Thanksgiving Break

Break was awesome! Jasmine and I moved our beds out to the living room where we slept every night of break.  Mary, our RA and friend, slept on our couch 2 of the nights and Beth slept on the bean bag on Tuesday night since she left the next morning for home.  We went and saw Breaking Dawn on Tuesday which was AWESOME. Great twist, it really threw me off for a little while there but all is well! (those of you who have seen the movie AND read the books will understand) We also went to In and Out.  Then Beth, Jasmine, Tanner, Andrew, Mary, David, and I sat outside in the courtyard with blankets and M&Ms until about 1:30 in the morning.  On Wednesday we watched A Walk To Remember as we fell asleep.  All of us girls also made pajama pants on Wednesday (Jasmine came with me and Jenny brought Jolynda and her roommate Alyssa).  On Thursday we had Thanksgiving at Grandma's which was delicious! Then me, Cortney, Jolynda, Alyssa, and Jasmine went to Target for Black Friday (which started Thursday at 9 pm) Then we went to the mall for Black Friday at Midnight with Jenny, Erika and Mom too.  Hollister had 50% off the entire store so I got perfume and a zip up jacket.  Then American Eagle was having 40% off everything so I got a pair of yoga pants and a pair of yoga shorts.   Jasmine and I came home at about 1:30 and got out of bed at about 11:40.  Then we went to the new outlet mall and did MORE Black Friday shopping.  I got a new coat (Early Christmas) from Tommy Hilfiger which was having a huge sell and we went to a bunch of other stores.  I got a birthday present for Logan too.  Jasmine, Dustin, Cortney, Jenny, Alyssa, Jolynda, and I all went to the BYU Women's soccer game which was the elite 8.  We lost in double overtime but it was a great game! We have an awesome goaly and a wonderful team!  Then Jasmine and I came home and watched Burlesque (AWESOME!) and fell asleep afterwards.  Saturday we went back to the outlet mall where I got Christmas presents for the parentals and for Logan plus we went to Cabellas! Just a few more presents to buy and I'll be good :)  We watched Rio with the family and then stayed and played games till about 11.  We came home and pretty much just went to bed after that.  8:30 church as usual this morning but Jenny, Jolynda, and Alyssa came with us.  Megan and Jasmine gave talks which were great! Our friend Raymond spoke too.  I came home and made an omlette for lunch and fell asleep watching A Walk To Remember with Jasmine.  Russell and Erika picked me up at about 3 and then we had Sunday dinner with the whole family.  Jenny and her friends left after we ate and then the rest of us played games till about 9:30.  Now I'm home, showered, and already ahead on homework for the week.  Goals for the week: Find a Deaf Activity for ASL, Set up and appointment at the Health Center, and DO GOOD ON MY BIOLOGY TEST! Crossing my fingers on the last one! It opens tomorrow but I have a lot of studying to do.  So....good thing that I got other things done early so that I can just study my little heart out! Well my room is clean and I'm caught up on sleep from the break so I think I better head to bed.  Hope everyone else had as good of a break and Holiday as I did!

Kristen's Concert

Yesterday we went to our roommate Kristen's concert.  She's in the BYU Concert Choir and she did AMAZING.  BYU Singers also performed and it was a great concert. Then I came back and ate pizza and had OJ and watched part of A Knight's Tale with my awesome roomies Beth and Jasmine.  Didn't end up going to bed till like after 1 and Megan and I talked for a bit which was nice :)
This morning I got to sleep in until after 10:30.  Then I woke up, got ready, ate eggs with cheese on english muffins and now I'm gonna go to my grandma's house to see my parents who just got into town! My brother Dustin should be here any minute to get me! Then tonight we have a pizza party at Patti Miner's house with all the girls in our ward, so it should be fun! Pizza, hair, nails, facials, and movies! Should be a good day and a fun night :)

Sweet Productiveness!

Today has been super productive for me! I finished my last application essay for Psych 111 and I finished my first 2 drafts for my 10 page research paper in Writing 150. :)I feel so accomplished! Especially because they aren't even due yet! Next week should be a nice and relaxing week for Thanksgiving vacation. :)I'm staying here in Utah and my parents are flying in and Jenny is driving down from BYUI. My roommate Jasmine is going to hang out with us for break and so is my friend Jolynda and one of my sister's roommates. I think we're planning on making pajama pants and scarves :)
Now all that I have left to do for the semester that is stressing me out (other than midterms and finals) is finding a Deaf Community Activity for ASL and making a video afterwards about it.  The majority of the people have to be deaf and I have to introduce myself to 2 deaf people.  So, I'm hoping to find something that will work! Crossing my fingers! There's some stuff going on tonight but I don't know if they count or what time they are, so I'm going to talk to some people in my class and see what they're doing. I have till the first week of December so I'm going to keep looking!

