Oh college....

Sometimes I really really really love college! 

The late nights, the awesome friends, my roommate family, an incredible ward. It's all pretty great.

But then I remember that I have to take tests. And I'm being graded. Then suddenly college isn't so fun anymore.

I studied for my American Heritage test for about two hours. And I got an 84. An 84?? What happened to the good old days in high school when just showing up to class was enough to ace a test, never mind forming study groups and going over your notes ten million times.

And now I'm about to go take a Humanities midterm where I have a better chance of becoming a professional hockey player than acing this test. And if you know me, you know that is a LOONG shot.

But want to know a secret? I wouldn't trade this college experience for anything. Sure, it's hard and sometimes it sucks. Yes, I rarely get enough sleep and sometimes have to eat fruit snacks for dinner. And it's true that this is the hardest thing I've ever done. But I love college and wouldn't give it up for the world :)

Happy birthday Elder!

So lately I've been really REALLY missing my best pal Dallas. Man, this guy is great. He is so funny and genuine and just an awesome friend. He's the sort of guy you can talk to about anything.
He's been serving his mission in Roseville, California for almost a year, and he's INCREDIBLE. Seriously. Reading his weekly updates is so inspiring. He is one of the hardest workers I have ever met and definitely a fantastic missionary.
I have SO many fabulous memories with him. I really miss just talking with him on the phone about everything, or coming over to his house so he could serenade me on his guitar and read me his journal. I miss his awkward jokes, his infectious laughter, and his total disregard of social norms. This guy is basically a brother to me, and it's so weird not being able to just run over to his house to watch youtube videos or play mini golf or step on zucchini! It's crazy how someone can be such a huge part of your life, and then you don't ever see them, and only hear from them in a letter every now and then.
Anyway, today is his birthday (technically, I mean, it's past midnight, right?)
I sent him a package a few days ago and I'm really hoping he gets it on time.

So happy birthday Elder Hileman! I'm so proud of you, and I'll see you in a year and a few :)

I'm baaaaaack.

So it turns out you get to college and suddenly have NO TIME. I'm not even sure where my time goes. Sure, plenty of it is spent doing homework, catching up with folks back home, and hanging out with my roommates, but I find myself going to sleep at two o'clock in the morning thinking "What the heck did I do with my day??" Needless to say my blogging has suffered.

Life has been so incredibly topsy-turvy. I honestly feel like I'm on a rollercoaster, constantly going up and down, feeling like I'm going to hurl if it all doesn't stop soon, but somehow still enjoying it.

There have been some MAJOR adjustments in my life recently, and I've sort of been thrown for a loop.
I'm homesick, heartbroken, and extremely sick of eating nothing but cheerios, fruit snacks, grapes, and quesadillas.

But I have some hilarious, kind, incredibly patient roommates and somehow we're all getting through this together, even if it means the occasional low-fat brownie and "hard serve" ice cream.

BYU is better than I could've imagined, even if my experience hasn't gone quite like I planned.

My classes are interesting, my ward is great, and my roommates are family.

I think I'm going to like living this Cougar life.

So it's official. I'm at college.

I can't even believe how weird that is. I still feel like I'm just pretending, just playing at being a student here. But tomorrow I start classes. I can't even comprehend that yet. I'm going to college?

So far I have absolutely loved it. They sure do a lot here at BYU to make sure the freshmen feel loved :) From free food to t-shirts to karaoke to dances to tours to dating games, there's a ton going on.

I started off my BYU experience at a Foundations of Leadership conference that I loved. We spent almost all day every day taking classes and listening to lectures and having discussions all about being leaders and how our LDS faith can help with that. That probably sounds super boring, that I really had a good time and I'm sure it was the absolute best decision I could have made to start off my college years.

The next few days were filled with New Student Orientation. I ditched my group and went along with my sister Melissa and her roommate Brianna who were Y Group leaders. It was great! I finally feel like I sorta kinda know my way around campus, and I definitely had a lot of questions answered.

Today was my first day in my student ward - YSA 128. I met lots of people and I can't wait to get really involved.

That's the thing about BYU. It really does make me want to be the best person I can be. I know that sounds absolutely crazy and disgustingly cheesy, but it's actually really true. There are so many service opportunities here. Everyone is incredibly friendly. I'm surrounded by unbelievable examples.
BYU really does make me want to study harder, serve more, be a better friend, and really make a difference in this world.

