Savannah Olive

It's Christmas time!

2011-12-08T21:35:00.001-07:00

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!

2011-11-24T08:25:00.001-07:00

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...

2011-11-03T22:29:00.001-06:00

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

2011-10-02T19:04:00.001-06:00

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!!

2011-10-02T02:14:00.001-06:00

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

2011-10-02T02:10:00.001-06:00

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

2011-09-29T21:50:00.000-06:00

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...

2011-09-29T21:45:00.000-06:00

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.

2011-08-03T22:20:00.000-06:00

> More playing at the County Fair!
>

2011-08-03T22:13:00.000-06:00

Playing at the County Fair!

2011-08-03T22:10:00.001-06:00

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

2011-08-03T21:58:00.001-06:00

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

2011-08-03T21:53:00.001-06:00

Aren't we cute?

2011-08-03T21:51:00.001-06:00

I love my cutie nieces! :)

2011-08-03T21:51:00.000-06:00

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

2011-07-17T22:28:00.000-06:00

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

2011-07-16T22:25:00.001-06:00

I love my friends. So much. :)

I love to see the Temple...

2011-07-16T22:22:00.001-06:00

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. :)

2011-07-12T18:02:00.001-06:00

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

Weekend Runaway

2011-07-08T00:33:00.001-06:00

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...

2011-07-07T02:25:00.001-06:00

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!

2011-07-05T00:04:00.000-06:00

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. :)

2011-07-02T08:15:00.000-06:00

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

HCP For Life!

2011-07-01T01:01:00.002-06:00

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!

2011-06-28T02:25:00.000-06:00

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

2011-06-28T02:15:00.000-06:00

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]

2011-06-28T02:07:00.000-06:00

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. :)

2011-06-26T13:24:00.000-06:00

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

2011-05-30T00:42:00.000-06:00

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!

2011-05-30T00:37:00.000-06:00

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

2011-05-24T23:47:00.001-06:00

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

2011-05-22T15:34:00.000-06:00

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!

2011-05-07T17:01:00.001-06:00

Sisters are we. Friends we'll be.

2011-05-07T16:29:00.002-06:00

Life can be a little rough sometimes...

Family

2011-05-07T16:18:00.002-06:00

Isn't it about... time?

2011-04-27T03:11:00.000-06:00

Things like this make me so happy.

Creeptastic

2011-04-23T20:14:00.000-06:00

This stared at me as I ate dinner this evening... I may or may not have nightmares tonight.

Technology rocks!

2011-04-13T00:59:00.001-06:00

I Skyped home last night. And I was able to "be there" for family prayer, which was wonderful!! But the remainder of my time on Skype was spent making faces at my brothers and sisters while talking to them. I love technology!

2011-04-13T00:56:00.001-06:00

...I also love early nights with good friends! :D

2011-04-13T00:55:00.000-06:00

I love late nights with great friends! :D

2011-04-13T00:53:00.000-06:00

My awesome roommate Shelli decided to do a project last week (and maybe we were prancing around the apartment like it was a Saturday afternoon during this project, when in reality it was after 1 in the morning on a weeknight). She spray-painted this brown frame with white spray-paint... Just goes to show that life NEVER goes quite like you planned, but the end result is often better than you may have ever dreamed. :)

100!!

2011-04-06T17:32:00.001-06:00

My 100th post had to be dedicated to some of my favorite people ever. These four little darlings never fail to bring a smile to my face! Do you see L, the handsome little boy on the left, and K, the beautiful girl in the striped shirt? I'm going to visit them for Easter! I bought my tickets yesterday, and I cannot wait!! Seattle, here I come!

Scrappy

2011-04-06T17:27:00.001-06:00

Do you ever have days when you just want to punch somebody in the face? I'm trying really hard to not let today be one of those days...

The picture? From when K and I popcorned S's desk. Happy April, foo!

(No, the picture and my resisting wanting to punch someone are in no way related.)

2011-04-04T00:21:00.001-06:00

Also made these today. Boom!

2011-04-04T00:20:00.001-06:00

Look at the cutesy satin flower hair clips I made with HT today! Aren't they darling? I feel so crafty and creative. :)

2011-04-03T09:06:00.002-06:00

But at least it's pretty!! :D

Must be Conference time...

2011-04-03T09:06:00.001-06:00

Yesterday it was 75 degrees in Provo. Today, this. Happy General Conference weekend!

Escaping Provo

2011-03-26T12:47:00.000-06:00

Cabining/Hiking in the snow in Southern Utah!! So much fun!! :)

Bring on the HEAT, baby!

2011-03-24T22:22:00.000-06:00

This picture is from a sunny Sunday walk two weeks ago. :)

It's Spring! And while it's been rather drizzly and grey here, the Springtime newness and excitement are beginning to inch their way into my thoughts. Memories of warmer times are coming back to me, and I'm getting super excited for sunshine and picnics and late nights and Summer and freedom and flowers and road trips and... Yeah. It'll be a good summer!

Also, I pretty much love being able to post from my phone. That's all.

Procrastination...

2011-03-23T23:11:00.000-06:00

I've got some projects to finish up and some reading to do and about a million hours of sleep to catch up on... And I've spent the last 20 minutes figuring out how to post from my new phone. Awesome! Expect to be hearing from me slightly more often with fun pictures from my phone! Haha. :)

This one is from Sunday afternoon. I drove a friend up to Tremonton, and fell in love with a cute dinosaur up there. I was sick of driving and had to stretch my legs and there happened to be an awesome dinosaur chilling there for Kimberly's and my enjoyment!

2011-03-12T23:51:00.001-07:00

Sometimes, I think I'm afraid to be happy. Like, I feel like if I'm too content, something is bound to go wrong, so I just don't want to let myself get too happy. I get scared. Anyone else ever feel this way? How do you overcome it?

Productivity

2011-03-02T01:25:00.000-07:00

I crossed off 11 items from my To Do list today. 11! Those were all substantial things that needed to be done, too. I feel so productive. :)

And, I plan to cross off another one before I head to bed tonight. Or at least make good progress toward crossing it off.

Also, today was gorgeous. Sunny and warm and beautiful. I had to take off my sweatshirt because I was roasting in it! That's the kind of weather I like to see. Hopefully it means this month will follow a nice little "In like a lamb, out like an even awesomer lamb..." pattern. I'd enjoy that. Heh heh heh.

March is shaping up to be a much nicer month than I'd anticipated. Normally I hate it because it's the longest month known to man, but if this productivity and super weather keeps up, my feelings just might be swayed. Also, I'll be home in 3 days. So that makes things better, too. :)

Febtober?

2011-03-01T00:49:00.001-07:00

Another month has come and gone... March brings the promise of new and exciting experiences, but before I dive into those I'd like to reflect a little on the lessons I've learned in February. Following in the footsteps of my bomb sister-in-law Sarah, and to commemorate the shortest month of the year, my list will include 28 items. Some are funny, some are serious... Bring it on!

Let it be known to the world that, in February 2011, I learned:
1) Apparently the phrase "too much on my plate" means nothing to me, because I just keep piling on the activities and the responsibility.
2) I'm a Bingo champion.
3) Spending Valentine's Day with girlfriends, laughing hysterically and freaking ourselves out, might perhaps be the best way to spend such an awesome holiday.
4) Gentlemen DO exist!
5) Combining perfectly situated duplexes, weird neighbors who fail to close their kitchen blinds, and laser pointers can provide some serious entertainment on late nights.
6) "Lower your expectations!" is a perfectly acceptable takeaway for Sunday School dating lessons.
7) Twisting and pinning my hair is perfect for mornings when I'm exhausted and running late but still want to look like I put some effort into making myself look like a person.
8) Dreams can be intense little buggers that sometimes won't leave you alone even after you're awake (or even after two weeks...).
9) My confidence in my writing ability has reached an all-time low, while feelings that I'm perpetually disappointing my entire graduate committee have skyrocketed. Thank you, graduate school...
10) You should never interrupt Julian Smith when he's readin' a book.
11) My "love life will be happy and harmonious."
12) Creepy crawly crawlspaces are pretty rad.
13) It's amazing how easy it is to fall back into comfortable patterns ("just like the old times") with true friends who you haven't seen in awhile.
14) I can drive a snowmobile!
15) ...but I can't drive a shopping cart.
16) Sometimes calling 911 isn't the most reasonable course of action.
17) I'm cute when I'm tired.
18) Baking and frosting sugar cookies is still one of my favorite activities.
19) I pretty much stink at operating fancy-pants cell phones... [But I still kind of want one. Figures.]
20) Library carrels provide the necessary seclusion from the world when being in my office gets too distracting - I need to remember this more often!
21) Nyquil makes me do funny things.
22) Along with inspiring the nightwear of Superman and adorning the walls of Chuck Norris' home, Jimmer can prove a limit without even being given an epsilon.
23) While I typically have an immune system of Steele (heh heh heh...), sometimes a chest cold of doom can descend and ensnare me in its nasty clutches, reducing me from feeling slightly under the weather to a crippled, sobbing ball on the couch in a matter of about three hours.
24) Priesthood blessings heal, both inside and out.
25) Despite a lack of practice, I can still parallel park my car.
26) Grading may perhaps be the bane of my existence, but using a pink pen sure helps ease some of the pain.
27) Magic tricks are mesmerizing.
28) I'm related to some of the funniest people on earth...

And with that, I need to get some sleep and try to start this next month off on the right foot. Happy New Month, everyone!

Tribute

2011-02-24T23:14:00.000-07:00

Awwww, ain't it sweet? I love looking at this picture of my parents. They look so happy and vibrant, plus their clothes are pretty rad. Heh heh heh. :) I'm so grateful for these two wonderful people in my life. I'm grateful for their love and support, and their commitment to each other and to our family.

My dad has always been one of my biggest cheerleaders. He's supported me in my education, and always pushed me to do my best. He taught me the value of hard, honest work. He is one of the greatest examples of a true giver - he loves to give of his time and talents, and loves to give gifts. He has also taught me how to have a good time and to have a sense of humor. There is never a dull moment when he's around, and he loves to keep things lively and entertaining. Thank you, Dad, for your support, your example, and your love. I love you!

