Rock 'n' Rolo!

It's that time again... FINALS WEEK!!! Yipee!... Not. So this semester has been full of exciting happenings, one of the latest being that Lance and I made a piñata, and then he, Kristin, and I busted it! It was very fun (and slightly anticlimactic), and we had lots of candy left over, some of which were the caramel Rolo candies! I love those things! I told Kristin yesterday that she should hide them from me so that I could pace myself and find them one by one, and didn't give any more thought to that! Last night, I went to gorge myself on these little candies, but only found one! Kristin hid all the rest, one by one, throughout the apartment, and it has been the best thing! I found one in my computer, in my scriptures, and with my oranges, so I have only had 3 today! Best candy pacing technique ever. Especially during finals. Thank you Kristin Queen!

Epic Hiking

Texas and Utah are two completely different worlds! Summers in Texas are hot and dry, and consist of swimming almost every day, lots of air conditioning, and limited outside activity during the day (unless it's a water activity) due to the heat! In Utah, it is sometimes hot, sometimes cold, sometimes dry, and sometimes wet! Well, yesterday was supposed to be a great hiking day, right? WRONG. Lance and I started out on our hike around 9:30am, with cloudy skies and the perfect hiking temperature. As we were on our way up and enjoying the scenery, and it was something like this:

We continued on hiking for about 2 hours, and it got a bit chillier, a bit windier, and during our last 10 minutes up it started sprinkling off and on, but thankfully it stopped after a few minutes of this craziness. Once we got to the top, there were icy cold winds and rolling ominous clouds, and it looked about like this:

Rather than eating our packed lunches in the cold at the top, we decided to go a little of the way back down to get out of the wind and enjoy our lunch! But alas, plans never go as planned. Shortly after beginning our descent, it started hailing, which was fine, because we weren't getting wet, and we would soon be in the wooded area, right? WRONG. The hail turned into rain, and not only were we soaked to the bone, but so was our path, which happened to now be mud! We had no choice but to continue on our downward descent, which was quite the challenge! Lance would have to hold on to me to help me down as I held on to plants to keep from falling, and we had to walk sideways and sometimes wander a bit from the path to walk on green plants to avoid intensely muddy areas! The hike down took twice as long as it should have, due to the weather, but I am proud to say we made it in one piece down, which looked something like this:

Of course, the hike was my idea, and Lance wasn't happy about it at all, as the picture shows... No just kidding, he is so sweet and such a great sport about it! It was the coldest I have been since my sister's wedding, and for those of you who were there, you know how miserably cold it was! But it was well worth it! It was the most intense hike I have ever been on, and it was also probably the most fun! I am proud to say that I have recovered from my hypothermia, and lived to tell the tale!

Living in Fast Forward

In the past 10 days, I have taken finals, had a birthday, packed everything up, went 4-wheeling with my Dad, moved out, played soccer, lived in a hotel, gotten locked in a bathroom, gone swimming twice, started classes, moved in, drove to the airport twice, bought checks, shared a single bed with Kristin, paid rent, gone grocery shopping, gotten a car, had an awesome card night, bought a computer, gone to zumba class, played tennis, carried a couch 4 blocks, found a hobo sleeping on a couch, laughed uncontrollably, and most recently, I have just finished a hilarious game of Curses with my roommates and Josh. Yes, this is going to be a fun Spring semester! (And don't worry Dad, I have been doing my schoolwork as well!)Sooo glad my dad came to visit this weekend, and for Kristen, Alex, Jannette, Brent, Josh, and Dan for helping me move in/out! And a special thanks to Aubrey, Kristin, Jannette, and Josh for some super great times this week! Definitely living life in fast forward!

Angels Among Us

Today was my last Sunday in this ward. At the end of this week, I will be moved out, and on with my life, continuing on the path that is slowly being shaped for me, as well as shaping me. I have met many new people, stayed in touch with old friends, reconnected with even older friends, and looking back, I am overwhelmed at what this year has done for me! I have been stretched in ways I didn't think I could, and learned and grown in ways I did not expect. While there are many angels in my life, I would like to share a tribute to the angels I have been humbled and blessed to live with.

Angel #1: She is very aware of when others are in need. She would come in my room and talk with me when I was having awful days, and tell me how great I was, and give me the extra boost I was needing. She shared with me many spiritual insights, and suggested some changes to make to improve, and as I have heeded her counsel, I have been blessed from it and blessed from her. She has been a teacher in Relief Society, and every one of her lessons has touched me and helped me to grow closer to Heavenly Father. She is a choice daughter of God, and though it will be sad not to see her every day, hearing her insights and funny stories randomly, I know that she will continue to bless the lives of those around her. She is an angel among us.

Angel #2: This girl is one of the happiest girls I know! I don't think I have met anyone as positive and relaxed as her. She is always willing to serve, and has blessed me not only through her service, but through her invitation to serve along side her. It has been such a humbling experience getting to talk with her, and she how pure and good she is. I know she has her trials, but her outlook is incredible! She is very smart, and has helped me in the class we have together, and praises me for my accomplishments, though they are not as impressive as hers. I am so deeply grateful that we have been able to grow together, watching movies on a regular basis, talking about everything and nothing, and for the chance that I get to live with her for Spring semester. She is beautiful, inside and out. She is an angel among us.

