases as a family. Overall it was just so nice to be with my family, be at home and enjoy their company. Here are a few highlights of the week:
~Getting my very tired mom to dance around the kitchen to Mica's Grace Kelly with Megan and I
~Putting the ornaments on the tree
~Seeing Twilight with Abbie
~Sleeping in while my sisters went to school
~Watching Christmas Vacation with my family, edited by Dad and his usually perfectly timed mute button skills
~Going with Dad to buy me a nativity for my little dorm
~Seeing the lights at temple square and the gateway on Saturday with some friends
~Talking to my Pops
~Eating cupcakes from the cutest little cupcake place outside of New York, So Cupcakes
~Seeing old friends!
~Discovering a new Chinese Restaurant with great cream cheese won tons
~Playing Apples to Apples with Chris, Liz, Zach, my sisters, and sometimes James
~Eating Cafe Rio
~Enjoying the feeling of the Holidays that was all around my house! I loved it!
It was so relaxing to be at home this week and I'm so grateful that I got to be there with my family. I'm so thankful for many things in my life, but they are one of the things I'm the very most grateful for. Each one of them truly is a huge blessing in my life!

Monday, November 17, 2008

Count Your Blessings

Tis the season to be Thankful, and although I've been listening to Christmas music for awhile now and am counting down the days til I can put my little tree up, I do love thanksgiving and decided I would share some of the things I'm most thankful for with you. Here are just a few in no particular order:
*The Gospel
*The scriptures
*My calling as a FHE "mom"
*The Angels in my life
I notice them every now and then, the random people who smile at me, the friends who call just to see how I am, and the ones I don't see but have promised to watch out for me from the other side
*the color pink
*my friends
*My vision
*Football
This is Rachele's and mine football faces... ya we look so tough grrrr
*Free Hot chocolate that is handed out around campus for random reasons
*The office
*Chick Flicks
*Winter Attire
*Cute boys (sorry there aren't any pictures of this one, I didn't want to be a creeper)
*Mocs

It really is the little things in life that I'm grateful for, such as wearing my mocs around campus... yes we rock the mocs!
*Great Music
*Chocolate!!
*Facebook
*The opportunity I have to go to school (right now I'm trying to remind myself its an opportunity, not a curse, but I really am thankful)
*My Family
Lately my family has been going through a lot, with my Pops in the process of passing away. Its been so hard for each of us, but as we go through this I realize just how grateful I am for my family, and for the blessing they are in my life. I'm so grateful for eternal families and to be a member of my awesome family. I love you family!
*My laptop
*My beautiful car!
*The Fab Five
Brooke, Rachel, Gwen, Rachelle and I all make up the "Fab Five" We all live in Hinckley Hall together and have become the best of friends! I seriously don't know what I would do without these girls here. They are always making me smile and we have so much fun!

Halloween

So I know its pretty late getting them up, but it was just so much fun that I had to share them with everyone.... Gwen and I all done with costumes, just chillin after our late night Denny's run.. ya, Denny's runs are very common occurrences these days.
Rachelle and I look so surprised while waiting in line for the Haunted House

Dani was in town for my ward party the next day and got to come with! It was so much fun to hang out with her


Some awesome, cool people I live with



Rachel and I dressed as a cowgirl and Indian
We had such a fun night hanging out at the party at Helaman, checking out the haunted houses, giving candy to the little trick-or-treaters from Wymount and getting all dressed up! I loved it all!

Saturday, November 1, 2008

To You

I love
that I'm one of your favorites
I love
the way you still smile whenever I come visit
I love
your stories, and how you make any story well worth the time it takes to tell it
I love
the way you never complain, despite how much you've been through
I love
eating juice and crutons with you
I love
how you laugh
I love
that you tell me I'm beautiful even though you can't see me
I love
when you talk about my future, and how great it will be
I love
that you are proud of me
I love
the memories we have, Christmas, underdogs, and you always being there
I love
the way you never let your disablities limit you
I love
when you would forget to put your eye in and we would laugh for hours
I love
the way you saw the good in people
I love
the love you have for family
I love
how you tried your best, always
I love
your faith
I love
how you raised her, to in turn raise me
I love
how forgiving and understanding you are
I love
how you keep your promises
I love
that we mean the world to you, and how you mean the same to us
I love
that you had the courage to do what was right, no matter what anyone said
I love
your nose
I love
that you love me so much
I love
that no matter how many times you fell, you got back up
I love
you....

