Awaiting Christmas!!

My Book of Mormon teacher has told us time and again that we make holidays what they are now that we are on our own. Here are some things that we have done to start the Christmas season.
- we put up lights in our window.
- Gracie brought her table sized Christmas tree with ornaments and twinkle lights
- We drink Hot Chocolate frequently.
- We sing and listen to Christmas music.
- We attended the ward temple square trip.

This trip was especially fun. We left about 2pm from our apartments and took charter buses, I now can say I have taken Le Bus, and arrived around 3:15 or so. It was a pretty fun ride up. We then hung around in the Joseph Smith Building waiting for the Movie to start. We explored all the floors and then waited to enter the theater. We sat down and I knew I would need a tissue so I crossed back in front of all our ward grabbed some then went back. As I did I walked in front of a whole bunch of guys that were making fun of me cause they said I was emotional.

No doubt about it. I needed it and so did my roommates. Luckily I grabbed more than just one. After the movie we walked around temple square looking at the lights. I found that something was missing but after getting home I realized that it was the snow. It just isn't the same. I really enjoyed socializing with my wardies and having hot chocolate and Krispie Kreames when we got back to the bus.

- Joining the Christmas Choir for the ward.
- Thought of baking cookies

These are all things that I feel make Christmas Christmas. But most of all I enjoyed listening to the Christmas devotional. I loved what Pres. Uchtdorf said about Making your Christmas a Christ-like Christmas. I am going to work on implimenting this into my list in these next two and a half weeks.

Don't forget that Christmas is about Christ.
I love you all and Happy Holidays!!!

Oh what a week! (more like Oh what 2 weeks)

I think this week wins for busiest and most stressful. I don't think I have had a moment to realize that this was a stressful week. Here I am going to relieve my stress (and brag a bit) about how bad and good it went. Oh and I'll include my sleeping habits... I hope to change those this week. Mom and Dad, don't freak out about the sleep. I usually go to bed earlier but the amount of stuff has prevented me from it.

Monday: Class, Work, Study, FHE, Paper Outline Bed @ 1:15

Tuesday: Class, Work, Study, Nutrition Review 6-8:30, Running, Study Bed- 12:15

Wednesday: Class, Nap (class was canceled for the test), Work, Study, Study, Study...Register at 12. Bed- 1:30

Thursday: Class, Work, Study for Nutrition test, Nutrition Test (85%! Best I have done yet), Library for research, Enrichment Night, Rough night, 3 pg Paper, Bed- 1:30

Friday: Class, Nap, Work, Study, Book of Mormon test (95%! thought I did a whole lot worse when I finished the test) Study, wrote note cards while watching Spiderman 2, Watched transformers while doing laundry, finished load of laundry at 1 and fell right asleep in bed.

Saturday: Started last 3 loads of laundry with one quarter to spare in my possession at 8 am, back to sleep for 42 min, switch laundry, planned next week and Thanksgiving to do list, Showered, Went to lunch with my dear sister (and found 2 cute skirts!!!!), Study, Study, Break, Study, Break (we went to get sweet potato fries and sub zero ice cream!) Study, Study, Watched Little rascals with some boys, helped work out visiting teaching stuff with Cierra, Fell right into bed at 1:18

This is what is to come....
Monday test
Tuesday work on 10 pg paper
Wednesday paper and museum issues paper due
Thursday Museum paper and Nutrition paper.

Hopefully this coming weekend won't be as packed. Also hopefully Utah will win so i don't get all the crap from everyone who found out my secret.

Love ya all! Thanks for reading my stressful week. If you made it to here without skipping some, you are a saint!

Photo Tag

Here are the rules: post the fourth photo in the fourth photo album on your computer, then tag 4 (or more) others to do the same.
Here is my photo. Pudding Finger Painting for FHE. Oh what fun!
I tag. Mom, Jeff, Anna B. And anyone else who is reading this.

Trick or Treat, Na... Let's Dance!

So in Book of Mormon Brother Marsh has stressed that we are now on our own and we make holidays what they are. We decided that it was something we wanted to do.

