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!