I COMPLETED MY FRESHMAN YEARRR. HECKKK YE-AHHH!

Basically I am champ. I survived my freshman year, living in the dorms, passing all my classes, not getting married and living in a completely new place on my own. I'd call that a success. This whole year, especially this semester, was very difficult--a giant hurdle to pass and I did without landing on my face...so to speak. 


Now I'm at my Uncle Chris' house, just hanging out with the cousins before I leave for HOME! I'm so excited. To be honest, I will probably cry tears of pure happiness. I am that excited...and to show my excitement, here's a song that helped me get through the week...cuz I'm "coming home". 

Coming Home by Diddy - Dirty Money...the chorus is my theme song.

"I'm coming home, I'm coming home, tell the world I'm coming home. Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday, I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes. I'm coming home, I'm coming home, tell the world I'm coming home" --Coming Home, Diddy - Dirty Money

Time Has Flown By...

Okay so my last entry was Wednesday and you know what? I can honestly say I forget what I did on Thursday. All I know is that it was stressful and I cleaned my room...but if you looked at my room now, you wouldn't have guessed we did haha. But anyway, Friday was another fun family adventure. My cousin, Sam, and I needed to buy things at Target, but we got lost. So we decided to head down to our Aunt Cindy's for directions...we ended up not going to Target that night and stayed watching "The Ghost Writer" and something "Wright" and spent the night.

Saturday morning we went to Target, bought make-up, headed back down to Provo, got ready for life in general, then headed up to Highland for an official family gathering. We celebrated Halloween with Trick-Or-Treating and delicious soup. After that, Sam and I headed back home and I hung out with Alison L. and Jonni the rest of the night...and my cousin, Josh, and his friends swung by to say "hi" from their party.

Sunday was Stake Conference.

Monday and Tuesday were rough days.

Earlier this morning (12:00 A.M.) I had to pick my classes for next semester. Let's just say, my schedule is less than satisfactory...If classes don't switch around, I will be stuck with a 7 A.M. class, Monday through Thursday and I won't have my PDBio class...which I unfortunately need for my major. The rest of the day consisted of my normal schedule (my American Heritage teacher dressed up as a Confederate soldier for the lecture...Jonni and I laughed so hard).

For the rest of the day, I plan on reading my American Heritage and going to an intramural basketball game with Stephanie, Jonni's roommate. Woot wooo!

Having People Read Your Blog To Keep Up With Your Life Makes You Feel Like a Celebrity

Let's see...last time I wrote was Thursday. Lots has happened since then. Here we go!

Friday ended up being a long day/night...but in a good way. It started off rough, but with good friends, it got better. I had lunch with Sammi and Miles...they asked me out on a date haha. And we watched "Corpse Bride" and later went to see "Salt" with Jonni, Alison L. and Michael F. It was so good. I did not see the ending coming at all haha. Then we walked two miles to some park near Provo Temple. We just sat there and talked and sometime in the morning we headed back home.

Saturday consisted of laundry and watching "The Pursuit of Happyness" for my essay. Then I went to my Uncle John and Aunt Cindy's to celebrate Uncle John's birthday. Home-made pizza and root beer were on the menu. Delicious. All the cousins were there, as well as Grandma! Then Sam and I left to go to a party...which I didn't go to. Alison L, Jonni, Stephanie and Michael F went though...Sam and I felt like watching a chick flick...we were too tired to dance.

Sunday I had to get up so early for a Visiting Teaching meeting. Following the meeting, I made some hand-outs for the Visiting Teaching Supervisors, went to the hall meeting, and went back to bed...it's Sunday mornings like that that made me grateful for 1:30 church. Following church and dinner, I hung out with Alison L, Jonni, Michael F. and Jonni's friend Emily. Despite the lobby hours, we still hung out (minus Emily) under the bike rack...sometime in the morning there was a freak of nature rainstorm. It was practically going sideways.