Halloween came and we didn't dress up for class, I'm so glad we didn't, but many people on campus did. It was like a guessing game of what people were: Bravehart, Where's Waldo, A Cereal Killer, Alice and Wonderland...

I went to work and many of the Elders thought it was hilarious to switch badges to "dress up" as someone else. After 2 elders, I didn't think it was so clever anymore.

Work was over and we began doing some preparation for our costumes. We drove to Macy's but first I had to find a post office to send in my Ballot (so i could have a say in this great election). It took forever to find a post office... Finally we got there right as they were locking the door and the man very meanly said "Put it into that box." I did so it would be post marked Nov. 1. Anywho...

After finally finding the post office we worked our way to Macy's to buy white trash bags.

Finally we got home to some wonderful made soup. Broccoli and Cheese. Cierra, our apartment mom, came through. It was Delish! We made our costumes, or dresses, with lots of tape and creativity. And This is what we came up with. We were White Trash Wedding, each of us brides. Note the super rings!

Tielle Stylin her hair.
This is Gracie Lookin fine before the dance.

So we dressed ourselves and then we went to the Heritage Central building for a sweet dance. We danced it up. Who knew that Plastic was so hot, especially when tightly wrapped around your body. The dance was hot but we were even hotter, in more than one way :) So the dance was great. It started raining but we weren't worried because we were wearing waterproof dresses which made it ok.

After the dance, we came back to watch Lady in the Water but I was way tired! So Tielle and I fell asleep on each other on the couch and then realized that there were two perfectcally good beds waiting for us so we went into bed.

Only a small amount of candy was consumed becaue, No Trick or Treating and the creamery was kinda out of it... OH well.

All in all this was one great halloween!! I sure enjoyed breakin' it down in white plastic garbage bags!

My First Official Concert

So this weekend was the greatest!!! I attened the greatest concert ever, well that I have been to. I went to The Goo Goo Dolls concert that was for the Nuskin Convention. It was a BLAST and 1/2. I was totally stoked to go to this concert. I didn't even know that I totally loved the Goo Goo Dolls. After realizing at the very first of this concert that I knew their songs and that I loved them. I totally will always listen to their songs now and will rock out forever knowing that I saw them live in concert. I totally loved it and will always be in debt to my wonderful sister who got the tickets. Not only was the Concert good but the people who went were Freaking Awesome. It was such a fun night and I will always remember it, well I hope.
So jump on iTunes and listen to some Goo Goo Dolls and Enjoy!!!

Writers Block

Well, my whole day was spent away from home, except for about 45 minutes to fill my stomach before leaving again. I spent hours at the Lawbrary, this is what we call the Law library. I now have a new mailing address, it is Desk 5 of the second floor of the Lawbrary. Any important letters can be sent to that address cause I feel that I now live there. I love learning but I sure hate all the work that it takes to learn it.

I am sure glad that I have gotten away from the expectatation that I must recieve an A. Although this expectation for myself is still there, I feel that it is more important for me to live a healthy life than kill myself studying and never sleeping to earn this perfect A. BYU is full of extremely extremely smart people. I feeling not so much a part of that need to work on my habits in order to achieve a good grade.

I am not failing, at least I hope not :) but I am sure working kinks in my neck to get good grades.
Love ya all if I don't see you you'll know that my bottom is stuck to the Lawbrary chair from sitting there so long.

I used to have writers block but it seems that I don't have it when writing about it. I guess that is cause I didn't even write about it.
Well, I had it while writing my Rhetorical Analysis. I wasn't good at them Senior year and I still don't feel that I have improved. Good thing I didn't take the AP Language test.

College has set in... I know because

-I sat in the Lawbrary on a Friday night writing a paper.
-I only want to eat ramen because it is way easy to make.
-I crave ice cream when I am in the library.
-I walk everywhere.
-Going home seems good but time consuming cause you will miss your study time. (No offense mom and dad)
-Church is a break.
-Work is a break.
-You sleep til the last minute before you know you have to get up and get ready.
-More stuff to come.

