Wanted

Friends.

                     Must be:

• A Girl or boys willing to talk about girl things
• Love to be girls
• Love to joke like girls joke
• Love to do girl things
• Available through the summer 
• Preferably still available during the school year, at Utah State
• Fun and exciting
• Able to spice up my life
• Someone I can tell everything to 
• Someone that I can laugh with even when I don't want to
• Able to make be adventurous and enjoy things
• Ready to have a fun-filled summer
• Able to keep me busy and my mind off of other things

Preferred but not required qualifications:

• Have a group of friends that all fit the qualifications above
• Have an opportunity for tanning on a daily basis
• Have an adorable puppy that I can cuddle with
• Have connections at a beach- Vacation!
• Love Gossip Girl or get me hooked on another girl show
• Will watch Sweet Home Alabama multiple times

Any Takers? 

I'm desperate people.

For now, I'll stick with my blankie. 

One Year Ago

A year ago today, Grandpa Jack passed away.
He had fallen earlier in the day and the family knew, a few went to the hospital to see him but quickly the news traveled that it was worse then we thought.
My mom had called me to bring my brothers since her and my dad had already left.
Driving to the hospital, I got a call and the news that Grandpa was in a coma and wouldn't be waking up.
I wasn't to tell my brothers.
We got to the hospital and came up the elevator.
I remember seeing my dad crying and it broke my heart.

We went in to see Grandpa and I immediately was reminded of 4th grade, doing the same thing with Grandma Dixie. I was too scared then to say anything or even get anywhere near her. I regret that.


It was hard to see Grandpa like that, so helpless. But especially to see Grandma. She still somehow had a smile on her face and was just sitting there holding his hand.

The whole family spent the night at the hospital. We just sat there. Not knowing what to do.
After a while, Mal finally came down from Logan.
I'm glad she found a way to get down.

Finally at about 2am, the whole family went in the tiny room and had a prayer. We talked about Grandpa and how everything would be okay.  We all gave our last hugs and kisses and left the room.

That was hard.
                                             

The next day, I went to school or tried to. I was exhausted and emotionally drained.
I still remember trying to get things ready for the choir festival we had that day and Mike took everything from me and said, "You look awful, go home."
At first I was kind of upset by that but then I realized I didn't have to be there. I needed to be at home.
I went home and took a nap then continued on my week.

Throughout the week it was so nice to be able to read the newspaper articles about Grandpa. Not just his obituary but just the random articles that were published because he was such an influential man.
I had no idea about most of his accomplishments because to me he was always just Grandpa Jack.

We had his viewings and funeral later in the week. During all of this I met the First Presidency in the church and their wives. It was such a cool experience to feel of the spirit that they brought into the room.

One of my favorite moments was when we were in the room with only the family and we hear President Monson coming up the side walk, into the room. There was a rush of the spirit in that room as soon as we just heard his voice.

He was such a sweet man and gave a great talk, later during the service.

                          
One of the hardest things was realizing that, I was fully planning on being married in the temple by Grandpa Jack and now that couldn't happen. I had always just assumed it would happen.


I miss Grandpa everyday. His accomplishments make me want to live my life so that while he watches from above, he can be proud of what I'm doing.

"Striving for happiness is a long, hard journey with many challenges. It requires eternal vigilance to win the victory. You cannot succeed with sporadic little flashes of effort. Constant and valiant living is necessary."

-Jack H Goaslind

I simply remember my favorite things...

                                                           

                                                           
                                                           
                                                

And then I don't feel so bad...

Finals are going to kill me. No. Math is going to kill me. I have a week to somehow make all of this make sense and it is stressing me out. I'm really bad at it. I don't know how to do a lot of it. 

Today is the last day of classes.

Next week, I take finals and pack up and move home. 

One more week then I have four months to do nothing.

I can do this. 

So can you,

Just think of your favorite things...

It all started with a speed bump..

A speed bump that didn't exist so we made our own.. prepare for a good story...

So yesterday, Tuesday, I only have one class and am done by noon and Mike doesn't even have class so the two of us decided it was time for an adventure. It was very warm and sunny so I wore my favorite green dress with sandals and Mike was in his green tank top and capri's. It was summer clothes time.
A little back story or a precursor.. This weekend is the Anberlin concert at USU so Mike is having his friends come up and stay so they can go to the concert. But that concert is on Friday so on Saturday he wanted to take them to this lake in Bloomington Idaho. Apparently it has rope swings and who knows what else.. I never saw it.
So there we were deciding that our adventure was going to be to Bear Lake and on to find out if there was snow at this Lake.
Guess what?
There is.
We drive to Bear Lake and it was gorgeous. It was so blue and sparkly. We drive past it and into Idaho, through tiny towns where the population is 156. We get to Bloomington, Population 246 and turn up these little roads. We drive past a man who is taking his horse for a walk. Yes, in small towns they take their horses for walks, not their dogs. I see that and think How cute. Small towns are adorable. We keep driving. Quickly this road turns into a dirt road then into a very rocky section. We keep driving. It is super pretty and the beautiful day is a huge benefit. There is a river along the side and huge trees all over. We come around the corner and see this pile of snow. It was so random and just out of nowhere.