Isn't that what college is all about? It should be.

Don't worry, be happy :)

Today's been a little melancholy for me.

It's been a lot harder to say goodbye to people than I would've thought. I'm really going to miss everyone I'm leaving here in Bountiful, even though I'm really only a forty minute drive away.

Also, today we found out that my Papa (my mom's dad) has pancreatic cancer. It wasn't really a surprise (he's a Vietnam vet and this is an effect of Agent Orange) but it's still hard to hear.

But as easy as it would be to let this get me down, I still have so much to be thankful for! I'm leaving early tomorrow morning to go my dream school. I'm going to make new friends. Because of modern technology, I can still Skype, text, and facebook my old friends. And of course there are a million tiny miracles to go along with the story of my Papa and his Med-Evac from the Air Force base in Germany (where he was serving an LDS mission with my Mutti) to Walter Reed military hospital in Maryland.

Right now things are tough, but I really don't have it that bad.

So today, I choose to be happy.

And it's pretty easy when you watch this video :)




And if you could, any and all prayers/thoughts/good vibes sent Papa's way are really appreciated. He's a great man and one of my heroes. I love him a lot.

Ouch.

Today I woke up and realized I have FOUR DAYS until I leave for college. That's less than the fingers on my hand. Yeah, you could say I'm a little spooked. I still have a kajillion things to do.

I need to pack up everything I own.
I need to purchase books and notebooks and pens and kitchen supplies.
I need to finish up my FOL readings and pack for the conference.
I need to finalize everything with my job in Provo to make sure I'm ready to start next Saturday.
I need to possibly register my car for Wyview parking.
I need to finally get my laptop and luggage and BIA grant money.
And I need to say goodbye to my baby brother, my parents, my puppy, and my best friend.

It's scary.

But I can't wait to move into my dorm, meet my roommates, get to class, live my life.

I'm growing up! And growing pains hurt, but I know I'll come out bigger, stronger, and ready to take on what life throws at me.

BYU, here I come!

I have joined the 21st century.

For FOREVER I had the world's worst phone. It was a brick, but I'd dropped/kicked/thrown/drowned it so many times that it had quite a few bugs. It turned off randomly, would send texts days late and to the wrong person, and needed to be charged several times a day even though it didn't even use data. Yeah, it was pretty much the worst.

BUT THEN.

Yesterday I went to the Sprint store with my dad and my bestie Tyler and picked out a brand new phone to take to college! A Samsung Epic 4G Touch.

I'm smitten.

The Swype text, awesome 8 megapixel camera, fantastic apps, super fast internet. Why oh why did I not get a big-kid-smartphone before?

I heart Sammy.

This is Tyler.

She's pretty cool.

She's also my best friend.

It's her birthday.

Here's to you, kid.

Some days you just need

A day shopping with the girls.

And super cute boots from Nordstrom.

And fifty bucks from selling your blood.

And three episodes of White Collar (should I be thanking you or cursing you, Mr. K, for getting me hooked?)

And confirmation that the grant money from your tribe has come through and you will, in fact, be going to college after all.

But mostly you just need this waiting period to end. Enough of this out-of-high-school, not-quite-in-college summer. I'm ready to be an adult! I'm ready to be a Cougar! I'm ready to meet the real me!

Until then, I guess I'll just

#joshuaradin #bloodmoney #bestsistersever

Fantastic night out with my sisters Lucy and Anne (and my brother-in-law G)

Saw Joshua Radin in person (and Tristian Prettyman and My Name Is You.....wow. So good.)

Heard Joshua Radin play my favorite song live.

Met Joshua Radin.

GAVE JOSHUA RADIN A HUG.

Yeah, my life is pretty much tops right now.

Looking for a deal on O Positive?

My three absolute, all-time, hands-down favorite artists (Justin Bieber, Hunter Hayes & Joshua Radin) are all coming to Utah in the next six months. I should be absolutely stoked, right??

Wrong. I'm a poor college student.

BUT THEN.
My beautiful sister Melissa had a brilliant idea.

SELL MY PLASMA TO GET $$ FOR CONCERT TICKETS.
Genius? Genius.

Apparently you can make up to $40 a week selling your plasma. Whodda thunk?

So... Joshua Radin tickets? Check. Next Tuesday. I am so excited.