My mom is my hero. I don't know if I can ever thank her enough for her example of living a full life devoted to family, friends, and the Gospel. She has always shown her deep love for me through her selfless service. She seems to always be working on about a million things, and never runs out of energy or enthusiasm for the work she is involved in. She has taught me how to truly love and how to have a good attitude despite life's craziness. Most importantly, she has taught me Gospel principles both by word and by example. Thank you, Mom, for your sweetness, your trust, and your love. I love you!

And, who can forget all my wonderful siblings who are here on earth because of my parents? Mathieu is a wonderful example of respect and responsibility. I have always admired his courage to stand up for what is right and to lead by example. Erin, Ella, and Delainey are lucky girls, and they, too, mean so much to me. I have always seen Zachary as my protector - he's got an innate courage and loyalty that cannot be removed. He has always been someone I can turn to when I need help, support, or comfort. I miss having his family here with me, but I know they are just a phone call or video chat away (Love you, Sarah, Logan, and Kaylee!). Elizabeth is a wonderful example to me of a gorgeous, talented, creative, strong woman. I admire (and am envious of) her beauty, and I cherish her friendship. Jonathan has been an example to me of a hard worker who, like my dad, knows how to have a lot of fun. He can inject humor into any situation, and I love his enjoyment of life. I also love his example of dedication to the Gospel as he is currently serving a mission. Rosemary is a joy to be around, and I love that she can laugh at my awesome jokes and retort with even awesomer ones. She is grounded in what she knows to be true, and she is genuine in her sweetness to those around her. Remington is an example to me of humility and wit. He has a strong testimony that shows through his quiet example. He also has a sharp sense of humor that can leave me with my sides splitting. Hunter has a strong personality and he uses it to love those around him. He is an example to me of how to show conviction to what he believes. I also love his willingness to wrap his arms around me and give me a big hug just because he feels like it. Madison is a shining example of sweetness and sensitivity. She wants to do good and to be good, and she loves to express her love for others. She has the biggest heart, and forgives without a second thought.

I love my family. I love each of my siblings with their individual personalities and quirks. I love the memories we've created together, and the prospect of creating more wonderful memories. I love knowing that families can be together forever, that these relationships and friendships I have can be perpetuated beyond the grave. And I love my parents for making it all possible. :) Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad! Y'all are the bomb!

Near To You

2011-02-18T00:13:00.000-07:00

I love Thursdays. Or, rather, I love Thursday evenings. I can let myself take a break and breathe and realize I've [almost] made it through another week. It's a good feeling. :) That, and it means Friday is coming, and I just LOVE Fridays.

I've been busy lately with grading and working on my thesis and pretending like I know how to navigate my way through grad school. ~~And spending late hours with good friends and cute boys.~~ I really am so blessed, and I have a tendency to get so bogged down and forget about that...

But not lately. See, I write in my journal faithfully every night. I typically try to write things that are true to how I see them, but I tend to stay as positive as possible in light of the fact that sometimes I go back and read them (and who knows who'll read these things in the future...) and I really hate reading my negative thoughts. In an effort to be more positive and to recognize my blessings, I began writing down "My 3 Happies" for each day at the end of each journal entry. That is, I pick my three favorite things from that day and record them ~~for posterity~~. It's helped me to focus on the great things in my life. It's interesting, especially, to think back on those few really bad days I've had and to remember the flood of blessings I was able to recall on those nights. It certainly has been a humbling experience. :) Anyway, I thought I'd share with you a few of my favorite Happies from this year so far. They've certainly blessed my life! And remembering them is helping to keep me sane. :)

Saturday, 1 January
Singing in the car with my family on the way to dinner (At the top of our lungs) (Even if it was to Ke$ha).

Monday, 3 January

E saying "I love you, Sanannah!"

Wednesday, 5 January

Going to the Temple! And cute old Temple workers. The little old man who confirmed me said this as I sat down: "Sister S? And she has gorgeous hair!" It made me happy.

Wednesday, 5 January

I taught a 300-level college class and didn't die!

Friday, 7 January

Dancing with K in her car with the music turned way up, just for fun. It was awesome! :D

Tuesday, 11 January

J posted a link to Elder Holland's talk, "Good Things to Come," on my FB wall. Such true words...

Friday, 14 January

Dressing up ridiculous and rocking out hardcore!

Friday, 14 January

Flirting with other boys, and not feeling too guilty about it...

Monday, 17 January

Accidentally making J's power go out... (In her ENTIRE house). It was SO funny! And we didn't know what to do, so we went to Macey's for ice cream, and danced to the Valentine's cards with music in the greeting card aisle.

Friday, 21 January

Making new friends and having an instant connection to them through service.

Monday, 24 January

Calling home and talking with E and M and S and L... I just love my family!

Tuesday, 25 January

I almost passed out, but I was helped by awesome, caring guys who didn't even know me! And I lived to tell the tale!

Monday, 31 January

I ate cookies for breakfast. Happy Monday morning to me!

Sunday, 6 February

Girl time this evening was awesome - I love being completely ridiculous and slightly irrational.

Thursday, 10 February

Valentine's conversation hearts. Because they're just so funny and tender sometimes.

Saturday, 12 February

I drove a snowmobile! And I didn't die! I was able to overcome my fear, have tons of fun, and realize how grateful I am to R for encouraging me and for being someone I can trust.

Sunday, 13 February

Home teachers who truly care - who love me as a person and as a friend, not just because they are assigned to love me.

Sunday, 13 February

Dancing and singing and rocking out with K and J in the back of L's car on the way back from Payson. I love those girls and their sweetness and craziness!

So....yeah. I've realized recently just how much I depend on and love other people. I think I'm an extremely social person, and I'm so grateful for the relationships I've been able to build and the experiences I've had. :) And also, I apparently have a propensity to dance and sing in cars (with or without other people...). Trust me - I do it every stinkin' morning on the way to campus. And I LOVE it! Keeps life fun. :)

An Ode to Grading

2011-02-08T17:58:00.000-07:00

I have a ton of grading to get done. Stink. But as I was sitting down and getting ready to start, I made up this song. And now it won't stop going through my head! It's to the tune of the swimming pool song. I thought I'd share it with the world... Classy, no? Here goes:

Grading, grading, all through the day and night.
I grade with heart, I grade with soul, I grade with all my might.
Oh, dear students, why can't you get this right?
I look ahead to my future,
but there's no end in sight, to... (Continue from beginning)

I think I'm certifiably crazy.

3 AM Thoughts

2011-02-07T03:24:00.000-07:00

I sometimes despise grading. I know it's important for me to assess how my students are understanding the material, but sometimes it just drains me of my ~~will to live~~ energy.

Also, I'm just not as young as I used to be. Weird how time'll do that to you, huh? Every time. :) But, seriously, I think I hit a brick wall at 10:30 a lot more often than I used to. I push through it, but it's become a LOT harder. I hope the things I'm spending my time on are worth the sacrifice of sleep...

And... How do you balance your life when everything seems so important? I know, I know... Sunday school answers. Pray. Read my scriptures. Put the Lord first and everything will fall into place. Have an eternal perspective... I'm trying. I suppose Satan has me pegged, working incessantly on my every doubt and insecurity. That little bugger.

I'm exhausted. I need sleep...

I'm as corny as Kansas in August...

2011-02-06T02:19:00.000-07:00

We had the adult session of Stake Conference tonight. Afterward, Kimberly and I swung by Macey's to pick up some stuff. I hate Macey's on Saturday nights - it's too busy for my liking. All through the store Kimberly was singing the song from South Pacific that inspired the title of this blog. It's been stuck in my head ever since...

Anyway, life's been pretty grand lately. Busy, for sure. But wonderful. I love the class that I'm teaching [even if I do feel completely lost most of the time]. It's a lot different than teaching calculus, but it's been a great experience and some of my students are really awesome. It's rewarding to see them persist in doing something they don't love and finally make sense of some really neat mathematics.

I'm also taking a calculus teaching class. It's proven to be a lot of fun, though I wish I'd had the opportunity to take it before TAing several semesters of calculus. I find it amazing how much I'm still learning (calculus content-wise). I love it!

I go home in less than a month for Elizabeth's wedding! My dress came yesterday, and I love it! I'm super excited to take a weekend off, get out of Provo, and see my family! And celebrate with my beautiful sister! :) Haha, can you tell I'm super excited? I can't lay off the exclamation points...

Christmas break was also a wonderful time with family. I absolutely loved being home. It was sad to come back to Provo... Don't get me wrong - I have so many amazing friends here, and I was aching to be back with them by the end of my 3-week excursion, but it was hard to leave my family. It's always hard to leave my family. Sometimes it really bites being the only one here in little ol' Provo... But I've been trying to be better lately about calling and texting and Skype-ing my family. I just love them.

And...to sate your need to see pictures, here are a few. Random, just like this [and every other] post. Get used to it - it's my life.

M and I at home over Christmas break:

Kelly and I before we headed to the Grad Student 80s dance. What a fun night!

Kimberly and I drove up to Logan last Saturday. We met up with my friend Chris, and also with an old family friend, Jared, and his brother, Ryan. It was tons of fun! We went out to lunch, and ice skating, and to the Temple grounds, and out to dinner, and to a hockey game... This is me with Kimberly and Chris at the Logan Temple:

And here is me with Kimberly, also at the Logan Temple:

Chris, me, and Kimberly before the hockey game started. It was BYU v. USU. I requested that we sit in the BYU fans section. Heh heh heh. I don't know if anyone was ready for my exuberant Cougar cheering, but I sure loved it!

And, lastly, here is a fun shot of Chris, me, Jared, and Kimberly at the hockey game. We had a TON of fun. I don't think I ever realized hockey was so fun to watch. Jared did a good job of keeping me informed about what the heck was going on, and Kimberly developed a new-found love of the sport.

Ooh boy!

2010-12-13T22:21:00.000-07:00

T-minus 49 hours 'til I'm on my flight home... I can't wait! It'll be a very merry Christmas, indeed!