 We were apparently very close to the lake and disappointment quickly takes over. Mike being the stubborn boy he is decides he can take his Dodge Stratus over this pile of snow, no problem. We try once, I'm gripping the seat thinking if we slip it's down the hill, into the rushing river, we're dead. We stop. Reverse. Try again. We Stop. Reverse. He was very disappointed but I completely thought he would just give up and head back down. Nope. He puts the car in the lowest gear and goes for it. We get farther than before then stop. He tries to reverse like before but the tires just spin. Alright. Before long he makes me get in the drivers seat to attempt to get this car out, while he pushes it. Nothing besides the spinning tire spitting wet, cold snow chunks. I get out of the car and we stand there looking at it. He tries a bunch of stuff. Melting the snow, digging it out, then he opens the hood. While he is trying to get his hand in the hood, I notice that he can barely get his hand in there, I look a little more and realize the bottom of the car is pushed up so far that there is no space for his hand. That is not good...
I'm standing there in the snow, in a dress while I let him do his thing. I try not to talk to him when these things happen. He starts venturing around to try and find service to call his dad. Nothing. He looks at me, standing in the snow with huge goose bumps, shivering even though it is 80 degrees outside and just says, "I'm sorry." I kind of laugh it off and say it's okay! Then he looks at me again and says, no it's not! We are really stuck!

My heart sinks. Awesome. We are in the middle of no where, with no service and I am of minimal help in these kinds of situations. I'm standing on this cliff, trying not to think about the steep hill to the rushing river that is inches from where I was standing. I say a little prayer in my head that we will figure this out and be fine. Mike is still in a panic so I don't say anything. He is still trying a ton of things. But nothing seems to work. So I say another prayer. We have to get out of this. But neither of us know how. He comes over and says, "I've got an idea" What does he do? Pulls out a flare. What? He was going to melt the snow that was underneath the car... Umm no.. We're not doing that. I make him put it away and he grabs the only things in his car to start digging. A frisbee and the window scraper. He goes at it. I'm standing there. I asked him to let me help but he just says no it's okay. Finally after about the fifth time he says okay, let me find you something to dig with. He comes over and says you can help if you do me a favor. I agree before knowing what it is. "Will you say a prayer?" As impressed as I was that he thought of that and asked me to, I'm thinking ha! Already did that. But I agree and we say a prayer and start digging. We were just throwing snow basically. But we needed to get the snow that was under the car and we just couldn't reach it.
So he says I'm going to start walking until I can find service and call my dad. I join.
We walked about an mile basically in silence. No one knew what to say and really nothing could be said.
I just looked around at the mountains, the butterflies and the dang snow.
We find service and call his dad who is a genius and tells us to put the jack under the car until we can get rocks under the tire so it has something to grip onto.
We walk back up to the car and get to work.
Well he does. I did my job given by him which was "Stand there and look pretty"
He knows I'm basically helpless.
He get some rocks under and now it's time to see if this works. I get all the stuff that was behind the car and stand on the cliff and wait, crossing my fingers. 
He puts it in reverse and I finally didn't hear the tires just spinning in the snow. I get really excited! It's moving!
Then quickly after that I hear a snap! then another.. Snap! and another! I look at the car and what happened?
The bumper rips off.

Yes. It is literally not attached.
I look at him in shock with my mouth wide open not knowing whether to tell him to stop so it doesn't get worse or not to so we can get unstuck.
So what do I do?
Burst out laughing. 
He was so mad. There was nothing either of us could do and to top off our day in the wilderness, stuck in snow for 4 hours, the bumper just WOULD rip off.
He goes and takes a look and I guess only the bottom and the sides came undone so it could have been worse. So being the eagle scout he is grabs nothing else then a belt and ties the bumper back on to the car so we can at least get home.

We pack up the stuff and get ready to go.
Since it was a one way canyon, we backed out of it for a while.
I'm still laughing at this point. It was just too funny.

Then to top things off as we come down the canyon, we pass 2 people on their way up, that could have helped us. Where were they 4 hours ago? Probably taking their horses for walks. At that point, I did not think that town was adorable anymore.

So we were both hungry and delirious and just ready to be home. We stopped at Bear Lake Pizza to eat and relax.
Mike was so out of it. It was so funny. He was so hungry he stole a handful of croutons from the salad bar to munch on.

