Adventures with Abby

Good-bye Post

2010-10-10T09:33:00.000-07:00

The real countdown begins! Just one week from tomorrow I will drive to Utah with mom and dad, and then report to the Missionary Training Center that Wednesday. I won't doubt that I am nervous, but mostly I am just incredibly excited!

In case you are interested in writing, my address in the MTC is:

Provo Missionary Training Center
2005 N 900 E (check Facebook for the mailbox number)
Provo, UT 84604
United States

Address in the Mission Field:

Belgium/Netherlands Mission
87, Blvd Brand Whitlock
1200 Brussels
Belgium

Love you guys!!!

A Time to Cherish

2010-09-26T10:47:00.000-07:00

A girl in my marketing class (a young married mother about age 21) once told me, "Don't ever wish any part of your life away," and I have really taken that comment to heart. That is why, instead of twiddling my thumbs as I count down to the day I move into the MTC, I have been striving to stay productively busy. By

spending time with family

and with the family pets

concocting such delicious desserts as this Dutch apple pie

reading such great books as these

trying to rekindle my talent on the piano

and much more :)

Galilee-better late than never

2010-08-29T11:40:00.001-07:00

I sat down to write this post right after I returned from our field trip to Galilee, but was soon overwhelmed with the energy it would take. So I have procrastinated this post for a month and a half now...

Where to even begin? When I went to Galilee I thought I would be constantly having spiritual experiences. While that was not the case, I did have some profound spiritual experiences at the most unexpected times. My time in Galilee was the most simple, content, fulfilled, relaxed, and closest to Jesus I have ever felt.

This was my life for 10 days: Wake up early, read on the shores of the Sea of Galilee if I had time, eat breakfast, go to 3 hours of New Testament class, then play/read/go swimming/take a nap/write in my journal, watch the sunset over the sea and contemplate the meaning of life, eat dinner, do the required New Testament reading, play, gaze at the stars while lying on the beach, and finally, sleep. Then the next day we would go on a field trip and see all the amazing places where Jesus lived and taught, and other beautiful sights.

My camera broke so I don't have my own pictures, but here are some I got from others:

Caesarea Maritima.

An old stage in Caesarea Maritima.
Our first view of the Sea of Galilee--it was windy!

Crossing the Sea of Galilee in a boat.
Bet She'an--an old Roman city. I know I look bored, but this was actually one of my favorite sites!
In the Golan Heights, near Syria. Watch out for mines!
The Bahai Gardens.

Night in Tiberias.
With Jake on the balcony of the Tiberias Branch House. The view was amazing!
Last sunset...

I can't explain how amazing it was to live such a simple life for 10 days. Without having to worry about how I looked and other daily distractions, such as cooking, money, news, grades, callings, work, technology, driving, planning, and time, it was easy for me to find time to meditate and feel close to my Savior. Even though I strongly wish life could be that way all the time, I think it is one of our most challenging tests in mortality to find our own peace in the midst of all these distractions. Will we put God first, or will we be so concerned about life's little details to even think about Him? Is it more important to us to have expensive clothes than to pay tithing? Is it more important to us to sleep in or blog or surf the web than to read our scriptures? It's a delicate balanace that I've struggled with since being back in the States, and probably will for the rest of my life. But I loved my time in Galilee and hopefully my memory of it will be a constant reminder of the peace that is available to us when we put God first!

Dutch Encounter

2010-08-24T21:25:00.000-07:00

During my class's last trip to the Western Wall, I just happened to meet a woman from the Netherlands...and serendipitously ran into the same woman at a church near the BYU Jerusalem Center the next day! Absolutely made my day :). The second time I got her email and home addresses. Maybe I'll run into her while I'm there...

Eye Doctor

2010-08-16T20:25:00.000-07:00

My visit to the eye doctor today went something like this:

Doctor: Cover your left eye. What is the lowest line you can read?

(Honestly, I can't really see the bottom line, but I don't want to admit it so I try anyway)

Me: Well, the bottom line says...ummm...A? Then O [or maybe Q?], T, Z.