2010-11-30T01:21:00.000-07:00

I'm learning that sometimes the path from "I can't" to "I will" is not an easy one. And I usually get stuck and start spinning in circles right around the "I can, but I won't" stage.

But I've done hard things in the past, right? And nothing's changed for the worse since then, right? I can still do hard things. I will still do hard things. Because that's what I'm here for. That's what we're all here for. Learning. Growing. Accomplishment. Progression.

2010-11-20T03:30:00.000-07:00

I spent half of my Friday night grading. Are you even serious? I feel like such a nerd... But, on a much brighter note, I'm now finished with all my grading for the next week and a half. Bam!

I'm driving up to Oregon for Thanksgiving. And I'm so beasty excited for it. I made a few calls today to finalize plans. I'm heading out on Monday, and I hope traffic and weather don't make driving TOO horrible. I've got 3 guys riding up with me, and 4 coming back. That'll make for some good conversation, I think. And J-Ram Fergie gets to experience a holiday with the Steele-Forrest-Ayotte families... He's in for a real treat! I anticipate [and I'm sure you do, too, J-Ram] a hilarious time and unforgettable memories.

I saw Harry Potter last night with some friends. Lots of fun! And although my sleep schedule this past ~~two months~~ week has been extremely crazy, I didn't fall asleep during the show like I was afraid I might (we went to the 12:01 showing, so I guess it wasn't TOO late).

I get to see Z&S and L and K next week. Within a week, even. Like, 4 or 5 days from now. I can't wait!! They've been gone for 3 weeks, but it's felt like a lifetime!

And guess what else! I'll be home in 26 days. I'm so excited. There's something so refreshing about family. There is something so irreplaceable about being around people who you can love so completely [and who reciprocate] [even if you're the weird older sister and sometimes feel like the Old Maid of the family] [at 23-freakin'-years-old?! How does that figure? I need to get out of Provo...]. I'm looking forward to curling up on ~~my bed~~ the living room couch and cuddling with Huntman, heart-to-heart talks with Wizzer, late-night rounds of Settlers with Remi, running ['til we puke...? Haha] with Rosie, talking/baking/cleaning/cooking/serving/laughing with Momma, being crafty and fun with Madi, laughing at with Dad, spending time catching up with M&E and their cute little family, and so much more. It's bound to be a good break...

Anyway, I'd better go get some studying done and get some sleep. Just thought I'd swing by here and spew out some random things that've been on my mind. Maybe one day I'll publish a post or two with some actual clarity and focus. Perhaps even some depth... Haha. Probably not. But let's not rule out any possibilities, eh?

Ode to Daylight Savings

2010-11-06T22:35:00.003-06:00

So.... 4 hours from now, it'll be 3 hours from now.
And 3 hours from now, it'll be 3 hours from now.

My mind is officially blown.

Rainbow Sunsets

2010-11-05T01:35:00.001-06:00

Yesterday in a stressed, exhausted, half-crazed state, I decided I'd had enough of reality for awhile and texted my most favorite Heaven Twin, B. Funk. When she was finished with teaching for the day, I headed up to PG and met her at her cutie-patootie little kindy-garten classroom. It was so darling! Something about it just made me itch to be back in the public schools... Soon enough I will be.

We chatted for a bit while she finished up some work. When she was done, we headed out to grab Cafe Rio and chill at her place. Typical awesome evening, right? But it turned out to be so much more... I was following her to the restaurant, and we were driving west into the sunset. However, this wasn't just any old pretty sunset... There was a haze on the horizon, which combined with the sunlight to make a spectacular rainbow shimmer sunset. That's the best way I can think to describe it. It. Was. Gorgeous. Honestly, I was little concerned about driving because I couldn't take my eyes off it! Sometimes the beauty of Heavenly Father's creations is just breath-taking, and all I can do is pause and admire.

It got me thinking... At B. Funk's place we started talking about feeling beautiful, about believing in ourselves, and about being worth it. I shared with her this piece of work, which I've been thinking about a lot lately. We listened to this and to this. Later in the evening, with my roommates, I continued to ruminate on self-esteem and feelings of self worth.We talked about how we know some of the most beautiful women in the world who still struggle with feelings of inadequacy. How do you get past that? How do you come to truly know that you are beautiful? That you are enough? That you are worth it? I don't know. I don't claim to even begin to know how to answer any of those questions... But, dang it, I do know that feeling beautiful and believing in myself and being worth just so much is something I want. I want to feel like that rainbow sunset. I want to sparkle and shimmer. I want to soak up the light. I want to feel like I could stop traffic because people cannot take their eyes off me. I want to take someone's breath away.

And, for the time being, I think I'm on my way to feeling that way. It's slow, of course. Nothing so important comes immediately or without dedication and work. But I really do feel like I'm making some progress. It's interesting how things work... I feel like that's the message I'm supposed to be feeling this week. That, no matter what, I can be strong and successful because of who I am. Not because of who I thought I was or who I want to be, but because of who I am and who I have always been and who I will always be.

Maybe right now I am a decent sunset, pink and everything. On a really good day, perhaps I've got those shocks of orange and silver-fire clouds. But, mark my words, one day I'll truly shine. One day I'll shimmer in the light. One day I'll be that rainbow sunset...

Happy Birthday, Wizzer-Butt!

2010-11-01T00:38:00.000-06:00

Oh my heavens, how in the world is it already ~~2010~~ November??! Time is flying by and I feel like I have no time to breathe, let alone keep track of what's even happening in my life... Yikes!

Anyway... The fact that it's November means it's my darling sister Elizabeth's birthday! I can't believe she's 22 already. How did that happen? Elizabeth is a wonderful sister, and I'm sad I'm not in New York to celebrate with her on this special day. She is and has always been a gorgeous, talented person [which, admittedly, I've envied. A lot.] who I look up to and cherish. I'm grateful for her example and support in my life. I miss having her in Provo - we would sometimes have the best discussions [er....I don't know if you could call them that, necessarily, as it they followed more of a scattered talking-laughter-talking-bawling-hysterical laughter-talking-crying-reminiscing-laughter-talking pattern rather than just a straight-up discussion. Whatev.] and she could provide me with comfort that nobody else could. I love her, and I'm grateful that she is my sister.

Happy Birthday, Elizabeth! I love you!

We look like such ragamuffins. I love it!

What the what?!

2010-10-28T01:07:00.000-06:00

Anyone who knows me fairly well knows that I absolutely adore my family. My parents are my heroes. My siblings are my examples, my stalwart go-to guys with whom I can [and do!] share anything and everything. My nephew and nieces are so stinkin' cute. Because I love them so much, my family is my greatest source of joy. For the past 5-something years that I've been living in Provo, I've had at least one of my siblings out here with me. It's been great for those days when I'm so happy I could explode and I just have to run and share my excitement with those I love. It's also been a wonderful relief when all I want to do is run away and forget the world...

But, on Saturday, Z & S are moving. All the way to Seattle, dang it! I'm so happy for them. Really, I am! They're moving on to bigger and better things than the oddity that is Provo. They are doing what they are supposed to be doing, and they're excited for it. [Plus, I've always wanted to visit Seattle - I kind of have a secret crush on the Northwest...] But, dang it, I'm going to be all alone! Until next August! What the what?! [Okay, okay, so I still have the most wonderful cousins and the best friends and roommates in the world here, but still. There is just something about immediate family...]

Anyway, I've been able to spend some good quality time with L and K lately as Z & S have prepared themselves for moving. We went to the BYU Homecoming Parade at the beginning of October, and took these gems:

And, I love this picture. Haha. It reminds me of the picture Elizabeth took of K, when she was a few weeks old, laying at the base of an old stone staircase looking mildly abandoned but oh-so-beautiful.

I love this next picture, too. L is making such a humorous face, and I'm rockin' the Steele squint-eye [which, admittedly, sounds like a disease...] hardcore. We make a good-lookin' bunch.

Yesterday, we all went up to Temple Square. Z & S wanted to do a session at the Salt Lake Temple before they skipped town. Their friend was in town visiting, so I played tour guide/babysitter while they were in the Temple. We were able to go to the Visitors' Center, the Conference Center, and the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, as well as just walk around the Temple grounds and enjoy the beauty.

I just love that family, and I'm going to miss them terribly! I'm grateful for their love, support, and laughs these past few years. They're wonderful!

Anyone know what teaching availability is like in the greater Seattle area?

Closing Time

2010-10-14T02:03:00.000-06:00

I have a one-way ticket home.
To New York.
To family.
To Christmas.
To hugs and kisses and cuddles.
To happiness.
To love.

December 15th could not come fast enough.

Unfortunately, I also have a one-way ticket back. I'm sure my almost 3 week break will have seemed plenty long enough by the end, but I'm already dreading January 4th. I'm a little bit terrified of the class they're expecting me to teach next semester. I get really frustrated with Provo in the Winter. And it also means I have to actually figure out what I'm doing with my life... You know, because I'll be graduating [again] and all... Maybe.

So... now that it's October, I finally finished all my Easter candy. Mostly it's just been sitting on the shelf in my office begging to be eaten as I've been on various sugar fasts and out of town and up and down and in and out... Finally today I gave in. That means I had bright pink sugary stale Peeps for dinner. And you better believe I loved every second of it.

I was talking to a friend last night about an upcoming date she has. We got on the topic of guys, and laughed and laughed for about 5 minutes. We decided we need to get together and swap horror stories. Then write a book about it. I've written in my journal every night for about 3 years now. I've got TONS of stories just begging to be told. I don't quite know if the world is ready to hear. [That, and I don't know who exactly reads this thing. I don't want to include TOO many incriminating stories just yet... Because, as I told my friend, the stories will have "names not change to uncover the identities of the skeevy, sketchy guys."]

Man, it's late. I'm tired. It's just been one of those days, though. You know... I'm ready for another vacation. I'm thinking Vegas. Or Oregon. What say the masses? Where should I go, when, and for how long? I think I'd love more than anything to go to Brownsville/Corvallis for Thanksgiving. Z & S are moving to Seattle [I'm happy for them, but admittedly a little depressed that I'll be alone in Provo...], and might be driving down to Corvallis for Thanksgiving. I want to be there, too. I don't know how feasible that'd be. But it's oh-so-tempting.