Angel #3: Wow... this one gets me a bit more emotional! This angel has blessed me for 2 years now, and has been a necessary part of my college life! She has stuck with me through the ups and downs, forgiven me for my lack of sensitivity and appreciation towards her, and is my sister, and always will be. We may not be living together after this semester, but she is a huge part of my life, and will continue to be. Her kind notes she left for me many mornings have touched me deeply, and I will cherish them forever. We have had many memories, many pictures, many laughs, and many tears. I am jealous of the girls that will be living with her after this week, but I know that everyone needs some light in their life. She has been an example to me, in every way. She is a strong spirit that cannot and will not be broken. She is an angel among us.

Life is moving on, and though it will be hard to leave this apartment I have called home, and these 3 girls I have called family, but I know that they are needed elsewhere, and cannot stick with me throughout my life! They have helped me to grow, made me laugh uncontrollably, fed me spiritually, and even pushed me physically! (No, they didn't beat me up! They invited me to run and go to the gym and not eat so poorly!) I hope they know, through my words and my actions, how much I love them and appreciate them! There are angels among us.

Spring has Sprung!

What an amazing past 5 days! The weather has been absolutely gorgeous! Here is a run down of my Easter weekend!

Friday: I got to sleep in, but woke up to a snow storm! It was crazy! I got my homework done, and then went to the gym with Kristin and Kristen, and Kristen put me through a really intense workout, in which I was feeling drained afterwards, and turned out she was too! But what she didn't tell me, is that it was her second time going to the gym! Yes, she is a beast. Or, I am a wimp. Then, Kristin and I went to Costco with Grant and got pizza and frozen yogurt, and then came back to watch a movie with Josh as well! We also got to do some leg wrestling, and I am not too shabby!

Saturday: We had a ward activity of Hunger Games/Olympics, which was a lot of fun games! We walked the half hour walk over to the field, played the games, and were treated to a breakfast made by the bishopric! On the walk back Kristin, Nicole, and I stopped at the duck pond to sit and appreciate nature. By the time we made it back home, we stopped at WQ3 apartment, where we tried to help Hunter pick out some glasses, but he would not comply. But, he did agree to play tennis with me, which was a blast! He is very good, and I enjoyed it! THEN, Kristin and I got ready and went over to T1 apartment for dinner, where we made homemade pizzas in the shape of eggs! It was so much fun, and absolutely delicious! And to finish up the day, of course Kristin and I watched a movie.

Sunday: Church was great! I had my last meeting in the presidency I have enjoyed being a part of, and it was bittersweet. It will be nice not having Sunday meetings after Church every Sunday, but I will definitely miss the girls I have served and served with. A couple girls in the ward got a group of people together to go on a picnic to enjoy an Easter lunch together, which was so delightful! I haven't been on a picnic since last summer! It was very enjoyable.The day was finished up having a good talk with Dallas and watching a movie with all my roommates. Wonderful Sunday. :)

So, that is how I spent my Easter weekend. It may not have been productive school-wise, but believe it or not, I am caught up! One more week of being a teen, in 1 and a 1/2 weeks Dad will be here, and in 2 weeks I will be moving in with Kristin to our new apartment! And I may or may not have gotten an awesome letter today. :) Finals, here I come!

Heck to the Yes!!!

I cannot begin to express how happy/excited I am! a little over a month ago, I received one offer for an EFY position that I couldn't take. I was crushed. Being an EFY counselor has been my dream job since I was 14, and they didn't want me! It was hard for me. But! They bamboozled me!!! Yesterday, I came home from class, and I have 5 offers of Provo EFY counseling positions! I was truly shocked! I got the sessions I wanted, with a one week break in between! I am SO stoked! It was the best news I could have gotten yesterday!

Also, on another happy note, I am related to some pretty stellar people. I can't even begin to describe how proud I am of each of them in their accomplishments! I could brag nonstop about them, but I think I will leave it at that!

A few more things to share! Conference weekend was GREAT!!! So many great things were said, and getting to stay at home and hang out with the best roommates ever, I would say it was a success! April fool's day was on Sunday, and I just might have gotten Jannette pretty well. ;) But, of course she had to get me back, and all of my underwear was gone! That is the second time I've had that happen to me in 2 years! It was funny and I am happy to say I got them back.

Life is so good, and I would like to give a little shout out to Dallas and Braden, for being some awesome worthy priesthood holders. I may not know why a lot of things are happening right now, but I do know that it is a chance to learn from it. Challenge accepted!

Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes

I grew up singing the primary song "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" almost every week, and had even learned it in Tongan one Sunday from some Tongan sister missionaries. I have never really thought too much of that song until today, and this is how I think this simple primary song applies to me.

Head- I must use my head. I need to get an education and fill my mind with worthwhile things. It is important that I put thought into the decisions I make, the words I say, and my actions. My head is where it starts. My thoughts, are where everything begins.

Shoulders- Life is hard. I will have many heavy burdens on my shoulders on a regular basis, some burdens heavier and more prolonged than others. These burdens will be do-able, and though not always enjoyable, there is always something to learn from them.

Knees- This is where I have been most of this year: on my knees. Many trials and tribulation have befallen me over this past year, and I have been in need of Divine help from above. Day after day I am dragged down to my knees, too weak to walk and move forward. But every time, after pouring out my heart and soul to my loving Heavenly Father, I can make it back to my feet to continue on this journey.

Toes- I must always move forward. Looking ahead in life, it is scary and unsure. I do not know exactly what my future holds, but I do know that if I take it one step at a time, and continue to put one foot in front of the other, taking life one step at a time, marvelous things can/will happen.