I've started a new Christmas tradition...

So, for the second year in a row, on my way home for Christmas I have gotten a free flight out of it. Last year, on my way home from Madrid, they were overbooked and offered me 800 Euro, a free night at a hotel, and free food. Um, yeah! Needless to say, that was a good investment.

This year, I traveled through Phoenix on my way home to Milwaukee. After I got on the flight (from Phoenix to Milwaukee) they announced that they were looking for volunteers (because they were overbooked). Anyone who volunteered would get a free upgrade to first class on a later flight today and would receive a voucher for a free flight anywhere in the continental US and a meal voucher for some food. I'm a sucker for deals I guess--I took it! I guess the idea of a free flight ANYWHERE in the continental US was too good to pass up (I'm a student with limited funds--remember), plus, I love first class (especially on long flights... Phoenix to Milwaukee is nearly 4 hours). I'm not sure where I'll use it yet, but there are plenty of people I could visit!

So, I've been spending the day in the Phoenix airport. The bummer was that my flight was supposed to leave Phoenix at 10 AM and my new flight leaves at 8 PM! So, that's one long day in the airport. Since I haven't gotten much sleep in the past few days with finals and such, I slept basically the whole day here and there on those airport couches, which are surprisingly comfortable! Maybe it's because I'm sleep-deprived.

Other funny things that have happened... a little girl peed on her seat on my first flight this morning (I'm sorry, it was hilarious as she announced to the people in the row in front of us "I peed on myself" and they offered their condolences. I felt bad for the dad though).

Also, I saw a guy from my high school on the second flight (the one I boarded and then immediately got off of... since I took the upgrade). He graduated a year before me and I didn't know him too well, but he remembered me and was so nice! It was a fun, random coincidence.

My brother is also stuck in transit to Milwaukee... his connecting flight got canceled and he's spending the night in Cincinnati. Hopefully we'll make it home!

Merry early Christmas!

P.S. Any ideas on where I should use my free ticket? I can use it anywhere except Hawaii and Alaska. :-)

Finals are upon us...

It's that time of year again. Finals. I love 'em and hate 'em.

Things I love about finals... no class, late-night bonding with people in the library, going out to breakfast with my roommates, getting ready to be DONE with the semester (always a relief)...

Things I hate about finals... well, this is obvious. Late nights, incredible pressure to get things done, feeling like I have no time to do anything but study (even eating, working out, cleaning get pushed aside), arg.

Two tests, one oral presentation, several internship hours, a giant editing project, and several assignments/papers to go before I can breathe easy. Although it sounds crazy, I actually feel like I'm in a groove... I'm in that mode where I will spend whatever time necessary to get it all done... which means several sleep-deprived nights. But, it's worth it in the end when I can look back and say, "I'm DONE!'

I love college (usually).

'Tis the Season to Eat Sugar...

So, it's that time of year again! Ahh, yes, I love it. Anyhow, Diana (my roommate) came up with the idea of having a little cinnamon roll/hot chocolate gathering! It was great... we played some Christmas music and the First Presidency Christmas Devotional, and we ate cinnamon rolls, drank hot chocolate, and decorated gingerbread cookies! We must have had at least 75 people filter in and out throughout the night... as you can see, they were enjoying it:


Below are some cookies that Eurah decorated... my favorite is the gingerbread man with the red heart.


Two girls from my ward came wearing matching Christmas pajamas!


Anyhow, it was a huge success and a great way to start off the month before we all get super stressed with finals... this is my last set of "fall" finals ever! I am graduating in August, so don't worry, I still will have the lovely opportunity to take more finals. Anyhow, I'll pretty much be living in the library for the next 2.5 weeks, and then home for 2 weeks! I am looking forward to someday being able to enjoy the Christmas season a little more without the stresses of school during all of December (I don't fly home till right before Christmas) but I'll squeeze in what fun I can!

The Short List of Things I Am Thankful For

Well, Thanksgiving came and went quickly, as it always does (I mean, it's only one day!) It was a step up from last year... last year at this time I was in Madrid and some friends and I went to TGIFriday's for a Thanksgiving meal. Although they did offer an actual turkey platter, I was just in the mood for anything "American" so I think I got nachos or something.

This year, I spent Thanksgiving with my friend Tiffani's family up in Fruit Heights, UT (north of Salt Lake). It was a lot of fun! We had a huge traditional meal with lots of Tiffani's extended family and lots of pies :-) That evening, we went and saw "Enchanted," which is pretty adorable, in case you wondered. I think the boys in the family even liked it!

The only bummer was that I got a flat tire while I was up at the Stevenson's, but thankfully it was a slow leak and Tiffani's dad was kind enough to fill the tire up and give me a coupon for a local tire store, so I got it patched up in no time before I headed back to Provo on Friday.

To top it off, the Stevenson's shared one of their BYU football tickets with me for the Utah vs. BYU game, which was possibly one of the best football games I've ever been to! We scored a touchdown with about 30 seconds left to win the game.

Anyhow, I thought I'd share the short list of things I'm thankful for this year (in no significant order):

-the discovery of homemade oreos (seriously.... amazing)
-my family (seriously, the older I get, the more I love 'em!)
-having a washer and dryer in my apartment (makes life a lot easier than having to go to the laundromat!)
-being in college (I'm savoring my last few months of undergrad and looking forward to the prospects ahead)
-the Stevensons (seriously, they have been SO good to me since I've met them! They really made me feel like a part of their family for the holidays... and always, for that matter!); thanks Tiffani for letting me come hang out with you guys! :-)
-friends old and new (I love how the circle ever-expands and the appreciation for the old and new friends grows over time)
-facebook (ha, it's just fun and it makes keeing in touch SO much easier)
-dinner group (Because I'm in a rotating dinner group where we take turns cooking meals, I save money and eat much better!)
-my health
-the gospel
-my calling as a gospel doctrine teacher (I've learned a lot and it's fun!)
-adventures (I've had a lot of fun ones in the last year)
-the fact that you can play Oregon Trail online at www.virtualapple.com (flashback to elementary school!)
-Cougar Video's edited movies
-my favorite fleece blanket (well worth the minimal investment)
-discovering new music (there is a forrest of great music out there waiting to be explored!)... pandora.com has helped me discover some great new stuff
-musicals (I like to sing out loud and they make me happy... I don't care if this sounds corny)


Well, that's just a few of the good things I have to be thankful for!! Hope everyone also had a great holiday. I love this time of year :-)

Sampling vs. Savoring

I was one of those kids who wanted to do EVERYTHING. I went through a phase when I wanted to play every sport. Growing up, I tried soccer, basketball, tennis, swimming, baseball, track, gymnastics, volleyball, and powder puff football. I wanted to learn instruments; I took violin and piano lessons and since college I have really enjoyed singing and learning the guitar. I loved art. I wanted to be the president when I was in fourth grade (and I really convinced myself for a couple months that I would be the first female president of the United States). I wanted to be an Olympic athlete, and I thought about doing this via figure skating, gymnastics, bobsledding (I seriously looked into it after the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake), and the skeleton. I've gone through MANY different ideas of what I would be when I grew up - marine biologist, fiction author, doctor, psychologist, English teacher, college professor, journalist, corporate trainer... I've always thought it would be neat to spend my life learning languages. So far, I've only gotten anywhere with Spanish, but I still dream about it. I loved to be involved in clubs: SOS (Students Offering Service), Student Council, Honors Student Advisory Council (at BYU), the English Society, tutoring, etc.

