Exploring Seattle Part I

So Seattle is nicknamed the Emerald City because it's so green. My fam has found this to be weirdly true... all the trees are either still alive and kicking, or the leaves have fallen off but the branches are now covered moss. Aka they're green too. As much as I'd love to be in Texas for Christmas, it's been a blast to be able to explore this new city. Jen and I are lucky to have pals from BYU who live nearby here in Washington so we totally have friends to hang out with and plans for New Years, so you can stop losing sleep over it! Haha. Last night we took the ferry over to Bainbridge Island. It wasn't raining, wasn't too cold, and the company was great.

 

All pictures by our friend Andrew, who is apparently a professional photographer! Literally!

Finals? Ehhh

I'm not sure I understand the fuss everyone makes about finals week. Oh boo hoo we have tests! For me the worst part of this semester was the week before finals week, aka end of course projects are due week. 

I love being an elementary ed major. exhibit a:

I kinda thought this past week was fun! No class, just a week to take a handful of tests. Okay I'm sure my gpa could probably use some more stress about finals week but at least my mental health has never been better! This week I slept in, went hot tubbing, met a celebrity crush of mine, had lunch with jen (that i made!! bragging bragging!!) went to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert, had chipotle, got free krispy kreme doughnuts (three different times...oops), and don't even get me started on my time spent in the hbll.

not finals week:

finals week: 

The library is so social during finals week! And when you see your friends or even a friend of a friend of a friend you should always stop and chat for a few minutes because you're just exhaauuusted from how hard you've been studying and your brain needs a break. Right? Also a boy came up to me and gave me his number so that rocked. 

Okay actually lets take a tangent here so I can ramble. As flattering as it is to have a boy give you his number, it poses so many problems. First of all, what the heck am I supposed to do with it? Text him something along the lines of, 

"Hey!... this is that girl whose number you gave yours to on the fourth floor of the library... at BYU. What's up?"

Yeah no potential for awkward there. Also what if I can't even remember what he looks like? When this boy walked over to me in the library my inner, smarter, self reminded me to pay close attention to what he looked like but I was so flustered that all I remember is dark hair. That's it. Now I have to be cautious not to be overly flirty while texting him because what if he ends up being 5 foot 2? Haha ugh life is hard sometimes. 

Anyways, if Jen looks guilty in this picture, it is because she is buying her textbook a few hours before her exam. Whatever. Happens to the best of us!

Finals week, I think I love you.

Temple Square + Devo

On Sunday I had the terrific opportunity to head up to Salt Lake with some of my lady friends and attend the First Presidency Devotional (here's the play by play).

Next semester Avery will be serving a mission in Atlanta, Sydney will be in London, and by the end of April both Lindsay and I will be in Brazil. I'm incredibly grateful for each of these girls and the example that they individually and collectively have set for me. PS four of us are single so in 1.5 years feel free to hit us up? Wait what?

Underdogs

Maybe its the stress of end of semester projects and saying goodbye to my best friend (Sydney is going to London. Idk if I ever put that on my blog but I just wanted to clarify that I'm not talking about sending a missionary out or something. Please. I'm very single up in here.) and finals week [read: I am stressed and emotional] but this video made me cry cry cry. Honestly it kind of makes me feel like such a loser that I can operate my body at full capacity and yet I still can't play football. Jokes! Well the icantplayfootball part is true but I never want to take my healthy body for granted. Next time I'm walking to campus and think "wowza my finger have never been so cold in my life" I'll instead give a whoop and a holler that I have fingers at all! Okay weird example, but still. Alright I'm talking in circles. Watch the inspirational football video.

Amateur Hour

Sometimes all you want is a "sister pic." This isn't going anywhere, it won't be framed; if its really cute it might be considered instagram worthy, but it will most likely end up on facebook. However, the photographer will make or break said "sister pic" that you're envisioning. See below:

  

And of course you'll have a few selfies of the photographer too:

Next time I'll spring for a legitimate photographer, like perhaps my 11 year old brother instead of the 9 year old one. 

Thanksgiving Preview

I wish Thanksgiving and Christmas were further apart. I just spent the most relaxing, happy, wonderful, six pound inducing (you think i'm kidding) eleven days with my family up in Washington. I have about a trillion things to do and then in three short weeks I'll be back! I'll do a full fledged break play by play sometime later this week but I have a project due in a few hours so here are two pictures that sum up my entire Thanksgiving break.