Monday dealt with normal classes. I went to a Fitness and Lifestyle Management review. I worked out. I went to FHE. AND I got a small package in the mail. My friend had given me a few CDs and wrote me a letter...it made my day. Even though that day was pretty much the same as normal, it was incredibly stressful and that package made the whole stress of the day worth it. Thanks, friend. :]

Tuesday was rough. Fitness and Lifestyle Management is now giving lectures on emergency procedures and first aid...let's just say the visuals are too graphic for my body to handle. I nearly passed out...several times in class. It got to a point where I wrote, "Get notes from Miles", because I had to put my head down...the instructor even gave a "mini-lecture" on how to prevent passing out before he started the actual lecture...yup, it was that bad. After that class, I worked on my essay. Then I had math. And then, I met up with my peer mentor...it took too long for my taste, but she's nice. Then I headed to math lab, where four problems on the homework and a quiz took me a stinkin' hour to finish. Darn those questions that have multiple answers. But then I went to the nursing home--made my day! I was told "you're so pretty" at least ten times. They're so sweet...this lady, Geri, asked if I had a boyfriend. I told her I didn't. Her response--well what's wrong with them?! Haha, oh Geri, I have no idea. :P And it snowed! Just throwing that out there.

Wednesday. Today! First off, this morning, it was covered with snow! It was incredible! I had classes like normal. My Book of Mormon homework had a malfunction though, so I had to print it off and hand it in...thankfully, my teacher is very understanding. Then I went to the Review Room for American Heritage to review my essay...fifty minutes later, I still was not seen by a TA (Teacher's Assistant) and some guy who had waited ten minutes got seen for me. I had my hand up and everything...three TAs passed me. That moment was the last straw for me, so I left. But then I remembered--my RA (Resident Assistant?) LOVES editing essays. She helped me several times and now my essay is beast. Who needs TAs when you can have an RA like mine? Thanks Amy!

Tomorrow's agenda--classes, another Fitness and Lifestyle Management review, intramural basketball game with Stephanie, and possibly buy snow boots. Who knew I'd need them in October? Bye for now!

Two Bad Days in a Row...No Big Deal. Thank Goodness They're Over.

Tuesday was a normal class wise. Miles and I studied our butts off for Physical Science and went to a review for our test. Alison N and I also studied and quizzed each other before we went to bed...you might wonder why I have such a heavy focus on Physical Science...

I focus on PS because Wednesday was the day I took the test. After 5 hours of studying, I got a very upsetting grade. Honestly, I got a better grade on the last test where I studied 30 minutes...and even that grade wasn't the best. So I basically sulked the whole day. That is until Alison L. gave me a "pep talk" in American Heritage. She wrote, "PEP TALK: I'm gonna tell you girl: You are not stupid. You can do it. So you got a bad grade...okay. Nothing to change it now, so you need to be strong and decide you CAN do it and you WILL succeed. You know you can, I know you can. You have friends and family who love you and know you can. So just decide you will do better and you will. DON'T GIVE UP. I love you. Alison" After reading it, I cried. In class. I love her. And I guess I'll just have to study more than 5 hours next time.

Thursday, same old same old. But I stayed after on my math lab and got another homework assignment done. I felt so accomplished. And now I'm in Alison L's Book of Mormon review, chillin' in the back, reading my other homework. Good use of time.

Later on this evening deals with dinner and a library study/homework session. Long night. Friday deals with one class, laundry, more homework, and a video session (Pursuit of Happyness for American Heritage). Saturday's agenda deals with football and my Uncle John's birthday celebration...pizza party! More later. :]

Aggie Invasion, GNO, Temple Prep, Long Day of Class

Friday was a good day--my friend Julia came down from Utah State! It was so good to see her...I've missed that girl. She's absolutely hilarious...

Saturday was a very productive day. Way more productive than usual. I got two loads of laundry done and I read my American Heritage for five longgg hours. Emily K. joined me...she had to read a novel by Sunday. To make sure neither of us burnt out and quit completely, we'd allow each other to take 15 minute naps or have "facebook breaks". I was amazed at how much I got done...so I rewarded myself by going on a "Girl's Night Out"/Date with my friend Alison L. We walked to the dollar theatre (even though it costs a $1.25, but I'll let that slide) and we went to see Salt, but it was sold out. So we saw the next best thing: Eat, Pray, Love. I thought it was pretty cute. Then Alison and I headed back to our dorms...at 12:30 am. Lets just say, Provo at night with speeding/honking cars equals a terrifying experience. So I put the hood of my jacket on and pulled my jacket outward...to look like a big bulky guy. We also decided to call Sammi as we walked back. Turns out Miles and Jonni were at her apartment and we were close by. So we swung by and walked back with Miles and Jonni. Lets just say we felt safer.