Now I get to relax till ASL which isn't for another 2 and a half hours.  I love days like this :) Maybe I'll play piano or watch a movie.  I would say take a nap but yesterday I took an hour nap and couldn't sleep last night (plus I tried going to bed earlier than usual).  I kept waking up all night and all through the morning so it was kind of a restless night.  But I feel awake now so I guess that's all that matters.  But I'd like to sleep tonight so no nap for me!
Hope everyone else is having just as much of a productive day as I am :)

Don't Count The Miles, Count The I Love You's-I Miss My Best Friends

Thanksgiving is next week and that means I get to see my family over break.  Sadly, I don't get to go home.  But I do get to see my parents and sister, my whole immediate family actually except for John and Kristin and their 3 little girls Lexi, Kaytlin, and Addie.  I'm really missing that family, especially those little kiddos.  They always wanted to spend time with me and read books, watch movies, come play in my room.  I think I took them or granted a little too much.  Okay, a lot too much.  I really miss my nieces.  I get to be with Maddie here, but I wish I could be with all of them.
I miss some other people quite a bit too.  I miss Zoe Smith, one of my very best friends.  She's a sophomore in high school this year and we became friends through cheer and soccer her freshman, my senior, year and became inseparable   We went to McDonald's all the time after soccer practice and we worked together this summer.  And we had fun movie nights too with Austin and Logan.  We even share the same birthday and I miss her like crazy.  I miss Logan Collins too.  Logan is my other very best friend.  We talk on the phone every day and  I miss him a lot, and his family.  I spent a majority of my summer with them and they made me feel like family.  Logan and I dated this summer, and broke up the day I came to college.  On that same day I said goodbye to my dog Chester forever.  Talk about one crappy day.  I cried a lot, in the car after saying bye to Chester, at the ferry saying bye to Logan when we broke up, on the ferry ride thinking about it, and even on the plane rides.Brianna McLaughlin has been my best friend since 7th grade back when we used to have competitions to see who could solve the math problem faster in Mr. Sullivan's class.  We had a lot in common and we've had our ups and our downs but she'll always be like a sister to me.  She's in Anchorage for college right now, on the cheer squad too!  She'll be in Ketchikan for part of break but then she is going to Iowa to visit her mom.  So we have a lot of catching up to do in a short amount of time.  I miss other people too, but I am so excited to see Logan and Zoe and Brianna when I go home December 15th.  I'll be there for 3 weeks and I'm going to make every second count.

BYU Men's Basketball Game!

So there's a mens basketball game tonight and I am going with Peter Wilson from Wrangell and my roommate Jasmine! 2nd row seats :) Peter is there right now saving them for us.
I wrote through page 7 of my research paper on Cochlear Implants.  I was already on page 5 so I only wrote like 2 but still it was progress.  The paper has to be 10 pages minimum.  Then I finished my power point for my ASL expressive project which is due tomorrow.  I have to sign along with it for 5 minutes in class describing the things on the screen. Crossing my fingers!  I also rearranged my dorm room a bit and reorganized my food to all fit in my cupboard again.  And I got a 5 minute nap which was much needed.
The game is at 7 so I better go get ready. GO COUGARS!

A Different Kind of Happy

I've had a lot on my mind today.  Lots and lots of thinking about lots and lots of things.  So if you ask e what about I probably won't answer.  So please don't take it personally, it's just much too complicated and long to talk about :)
Today it was pretty chilly out.  We had FHE and did the newly wed game with our roommate and Megan and I did AWESOME! Then Jasmine and I went on a walk to the Creamery for her to get icecream and had a lovely talk.  I can tell her anything and I love it :) Now we're back at the dorm and there's snow outside on the ground.  We're gonna eat icecream and watch Percy Jackson.  What a great way to end the day, and much needed!

P.S. I gave a talk in church yesterday

Disney Movie and Blankets :)

Today we had 8:30 AM church as usual.  Then we came home.  Megan and I visit taught Nea and Kaylee and then we came back and watched High School Musical with our roomies, fhe bros, and a friend in the ward.  It was pretty fun and we all had blankets and pillows and even some stuffed animals.
I made chicken for dinner and some rice.  Now I'm thinking about eating some cottage cheese with pears.  Then we have a presidency meeting tonight and then ward prayer :)
Here's some pictures of what's been going on lately!

Ward Bowling Night with Robert, Tanner, Cam, Beth, and Jasmine

Double date to Bridal Veil Falls with Austin, Kristen, and Drew

Got into a flour fight with Raymond on a date

We made a fort for our date too

We were Super Facebook Stalkers for Halloween

Megan and I got giant matching stuffed animals from Costco for cuddling with

All bundled up before the last home football game, snow on the ground!

Carving a pumpkin on our date

Sorry this all took so long to post, I'm just way far behind so this is from all over the semester and not in order either! Hope you enjoy :)

SNOW!

