slowing down

I don't have classes on Fridays.
Which is the greatest thing ever.
But somehow my Fridays end up being the craziest days of the week.
In a good way, though.

This Friday was particularly hectic:
I woke up way too early and couldn't go back to sleep.
So I did some studying and watched a beautiful sunrise.
Then I put in a few extra work hours.
Before I realized that we had cleaning checks. Who schedules cleaning checks on a Friday night?! crazy people.
Cue three hours of scrubbing down my bedroom, bathroom, and the kitchen.
One downside of not having a roommate: two cleaning check jobs.
Another hour of work.
Musical number practice. Which included hunting down a few other singers.
More cleaning.

In the middle of the craziness, though, I got some time to enjoy some pretty great things:
     My friend opened his mission call.
      I babysat my cute cousins. Seriously, I do not get enough interaction with kids under the age of 18 years.

Oh, and we passed cleaning checks.

All in all a wonderfully exhausting and productive Friday.

Now it's on to a long weekend.
I intend to do some extra studying, do some extra work, and maybe spend a little extra time with some friends.
I just might even watch a few sunrises.

"We would do well to slow down a little, proceed at the optimum speed for our circumstances, 

focus on the significant, lift up our eyes, and truly see the things that matter most... 

Walk in nature, watch a sunrise, enjoy God's creations, 

ponder the truths of the restored gospel, 

and find out what they mean for you personally. 

Learn to see yourself as Heavenly Father sees you:

as His precious daughter or son with divine potential." 

- President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Enjoy the day off on Monday.
Slow down a little and take some time to enjoy the simple beauties that life offers each day.
Keep on smiling!

humorous and inspiring

People are incredible.
People are also hilarious.

Here's a few things from the past week or so that have just made me smile or think.
Hopefully they evoke a similar response from you.

"Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes." -Jim Carrey

Received this email from BYU freshman housing: 

(remember that little announcement from conference?)

"Have you thought about where you'll live next fall? Why not live on campus? For Fall-Winter 2013-14, we will have designated upperclassman communities at Heritage Halls and Wyview Park. 

Want to live on campus but not in the designated upperclassman buildings? No problem! You'll also be able to select from any of our other available spaces on campus. Just keep in mind that if you're not in the upperclassman community, you'll be around freshmen. 

Room selection begins tomorrow, February 6, at 10 a.m. 

BYU Campus Accommodations"

Now for the inspiring:

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." 

Eleanor Roosevelt

"It matters not what someone was born, but what someone grows to be." 

J.K. Rowling

"I'm only as tall as my heart will let me be, and I'm only as small as the world will make me seem. And when the going gets rough and I feel like I may fall, I'll look on the bright side, I'm roughly six feet tall."

The best dreams happen when you're awake.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

january, mountains, and epic music

I am kind of a movie nerd. which you probably already knew.

One of the best parts about movies: the music.

While I study and work, I often listen to movie scores, such as:

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimmaron

The Chronicles Narnia

The Incredibles

and of course... UP.

[They work wonders for motivation.]

I am still obsessed with the mountains. With snow on them, they are just gorgeous.
And at sunset? Gosh they are absolutely beautiful.

This has been one of the strangest weeks of my life thus far with some random things happening with family and friends.
But it ended wonderfully as I got to spend time with some friends. Oh, and I got an A on my New Testament exam.

Today I washed every single dish in our apartment that had been piling up.
Life is interesting with a Brazilian roommate who pretends to not understand you when you ask her seven times to wash the dishes.
An hour and a half later, my hands are raisins and I'm finally eating some lunch.
But it's clean. And that's what matters for now.

My cousin, Christopher, opened his mission call! 

I am beyond excited for him to serve the people of Paraguay! 

[seven of my good friends also opened their calls that day. craziness]

Last weekend, Rachel and Mom came to visit!
Rachel had an audition for the music school, so Mom flew out with her.
I spent some time with them in the mountains taking "senior pictures" for Rachel.
They explored my apartment and BYU campus. I still don't have a roommate by the way. 
They joined me for lunch in the Cougareat one day. I joined them for dinner with some family.
Basically, it was a blast.

Up Provo Canyon with my sister. Absolutely gorgeous.

Best friends since the days we were born. Gosh I love these boys! 

Mom and Rachel with me. It was great to see them!

January basically consisted of me working, studying, studying, and working.
You know, that fun stuff big kids do.
I have become a pro at HTML programming. sort of.
And I became even more of a history nerd, if that's even possible.
I have approximately zero social life as all of my friends live on south campus, are at home waiting to go on their missions, or work early-morning jobs.
I can no longer stay up past eleven.