(It's worth a shot. Maybe if I'm a good guesser and I seem confident enough, she'll believe I'm actually reading it)

Doctor: Ok, now cover your other eye.

(I think I got pretty close, but she didn't applaud my efforts so I'm not sure. I cover my right eye. Apparently my left eye is even worse than my right one!)

Doctor: What is the lowest line you can read?

(I definitely can't read either of the two bottom lines this time, but I can remember what I told her the last line says. Moral dilemma: read to her the line I can actually see, or just repeat what I told her last time?)

Me: A, O, T, Z.

(Do you blame me? I can kind of see it...)

Doctor [does something over at her desk]: Ok, let's try again. Cover your left eye. What is the lowest line you can read?

(The screen looks different this time, but I can't really make out any of the letters. Did she know I lied about being able to see the last one? Maybe she's trying to get back at me...I strain my eyes as much as I can without actually squinting--that's not allowed--but I can't even guess this time. Feeling humbled, I admit defeat.)

Me: I can't read any of them.

Doctor: Not even the top line?

(Inward sigh. This must be fun for her)

Me: Nope.

Doctor: How about now?

(It's slightly clearer, but I still can't quite make it out...)

Me: No.

Doctor: Now?

(It's suddenly much clearer, and I can see a giant E at the top. Feeling even more humbled...)

Me: Oh yeah, there's an E.

(Duh)

Doctor: Ok great...

And THAT is how much I love going to the eye doctor.

Coming Home

2010-08-12T06:49:00.000-07:00

Good-bye Jerusalem.

You will always be in my heart.

Mission Call

2010-07-20T05:52:00.000-07:00

Ever since my first taste of independent adventure two years ago when I moved to Arizona for the summer, I haven't been able to get enough. Arizona was followed by another year at school in Provo, then DC, Provo again, and now Jerusalem. Those who know me well know that I like to always have another adventure to look forward to when one is about to end. For the past few months I have been wondering where I will go next. Well, my mission call came in the mail last weekend with my answer: Belgium and the Netherlands!

Funny story...I never really thought about the Netherlands until last week when two things happened: 1) Their soccer team played in the World Cup and 2) Our neighbors in Galilee were from Holland, and I couldn't figure out if Holland was IN the Netherlands, or if they were two different places. (What I learned is that north and south Holland are actually two of 12 provinces in the Netherlands, but Holland and the Netherlands are often used synonymously). Maybe I'll run into them while I'm there!

I am SOOO excited to do this! Even though I was surprised at first, I feel more and more confident that this call is divinely inspired. Just three more months exactly!

Finals Week

2010-07-03T03:31:00.000-07:00

The bad news: Finals took over our lives this week. We basically lived in this classroom the first few days, trying to get straight the things we had learned this semester, and trying to teach ourselves things we hadn't learned in class very well.

The good news: Finals are over! And so are some of our tougher classes. Now we can focus our time on our friendships and learning more about our Savior, Jesus Christ.

To celebrate the end of finals, we have been living it up this weekend. Thursday (the day our hardest finals were over) we went to the Old City, where we walked on the roof.

Later that night we went to Ben Yhuda Street in West Jerusalem, and then to the outdoor mall. Apparently there was supposed to be some sort of cultural night, but we missed it if there was.

Instead, we befriended a scout who sold us homemade brownies for a shekel each (although we donated a few extra to help the younger scouts go to summer camp) and explored the bookstore. At the bookstore I found this adorable little bookshelf, complete with an old-fashioned key to unlock the top drawer.

We found a Hebrew version of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," which Nick "read" to us, and an awesome cookbook. This cookbook was awesome because in each picture of food, there was a random creature nearby--a witch, a goblin, or this sleeping dragon (crocodile?), for example:

Last night we went to our Arabic teacher's house for dinner. It was wonderful! He ordered pizza for us, including one with corn. I never would have thought of putting corn on my pizza, but it was actually pretty good. Then we watched the sunset from his roof. I never tire of watching sunrises and sunsets because each one is beautiful and unique. It's a great opportunity to contemplate the meaning of life, as Tyler said.