Now, I don't share all of this to win your praise. I look at it and it is almost overwhelming sometimes all of the things I've tried or want to try. Since college, I have had to learn some hard lessons about time management and the reality that we can't do EVERYTHING. I've fought this for a long time, but more recently, it has become apparent that in life, we must pick and choose between different and equally good options.

Does this mean I'm giving up on my dreams? I certainly hope not. I still want to try new hobbies, learn languages, play different sports, do interesting things in a career, be involved in the community, and enjoy all that life has to offer. Variety will forever be the spice of my life. But, I'm realizing the simple truth that life is about the quality of our experiences.

As much as I want to be a Renaissance woman, I also want to be able to be able to say that I actually focused on a few things and accomplished something. I want to actually be good at one or two things. As I've grown up, I've realized that people who accomplish great things often had to sacrifice many other good things in order to achieve goals like becoming Olympic athletes or world-famous scholars. Passion and pure talent usually aren't enough; work is required to reach such potential.

Anyhow, I've found the process of widdling down my interests a challenge. Picking a career, for example, is not easy, because no one career has EVERYTHING that I want. But, refusing to make a choice will never result in satisfaction, only in the empty hopes of a possibility. Growing up means making choices, and I hope that I'm finally learning how to pick and choose the best of what's available to me, and I'm blessed to have a more-than-plentiful basket of choices.

I guess I'm cursed in a way with an interest in everything. I always thought it was a good thing to love everything, and I still think it is, but lately, I've been more envious of people who have been able to make solid decisions and stick with them, even when tempting alternatives present themselves. Open-mindedness is important, but so is focus. In the end, I don't want to just say that I sampled everything, but that I actually savored a few things.

Any thoughts on this? Is one mode of living better than the other? What have you done that's helped you to achieve this balance?

The BYU Fight Song

One of the first things I learned at New Student Orientation my freshman year at BYU was the Cougar fight song. Being able to sing it like a pro was one of our first rites of passage as BYU students. Now, I can't deny, I think "On Wisconsin" will always be my favorite, but the Cougar fight song is pretty fun (despite way too many "ra ra ra"s) and definitely part of the BYU football experience.

My roommates and I went to the BYU football game today against Colorado State. We definitely got a lot of chances to sing the fight song (we sing it after every touchdown). Here's a clip of us singing it for your enjoyment (don't hate us if we're off-key). Go Cougars! :-)

FHE at BYU

So, I just had to tell you about one of our FHE group activities. So, at BYU, each single student in a student congregation gets assigned to a "Family Home Evening" or FHE group, since we don't have our regular families with us to do FHE with. Anyhow, my roommate is one of our group leaders, and we've had fun so far this semester. Each FHE begins with a short spiritual thought, and then we have an activity and a treat. Last week we played spoons with glow-in-the-dark cards. So fun!

Anyhow, so two weeks ago I think it was we planned a service FHE. We decided to make cookies and hand them out to students as they were leaving the testing center on campus. I think Diana came up with the idea and we all agreed it was brilliant. I'm pretty sure that I was given candy once as I left the testing center - so this is not a totally unique idea, but we decided it would be fun. Anyhow, it was awesome! Diana printed off some Calvin and Hobbes comics about school and we handed out those with our cookies. As people came out of the doors, we began cheering. "Yeah! You're done with your test!" Ok, it sounds a little corny, but it was so fun! All the test takers were pretty surprised but happy with our presents. One girl walked by looking pretty stressed... maybe her test didn't go so well :-( One guy even gave us hugs! Anyhow, it was definitely a success. What's better than leaving the testing center and getting fresh baked cookies? Not a bad way to lift the cloud of stress. :-)

Update on "Letters to the Editor"

Just to let you know, they printed my "Misquoted" letter in today's opinion section. Yeah! :-)

Letters to the Editor

Well, I finally got a letter to the editor published in BYU's student newspaper, "The Daily Universe." I was quite excited that my letter was published, until I realized that I was misquoted! They edited one of my sentences, significantly altering the meaning. I was annoyed, because I feel like they assumed what I meant without asking me. Arg.

First, I'll print the original letter that I sent them for you guys:

"I applaud Amnesty International for trying to raise awareness of the situation in Burma. I was disappointed with the low turnout at Wednesday's peace rally. I was even more disappointed to hear students say things like, "What's the point? Are they really going to change the situation by protesting?" The other day, as I walked by the Amnesty International banner, I saw this quote: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." There are a lot of 'good people' at BYU 'doing nothing' to be aware of the evils going on in this world. Yes, perhaps a small rally at BYU won't change a dictatorship. But raising awareness and educating people on social justice issues are important. How are we as students ever going to be able to "Go forth to serve" if we do not take time to "Enter to learn" about the problems in our world? Most of us cannot even fathom living under the kind of oppression facing the Burmese monks. But does that mean that we should ignore the fact that such things go on in this world? I'm with Martin Luther King Jr., who said: " Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." As future leaders, we must use our education to promote truth and justice everywhere, not just where it directly affects us."

So... here is the letter I sent them, which I asked them to print in the next "Letters to the Editor" section. You'll see how they changed it.
----------------------------------------------------------------

Dear "Letters to the Editor,"

Please print this in your "letters to the editor section." This is in regards to my letter "Doing nothing," published on 10/22/07.

I'm grateful that you printed my letter to the editor, but when you did your editing, you changed the meaning of my intended message. I did not not mean that BYU students are completely aware of the evils of the world and are "doing nothing," but that they are not taking the proper time to get educated about social justice issues in the first place. Yes, some know about the Burma situation and don't seem to care too much. But many don't even really know about it in the first place and walk by demonstrations on campus such as the Burma rally without learning about their purpose. I feel that the way you changed my letter misrepresents what I intended to say. Please be aware that subtle editing changes can have a great effect in the intended meaning of the author. I applaud BYU students for all the good that they do; I just think that we could do more to actively learn about and stand up for political and social justice issues all over the world.

Thank you,

Lauren Major
Mequon, Wis.

The original sentence:There are a lot of 'good people' at BYU 'doing nothing' to be aware of the evils going on in this world."

The edited sentence: "There are a lot of "good people" at BYU "doing nothing," but are aware of the evils going on in this world.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Anyhow, I know it was simply a mistake, but it taught me a great lesson. Editing matters. Misquoting people misrepresents them. Maybe some will say that it's not that big of a deal. But I think it is. Things that are in print are there for everyone to see, and it made me realize that I should not take that responsibility lightly.