And, before I run off to go work on my midterm and pretend to get some sleep [or...is it the other way around?], I just like to add that there are 72 days until Christmas. Is it too early to put up the tree? And start humming those blessed carols? And wear a pretty scarf and make gingerbread houses and sip cocoa by the fireplace with ~~a cute boy~~ my sweet roommates? I'll hold off for now because I know I'd get crusty looks... But I'm still feelin' it in my heart!

Love,
Me.

Fast Car

2010-10-08T01:24:00.000-06:00

I ran away to Arizona over Conference weekend. And guess what? I fell in love. The weather down there was gorgeous. The company was phenomenal. And it felt SO good to get out of Provo. Now, don't get me wrong. There is a very, very special place in my heart for Provo [and, in fact, I've quite fallen in like with Provo over the past few years, rather against my will]. But, shoot! Arizona? I'm sold! Hook, line, and sinker. Done and done. Can I be done with school and move there, umm, right now?

Everything

2010-09-14T02:36:00.000-06:00

Do you ever dread going to sleep because you know you have to wake up and face a day you're not quite prepared for? I get that way, sometimes. Quite frequently, recently. For the most part, it bites. But at least I'm getting some quality time grading and preparing lessons and blogging. Right?

Life's been busy lately. But what else is new? I've come to accept the fact that my life will probably always be busy. And if it's not, Heaven help me! I thrive under pressure. I find some sick, twisted joy in pushing my limits, testing my strength. Making last-second deadlines is my lifeblood. Go figure!

A few weeks ago for FHE we hiked up Rock Canyon a bit. The sun was setting, which made for some spectacular views. And, of course, my eyes were rockin' in that light. I climbed up some rocks to catch the last of some bright rays, and Jenni snapped the following:

And... My darling sister Elizabeth sent me what has quickly become my new favorite t-shirt. She was quite cryptic about what it was, telling me only that something was going to arrive in the mail for me, it was olive green, and I would love it. She was correct on all counts! Isn't it just wonderful??!

As you can see in the picture, I shod myself in my olive green Chucks and totally rocked out. Yes, that is my own foot... My roommates say it looks like I'm holding someone else's foot up, but it's not true. Anyway...isn't the shirt just perfect? I love Love LOVE it! I may have started dancing around the kitchen when I opened it. :D It's got formulas and figures from geometry, algebra, calculus, and who knows what all! Truth be told, I don't recognize all of them. But that's what Wikipedia is for, right?

...I just realized that I look slightly crazed in both of the above pictures. Things happen. Don't judge me.

I need more sleep. But, frankly, I don't want tomorrow to come. Where's the pause button?

So....

2010-09-07T18:15:00.000-06:00

Is it bad that some of the emails/comments I receive from my students make me want to go punch the math lab TAs in the gut?

Answer: Probably yes.

Second answer: I don't care.

Wake me up when September ends?

2010-09-07T02:29:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it's September. And a week in, to boot! Are you kidding me!? When did that happen? Shoot... When did it even become 2010? Time is a funny thing, sometimes....

Do you guys realize what last Thursday was? 9/02/10. I know, right? Pretty awesome! My roommates and I set fake goals at the beginning of the year to get married in Beverly Hills on 9/02/10. That failed miserably. But even so, we had high hopes of hosting a small [but wonderful] Beverly Hills party that night. Unfortunately, that didn't work out, either. With the start of school and about 17.35 million different things going on that night [I had class, and Relief-Society-activity-formerly-known-as-Enrichment, and an open invitation to go salsa dancing (That...didn't happen. And might not ever. We'll see.), and, most importantly, Dad and Remington were in town on their way to Idaho!], the pressing need for a rockin' party quickly ebbed and that idea was moved to the back burner [and then off the stove completely].

I went to the football game on Saturday. We won 23-17. It was an exciting game, and a good way to start the season, I thought. I have seats with Kelly, Jeramy, and Owen. There were a few people in the seats directly behind us who were Huskies fans, and they weren't quiet about it. Not that they were obnoxious or annoying at all, they just had team pride. I thought it was great! There were two small boys sitting in front of us, and the one kept turning around and looking so concerned that there were Huskies fans in the BYU seating. Kelly and I were cracking up...

And... We had our 3rd Annual Labor Day Breakfast at the Honey Shaq this morning. It was great! We had eggs and pancakes and fruit and sausage and french toast and bacon and more bacon and even more bacon. There were about 25 people total [give or take], and I think [I hope!] everyone had a good time. Though our apartment STILL smells like bacon. I wonder how long it'll take to get rid of the stank...

This evening, I accidentally signaled some creeper guys to follow me when I was on my way to Zac and Sarah's place. It was kind of creepy. [Just kidding... It was REALLY creepy!] They were stopped next to me at a light, and I could tell they were looking at me but I didn't pay them any attention otherwise. When the light turned green, I pulled ahead. They caught up with me and were driving right next to me for a little ways, then sped up and pulled in front of me. They didn't have their lights on, so I flashed my lights at them. I then realized I needed to turn, so I put my blinker on. As soon as I did that, they braked. I turned the corner, drove a little ways to Z&S's place, and parked on the street. I could see a car in my rearview turning onto the street, so I turned off the car, and turned off my dome light. The car drove past [It was totally them! I was creeped out!] and braked a few hundred feet after passing my car. I hopped out and ran to Z&S's door and let myself in [and, apparently, locked their door behind me out of both habit and fear?]. Nothing happened after that, but I was sufficiently creeped out. In hindsight, I probably should have pulled into their parking lot and drove around the building before parking, but I wasn't thinking straight. Oops? At least there was no harm done, right?

Ward Campout

2010-08-23T04:17:00.001-06:00

This past weekend, we had our ward campout up at Bishop's cabin near Stinking Springs on the Strawberry Reservoir. It was a TON of fun! I love camping, and I love being outdoors, and I especially love spending time with and getting to know other people in my ward.

When we first got to the cabin, we prepped food for making tin foil dinners over the fire. I just love Lauren and Jenni!

I let the Beckster be in charge of my camera for awhile. She tried to be artistic and take pictures through the window... :) I sure love my roomies!

My job was to help wash and cut the potatoes. I have no idea why I'm standing on one leg in this picture. I just like to mix things up a bit, I guess... :)

Once we'd prepped all the food, we went outside [where the coals were nice and hot for us!] and assembled the dinners. You can see Beck's bandaged finger nicely in this picture. That was the result of my wielding a sharp knife and Beck reaching underneath my hand as I was slicing potatoes... Sorry Becky!

We had a fun time rocking out and enjoying the campfire and good company while our dinners got nice and toasty! Tin foil dinners, when done correctly [you know, where the meat isn't terribly raw in some parts and burnt to a beasty crisp in others, and the vegetables are a sweet tender-crisp (or, passionate-crisp, as you will)], are one of life's greatest joys. That's an eternal truth, too. I think it's in the scriptures somewhere... I'm sure Jenni would agree.

So, at one point during the evening, there were no open chairs so Beck came over and sat on my lap. Funny thing, though, is whenever she does that my legs start bouncing uncontrollably [hehehe....] which makes Beck start laughing uncontrollably and things get out of hand real quick. Later in the night, she told me her lap was available if I needed a seat. She tried to bounce like I did, but her dinosaur calves are no match for my buns of Steele [Seriously, though? That joke never gets old. I laugh, everytime....] and hilarity ensued.

We also enjoyed some tasty tasty s'mores. Jodi is loving the perfect marshmallow Becky roasted for her, and Jenni's just enjoying her s'more in the background.

Adriane showed up a little later. Isn't she rad? I have some awesome friends and a fantastic ward! It's going to be a fun year...

After we'd had our fill of meat 'n' potatoes and sugary sweets, Bishop led us all up to the magical water tower [Though, I'm not sure what kind of magic really happens when the whole party treks up there... I thought fireworks were only supposed to happen with couples meandering up there on their own. Whatev.]. Nathan enjoyed taking a few pictures of Lauren, Jenni, Becky, and I. The view was great [even if the moon was super bright] and I saw [and wished on] a shooting star!

Later that evening, we went back to the campfire and enjoyed hearing embarrassing or funny stories, and even some accounting jokes [that went over all of our heads...]. Eddie taught us some salsa dancing, and we had fun rocking out. I'm sure my technique was seriously flawed, and my hip action a little questionable, BUT I had so much fun! And I was able to dance the night away with Eddie, James, Nathan, and Seth. I love me some 156th ward boys...! It's too bad I didn't get any pictures of that [or, perhaps, that's a good thing...].

That night, we slept cozily in the cabin. Although, I didn't sleep THAT well. Jenni, Becky, and I shared a bed. We read scriptures and played a little Skip-bo before falling asleep. My night was pretty restless, and I woke up maybe every half hour either to move or because I heard the mice skittering and squeaking. I finally woke up for good around 6 [after ~4 hours of interrupted sleep.... Dear my body, ARE YOU FOR REAL?!], and got out of bed around 6:30. I got ready and read and waited and read and waited. After 8, I went outside where some people were stirring, and helped start a fire [Let's be a little bit honest with ourselves, though... I pretty much watched as Holly and James and Troy started the fire...]. I enjoyed the fire with friends until breakfast was ready. We dined in true southern fashion with biscuits and gravy, sausage, eggs, and fruit. It was delicious! Bambi and his friends showed up, and enjoyed some of the breakfast, too.

After breakfast, I enjoyed some time in the hammock before heading down to the reservoir.

At the water, we went canoeing [and my bum got SOAKED!] and enjoyed the sun. Tyler brought his sailboat and took a few people out on that. I didn't go, but I enjoyed how awesome it looked from the shore!

Jenni and I also caught a cutie little crawdad. We named him [Steve or Ralphie or Roger or Herbert or something... I don't remember] and marveled at his buggy little eyes before throwing him back in.