Sunday, October 26, 2008

A Phone Call, Parents Weekend, and a Vampire

The whole gang all dressed up for the Murder Mystery. Everyone looked great!


Rachelle and I being Robin O'Negative

Rachelle and I being Robin O'Positive

This week has been absolutely crazy....
~Pops, my grandpa, was in the hospital after another seizure and fall. He damaged his spinal cord and had to have surgery. This was such an emotional experience for all of us. It was very scary, the unknown always is, yet there were some positive things that came from it. I was able to spend the entire day with my mom, I got to see Pops a lot, and we were all reminded that when you love someone its important that you let them know. He is now recovering, and although he is in a lot of pain, he made the right decision to have the surgery, and as everything in life, he is in the Lords hands.

~I realised this week that I love having a roommate. I haven't shared a room with anyone for a long time so I was worried that I would have a hard time with that when I lived here, but I have loved it. Wednesday night Rachelle and I were up till three, just laying in bed talking. Its so nice to have someone you can trust and who loves you for being you to be with here! So Rachelle-thanks for listening, for not being angry, for giggling with me, and for just listening! Who knew talking about boys could be quiet so fun!

~My mom and dad came down to Provo this weekend. It was BYU's official parents weekend, but we kind of did our own thing, which I liked much better. Friday they came and we went to lunch, walked around campus, went shopping!!! and went and had a delicious dinner. I really loved spending time with just them. We are all so busy, and life is so crazy, but it was good to just hang out with them for a while. On Saturday they came back down and we went to the football game. It was so much fun! They are such awesome parents and lately I've really realised how lucky I am to have the parents I have, and how lucky I am to live so close to them.

~Denny's, 12:00-2:30 AM, a car full of people, "do you want to take a picture with me? do you want to kiss my cheek in the picture?", french toast, forgotten <3>

~Last night some girls and guys in my ward and I all had this little dinner murder mystery party. It was so much fun getting to know them all better, and trying to figure out who the vampire was! I originally wasn't going to be able to come, but decided to come. There were only so many characters though so Rachelle and I just decided to combine and come as the same character, Robin O'Positive. It was a blast and I'm so glad I went!

~A few more random things: A picture scavenger hunt for FHE, a phone call that changed a lot, shopping for a "cozy sweatsuit" with Karissa, class, visting teaching for the first real time, studying, and flowering my walls!

What a week! So much has happened! This week taught me a lot, but mostly I learned that even when things don't turn out like you want or hope things can still be GREAT. I'm learning that in the end, we get whats best for us, even if its not necessarily what we want, and that what we end up with might be even better than we even dreamed of...

Monday, October 20, 2008

Feelings Show...

I feel... weird. I don't know how to explain what I've been feeling lately, except weird. I feel like I'm standing on the edge of a cliff, below me there is a deep, dark, cool lake. I'm not afraid to jump into the lake, but I don't jump. Its almost as if I'm waiting for the right wind to come along to help push me into it. The fall will be long, but go quickly, and then as I reach the water everything will change. I've felt this way for a week. I've constantly felt like something huge is coming, and I'm here, just by myself waiting. I haven't figured out whether this thing thats coming is good or bad, but I feel certain that it will change me and my life in a huge way. As I've gone about the past week I've had this little fear, that whatever is coming will be here soon, and how am I spending my last naive moments on the cliff? My family went to California this past weekend, and certain commitments to friends had me staying at home without my family. As I walked around the house, in the empty rooms, and drove places, by myself, the feeling of standing on the cliff increased. I've done a lot to try to prepare for this jump. I've tried to get rid of the feeling, and dismiss it as nothing. I've tried talking to others in hope that they would tell me I'm crazy for feeling this way. I've been to my places of peace, and where I feel most comfortable, but the feeling is always there. I'd like to say that I'm ready to jump now, that I've enjoyed the view from the top of the cliff long enough and that I'm sure that whatever is coming is better than this constant feeling of waiting, but I'm not ready, and in fact I'm not sure I will ever be ready. I think when the time to jump comes I will be as unready as ever, but the little wind I've been waiting for will give a gentle push, but I will place my feet out and jump, putting my trust in the one who sent the help of the wind to guide me through the unknown.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Family Home Evening

