It's Christmas time!

I'll be home for Christmas in less than two weeks!! :) I just love this time of year. I've been enjoying the Christmas decorations Megan and I put up. Our tree is super rad.

Other items of note: I'm dating a super awesome guy. He treats me like a queen. He's wonderful. He's the nicest guy ever. He's got a testimony of the Gospel and of His Savior. He loves the Temple, and cycling, and me. And he makes me so happy! :) And we're pretty cute together...

Teaching is going well, though it is exhausting. I feel overwhelmed quite frequently, but it's beginning to be more rewarding. I love the faculty and the support I have there. It's a great school to be at, and I truly am blessed. :) Here's a picture my students drew of me and Brandon:

Over Thanksgiving, I went up to Idaho to spend time with my 2D1s (that's second cousins once removed, for those who aren't in the know :P). We had a super rad time. We laughed, we played, we shopped, we ate, we laughed some more... It was a great vacation! I love family. :)

And... here's a lovely picture of Rosemary, Megan, and myself at the last home football game this season. Cold, but fun! Go Cougars!

And, lastly, Megan and I have recently become hooked on Once Upon a Time. Cute show! All whimsical and stuff... And now that we've spent way too much time watching it, I need to get back to grading. Peace and blessings, peace and blessings...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Last night I discovered I had misplaced my wallet. I couldn't find it in my car, where I had last seen it. I couldn't find it with all my other stuff where I *thought* I had placed it. I went to move my car last night and I found my wallet on the ground next to it. In the pitch dark of the Burley, ID night. Last night, I went to bed so thankful for my answered prayer. This morning, I woke up in a fit of rage because I had a dream that my car got booted. This morning, I am grateful that dreams are only dreams...

Happiness is...

...realizing that you and your roommate have the same [leopard print] Snuggies. Rad.

After General Conference this afternoon, my roommate and I sat down and had fun making silly apartment decorations. Haha. It was enjoyable! I'm so happy the fall holiday season has begun! :)

Happy October!!

Crazy that it's October already!! I'm excited for the Fall holiday season though. :) This evening as I was preparing a pasta salad for our General Conference potluck lunch tomorrow, I had a stroke of Halloween genius and made this little guy from my bell pepper. He only lasted long enough for a picture, but I sure liked him while he was around. Haha.

BYU Football

I love BYU football games. :) One of the reasons I was thrilled to be staying in Utah post-graduation was because I would still get to attend the home football games. Friday night did not disappoint. I went to the game with my brother and my smokin' hot boyfriend, Brandon. The game was exciting at the end when we finally took the lead with 11 seconds remaining. I was stoked! A few people tried rushing the field, but I didn't feel the need. Overall, a great night and an exhilarating win! :)

Manti Temple

Remember how I went here a few weeks ago? It was AWESOME! :) I'm excited to go to Salt Lake sometime soon, too. Live sessions are rad!

The Little Things...

Hello blogging world! It's been awhile. I started teaching and I think I actually fell off the face of the planet there for awhile... I feel like I have been working non-stop! Between that and being sick for the past 5 weeks, life has been crazy. I finally took a sick day on Tuesday, when my cough became too debilitating and I was exhausted. My roommate came home that night with these flowers. She is so sweet! I have them proudly displayed on my desk, and they brighten my day all day every day! I love them. :) Thanks Megan for thinking of the little things that make such a big difference.

> More playing at the County Fair!
>

Playing at the County Fair!

Ella and I were playing with "Baby 'Lephant" :)

And... Here's my hair on humidity. Crazy.

Aren't we cute?

I love my cutie nieces! :)

Playing with sidewalk chalk on the back deck. Sometimes I wish life were this easy every day...

Went here this weekend and had a rockin' time!! Camping and boating and relaxing and loving life! :)

I love my friends. So much. :)

I love to see the Temple...

Isn't it gorgeous? Jenni and Megan and I have been traveling to other Temples while Provo is closed for cleaning. Last week we went to Mt. Timpanogos. This week to Oquirrh Mountain. Next week? Probably Draper. I just love the Temple. :)

Just a few of the reasons why I love Las Vegas...

Weekend Runaway

This weekend I'm running away to Vegas. (Yes, this photo was taken on the Strip last year (Because I like to 'Take it to the Max!' (Name that movie!))). And I'm terribly excited about it! My cousins are super rad. And it'll be a nice break from stresses in Provo.

Drip, drip, drop, little July showers...

The rare summer thunderstorm in Provo is always a delight. Enjoying it outside with friends donning goggles, and dancing along to "It's Raining Men"? Even better. :)

Happy Birthday, United States!