Eddie showed up on Tyler's sailboat completely soaked [He'd gotten knocked in by the sail when a gust of wind blew it... We all wished we'd been there to see it!]. He decided, since he was already drenched, he'd swim out and try to tip Betsy's canoe. She was able to sweet-talk him out of it [He still dunked her later, though...]. Here they are in the water after Betsy had worked her magic:

And...here's some of the crew with Bishop Allen... I just love my ward! We have so much fun!

Nathan commandeered Seth's camera [from which half of these pictures were taken] and snapped a few fun pictures. This was among them.... Isn't it a beautiful day at the lake? [Please disregard my camping hair...]

Overall, we had a fantastic time! I love summer, and I'm not looking forward to the cold months ahead. I guess I'll just have to soak up the sun the next few weeks while I still can. School starts in a week and I'm feeling both mildly freaked out about classes and majorly excited to be TAing again. My schedule's about to get a million point seven times more crazy, but I find that's when I feel the most fulfilled. Maybe I live for stress?? Hmm....

This week I'm doing NSO again. It'll probably be my last time, unless I can manage to swing next summer [because I'll probably still be around finishing up my thesis]. I really enjoy hanging out with the cutie freshies and helping them become more comfortable with their new life at the Y. Plus, I'm really hoping I can get one of those BYU planners for free. That'll help tame the madness, I think....

Birds and Boating

2010-08-23T01:35:00.000-06:00

So...a few days before Becky up and moved out of out lives [...because when you're in Provo and everyone and their mom's dog lives in your backyard, Draper seems like half an eternity away...], I was sitting in the living room and heard rustling in the fireplace. I'd heard something a few days prior, sounding like it came from upstairs or in the wall, but hadn't thought much of it. However, after hearing rustling and fluttering a few times in about ten minutes, I decided to check it out. I went and peeked in the fireplace doors and something flew past! I jumped [but held the scream in - be proud!], then ran upstairs. I told Becky I thought there was a bird in our fireplace. She grabbed a box, and we ran back downstairs. She was able to get the cute little guy out [I wouldn't touch it!] and we set him free. Isn't he cute? He seemed a little drunk and disoriented when flying away though, so I'm not sure how long he was in there...

And.... as an update on my leg, I think things are finally [mostly] back to normal. It still feels tight when I try to cross my right leg over my left sometimes, but I don't have any pain anymore! Hallelujah! I'm going to try to go running tomorrow, and hope that things work out for the best! :) Anyway, here are some picture of Kelly and I from the boating adventure:

As you can tell, it was a pretty beautiful day! We both had a rockin' time, and I'm glad I went [I was seriously considering not going for awhile there...].

On Flirting...

2010-08-19T15:44:00.000-06:00

I realized recently [or, rather, RE-realized] that I flirt WAY too much. Especially when I'm not interested in a guy. It's just so easy. And way too fun. And, honestly, it's flattering when they flirt back. So...maybe I perpetuate some of the negative feelings guys have about girls and mixed signals and whatnot [Though I've got stories up the yin-yang about guys and mixed signals... Enough to make you cringe, if not assume the fetal position in horror]. Maybe I'm okay with that?

I was talking to my former home teacher [and really awesome friend!] about this the other night, and he agreed with my assessment. He was like, "Yeah, you ARE really good at flirting, and a LOT." Something like that. [Thanks, Eric! Love ya! ;)] He reminded me of the time when I had two guys fighting over me. Not seriously angry fighting, but they literally began to wrestle in front of me [Each trying to prove their strength and manliness or something? I don't know...].

A good friend always jokes with me about how I have the guys next door wrapped around my pretty little finger. He tells me I can pretty much get them to do anything for me. All I have to do is bat my eyes and ask sweetly and they're like butter in my hands. I try not to take advantage of that [at least, not too often], but it's nice to know.

I'm trying to test an idea I have. In my experience, using a person's name can be really effective. I LOVE when people use my name when they're talking to me. It just makes everything so much more personal. I don't think I do it often enough, so I'm consciously trying to do it more. Especially when talking to guys. Everytime I see a guy I know, I'm trying to go out of my way to say "Hi John!" [Or, you know, whatever his name is.] with a big smile instead of the ever-typical "Hey" with a goofy grin or [worse] grunt with a head-nod. My new efforts are being well-received so far. What I'm testing is whether or not any of the guys will start to initiate. I think they will. And, despite my level of interest in the guy, it's always nice to have that sort of friendship and connection.

That reminds me of a few years back. I had a friend who I'd always say hi to. Once we became better friends, he asked me about "the time I was interested in him." I was confused at first, but he told me he thought I really liked him because I always seemed so happy to see him. I wasn't at all interested in being more than friends, but it certainly got me thinking.

Anyway, I flirt a lot. It's fun. It's exciting. And I'm not sorry about it [for the most part, until some people go on and on about my being a heart-breaker. Psh.]. Anyone have any good new tactics or advice for me? :)

Talking to the Moon

2010-08-19T15:21:00.000-06:00

I woke up with Talking to the Moon in my head yesterday morning. It made me miss Pageant and home. We listened to that nearly every day on the way to or from the Hill. That, and Your Love is My Drug. [Hey, so I got a question. Do you wanna have a slumber party in my basement?] ...Which brings me to another point altogether. I moved to the basement last week! We weren't sure if Beck would be staying with us or not [she didn't], so I signed a contract for downstairs. That way Melissa and I would at least have each other [how tender...].

The room is a tiny bit smaller than the one upstairs, but I don't have THAT much stuff. I actually prefer this new room. And a change of scene is always nice.

We got two new roommates. They both seem really fun, but we're all gone a lot so we haven't seen too much of each other. One is from Utah, the other from Ohio. One is going to BYU, the other just graduated. They are both LDS. I think we'll get along just fine. :)

I had a dream last night, however, that one of them LOVED Christmas. Like, to the point of having several (about 20?) decorated trees of various sizes that she absolutely insisted we keep up in the apartment all the time. It was overwhelming, and I remember being filled with very-much-NOT-Christmas cheer.

In other news, I bought a vacuum. It's nothing super-wonderful-fantastic, but it does the job. It makes me feel....experienced and responsible [That's code for old, but I'm not allowed to use that word].

In other other news, I dyed my hair. Again, nothing super-wonderful-fantastic. Just a little darker. I always have a hard time, though, because I feel like it always goes too red. I'm really looking for a rich chocolate brown, but what I usually get is more of a cinnamon brown. At least, that's what I always think. I'm okay with how it turned out... See?

...I tried to go water-skiing on Saturday. We had a department outing for the graduate students. Only three of us showed up, in addition to the professor (whose boat we were using). It was a lot of fun [and my first time, that I can remember, on a small boat!] However, on my first attempt at skiing, I yoinked my leg pretty badly. I think I strained one of the muscles in the back of my left thigh. It throbbed for the rest of the day [Driving home was a nightmare! I winced every time I had to use the clutch], and it's still a little sore. I still can't cross my right leg over my left, I have trouble shaving my leg or putting lotion on it [because of the movement involved, not sensitive skin or anything], and driving is still somewhat uncomfortable. Hopefully it gets better soon. I've wanted to go running several times this week, but haven't been able to. And we played soccer for FHE on Monday, but I couldn't move well enough to feel comfortable playing. They stuck me as goalie with another girl. It was a lot of fun! But still painful when I tried to go after the ball. And my knee feels really weak and almost gives out sometimes [especially going down stairs]. Any advice on what I could/should do to make things better?

Oh, and so I'm not SUCH a Debbie Downer, the rest of the day on Utah Lake was a lot of fun. We chilled in the boat, and Kelly and I tried our hand at tubing. We loved it!

2010-08-08T01:57:00.000-06:00

I just made a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread. At 1 am. Because when I'm especially anxious about something, I bake. Or go shoe-shopping [I'm still in search of the perfect pair of black flats...], but that's beside the point.

Earlier this evening I made some cream cheese blueberry muffins at Becky's request. They were yummy, but not like my momma's. Gosh I miss my momma's blueberry muffins.

Anyway, you can tell that things are getting just a leeeeeeeeeeettle bit stressful 'round these here parts. I'm baking up a storm. I've done all the dishes. My bedroom looks like my closet threw up everywhere.... It's not a pretty sight.

And I lie awake at night thinking. And waiting. And wishing. And dreading. And then it's 4 am, and I don't know what I'm doing with my life, and I feel like I've rehearsed things in and out and upside down but nothing is making sense anymore anyway and can I please just have a decent night's rest? Just one?

Sometimes I don't want tomorrow to come. I feel like I'm unprepared to face another day. That I'm inadequate somehow, not living up to the potential I have in me. I feel like school is slowly sucking away my soul, turning me into some unfeeling robot, some hollowed shell of what was once me.

I'm ready for fall semester to start, so I can be teaching again. I love teaching. I love helping my students to come to an understanding, and to feel confident in their ability to do mathematics. I love the moment when realization dawns on them and you can see it in their eyes. It's a very rewarding experience.

But until then, I just feel a little lost. A little like I'm wandering aimlessly. I don't like to live my life like that....

I'm defending my proposal on Thursday. I don't think it's a HUGE-normous deal, but it's still got me more than a little nervous. Pray for me?

Well, hello there!

2010-07-28T01:34:00.002-06:00

Hmmm... Lookie here, I have a blog! Who knew? Haha... It seems to be about that time that I start updating [again...] and telling all y'all about the wonderful fantastic things I've been doing with my life. And, you know, it's 1 am. Figures.

July once again had the ever-familiar siren song of Pageant calling me home. I skipped town for three whole weeks, a much-needed break. The weather was glorious for casting that first night. And it felt oh-so-wonderful to be on the Hill again. It truly is sacred ground, healing ground.

My cast team [S7, represent!] was spectacular this year. It was great to feel so connected so quickly. And the lack of any drama really helped me feel the spirit of Pageant. I met Bridgette, and we hit it off right quick. We became instant friends, and noticed our quirky similarities. We decided we must have been twins in Heaven. :) She was a great companion for welcoming the audience in the bowl prior to each performance, too. I feel like we did some good work out there, and I'm grateful for the people who came and the experiences we had.

