Our Finals Fort

Friday Jenna looks at me and says, "After we watch Grey's can we make a fort?" (finals! what? where?)

Well this is just one of the many reasons why she is one of my very best friends.

And so it was on Friday that Jenna, Nat and I built the most epic of blanket forts. It takes up nearly our entire living room encompassing the TV, and couch. We also added our mattresses, and Christmas lights to give it an added ambiance.

Naturally we've slept, studied, watched tv, chatted, entertained and straight up lived in it for a week.

And I've got to say, I don't think I've been this proud of anything in awhile. It was the perfect place to hide, I mean study from finals.which went well, yay! 

Also the whole slumber part every night thing has led to some pretty fun times. I can't believe we didn't think of it sooner.

Happy Finals

A finals doesn't go by where I don't procrastinate something everything by blogging. So here I am keeping the tradition alive.(see here, here or here)

However instead of saying how stressful a time it is, or how sad finals make me I've decided to share the lovely, great, terribly happy thing that I've found and that have been happening.

-This song is probably my new favorite.

-However in exactly one week I get to go to this lovely concert:

I'm hoping to hear this new one, this old favorite, and oh my heart would melt if she performed this one.

-A lovely yellow Easter skirt.

-The Spring (and 1 year anniversary issue) of my favorite online publication, The Violet, just came out. Check it here. And marvel in the simple beauty of it.

-This week I got a lovely bike ride in, which always makes me smile

-One of my favorite bloggers is telling her life story. Which I have to admit has me enthralled. I love the idea of writing out your life for posterity. You can catch up here.

-Two words: Tax. Return.
      Ok one other word too: Miracle. It was more than expected, and it made my day. Month. Ok year.


-This print:

found here. I want a print to hang on this.

-4 bridal showers in 1 week. Tis the season for bliss.

-And finally this little article about growing up. Ah....her writing is divine.

Happy Finals!

Finals

Two more.

Then on to more important things.

Better things.

Happier things.

Here is to the weeks ahead which hopefully will be full of sleep, family time, TV, movies, friends, treats and laughter.

Two more...

If You Don't Have an I phone...

Life has be insanely crazy the last few weeks. Finals stressed me out like never before, but I think they went well. And I know that just having them over has made my life a million times better.

I also moved for the 5th time in 12 months. nbd.

Oh and did I mention I did 2 finals and the big move running on 3 hours of sleep? Only in college. Right? Promise me it gets better :) And if it doesn't please lie...

Since then I've been busy working, having Friends marathons (we're determined to watch every episode before July), celebrating Easter, having sleepovers at the Marriott, going to Gwennie's wedding reception, chatting/saying goodbye to some of my dearest friends, going to Morgan for a farewell, family dinners at Aunt Debbies, Costco trips with Dad, movie nights/Farr's nights in Sandy w/Stace, making oreo cake bites, and shopping.

My life is exciting. And I would love to be able to capture all these moments in picture and share them with you all.

Which brings me back to my title. I LOVE taking pictures of exciting things such as this. However my dear dear camera that has given me beautiful pictures and traveled and captured here, here and here with me recently died. Really died. It's bad. Also my phone is kinda useless and has recently taken to speaking to me, which I have to admit is kinda freaky.

So my solution to a broken camera + a freaky phone = iphone.

Doubtful. But a girl can dream.

After all, if you don't have an iphone, you don't have an iphone.

ps. sorry for no pictures :(

A Peek in My Trash..

Yea, this is what finals looks like.(can you spy 3 diet cokes? yea, its kind necessary to final survival-I may not be sipping a Route 44 one from Sonic right now)

Finals also involve not doing my hair, always wearing sweats, stress eating, lack of sleep and doing everything possible to procrastinate studying. (blogging right now)

1 down, 4 to go. With a little diet coke anything is possible.

Way Too Blessed to Be Stressed

(stressed? nah-just being ourselves...)

There are very few things I remember from last week. With a calculus exam, lots of homework and upcoming finals it was a stressful one. I felt like I had so many things that were classified in my mind as "have to"-s.

"I have to take a calc exam. I have to study. I have to make cookies. I have to finish this homework. I have to work. I have to clean the apartment. I have to sleep at some point. I have to shower. I have to finish this semester."

I was dreading every big hurdle, and I couldn't bare the thought of this week, knowing I had a physiology exam (in the morning), lots of studying and finals.

Wednesday night was my low point. I walked out of that testing center too exhausted to even cry over my less than stellar performance. I walked home in the dark questioning everything about school: my major, if I'd ever have a job, if I'd ever make money, if I'd ever graduate, etc. and worrying about the "have to's" of the upcoming days. So, I did what every distressed 21-year old does... called my mom. (what? not every 21-year old calls their mom when their having a panic attack? How do you cope?) As I vented to her she helped calm my fears. I finally reached the point where I could go inside, read my scriptures and go to bed.

The next day I walked around peacefully. The storm of thoughts that had filled my head earlier had calmed. I was able to concentrate on my studies, enjoy the rain, and just feel... peaceful.

Now some may argue that it was because I was simply exhausted. I know better though. That kind of peace doesn't come from sleep, or even quietly reading and listening to Adele. There is only one source of that peace. And, upon asking for it I received it.

As the weekend approached, so came clarity. I was calmed, and enjoyed some of the best experiences I'd had in awhile. As I thought about this weekend on the drive from slc to provo I thought of one word-blessed.

I was blessed to have a mother calm my fears, and sacrifice her time to help me. I was so blessed to see spend Friday night with my other London family. (more to come on that later). I was blessed to be able to relax and laugh with them. I was blessed Saturday to accomplish so much studying. I was blessed to spend time with my sisters. I was blessed to hear my friend speak and share her testimony of the gospel with me. I was blessed to have time with my family. I was blessed by my father.

I'm blessed in many ways, and it's that knowledge that has helped me feel so much peace the last couple days. And it's that peace that's helped me endure with joy this week.

Have to:

to experience, undergo, or endure, as joy or pain

bring on the finals...

I Officially Survived Finals

To celebrate I went to Hummingbird for a final cupcake run with Jessica, Beca, and Meegan. They all went well, and I'm very pleased with how I did.

It was well worth the sins of Tesco runs and only sleeping five hours.

So-what do I do now?

So glad you asked.

Pack. Nap. Abbey Road. Pizza Party. St. Pauls. Trafalgar Christmas tree. Laughing. Chocolate buying. Picture taking. London Eye. Italy.

Goodbyes are not in there, that is too much to think about right now. Not sure how I can say goodbye to a city, and these people that I love so much.

So, while I still can, I'll just continue to enjoy London and my life here on 27 Palace Court.

Finals

We've been busy around here since Thanksgiving! We finished classes Wednesday and finals are in full swing right now.

And by full swing I mean girls popping caffeine pills, the library being over crowded, and more nutella being consumed in these last few days then the last few months combined.

We've also been taking time to have a little fun too though. For example-a few of us hit up Emerites stadium for a legit Football match on Monday:

And then, on Wednesday we all went to tea at the Orangry at Kensington Gardens:

It was a wonderful way to celebrate classes ending.

But of course our rooms are disasters due to the packing/cleaning/studying craziness.

Even the professors are a little exhausted!

So, as you can see things here are good. Crazy, but good. With each final I take I get a little bit closer to home, but I also get a little bit closer to goodbyes.

Something I'm not quite ready for.

So, for today I'm focusing on my next final. And laughing at the mass hysteria!