Called to Serve

I have decided to serve as a full-time missionary for my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A mission is something that I've always wanted to do, and recently the age requirements were changed, allowing girls to go at the ripe age of 19! After a lot of praying and fasting, I feel confident that this is the right thing for me to do, right now. I submitted an application to the church headquarters a few weeks ago, and finally yesterday I received the letter back telling me where the Lord wants me to go. 

I've been so anxious about where I would get assigned but felt immediate peace about learning that I will spend eighteen months, starting March 27th, in MANAUS, BRAZIL. 

:)

This explains a little more about what exactly I'll be doing. My heart is full and I'm so happy!

Two Days

Two days and I can sit at this kitchen table and do fallish art projects with my favorite babies. 

YIPPITY SKIPPITY!

Sporty

Y'all this weekend I was a total Sporty. I went to the basketball and volleyball games, walked past the soccer game, and thought about going to the football game. (15 degrees. FIFTEEN. I don't think so.)

Me and Sporty, one and the same. Am I right or am I right?

Snow Way

Winter. It's here. It came yesterday. Knowing that I won't be here next semester makes this weather significantly more manageable. Unless of course I'm headed to Siberia or Milwaukee. 

Walking to class is a total blast.

And tonight I'm headed to the football game to stand in this for a few hours! Yipee!!

No I'm mostly kidding the cold is something that's hard for me but Provo really is so beautiful right now and of course snow marks the beginning of winter which means Christmas!

This is on my wishlist this year.

Thanksgiving Daily

Today I am thankful for 

::pretty snow

::technology to keep me in touch with high school best friends

::great professors

::rain boots

::thoughtful roommates

::the fourth floor of the hbll

::banter

::ward temple trips

::hot chocolate

::lana del rey

::boys that are gentlemen

::byu basketball

::my sisters

::a warm and cozy apartment

::$5 hot and readys from little caesar's 

::new friends

Studying = Student + Dying

Because I'm suuuuuch a dedicated student sometimes I find myself doing homework in the wee hours of the morning (read: I procrastinate). 

Sometimes I get the late night munchies. Sometimes its chips and guacamole, sometimes its an apple w/peanut butter, and sometimes its maraschino cherries. I'm not particularly picky. Tonight it was a mere turkey and cheese sandwich. 

There are lots of things that are totally productive and worthwhile that you can do on your laptop when you are putting off studying. Like clearing your recycle bin. Or working on your ongoing 2012 montage video. Or making running playlists (don't let that trick you into thinking I go on runs). Or reorganizing your "School" folders into year, semester, class, and assignment. Or facebook stalking a boy you went on a date with clear back to the summer of 2009. Or taking selfies. Because sometimes you just want to remember what you looked like that one night you hokey pokeyed around all day and all night and just couldn't seem to finish your homework. 

And sometimes, you write an entire blog post while not really saying anything of value. It's fine.

Matt & Kim

You know what makes me feel super cool and hipster? Concerts. Thursday I went and saw a long time fave of mine, Matt & Kim. I was so happily and pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the band that opened for them, Oberhofer! Here's a song for the musically adventurous. 

It was such a small venue so it was awesome how close and personal the show was!! It also meant moshing which I have a love/hate relationship with.

But such a fun group and and a fun night. And of course totally added to my street cred so thats always a bonus. 

Vegas for Romney

I had such a great time in Las Vegas last weekend. Essentially we were knocking on doors and making phone calls to voters already pledged to vote for Romney, urging them to early vote. Here is a picture below to illustrate:

Yay for a stipend for food and for my chacos. Both brought me much joy this weekend.

 

It's always nice to get out of Provo. Vegas is such a fascinating town to me. 

 

Also a Romney intern may or may not have given  me his number but NO BIGGIE ;)

Boo

Happy Halloween!! Life is good and busy as ever. This weekend I'm sure (i hope) I'll have some downtime to backtrack on like basically this entire past month but for now all that you need to know is that my mission papers are officially in, I spent this past weekend in Las Vegas working on the Romney campaign, and that tonight I'll be shaking my tush at one of the many dance parties that Provo has to offer. Costume still tbd. 