Tomorrow we're going to Tel Aviv (the beach!!!!) and then we're having a barbeque/carnival/sparklers to celebrate the Fourth of July. For 10 days after that...I'll be in Galilee!

Eilat sounds a lot like "a lot"

2010-06-11T01:15:00.000-07:00

And that has become the running joke among our friends these past couple of weeks. Now I'll never be able to hear the words "a lot" and not think of Eilat. Good thing I associate only wonderful memories with it.

Eilat is a city near the coast in southern Israel, near the Egyptian border, where we went snorkeling in the Red Sea. It was such an amazing experience! The water was impressively clear and blue, and underwater was so colorful! We saw a bunch of fish and coral, and my friend even showed me an octopus. I am obsessed with underwater videos/pictures/swimming, but I've never been snorkeling or anything before. I felt like I was living a dream.

What I loved best about our trip was that I didn't feel pressured to be constantly learning or socializing or even having fun. I could just hang out with friends or do my own thing and it didn't really matter.

Below are some pictures. We took some really cool underwater pictures on my friend Ramzi's camera, but I haven't gotten them from him yet. These will have to do for now:

Me and my roommate, Rachel. Yes, that is Jordan and a little bit of Saudi Arabia in the background.

Some of my very favorite people here: Tyler, Rachel, Me, Michael.

More friends!

Playing in the swimming area--right after they tackled and tried to drown me...

Missing You Today...

2010-06-04T04:17:00.000-07:00

(sorry Katie, this was the only picture I had access to)

Birthday in Jeru

2010-05-28T04:16:00.001-07:00

After a day full of too much homework and class (and a much-needed nap with Ashley), we spent the evening in West Jerusalem. We got gelato at Max Brenner and my friends sang happy birthday to me outside!

I've never been to Europe, but I imagine that it looks a lot like West Jerusalem. After eating gelato, we walked around the streets and looked in the shops for a little while. We walked past this Jewish guy from Colorado who could play the kazoo, banjo, tambourine, and bells all at the same time (see picture below). Best 22nd birthday ever :)

(Lisa, Tyler, Me, Rachel, Jake)

Palace in Jerusalem

2010-05-26T04:17:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you a little about what it's like to live in a palace.

Last night at 11:30 pm we decided to take a rejuvenating break from our tedious and sleep-inducing reading. Since we couldn't go outside the gate, what else would we do other than take a little jog around the top floor of the Jerusalem Center? Just as we were emerging from the spacious garage we had just discovered, we ran into about four of our security guards, all concerned about our safety. No doubt they had just been watching us on one of their security cameras, wondering why we were running for our lives.

Yes, the security may seem a little extreme at times, but it's sure nice to know we are loved.

Egypt

2010-05-23T12:26:00.000-07:00

Egypt could quite possibly be the greatest adventure I have undertaken yet, so brace yourself for a long post. What an experience for a girl like me, who has never been outside of the U.S. until this summer, to travel to a third-world country that used to be one of the greatest kingdoms in the world!

Our week-long trip to Egypt was jam-packed with mini adventures. The first day we made some stops. My favorite stop was in the Wilderness of Zin, where the Israelites once wandered. We stopped to hike up the canyon and view was amazing!

After a few stops, we drove to southern Israel, where we stayed at a Jewish kibbutz, which is basically a mini Zion. I had no idea places like this existed! The kibbutz was beautiful, and our hosts treated us so well. After showing us around, our tour guide took us to the nearby desert. Since none of us had known we would be hiking through the hot desert, we weren't too excited about the idea at first, but I have to admit it is one of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen. The sand was incredibly soft and fine. Our tour guide had us try putting some in our mouths so we could tell just how small the grains of sand were. After running and jumping in the sand, we got some alone time, which was amazing. We spread out around the desert for about 30 minutes. I can't remember the last time I felt so peaceful. That night we had a barbeque and went swimming.