The Odyssey Years

Here is a link to an article that I find very interesting.

This is from a recent opinion column in The New York Times by David Brooks called "The Odyssey Years." According to Times, this article can be summed up as follows: "The decade of wandering that frequently occurs between adolescence and adulthood is a sensible response to modern conditions."

I'm not sure how I feel about this phase of life as the simple result of "modern conditions," nor will I simply say that I am a product of my generation, but I do think that many young people my age can relate to Brooks' description of life for the twenty-something right now. I definitely do. Although I'm probably more tied to tradition than some who are my age, I still can relate to the feeling of having to find my way in an uncertain world. For a young person who has grown out of immense opportunities and who faces a world full of more opportunity and uncertainty than she anticipated, "odyssey" is a good description.

Life is different for us than it was for our parents at our age, but we still ultimately want the same things--love, health, happiness, and a better world. I guess the road to getting those things will always be different in different periods of history, but I guess that's why I'm so grateful for my faith in the gospel; it gives me stability in a changing society. Thankfully, the essence of life is constant, and if we remember that, I don't think we need to simply be defined by our generation.

Yikes! My hair is short!

Well, I got a haircut for the first time since April. I'm not really that in to making sure I look perfectly fashionable all the time or anything (although I like to look nice of course), but I went online and found some hair styles that I liked with sweeping bangs. I showed her a picture of Nicole Richie. Now, let me state for the record, I am not a Nicole Richie fan, but she does have nice hair! Anyhow, the cut ended up being a shorter than I expected, and I came home feeling a little freaked out. I played around a bit with it since I really don't know how to style short hair, and this is my June Cleaver flipped-out look that I came up with, hehe. I'm still deciding whether I want to go and get it fixed a little somewhere else to add some layers (when it's not flipped... I'm not a huge fan, it feels like too much of a blunt cut)... but we'll see. Any advice? And be honest! Thank goodness that hair grows :-) (Also, if you know of a good hair stylist in Provo, let me know!)

First BYU football game in 5 years!

This last weekend, I got to sit in the front row at a BYU football game for the first time. It was also my first football game since my sophomore year at BYU in the fall of 2002. Oddly enough, I didn't even get student season tickets this year because they sold out really early. I was really sad, but my friend Eden came through and offered a couple front row tickets to my friend Emily and I for the homecoming game, since she couldn't go. Yeah!

It was rainy and chilly (and Emily and I were shivering in our BYU t-shirts), but it was so much fun to be up that close. We beat the Air Force 31-6, which made it that much better. At the end, we enjoyed the tradition where the team comes around the first row and gives everyone high fives. Emily and I were in the front and tons of people were trying to reach their hands over, it was almost a little scary... little Emily thought she was going to flip over on to the field! Haha, we went home, had some hot chocolate, and called it a day.

Can't we all just study quietly?

Ok, so I'm in the library right now, working on some assignments before my Elang 410 class (it's for the editing minor). A couple was sitting next to me in the adjoining computer, and it inspired me to write this post.

It is a common sight, all over BYU campus, to see dating/engaged/married couples, gazing lovingly into each other's eyes. I have nothing against this, truly. I am so happy for my friends who have fallen in love... I mean that's what we all hope for in life! But. . . what works on my patience is the constant cuddling, gazing, sighing, giggling, kissing, lovey-dovey talk that surrounds me, even in places like the library. It's not love that I'm annoyed with, it's people's disregard for the others around them. I've talked to engaged couples, and it seems that the common theme is "we so in love that we just don't notice anyone else" or, more honestly, there's an underlying sentiment of "we sometimes just don't care if everyone else watches us." Ah! Being engaged does not give you the right to annoy others... most couples assume that there are so many couples like this around that people should be used to it. Yes, there's some truth to that, but I don't think that's an excuse to ignore the feelings of others, whether they be friends or strangers. Call me old-fashioned or sensitive, but I don't think I'm asking too much.

I don't mean to ban all forms of affection or anything. Hand-holding, arm around, the occasional kiss, etc. is fine. Let's just remember that others are around you when you're in public.

And yes, you can hold me to that standard if/when I get engaged/married someday. :-) And for the record, I do love BYU, even with it's cultural quirks. But, that doesn't mean I can't offer some constructive criticism!

Just for fun

So, I've been tagged! If someone tags you, you write up 8 random facts about yourself and then tag a couple people to do the same on their blogs. So, just for fun...

1. I used to have a stuffed bunny named Phil that I pretended was my husband. Phil was the largest stuffed animal we had, and therefore was deemed to be my husband when I played dolls and stuff. I even used to draw family pictures with me, the kids, and a man with a bunny head wearing a suit. Ha.

2. I've used the same laptop since the beginning of freshman year. For a computer, that's a pretty long life (over 6 years)! I've had to add in extra memory and I installed Windows XP, but the little guy is still truckin' along nicely. We'll see how long he lasts.

3. I once put 28 grapes in my mouth. My friend and I were bored and we decided to have a contest, and after 28 they started spilling all over the place.

4. I played on a boy's baseball team for 4 years in elementary/middle school. And oddly, it didn't really phase me that I was one of the only girls. I was just really competitive I guess. Ha.

5. I sang "Someone to Watch Over Me" at a piano bar in Madrid to a group of older Madrilenos. Not sure if that's something to brag about, ha, but it was definitely funny!

6. I have a secret love for reruns of "Full House" and "Saved by the Bell." Nostalgia I guess.

7. I used to have a HUGE crush on Jonathan Taylor Thomas from "Home Improvement." I even wrote him a letter telling him about how we have so much in common and should be friends. I received a mass response letter with his autograph. Oh well.

8. I once had a class at Marquette that had about 15 people in it, and about 5 of us were named Lauren. Weird, I had never met so many Laurens in one place in my life!

Ok, not sure if that really tells you much about me, but hopefully you learned something new and had a chuckle or two. I tag.... Vickie and Tiffani. You're it!

So much to do, so little time.

Well, this month has flown by. After summer term finals ended, I went to two wedding receptions and a bridal shower that following weekend. Then, I spent a week in Wisconsin, which was rainy but relaxing. My mom and I watched 3 Hallmark movies, if that gives you an idea of the pace of the week... but that's just what I needed. Now, I'm back here in Provo, helping out with freshman orientation, moving into a new apartment, and getting ready for classes! I'm in-between apartments... with most of my stuff in the new one, but I still have to go back to the old one to clean it, eek.

Freshman orientation is so much fun! It seems like yesterday I was moving into the dorms and starting college. It's fun to see the freshmen, wandering around, trying to look nonchalant (even though you can tell they're lost and a little nervous about everything) and getting excited to start classes. We've all been there. It's weird to be on the other end, but it's also nice to pass the college wisdom down to the next generation. I really had fun taking them on a campus tour, pointing out all the buildings and telling stories about my experiences and experiences of my friends. Going to the orientation leader training and listening to the BYU President address the freshman today was a nice way to start my last year of college, reminding me of what BYU is all about and what I want to accomplish before I leave this school. I remember all the anticipation of starting college, and I want this last year to really be memorable and to wrap up my college years full-circle.

