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!

I can't open my locker...

Some random post-Christmas pictures:


Hanging out the night before I left for Utah with my St. Francis Bank buddy Vickie! Notice that awesome retro chair... seriously, can I inherit that in your will Vickie? j/k

Eating a "Runza." Runzas are a Nebraska favorite... basically it's like a yummy roll filled with this hamburger/onion mixture. YUM. This was on the road trip out to BYU.

Hanging with the cousins in SLC... I love these girls!

Snowshoeing up at Sundance with Rissie (fellow Wisconsinite) and her friend Matt. It was a perfect day. And the lady who rented our snowshoes was named "Spike," well that' s what her nametag said. Hmm...

On the trail.

Well, life is just rolling along speedily... school is in full swing and it's INTENSE! My psychology research methods class is becoming my new best friend, or it should be, seeing as we'll be spending A LOT of time together :-) We have to design a research study with our assigned group, carry it out, and analyze the results. Basically, that's the class. However, there are a million things to learn before you can jump out there and start doing experiments, so sometimes I'm a little overwhelmed, but our prof. tells us that we'll be glad we took it if we're at all serious about graduate school.



Also, I'm officially regressing back to high school. Today I got a school locker. All the lockers in the union building and the library were sold out, so I got one in the engineering building. Um, yeah, I feel a bit out of place just being in there, with all that over-my-head math and science knowledge wafting through the air. Anyhow, I found my locker and like a 6th grader on the first day of school, I couldn't figure out the lock. It's ok, you can chuckle. I tried it about 7 times before some random guy called from down the hall, "Lock trouble?" He came over and got it on the first try.... hehe. Anyhow, I was't turning it completely the right way. Thanks random stranger guy!


Well, time to get back to studying, which is what I should be doing. Have a good weekend!

I'm a little sad to notice that perhaps my blogs are not quite as exciting as when I was in Spain... but I've decided that the trick to having a blog is being able to make anything interesting, and life itself is blog-worthy. Plus, since this is one of many ways I keep in touch with my widespread circle of friends, I must press on.... not to forget, it's fun to write random stuff on here.

Actually, what am I talking about? Being back at BYU is plenty interesting ... I'll try to think of some good stuff to share with ya'll. Stay tuned.

Flashback to Freshman Year

Ok, so I had to add this, given that I was just writing about how I keep running into people I still know at BYU. Today, I had another chance meeting. I was sitting in the Grant Building (the beloved "Testing Center"), and my freshman writing professor passed me in the hall. He stopped, looked for a second, and said, "Hi Lauren. How are you doing?" I couldn't believe that he remembered my name! Seriously, it's been going on 5.5 years since I took that class, during my first semester at BYU. I have probably run into him once since I took the class, and even though, yes, it was a small class, I am so impressed that he still knew my name on the drop of a hat. Wow! I guess I underestimate professors' abilities to remember students or something... I mean, they have so many students, I guess I'm just impressed that he would remember after that long. Anyhow, that made my day. Back when I had him as a professor, I told a couple of the students in our class that Brother Taggart looked like my Uncle Bob. I even took a picture with him on the last day of class so that I could show my family my "uncle-look-a-like" professor. He still looks like him. All I have to say is ... I love this school.

So, it's pretty incredible how many people I still know at this school, considering I've been away for 3.5 years. I've run into Milwaukee people, friends from when I went here before... I think my favorite has been running into "Mo," my great friend (Maria is her real name) from the dorms who I lost touch with after freshman year. I heard she went on a mission to the Philippines and that was the last thing I knew. Then, last week, as I was walking into the Grant building, there she was! I saw her from the side but immediately recognized my long lost friend (I think I last saw her at least 4 years ago). We had a nice little reunion before we both ran off to class again.

I guess between missions, graduate school, getting married, changing majors, and all the other things that might delay, interrupt, or prolong college, there are still quite a few friends around!

Already, too, I've met some great people, who will be fun people to get to know and hang out with. It's nice to be reminded that there are good people everywhere, and there are always opportunities to reconnect with old friends and make new ones. It's a bit cliche, but it's true.

"Wax on... Wax off"

So, last night a bunch of us watched the Karate Kid Part I at my apartment. I bought the DVD in a truck stop in Iowa on the drive out to BYU. Already, it has proven much worth the $10 I paid for the "Special Edition" DVD. I watched it on my laptop in the car-ride and narrated to my parents in the front as we drove through Wyoming. Then, last night, after watching BYU Men's volleyball crush UCLA (ranked #3), we were talking at Denny's about our favorite movies. Naturally, this led to our watching of the 80's classic at my house.

It was pretty funny... a random group of BYUer's, who didn't all know each other, all brought together by Mr. Miyagi. We watched and cheered, even though we all knew exactly what would happen. Seriously, how can you not love a movie about a scrawny underdog with limited karate skills kicking the trash out of a jerky apprentice of a scary Sensei?

A few of our favorite moments:

"Hey, it's the 80's!" This is when Daniel lets Alli drive his new car that Mr. Miyagi gave him on his 16th birthday. When Alli is surprised that Daniel wants her to drive, he offers this classic line.

"Get him a body bag!" This line is shouted out by one of the Cobras when Jonny strikes Daniel in the leg, an illegal move that practically takes him out. The look on the Cobra kid's face is pretty awful acting, but it is a hilarious line.