Yay for summer! Yay for music! Yay for plasma!

Dear BYU

Why do you hate me? All I want is for you to accept my AP scores. . .

This past week I got my AP scores in the mail and did a lot better than I was expecting! But unfortunately, due to some glitch or something, my scores don't appear on my BYU transcripts. Which means that the 22 credits I've earned, not to mention the classes I've tested out of, don't show up. I swear if I have to take Statistics all over again. . . .

But really, I'm getting so pumped for college! I registered for classes a few weeks ago, and I've been looking at the required courses for my major (Family Life with an emphasis in Family Studies). I'm so stoked to take them!! There are just so many interesting things to learn, and I can really dig in deep to the subjects that fascinate me! I can't wait.

Also, I've been emailing a little bit with my roommates. We've made up a list of kitchen supplies we need and are slowly checking off each little addition to our new dorm. They sound like a great bunch of girls and I'm excited to meet them!

And to top everything off, I've FINALLY finished all the paperwork required for my scholarship and the grant from the BIA. BYU is so close I can almost taste it! I just can't wait to be wearing that Cougar blue :)

18

Moonrise Kingdom.
Barbeque.
Bang.
Hercules.
Fighting over constellations.
A "God Bless America" cake.
Running through a screen door.
Awkward encounters at the single's ward.
Awkward encounters at an old folks home.
O Brother Where Art Thou.
Yummy lunch at Kneaders.
Cookies, towels, an umbrella, Justin Bieber merchandise, and one beautiful caged pearl necklace.

Yeah, I had a birthday:)

Thank you to all my wonderful friends and family who made my entrance into adulthood so memorable and magnificent!

I'm just a girl who loves to read.

"What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it."

 - J.D. Salinger (The Catcher in the Rye)

Last week I read three books that made me feel this exact way (one of them being The Catcher in the Rye). I also read 1984 and Lord of the Flies. I know a lot of people find these books disturbing and would lock me up if they knew just how much I enjoyed them. Part of the reason I loved them is that I love being creeped out just a little (Criminal Minds, anyone?). Part of it is that human nature really does fascinate me. But probably the biggest part (and I really can't believe I'm admitting this) is because of LeeAnn Drake, my AP Lit teacher. 

Just a little background info: I did not like Drake. And she didn't like me. I can spout as much rubbish about her annoying habit of asking the class to laugh at her jokes or the frustrating way she pronounces her ts as I want, but the truth of the matter is I didn't like her because her opinions were vastly different than my own. English is my killer subject, and it was really hard for me to hear, time and time again, that I was wrong. But I will admit (grudgingly) that I learned tons. And my love for great literature has dramatically increased (Don't get me wrong, I love me some Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, but I've learned they're nowhere near the level of Rodion Raskolnikov and Edna Pontellier.)

Anyway, I'd like to think myself sort of an idealist. I genuinely believe that people are inherently good. I don't understand hatred (besides the petty, such as me and LeeAnn.) Watching Saving Private Ryan almost made me lose my lunch and the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. gave me nightmares for the better part of two months. So one might be surprised to learn that I devoured those books, two days per novel. Or that my favorite book I read in Mrs. Drake's class was Candide. Or that the next book on my list is Animal Farm. 

So why am I so interested in these books? 

Because if there's one thing LeeAnn taught me, it's that a different opinion is not necessarily wrong.

Sometimes I love being a nanny.

I get paid to spend the day with Hannah (7) and Haylie (12) doing fun things like playing at the park, swimming, giving ourselves watermelon manicures, exploring Red Butte gardens, playing all sorts of games, and checking out Clark Planetarium. 

Yeah, it's a blast. I'm the luckiest girl ever.

Also, I miss this kid. He should probably come home. Soon.

Reason #22 Why There's a Spring In My Step

Spent the day with my favorite boys on the planet :) 

When the heck did this happen??

Bountiful High School

Class of 2012

Just Be-Cozumel :)

Okay, it's been 20 million years and I have a TON of things to blog about. I keep telling myself I'll get it all done when life get's a little less busy, but then I remember that it's the end of the school year. I'm GRADUATING in two weeks. Life is not going to get less crazy for a while.

So, numero uno on my list of things to blog: Family trip to Orlando and Cozumel, Mexico.

Getting ready to fly out!

SO MUCH FUN. 