Also do yourself a favor and listen to this classic at least once or twice all the way through. It's timeless.

Have a fabulous night and be safe!

Awktober

I like to think of myself as sufficiently socially savvy. But lately?! Y'all I'm full on seventh grade boy awkward. I've been having these out of body experiences where I'm sitting in my brain but I have zero control over my words and body movements. I can't even articulate these on the internet because I'm still cringing about some of them. What is wrong with me? Am I becoming a sister missionary already? Help?

But this video made me laugh until tears came. So did this.

Witches Night Out & other Happys

Last night I had the pleasure of attending Witches Night Out. If theres one thing I love its a girls night and it was so fun of Ashley to invite me! It was fun to be with girls that I didn't know very well and to make friends at this funny event with lots of 50+ year old women in full witchy garb. The best part was the girls dressed as Salem pilgrims. 

I kind of hate Halloween but it was a good reminder that there is still plenty of fun clean happy fall-y things do around Halloween time too.

 

other october happys

::honeycrisp apples dipped in crunchy peanut butter with 1% milk

::my fall bath and body works lotions:

sweet cinnamon pumpkin & honey autumn apple

::new black boots for free because my friend's ankles gained weight

::a sissy who makes me dinner because I'm stressed out

::a roommate who makes me hot chocolate & toast

::new modern family episodes that make me cry and cry with laughter

::sunday afternoon at a real house that involved four helpings of dinner and three of dessert

::reading a great book: "The Book of Awesome"

To Be Seventeen

Today my brother Christopher John Riding turns seventeen. Which is only weird because I still consider myself seventeen. Chris is one of the greatest boys I know. He is sensitive and mature beyond his years, something I'll take credit for. Haha just kidding but I do think that having two older sisters contributes to this. I can't wait to see where he takes his life. I hope he comes to byu with jen and me. I love being here in Provo and wouldn't trade it for anything, but its things like birthdays that make me really homesick. I hate the idea of missing out on my siblings lives, and also the fact that I know exactly what they're doing for him to make today special. How lucky am I to have a family and home worth missing?! :)

Be of Good Cheer

I have had the most wonderful weekend. It was General Conference! It is a semi-annual gathering held in Salt Lake City. It is a series of two hour sessions where we have the opportunity to listen to modern day revelation from the authorities of the church. It is broadcast worldwide, but since I now live in Utah, I've been able to attend the live sessions.  Here's my April post about Conference. It was such a blessing to be there in person. I felt the validity of their Priesthood Power and felt comforted by the fact that these words coming out of these men and women were coming directly from Heavenly Father. 

This came as a bit of a shock. I have always wanted to serve a mission but was unsure about how timing would work out. I've prayed extensively and talked about this with my parents, and I'm going in January! I feel so good about it and can't wait to see what these next few months will bring.

Soooo someone please buy my contract? 

http://provo.craigslist.org/apa/3326211622.html 

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

Politics Schmolitics

I actually love politics. A lot. Its so funny to be up here in Provo surrounded by so many staunchly right wing conservatives while my siblings will finally get a taste of the left wing up in Seattle.

Anyways I loved watching the debate tonight. I would hope that anyone of voting age would take the opportunity to actually research the issues instead of simply picking a side.

Democratic Platform: 

http://www.democrats.org/about/democratic_national_committee

Obama:

http://www.barackobama.com/

Republican Platform:

http://www.gop.com/our-party/

Romney:

http://www.mittromney.com/issues

And now I leave you with this "bad lip reading" and gosh I love the internet.

Come In & Stay a While October

This month I want/plan to:

::go to Cornbelly's Corn Maze

::play dress up [i'm thinking a cowgirl, a safari girl, or hermonie agian. thoughts?]

::make carmel apples

::have someone else take the nasty stuff out of a pumpking for me

::carve a jackolantern

::go to Sundance Moonlit Rides

::wear boots and scarves but please please please no peacoat weather yet

::watch Alfred Hitchcock movies

::bask in any last warmth before winter!

Happys

this week...

1.  i'm a legitimate librarian and i love it
2. boys that make you dinner
3. rolo mcflurries & small fries
4. being an eled major
5. christmas is coming soon now you dear old man
6. watching my family assimilate in WA
7. going to the temple with my roommates
8. playing tennis
9. football games with Miss Jen

What I Learned in School Today...