Some inspirational thoughts for you:

"A Pep Talk from Kid President"

[basically the most adorable pep talk you will ever hear in your life]

Stop being afraid of what could go wrong and focus on what could go right.

No one looks stupid when they're having fun. Amy Poehler

What would be the point of living if we didn't let life change us.

Happy February to all of you.
It's going to be an exciting month of birthdays, anniversaries, snow, and who knows what else!

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.

the fellowship of the unashamed

I absolutely love Elder Holland. Tonight he gave a fireside address to the young single adults. It was incredible. If you have the opportunity, you should take the 45 minutes or so to watch it. Or wait for it to be available by text, but you'll miss a lot without seeing or hearing Elder Holland's expression.

Two things that stood out to me:
NEVER check your religion at the door! 
"When He comes, I so want to be caught living the gospel. I want to be surprised right in the act..."

Simon Dewey: The Lord is My Shepherd

The fireside reminded a friend of this short passage entitled "The Fellowship of the Unashamed" that I just love. I believe it is by President Henry B. Eyring, but I'm not positive.

I am a part of the fellowship of the unashamed.

The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.

I won't look back, let up, slow down, or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure.

I'm finished with low living, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, or dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, positions, promotions, plaudits, or popularity.

I don't have to be right, first, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded.

I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk with patience, am uplifted by prayer, and labor with power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven.

My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my guide is reliable, my mission clear. 

I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, divided, or delayed. 

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, and paid up for the cause of Christ.

I must go until He comes, give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He stops me.

And when He returns for His own, He'll have no problem recognizing me. 

My banner will be clear.

I will not be ashamed.

monday thoughts

your words of wisdom for the week:

tonight I got to hang out with some of my friends from my freshman ward.
namely Angela, Brooke, Jeff, Nick, and Sam.
it was an absolute blast. Jeff, Angela, Brooke, and I hung out at Brooke's family's house, just swinging on the swing set, picking berries, and eating ice cream.
we kidnapped Nick (and Sam) for one more late-night Beto's adventure before he heads out to Chile. and then we talked for a few hours.
gosh I love these people so much!

Jeff, Nick, Sam, Brooke, Angela, and me (photographer)

words for the wise

Pinterest is a wonderful thing. I particularly love finding quotes on there. You can look at my quotes board, but I wanted to share just a few of them that have particularly been running around me head or that I just really liked.

seriously though. country music is THE BEST. particularly Rascal Flatts' new album.

my mom actually shared this one with me. love it.

So here's the plan: 
Monday words of wisdom for the week (sorry I'm a day late).
And then Smile Moments on Friday.
Look forward to them. It's going to be great.

Hope you feel inspired. 

Now go do something amazing.

Start of Something New

I was listening to my summer playlist the other day and apparently I associate High School Musical with summer... anyways. Lots of HSM playing (with me singing along every now and then).
I am so excited for this summer! Lots of fun plans ahead! My first job ever, taking classes I'm excited for, a visit from my sister, hanging out with friends, meeting a new ward, having my first apartment. Lots going on out here in Provo.

Flying back to the MOUNTAINS!!

So remember this post about me and Angela getting our first apartment? Well I guess it didn't really sink in then. WE GOT OUR FIRST APARTMENT. Moving in was craziness. But I'm here. And I am now a whole month into spring term. again, craziness. Here are the sections of my current life.

The Apartment.

Let me introduce you to our lovely little place. We have a living room, dining area, and kitchen (oh I miss lots of counter space back home!). Then you enter the bedroom hallway - two bathrooms, one long sink area, and three bedrooms. In the back we have our random storage room that includes a second freezer. It's nice for the price, and (at least for now) it's home. It's super close to campus which is a definite bonus. The complex is a little older, but it's all right. We just got a new dishwasher and Angela needed a new mattress. But nothing else is falling apart too badly...except the front blinds.

The Roommates.

There are 6 girls in the apartment currently. Katie (my roommate) is engaged so I don't see her a ton. Mindy (Angela's roommate) is a senior majoring in Art History who is tons of fun and likes to make cupcakes. Christa and Lauren (Law-ren, not Lo-ren) are roommates from Heritage last year who are both crazy busy with school and work. It seems to be going pretty well so far.

The Job.

Work is...interesting. I work clear on the other side of campus at the big gray conference building. We don't have a ton of actual work to do right now, so basically I'm paid to do homework and watch TV shows. and update my blog... if I ever did that at work. It's a mile to work and a mile home, which means I'm getting my exercise. Once it gets hot (and it's getting REALLY hot) that'll be difficult so I'm currently researching bus pass options... look at me being a big girl. 

The Class.