We spent the first day in Orlando at the beach, soaking up some rays and building a pretty sweet sand castle.

The next two days were spent at Universal Studios Orlando.
Can I just say that we were in heaven? My little brother T is completely obsessed with Marvel, so he was in heaven in Marvel Land. Plus my whole family loves Harry Potter, so we couldn't get enough of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

The Hogswart's Express!

At Honeyduke's in Hogsmeade :)

After our Orlando fun, we took a cruise to Cozumel, Mexico, which was a total blast! We spent two days on the water, a day at port, and then two more days coming home. In Cozumel, we headed to a private beach and spent the day snorkeling, swimming, tanning, and eating some delicious Mexican food.

Dress Up Night on the cruise. We clean up good!

When we docked at Tampa Bay, we had approximately eight hours to kill before our flight left for home. So my family made me very very happy by agreeing to go to the aquarium! I absolutely fell in love with the adorable otters and we had fun looking at all the different fish.

All in all, it was an incredible trip. I loved going to cool places and spending time with my family! I am one lucky girl :)

Bet you thought I contracted some horrible disease or something, huh?

Yes. It's called Senioritis. And it's the worst (I say a lot of things are the worst, but this is legitimately the actual worst.) And now I have zero motivation to do anything. That's why I haven't blogged in twenty million years.
There are approximately 354826 things that I need to blog about.

Prom #1 and the hospital trip.
Universal Studios Orlando and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Cruise to Cozumel, Mexico and my newly discovered sun allergies.
T's 16th birthday and the midnight showing of Avengers with the world's biggest Marvel fan.
Prom #2 and all its fabulous surprises :)
AP test mania and 23 days until graduation (not that I'm counting. . .)
Hunter Hayes coming to Utah with Carrie Underwood and the presented dilemma (tickets or groceries in college?)

But I'll get around to all that eventually.

Right now, I think I'll just leave you sitting in anticipation. This is just my formal promise to eventually stop neglecting my blog :)

Okay, kiddo. You win. I'll go to prom with you afterall :)

Okay, so this stroke of genius was actually enacted on Saturday, but I had to wait for a certain someone to get home from Colorado and see it before I could post it.

How do you counteract 60 balloons filled with confetti?

With 3400 post-it notes, that's how :)

I can already tell it's going to be this kind of week.

So I guess I'll just go lock myself in my room with my homework, a big bowl of popcorn, and put this on repeat.

Oh man. This gets me EVERY TIME.

Seriously. Every time.
She. Is. Adorable.

So I was having one of those days

I was sick.

I was tired.

I was a little bit grumpy.

But then my best friend leaves me a present on my porch.

Not only a Keva, but one of my favorite flavors.

Not only a kid's meal toy, but a 3D coloring book.

Someone knows me waaay too well :)

Thanks kid :) you're the best.

Once upon a time. . .

I went to Washington D.C. with my choir and had a swell time. Words cannot capture how hilarious/beautiful/fun/humbling/peaceful/awesome that week was. You know it was great when you're homesick for a place that isn't your home.

ALSO: Side note! I'm going to BYU!! I was accepted a few months ago, and today they offered me a half tuition scholarship. I can't even tell you how stoked I am!! BYU has always been my dream school, and now it's looking like that dream is coming true :) Let's go Cougars!

He is Risen!

Happy Easter everybody! May I add my testimony to many others that Christ is the Son of God. He atoned for our sins, died for us, and rose again that we may conquer death. He is my Savior and I love him.

"Out of His strength I now have life, out of His tears I now have joy and out of His soul I now see God."

Choir Trip, here I come!

It's been almost two years since I went to Washington D.C. Almost TWO YEARS. And tomorrow, I'm going back :) To say I'm stoked is a little bit of an understatement.

Sit down. Relax. I'll tell you about my day.

Came home from mutual, scurried down to my room and found this

And, yes, that's roughly 60 balloons scattered across my room.

(there are more behind my bed and in my closet)

And of course they were filled with jelly beans and confetti.

(because as Anne so eloquently put it: "he probably knew you wouldn't pop the balloons if they were just confetti so he put jelly beans in them too...an offer you can't refuse."

Too true, Anne. Too true.

So those 60 balloons quickly turned into this

Which, slowly but surely became this

But it was all worth it because it ended up as this

And yeah, I guess you could say I'm a teeny bit stoked for April 21st :)