USU round 2

get ready for the overload of pictures :)

I should be packing and getting ready to move up for school. As excited I am to to be an Aggie again, I'm slightly not excited. You see last year was the hardest, most challenging, most life learning, most rewarding, exciting, adventurous, it was just everything. I think what made it so much was the people I was in contact with, my roomies, and my best friend. Did you enjoy the pictures above? Yes, Kaycee loves to take pictures and we sorta love to think that we are professionals or something and take pictures..so **peace**. We took these pictures on the last weekend we were in Hooper. Then three days later we were roomies. People are always amazed that we stay friends because we did room together...I mean in all honesty...we just get each other. There were times when I wanted to smash her alarm clock (it would ring for like 4 hours, she sleeps like she is in a coma haha), and there were times she wanted to rip my head off. But more than anything I think why part of me is dreading going back up to school...is because I'm going to miss those late night talks..just us two. I'm going to miss sleeping on her (memory foam) bed and her snuggling with me on mine. I'm going to miss hiding chocolate and exchanging homework. --we did not cheat just helped each other--. I'm going to miss her closet, her cooking skills, her guitar and singing skills, but you know it is all well. In her email to me yesterday...she told me that it would be. Plus she wanted me to live it up for her. "Because you don't remember the nights you got plenty of sleep"--her motto-- I mean and TSwifts new song/album coming out made me excited! As TSwift's new Shake It Off song is on repeat and everything is starting to be packed up I really am excited. Adventure is waiting for me in Cache Valley and I'm headed for it!

Some of my favorite pictures from my freshman year...enjoy :)

 

PS: I am so ready for football its unreal....ah! that post will be soon...

b e [UTAH] f u l

You know can I just say I L O V E where I live. I love traveling and I think it would be fun to live some where maybe different when I'm first married etc. or whatever. No matter what though, I really couldn't live anywhere else, but Utah. I honestly love how I can be in the country and small town of Hooper to then go up to Wasatch Park and see endless trees on a mountain range. Honestly, I feel like pictures never do justice. Plus, Sunday drives with dad is always a good thing.

My family and I decided to get away for the weekend. I just wish it could be longer. We did the annual Park City back to school shopping, but I guess once you are in college you are happy for towels and kitchen supplies. haha Oh well I really am grateful I was just able to "relax". Lately, my life has been a whirlwind. I feel like I'm going a hundred miles and hour when all I really want to do is cry. ha I am supposed to move up this week back to Logan for school...um don't ask, but I haven't even started packing. I just barely got my books, don't know where my classes are, but hey it's whatever right? My best friend has been out a whole month...goodness...17 more months might just kill me. I really just wish I could have a phone call...at least tomorrow is PDay. I just have never been 'alone' in the sense of I've always had Kayc by my side for the 'big' and 'small' stuff. (yes i have family. yes i have friends. it's not the same, and i wish i could somehow make it the same) This new adventure I am about to embark on this week...well I'm diving in head first and going to make the most of it...or at least that is what I keep telling myself.

Stars: simply one of my favorite things. I wish this picture was my claim to fame, but in all reality the way stars look to me know one will ever be able to capture it. My favorite place to watch and look at stars...1: Island Park. 2: Lake Powell. 3: My backyard. Every girl loves stars...ya ya whatever. I mean I saw 12 shooting stars over the course of 2 nights..so cheers to me. The paragraph above sounds like I'm depressed haha or something. (not deleting it because well *peace*). I honestly can stay up for hours just watching stars forever. My cousin Ty used to watch stars with me when I was little. My dad and I are usually always the last one by the fire when everybody else turns in. Most words are said in silence and the most heart felt conversations are said as well. When all said and done that simple 30 min where my mom, dad, sis, and I just watched and sat in silence is exactly what I needed. I can get through this week and the next...even if I become a zombie in the process...because I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for me.

missionaries

"two years is a long time for me....to be here without you it's hard to believe. But I know its the right thing, and I'll miss you dearly"<-- This song simply explains exactly how it was for me to see my friends head off to serve the Lord. (Carli just needs to make a song now for 18 months).