Sunday was a good day also...Instead of going to Sunday School (to learn about the Old Testament), I went to Temple Prep. It was amazing! I loved that class so much.

Today was Monday...is Monday? Oh well, anyway, we didn't have Physical Science today because my teacher had surgery. So instead Miles, Alison N. and I went to the library and studied. It was as productive as it can be...studying boring material/reading boring material/writing notes on boring material is very hard haha. But then I had American Heritage and Book of Mormon and I worked out for an hour and a half with Andre and Miles. Miles and I also tried to go to the Physical Science Review Session...but it was so packed there were people flowing out of the doorways. So we're going to go tomorrow. :]

It is Friday...

Basically, this whole week was fairly normal. Got my butt kicked with my American Heritage test, but I've heard that's pretty normal haha. Thursday was stressful as usual, but the day ended on a high note! It's homecoming week at BYU, so yesterday we went down a huge slip-n-slide of blue foam. It was freezing, disgusting (too much grass and mud mixed in with the foam) and completely awesome! Everyone was just tackling each other and going crazy. So much fun!

Today's agenda--go to class (check), laundry (half-check...its washing right now haha), homework, small nap, workout and get ready for BYU Spectacular! I'm so excited! It will be an amazing night...and tomorrow is Alison L's birthday! She'll be 19...so old. ;]

Happy Happy Birthday, From All of Me to You

It's Jonni's birthday! She's finally 18 and so Alison L and I stayed up making signs for her...I mean, how else are we going to decorate when we have no money and no car? haha We made the cutest "Happy Birthday Jonni" sign and then we printed off some of our favorite celebrity men and had them say "happy birthday" also. It was so cute.

This past week has been normal, yet hectic. I went on a date with Harold...meaning the Harold B. Lee Library. I had to fight my way to wash one stinkin load of laundry, because 6 washers is not nearly enough for our hall, let alone the whole building. I went to "Recapturing Beauty" with Stephanie Nielson as the speaker--look her up! Her story is amazing. I was disturbed by a girl's shirt that said "I eat boys" and had blood splatters on it...let's just say, I did not sit next to her in math class. I had an "a-ha" moment about why my back hurts sometimes...thank you Fitness and Lifestyle Management! Our window blinds got cleaned...and the cleaners had to come into our dirty room...Alison and I were mortified when we found out. So I wrote "Dear Window Blind people, please excuse the mess. Its been a rough week. And thanks for all you do." They wrote back saying, "No problem! <3, Adam and Steve". haha...It gave me a good laugh.

Boycott Mondays.

Mondays are so dreadful. Its the start of another week of being responsible...no more fun on the weekends. But honestly, sometimes you need to have a weekend from your weekend, meaning, you need another break from your super crazy, fun weekend. But anyways, today was yet another day of classes. The only thing different really was that there was a F&L Management review. So that was...nice. I was going to say fun, but it really it wasn't. But it was a good review. And I met someone new today...we both were trying to find the review room. We got lost a lot haha.

Other than that, I saw my cousin Sam, studied for a test and that was basically my day. Fun stuff...for a Monday.

Oh Wow, The Weekend Is Almost Over...Darn It!

Despite the craziness on Thursday (aka, my torture day and the day where everything had to get done), it made my Friday amazing. First off, I had a sleepover with my friend Sammi. I passed my Book of Mormon test and I ran for thirty minutes straight for my homework...but I've never been a good runner, so I was shocked. Some friends and I (Sammi, Miles, Alison L. and Jonni) went to the library and played "Sardines"...I hid in the elevator. No one found me haha. We also watched Modern Family and Project Runway. Great shows.

