Change is Coming or is it Here?

So many things in my life are changing now. Decisions have been made (at least I hope so) and things are just changing in general. I decided that I want to go to New Zealand for my second Cohort of the Elementary Education program which meant my schedule had to line up with that semester being in the winter seeing as they only do that in the winter. I just didn't feel right about delaying a semester of entering into the program and then going and I didn't want to not go on a study abroad during my college career which would mean I would "take a semester off" by going and then my schedule would line up for New Zealand anyway. So finally I came to the decision that I would just move graduation up.
BYU, years ago changed its schedule so we now have 3 semesters... 2 semesters 2 terms meaning you can go to school year round. Well as much as I hate the thought of summer school... Summer School Here I come! I decided to do the first semester of my program in the spring and summer making my 2nd cohort line up with winter semester. Hard to believe but I could graduate Fall 2011. Crazy in my mind. We shall see if that will really occur... But if all works to my advantage meaning I actually get into the program... Get all the must take classes in the spring and pass them all... Oh and being accepted to the New Zealand Study abroad... I should procced with my plan. So Change #1 Not going home for summer once again.

Change #2
Michelle, My roommate is engaged. Now she will be moving out and we will get a new roommate. I will be moving over to her old spot to live with Rachel. I'm excited to live with her, sad to leave Cierra.
( Here is a picture we took the sunday after the engagement.)


Change #3 came about because finally Alex or I should say Elder Jones, was cleared to leave the MTC and head to Dallas. It was weird to go to work the next week and realize that he is gone and I wouldn't see him again. It is a relief to not have the wonder if he would come in and start my heart a beating. Needless to say... He is now officially where he is suppose to be. Doing the work of the Lord and I am so happy for him. Today I received the first letter with Dallas Texas up in the corner. That made it reality that he isn't still walking around the MTC.

The weather would be Change #4. Finally last night it began snowing. I really like winter but sometimes I hate it cause it is so cold. Might as well have snow though if it is going to be cold.

Change #5
Thanksgiving in California instead of Denver. Now we are traveling to Cali for Thanksgiving with Jeff and Melanie. Jill lived in Denver and we went there. Now Cali to spend it with family.

Change #6... Can't think of any good ones. I'll let ya know if I think of one.

Life wouldn't be life if it weren't always changing.

Coincidence?

I don't believe in coincidence. I usually don't especially being in this church but this week I just don't know about. As you know, Alex, Elder Jones is in the MTC, my place of employment. It is a really interesting lifestyle to lead. I go to work wondering if I will see him (not so much any more cause he usually just comes in on his p day). This week has proved to be interesting. Here is how it went down.
Monday- About 10 minutes or so before I got off I am helping an elder and I turned to look left and there he is standing with his companion in my long line.

Tuesday- He came in with his companion (today is his p day) to get some envelopes and a stamps.

Wednesday- Walking in to work from the south I am walking up the little hill and at the top I see a group of missionaries running by one running with his head turned. I realized his profile and then i gave a little wave and he did the same.

Thursday- My boss asked me to take the recycling out so I got the hand truck and the buckets and I began my journey. While walking down the ramp to the south I looked and saw the members of his zone including his companion, I knew he had to be there. I walked down the second half of the ramp to the north then began walking south again. As we passed he had his hand shielding his face I just said a quiet hi (thinking in my mind really? am i seeing him again? not that it is a problem...) they said hola Katie! As I had already passed the other elders said "Esta su novia!" and they laughed. I felt bad cause Alex was slightly embarrassed. Another companionship was lagging behind and they gave an enthusiastic HOLA Katie. I said hello and continued on.

Friday- I really thought I wouldn't see him all this week but I did. As I was driving to work I wondered where to park cause i would be going home before class. I thought oh i'll park here but then i was earlier than usual so I decided to park across the street and walk in. Sure enough as I did so, walked into work that is, who but Elder Jones himself walked on the path about 5 feet in front of me. He waved and I probably had a perplexed look on my face cause I just couldn't believe that I had seen him again.