Some of us at breakfast at G&G Swain's house! It was delicious! And so so much fun!
My "son" Jordan and I goofing around while carving pumpkins
Jake(dad), Sam, Me, Jordan, Shelby, Lauren, Jillian, Kristi, and Rachelle.. oh and our pumpkins(Sea Creature, Chimp, Jose and Grandpa Gus)
Having fun while "gutting" the pumpkin
My friend Shelby and I took a break from carving the chimp to take this picture!
I love my calling! I am officially a family home evening assistant coordinator, or something like that, but I just go by mom. At first I thought that it would be weird to have this calling, but I'm learning that it is SO fun, and that in a weird way its preparing me for motherhood. In our family we have 8 guys, and 6 girls including me and "dad". Lately we have had lots of fun activities! We have played catch phrase, learned about missionary work, played boys vs girls Disney Scene It (and thanks to the awesome girls in my family, I still have never lost at that game!), had breakfast at "grandma and grandpa's house" and tonight we carved pumpkins! I love my "family" and look forward to home evening every Monday night! I couldn't ask for a better family away from my family!

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Some days...

Some days I just miss being home. I miss coming in from the fall cold to my warm house. The warmth not just literal but figurative, like a hug, after being away for awhile. The lights all on, the heater blasting, and everyone laughing. I miss coming home late at night, where everything is still, except my mom who fell asleep waiting for me on the couch. I miss driving up the long, twisting road, to my favorite secret place of peace where I'm literally talking with an angel. I miss reading books on the couch in the late afternoon and falling asleep as the last bits of sun creeps through the windows. I miss the feeling of confidence, love and self-assurance that come from being there, where I can be myself and always have that be good enough, appreciated, and enjoyed. I miss home.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

80s Night!

Rachelle and I all dressed up! Notice my cute shoes, they didn't last long... my poor feet!
Not really sure how 80s it all was, but it was SO much fun!
Crazy Roommates
I love these girls! I seriously have the best girls in my ward ever!!
This was such a fun night! I'm so glad that Rachelle made me come!





I'm learning that college is a lot more than tests, books, essays, and notes. It is actually a ton of fun!! For example: Where else in the world are you going to find a bunch of freshman girls randomly dressed up as if from the 80s crash a ward dance full of college seniors?! (Oh, and for the record, the leaders of that ward, assuming we were actually in that ward, loved us and took like a million pictures of us, which I can imagine will be on some ward website or bulletin board as an example of how to make ward activities more fun) When the girls in my ward said they were going to dress up, just to dress up and walk around I thought they were crazy. After some encouraging from Rachelle, and some help putting together an outfit from my new friends, we were all set. After taking millions of pictures we headed around campus, eventually found some dance and partied it up! It was seriously the most fun I have had since moving here! Thanks for letting me get a little crazy girls! I loved it!