School is fascinating. I am in a class called Intro to Non-Profit Organizations and absolutely love it! I am strongly considering doing a non-profit management minor. I'm learning a lot and really enjoy the class...too bad it isn't a major.

The Service.

I'm also a Program Director for the Utah Healing Arts program through the Center for Service and Learning here at BYU. It's awesome! I love that BYU provides so many service opportunities for everyone! It has been an adventure scheduling events and learning to run one of these programs, but I have been learning tons and met so many new people through it! Basically we go and sing in nursing and rehab centers to spread cheer. So much fun!!

The Food.

All those things I told myself about cooking a great meal every night. Yeah that didn't happen. For example our first meal in the apartment was chicken noodle soup. yum. I miss having a car so I can go get groceries. Thank goodness for awesome friends and family members who are willing to help out!

Lila's Chicken. another favorite.

The Fun.
- eaten at SLAB pizza. sooooo good.
- hang out with Skyler, Adam, and Victor, some old ward friends who live across the street.
- game night with Angela's brother and his friends.

- a trip with my aunt up to Heber for a scenic drive and dinner.

the mountains up in Heber

- pizza and frozen yogurt night with old ward friends.
- doctor's visit for ongoing cold and flu symptoms. I've been sick on and off since the start of spring term, but at least I haven't ended up in the ER yet.
- went to a missionary open house for our friend Alex and stayed there until 1 in the morning. man I love our freshman ward.

so much fun to be with these people. Alex you are going to be one fantastic missionary!
back row: Mark, Francis, Harrison, Alex, Derrick, Will
front row: Marissa, Christina, Sydney, Alex, me

with the crazy dog...

- read a book for pleasure. I have time and a couch. great combination.
- cooked meals for various dinner groups. chicken and broccoli stir fry is a definite favorite.
- spent a Saturday with my aunt and uncle and their family. got a new phone and new shoes which was a definite bonus. and delicious snow cones. yum!

snow cones!

- writing to missionaries who have entered, will enter, or are entering the MTC.
- got wireless Internet set up for our apartment. soooo nice to have wireless again.
- meeting new ward people including my Relief Society president and home teachers.

And to end... a great quote by one of my missionary friends:

"A smile can say a thousand words in any language. 

You can't fake a smile."

that kid is going to be a General Authority one day. I'm sure of it.

Life is pretty darn good right now. Summertime here I come!!

quick post

I know. I've been gone for far too long. Promise to restart and finish up posts this weekend... once I survive my government and geography midterms. But I wanted to share a couple of things really quick. And some pictures.
Today was a gorgeous 64 degrees. The sun was shining, there was a slight breeze. Absolutely perfect weather. FHE was a ward activity at a local park. Watching the sunset on the mountains, talking with friends. Such a fantastic day!

Mike and Mariah... we attempted to avoid being hit by the nearby frisbees and footballs and soccer balls.
Though I still got hit by a frisbee. It's all good.

Me being artsy. I just thought this was a really neat picture.

sunset on BYU campus :)

Oh and this is what the weather will be like for the next few days. Gorgeous. So excited! 

The past couple of days I have literally left the window open and been playing my summer songs. Which include this, this, and THIS song. 

listen to them over and over again. you won't regret it.

Also I love skyping with my family. 

 And lastly, an inspiring quote from Dr. Seuss.

More to come.
Life is good.

Have a Laugh

Did you know a good long belly laugh is as good for you as spending 10 minutes on a rowing machine? Or that laughing 18 times a day is as good as a 30 minute workout?
One of these random facts that I'm not positive is true, but it definitely makes me feel better about myself. So I'm going with it is true.

Angela and I needed a study break last night, so we looked at some funny posters. And they were hilarious. She has some posted here, but here are a few of my favorites.

For my not as technologically advanced reader:
those would be the Angry Birds...from the game Angry Birds.

No. I am not going to hit that pedestrian walking in the parking lot.
no matter how many times you tell me to, I won't do it. High scores are just not that important to me. 

One my Dad showed me a few years ago. 

Quite possible my favorite.

Great song. Great movie. Great lesson.

I do not miss being awakened by a trumpet. Literally.

This one is more for my BYU friends... courtesy of Jeff Nielson.

Never mind. This one is my favorite.

Laughter: it's a good for you and for everyone else around you.
You're welcome.

Now go be productive. Like me.

Exams and the Cannon

After a productive and stressful Friday, I fell into bed exhausted. Woke up the next morning around 10:30 feeling even more exhausted and like my cold had simply become aggravated overnight.