It just so happened that we both had the same part, too! We were Processional Banner Carriers, which was a neat experience. Our director likened our role to that which is described in High on the Mountain Top. We were also Noah Citizens, which means we got to be wicked and cheer for the burning of Abinadi. It proved to be an interesting experience, as Abinadi has always been one of my heroes. In the scene, there was a young boy who stood near me and Bridgette. He would make the most hilarious comments during the whole scene, keeping us quite entertained [especially during long and HOT rehearsals...]. We quickly grew to love and appreciate his presence, and we took a fun picture with him one day. Don't mind the concerned look on his face. We showed it to him afterward and he thought it was hilarious.

Additionally, we were Destruction Victims. The destruction scene has always terrified me a bit, so I was a little hesitant [and a lot excited] to finally be a part of it. I loved being a part of the action, with fire and water and rock cannons going off all around me as I ran up and down the stairs and screamed my head off and finally died... The two girls who entered with me played my little sisters, and we had a nice little storyline worked out. They ran ahead of me, and then we all ran to one side of the stage to save another friend, Clara. Sadly, Clara had a pillar topple on her and died, so we ran for cover on the other corner of the stage. A fire started below us, and a rock cannon burst, and we all died there. It was epic. A few of the nights, some of the rocks actually hit me while I was "dying," which was pretty sweet. Every night, right before our cue to enter, we'd be waiting crouched halfway up the stairs. I'd look to the girls and say, "Break a leg!" and then we'd all laugh and say, "But not literally!!" We had some good times during destruction.

And, finally, it was just wonderful to be home, back in the cradle of the Restoration. We toured the church sites one afternoon as a cast team. It was great to be back on that lovely land, listening to the Spirit and receiving witness of the marvelous events that took place there. The day after Pageant was over I went to the Temple with some friends, and took some time to go wander in the Sacred Grove by myself afterward. It's so peaceful in there. :) My favorite.

Aaaanyway, now that I'm back in Provo, things have returned to fairly normal. I miss Pageant and being at the Hill. I miss my family something fierce. I'm about THIS ready to be done with school. [Oh, PS, I passed my Master's exam! What a relief!] I'm going crazy with my thesis/proposal. Like always, I wish I had a little more direction, but I guess that's what faith is for [Have I said that before on here? I feel like I'm ALWAYS saying that...Oh well. It's true.].

Oh, and I'm trying to figure out what to do with my life post-graduation. Any suggestions?

Because why not?

2010-06-18T03:03:00.003-06:00

It's 3 am. I'm so ready to be asleep. To be done. To be rid of this stress.

I'm busy plugging away at my Master's Exam. It's coming along so slowly. Spring Term has provided a sort of relaxing hiatus from writing a lot, but it's hurting me a little now that I have to write so much in such a short time. And I just needed a break, so I decided to blog...? Yeah. Figures that I would take a break from writing to write. But it's such a different sort of writing. I feel good about this... [Mostly because it's just word vomit. Mmmm!]

Remember how I said the other day that I was feeling better about life and things? That all came crashing down on me this afternoon. It's more detail and politics than I should go into here, but things kind of took a nose-dive. Things are crazy. Things suck. Sorry for the ambiguity, but that's about all I can include here...

I wish I weren't so stressed. Does anyone know a cure? Like...how can I stop caring so much about things that don't matter? I wan't to be a good person, and I want to feel validated in my talents and abilities. But sometimes I'm left to wonder, who really cares?? Mostly with my schoolwork. I want to do my best, but for whom? For myself? I guess, kind of. Because I know if I don't do my best I'll be disappointed in myself. But who else cares, really? Like, why can't I let myself be mediocre and be totally OKAY with that? I feel like my inner obsessive overachiever is causing me undue stress and, therefore, is negatively affecting areas of my life that shouldn't be affected. I don't know. I need to stop thinking. [And sleep. It is 3 am, after all.] [A time when everybody and their mom's dog should be fast asleep and enjoying dreamland...] [Speaking of dreams, what does dreaming about teeth mean? Isn't it something to do with stress? I've had two dreams in the past week about teeth. In one, my teeth were crumbling and falling out, and I couldn't do anything to stop them... It was painful and disgusting. In the second dream, I had to go get my wisdom teeth removed again. But they could only find one (go figure!). I had four gaping holes in the back of my mouth where the doctors had dug around trying to find my wisdom teeth... Also a painful and disgusting dream. Left me feeling quite unsettled.] [I also had a dream about a colon cancer epidemic - apparently it was highly contagious, and one of the most telling symptoms was that your mouth tasted like grapes. Who knew?]

Anyway.... Sorry to sound like such a Debbie Downer. Life really is pretty good, aside from the few crazy stressors. But in one of the papers I was reading tonight it said something along the lines of "Growth comes only from challenges to the body or mind." So... if I'm being challenged, then there's the potential for growth, right? That's always a good thing, yes? Growing and learning and improving? I think so.

I go home in 11 days. Halle-freakin'-lujah! I can't wait to see my family and give them all big hugs. And relax! :)

Now, back to my papers, and hopefully some sleep... wish me luck!

What it is..

2010-06-15T00:47:00.002-06:00

Just a quick update --

Life's going well. Staying as busy as ever, but feeling positive about it. I haven't had any strong desire to quit school and run away from my life for a few days now, so we're doing good. :) Let's see if I can keep this attitude up for the remainder of finals week/Master's exam/proposal defense....

I'm reminded daily to keep an eternal perspective on things. It takes a lot of faith, for sure, but I'm learning to trust my Heavenly Father more and more. As it turns out, He knows what's up. Who knew? [Don't answer that. I'm completely aware of many who knew. See, for example, the Bible...] [Really, though, click that link. It's a good one.] [Doooo it!]

It's fun to look back on my life and see the hand of the Lord, and how those instances and ideas I thought were of little or no consequence have led me more perfectly to where I need to be today than anything else. It's wonderful. Really.

Moving on... (in random fashion, a la my brain...) I went to Vegas the weekend before Memorial Day with Kelly. Lots and lots of fun, and great to see family. I'll put up pictures soon(-ish...) [I'm busy, remember? Rocking out nerd-style and living my life to the fullest in my little office without a window...]. AND, while we were down there, we hiked Icebox Canyon in Red Rock Canyon. Lots of fun! :) On Memorial Day I hiked Stewart Falls with my friend Scott. Also lots of fun (and WAAAAAY pretty, to boot)! The next weekend, I went camping with Scott and his roommate and a few of their friends. We went down to Capitol Reef and set up camp on the government lands right outside the park. I have a picture or two of our campsite, but I haven't uploaded pictures recently. They'll come soon, I promise. Anyway - we had a campfire, and we could see the stars SO WELL, and we made s'mores, and there was a beasty little rock digging into my leg all night, and I smelled like campfire smoke the whole day (I really do love that....), and...yeah. It was wonderful! We went hiking again the next morning, this time up Chimney Rock in the park. Again, lots of fun!

Anyway, this is turning out to be longer than I expected. Whatev. It happens. Two more things: Check out Jon's mission blog. I've updated it to include his most recent letter (which means it will be out-of-date within the next 12 hours or so when he emails again...). I'm just so proud of my little brother. It's weird - I remember when he was born, and now he's all grown up and a missionary man half a world away.

Aaaaaand, I have to give a talk in two weeks. On this. Yes....that is the prophet's talk to the Priesthood. Awesome. Any insights would be great! :) Considering the title of the talk itself, I feel it would not be in my best interest to just wing it. ;)

Bahaha. I'm funny. And exhausted. Whoo - time for bed!

April - Easter and My Birthday

2010-05-23T14:11:00.003-06:00

April started with a bang (actually, it started with beasty snow on April Fool's Day morning...). The first weekend was both General Conference AND Easter! What a treat! :) We had a fun Easter dinner on Sunday afternoon with a few friends. I was in charge of making the rolls. I mixed them up right after the first session, then left them to rise while I visited Z&S. Upon returning home, I found this beauty, which, of course, inspired a resounding chorus of "It is risen, it is risen, let the whole wide Earth rejoice!"

A few weeks later was my birthday!! We celebrated by throwing a rockin' party - SavannahPalooza! Aren't the cupcakes cute? I had a lot of fun making them with R (who came to visit for two weeks! Love that kid!!). At the party, we set up Rock Band and projected it onto the side of our house. We also had glow in the dark croquet, old school Nintendo, and lots of snacks. I had a great time. Thanks to all my friends who came (or who were there in spirit)! You are all fantastic!
On the morning of my actual birthday, I hiked the Y with R, M, and J. It was a lot of fun, and it was a beautiful morning for hiking! Here is a picture of R and I when we were relaxing at the top. We were enjoying the view of Provo, seeing the Temples, and trying to find our apartments.

Here is M reenacting a near-disastrous stumble he took on the way down. It's dangerous, that hill. This was before he started playing "The Climb" on his phone. Haha, we had a good laugh at that. :)
On my birthday afternoon, I treated R to lunch at Tucano's, which was lovely. I love their garlic sirloin and the grilled pineapple. I think R enjoyed himself, too.

Other March Happenings

2010-05-23T13:49:00.004-06:00

The rest of March, after our Vegas trip, was a lot of fun, too. Pi Day was the next weekend, and you'd better believe I celebrated! We made four pies: chocolate chip cookie, French silk, raspberry cream, and peach cream. I love baking, so it was a fun afternoon for me. And then I went to a few different parties that night. :)

Also, I got to babysit for Z&S while they went to J's sealing. We were up in Lehi, at my cousin's place, and we had a family luncheon/party afterward. It was one of the first times that Miss K didn't scream at me! Look, she almost looks happy even:
And L, of course, climbed in the dog cage and immediately began acting like a dog. It was classic. And the best part was that he was terrified of the actual dog! I love this boy!!
And, finally, the last day of March was B's birthday. We had celebrated with a fun party, but I don't have any pictures from that unfortunately. Here, you can see that we live it up classy in Provo... Everything from the balloon crown to her fuzzy slippers to the fact that she's eating the cake from the pan with her fingers. :) I love my roommates. We have too much fun.