Thursday, September 25, 2008

A Day at College

This is my new favorite picture, so I had to share it with you all! Our awesome 2nd counselor in the Bishopric loves taking pictures and putting them all up on our ward facebook. Being tired of later going on to facebook only to find that the worst pictures of our entire lives had been taken that night, my friends and I decided that when he took pictures at ward prayer next time we would be ready! So here we are, modeling as only we can! I love it!
When I was little and up until about a month ago, I used to wonder what it would be like to go to college. I would think about how cool it would be to live on your own, or what the classes would be like. Now that I'm here I realise that it is not quiet what I expected, but I'm acclimating... So, for those of you who didn't have the joy of attending BYU, or are yet to go to college, let me tell you what an average good day is like:
8:00-Wake up! Yes, this is right, I get to sleep until at least 8 three days a week. On those days I don't have class until 10:00 and I absolutely love it!
9:45-Start the hike up "Hinckley Hill" to get up to campus for classes
10:00-Chemistry: learn the basics about molecules, atoms, and radioactivity all while wondering how much of this I'm really going to need to remember... hmm...
11:00-American Heritage: Learn the role providence played in the founding of America all while boys in the row behind me make funny comments and pass up love notes to me (yes, this really happened, it was hilarious! And on a completely unrelated note, this is my favorite class!)
11:50-Start sprinting in order to make it across campus in time for my next class, literally run into a few people while trying to make it...sorry..
12:00-Sing! Well we don't just sing, we talk, compare, and learn but more than anything we just sing, which I might add, is really weird to do in only 50 minutes, and without certain people I grew used to singing with
1:00-Lunch with Rachelle, usually in the Cougar Eats, but also in the MoA, the Museum of Art. They have this little cafe on the upper level that has such good sandwiches and salads, oh and its like impossible to go there without eating dessert! They are just so good!
1:30-Head back to the dorm, take a little break from school and mess around on Facebook
2:00-6:00-Usually various activities are done during this time, such as homework, going to the gym, taking a nap, going somewhere in my car just to remind myself that I am not stuck here, reading my scriptures, and chatting with friends
6:00-Average dinner time... Off to the brand new Cannon Center for a dinner full of various selections. For about the first two weeks I loved this place! Its still OK, and I know it could be a LOT worse, but its getting old pretty fast... Um, can I come home for Sunday dinner?
6:30-11:30-What I do with this block of time also varies, on Mondays its off to FHE where I serve my calling as our FHE's group "mom", on Tuesdays there is Ward Prayer, Sundays and Wednesdays visiting hours, other nights I go to the library to study, go hang out with other friends, have Disney movie night with the girls across the hall, do even more homework, head to some event on campus, go to a required movie for class, go shopping at the Creamery or just hang out with my friends.
11:30-I usually try to be in bed by now, if there is one thing I take very seriously here at BYU its that I get plenty of sleep...
So thats my average day. It changes depending on the classes, or the amount of homework, but its nice that I'm getting into some kind of a routine. I'll get the hang of this college thing soon enough!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Desires....

So, I was studying here at BYU the other day when I cam across something completely awesome that I just wanted to share with you all. But, this was not your average studying I was doing, I was in fact intently studying my scriptures, which I might add, is like the cool thing to do here. Anyways, I was reading the other day, and I was really struggling a lot with life. I've been worried about a few things in my life that haven't really turned out the way I hoped they would lately. I was particularly distracted, confused, and hurt when I came across 1 Nephi 11:2.. For those of you who don't normally blog with your scriptures right next to you I will quote it for you. It says "Behold, what desirest thou?" My first thought when I read this was, "A lot..." but then I thought about what it really means to desire something. I began to evaluate what I really desire in my life, and what I just want. I've found that there is a huge difference between these two things. As I continued reading I realised that the angel gives Nephi what he desires, and I began to hope that I can receive what I desire to... I looked up every scripture I could find speaking of righteous desires, and I learned a lot. Mostly though I learned that the Lord gives the righteous their desires, according to their faith, and obedience. On the 7th I had the opportunity to attend a fireside at the Marriot Center given by Elder Holland. That night he gave us an apostolic blessing, which was an awesome experience at the time but that didn't really hit me until I started my search for desires. In that blessing he said, speaking specifically to the sisters, "And bless you and ask that every righteous desire of your heart tonight and forever will be answered upon your head" As I recalled this quote, and read this scripture I felt so much peace. I've been so worried about the things I desire in my life lately, but this experience helped me realise that Heavenly Father knows my desires, and he will give them to me. So, I've decided to be patient, and obedient, and do all I can in my power to achieve my desires, and I know that if I do this, the Lord will grant me my desires. He loves me that much!