With that said, there's lots to do before school starts next week. Yikes! I'll keep you posted and hopefully get some pictures up here soon!

Summer school is over!

I call it "Cramming for a British Lit. final."

Total Eclipse of the Day

It's funny how a day can turn from bad to good in such a short time. Monday was one of those days. Being the last day of the summer term, I had a LOT to finish for my classes. In one day (on 2 hours of sleep and under intense pressure) I managed to finish a course project for my American English Usage Class, finish my research paper for British Lit, take a tennis test in the Testing Center, play several games of tennis (last day of class and I had to play a certain amount of games for the class), attend 4 hours of class... needless to say, I was exhausted when I came home from school at 8 P.M., over 12 hours since I left the house.

After a shower and some food, I went and accompanied Emily Reynolds at an acoustic guitar show (I played back-up on my violin) and given my rough day... it wasn't my best performance. I thought I would go home after that and sleep for the next week... but somehow, Emily and her brother Seth, who was in town visiting, convinced me to go see "Evan Almighty" at the dollar theater.

On the way there, as I was sitting in the backseat (between two car seats... because Seth borrowed his older sister's car) we listened to "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and sang our hearts out. In that moment, something changed in me as the stress just released. "Evan Almighty" was great too, I was surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did.

Anyhow, I came home after the movie around midnight... exhausted still, but happy. I love days like that.

Climbing Mount Timpanogos

This weekend, 5 friends and I climbed Mount Timpanogos. Of all of us (Amanda, Bryce, Tiffani, Anthony, Emily, and I), only Tiffani had done the climb before. It was an intense, but awesome experience! We left on Friday night at 8 P.M. from Aspen Grove, up Provo Canyon. After 4 hours, we reached Emerald Lake, which is like the "base camp" for the hike. Emerald Lake is a lake made from the melted glacier above it. It was FREEZING up there that night! I had no idea how cold we would be! Emily and I shared a tent, and we had to cuddle to stay warm... it was in the thirties! We barely slept about 2 or 3 hours.

Then, at 6ish on Saturday morning, we woke up and did the final climb to the summit. Wow, it was intense. We kept thinking we were close, and then we'd see another peak that we had to climb! There were a lot of people climbing the peak too... it is a popular hike. We saw kids, teenagers, college students, tourists, even dogs! Anyhow, we then had to go back down... and by the end, we were extremely thirsty, sore, and tired. Needless to say, we slept REALLY well that night!

Saturday also happened to be my 25th birthday! It was an interesting way to spend my birthday, and it will definitely be a great memory! We went to Chili's later that night and then ate cake and watched "Clue" in Emily's backyard on a projector. It was a great birthday and a great way to start my next year!

Here are some pictures from the trip:

These flowers are called "Indian Paintbrushes." Aren't they gorgeous? There were so many different wildflowers... it was beautiful!

Here are Anthony and Tiffani, enjoying the cold water at the waterfall near the end of the hike... we were so tired by this point!


Emily, Amanda, me, and Tiffani at a waterfall near the beginning of the hike.
The sun coming up near Emerald Lake on Saturday morning.

The glacier above Emerald Lake. This is a popular way to descend from the summit, by sliding down the glacier! Unfortunately, the glacier wasn't very large this year, so it was extra dangerous to go down it. So, we decided to climb back down the way we came.

This is a view near the top of Mount Timpanogos. Doesn't it look incredibly high?! It looks like the view from an airplane!

Amanda and Bryce... hiking on the way back down.

Anyhow, I've had a lot of fun enjoying all of the fun outdoor things in Utah this summer. I'm not sure that I'll be climbing Timp again in the near future, but I'm really glad I did it and I hope to do it again someday. Climbing Timp is sort of a BYU rite of passage... it seems that most of my friends have climbed it at least once. And, this weekend, a group of 6 twenty-four-year-olds (one turning twenty-five on the trip) joined the ranks of those who have climbed before :-)

Sam came to town!

Sam is on his much-needed, month-long summer vacation from culinary school. He came to Provo to visit me a little over a week ago... and it was, of course, a great time. I hadn't seen Sam since Christmas, and sadly, this might be the only time I see him until next Christmas (or at least in the fall sometime), since we live on opposite sides of the country and are both in school!

Anyhow, he was able to catch up with some of his friends who are still in Utah... old mission buddies, old roommates and ward friends, etc. Also, I had a chance to introduce him to some of my friends, too. We got to go to my friend Tiffani's house in Fruit Heights, UT and her family was full of questions for Sam about his experiences in culinary school and his future plans. With a little prodding, he even baked us an impromptu cake, which was awesome! Tiffani's mom tried to get us to come over again to let Sam wow us with more cooking, but alas, there just wasn't enough time!

Another highlight of the trip was floating the Provo River. Although originally we were going to try to invite some friends to join us in floating down the river, in Provo Canyon, on inner tubes, it ended up being Sam and I, which was a lot of fun since we had some good brother/sister bonding time. Although the water was a bit cold (the small rapids definitely surprised us a few times) and I got a couple of scratches from branches, it was well worth it! The view from the river, with the mountains on both sides of us, was amazing.

The final interesting highlight was that Sam got to stay with some friends of mine in, yes, his old house in Provo! Although he was staying on the top floor instead of the basement apartment (affectionately called "the pipes"), he got to relive his BYU 162nd Ward memories a bit. I live in some apartments that are a part of his old ward... and weirdly enough, he said he home-taught some girls who lived in my current apartment! Small world.

Unfortunately, I don't have any more pictures (what was I thinking?!) but we both agreed that the trip went too fast! Hopefully I can make it out to NY before he packs up and leaves the CIA in February!

Llama Fest

So, one of the unique Provo summer experiences... Llamafest. At the Hare Krishna temple in Spanish Fork, they had the annual Lllamafest. Emily asked me to go, and although at first I was skeptical as to whether it would be worth it, we quickly discovered that this would be memorable.

The Hare Krishna temple is beautiful. Very unique amidst the Utah landscape... we went inside and listened to a member of the temple answer questions about the faith and the meaning of different things. Very interesting! I still don't know a ton about this religion, but I'd like to read more to be more informed.

And, the llamas! There was a fenced-in area full of wandering llamas... and you could buy food to feed them. Emily and I just walked around and pet them. This one llama seemed to like me! He seemed to always be looking my way and walking towards me. I took a picture with the little guy/girl.



Anyhow, there were also llama races, an obstacle course for the llamas, dancing, music, food... and good times. Definitely a fun experience!

Maybe tennis class in the Utah summer wasn't the best idea...

So, I'm currently taking my last PE credit... beginning tennis. My tennis days were short-lived... I took tennis lessons for 1 or 2 years in elementary school, which is no surprise since I pretty much played every sport at some point in my childhood. However, my tennis career came to an abrupt end when I broke my arm at tennis camp one summer. We were doing some sort of drill, and I was running backwards on the court, and then I fell right on my wrist. Ow. The only good thing that came out of that was my cool pink cast that my Dad made for my arm.