Saturday came and Sammi and I ran for thirty minutes without stopping. Yay us! Miles and I studied for Physical Science...we didn't do so hot, but it still went well. Then I went to the football game with Alison L and we sat with Liz, Andre, David M and Jonni. We lost the game but it was super fun. Then we all hung out. Had a music party, met new people, got some numbers...haha no big deal.

Today is Sunday. But nothing has really happened obviously. So more on that later.

Can Friday Come Faster?

After Fitness and Lifestyle Management, I had my math class and math lab...not every exciting haha. But after that, I got to skype my friend, Tyler. Turns out, he's going to come down to Provo for General Conference, so we might see each other! Exciting! I also did some laundry and homework. Night time was rough though...I had a little homesick moment. I'll admit it. So I talked to my mom on the phone and then got some running clothes on and just ran on the track outside. Not very long, mind you, but just enough to relieve some stress. Then when my brain decided to stop (because my body wanted to stop...15 minutes before I actually stopped haha), I sat down on the hill with Jonni, who had just finished writing in her journal, and listened to Josh Groban on my iPod. Talk about a soothing voice. I could've fallen asleep, it was that peaceful.

Today, I had Physical Science (a review, and a boring one at that, but what can you do? It's a GE for Pete's sake), American Heritage (we listened to an American Revolution video...in the tune to "Apologize" by OneRepublic haha), and Book of Mormon...let's just say, by the end of it, I was mentally done for the day. After a quick lunch with Jonni and dodging the raindrops on the way back to my hall (yes, it actually rained!), I skyped my friend Jameson, which was nice. Then after reading some homework assignments and getting sustained, Jonni and I headed up to Alison L.'s room, where we read some more and ate pizza. Delicious. And to make my parents happy (who I know will be reading this), I decided to set up my printer! And it works! I'm a genius...haha.

That's all for now! Tomorrow will be Thursday, aka my torture days. But Friday will be amazing! One class, a dance and sleepover with Sammi. So excited! :]

College > High School

Its the fourth week of college and even though the homework kicks my butt, and I'm tired, and the classes are demanding, it is way more fun than high school. Just sayin...

Sunday was a good day. After church, I went to a family BBQ. All the aunts and uncles were there (except for my aunt Karen) and my cousins, including the ones from Kentucky and Ohio, were there. It was so much fun to see everyone...there was also a huge wild fire off in the distance. It looked like a volcano.

Monday was exhausting. But then again, all Monday's are. I didn't feel well, so I skipped FHE. I got to talk to some good friends though, so I guess it was okay.

Today, so far I've had Fitness and Lifestyle Management and now I'm off to math. Fun stuff.

So Much to Do, So Little Time

Yesterday was Thursday, aka my super hard, super busy, super stressful days. Why? Because I have two classes and three labs. It's pure torture for the brain. But remarkably, I was able to make it through all my classes, not to mention getting 100s in my math and American Heritage classes. Yup, Lady Luck was on my side today. I also had dinner with my friend from back home, Tess. It was good to just have dinner and talk and catch up with each others lives. It made home that much closer.

Today's agenda: Physical Science class, clean my dorm, get ahead on homework and possibly see my cousin Sam...and partyyy! The weekend has finally arrived! :]

Same Day, More Shenanigans

So after running and getting ready, I left for my classes. Today I had Physical Science, American Heritage and Book of Mormon. Physical Science was the same...meaning I was fighting to stay awake. This class is going to kick my butt...but lucky for me, I have at least four people to study with! Alison N., Miles and Sammy! In American Heritage we watched a lot of clips, which I love! They make the lectures so much more interesting! Book of Mormon was the same as usual--sing a hymn, say a prayer and dive into the lesson.

Funny story though! One the way to Book of Mormon, I went to the bathroom and this girl who I knew was going also. As I was finishing up, she asked for me to grab a tampon out of her bag. So I went to go grab it and I started searching through her laptop bag and backpack to try to find her tampon. During the search, a girl beside the bag suddenly said, "That's not your bag!" I was a little stunned, but I calmly said, "I know, I'm just grabbing my friend a tampon.". When I said that, her attitude suddenly changed and she started rambling, "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I feel so embarrassed. I'm sorry..." over and over again. I laughed and told her it was no big deal. "You were just being a good samaritan, I would've done the same." Little did I know, after I found the tampon, tossed it into my friend's bathroom stall, and found a seat in BOM class, I found that same girl walk in and take a seat...awkwarddd. haha

Another fun moment, I went to the store with Alison today. We bought a few product items and a dry-erase board...so now people can write us cute notes! I'm excited.