I love Independence Day in Provo. This weekend was filled with friends, fun, food, and fireworks!! Seriously one of the best celebrations I've had in a long time. :)

BALLOONS!! :D It's only Saturday morning, and already it's been a stellar weekend!

HCP For Life!

Today I am missing this. Long days, heat and humidity, hours of rehearsal on burning fiberglass grates, lack of sleep, bad hair, sunburns, mosquitoes, and setting up and washing 7 or 8 thousand chairs. I am missing making new (and BEST) friends, strengthening my testimony of my Savior and of the Book of Mormon, sharing my joy with others, living in a Zion community, growing, laughing, loving, and getting a killer lanyard and Teva tan. All in the name of inviting others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored Gospel through faith in Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism by immersion, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.

If you are anywhere in or near the Palmyra, NY area between July 7th and 16th, I invite you to come feel the excitement of the Hill Cumorah Pageant!

Come on in, the water's great!

Tonight for FHE, we hiked Stewart Falls up near Aspen Grove. It was a super fun hike! Because it's been such a cold year, there is still a glacier up there, with a huge tunnel cut by the water. A few of us decided to have fun and climb down into the freezing water. It was cold, but it was a great time. See the blue speckle of a person in the picture? That's me! And all the white stuff on the side, and the terribly dirty white stuff in the foreground? Glacier. After this picture was taken, I made my way through the tunnel and scrambled up the glacier on the other side. I was cold and soaked, but I had a blast! And I wish I had had more time to play and explore. :) The sun was down by the time we got back, and my shorts didn't do a wonderful job of drying, so I was freezing for the ride home, but some guys in my ward were nice enough to give of their sweatshirts, car heaters, hands, and scare tactics (to get my heart going...? Haha) to help warm me up. Overall it was a great evening. I'm so glad I live in a place where I can get a sunburn and hypothermia in the same day. :D

Shimmy Dean and the Danger Squad

I've been spending a lot of my time lately with a group of friends who formed quickly and have been nigh inseparable ever since. We've dubbed ourselves the Danger Squad, and we've been on many an adventure over the last month and a half. The fun really started around Memorial Day, when we planned a Marathon Of Fun (MOF) that is still going strong. One of the core members of the Danger Squad, Mitchell, has earned the affectionate nickname Shimmy Dean after his childhood resemblance to James Dean and his stunning ability to full-body shimmy. We will soon be producing an album, MOF Forever, by Shimmy Dean and the Danger Squad. And it will be a party. On the rooftop, top of the world. :)

I Shoulda Been a Cow[girl]

A few weeks ago, several of my friends and I went up to the Pleasant Grove Strawberry Days Rodeo. It was SO much fun! Mutton bustin', the cash cow, steer roping, barrel racing, bull riding, milking contests, and rodeo clowns are where it's at. I went to my very first rodeo a few years ago (the Lehi Roundup!) and I've been hooked ever since. There is just something about the chaps and spurs, the twang and the dust that gets me every time, and I just love it. :)

A lot has happened this summer. It's been eventful and oh-so-fun! At the beginning of this month I went down to California with Jenni, Kimberly, and Sam for our friends' wedding. It was gorgeous! Here we are outside the Temple waiting for the lovely bride and groom to make their grand exit.

Rain

It's been raining like crazy for the past two weeks in Provo! The river is super high, and the lake too (an entire parking lot was underwater when we went boating last week). This afternoon it was coming down pretty hard, and we took a walk to visit some friends. Inevitably, we had to ford a few streams that sprung up, but we did it in style! (And our toes froze in the process... No biggie!)

Ducks!

It has been a very eventful weekend! Friday we went to visit our friend Bobby's ducks. He had cute little ducklings which we got to hold, as well as some more grown-up ducks. Quackers is blind, Stand-Up Duck is mute (but has impeccable posture!), and MegaDuck can't walk very well. He also has Mini Stand-Up Duck (aka Lazarus Duck) that he saved from death. Pretty incredible!

EPIC Greatness

Today is wonderful for two reasons. One, my little brother turned 21!! I can't believe he's so old. And serving the Lord on mission in Brazil. Love it, and love him!

Also, I got THE job! The one that felt so right. I'm so excited. Terrified a bit, too, but oh so happy! :D

I LOVE SUMMERTIME! I just wish it would be warm and sunny for more than a few hours a week... But yesterday I made sure to put those sunny hours to good use!

Sisters are we. Friends we'll be.