I will never forget as President Monson got up in General Conference and announced the age change for the missionary program. Two of my guy friends were watching film after a Friday night game. I texted them and they didn't believe it till they got home and heard for themselves. I always had planned and knew that my guy friends would go on missions, but I felt like we would go to college first and have a year just like future generations before us. That was not the Lord's plan. Mission call openings started to happen. It was crazy! Every Wednesday and sometimes even Thursday starting around December I would be at one of my friends house as they opened their precious white envelope and announce where they would be headed! In my seminary building we had a "who went to Fremont and now serving a mission wall" and then due to the age change we started "who has their call wall". The "call wall" was filling up fast it. It was so exciting. I had 4 guy friends that were honestly some of my best friends. Once the age change, something clicked in them. They started to mature and well simply be the boys that I knew they would be. They have been officially now out a year!! To think that next summer I'll have them home makes me excited. Yes, they and I have grown up and we are on our own paths now but I feel as though we still have some memories to make with each other. Saying goodbye to these 4 were some of the hardest goodbyes I had. I am so proud of them though! I love reading their emails and letters. Hearing about their experiences and seeing the spiritual growth inside of them inspires me to draw closer to the Savior and gain a stronger testimony. I love them and they will always be my boys!

The age change wasn't just for boys, but for girls as well. I thought saying goodbye to my guy friends was hard...little did I know that saying "see you soon" to my girls would be a lot harder. I was blessed my first year in college, so extremely blessed. My apartment well we were perfect, PV 24 for life. The next door over PV 23 well lets just say they were perfect as well. The Lord knew that I would become best of friends with those girls. Over the course of the school year I watched four girls, two of which I lived with, but four girls whose testimonies changed my life. One is my best friend and I love her. Another one is Maisie Ellen, this woman gets me. She has the biggest heart as well. She always knew just what and when to say things, plus is my partner when we are "crazy" (crazy maisie and crazy jess haha) Kira, she may be small but she has a huge testimony. I'll never forget the late night talks about life and her Relief Society lessons she gave. Aubree Ann, I don't think I have ever been with her and not laughed or smiled. She honestly always made my day better. These now sister missionaries (Aub leaves next Wednesday!) are blessing the lives of people in France, Mexico, Argentina, and Virginia. Yet they still take care of me. Not being able to come home to your best friends and tell the about life, is really hard. Letters and emails me the world to me. So what if I cry at work in my little cubical right? 

Yesterday being a Monday and all meant--PDAY! Goodness, I honestly never use my phone any more, except Monday. I had emails flowing in from 9:00-1:00 of emails from everybody. I have a lot of other friends on missions (I just don't have pictures) but I get their emails as well. All of them are so.. h a p p y. They are serving with all they have. 

"two years is a time for me (or 18 months), to give back for each breath that i breathe. i know its a small thing compared to eternity.." I love my missionaries. I love this gospel. I love Mondays (only for the fact of these cuties emails though) I love the Lord and I know that he loves me.

Phillip Phillps

Drive, stand, work 1 job, drive, sit, work 2 job, drive, sit, work 3 job, drive, shower, bed, repeat....I am happy to say that this week even though it was more of a challenging week, I made it through. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel(or end of work week). It just so happened that, that light was a free concert to Phillip Phillips, late night chats with two of my besties, and a baby blessing for my cousin. I love my family.

I L O V E concerts. Really though my cousin Heidi and I are concert buddies. I have been fortunate to attend many and so when she found out about the free one Ogden was putting on, how could I not go? As much as I love concerts....I can only handle sweaty bodies, different odors, and pushing so much. All and all...Phillip Phillips has amazing talent. I wish he would have played "so easy", but he did play "Gone, gone gone", "home", and his new one I love "unpack your heart".

This blog might have lots and lots of post of my family. I realize my family is unique and I am very fortunate to have the closeness with them that I do. It still amazes me sometimes how Chels is married yet now a mom! haha Baby Liv is beautiful and I was happy to spend time with these beautiful ladies(boys don't take pictures) to celebrate her blessing day. 

A new week is here. I'm sure there will be challenges, but tomorrow is one of my favorite days of the week. Missionary Monday (i miss my friends a lot)....The gospel is true and cheers to a random Sunday evening blog post! and uh....hello A U G U S T ?!?