The thing is its not like I'm trying to direct my path so I can see him or him to see me. Really it is an interesting thing. My advice to every freshman girl is d0n't work at the MTC if you are going to date a freshman. Not that i regret it at all but it is one hard thing that is going on right now. Hope you enjoy the "coincidences" of my week.

Black and White

The other night Gracie was invited to a Black and White Party. She invited us to go too. We were all excited cause it was at this guy's estate. It was huge. The house was super cool. They had 2 pools with 2 water slides and a river thing connecting them. There were over 800 people there at one point. It was way cool. Fun to people watch. We saw some old friends which was fun to talk to them but kinda lame cause we didn't really know anyone else. It was fun to get all dressed up in black and white though. After we stopped at 7 eleven and got slurpees on Jackie (Gracie's friend from home). All in all it was probably the biggest party I have ever been to. Here are some pictures:


Tielle and I before the Party


After in the parking garage. (me, Jackie, Gracie, Tielle)
Sipping on a Slurpee, Jackie, Me, Gracie.

Summertime Recap

Wow how could one summer go so fast? I really don't know. I guess when you just plug along week after week working and looking forward to a few trips or events it seems to just float on by. This summer has been an interesting one that's for sure. I stayed in Provo to continue working at the MTC. I have seen many good friends and acquaintances come into the MTC and I'm about to see my best friend enter. That will be worth of a whole nother post I suppose.

May brought my 19th birthday. Weird, if I were a guy I would be on a mission now. My mom told me on my birthday she was glad I was a girl and wasn't leaving. So May didn't bring much more excitement that I can remember, mostly just work.

June brought warmer temperatures. Our apartment became very hot. My ward was fun, especially our FHE group. We did fun activities like tie dye, the couch game, soccer in the rain, bbq, 3 legged kickball and so much more.
We can't forget Temple weekend. We went down to the manti pageant
and to the Oquirrah Mountin open house

July was fun, Jeff, Melanie and Henry were in town for most of the month. We had a family day on the 3rd. On the fourth, Gracie Cierra and I tried to enjoy the stadium of fire fireworks, Don't sit by the marriot center, Too many trees. I ran the annual Farmington Festivals 5k race in 33 minutes.
Then Nate Hill's Wedding lunchon and then on the plane to Phonix Arizona. What a fun trip that was. I met Alex's lovely family. Spent some time with my best friend. Became even closer cause he saw me just after I had woke up and even still liked me after that:). We even went to the Mesa Temple. It was so cool.I didn't enjoy the incredibly hot temperatures ( We even cooked an egg on the sidewalk) and the icky water but I did love the company. The flight home brought tears and a missionary experience. After returning to my home to pick up my car I found I was sick so I stayed the night then awoke early to drive to work.

August brought a short trip to California over the weekend. A trip to the beach and some fabric shopping where I found boardshort material. Work occurred still. I can't forget the pinewood derby. Tielle and I created a pencil car. It didn't win but it made it down the track!

I am now really ready to start school so I can only work part time. I may regret saying that I'm ready cause really I am far from ready but I believe I need something to occupy my time now days.

With the last phone call with Alex and some decisions made, I am ready for my Sophomore Year of college to start. I hope I will remember last year and create an even better year this time. We shall see.
Hope you enjoyed my summer recap. Not much occurred but memories were made and that is what is important.

Hot Air Balloons

So for the first part of our family day on July 3rd Jeff and Melanie wanted to attend the Provo Freedom Festival Hot Air Balloon Festival. The balloons were to launch at 6:30 am so it meant spending a day off waking up early. I was first opposed to this but then I just got up and got ready and went not really knowing what to expect. I rode my bike to the park so I didn't have to find a parking spot and met the family there. It was so surreal! It was hard to fathom that I was looking at a real hot air balloon. They seemed fake to me but they were real. I got there in time to see them blow them up.To blow them up first they use a big powerful fan to blow cold air into it.
After the balloon is blown up enough they start the propane and heat the air up and it expands lifting the balloon up.Here is me with Tony the Tiger. They also had Smokey the Bear and A piggy Bank. It was so fun to see all the different balloons and then watch them take off.