Well, Yes I feel like I am up to my neck in study. I Love it and not so Love it at the same time. I wish that weekends were breaks but really they are time to try and catch up. I feel like I am in a time warp. I'm having a wonderful time!
Love ya all!

Indexing

Hey y'all! I'm now addicted to indexing. I would rather do it than anything which is bad. I would stay home on a Saturday night just to do it. Well, maybe not that but I have fallen for it. I have felt the spirit of Elijah and I am so excited to continue it. If ya want to do some, which you should, let me know and I'll tell you how to get started. It is so fun and easy, "even a caveman could do it." I highly recommend it for your spare moments, and your other moments too! It is addicting though, but what a great thing to be addicted to.

Stress? MSG?

I know when stress is setting in when I get the migraine. It came yesterday and I thought it would pass fast like some of the others but no. Usually I just have to fall asleep for 30 or so minutes and it will pass. It was still there after 2 Tylenol, a nap, resting, a pack of Swiss rolls, a cheese tortilla, 2 more Tylenol, some grapes, coke(thanks to Jill from off campus), and more rest. This migraine struck with nauseousness. Yes I ate things that I thought I would be ok with the taste going down and back up. For your info, I didn't barf and yes mom and dad I tried to call you for advice on finding Excedrin or what to take. The eating of MSG could also been a contributer to this great feeling of horriblness. Who Knows? I just am glad I feel better. I'm now feeling better and hope that it only happens on a Saturday if it ever does occur again.

Pushed into Reality

So classes started on Tuesday which was both good and bad. I enjoy learning and being in school but I was quickly pushed into the reality of college work and study. It is hard after graduation and the feeling that you are done with school to go back to studying a lot and having to figure the professors out.

I love my humanities and seminar teacher, they are the same. She is fun and exciting to listen to. Book of Mormon will be grand. Dr. Marsh was really nice and he really gave us things to think about even on the first day. Nutrition will be great but hard as well. I think that it will be very good to know about. Freshman Seminar will be good to get used to the things on campus and stuff but kinda seemed pointless. I'll let you know on that. As for Healthy Living, I really am excited that I can just do it whenever.

All the classes are quite enjoyable but very intense. The first couple of nights I have been reading and studying more that I could stand. One day I decided to take a trip to the library to study where it was quiet. I didn't know what I was really getting into when I left my apartment though. I strolled on over to the Library, about a 5 minute walk, and I walked in the doors. According to knowledgable people's advice, I went to the Periodical Section. I walked into the biggest room that doesn't have a single sound. I felt like I was envading someones thinking room. I think that it was quieter in there than in Jill's Singles Ward in Denver and that was pretty quiet. So I walked to find a table to sit at. I wanted to pull out my laptop in order to study and take notes. First the Backpack shuffling was sorta loud. Swish Swish! Then on to the zipper of the Backpack. ERRReeeK! and I tried so hard to do all of this quietly mind you. I pulled out the laptop and to my luck there was one more zipper. ERReeeK! Finally I set the Laptop on the table top as carefully as I could. KERPLUNK! I sweare every single thing I did made so much noise and everyone looked at you. I think I could hear my heart beat in my chest cause I was so nervous of getting kicked out by a Senior, Or worse a Graduate Student. Finally I realized that this study was not beneficial. I couldn't think in that much silence because I was too worried about makeing noise. (This simple concept is backwards. A quiet place is best to study in. I like quiet but not the kind of quiet that you hyperventalate when you are trying to do something quietly.) All in all I will give the library another opportunity but maybe somewhere different than the periodicals. Maybe then I'll be able to focus on the correct subject. Oh and just imagine that when I decided to leave, the whole process started over again. The Kerplunk, Erreek and much much more.

Moving In Pictures and BYU 185th

This is my bed and shelves. I have to be very careful not to nock my head or elbows on the shelves around my bed. I wouldn't have them any other way though because I love having pictures and stuff all around.
My closet is full of clothes! I still feel like I could use more skirts though since I'll be wearing them Daily.
These are more shelves. I am so organized right now. I hope that it will continue.
This is our Dining Room, Living Room and Kitchen. At BYU they have so much fun it all must be packed into one room.
This is the rest of our kitchen.

