halloween

I am not a huge fan of Halloween.
Costumes, being scared, fake blood, zombies, tons of candy.
Yeah, I'm not a big fan.

One good thing about this holiday: it's now legal to pull out the Christmas music!

But I did find this rather entertaining.

Happy Halloween everyone.

comfort food

cornbread and chili

Basically the epitome of comfort food, right there.

Except grilled cheese and tomato soup of course.

You want to know the best part?

I got the middle piece of the cornbread. Without arguing with any siblings.

#winning

I love college.

happiness

IT SNOWED!

winter is even closer.

my life is complete.

good days

The weather is getting colder.
That means long sleeves, big coats, and warm boots.
And [mint] hot chocolate.
Also cuddling up with a big blanket while reading history textbooks. such is the life of a college student.
The fall colors are fading. Snow is accumulating on the mountain peaks.
I just love it all.

I have the greatest friends ever. I say that a lot, but I really do.
They pull me into doing completely crazy things I would never do on my own. And I love them for that.
They inspire me to improve each day. They support me through everything.
I am really going to miss a bunch of them as they head out on their missions in the next few months.
For now, I'm enjoying the time I do have with them with movie nights, temple trips, and lunch dates at the Cougareat. And the occasional crazy night out.

This kid just went into the MTC today. Good luck Elder Graham and we'll see you in two!

Missionaries are the greatest. I love reading their letters [well, emails and blogs with the occasional actual letter] each week. It is such a neat experience to see their testimonies grow, to learn their insights, and to hear about their crazy adventures all over the world. I am so excited for my friends who are currently waiting for their calls to come! I cannot wait to hear about all the great things they do!

I absolutely love the Provo Temple. I have been blessed to spend several hours there with some of my best friends. The temple is such an amazing blessing in my life.

Life is wonderful. Long sleeves for pajamas. best. thing. ever.
Keep your thumbs up [and warm] and remember to smile.

crazy weekends

last weekend:

date to the Malt Shoppe

movie night. by myself.

I also got to see a lovely rainbow over the mountains.

Hattie came to visit

football game with Hattie and Kendall

(we lost by the way)

me, Hattie, and Kendall.
they actually cheered for Oregon. oh well.
also I'm a lot shorter than both of them. hence me craning my neck to even be in the picture.

the stadium!!

cool towels we got. love free stuff.

Failed creeper picture of my cousins.
Christopher and baby Jackson (hidden behind the popcorn box)

back home for a nap

crunched through leaves outside my apartment

I. love. fall.

hang out with Hattie and enjoy Tillamook ice cream

Hayley and her friend Scott picked me up for a quadruple group date

we raked leaves in random yards and put them into a truck bed

[no pictures]

then went back to a small park where we dumped all the leaves out and took pictures and jumped in them and had a grand time

then to Scott's house for cookies, music, and new friends

baking party on Sunday as seen here

Oh and then on Monday for FHE we watched Megamind.

Which was hilarious.

this weekend:

Aunt Jen drove me to Greg and Wendy's

I played with my cousins then went to bed.

Greg drove me to the hospital.

Doctor's appointments with transplant early that morning.

The echo tech was pretty hilarious, though.

Guess what? Everything still looks great.

I then proceeded to cross a busy road, (possibly illegally) crossed train tracks, strolled across a small park, cut through another parking lot, and finally reached the University of Utah honors housing. 

All with my rolling suitcase in tow.

I then spent the rest of the day with Amber (my great friend from Chicago)!

I took a nap while she went to a bioengineering class.

When she returned, I met some of her friends and we played games.

We then attempted a homemade macaroni and cheese (actually pretty delicious) for dinner.

Which made us late for our movie.... but that's ok.

Returned home (much later than planned) and played Five Crowns with aforementioned friends.

Then decided to watch Ever After. fantastic movie.

And then we crashed.

The lovely University of Utah campus. The picture doesn't do it justice; it was gorgeous.

me and Amber!!

I got to hang out with Amber the next morning-ish. 

Then she dropped me off at Hayley's grandparents.

Where Hayley picked me up and we drove to the Park City outlets.

I was unsuccessful at finding a new coat. oh well.

After the outlets, we headed back to the Butlers.

We had a group Spanish "studying" session with Scott and John.

And then Hayley and I joined them on their shopping trip.

Never before have two men been so focused at Hobby Lobby.

Hayley and I were entertained. It was a blast.

[photos courtesy of Hayley's camera taken by myself]

we study spanish. a lot. and it can be confusing. a lot. 

pro models right here.

um yeah there was a gorgeous sunset. I LOVE SUNSETS.

me, Hayley, Scott, and John.

Back to their house for dinner.

Then a few hours of looking at talks, listening to mission stories, and just talking.

John, Hayley, and I drove back to Provo.

Stopped in Macey's on the way home to pick up some Tillamook ice cream.

And finally crashed into bed.

I love Sundays. so much.