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Dorm Room Decorating

Before: Boring white cork board....
After: Fun!
Bright colors!
Lots of pictures!

I have a confession... I'm addicted to pictures! Since serving as the Student Body Historian I have fallen in love with not just photography but pictures themselves. I've taken thousands over the last year, and I love them all. Each one reminds me of a specific time or place and when I look at these pictures it takes me back there. I also love decorating. I believe that how a space looks has a huge influence on your feelings-and I try to surround myself in places that make me happy to be there. My love for this convinced me up until about a year ago that I was going to become an Interior Designer. I've since changed my mind and fully plan on become a nurse. I will however, be a nurse who has two great hobbies: interior design and photography.


The dorms here at Helaman Hall are well....boring. I don't mean the activities, the girls, the games, the late night chats, the floor meetings, the constant boy talk and race to get to the showers first. I literally mean Helaman Halls. Plain red brick on the outside, plain white paint on the walls. Drab blue carpet, plain wood desks. White showers, blue chairs. After thinking about it for awhile I came to the decision that if I was going to be living here for the next year I needed to make it my space! Decorating in a dorm gets tricky though-you can't use paint, tape, nails or any of your other average decorating tools. I was not going to let that stop me though... Soon I came to the conclusion how I could turn my boring desk space into a fun place to be! I got some average scrapbook paper, with bright colors and designs, and stapled them on the cork board surrounding my desk. I also used a brand of University approved putty to apply them to the boring white wall by my desk. I then gathered some of my favorite pictures and stuck them on top of the paper, on the cork board. Its fun to look up from my homework and see a picture of my best friends, or family! I'm so glad that I took on this little project and for the effect its had on my room-and despite it being the place where I study-I actually like being at my desk now!

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Family Home Evening-Singles Ward Style

The second half of the rap

The first half of the rap

When I think of Family Home Evening many things come to my mind.... long, long, long lessons given by a certain sister of mine who is an awesome teacher(I always loved them dear), brownies, family announcements, ice cream, calendar coordinating, jamba juice, sharing testimonies, cake, fun activities, and of course treats! I loved getting together and having at least one night where I knew that I could be with my family. Here in Provo though-family home evening is a whole new experience. Last week for family home evening we had had a little game and treats as an entire ward. It was fun but its hard to become good friends with everyone when there are 150 crazy 18 year olds running around asking questions like "What color is your toothbrush?"! I was very excited to get put into family home evening groups so I could get to know some people better in a little bit less crazy environment. Well last night I headed down to the Quad with the rest of my ward. We all met together and after an opening prayer all our bishopric and our bishop's wife gave each one of us a piece of paper with our name on it, and the name of an animal. The goal was to get your entire home evening group together by making the noise of the animal on your paper! It was pretty intense-just for those of you who were wondering I was a cow. And, I was one of the first people to get my animal so here I was moo-ing in the middle of everyone.. it was kind of embarrassing! Luckily I eventually found my awesome FHE "family" When all the families found each other we then had the awesome task of making up a rap with everyones name on it and then presenting that to the other families! We had such a good time making it up! After that we had, in the spirit of FHE tradition, treats! I stayed after for awhile getting to know my FHE fam. It was so much fun and I'm so excited for next Monday night!

Just in case you were wondering... the rap is to the tune of the theme song from Fresh Prince of Bel Air

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

The First Days of School

Celebrating!