So on to BYU 185th. That is our ward. We are the coolest ward because we have 2 guy dorms to 1 girl dorm. Good ratio. We have already found this to be good since all the guys want to meet you cause they are trying hard to befriend you. It has been good so far. We have a really good Bishop. His name is Bishop Johnson. This Sunday was suppose to be fast Sunday cause we have regional conference next week but our room wasn't notified. Kind of something that should be spread through out the hall. We plan to fast next week. It all works the same. We have Sacrament Meeting at 1pm in a big meeting room in the Conference Center. There aren't enough buildings down here so they pay for our gas to go to SLC. Just kidding. It is about a block away from our dorm. After Sacrament meeting we have Relief Society and then Sunday School. Kinda backwards but it all works the same too. They say that they will have a fully staffed ward by next Sunday. Wouldn't you like to be in the Bishopric here dad? One week to call people you don't even know to over a hundred callings. Time will tell though. We have an Ice Cream social tomorrow night and also we have Ward Prayer every sunday night. I thought that was such a great idea. Well that is our ward so far. All is well here in Wells.

Moving In

So I suppose you all are waiting for an amazing update about my college life and all that it took to get here. Well I packed a few days before I left but soon realized that that was a big mistake because of course all the things which I would bring to college would be the things I use quite frequently. So Monday morning, the day I was to move down, I finished repacking and I also did laundry. You would be proud; I didn't leave home with any dirty laundry but the clothing on my back. Yup, right down to the last sock!!

So anyway, Mom and Dad drove me down-Mom and I in the Avalon and Dad in the Explorer. We arrived in Provo to Snow Hall where I was to check in. We waited for someone to assist us in checking in then we started the moving in process. My roommate had already arrived and moved in so she, her cousins and dad all helped me move my precious treasures into my room which is the size of my room at home but shared and including a large closet wall. After about a few trips to the car we had all the items unloaded. We unpacked and began the setting up of my half of the room. After deciding on a few items which would help in the organization process, we made our way to Walmart with a few pit stops on the way.

Brick Oven being one of the stops. Tradition lives on! We ate pizza and drank the free root beer which comes with the pizza on Monday nights. Only in Happy Valley would the free drinks be 1. Non-alcoholic 2. on a Monday night, as opposed to a Saturday.

Next stop was Aunt Lisa and Uncle Paul's. We heard of the 5 bi-pass and the hospital visit. He even showed us his scars. I couldn't look.

(If you are still reading this you must be really interested in my life :) )
Last and final stop was WalMart. I didn't know that one store could be so busy. They even ran out of eggs!!! What kind of Walmart runs out of eggs? The most frequently sold item was the Rubbermaid sliding drawers. I think they had a million in stock but why not a million eggs? Oh well at least I don't eat many eggs.

Walmart was over and Goodbyes were said to mom and dad and Jill showed up. All was good!

I am loving all my roommates. We all get along so well and we have laughed so so many times. I LOVE work and I totally enjoy the spirit and personalities of the Elders. I am getting the hang of the system and I really enjoy customer service.

Last but not least tonight we played some soccer and ultimate Frisbee with some guys. It was way fun but Tielle, one of my roommates and I got way tired and went home. We then journeyed out to another building and played way random games. All has been fun. Oh and tonight I also sang the Cougar fight song for the first time. It will be hard not to say a "Utah man am I" but rather "Rise and Shout"
(Pictures to come later, they aren't loaded on my computer yet.)

Facing My Fear

I have found that is always fun to say that one day you will face your fear but until you actually get to that day you don't realize how truly scary it is to face your greatest fear.
Most my life I have been afraid of heights. It wasn't until Girls Camp this year that I truly realized that I'm just afraid of falling.