Overall it really was a funny day, regardless of the fact that we spent all of it stuck. It is a good story now and we are both just super bitter about it. :)

We left with some dirt and mud and a few scratches. The car may say otherwise...

Can you see the mud in his hair?

We came home and washed our feet, and just relaxed. We watched How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days, got slurpee's then watched the Blind Side. I passed out. We were both exhausted. Then the cutie tucks me in bed and goes home to sleep.

Good day...

Romance for a Lifetime

I fell in love with these two when I saw the first video when he is a missionary and I've stalked them ever since. They are perfect. I know nothing about them at all besides the fact that they are the most perfect couple. Also, I know that she has a pretty great name there. :)
                            
Now I can't figure out how to add a video if it's not on Youtube so you are going to have to trust me when I say you want to click on the links below, in order. You will not regret it. 


#1 Missionary
#2 Save the Date
#3 Wedding Bells

For more of their story, you can watch these as well...
#4 A new story
#5 Color in the Date

I've been thinking..

How in the world is it already the end of April? I swear I was just moving back to Logan for the next semester, going to the Brad Paisley concert, turning 19, but no. That is long gone.
How is it that in 2 weeks, I will be done with my first year of college? What? Where did all that time go?

Basically I've been thinking that my life is about to change a lot. I mean I know that College=change but someone really should have told me that college=constant change.

What's changing you ask? Let me tell you.
I am about to become a college Sophomore. (While my brother becomes a high school sophomore. weird.) Wow. That is a lot. Especially since I feel like I've gotten nothing done in the last year. Yeah I took classes but I'm not sure how relevant any of them will be.

I'm moving back home with these guys..

I love my family, I really do. And I miss them everyday. I miss my cute brothers. I really miss watching them grow up. Granted Spencer is 10 and I guess kind of grown up. But I love to watch them have new experiences and everything. It is really exciting getting to see these changes when I do finally see them though. But living at home means living with the parents rules. That is hard for me. I am in college and I have freedom without supervision so why should I have rules when I have supervision? It just makes no sense to me. But I am going to try and be patient. Then I think, what if this is the last time I ever live at home? So if it is, I'm going to make the best of it.

Moving home means not living with these girls anymore..

Living with these girls has been a blast. I could not have asked for better roommates for my first year on my own. Seriously. While we have had a drama, fights, annoyances and everything else. We had a lot of fun. I am very blessed that I got to know such amazing girls by getting to live with them. 

Bre was always so busy and kept on top of everything, she studied a lot and always got good grades. She is on the A-team no at school and that is just the perfect place for her to be. She didn't know it but she was an answer to my prayers multiple times and I am so grateful for that. She is a great example to everyone all the time.

Jenna, even though she moved home for this semester, was a great roommate. It was so nice to have someone constantly there to do things with. I was never lonely or bored. I loved that. Who wouldn't want to live with their best friend anyway? I was really sad that she didn't move back even though it gave me my own room. (That has been unbelievably nice) But I look forward to moving back home and being able to spend time with her again.

Brie is such a busy body. Yes, I'll admit it, she is a lot to handle and sometime hard to live with. But that is not always bad. She is just active and always wants to do something. I admire her for that. While she goes to the old folks home, I ditch out to sleep or watch a movie. She really is a sweetheart always means well. She has been fun to live with and get to know. She really is a great person and a joy to be around. Not to mention funny.

Britt has been such a blessing. She was the roommate that I always related to the best. We were always the most similar to me, from day one, but we can still be completely different. At first it was nice to have another roommate with a boyfriend so I didn't feel so lame or needy then when hers went on a mission, she was around more and was just such a joy to be with. She was the roommate I would talk to. We understood each other. I didn't really feel like I could ever go to my roommates, that maybe we didn't know each other well enough except for Britt. It was also a lot of fun to be able to meet her family since they live just down the street. 

Jen has been a blast to get to know. She is the oldest in the apartment and has lots of experience so she was our go to person. She works and goes to school so she is hard to get to spend time with but she is hilarious. Having her talk in her sexy voice and just say the funniest stuff and to hear about her dreams in the mornings have been the best. She is so responsible and put together. I wish I could be like that.

I'll miss these girls and all of the adventures we had this year. It is going to be weird to live with new girls and to know that they are living with other girls as well.

Then, something I'm sure none of you knew... This boy leaves...