The morning started out stressful as I had my first exam of the semester at 2:30 pm and still had a lot to cover in my studying. I do not like the fact that my spanish exams are now graded by computer. It's fine for multiple choice questions or fill-in-the-blanks where they provide options to put in the blank, but for the ones where you have to come up with the answer yourself, one misplaced accent gets the whole question wrong. Did I mention there was a writing portion? 150 word essay on an exam that is later graded by a computer? yeah, that was great.

Anyways, I have no idea how I did, but most of the content was review from my sophomore year of spanish, so I feel okay about the exam. Still not entirely confident about those written portions though. I do know I did well on the listening part (thank you Profe for forcing us to listen to all those horribly long and difficult to understand podcasts all year in AP).

This is a thought that was running through my head most of that morning. One of my favorite quotes by one of my favorite apostles. I love it.

I came back from the two hour test, took a short nap as I could barely think straight, woke up and realized that I hadn't eaten anything all day. I had some crackers while I was studying for the test, but other than that, nothing. So I headed up to dinner by myself because I was starving.

Dinner at the Cannon is always an entertaining time. Found a group from the ward to sit with which included a bunch of people I wouldn't usually go eat with. An interesting group, some fun conversations, ate some "Navajo Taco" and a salad. I was still hungry, but everyone else was ready to leave, so I made myself a waffle and went and sat with my friends, Brooke and Derrick.

Which led to me and Derrick staying for another hour in the Cannon while various people from the ward cycled through the table. It's always fun when you take a little longer to eat to just sit and visit with all the people who come to the table. We have such an incredible ward!!

It's also a lot more fun going to the Cannon with someone who hasn't been there before, or with someone who still thinks the food is wonderful. Derrick, for example, just moved in this semester and thought the "Navajo Taco" was delicious. I, on the other hand, have had it multiple times and don't find it all that amazing. Honestly, I only got it because the other options were a hamburger (which I typically try to avoid if possible) and some strange shrimp pasta. When you go with someone who still sees the Cannon as a novelty, it makes the experience a little more entertaining and you tend to come out with a slightly better attitude towards the food. Actually, just go eat with someone. It's more fun that way.

But honestly, I am so excited for when I get to cook my own food. I guess that's one perk of growing up.

More homework. More housing research. And then bed. Oh the excitement of my Saturday nights.

Reality, Missionaries, and the Book of Mormon

Yesterday was a wonderful day off.

Today was a not-so-gentle return to reality.

8:00 am American Government and Politics.
I actually really enjoy this class. The professor is humorous, engaging, and loud enough that I don't start to fall asleep during lectures. I feel like I am getting to know a little bit more about the government structure and how politics work, which is probably a good thing considering I do need to register to vote this year. yikes. I even found a guy in my ward who's in the class. So I have a great professor, a friend to sit with, and an enjoyable subject which all motivate me to go to attend class.

It's just so early in the morning.

When I headed back to the dorms for nap time, I woke up Angela so she could get ready for her noon class, and I promptly laid back down to sleep for ten more minutes. I then proceeded to sleep through not just one, but three alarms, the devotional, and also spanish class.
Apparently this lack of sleep the past few nights finally caught up with me. It felt wonderful, but I feel bad about missing class. I really need to institute a good sleeping schedule. With all these guys leaving for missions, maybe I should draw some inspiration from them and start going to bed at 10:30.

And I still haven't watched devotional. Angela and I will be watching it tomorrow night. I heard it was fantastic and I'm excited to listen to it!

So besides sleeping, here are some other, slightly more productive, things I did and thought about today:

Personal Finance blows my mind every week. I can't wait until we get into the units that I can actually start applying right now (talking about a 401(k) currently doesn't have much application in my current unemployed stage of life).

I decided to switch geography classes. I was exhausted from government and staying awake through the class with a less-than-entertaining professor. So now geography is on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 11. I'm excited for the switch. Plus it just might help get me out of bed those days instead of sleeping past ten in the morning for spanish at one.

My friend Brandon came to visit today. He will be entering the MTC at 12:40 pm tomorrow to begin his mission. It was great to see him one more time before he heads out.
It's crazy to see all these guys (who, by the way, are my age) who are just amazing people choose to serve the Lord for two years. I don't know why, but for me, it is one of the most incredible parts of this Church. I love this quote, though I don't know who said it: "If the Church wasn't true, nineteen-year-old boys would have ruined it a long time ago."

I could talk about this for forever. 

I am grateful to be here at BYU surrounded by such incredible young men. 

Thank you boys for your examples and willingness to serve. 

So you know, it's now past midnight here. Which means it is theoretically Wednesday January 18th here in Provo, Utah. Today is the day my friends Logan, Brandon, and James all head to the MTC. Good luck you guys. You will be amazing missionaries!