Church was just wonderful. Great talks and lessons.

Then we did our visiting teaching. Our girls are fantastic!!

John came over to hang out for a while.

He made us a delicious dinner.

Then the three of us drove up to campus for....

a dating fireside.

It was actually amazing. A very different perspective and just really interesting.

on the way home from being enlightened on our dating lives.
photo credit: John

Back home to work on homework, letters, and other miscellaneous items.

Now it's off to bed.

Here's to another crazy week of college life.

And I'm loving every second of it.

I was reading some talks today. If you have a few minutes this week, please read this talk: 

"Remember Lot's Wife" by Elder Jeffery R. Holland

Such a powerful talk by an incredible man. 

As always, remember to smile!

sentimental mood

there are times when I just get into these really introspective, reflective, over-thinking, moods. it's a little weird. most of the time it's due to some [medical] crisis, but every now and then it's just a good day and I want to focus on a bigger picture rather than the paper I have due later that week.

which ultimately leads to me listening to sappy songs, looking at old pictures, reading a favorite book, and multiple blog posts in one week.

so enjoy some photos from my phone that cover the past several months. in no particular order...

it's bedtime for bishop

watching old home videos. I actually wore that. yikes.

hey bud.

quilt parachute on the beach

valentine from my uncle to my mom when she was in college. TOO CUTE!

we went to the zoo. and I really like this shirt.

discovered in a notebook. thanks Rachel :)

I love writing to missionaries!!

this is Bennie the Bumblebee.
my birthday gift to Rachel.

Megan's sad face because I wouldn't text her back one night.

well. that was a fun walk down memory lane.

also:

I GOT A LETTER TODAY!!

which makes today a great day.

Have a fantastic rest of your day.

#domesticgoddesses

Hayley and I basically spent the entire day in the kitchen today. and it was fabulous.

I whipped up these deliciously wonderful delicacies:

Aunt Wendy's Homemade Granola

Mom's Pumpkin Bars
aka the best fall dessert ever made. so good.

and Hayley cooked up a wonderful dinner of this from her pinterest:

Skinny Slow-Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

I feel like I accomplished a whole lot today since I baked so much. I need to experiment more with my food. But following a recipe lowers my chances of ruining the food I already purchased...

All three are fabulous recipes. I included links to all of them if you get the baking bug, too.

On another note, I was finally able to steal get pictures from Hayley's camera.
Here are our adventures of the last two-ish weeks:

just chilling on a hammock. talking about life between conference sessions.

conference re-enactment...

new sister missionary website. we were pretty thrilled.

sunday morning session with the Churches and other members of Hayley's family

roomies!

another spontaneous movie night. the best.

And now we're at today.

Hayley's grandparents [who just happen to be friends with my grandparents] came to drop off a box for Hayley from back home. 

Enclosed were a few goodies for me as well: "13 Articles of Faith for LDS College Students," a Halloween basket, and [the best part] a polar bear hat. thanks Sister Walton!

crazy hats can only mean one thing.
cue dorky pictures of us finishing up dinner. with the hats on. of course.
we have way too much fun.
photo credit: John [who found the whole thing hysterical. I mean, who wouldn't?]

thought for the week:

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it.

The time will pass anyway." 

-Earl Nightingale

Go. Live your dream.

name that movie?

Remember to smile this week!

it's Tangled. in case you were wondering.

love right now

this is one of those completely random posts where I just rant about life. enjoy.

today was below sixty degrees. all day. and it rained. 

that just makes me so happy.

it means big sweatshirts, comfies, curled up in a blanket, and a good book.

not to mention some homemade soup.

basically a perfect day.

also the colors on the mountains looked amazing today.

 and the clouds over them... gorgeous.

I love Utah.

I have the greatest friends. ever. 

My adventures with friends include:

catching up with Melanie

lunch with Alyssa

Skype with Derrick

classes with Angela, Kara, and Hailey

living with Hayley

Malt Shoppe with John

singing to old people with Weston and Harrison

basically this is hilarious

I love country music. and Disney. and random stuff that I can't really categorize.
I also really like singing along while I clean. Livens things up a bit, you know?

on my playlist right now:

Mat Kearney: "Young Dumb and In Love"

Sara Bareilles: "Gravity"

Hercules soundtrack. the entire thing.

Hunter Hayes: "Storm Warning"

Christina Perri "A Thousand Years"

Beyoncé: "Listen"

in other news, my heart is back to normal.

my biopsy last Monday was perfect! which means [as of Saturday] no more prednisone!

Hayley and I watched The Princess Bride the other night.
Such a good movie. Such great quotes.
And a pretty awesome prince charming character... just saying.

inspiring thought for the day:

"The bad news is time flies.

The good news is you're the pilot" 

Michael Altshuler

my blog hit a total of ten thousand page views since it's creation in 2008.
congratulations, blog.

I love BYU. 