Viva Las Vegas, Part Tres

2010-05-23T13:28:00.003-06:00

Our last night and morning in Vegas were a lot of fun. At one point during the trip, this little stinker got a hold of my camera and started taking some pretty fantastic self-portraits. It was a great surprise when I got home and looked at my pictures! :)

The morning we left, before we headed to church, we had some fun upstairs. This is one of my absolute favorite pictures from the trip. M is so cute and spontaneous, and it was good to see her being a little bit goofy. She'd had a tonsilectomy the day before we went down, and was drugged and resting for most of the time we were there... But it led to some pretty great one-liners, including (in the sweetest little voice you can imagine), "Hey mom... One time, I was watching a movie with Marshall, and I puked." It was sad, but funny because of the way she told a story about what just happened. Anyway, here's the picture:
And here's her face looking out the window. :)
And, E, M, and I just rockin' out.
K sent us off with a very yummy breakfast (I LOVE her cinnamon rolls!), and we headed to church then home....
Before we left Vegas completely, though, we made a little detour to the Temple. I had been to Vegas a few times before, but I'd never seen the Temple. It was really peaceful and beautiful. :) And I thought it was a little ironic that you could see the whole Strip off in the distance.Overall, it was a fantastic trip! It was wonderful to get out of Provo and forget about school for a few days. I LOVED seeing my family, as always, and I'm excited to get back down there soon. :)

Thursday Thoughts - On Being Assertive

2010-05-20T22:22:00.002-06:00

I feel like a few years ago I was so much more assertive and extroverted than I am now... Maybe because I had several wonderful social circles I was a part of, I got to spend time outside the Talmage Building, I was young and carefree... For whatever reason, I could talk to people, and it was easy to meet new people and make friends. And, gosh darn it, I didn't have too much of a problem saying how I felt.

But then again, I feel like I've always been a rather quiet person when I'm in a new and unfamiliar situation. Maybe hindsight, though purportedly 20/20, is making things appear a little nicer than they actually were? Maybe I've forgotten those times when I was lonely or fearful? Maybe it's the situations I'm in right now, where I feel so weak and vulnerable, that make my lack of assertiveness seem so apparent? I don't know. I just want to be able to speak my piece (peace?). I want to stand up for myself. I want to develop the self-respect that I feel like I should have for myself. But how? Sometimes I feel like I'm falling so far behind where I should be, and I don't have time or energy to do those things that will help me grow and help me develop my abilities to communicate and to be a person worth being around. I'm trying... But I feel so lost. I don't know how. I know feelings of inadequacy can be (and have been) a great motivator, but sometimes it's just easier to let them make me lose a little bit of hope. I don't want to take the easy route; I want to stay strong....

So, I turn to you... How do you develop self-confidence? How do you become a self-respecting woman? How do you realize the beauty that others claim to see in you? How do you stand up for yourself? How do you develop those qualities that command respect? I just... I don't know.

Blah. I feel like I just word-vomited all over this post. Sorry. Just some things I had to get down in writing. Still feel unsettled. I'm still planning on finishing up Vegas posts, and covering some fun things from April. :)

Vegas, Part 2

2010-05-17T16:52:00.003-06:00

On Saturday, we had a lot of fun hanging out with cousins, relaxing, getting some homework done (okay, so that wasn't the fun part.... [except when I helped M with his math stuff - I'll admit I had fun with that]), baking, and going to the Hoover Dam! And, yes, we did make jokes about it for the whole dam time. Because I'm still 5, apparently.

Don't worry about how E is just awkwardly holding my elbow in this one. It ain't no big thang...

While we didn't take the dam tour, we did ride on the dam elevator and the dam escalator.
And we went into the dam gift store, where they have the best dam gifts around. The marquee was a little creepy though...

Vegas, Part 1

2010-05-17T15:47:00.007-06:00

So, back in March, a few of us decided to get out of Provo for the weekend. I drove down to Vegas with E, M, and J, and we stayed with our fantastic cousins (Love you, K!) for two nights. Friday consisted of a lot of driving, which means a lot of singing (loudly, and out of key...), drinking Dr. Pepper like it's going out of style, and making jokes about and admiring the Virgin River Gorge ("Well, shoot, for being the Virgin River, it certainly gets around... Heh heh heh..."). Those who weren't driving got to relax between my squawking, and they even got some good reading in (Hunger Games, anyone?). When we arrived, we went out for dinner at In 'N' Out, and then headed to the Strip to experience fabulous Las Vegas.

M and J are enjoying their yummy burgers:

Our first stop on the Strip was the Bellagio. We walked around the gardens. We took ridiculous pictures like the tourists we were. M turned into a fearsome beast around the giant tiger. You know, the usual.
Also, J decided to try out some modeling for us... I think he could go professional!
And, of course, while we were there we HAD to see the fountains. They are by FAR my favorite part of the Strip. I think I could just sit and watch them for hours... Here are E, me, and M waiting patiently for the next show to begin....
After the Bellagio, M, J, and I walked around for a bit. We stopped at Monte Carlo so we could witness J being a dirty sinner outside of Provo. High roller that he is, he came out on top! That'll teach 'em...
We also stopped at a few fun places like the Coca-Cola Store and the M&M Factory. J just can't resist that darned green M&M.
After that, we drove down to the Venetian so J could see it. It was awesome inside, and the light really did feel like natural light!
Then we headed north to the older part of town. We swung by the world famous Chapel of the Bells, so J and I could get hitched, Britney-style. Or, you know, so J could pull a quick one on his mom...
Our last stop of the night was Fremont Street. We wanted to see a light show, but nothing too interesting was happening. M and J both got a chance to rub the magic lamp, though...
And, finally, a little pride for the good ol' Mountain West. I just had to take a picture of my true blue Cougar banner! :)

Hey Stranger...

2010-05-17T15:28:00.003-06:00

So, it's been awhile... I have no excuse other than that graduate school is soundly kicking my trash.

I finished up Winter semester in a crazy whirlwind of papers and projects, with a little bit of rocking out and a lot of caffeine. Several family members came to visit, and Spring Term was well underway before I even realized it. Even today, I'm realizing that it's about halfway over, and I still feel like I don't know what I'm doing with my life. Rock on.

I am TAing for College Algebra this term, so that's a new experience for me. It's a lot of math that I haven't done for a long while (6+ years for some of it), and it's kind of nice to get back into it. I still LOVE working with students and helping them understand. But sometimes there are drawbacks. Like this morning, when I spent 5 and a half hours talking about exponential and logarithmic functions. And I didn't really think anything of it. And I found parts of it fun and exciting... That's when you know you're so far gone that you cannot conceal your nerditude. Nerdocity. Nerdiness. Whatever.

I'm also endlessly plugging away at my thesis proposal and data analysis. It's like the project that would never end. It goes on and on, my friend... And it's only just beginning. However, if all goes as planned, I should be finished and graduated by next April. And what I do after that is beyond me... That's what faith is for, right? :)

Anyway, I'll be adding a few more posts later today, with pictures to boot! How exciting! I'll try not to be too much of a stranger. :)

Look what I did!

2010-03-04T16:06:00.003-07:00

So....yesterday I was really fed up with my hair. It's been growing out for awhile, and I was just sick of dealing with it every morning. I knew I was long overdue for a trim, but I decided to just get a nice big fatty haircut. Here is the before picture [in all its unflattering glory]:

Many many thanks to Elizabeth, my fantastic sister, my hair looks so much better now. Here is the [much improved] after picture:
Also, both of those pictures were taken with my flashy new red camera. :) I ordered it last week, and it came on Tuesday. It's awesome, and I love it. Pretty, huh?

A dream is a wish your heart makes...?

2010-02-21T23:54:00.002-07:00

Last night I had a dream that both of my roommates were crack addicts. It was interesting, to say the least.

I really need to start recording some of my dreams. They are hilarious, and I don't want to forget some of them. Like the one where Ronald Reagan had a sleepover at my house and my dad got mad and punched him in the forehead... Or the one where I cut off my hands and put them in the microwave... Or the one where Melissa was eating a tuna fish flavored popsicle...

17 years ago today...

2010-01-25T21:24:00.003-07:00

17 years ago today my brother and sister were born! Sweet! Happy Birthday, Rosemary and Remington!

Buuuut, and I think we can all agree on this, the more important fact is that 17 years ago today I was well on my way to coming down with Chicken Pox... Ahh, the memories.

Also, random AWESOME side note: President Monson announced a temple in Payson, Utah today. That's awesome.

More of an update [with pictures!] coming soon...

2009-12-18T22:06:00.002-07:00

Guys, I'm finally feeling like I can do this. It's refreshing how much a breath and a step away can really change your perspective on things. [Where, in this case, "breath" refers to Christmas break with NO school, "step away" is a 2,000-mile plane trip to New York, and "things" is whether or not I'm going to fail out of college]...

Sometimes, it's so good to know that your hard work can pay off. I want to remember this feeling come March when I will, undoubtedly, have an unebbing desire to quit school, burn my books, and run away to Iowa or wherever.

2009-12-13T00:23:00.001-07:00

PS - For updates, pictures, and emails from Jonathan in Brazil, check out elderjonsteele.blogspot.com...

2009-12-13T00:21:00.003-07:00

I have to admit that despite all my complaints about the freezing cold and driving in the snow... I absolutely LOVE how everything glows at night when it's snowing. That's all. :)

Merry [almost-] Christmas, everyone!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2009-11-26T02:57:00.002-07:00

So tonight, I stayed out next door playing Monopoly with my neighbor and two friends. It was me and three guys, a far-too long board game, a few too many M&M's, and lots of fun. Toward the end, I started losing pretty badly. But, I still had two monopolies, and some cash. I landed on my neighbor's property. I asked him what I owed, and he told me something ridiculous like $1150. I replied, "How about $60...and I'll wiggle my eyebrows at you!" He said okay, and it was awesome. Ha! For the rest of the game, the other two guys were remarking about how they'd like to be able to get away with something like that but K-Money would never allow it. I love being a girl.

