fallish winter

If this is "winter" I can handle it. And having Jen back in Provo? Awesome.

snapchat of my october

Sometimes snapchat is an eerily accurate representation of your life- as shown below.

 

 

Aside from school, my hobbies lately have been eating, snacking, temple attending, spending time with syd & my argentina-bound brotha, and general schlubbing. It's been really nice. Happy November! 

Wonderful

(source)

I am an incredibly happy camper. I can rag on Provo with the best of them but at the end of the day it really is exactly where I'm supposed to be right now. Sixteen more days until I fly back home!

This Is Sibera

kinda sorta over the snow

Happy Valley Indeed

I lalalalove being home. Christmas break is just long enough to make me settle into a comfortable rhythm of lounging and playing around-- aka make me frown upon the idea of returning to Provo. Tears were shed at the SeaTac airport but by the time we arrived at Salt Lake International I was giddy at the thought of another two months in the Happy Valley of Provo. When I first found out I wouldn't be going on my mission until the end of March, I was a little disappointed that I'd have this weird limbo time. BUT BUT BUT. Provo never disappoints and it's been a fun past nine days! Missin' some of my main girls as we begin to scatter! London, Spain, Georgia, Chile; it's definitely a new chapter. I feel like I have nothing to blog about but I also feel like I'm checking off something on my to-do list when I blog so, thank you for helping me feel productive when I've just played around all day today.

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.

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

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?

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.

The Stairs from H***

Excuse the curse word implication in the title but there's simply no other way to describe my morning commute.

Even once I stagger up all of the stairs I still have to go up another hill!!

THIS IS WHY EVERYONE IN PROVO IS SKINNY.

To say that I'm concerned about gaining weight would be quite the overstatement.

Schlubbin

"schlubbin" is a term used by my funny friends Brooke & Avery. Its kinda like lounging but sloppier. It involves snacks and maybe some hulu and/or netflix and staying in bed for a long time. 

I sclubbed hard both Friday and Saturday. IT WAS GREAT. After recovering from an all nighter and a week crammed full of homework I deemed it appropriate and necessary. Plus I don't even have class on Fridays! So I slept in late late late and finally finished unpacking all of my boxes so my desk is finally usable and just did a lot of productive things that didn't require me to leave my apartment until I went grocery shopping with Jen at 4:30!

On Saturday that fun just continued with sleeping in late (again)

going to my most favorite shaved ice place ever

laying out so we don't get Provo Pale

and watching the game with some of my favorite girls at the Ashton's house! And I got to see one of my other favorite married couples: the Stapletons. It was great. 

I also watched White Collar and does anyone watch "Suits" because I can't decide how I feel about it and lots of youtube videos and basically have yet to do any schoolwork since Thursday night. It's great.

Hello September

This past week has been completely crazy. And hectic. And stressful. But you know what? I'm happiest when I'm being productive. And after four months of lounging around with my family with little to no responsibility or daily structure, I finally feel like my life is normal again.

It's really great to be back in Provo. Its nice to have friends again. I love all of my classes. I got a job! I work at the Law library. Pretty exciting. I have a time consuming calling. I'm happy and busy and life is good!

Time to make this my alarm ring tone again! Wahoo!

Firsts

It's been a week of firsts.

First time to drive down to Provo! It was bittersweet not to be boarding American at DFW but it was nice to be able to pack liquids and my pocket knife. That's not actually a joke.

First time to pay $20 to get my lock cut off my storage unit........ 

I'm just so glad that back in April the sweet employee thought that Scott and I were a poor newly married couple so she gave me the lock for free. 

First time I've ever had a messy room... ever.... LAWLZ jk jk but gosh y'all moving in is so awful.

First time going through a temple open house! So fun to spend time with my cousin Kim and Aunt Debbie and Grandma! Sometimes its really hard going to school so far away from my family but I'm blessed to have lots of extended family so close by.

First meal!! Panini and apples and milk. It was great. I already miss dining plus. And Mom's cooking.

Let me tell you. Spending so much time with my family this summer has been wonderful. But it's really fantastic to have a social life again. Reeeeaaallly great.

ALSO THE MOST EXCITING NEWS!

I'm officially declared as an Elementary Education major. I'm so happy. I feel so good about it and that is a beautiful thing!

Utah

If you were to tell me that you were headed to Utah, this is what I would tell you to do. Because this is what I did these past few weeks...

 

I was so incredibly ready to go home back in April that I kind of forgot how much I love and adore BYU and specifically Provo. So, you ought to head down to Provo and remember how much you like your school.

Perhaps even go visit your dorm so you can feel nostalgic and old/proud that you are no longer a freshman.

See as many friends as you can possibly can.

Take your sibs to your fave shaved ice place.

Try and see as many almost-missionaries as you can.

In fact, try and suprise-attend their farwell talks if possible and most definitly attend the gathering at their house afterwards (read: free food).

Then drive down to Panguitch Lake in southern Utah and hopefully it will rain which may hinder your outside activities but in all reality it will be very nice.

Play with all your many boy cousins.

 

Get life advice from your papa and try and figure out your life.

Cuddle with as many small children as possible.

Honorable mentions: hiking, chatting with the lovely Beus women, going on a handful of dates, swimming to get tan since that is no longer an option in Washington, teaching four small girls to 'use the facilities' in the woods, learning a couple of new card games, logging in hours of highway driving, getting updates from all of my loving, wonderful aunts, etc.

I'm headed down to California for my beautiful frand Brookie's wedding and get to party with Rachael, Lily, Avery and Sydney! Oh life is so good sometimes. Can't wait to see all these girls that I adore. Wahoo!

Roadtripping

I honestly love road trips. I'm happy to sit and play on my phone and read books and listen to music and ignore my carsick sisters. We drove down to Utah this past Saturday, and the mere 14ish hours was a pleasant change from the Texas - Utah trek of 22 hours.

Fortunately I was given the blessing of being able to sleep in the car, but unfortunately I missed the first four hours of the drive, which were the prettiest. Lots of exciting scenery after that...

  

We'll be in Utah for a few weeks then back to Wash!

We all know how hard it is for me to know where to look when you're taking front camera pictures.