The Y on the mountain is lit up for Homecoming week. 

and I can see it from my kitchen window.

too cool!

basically, life is pretty wonderful right now.
and I get to see my family in two months!
before then I have to figure out a few things... like winter classes. yikes.

have a lovely day. 

and smile.

don't forget that. ever.

general conference

I love General Conference. 
I get (almost) as excited for conference weekend as I do for Christmas. seriously.
I love that I get to listen to the words of living prophets and apostles.
I love the music. I love the hymns, listening to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and feeling the peace those songs bring.
I love that I get to spend an entire weekend completely focused on the gospel and spending time with family and friends.
I love that there is always something that touches my heart and inspires me to try a little harder to be a little better (President Hinckley).

the weekend schedule:
Hayley, John, and I left early Saturday morning and spent the day at John's parents' house (his mom was my Young Women's president). Always a blast to see them! Before Priesthood session, Hayley and I headed over to her grandparents' house and spent the night there. Sunday morning we went to Hayley's aunt's for breakfast and the morning session. Then Hayley dropped me off at Greg and Wendy's for the rest of the day. I got to play with little kids, experienced my first walk about (like a neighborhood linger longer almost), and ate delicious food. It was an amazing weekend!

I love to see the temple.
photo courtesy of this girl

In case you didn't hear, President Monson announced at the first session of conference that there are new age requirements for missionaries; young men can serve at age eighteen, and girls can now serve at age nineteen. 
For more on this change, please read this article about the new age requirement for missionary service.

I am still a little bit in shock from the announcement made to lower the missionary age. But I am beyond excited about it as well!! I have some dear friends who cannot wait for the opportunity to serve a mission earlier than anticipated.

This is such an exciting time to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Church is stronger than ever and continues to grow. I am blown away by how incredible the youth of the Church are and just how much is expected of them. The Lord works in funny ways sometimes, but when we trust in His timing, amazing things happen. Prayers are answered. There is no doubt about that. Nothing is going to stop this work from moving forward.

It's pretty awesome (and slightly daunting) to be a part of it all.

so for the big question:
I do not know at this time if I will be serving a mission.
I still have some big decisions ahead.
thank goodness I have the Lord's help with all of this.

some quotes and thoughts from General Conference that touched me:

• "Ask the missionaries. They can help you!" Elder Russell M. Nelson
• "the desire to serve is a natural effect of conversion" Elder Russell M. Nelson
• "The regrets of tomorrow are prevented by following Christ today." President Dieter F. Uchtdorf 
• "We cannot be complaining when it comes to discipleship; we are capable of so much more." President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
• "We must help the principles of the gospel endure through the constant change of the world." Elder L. Tom Perry
• "Service is the very definition of pure religion." Elder M. Russell Ballard
• "The Lord's delays can seem long, but they are calculated to bless us." President Henry B. Eyring
• "First observe, then serve." Sister Linda K. Burton
• "We have a life of devoted discipleship to give. We cannot quit or ever go back." Elder Jeffery R. Holland
• "When we follow Christ, He will give us abilities outside of our comfort zone." Elder Robert D. Hales
• "Knowing the gospel is true is the essence of testimony. Living the truth of the gospel is the essence of conversion." Elder David A. Bednar
• "Every man eventually is backed up to the wall of faith, and there he must make his stand." President Ezra Taft Benson quoted by Elder Neil L. Andersen

this quote from Priesthood session I found absolutely adorable:
"Every woman deserves to be told she is beautiful." President Thomas S. Monson

Sister Ann M. Dibb's talk in Saturday Morning session

music that I just loved:
If The Savior Stood Beside Me
Brightly Beams our Father's Mercy
Does the Journey Seem Long?
If The Way Be Full of Trial, Weary Not

I am inspired by the words I heard and the Spirit I felt. I know this gospel is true. I cannot wait to become even better than I was before conference. I love this Church. I love my Savior and Heavenly Father, and I am grateful to them that I have the gospel in my life. I am excited to see what the next few months hold as we prepare for the next conference.

one of those days

Today was just the perfect amount of cold. I could wear my sweatshirt and curl up with a blanket on the couch while working on homework. Those are the best kind of days. 

I love this girl. She's just crazy enough to keep me sane.

late-night, chem-is-driving-me-crazy dance party to "gangnam style"

putting off the room organization while bouncing on her long board

I aced my New Testament exam. It's a pretty great feeling to see "way to go" pop up on the screen next to your score as you leave the testing center.

Speaking of which, General Conference is this weekend. I am beyond excited!!

No classes on Fridays was the best decision. ever. I mean, who doesn't want a three-day weekend every single week. of course, that just means I have a full day to do laundry. but still.

And to round out this totally random post... here's some thought-provoking quotes. 

have a lovely day. or night. whatever you like.

oh, one last thing. you see those little boxes down there next to "reactions" that you can click on? click on them. I'm curious as to what you think about these posts. thanks.