Great idea Jeff and Melanie. Funny thing is Henry slept right through it all and missed it. Oh well next year he will actually appreciate it maybe. All in all even though it was early I might just come back next year.

Love sac baby Love sac

So since the 6 of us roommates are going to room together again we had talked about getting a love sac. I have been checking online and Craig's list for quite a while. Finally one day I was on Craig's list and saw one for 75$. I was excited cause usually they cost like 200$ or so. I emailed the guy and we conversed back and forth about it and got him down to $60. I was ecstatic! Then I got the girls imput and we decided to get it, if it was in good condition.

Yesterday, tuesday, we drove to SLC (the UofU campus) to pick it up. Gracie and Cierra came to keep me safe from him just in case. So we sat on it, decided it was good and then we stuffed it, literally, into the back of my car. We pulled away with a love sac for $60. It was great.

(Gracie wasn't so sure we were taking the picture)
We got home and we plopped it into the corner between the couches. It is so comfortable! I am in love with the new Love sac. Oh and the other plus is that it is beige and it matches.

Clean?

So last week we had cleaning checks. Since when we moved in our apartment wasn't cleaned to it's best, it was kinda a task. I vacuumed for about an hour it seemed and this is what I collected.

Thanks to Jill's great Vacuum that sucked well, we got rid of so much dirt and dust. I hope that this doesn't happen every time but I would guess that it will.

The Big Event!

So last week Gracie wanted to get some flip flops from Old Navy. I had nothing better to do so I went with her. As she was checking out, just as the transaction went through actually, the cashier mentioned that on Saturday, today, they would be having an sale. All of the solid color flip flops, just the kind Gracie bought, would all be $1! I was so mad for Gracie at the stupid cashier who didn't explain that before she bought them. So anyway I decided that it would be fun to go and get a lot of flip flops for a little bit of money.

The lady said they are all usually gone by 12 and they open at 9. So after waking up at 6:30, thanks to early work which makes me now wake up really early even when I can sleep in, I laid in bed for a bit longer and Tielle awoke and we began showering and preparing for the event. We were out of here a little later than expected but we got there at 9:20am and the wall of colored flip flops was just about gone. I was so mad but I grabbed what I could and Tielle and I shared our spoils. Cierra came as well but she didn't want any. We were disappointed by the color selection but we kept walking around and waiting. Everyone could only purchase 5 pairs so people were having to put some back. Tielle and I stocked this Old Navy worker looking for size 11 and 9 bright colored flip flops. We finally hit the jackpot I got light blue, white, light pink, brown, red, and dark blue. It was a lot but they were a dollar so how can you resist not having one of every color they have your size in.

The line to check out was so long it wrapped back to the back of the store and around and around. Luckily Cierra is the nicest person ever so she stood in line while Tielle walked around looking for abandoned 9's and 11's. We felt so excited to find them. I felt like we were at a real event. I really am glad we got there when we did. It was nuts! Tons of ladies and their kids and their husbands walking around saying this is rediculous. It was so funny to watch people. If you ever have the opportunity to attend this event I would highly suggest it. It was both for entertainment and for purchasing.

I'm just thankful I am not a size 8. They were all gone in every color. I never thought I would say this but Mom and Dad.... Thanks for big feet :). Oh sorry Henry I looked for baby size but they were gone too. Who new that babies need flip flops too? Well I guess they do.

Hello?

Does anyone ever read my blog? I feel like no one does because it always looks the same... No comments. Oh well I guess I can pretend people are interested in my life:)

Razor Blade

So yesterday at work i was given a gift that I am so excited about. I was given my very own razor blade. You may think this is the dumbest thing you have ever heard but it is true. I was thrilled to be presented with a personalized razor blade. Genie, my boss, told me to cut open a box with my blade thinking that I already had my own. I told her I didn't have one and she said, "we must fix this. I will be back." About 5 minutes later she presented me with a shinny silver razor blade. You may think should Katie be using such a sharp tool? Well the answer is yes, dull ones are much more unsafe for her to use. I am mostly excited to have my own because then when I need to cut something open I just whip it out of my apron pocket and cut it right open. No more walking around searching for one. I almost feel as if I have been Knighted with a razor blade instead of a sword. Kinda lame but it is the excitement of my life right now.