I also cleaned off my desktop today. Here are some picture quotes for you to enjoy and to also break up the text of this rather long post (sorry about that).

The other great thing about today (well, yesterday...) was a Book of Mormon reading party!! Yes it is as thrilling as it sounds. Hattie, Harrison, Hannah and I all need to finish up our reading of the second half of the Book of Mormon that is due tomorrow at 11:55 pm. We probably weren't as productive as we could have been in other circumstances, but it was definitely entertaining.
And a little more motivating to know there were other people reading with you so you can't actually fall asleep while reading your scriptures...

I admit. I am a Mormon nerd. Apparently it's quite visible if you watch me read the Book of Mormon. I can't help it though.

Captain Moroni is my hero. 

I love all these lessons from the war chapters. 

I literally cheer when I read about the stripling warriors.

I am thoroughly entertained by some of the wording and will laugh out loud. 

I get incredibly frustrated when the Nephites start right back into the pride cycle. 

But more importantly, I love all the incredible teachings within the book: faith, repentance, humility, the importance of prayer and fasting, showing charity towards each other, and, of course, the mission and love of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

I just absolutely love the Book of Mormon, and not just the stories, but the lessons it teaches.
I know this book is true without a doubt in my mind. And I have loved every minute I have spent reading the entire second half over the past few weeks. This book is one of the greatest blessings in my life. I cannot wait until my Book of Mormon professor comes back from China and I can go back to class next Monday!

Sorry this is kind of long and word-heavy. I just need to start taking my camera everywhere with me around campus. Honestly, I wish I had had it this morning for the sunrise (one of the perks of an early class).
As a side note, Angela and I were literally just talking about this, so the camera is now in my backpack. Readily accessible at any point tomorrow.


If you care to know, I am currently listening to the soundtrack for Pride and Prejudice. Such amazing music from a pretty awesome movie. One of my favorites in fact.

Good night. Sleep tight.
Remember to smile!

A Day Off (sort of)

Today I am grateful to Martin Luther King, Jr. Not only because he helped to shape the world that we now live in, but also because I got a day off of classes to celebrate his life. Which sounds kind of selfish... but I was very glad I didn't have to worry about getting to class today after a night of being sick from dehydration. So thank you Dr. King.

But honestly, here's a great quote from him that my friend shared today:

"Never, never be afraid to do what's right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way."

Again, thank you Dr. King.

All in all, today was a pretty fantastic holiday. I slept in, got a bunch of homework done, even started getting ahead in my spanish class. I got a nap in, talked to my sisters, went to dinner with friends, did a blog post, responded to some emails, went to FHE, and have been working on this post and various homework items since then.

Yes I really do have that much homework. And I'm not done yet. Probably because I pretty much ignored it all on Saturday as seen in this post. So I guess I made up for my lack of productivity on Saturday by getting so much done today.

Dang it. I just realized I completely forgot to wash my sheets today. The one thing I really wanted to get done today. Oh well... there's always tomorrow. Rudolph anyone?

Anyways...

Family Home Evening was interesting. It really actually was fun, we just didn't have our whole group there, so it didn't exactly go as planned. Lacy and Peter are my new FHE group leaders (hereby referred to as "my parents") and only six of us showed up: me, Annie, Haley, the parents, and Lexi. So hopefully next week a few more people come. I'll miss my old group (especially Newel and Logan who are heading out to the mission field), but I am really excited to get to know these people better over the course of the semester!

By the way, this is the forecast for this week. And I am so excited!!! I really love the cold. The girls in my hall tease me about how excited I get about the mountains, or the fact that I have to wear a coat outside. I honestly am probably the person who would move north (like Alaska north) for the summer. Or at least somewhere a little more mild.. anyways I'm excited for the SNOW to come!

I really love talking to my sisters. And the rest of my family, too, but since Skype failed today I really only talked to Rachel on Facebook and text today. We talk to each other a lot. Probably more than we should. Yesterday I think she sent me 20 texts while I was taking a nap in an attempt to wake me up. Today we talked via Facebook chat. Some snippets of our conversation for your enjoyment:

Words that come to mind:
avoiding studying for finals
distracted
tired (both of us...)
still trying to avoid studying
band geek

She's quirky. But I love her. I guess I'm kind of a dork too... haha. Thanks for always making me smile Rachel :)

Tomorrow is DEVOTIONAL!! And Sister Julie B. Beck is coming to speak!!! I'm super excited! Have I mentioned I love BYU? Because I really really do. Where else do you have opportunities like this?

Life is pretty much fantastic right now! And I'm super proud of myself for posting this before midnight. Just saying. 8 am government... here I come! Sleep well world.