Anyhow, I've once again decided to pick up the tennis racket. I knew that summers in Utah were hot, and man, I haven't been disappointed! Seriously, I'm not used to avoiding the outdoors in summer, but I really can't be outside in the middle of the day except for walking from one place to another. Anyhow, I figured that I should take my tennis class in the late afternoon, since 8 AM sounded pretty early and I figured that the temperature would cool down by then. Not really. The sun stays out longer and brighter here than in WI, and basically, it's still blazing hot at 5:15-7.

At Monday's class, I tried to move minimally when I didn't need to, but I think I must have been dehydrated, because I began to feel nauseated. That's happened a few times when I've been at soccer try-outs or somewhere where I've been working out really hard... but considering we're not really doing much running in this class, I think it must have been more of a heat-related thing. Anyhow, I felt pretty pathetic for feeling so sick... I almost had to sit down, and we were just doing some simple drills and games! I felt like one of those people crawling in the Saharan Desert. We all were pretty lifeless by the end of class. I better bust out the giant Nalgene water bottle next time.

4th of July in Utah!

Emily and I got some pecan and apple pie at the Freedom Festival days in Provo. Nothing like apple pie on the 4th of July!

I loved this sign! Basically, it says that if you eat three giant sandwiches in less than 25 minutes, you get them for free! They were huge sandwiches...

Hanging out with some people before the fireworks.


After the big fireworks, we went to Emily's house and had a campfire and lit sparklers! I hadn't done that in a long time... to be honest I once got a little burned from one when I was little and ever since, I had always been a little wary of them. But, as you can see, Camilla, Susan and I were having plenty of fun sparkler times!

This is one of the first times that I haven't been in Milwaukee for the fourth. It was a different experience... they seem to be much more into the 4th here in Utah... and I think they are more openly patriotic... much more festival stuff going on. But, it's been fun to celebrate in a different part of the country... I love the U.S.!

Bloody Foot Syndrome Returns

So, way back when, I wrote on the blog about how I walked around Madrid in my new shoes and got really bloody feet. I had to go to a pharmacy and buy a bunch of band-aids and sit on a curb and wipe my feet down in front of crowds of people. Then, to avoid further damage, I had to wear white running socks under my dress shoes for the rest of the night.

I had a relapse last weekend.

I went to meet up with an old roommate, Sarah, and her boyfriend, friends from church in Milwaukee, up in Salt Lake City. We ate lunch in The Garden Room, this good restaurant on the top of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. Afterwards, we walked around Temple Square a bit and then went to get a tour of the Beehive House, Brigham Young's House. As we walked in to start the tour, done by two friendly sister missionaries, I bumped my foot against a wooden pew. It looked like it would be ok, although it had sliced my toe a bit. Ten minutes later, my toe was bleeding profusely, creating a pool of blood on my flip-flop. I tried to ignore it, but I was afraid of getting blood on the historic carpet! I didn't want to have to explain that one to the prophet someday. Anyhow, I had to interrupt the tour and one of the sister missionaries took me to get some tissue paper to wipe my foot down. As I walked out, the fellow tour participants gave me sympathetic smiles and comments, "Wow, those benches must have been hard!" Um, slightly embarrassing. Anyhow, I hope I don't have any more incidents! :-)

The Road Trip to Baja

Hi everyone! Well, Emily and I finally decided to do the road trip we've been talking about for a long time... going to Baja, Mexico and camping on the beach! So, this last weekend, we loaded up 10 of us (4 girls, 6 boys) into 3 cars and road-tripped it down to Mexico. We knew it would be an adventure, and we were not disappointed!

After careful planning (getting Mexican driving insurance, finding a campsite, etc.) we left on Thursday afternoon after finals for spring term and got home about 6 A.M. on Monday morning.

Thursday night we slept at Shady Lane RV/Campground in Barstow, CA... about an hour and a half south of Las Vegas. Not exactly paradise, but at 11:30 PM, we just wanted a place to crash. The next day, we crossed the border near San Diego and stopped in Tijuana for a bit, and then headed down to Playa Saldamando, our campsite near Ensenada (a little over an hour south of Tijuana). On Sunday, we went to church in Ensenada and then trekked it back to Provo...

Here are some pictures from the trip!

Here I am on the last day of the trip... after 3 days of no showering. Nice. I had gone swimming though. I bought these flowers from a guy in Ensenada.

My new friend Robert and I horseback riding on the beach in Ensenada!

Checking out the beach on the first day in Mexico... we're finally here!

Our campsite - Playa Saldamando

A shop in Tijuana.

Here are a few of the most interesting things about the trip:

-camping on semi-hard ground for three nights (my hips started to complain by the last day)
-eating amazing tacos (seriously, there's no comparison...sorry Taco Bell)
-good times with good people (and many of us didn't know everyone... so yeah for new friends!)
-speaking Spanish again (so fun!)
-getting lost in random parts of Tijuana and Ensenada (the signs are seriously lacking)
-horseback riding on the beach with my horse Juana (she started galloping at the end of my ride, yikes!)
-campfires and sleeping in front of a beautiful ocean view (hearing the waves as you sleep is very soothing), and we had dolphins that swam by every day!
-the serious challenge of renting a surfboard, but then the excitement of actually getting one and then watching everyone try it out... lots of wiping out!
-the interesting walk around Tijuana (hmm...)
-driving straight through the border into Mexico and then waiting 3 hours in line to come back to the US on the way home
-the stresses of figuring out money and how to split stuff between 10 people
-going to church in Ensenada (loved it! We went to the "Azteca Ward")
-driving up 1-5 in California between San Diego and LA as the sun was setting...so pretty.

Anyhow, this is a taste of our trip. There were stressful moments, which I guess comes with traveling with a large group and with going into a foreign country, but overall, it was great. I came back with some sun on my face, some hand-crafted leather sandals (only $7!) and a beautiful green stone necklace (only $4!) and in serious need of sleep and a shower. After two days, I finally feel unpacked, clean, and rested. Mexico, I hope to see you again soon!

Adventures in Golf

So, when my parents were in town over Memorial Day Weekend... Dad and I had a chance to go golfing twice! The first time was in Cedar City, which was fun since that's where Dad used to golf back when he started. He said the course was pretty much the same from when he started playing there. And... there was a new addition. Prairie dogs! I guess there's a new rule in Utah that you can't kill them (they're endangered?) but they were EVERYWHERE on the course. Each hole had about 20 prairie dog holes on it with the little guys sticking their heads out and running around. I thought I was going to hit them!


Go Dad! This was at Cascade in Orem, Ut.


Here I am at Cascade too. Ooh, I need to work on my swing.


Two of my golf class friends came with us to golf at Cascade... Chelsa and Sofia. Chelsa is a fellow Wisconsinite, and it was her first time golfing, which was fun. Sofia is from Mexico, and she was on the BYU tennis team, and given her athletic background, she picked up golf FAST. She's really good! (She's the one who taught me all the cool Spanish golf phrases...)