Good Times Becoming Better???

So the good times of freshman year are now officially over. I don't know what to think. I feel like a big change is here in my life. I have moved into off campus housing, Liberty Square, and now I am all grown up or so I feel. I now pay rent to an office rather than just online. I now have a ward full of RM's who are looking for someone to complete their life. I'm living with people who aren't my age. I'm worrying about making enough money to pay the bills and also save enough to live for the next few years. This may not seem like a lot but it is. I am seriously considering riding my bike to the MTC just to save on gas. I am now a poor college student who doesn't know how to live off of only the food in the cuboard. I think I am learning... Just don't really eat. I have gone off sugar for a while too, 1. to save money cause I won't buy it 2. to become healthier. I'm not sure how good all these things seem but I have met a lot of cool people here and I am trying to enjoy working from 7:30 am until 3pm.

Life is good. The good times have rolled and I think better may be rolling in but you never know... Freshman year was pretty amazing. I really can't wait until I see where the next year leads me.

Done?

Is my freshman year really over? I do still have finals but class is done. How could it be over already? Time has come where all the people i have met will leave and I will move on. The break from study has come but not for long. Do I feel like I am done? I submit that I am not! I feel that I have another 3 years of learning and studying and growing. I shall continue.

Conference

Officially I think I have liked this conference the best. I have really been looking for some answers to my life and I found them through conference. I loved just hearing the prophet and apostles council us through these tough times. I really liked just sitting and listening. I was suppose to work on a project along with conference but I got to distracted by the message that I would totally forget about the project. Oh well.... Life's lessons have been learned instead of a project.

Last of all the best was the Sunday dinner after conference. Alex and I went up to a delightful dinner offered and cooked by my wonderful mother. It was so delicious. The chicken was perfectly cooked and the company was grand. Needless to say I wish we lived less than an hour away but it was well worth the drive and sacrifice.

Don't forget Pres. Monson's council to read and study the Conference Ensign.

I do believe that the rating for conference viewing was huge or at least it should be.

Ketchuping

Holy Cow!!! I did not realize how time flew. December 7, the last time I wrote seems like a life time ago. Many many things have happened. I just don't know where to start. I suppose I will start with the beginning of this semester. My roommates are still great. I still am loving BYU and I really have enjoyed living on campus and being a freshman.


The good times have really rolled. Here are some highlights to catch you up (ketchup). They are in no particular order or fashion just squirting it out.

I have made it through a back injury and bad stomach, migraines and so much more. I have enjoyed spending my free time with Alex.This is us at the Hogle Zoo.

After many tries we finally found the Hot Springs enjoying them with Gracie and others.

We attended the Draper Temple Open House and the Dedication.
I have wrote many papers and taken many tests.

This semester has been my beginning of balancing school and life. Last sememster I had some fun but I really just worried mostly about school, but this semester I have found that College is so much more than just school work.

I have begun ordering for work and that is a step up in life. I have to worry about making sure we don't run out of the essentials: soap, shampoo, toothpaste, foot odor powder, deodorant and more.

I have been humbled to ask for multiple blessings and I have had spiritual experiences in church and in class and I can see my life progressing in a good way.

I have learned that lemon bars work best if you cook them long enough but not too long, I hope, still haven't tried them.

I guess the most exciting part is that I am now an Aunt. Henry is the cutest little dude ever. I love him so much. I enjoyed a quick trip to California and their quick trip here to bless him. I guess from this and Human Development, I have learned that it will be a little while 'til I have kids... Obviously cause I'm not married :) but also because they are a lot of work! Melanie and Jeff I have a lot of respect for you. Oh and yes he is enjoying being held by me just as much as i am holding him.This is a date night we had. We got all dressed up and then we ate dinner in the JFSB courtyard and then Frosties in the Hinckley Center Gazebo.

All in all, as I said, the good times have been rolling and will continue to throughout my life. I will never forget these times.... I hope!