So if you didn't know, and I won't be offended if you didn't, I'm a TESOL minor! Aka teaching english as a second langage. So I'm taking this classes called Intro to the English Language and below is a legimate assignment. Enjoy.

This is Sydney Walton. 

            Friends often joke that my roommate Sydney speaks a different language. After thoughtful consideration and learning about the ways that English words form, I have come to the conclusion that she is indeed speaking English; Sydney is so far advanced that she has crossed a threshold and is merely coming up with new words to contribute to the greater English language.  First she started with the simple abbreviation, or in her mind, abbrev. By clipping a word it becomes shorter and easier to say. Sydney hind clipped the word “perfect” and now instead utilizes “perf.” Additionally, “totally” was much too inconvenient to use on a regular basis and now has been replaced by the word “totes” by applying the same hind clipping. “Obvi” integrates these same ideas, stemming from the word “obviously.” A particularly advanced word in Sydney’s vocabulary is “cray cray” because it utilizes two different types, shortening and then reduplication. First she hind clips the word “crazy” to become “cray” and then reduplicates and it becomes “cray cray.” To describe boys that she has feelings of infatuation for, Sydney calls them her “crushy.” By employing backformation, she took the noun “crush” as in ‘I have a crush on him’ and added the suffix “y” to make another noun, this one describing the person, not the emotion. By hind clipping and then combining, the word “jellyfish” was created, but not referring to the sea creature. First it was the word “jealous” which was then hind clipped to become “jelly” which then was put in front of “fish” to create the final product. Correspondingly, “fun” became “funnel cakes” but skipped the clipping step. "Zerts” is a word that describes any food eaten before or after the designated meal. The word “appetizer” was fore clipped, giving us “zer.” The word “dssert” was hind clipped, leaving us with “sert.” By combining these two, we have “zerts.” Lastly, if our date with our “crushy” to go get “zerts” goes well enough to make our roommates “jellyfish” it is time to have a “DTR.” This stands for ‘Define the Relationship.’ However, it is an acronym because it is pronounced /ditur/.  As her vocabulary continues to expand I would hope that those who assume abbreviations are associated with unintellingence, would think twice.

Yes, I shared this video as apart of my presentation. Oh and yes. I got an A.

Happy Birthday Nicole!

Yesterday was the lovely Nicole's twentieth birthday! Birthdays are so weird here at school. We made cinnamon rolls for her and then we all had class all day which was kinda too bad. We went to Texas Roadhouse which always makes me nostalgic and then we had people over for dessert after. Holy cow y'all we are full on regular hostesses. This was our fourth party in the past week and a half?!? I think we're getting the hang of it.... slash everytime we're like okay this is the last time!! Mostly becuase our other roommates get annoyed but c'est la vie!

I'm so happy to be living with Nicole. She is sweet and happy and fun and kind.

Dating is Annoying

But are there?! Provo is such a weird place... with married couples frolicking around and desperate to get married girlys and overeager RMs and the ones that are too cool for it all anyways. And then there are the few normal outliers.

Also I think this blog is hilarious but I can't decide if I agree with THIS post. Thoughts?

God Blessed Texas

Sydney and I have always talked about throwing a party for all of our Texas friends that are up here at BYU with us. Now that we have an apartment to throw it in, and especially now that I've moved to Washington we decided to do it last night!

 

 What a blast to see so many pals from home! It was our third event to host this month. It's fun to have a place to have people to come over to and play hostess. The Texas cookies DID NOT work out. But it was a fun night.

God Blessed Texas with His own hand.

We Cook, it's FINE

Sydney and I made dinner the other night for her brother Peter and his roommate Ryan. Now that we're living in Domesticity Central (aka south of campus Provo) we are just filled with this desire to cook and clean and do laundry all the time. It's so weird! And so totally not true but I wish it was.

We had really tasty green salsa crockpot chicken tacos with Mexican rice and homemade guacamole and sliced peaches. And it was tasty tasty. Granted that's the only "meal" I've made for myself all week but whatever. 

Also you may have thought that you knew every Coldplay song that exists but look here is one that you probably don't know.