One of the days at camp included a ropes course. It was at the Boy Scout High Adventure Camp where I found myself that beautiful morning. We played around with a dog that plays soccer for about 15 to 20 minutes. It wasn't until we started walking over to the course did I realize that I would be facing my fear that day. I looked up at least 30 feet in the air to see cables and wooden platforms. My stomach began to quiver but I shirked the feeling away when I saw all the little Beehives begin to get excited. I couldn’t be shown up by a 12 year old that has been looking up to me for years. I wasn’t able to go first which was probably a good thing but as I waited my fear got greater. I knew I had to complete this challenge which was presented to me. I decided that it was all in my mind.
I began climbing up the swinging ladder toward a platform. This was the hardest part. You had to get your leg up on the next rung in order to be able to pull the rest of your body up. This caused many bruses on my legs as well as exhausted arms.Finally after reaching the top I wasn’t even shaky. My hands were calm and my mind was racing; taking in all the beauty of the land we looked over. The wires were small but I had no worries because I was attached to the cables with rabbit ears. There were many different times when I thought I might fall but I didn't. These rabbit ears were my rock because with them attached correctly I could not fall.

By far the part that made it all worth it was the zipline down. I felt so free and happy! It was a great ride.

I really had fun but it wasn't the fun time which made all the hard work worth it. It was the journey that made it worth it. I faced my greatest fear head on. Those of you who know me wouldn't believe this story without the pictures so thanks to Stacie Graham and Bishop Davis for taking these pictures.

The Wild Job Chase

Yesterday I took my first trip down to the BYU campus as an actual student, one with classes that is. On the way down I picked up my super cool roommate in Draper and we continued on to the campus. This trip was supposed to be for getting the feel of the campus and looking at our apartment. Rather, the trip turned into a Job Chase. I had talked to the MTC bookstore about a job. They told me to go and get a screening interview, which consisted of me standing in front of a lady at a computer, then call for an appointment. After finding the Employment Office, thanks to Cierra, we grabbed some lunch. Yes, we ordered the same thing without even trying.

After eating a hearty, healthy Orange Chicken Bowl, I gave the MTC a call and the man I was suppose to talk to was not in. So I said I would call back. About 30-45 minutes later I called back and the guy asked if I was the same girl who called earlier. The whole Brian Regan situation of weight and girth came to mind and I was embarrassed. He took my name and number and promised me that he would call me when he got in. Cierra and I sat under a tree to read the Daily Universe because we had seen everything we wanted to, or at least we thought we had. The MTC called and I had an interview.

The interview went well; they told me I couldn’t have purple or green hair. I left after shaking hands and went out feeling great. I get to Cierra and the car finally and check my phone. There is a voicemail from the MTC saying they need to talk to me again. So I walked back across 9th facing missionaries I had already seen once with my head held high. I walked back and sat down with them in the office and they offered me a job. I was very excited to accept and start once I move down to Provo.

I would just like to thank Melanie for being a good worker so they would think I’m a good worker. I would also like to thank my mom for telling me to take my social security card with me. Most of all I’d like to thank my new roommate Cierra for being with me on the wild job chase.

Ironman vs. Olympics

Well, today, thanks to Andrea Skidmore, I learned how to blog and I think that I have caught the bug. I guess this will become my life story or at least close to that. I hopefully will keep this up to date.

Also today was the annual Cherry Hill Ironman. This event seems to be bigger than the biggest day at the park. Bruce, the owner was running around as well as his son, Jared. It is funny to watch them get so excited for such a funny event. Luckily I was only a mere spectator in this crazy event. I participated my first year, swimming the length of the Olympic pool, and failed miserably in front of all the employees. Each department of the park participates in the relay across the whole park. The Rock Climb, Hamster Haven, Tube Carry, Running up and down the river run, paddling around lazy river, and my favorite the Olympic pool swim. At this moment I am unsure of who actually took the title but I have a feeling it wasn't foods. We never are able to defeat the Lifeguards or Cashiers. Oh well it is all fun and games anyway. I feel that the olympics are much more fun to watch. In fact I believe I am addicted. Watching the athletes inspires me. It makes me believe that I could whitewater raft in a kayak or even do round offs and back flips like the Chinese girls. No worries to you all, I won't be trying either anytime soon. Maybe I'll dream about it though.