All Ready for School


I'm officially a college student! Classes started yesterday and its been exciting to go to them and see what exactly I'm getting myself into... and guess what- I love it! Classes weren't as bad as I expected, I never got lost, I was on time to my classes, my proffesors were pretty cool and I saw many cougars cutting corners! Not scary at all! Well after classes yesterday Rachelle and I celebrated that we both made it, and that Rachelle didn't get TOO lost by going to sub zero for ice cream! I had heard good things about it, and was not dissapointed! It was delicious! We then went to Gold's Gym, which is very necessary after having that delicious ice cream! Thanks to a great deal, a hilarious employee, and the strong desire I have to work out I signed up! Last night was busy as I had a meeting with my bishop, our floor meeting for all the girls in our hall of our dorm, and ward prayer! It was all very new, very weird, and very nice. I guess being old won't be as bad as I thought it would be!
These are the classes that I'm taking this symester....
Chemistry
American Heritage
Book of Mormon
Sociology
Phychology
University Chorale
So far I love American Heritage and Sociology! I'm also really excited for Chorale! It will be nice to sing, which I love, but not have so much stress to go along with it, like VE!

Although I love this all, I do have a lot of homeowork, so I should probably stop blogging and get to work!

Monday, September 1, 2008

The 10 Best Things About Going Home

10-Taking a Sunday Nap!! (This week wore me out and I slept for like three hours!)
9- Einsteins Bagels for Breakfast
8-Doing laundry without having to worry about it
7-Mom's homemade Sunday dinner (loved the Hawaiian Haystacks)
6-Sleeping in my HUGE bed! ( I really miss it...)
5-Going to see Errand of Angels with my family, and finally being able to have a caffeinated diet coke!
4-Watching Chris, Zach and Megan play the Wii Olympics
3-Getting my new car!! I'm in love with my cute little shiny red Mazda 3!!
2-Hanging out with some of my favorite cousins, aunt, uncle, and grandma-oh and dog!
1-Spending the day with my awesome family!! I love you guys!

Sunday, August 31, 2008

My First Few Days in Cougar County...

Jessica, Rachelle and I at the big football game! Look how close our seats were!
Goofing off around campus!
Me in my cute dorm room with cute bedding!
My desk area complete with lots of pictures of my friends and family
Our awesome quote board and callendar. Our quote board consists of things that have been said by us and our friends throughout the fist little bit... Its amazing how many funny things can be said in just a few days!
Well its official.. I am now a college coed! (I feel really old saying that) I moved into my dorm at Helaman Halls right on the campus of BYU on Wednesday. It was so exciting getting everything all put away and making it mine. After moving in, arranging furniture and pictures, buying books and hanging up clothes I was ready to have some fun. That night i went to an outdoor movie and BBQ as a part of New Student Orientation. The next two days were full of all sorts of fun activities for New Student Orientation including, Devotionals, Tradition of Honor(where we learned exactly what is against the honor code in a fun kinda way..) a special class our specific colleges(in my case the college of nursing-where i learned all about what it takes to get into the program, what the program consists of, and what it takes to be a nurse.. good thing I'm so tough. GRRR-dad that was for you), playing sardines in the library, get to know you games, eating at the delicious Cannon Center, womens volleyball games and much more. Yesterday my roomie Rachelle and I decided to walk around and find all our classes before the big season opener against Northern Iowa. That was easier said than done though and I'm kinda worried my lovely roomie won't be my roomie much longer with her sense of direction, or lack thereof! After walking what seemed like miles back and forth around campus we decided to use our sweet meal card and get lunch at the new Legends Grill. It was delicious, and I especially liked all the plasma screen TVs showing different football games, or I guess I could just say one football game-my Utes at Michighan! After that we decied to come back and get ready for our schools big game. Now, I love love love footaball but I was a little worried how I would like "college football". I've grown up going to the games but after attending so many high school games and I fell in love with the sound of the cheers and the way the field looks all lit up at night, so I wasn't quite sure I would like the experience of College football as much. In some ways I don't... but football is still football, and so I loved it! I had an awesome time sitting with my friends, attempting to learn the fight song, and cheering on my Cougars! After the game I went out to dinner at Cafe Rio (big mistake because of traffic-but totally worth it!) and headed to the big Dance/Dating Game/Volleyball big blow out party for the end of New Student Orientation. It's been a fun week, but I'm really excited to get class started. I went to church in my new student ward today, which was a new and amazing experience. As I'm experiencing all these new things I'm very excited for things to get going, and for whats coming up in my life!