Tuesdays are the New Mondays

What I mean by that is that with new classes and a new day schedule, you're pretty much starting from scratch. Hence, "new Monday". Today, I had my Fitness and Lifestyle Management class. We learned about cardiorespiratory fitness...it made me want to buy a bike and just go bike around Provo all day haha. I'm putting that on my "Things to Buy Next Year" list--a bike! Then I went to my first devotional! Elder Robert D. Hales was the speaker and he primarily talked about how the things we choose can either "lead us to a door full of opportunities or keep us trapped in a corner with few options"...thank you, free agency! After the devotional, I headed off to math class...rational functions haven't changed. They're still just as boring as when I learned them the first time haha. But hopefully the intense boredom level won't prohibit me from continuing to brush up on my Algebra skills. To make sure I wasn't enjoying myself too much, I had to go to math lab not long after that class haha. But my TA is very nice and I got a 100% on the quiz and the homework. So far, so good.

Today I also had a new change...a visit to the health center to be exact. I had been feeling weird sensations in my chest. Afraid it was asthma or a heart murmur or some odd disease (trust me, I had a couple of weeks to worry about this and my imagination was running wild haha), I decided to walk all the way to the health center with Jonni. After a visit with the doctor and a breathing test and a heart test, the verdict was that it was anxiety and stress haha. Kind of lame and slightly embarrassing, but honestly, knowing what was wrong with me makes me feel so much better. Gotta love nice doctors and nurses.

Now I will be finishing up homework and just getting ready for tomorrow. Exciting!

Oh and yesterday, after my previous blog, I had my first Family Home Evening...it was interesting. But I'm glad my roommate and I will be going together. I'll just leave it at that. haha.

Rise and Shout, the Cougars are Out!

Friday night = first college sleepover! haha It was so awesome...there was Alison L., Jonni and Emily K. and we were watching She's the Man. Then we heard a knock on my door--a special delivery--by Cat and Emily V. Special delivery meaning Panda Express. So delicious. Once the movie was over we crashed...we know how to throw sleepovers I guess haha.

This morning (Saturday) I had to go off campus to grab my glasses and buy a printer. But once I got on campus, it was packed with BYU proud fans and...the other team. haha But Alison and I didn't have our tickets for that game. So we spent that time at Alison's brother's house and watched Center Stage and ate ice cream and quesadillas...mmm delicious. And we won, so that made it even better.

After the game, we left Alison's brother's place and wanted to do something fun. Add Jonni, Michaela, Sammi, Miles, Andre, Jimmy and Ryan to the mix, we all headed up to Brigham Square (I think?) and played "Soldier". It was the most intense game I've ever played...and it made me realize I would make a horrible soldier haha.

Then we all headed back and that left Alison, Jonni and I chillin' in the Helamen square area. Emily joined us and eventually two other guys did...no big deal or anything... ;]

Well, tomorrow is Fast Sunday. Again. Write back later!

"Friends are the Family We Choose for Ourselves"

That phrase comes from a set of friendship rings I own, but now that I'm far away from my family, this phrase holds so much truth. I love the friends I have made and I love spending time with them. They're my sisters when I need them and they're my support system while we're all thousands of miles away from home.

Today is Thursday but we (Alison L., Jonni, and Emily K.) all decided to start our weekend early and head to the Miller Field to watch "Remember the Titans". First off, that movie is a classic. Second, it was even better because it was outdoors and it was with some girls I have grown to love. There's nothing better than friendship.

Tomorrow, I have one class and its at 10 am. Thank goodness! Once class is over, I'm going to get as much homework done as possible, because this weekend is going to be insanely fun and packed. Super excited.

