today i am

.lazy.

.all i want to do.

.is lay in my cozy bed.

.with my new.

.down.

.comforter.

isn't that what winter break is all about?

.but only for a few hours.

.because then i want to get up.

.so i can wear my new shoes.

.i had a fabulous christmas.

tis the end of a chapter in the book of my life

and i'm willing to share with you some of the things i've learned over the duration of my time at the U:

check your textbooks out from the library instead of buying them.

no one cares what you did in high school.  or how cool you thought you were.

don't rush it.  it's normal to take 5 years to graduate.

the math tutor center is the place to be.

make friends with the smart people in your classes.  stick with them as long as you can.

never turn down an opportunity to travel.

it's ok to be poor.

sometimes you just need that late-night bowl of ice cream.

take essf classes as often as possible.  i recommend bowling, golf, or tennis.

contrary to popular belief, you can graduate from the U and never set foot in osh.

take more ski days than you should.

c's get degrees.

studying on weekend nights doesn't mean you're a loser.
date a lot.

go to the field house.  it's free and not as sketchy as it seems.

join the muss.  and don't fret if you get crappy tickets.  just sneak down.

don't park within 5 feet of a driveway on that street behind greek row.

if you want a work out, take sports in american society right after music.

avoid foothill from 8-9 if you want to get to class on time.

don't take a 7:30 class unless you absolutely must.

don't take a 3 hour class unless you absolutely must.

do what you want.  learn what you like.

there really is a light at the end of the tunnel.

it's ok to live at home.

take advantage of all the free food the institute has to offer.

it's possible to graduate when the longest paper you've ever written was 7 pages.

don't be afraid to do anything alone.  sometimes it's cool to go to that party alone.

take road trips with friends.

stay in contact with old friends.

don't believe everything you hear.

parking at the U is a joke.

love experiencing.  enjoy the ups and the down.  remember that no matter what happens, it'll all be ok.

have faith, use the help that god is so willing to give.

fill out a march madness bracket

even if you do spend a lot of time on facebook, make it seem like you don't.

don't be "that guy" or "that girl"

go to lots of classes the first week and then decide which professor you like best.

take advantage of all the discounts you get as a student. (i.e. j. crew)

working hard in high school pays off.  thank you ap classes.

sleep is for wussys.  you can sleep when you're old.

loving this right now

my happy things, as of late.

complements

sleeping by the fire

painted nails

the bookends at snowbird

printed tights like these

the christmas scent in our home

good conversation

the future

playing tennis

family

the fact that i've gone 3 weeks without a ticket

the ups and downs of life

recommendations

for those who don't know,

ovaltine is amazing

and suprisingly healthy.

to make it even better,

add some

vanilla or peppermint ice cream

to it.

mmmhhmmm.

this book is real good.

it's the only one i've read in 2010.

and that says something.

even though i finished it

6 months ago,

i wanted to recommend it

and share a few favorite quotes.

"being mistreated is the most important condition of mortality, for eternity itself depends on how we view those who mistreat us."

"those deprived of love can receive his love. the companionless can find a companion in him."

"hell is all we could ever hope for if it weren't for the redeeming power of the savior's atonement. it is only his love, offered not because we deserve it but even though we do not, that saves us. we don't want what we deserve, believe me... our only hope is to receive what we don't deserve."

"eternal life is a gift. i have no cause to feel entitled. i have cause only to feel grateful."

"the difficulty of life itself is a blessing! for it initiates a desire within us to come to the lord - a yearning we can feel even when we are blinded by sin!"

love it.

December To-Do List

Lights on Temple Square

Festival of Trees

Listen to Christmas music

Ski

Think of good gift ideas and get them

Draper temple

Finish school strong

Look for a job

Think of Christ, talk of Christ, rejoice in Christ

3 service activities (food bank)

Nap by the fire

Ovaltine

Read Christmas books

i'm so good at staying up late

and i hate that whenever i discover a new favorite blog i have to read every single post right then.

there's something

about little children

that makes me feel

a bit of

heaven on earth.

especially tiny babies.

the faith in their eyes.

the trust of their grasp.

the love in their smile.

i can't wait

to have one

or two or three or four

of my own

one day.

dear children,

i love you already

and i can't wait to meet you.

i'm trying to learn

all i need to learn

before you join me

here on earth.

it's going to be scary

and it's going to be hard.

but we'll be in it together

and that is why

it will all be worth it.

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

LET'S GO UTES!!!

I will be there cheerin loud on row 2 with my bombshell hat. I expect nothing less than a win.

Do this:

1) Go to google maps

2) Click on "get directions"

3) Type Japan as start location and China as end location

4) Read #43

5) Laugh

Hollow Weeenie

the good lds guys complain that halloween is just a day for girls to get away with dressing slutty. i wish they'd admit that's the true reason they like the holiday so much.

too bad i have no costumes that are modest enough to wear to the institute skybox party.

i really should be going to the howl.

thoughts and miscellaneous things

hi moosey. this is what his saturday morning consisted of.

i'm sick of getting tickets. both parking and moving violations. and i'm sick of paying them. i could never be a cop cause all they do is ruin people's days.

today it snowed and i played tennis. yes, outside in the 50 degrees. i'm still not ready for summer to be over.

i love to be suprised. it's what keeps life interesting.

super glue can fix anything.

i've got a free place to stay in japan. now all i need is a plane ticket and possibly a travel partner.

can't wait for dinner with maren and sam tomorrow.

gold. i never thought i'd love it so much.

this week's goals: 1) pray each night. 2) waste less time and don't let distractions get in the way. 3) stay on top of school.

i have an irrational fear that my hands will shake uncontrollably when i get old.

the jazz season starts on wednesday. so excited.