I'm unbelievably proud of him for serving a mission and can't wait to hear all about it. But I just can't wrap my head around him not being around for two years. When I think about how long two years is I think of, 2 years is half of High School. 2 years I'll be 21, a real life adult. 2 years I'll hopefully only have a year left of schooling. 2 years my brothers will be 17, 14 and 12, all young men and on their way to mission themselves. In 2 years my sister will be 24..ish, That is just so old I don't even want to think about it. In 2 years, a lot is going to change and I just can't imagine not being able to share all of that with him. It is going to be weird. That is all I know. This last semester I only hung out with him. That is not an exaggeration. Ask my roommates. He was and is my best friend and I've gotten to know him so well in the last 4 months especially, I just don't want to lost that in the next 2 years. Our time is dwindling fast, we have two more weeks at school which is the only time that I don't have to fight with other people to get to spend time with him, then we move home and he heads on a cruise right away for 2 weeks. Then we have 2 and a half weeks left before he ships off to rainy Washington (after the MTC of course) It will just be weird to lose him so much so fast. Not only him but all of his insane friends who either are following him a few weeks later to the MTC or off on their own adventures, that I won't see, I won't get a reminder of him. His family who I will go from seeing almost every weekend to rarely. They are the greatest and I am just going to have to visit them. So that is a big change.

Also my Major changed. At the beginning I was a Music Education major. I love music and thought that would be perfect for me but I soon found out that I don't need it as much as I thought I did. This was my hobby and I got nervous about turning my hobby into a career. I didn't want to ruin it. So now I am an Elementary Education Major with a Music Emphasis. So just backwards from what it was before I guess. I am excited to see how this works out. Wish me luck.

This meant my schedule changed and oh boy did it changed. I registered for my classes yesterdays and it just got crazy. I begin classes at 9 everyday and don't finish until 4:15 on Monday and Wednesday and not until 5:45 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Yeah. So next semester, school is going to be my life. That is all. It is a good thing because I am going to have nothing to do. That leads to the next one.

You know when yo graduate then goodbyes and going to college is sad? Not for me. All my best friends came to Utah State with me therefore I was not going to not see anyone or miss people. But now they are gone. So next year I'm basically starting over friend wise. I'm a little scared for that. I haven't had to make new friends since 7th grade.

Lastly, this is not a change but I need it to change. I suck at math. honestly. I am the worst. I failed my last two tests which is making it so I have to do incredible on my next test, the final,or I am done for. Boo.

Anyways, this next little bit is going to be overwhelming and it is starting now. Wish me luck.

Recent Happenings.

I'm back in Logan for the week and attempting to be good and go to classes but it is hard. Especially today when it's pouring rain and walking around campus all day is just not fun. It's 10:30 and I'm soaked. I don't finish until 3:30.
I have to register for my fall 2012 schedule tonight and it is going to be crazy. My schedule is messed up. I'm not going to like it. Other then the fact that I have one class on Friday and it is done by 10:30. That will be so nice. But I figured that I'm going to have no one to distract me next year since the only two people that distracted me this year was Jenna and Mike and as far as I know neither of them will be here. So next year, I dedicate my life to school. sigh....
But! This week as been pretty fun. Let's talk about it.
Monday, I was just having one of those days. I thought I had a ton of homework due that day but turns out it wasn't. That was a huge relief. I used our Netflix my family just got and watched Say Yes To The Dress. I love that show. I love weddings. Then for Family Home Evening, we hiked to the wind caves.

I went to this thinking it would be as easy hike. Everyone does it so it can't be that hard. I was wrong. It was a 2 mile hike all up hill. And I'm way out of shape. That is all. 

I had already  been sick that day and it was just not helping.

Then the altitude was just too much for my out of shape body and my head was pounding. My ears went numb. Yeah. I'm that pathetic. 

But it was very pretty up there. It was worth it and the hike down was no problem. Downhill the whole way was a piece of cake.

We made it down after Brie and I almost died. Well I don't know about her but I was going to die. 

My feet hurt now. I did not wear good shoes. Neither did she.

But we are alive and made it down just fine.

We finished the night by watching Spice World. 

Yes, you read that right.

Then on Tuesday I went to class and then came home and got all my homework done and cleaned up our disastrous kitchen. Then Mike called and asked if I wanted to go golfing with him.

Yes, you read that right as well.

So we went. 

We made a list of things we wanted to do before he left and golfing just happened to be one of them. 

It's a good thing we went to the driving range because I am ridiculously awful. 

Golfing is hard. 

I suck at it.

I don't know how to keep my arm straight, waist bent, knees bent, eye on the ball and just all that stuff.

I'm no good.

One of these things is not like the other....

But it was a good time for sure.

Then we went to dinner then we got to watch a super nice movie for my Psych class.

Yup. It was... lovely.

If you don't have to see it. Don't. 

It was super weird. 

My roommates were scared. They all went to bed really early.

The rest of the week is going to be chill. 

I'm going home on Friday, again to go to my cousins wedding. (Yes! Weddings!)

Then I have to sing a really awesome song at Stake Conference on Saturday.

Yay.