I Believe I'm Not In High School Anymore

Just like Dorothy realizing she wasn't in Kansas anymore, I'm realizing that I'm in a place much different than high school. For one, the homework load has more than doubled its normal time length. Its stressful, but that's the price college students pay, right? Besides my Fitness class and Math class/lab, I went on a run with Jonni. By the end of it, with the combination of not running in months and the altitude difference from back home, I'm surprised my lungs stayed inside my chest. Talk about heart burn. But other than classes and the workout, there was nothing but homework...gotta love college.

Little Fish in a Big Pond--First Day of Class

Talk about intense. Not so much the class itself, but trying to juggle getting from one class to another, trying to find a seat, trying to stay awake haha. Today I had Physical Science (and my teacher turns out to be from a different faith--at BYU of all places, go figure!) and American Heritage (it did not sound interesting at all...thank you GE's) and Book of Mormon 2 (my teacher wasn't the main Book of Mormon teacher, but he edited and wrote for the Ensign, Liahona, New Era and Friend and edited the Hymn book...sounds legit to me!). But like all colleges (or most, its not like I'm staying this from experience), I had a ton of homework. No fun haha. But it's gotta get done. Work hard, play hard, that's what I'm gonna try to live by.

Today was also FHE. We got to speed date. So I know more about the guys than the girls, but we seem to be a really sweet ward. :]

More classes tomorrow! Fitness and Lifestyle Management, math and more math (thank you labs). :P

I Love Bee-Why-You

Yesterday (Saturday) was quite a handful. I was sick Friday night (darn allergies) and slept for 11 hours and work up around 11ish. After showering and getting ready for the day, I had my "breakfast" with a hall-mate, Jonni. After a glorious breakfast (seriously, so delicious), we decided to go all around campus to look for our classrooms, not just the buildings they were in. This proved to be very helpful because most of the time it took us at least 5 minutes to find a certain class. But after that and after relaxing a bit (our feet were killing us at that point), we headed out for some dinner. Again, it was glorious. Then we came back to our hall and got ready for our first college dance. If you took out the slow dances and the swing dances, it was actually a lot of fun! Then all of us (Andre for a little bit, Alison L., roommate Alison N., Jonni and I) all hung out. We spent most of the evening dodging sprinklers, going lobby-hopping and then watching funny YouTube videos. All in all, it was a fun Saturday night.

Today will be my first church meeting in my BYU Ward. I'm really excited! :]

And it's official. I want to try-out for the BYU Women's Rugby Team. There's an interest meeting Monday. We'll see how that goes. Alison N., Jonni and Liz (a friend from my stake who lives in Heritage) wants to join the team too. So excited!

"Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve"

This is one of the most inspiring phrases I've ever heard and it just so happens to be the BYU motto. I love it. It makes you want to make a difference in the world, big and small, a change for good. I guess that's why I wanted to be a speech therapist (or just recently added, special education teacher--thank you David O. McKay School of Education for having both of them in the same section). I want to make a difference in the lives of young children, when developing social and academic skills are crutial. I want to inspire them to dream a size bigger than what people expect from them...kids that are slow mentally or talk differently and stuggle. To me, the size of a paycheck won't matter--the growth and happiness of a child will.

I've been thinking a lot about my future lately...I suppose college can do that to a person, weird haha. Today the biggest moment for me was when we visited our "schools" that hold our majors in NSO. My lovely school is the David O. McKay School of Education. President McKay said "I think it must be apparent to every thinking mind that the noblest of all professions is that of teaching, and that upon the effectiveness of that teaching hangs the destiny of nations.". That quote was, in a way, my "A-ha!" moment. It's everything I want to do and be. Brother Brad Wilcox (one of the professors in the school) said, "I'm so glad you aren't here to 'enter to learn, go forth to earn'." haha It's so true though. For professions as crutial as teaching, they don't get paid very well. But in my opinion, teaching is a great sacrifice (financially) but also one of the most rewarding professions. I never considered teaching, but I guess now I will be, just in a different way.

I'm very excited for my future. In my mind, there will be nothing better than helping the lives of young children. I hope it all works out. Keep your fingers crossed that it does!