The Social Network

I stayed awake in this movie.

Now that's saying something.

If I were you, I'd go see it.

fb

no, i don't mean facebook, i mean fall break. duh.


here's some stuff i did.

photograph mailboxes in the middle of nowhere

eat yummy food

get caught off-guard by a black widow

asked the rabbi

play with this chubspend more money herewitness a search and rescue

(would i still use the word rescue even if the mad was dead?)

slash watch them pull a dead body out of the oceanplay at newportattempt some glow-in-the-dark golfvisit joshua tree national park

(side note: it's not as cool as the title "national park" gives it.)

In the words of Boyd K. Packer:

If you are helpless, he is not.

If you are lost, he is not.

If you don't know what to do next, he knows.

It would take a miracle, you say?

Well, if it takes a miracle, why not?

pie chartzzzzzz

retail therapy.

yes. yes indeed.

"The trick is to enjoy life. Don't wish away your days waiting for better ones ahaid."

- Marjorie Hinckley

my new favorite things:

MORMON MESSAGES

seriously you have to check these out. go to lds.org and go to the bottom and choose some and watch some. i know you all have 5 {more} minutes to waste on the internet. and trust me, those 5 minutes will not be wasted.


ANTHRO HOME

i definitely have spent more than i should. but i know what's going to be first on my christmas list this year - an anthro bedspread.


SHE & HIM

so sad i missed their appearance in pioneer park.

considering i am almost a u of u grad,

i pretty much know everything about the u.

REASONS I LOVE THE U:

• football
• the institute

allow me to diverse and give reasons i love the institute:

- free food all the time

- activities for free

- spiritual uplifting when needed

- no obligated spiritual uplifting when not needed

- beta girls/other peeps

- 4 powell trips

- free parking

- good study space

• the math tutor center
• beautiful campus (mostly)
• we get a fall break
• it's a 5 min. drive from home

REASONS I HATE THE U:

• parking is impossible and expensive. the closest spot is at least a 10 min. speed-walk away from any class
• getting muss tickets is a joke
• they took out the golf course
• there is never-ending construction
• the bookstore won't let you take your backpack in
• most of the math teachers should have taken an esl class before teaching
• they waste money on useless projects (for example: painting bike lanes on the sidewalk)

stay tuned. when i do graduate in a few months, i'll impart some of my advice about college. trust me, you'll want to hear it.

and the summer bucket list concludes.

1. Get a passport - it's on its way!

2. Lose 5 lbs - this didn't happen. its fine.

3. Scrapbook - yep

4. Play tennis -sadly, this didn't happen either.

5. Learn to cut better on a waterski

6. Paint a picture - i never got my paints out. not even once.

7. Buy a watermelon, cut it, and eat it outside - loved it!

8. Take a hike or 2 or 3 - living room, donut falls, ensign peak, etc.

9. See the spiral jetty

10. Be tan - thanks to palm springs and powell

11. Become best friends with Ty

12. Go somewhere I've never been that's at least 2 hours away
13. Discover more about who I am - yep

14. Golf - it's my new favorite hobbie.

15. Buy a plane ticket to Chicago
16. Take pictures - would have been better without all my camera issues. went through 3 in 3 months.

some other great this i did this summer:

fished

watched the meteor shower

scooter rides

roasted mallows
alpine slide/coaster

attended many weddings - congrats erin and nicole! i love you two!

fell in love with gelato

wakesurfed

rodeod

hilighted my hair

etc. etc. etc.

i love summer.

whenever I'm bored

i get on ksl.com, click weather, go to the weather cams, look at the lake powell images, and check on her to make sure everything is going well with her dangling rope, wahweap, and bullfrog marinas. i tell her i miss her and that i'll be back to visit asap.

right now she looks like this:

and she tells me she misses me too.

Pretty sure the TGI's on foothill is closed.

Sad. What am I going to do without my favorite dessert right up the street?

Dear Anthro,

I love everything about you.

Except i'm not a fan of fur...and what is this? did you make something out of fabric scaps?was this inspired by Blue Boutique?I'd never wear these in a million yearsDid you make these specifically for That 70's Show?and this. this is just too much.i'd maybe wear this to my next ugly sweater christmas partyand this is also an ugly sweater christmas party one

yikes.

I love my dad.

He's the greatest. He fixes everything. Like when I got home from Chicago, my straigtener wouldn't turn on. Something had gone loose in the little box part I plug into the wall. So, being the amazing handyman that he is, after opening the box and finding that it could not be fixed, he just cut the cord and rewired it to a new plug to put into the wall. So it may not look as pretty as before, but it works! And i'm just glad that I don't have to be broke again this month by buying another chi straightener.

Now, in a few hours i'll be off to my last trip, Indian Creek. I'm excited to spend some quality fishing/cooking/shooting/quad-riding/tent-sleeping/campfire time with my daddy. No cell phone service, electricity, or showering for the next 5 days.

And then I'll finally be able to sleep in my bed for the first time in almost 4 weeks. Yay. I'm excited to get back to living my life in Salt Lake, instead of living out of a suitcase in random places across the U.S.

Oh. And. Demolition Derby on the 7th? CAN'T FREAKING WAIT!

And. Did anyone else enjoy the lightning last night as much as I did? It was amazing. We were wondering, why did God create lightning? thoughts anyone?

here's to...

laying in the hammock


a great round of golf


a tgi brownie


long conversations

cali swap meets

have the most interesting people

and the most random things.

they even have a booth with baby chicks, bunnys, and frogs.