Woke up with tons of snow on the ground :) It's beautiful covering the mountains! Then Beth, Jasmine, and I went shopping.  I made my first ever Build-a-bear and it's a black bear with a cute little hat and hes my alaskan bear! His name is Bentley :P
Then Jasmine and I got maxi skirts and cardigans.  And then we all just walked around the mall.  Then we came home and watched Beastley.  Then went to the last home football game.  We stayed for half of the 2nd quarter and then came home because we were freezing.  Now we're hanging with some of our FHE boys and friends and watching a movie with hot cocoa :)
I'd say it's been a pretty good day :)

Bowling, Hot Cider, and Fame :)

Woke up at 9 :)
Got to wear my xtratufs and northface due to the lovely rain :)
Had orange juice on my way to class :)
Saw and got to hear President Uchtdorf speak before class :)
Now it's snowing :)
And I get my hair done this afternoon, plus ward bowling night! :)
Awesome Day? I'd say so :)

That was my facebook post earlier today :)
They my Writing class got cancelled and it got even better! All of my homework done by noon and then a relaxing day and now...I'm a blonde again!

Watching Fame with the Roomies tonight :)

Momma's Homemade Cooking

It's really bothered me since I got here that my good doesn't taste like my mom's.  It's the same recipes and they just don't taste the same.  Today though I finally felt like I was eating my mom's cooking.  Yes I feel like I am finally learning how to cook! Yay!
Oh and for those of you wondering, Tasia and Robert both got their calls to Brazil! They both leave in March too.  So exciting!
Oh and another random tidbit, it's been about 60 degrees all week.  Tomorrow it's supposed to drop to like 35 :( I'm not looking forward to this..

It's Not The End of The World

Yesterday was election day.  It was Mitt Romney vs. Barrack Obama.  Obama won.  And I'd swear by some people's reactions that the world was coming to an end.  I even had a friend say that they were going to wear black today in memory of America's funeral.
Yes, I don't follow politics all that well.  And yes, they annoy and frustrate me like no other.  But, that doesn't mean that the only reason I'm not freaking out is because I'm uninformed or misinformed.  The fact is, Obama is our President.  America voted him in and that means that we need to support him as our President.
My vent is now done on that :)
Tonight Taja and Robert open their mission calls! So exciting! Ahhhhhhh can't wait! Taja's is at 7 and Robert's is at 9! So excited for them :)

Forever Undecided?

I don't know what it is, but I can never make up my mind.  I would much rather have other people choose for me.  I think part of it is that I don't really like taking the responsibility of everyone's happiness.  I would much rather everyone else be happy and I just tag along for the ride.  But, unfortunately, not everyone sees it that way.  And, alas, it can't be like that anyways.  Life is full of decisions and choices to be made.  And now that I'm at college, it's time for me to make those big choices and small choices.  I've found that it's sometimes the smallest of choices that make the biggest of differences.
I can choose to wear my hair curly or straight.  I can choose to wear the yellow shoes or the blue ones.  I can choose to eat spaghetti for dinner or eggs.  I can choose to stay at home and watch a chickflick or go out with friends.  I can choose to decorate my wall or leave it blank.  So what do I choose?
I like my hair better straight.  I change my mind daily on shoes.  I love spaghetti but since it's all I've been eating since Saturday (college students and left overs) I would rather have eggs.  I prefer chickflicks to freezing outside at an ultimate frisbee game that I'm not even playing in.  I hate blank walls, they're boring and make me feel claustrophobic.  I love pictures and quotes an words, so I cover my wall with them.  And that's just the beginning.
Every day I make the little decisions and they fill my life.  So why would I want to make the big ones? The important ones?  Why can't somebody else make those?  I don't want to be blamed if something goes wrong.  I don't like the pressure.  I just wanna be me.  That's all.  I want to write, I want to listen to music, I want to take silly pictures with my friends, I want to smile and laugh and make everybody happy.  Can't that be enough?
When I was a little kid it was.  But not anymore.  Now I'm grown up.  I'm at college.  I'm making my own decisions, everyday, every hour, every minute, every second.  Should I go on the date?  What should I make for dinner?  How in the world am I going to pay for everything?  Am I fitting in?  What can I do to make friends?  Who likes me for me, all my baggage attached?  Who won't judge me?
What should my major be?  Right now I have Psychology declared, but that's so not for me.  After taking Psych 111 this semester I think I've decided to go another way.  Interior design?  Human development?  I guess we'll see next semester when I have a class for both of those.  Oh and another thing-AM I GOING TO PASS BIOLOGY?!
I have enough decisions and choices and things to think about already.  I don't want to add to it.  Want to make me happy?  Don't always make me choose.  I realize that sometimes I need to and should and that it's good for me.  But sometimes, sometimes I don't want to.  And I think that maybe, just maybe, that should be enough.  One day I'll make important decisions, but that's when they're really truly important and I know for a fact what I want.  So please be patient with me, I'm trying.  But I'm trying to be me, not just what everyone else wants from me.  So maybe I'm not perfect, but that's okay with me.  I'd rather be me  than perfect any day.