Dad and I after 9 holes. I didn't play amazingly, but it was fun and hopefully I'll get better over the summer!

Hello, everyone. My internet has been down at my apartment on and off for the last month, so I haven't been able to have much computer time... which is a nice change, in a way. However, I do have lots of pictures and stories to share, so I'll try to get some of that up here soon.

Life has been busy, as it always is during school. My classes this term are going well, and I especially like my publishing class. I've learned how to use InDesign, Photoshop... and let me say, Photoshop is pretty awesome. It's incredible what you can do to pictures! Kind of scary too... check out www.campaignforrealbeauty.com. There's this film you can watch (the "evolution" film) that shows you the Photoshop process used to create a model's picture. Kind of creepy! But... I can't deny, it's cool to know you can wipe out blemishes, red eyes, and lots of other things that can be distracting in pictures. Not to anything near that extreme though... no wonder we all have warped views of beauty.

Anyhow, it snowed here in Utah yesterday, rained down by me, but the mountains have a new coat of snow! Crazy, it's June!

Later!

Springtime Pictures

Well, here are some pictures of some of the fun things I've been up to lately.


My roommate Stacy, who was in my dorm freshman year at BYU and then was my sophomore roommate at Park Place, got married in early May! In the picture are four of the six of those original Park Place roommates... it was a great reception and Stacy looked great!


A friend invited us to spend a night at Spring Haven, this lodge owned by BYU that is in the mountains. Beautiful! Here is a view from the pond.


Making some s'mores...


It was like summer camp at Spring Haven... gotta love the bunk beds!

Kevin and I playing in the slide at Spring Haven... fun!

Fore!

So... I'm once again attempting to learn to golf, for the first time (for real) since about age 7. Back in the day, I had a cute set of golf clubs and a pink golf bag and I was a member of the "Zero holers" golf group at the local golf club in Mequon. I was a little Tigerette Woods in training.... ha. However, at my young age, golf didn't seem as interesting as soccer, baseball, swimming, and all of the other summer activities I was into. Thus, I somehow got off the golf train. Anyhow, it didn't bother me much to not be a golfer until the end of high school, when I realized that golf was actually a pretty cool sport, and I had no skills.

So, I signed up this spring term for golf. Four times a week, (and I only get 0.5 credits for this class), I go to the small putting green and practice area near the tennis courts at BYU and practice with my fellow novice golfers. It's been a lot of fun! My teacher, Garrett, is really cool, and I've definitely made some friends in the class. It's funny, I'm hearing a similar background story... "I wanted to be able to play with my dad/husband/friends...." and here we all are, excited, maybe for the first time, and despite our earlier lack of interest in the sport, about golf!

I'm finally taking up one of those "adult" sports... you know, the ones in the class with tennis, jogging, lawn bowling, fishing... the sports that you can do without developing large bruises and without needing a team of 10 to play with. I used to find those sports boring, but now I'm realizing that it's not easy to gather 10 people to play soccer with, and sometimes, I'm not in the mood to come home bruised and exhausted (even though I love soccer/basketball/etc.). And... I think that whole aspect of enjoying the walking and being outside part of golf is more appealing, since you can talk with people while you play and enjoy the outside without running around all the time.

Anyway, we went for the first time to play the executive course with members of the class at The Reserve at East Bay. It's one of those courses where you play 9 holes and all of them are par 3 or 4. I got a 56 on 9 holes, haha, not exactly impressive. But, the girls I golfed with and I had fun! One of them was a girl who was actually an RA when I was a freshman in Taylor Hall, and we haven't run into each other in at least 3 or 4 years, but we both happen to still be at BYU and are in the same class. The other girl is from Mexico and she's on the tennis team at BYU. She definitely kicked our trash, since her tennis skills totally help her in golf. She also had the cutest ways of expressing her golf "anger"... instead of American sounding moans or "Shoot!" or whatever someone would say, she said "Aye!" and "No manches!" (which means "no way") and "A huevo!" (meaning literally, "To the egg!" but it translates to a cheer or expression like "yeah!"). We definitely enjoyed picking up on new ways to show our frustration or excitement with some new slang.

So, that's a little on my golf adventures. Next weekend, Dad and Mom are coming into town, and Dad and I will be going golfing, where I'll really get to test my new skills with a more experienced golfer. A huevo!

Spring Term = Great

A quick facebook update... turns out the boy I thought was engaged ISN'T engaged. A novice facebook user, he accidently clicked "Engaged" and didn't realize it. Phew, I don't know why I'm relieved, but for some reason, I am. Another glory of facebook, misinformation. Some people put a false relationship status as a joke and others do that on accident. Once again, better to find out from the actual person! Haha.

Anyhow, it's SPRING term at BYU. I LOVE spring term. It lasts from the beginning of May to late June. Here are a few reasons why it's so great:

-the weather is perfect (not too hot as it gets in summer, but definitely be outside weather... which means studying outside instead of in the library!)
-the campus is less crowded (even though that means some of my friends aren't around... it also means that there are smaller lines, more parking spaces, which isn't too shabby!)
-you take fewer classes (although it's usually about the same amount of credits per time... since the term is half as long as a semester... it's nice to have only 2 or 3 classes to worry about instead of 4 or 5... and 7 weeks doesn't allow you to procrastinate or get behind... you just have to keep up!)
-there's a more social atmosphere (with a summer-y feel in the air, it's just more relaxing, and a lot of people are just working around here in the summer, which means more spontaneous and fun summer stuff going on... camping, swimming, bonfires, movies, etc.)

The fun goes on. Ahhh.... I love it.

Facebook as the Source of Knowledge

So, for those of you who aren't facebook users, I'll give a brief explanation. www.facebook.com is pretty much the most popular social networking website for college-age people. It's pretty awesome in many ways. You create a "profile" and then you add "friends" from finding other people you know on the site. Then, you can post information about your life, pictures, videos, write comments to each other... it's so convenient, cause it's like having all of your friends in one place. And, you can set up your profile so that no one but your own approved friends can see your profile, which takes away that whole creepy internet stalker thing.

So, anyway, most college students, who have facebook, check it pretty frequently to see if their friends have updated their profiles, if they've gotten any emails, etc. Why would we care to look at other peoples' profiles? Because when you don't have time to individually call all of your spread-out friends across the world, facebook becomes your fountain of information about your friends' lives.

Let me demonstrate: Today, I found out that a good friend (who I dated a little while I was in Spain) is ENGAGED! Whoa! Definitely a surprise. I've found out about many a friend's relationship through facebook. Steve and Tanya from high school are getting married. Awesome! Thanks facebook! Even my own friends found out I was dating someone out here through facebook, and when I posted it on my profile, I got a flurry of messages on my "wall" ("Congrats!" "In a relationship? Oooh!" etc.) Now, for those who don't like this sort of attention, they keep their facebook profiles sparse. You don't have to post anything you don't want other people to see, including your picture. But, it's pretty fun to read other people's profiles and to look at their pictures. It was especially fun when I was in Spain and could see photos from all of our trips. It was an easy way to stay connected with people that I met and don't see on a regular basis.