Also, Happy Thanksgiving! I hope y'all are celebrating in a totally rockin' way! Thanks to all for being fantastic people. Thank you for being the strong and solid examples that you are. Thank you for the kindness and generosity you have shown to me. Thank you for loving me even when I'm at my worst. Thank you for allowing me to see the light and the love of my Savior Jesus Christ more clearly through your thoughts, words, and actions. Thank you for being you. :) I love you all!

Because it's the little things...

2009-11-22T22:13:00.002-07:00

Sometimes, it's just the little fantastic things that make my world go round. Here's one for the books:

Yesterday morning, I was putting on my shoes - my old and ratty manly shoes that I love so dearly. They were hand-me-downs from my little brother (hand-me-ups, then?) 4 and a half years ago, and they are certainly well-worn - and I thought to myself, "I really need new shoelaces. These ones are about to die... I'll have to remember to put that on my shopping list at some point or something..."

Fast forward to 11 o'clock last night. Melissa and I had to make a last-minute Saturday night WalMart run. When I parked, I noticed some small plastic bag with something black in it by my back tire. I didn't think anything of it - thought it was just a piece of trash or something... Fast forward again to when we were finished shopping. We come out and I was loading the stuff in the back of my car, when I again noticed the little bag. For some reason I can't explain, I bent down and picked it up (who picks up trash in a WalMart parking lot at midnight??!)... Guess what it was? A brand spankin' new pair of black shoelaces. I kid you not. My life is way more than average...

This is my brain on caffeine...

2009-11-09T23:01:00.009-07:00

I am supposed to be working on approximately 17.35 million things right now, none of which include updating my blog. So, naturally, that is what I'm doing... [And on caffeine to boot! Oops...] I'm putting up a bunch of pictures. And they are amazing. And they detail aspects of my life recently... Or, not so recently. Whatever. And they're all terribly out of order and random and crazy - but that's my life for ya! :)

On a completely unrelated note, and before I start in on the pictures, I'd liked to just state for the record that my new favorite thing is the bump in the middle of University Avenue as you're crossing it on Bulldog. While it's rare for me to catch the bump when I'm running late to school or when I'm coming home, because of traffic (you have to hit it going strong to make it the funnest, you can't have been stopped at the light), I'll catch it good when I'm going to campus in the wee small hours of the morning... And I love it. It's rather like a small roller coaster. And this evening I maybe even raised my hands in the air and let out a little holler as I went over it. I'm cool like that.

Tonight for FHE we played Ultimate Frisbee in the church parking lot. I'm an FHE mom again this semester. Have I told you that? It's pretty much super fun. I got a new husband yesterday, and we met for the first time tonight. Sweet. And don't even worry about how I made several of the scoring catches for our team. It was a good night, and I'm happy about the little things that can make life a little more bearable.

Anyway... Pictures! Keep in mind that these all come from my cell phone. Awesome.

Here's one of my favorite oldest younger brother, who is leaving on his mission (Brazil Porto Alegre North) soon! I can hardly believe it! This was taken last Christmastime. He's wearing his helmet, so we don't need to worry. This picture makes me giggle every single time I see it.
And...oh, here's a picture of the shadow that our front door makes on the wall sometimes. Isn't that kind of creepy and awesome? It's left over from pre-Halloween shenanigans. Heh heh heh...

Oh! My fantastic roommates and neighbors and I went to dinner on Friday night at Pirate Island. They had a [cute-as-all-get-out] balloon guy there, and he made me this monkey. Pretty sweet, eh?

This is what happens when your neighbors leave their door unlocked while they're out... Yes, that is their coffee table, in our living room, and, yes, that's broken glass. Ha! I hate it when pranks come back to bite you in the butt. But apparently they didn't like the table anyway...so we really did them a favor...

Oh, more Halloween shenanigans. It's not real blood, I promise. But it is really my handprint. Meliss and I are so tricksy.

Another bit of the fake blood. And my handprints. Yum!

Oh, and there's me. This was taken at some obscene hour of the morning. Doesn't the 'blood' look real? I love it.
Here's my neighbor, Seth, at the ward Halloween party. He dressed up as a Ghostbuster. He had his backpack all decked out, and his laptop was in it... He'd attached the mouse to the vacuum hose (of his terribly attractive and rather fantastic and lovely babe-neighbors), and set up a fancy schmancy little powerpoint so that it played different sounds when he left-clicked and right-clicked. So, you know, he could aim his little sensor-thingy-majig at us and see if we were safe or not. Solid.
Here is my fantastic roommate, Beck.br. She decorated this cutie-patootie little jack-o-lantern cookie. Also solid.
This is what I sometimes do in Maple when I'm bored with doing my Algebra exploration on the factorability of (a^n-b^n). The expression maybe matches my feelings at the time...
This picture is of me and my neighbor, Kevin, when we went to go see his roommate, Daniel, in Jekyll and Hyde (Or...Hekyll and Jyde, if you're Beck.br) up in Lehi. It was an awesome performance, and we had a rockin' time. We also had seats in the front and center. Be jealous.
Another shot of our Jekyll and Hyde night. Please believe me when I tell you that I have some of the greatest roommates everrrr.
Point proven.
Here's a shot of our melting pumpkin just days before Halloween. He almost made it the whole time. But he was pretty soggy and leaking a bit by the time we had to dispose of him...
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I love Andrew. This is his sporting his true colors. At Corner Pocket, no less. Which, you know, may or may not be my favorite guys' apartment ever.
And...let's see. Here's a picture of the mountains. Which I love. This is my favorite time of evening, during one of my favorite times of year for the colors on the mountains. [Though, snowy season is coming up, which means it's almost time for one of my favorite games: Find the Y! I'm so good at that game it's not even funny...].
Rainbow! Outside our apartment. There were some pretty fantastic rainbows during late summer and early fall this year.
Our cute little pumpkin before he melted into oblivion.
And...my artistry with the pumpkin guts. My favorite is the nest. I'm pretty sure that's all I ever used to build with play-dough, too. I just really love the motion my thumb makes when sort of hollowing out the inside of the nest. Plus, when you've got pumpkin seeds for eggs, you can't go wrong.
Me and Nate. Again, L-O-V-E the Corner Pocket boys.
My fantastic and studly former home teacher. And the Corner Pocket tire swing in the background.
Yeah. That's me.
Yeah, that's also me. More of a true-colors me though. :) Don'tcha love it?
Ha! Andrew again. He makes me laugh.
Check this out. It's a Program spotlight for Response [the service program I work with]. See those three little pictures at the bottom? The ones that say Program Directors of the Month? Well, those are pictures of the super amazing David Gelder and Steven Gale, along with me [a picture of me posing next to a picture of me? Fantastic.]. Remember how this is in the Wilk, right by the ballroom? And remember how it's been up there since April? I'm pretty much famous at BYU right now is all I'm tryin' to say...
This is Kristina. She is one of the other program directors for Response. This is on our Fall retreat, and getting very few hours of sleep at Springhaven. Haha. She's so great!
I love my roommate.
Kaylee! I love my niece. This was taken a few days after she was born.
Sacred Grove. Have I posted this picture before? Maybe. But that's okay. It's one of my favorites.
Also one of my favorites: me with my cousin, Reagan. Yeah, that awesome open-mouth smile runs in the family.
I don't know why I'm still awake... This is bad news. I need to get back to preparing my lessons for tomorrow morning and writing my papers and get some sleep. Peace!

2009-10-26T23:56:00.001-06:00

I definitely compared myself to MC Hammer tonight. Then bust out in "Can't Touch This."

Please be jealous that you were not there to witness...

2009-09-01T06:47:00.003-06:00

Guys. I had a dream last night that I went to class today and had an emotional breakdown in front of everyone. So I left for 15 minutes to compose myself. On my way back to the classroom, after I had cried my eyes out, I found a free 64-count box of Crayola crayons. I pretty much thought it was the best thing ever.

I also had a dream that I was watching the Northern Lights, and they were pretty sweet. And another dream that Owen wrote me a $70 check on which the memo line read, "Tuna fish."

I'm blaming it all on the caffeine. That stuff is bad news.

2009-08-07T01:01:00.003-06:00

Life has been great lately.

Pageant was absolutely one of my favorite things this summer. I love my family and I love the Hill Cumorah and I love sharing the gospel. :)

I get to go to Vegas in two weeks to pick up two of my very favoritest sisters ever! And I get to play with my cousins for the brief time that I'm there! I LOVE my family!

I also want to roadtrip to Oregon at some point. I probably won't be able to make it happen until February or March, at the earliest, but I think it would be so fun! Hmm...Maybe President's Day weekend? That would be awesome. Anyone who wants to join me is totally welcome!

And...I've had Cliffs of Dover stuck in my head for the past two days. I'm blaming my [total babe of a] boyfriend for leaving his Wii/Guitar Hero at my apartment.

I promise I'll provide a more detailed update soon. With pictures! And fun stories about rodeos and birthday cakes and Chuck E. Cheese!!

2009-07-02T21:14:00.002-06:00

I'm back home! My flights on Tuesday were great, and I made it home in one piece.

Yesterday, I went on a bike ride with Madison. We stopped at the post office, then swung over to grandma's house to visit with grandma, grandpa, Erin, and Ella. My niece is so beasty cute:

While there, we decided to go on a walk while the weather was still nice.

On the way home, we stopped by the High School so I could get a picture. Haha...

And then, halfway home, it started POURING rain and thundering and lightning. It was awesome! I got soaked:
Pageant starts tomorrow! Yeehaw! :)

Sometimes...

2009-06-30T02:27:00.002-06:00

Sometimes I'm awesome. Like when I fit everything I need for a 3-week vacation home in a carry-on bag. With room to spare.

Ooh, that just makes me feel real good.

2009-06-24T17:31:00.001-06:00

I realized today that I graduated from high school exactly 4 years ago. That probably shouldn't make me feel so old, but it does...

Also, I'll be home in 6 days! :D