"This is karate, not a knitting class. You don't come in to my dojo and drop a challenge and leave, Old Man." This is the mean sensei talking to Mr. Miyagi when Miyagi tries to get the Cobras to leave Daniel alone and not resort to fighting. Mean Sensei is just plain scary.

"Wax on...wax off." Only Mr. Miyagi is able to combine chores with karate lessons. He is a multi-tasker.

Well, watching old classics is never dull, and if you ever have a bad day, just bust out the Karate Kid, and you'll finish with "You're the best around" inspiring you to face the Jonnys of the world.

Back at BYU

Well, here I am! I'm back in Provo to finish college at BYU. My parents and I drove out last week, stopping half-way in Grand Island, Nebraska, and after some slight delays from snow and ice in Wyoming, we rolled into Provo on Thursday evening.

I moved in to my new apartment Friday, and I was excited to see that this was easily going to be the best apartment I've ever lived in (in terms of quality). My roommate hasn't come back from winter break yet, but she left me a note and some candy, so that's a good sign! My friend Chelsa said my roommate Amanda is really excited to have a roommate, since her old roommate moved out. Hopefully we'll have fun together... I noticed she had snowboarding and rock-climbing gear, so that made me excited too... perhaps I've found a snowboarding buddy!

My parents and I had fun just chilling in Utah a little and we got to have dinner with some relatives up in SLC. I dropped my parents off at the airport today, and I must admit, when they left, I was feeling some tinges of nervousness to be back out here, since my parents were now gone and I realized "I'm really here!" I guess I've gotten use to having my parents around going to school in Milwaukee for a year! But, at least we can talk more on the phone than we could in Spain... so that's cool :-)

My ward at church seems great... my bishop said that it's a slightly older singles' ward, which is fine with me since I'm 24 and so I'm not sure but I'm guessing I'm in the average age of the ward. Funny enough, I came late to church today and slipped into sacrament meeting. Since it was fast and testimony Sunday, I thought, why not get up? After bearing my testimony to a bunch of strangers and introducing myself as a new member of the ward from Wisconsin, I found out after the meeting end that it wasn't my ward! Haha... my ward met UPSTAIRS. Anyhow, another girl had done the same thing, so we laughed about it later.

Well, I start school tomorrow, crazy! It still hasn't totally set in that I go to BYU again. I haven't had too much of a hard time adjusting so far... overall I'm just really excited to get to finish college at the school where I started and spend some time here in Provo! There is snow up on the mountains, so I will have to make some time to do a little snowboarding too :-)

Well, a 2 day car trip in a Pontiac vibe, packed to the gills with my stuff, an Agatha Christie book-on-tape, some good convos with my parents, and crossing 5 states, and I'm here! I'll let you know how school goes! And Happy 2007 to everyone! I still have yet to do resolutions... this week, this week.

Back in Wisco

Rochelle at her bridal shower... with her two matching teapots! Oops, I guess bridal registries can't always prevent duplicates. Hehe. The family on Christmas! Awww... I love Christmas at home.
3 generations... all enjoying Christmas together after opening a few presents. Aunt Ruth (96) is cheering for the gifts she got :-)
Today, Jared and Rissie, two friends from church, and I went to the kite festival on the Lake Michigan lakefront. A little chilly, but definitely fun! My kite was rebellious, it kept diving and it seriously almost took Rissie's head off like 3 times. Yikes!

Polar Bear on Milwaukee lakefront! Every year on January 1st, at noon, Milwaukeeans jump into Lake Michigan... yes, it is freezing! I didn't do it this time, but I'm planning on doing it at least one time in my life - it was definitely fun to watch though. This group is from church...
The crazy Polar Bears!
We had to put our dog Mocha to sleep. Here's a picture of the little gal on her last day... it was SAD! I had a teary moment right after she left for the vet. She has been really sick this year and wasn't getting better, and so we had to put her down a few days after Christmas. I miss having a dog! Don't think the family will get another one, at least not right now, but I guess I'll just have to get a dog someday! I will miss this one!
Here are Rochelle, Ami and I at Rochelle's wedding reception a few days after Christmas. My former roommate is all grown-up! And isn't her dress pretty??

Well, I made it home and it's been a great Christmas break! After a 8.5 hour flight from Madrid to Chicago, with a tall basketball player behind me (who wouldn't really let me lean my chair back since his legs were so long.... that got a little uncomfortable trying to sleep straight up, I'm not gonna lie) and a long line in customs, I came out of O'hare to see my parents waiting for me with flowers! What a great welcome! Since then, it's been crazy and fun as I've enjoyed Christmas and New Years at home in Milwaukee. I gave a bridal shower and went to a wedding reception for my former roommate Rochelle, saw a few of the high school and church friends, and had lots of good family time with my brother home. Sam had to head back to NY today, and now I'm getting ready to go to Provo on Wednesday... school starts up again next week already! I'm a little nervous and a little sad to be leaving Milwaukee, but I'm also really excited to head back to finish up at BYU, where I started college. It'll be interesting to see how things have changed since I've been there, and also to see who is still actually there that I know! So far, it seems that there are a good number of people there that I know... some from when I was at BYU, others from church in WI... so I'll have a good base of people to come back to. I will graduate in a year from now at the most, so it's the last stretch of college for me! Hard to believe... I gotta start that whole "What do I do now?" planning soon... I'll keep you posted!