I still love facebook, and I wish all of my friends had it (hint hint). It's just so convenient and a nice way to let people know what you're up to in your life (your job, pictures of good times, etc.), especially those you don't see often (like high school friends who live across the country). And it's really not creepy, unlike some websites. But, after finding out from facebook that a boy I dated (not too long ago) is ENGAGED, and I have no idea with whom, it made me realize how crazy it is sometimes that our source of finding these things out is the internet! Wow. The modes of communication are changing, folks.

That is all. :-)

One day more...

Another day, another destiny... as they say in Les Miserables, so it is in my life :-) One day left of finals week, and I am currently trying to defy the laws of time by accomplishing a pretty insane amount of work in that time. But it will all get in. Even if I don't go to bed tonight. There's a certain satisfaction that comes from finishing all that is required for a course or for several courses and handing it in and saying, "I'm done, now." I look forward to that feeling in roughly 24 hours. Till then, adieu my friends!

Thought Salad

It's odd how my thoughts can be in such a whirl.

I turned on the TV today and was shocked and saddened by the Virginia Tech shootings. Once again, humanity has left me speechless. I am deeply sad for those killed. I also truly pity the person who felt so desperate that he felt he needed to kill as many people as possible to numb his own pain. It's hard to understand.

I am in the library writing a 12-15 page research paper on Henry Green's novel, Concluding. Finals are upon me, but it's the papers that are really stressful this semester. However, in a week and a half, life will once again calm down, and I will once again wonder how I managed to finish it all. And after a long weekend, a new round of classes will begin. I really do enjoy the life cycle of college (even with the not-so-fun finals week).

I have my graduation plan to figure out, and many large decisions ahead as I face the last 6 months of college. I'm trying to look ahead at jobs and figure out what classes will most help me before I graduate.

Also, there's the day to day fun of life that is always there, woven into the daily stresses and decisions. Watching the new Rocky movie, learning new songs on the guitar, planning a Wisconsin party for all the BYU-ers, meeting and getting to know new people...there's a lot of cool stuff going on.

So my head is a swirling of all of the above (and many others) as I head through my finals week. Hopefully, they will strike a good place in my mind and I'll be able to wade through it all to the end. So much going on, I'm just trying to keep swimming through it all :-)

Amazing Weekend

Ok, so I should be asleep, but I had to share what a great weekend I had. Seriously, Easter weekend couldn't have been better.

Some of the highlights:

-going to the wedding reception of my friends TJ and Megan, who met last spring in... WI! (They introduced me to their parents as "the Wisconsinite," which I thought was pretty funny)
-attending the BYU Easter Conference, sponsored by the Religion Department... basically, it was like adult EFY (a church camp for teenagers) and all the classes were taught mainly by religion professors and all related to Easter... a unique and awesome way to set the mood for the holiday
-playing kickball with some kids from my ward (flashback to middle school!)... although for some reason I could never catch the ball, ha
-going to my best friend's little sister's bridal shower (we're growing up fast!)
-cooking hotdogs and smores over a fire in Emily's backyard and then watching a movie on a projector outside... basically, it was a drive-in theater in her backyard! Sadly... it started sprinkling on us at the end, so we had to cut it short... but lying outside in nice weather and watching a movie... so great.
-going to church today and listening to the incredible Easter musical numbers
-dying Easter eggs with some friends for the first time in at least 5 years
-making Easter dinner with Rissie, all homemade, all ourselves! (we were proud of our Martha Stewart skills)
-feeding the horses down the road our leftover carrots after dinner tonight (they loved 'em!)

Basically, it was awesome weather, good, relaxing fun, and a very nice Easter. More pictures to come, but here's one of Rissie feeding the horses :-)

Now... it's CRUNCH time! Back to reality, sigh. I'm going to bed so I can get up early to STUDY!!

"It's the most...stressful...time of the year"

This is it... the time of the semester in which school becomes my constant companion. The papers, the projects, finals, etc. etc. become my life, and all else, including sleep, becomes a mere dream. There are three weeks left, and I guarantee, this semester is in the running for craziest yet. Although my classes are ones applicable to my major and minor, and therefore, I enjoy them all, they all still require a TON of work before it's all done. Hang on kids, it'll be a fun ride. Till then, if you don't hear from me much, don't worry. I'm alive, somewhere in the Harold B. Lee Library, piled under my books :-)

Enjoyable Lyrics

So, great lyrics make great music, in many cases. Sometimes, I'm just blown away by how a songwriter can articulate a feeling that I didn't know how to express myself... whether or not I have necessarily gone through that particular experience. I see this in literature all the time... of course, there are also the lyrics that are just so cliche that you can't help but roll your eyes :-)

I thought I'd share with you a few of my favorites... some are sad, some are funny, some perhaps profound... but I enjoy them all:

"How come no one told me, all throughout history, the loneliest people, were the ones who always spoke the truth? The ones who made a difference, by withstanding the indifference... I guess it's up to me now... Should I take that risk or just smile?" -Misread, Kings of Convenience

"Hush now child, and don't you cry... Your folks might understand you, by and by" -Move on Up, Curtis Mayfield

"How dare they say, that a love like ours won't last? God made no mistakes, when He sheltered me with your heart... There's no safer place than to be in love, And here I will stand" -Can't Let Go, Anthony Hamilton

"I'd rather dance than talk with you... The music's too loud, and the noise from the crowd, increases the chance of misinterpretation" -I'd Rather Dance With You, Kings of Convenience

"High up above or down below... When you're too in love to let it go... But if you never try you'll never know... Just what you're worth. Lights will guide you home, And ignite your bones, And I will try to fix you" -Fix You, Coldplay

"Everybody's talking at me... I don't hear a word they're saying... Only the echoes of my mind... I'm going where the sun keeps shining, Thru' the pouring rain" - Everybody's Talkin', Harry Nilsson

"What's wrong with the world, mama? People livin' like they ain't got no mamas... I think the whole world addicted to the drama, Only attracted to things that'll bring you trauma" -Where's the Love?, Black Eyed Peas

"But just in case, It's my place, To impart... One day some girl's gonna break your heart, And ooh ain't no pain like from the opposite sex, Gonna hurt bad, but don't take it out on the next, son. Throughout life people will make you mad, Disrespect you and treat you bad, Let God deal with the things they do, Cause hate in your heart will consume you too" -Just the Two of Us, Will Smith

"Ok, so your heart's broke. You sit around moping, crying, crying...you say you're even thinking about dying? Well, before you do anything rash, Dig this... Everybody plays the fool sometime; There's no exception to the rule. Listen, baby, it may be factual, may be cruel, I ain't lying, everybody plays the fool." -Everybody Plays the Fool, The Main Ingredient

"You've got to get yourself together, You've got stuck in a moment, And now you can't get out of it. Don't say that later will be better, Now you're stuck in a moment, And you can't get out of it" -Stuck in a Moment, U2

"It takes a thought to make a word, And it takes some words to make an action, And it takes some work to make it work, It takes some good to make it hurt, It takes some bad for satisfaction... It takes a night to make it dawn, And it takes a day to make you yawn brother, And it takes some old to make you young, It takes some cold to know the sun, It takes the one to have the other. And it takes no time to fall in love, But it takes you years to know what love is, And it takes some fears to make you trust, It takes those tears to make it rust, It takes the dust to have it polished" -Life is Wonderful, Jason Mraz

"I want more than just ok, more than just ok. When I’m up with the sunrise, I want more than just blue skies. I want more than just ok, more than just ok. I’m not giving up, giving up, not giving up now. I’m not giving up, giving up, not backing down. More than fine, more than bent on getting by" -More Than Fine, Switchfoot

"There ain't no rust on the happiness bus" -Keepin' It Real, Mason Jennings

Have a great week!

Cereal Dreams Come True

One of the reasons I love college... bargain shopping. The stores around here know how to lure in poor college students with deals. Smith's, my favorite grocery store, recently had an 8/$8 deal on General Mills cereal. So, I had to take advantage :-) Unfortunately, Cheerios was the only "healthy" cereal option. But... I do enjoy a bowl of sugar cereal now and then, so basically, I have enough cereal for a LONG time :-) You'd think I was shopping for a family of 10! :-) And yes, I put my cereal into a pyramid and took a picture... hey, you've got to remember these moments as they come.

We're growing up fast...

So... I finally had a chance to see Abby and meet her adorable baby Ellee! Man, what a cutie. Hard to believe some of my best friends are moms now... sure enough, life comes quickly. So, here are some of the pictures:

Ellee loved eating my cardboard photo folder thing. Yum!


This girl smiles on command... Abby has trained her well :-)

What a cute pair!!

Aww... she looks like she's cheering!

The three of us. This is my favorite one! Although Ellee must have been tired of smiling by this time :-)

Well, I look forward to seeing this one grow up and it makes me excited to see where life takes all of my friends and their families. It's a pretty exciting time!

Fun Times

Some recent pictures...
Mom came to Provo to visit me!

Andrea, Rissie, Kevin, and I eating at Smart Cookie... this place is new since the last time I lived in Provo, and it is GOOD.

Andrea and I on the lift at Alta... it was a GREAT day, and the first time I had gone skiing in a long time. Andrea has been staying with me while she does a clinical rotation for her PT grad program, and it's been a lot of fun hanging out and showing my hometown friend around UT.

The 80s are alive and well... some friends in our ward hosted an 80s prom party, and I was lucky enough to get ahold of this awesome dress... and I found a friend who almost matched me! I don't think this era would have been too flattering on me, hehe.

My friend McKenzie hosted a dinner party at her house... it's always fun to have an excuse to dress up and pretend to be sophisticated. I met her in Spain at Institute, and now, we are both in Provo, which is fun!

So, that's a little update... yeah, it's been a while since I've written anything - school and life have been quite busy, but I'm enjoying it and trying to keep all the juggling balls in the air. Spring is coming soon, which means nice weather and being outside, and I am excited!

Well, I guess that's all for today. :-)

No Man is An Island

We need people. Basically, it comes down to that. I think I've been reminded of that lately... although we sometimes need to experience and learn things on our own, our lives are not meant to be lived in isolation. We naturally feel a need for affiliation, for friendship, companionship, love, etc. It's just a part of who we are. Some of us seem to need it to greater degrees than others. We may need this human interaction more at certain stages or times in our lives than in others. But we need it.

Think about the reasons why... We could not survive without each other, life would cease to exist (just think about all that parents do to raise a new generation). Often we receive answers to prayers through other people. We find true love in a relationship with another person. Even prayer is a communication between ourselves and God, another being, in whose image we are created.

Why do we love watching movies or reading books? Usually, it's because we feel some connection to the characters and their experiences. We flinch when someone is shot in a movie because it feels like it's almost real. We might go "Aww" during a romantic comedy because we see the truth in someone's love, even if the story is completely fake. Movies remind us of the importance of making real relationships with others.

When we're in need of help, emotional or physical, it is often through other people that we start to move forward again. Sometimes people can help us see things in ourselves that we may not see. If we all lived completely separated from anyone else, life would be pretty meaningless, and I guarantee our happiness would dwindle.

Remember those who are forgotten by most people, and let yourself do something good for them. And let people do something good for you.

Being open to people, I think, demonstrates an openness to life itself. Sure, we will all get hurt once in a while. Maybe even a lot. Use these experiences as a reminder of the extent of one's impact on others... but don't shut people out. No one is perfect, including any of us. Forgive people when they mess up. Trust me, if you don't, when you're older, you will probably not be glad that you kept out the world - you'll be lonely.

Let people in, and you'll let life in.

Thanks to the people who have reminded me of this.

Heart-Shaped Pizzas Make Valentine's Day Great

Dare I comment on Valentine's Day? Well, why not, it's already over anyhow :-) My advice for a Happy Valentine's Day is to just enjoy it. It doesn't need to be a big pressure holiday... just enjoy the loves in your life, in whatever form they come, and eat some yummy candy and write a few cards. Valentine's day was the best in my elementary school years, when every kid had a brown paper bag hanging up in the classroom, and everyone got a valentine. That's what it's all about! Anyhow, here's a picture of the heart-shaped pizza some friends and I ate. Yum!

Some things change for the better.

So, the BYU library closes at midnight, and at 11:45 P.M., they begin to play "exit" music. For my first two years at BYU, it was always the same song: Oh When the Saints Go Marching In.... and then that song from the "Beef: It's What's For Dinner" commercials. I found the Oh When the Saints a bit obnoxious, probably because often I was dozing when it suddenly would come blasting over the loud speakers.

Upon coming back to BYU this semester, I guess I assumed the same music would be playing at 11:45. However, it's changed. And... both times I was in the library at 11:45, there were DIFFERENT songs playing! Oh boy! They're mixing it up in the library! I'm wondering if perhaps the workers were starting to have nervous breakdowns due to the monotony of it all.

Anyhow, I'm enjoying the new variety of library exit music... it's always instrumental, but I'm pretty sure they played the "Star Wars" theme one of the recent times I was there. I'd much rather be woken up to that. Or better yet, I might try not having to stay in the library till midnight at all!

Anyhow, it's nice to know that there is some stability in my BYU experience... library music, lovey-dovey couples walking around (I didn't necessarily miss that though), those really good wraps in the Cougareat, ward prayer on Sunday nights...

Oh, and one other improvement! The Varsity Theater has begun to show regular movies again. Basically, they show stuff that is in the dollar theaters... The Prestige, Happy Feet, etc. But, before they only showed international films, so I'm glad that I can enjoy a nice movie now and then at my leisure.

Well, I'm off to class. School is CRAZY busy right now!