The next day we crossed the border into Egypt! It was my first time crossing an international border on foot. Right next to the border was the Red Sea, and across the Red Sea we could see Saudi Arabia and Jordan. We spent the rest of the day driving to Cairo, where we went to church. It was my first time going to church on a Friday, but it was one of the most spiritual meetings I have ever attended.

That night we had our first experience eating a meal in Egypt. We weren't supposed to eat fresh fruits or vegetables or anything else that could have potentially been washed in Nile water, so it was mostly just starches for me (and meat for everyone else). Because Nile water is so unclean, it would make us sick. We were also supposed to sanitize our hands after washing them with soap and water, and keep our mouths shut when showering. Unfortunately, I still cannot say I have stepped in the Nile River either.

Early Saturday morning we embarked on our first Egyptian field trip . . . to the great pyramids, of course! On our way there we crossed a road that divides the sandy and barren Sahara from the green foliage through which the Nile flows. We got to go inside one of them, which was way cool. Some of the students were disappointed with the inside, but since my expectations weren't high, I thought it was great! It is amazing to me that the pyramids are still in as good of condition as they are, thousands of years after being built. The pyramids were bigger than I was expecting, but the sphinx was smaller.

Saturday night we took an airplane down to Luxor in southern Egypt (it's interesting to note that southern Egypt is actually called Upper Egypt and the north is called Lower Egypt, because it follows the Nile, which is one of the few rivers in the world that flows south to north). We got to stay at an amazing hotel right on the shore of the Nile.

Sunday morning we got up super early to try to beat some of the heat. We went to the Valley of the Kings, where there are the tombs of many of the New Kingdom pharaohs, including King Tutankhamun. King Tut's tomb was the only one we saw that still houses a body, so we got to see it. That was super cool in a slightly distrubing way. We also saw the funerary temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the first female phraraoh of Egypt, and the place where the papyrus scrolls containing the Book of Abraham may have been found.

After spending a warm afternoon in the hotel pool, we got to ride camels! First, we went on a felucca (big sail boat) ride down and across the Nile River to the place where we got our camels. Riding the camel was awesome, yes, but what I liked even better was the fact that we got to ride them along the Nile River through the green countryside as the sun was setting. It allowed us to see the lifestyle of the Egyptians who live over there. A few of them were working in the fields and many others were just hanging out. Many of the children offered us flowers. I took one, but I later found out they did that so we would pay them. Oops.

That night was my first experience at the Souk, an outdoor market full of the most aggressive merchants I have ever seen. The fun part was haggling with them to see how far you could get them to lower their prices. I ended up getting a soccer jersey and a scarf for $10, which was a pretty good deal.

The next day we visited the Karnak and Luxor temples, which contain some impressive architecture. The temples, which are 3 kilometers apart, used to be connect by a row of sphinx statues, but not anymore. But since they are so close, we got to take a carriage ride from one to the other, which was so much fun! Our driver let us take turns sitting up front with him and "helping" him drive, which was scary since they share the road with cars and they don't have the best driving system.

That afternoon I went back to the Souk with another group of friends. Unless we were in the shade or in an air conditioned building, the heat was hard to stand. We later found out it got up to 122 degrees that afternoon! After the Souk we went to McDonald's for ice cream. Mmm . . . so good.

We went back to Giza that night, but this time by an overnight train instead of an airplane. I felt a little bit like I was living in Harry Potter's world and traveling to Hogwarts. When we were tired, the attendant came around to pull our beds out of the wall for us and that is where we slept for the night. It wasn't the most comfortable trip I've taken, but the experience was fun.

Our professors gave us some time to sleep and shower when we got back to the hotel, and then we went out again. We went to a Coptic Christian church and a Jewish synagogue and then to the Egyptian Museum. Unfortunately, I was super tired by the time we got to the Egyptian Museum and we didn't have much time to spend there, but I do remember a few cool things. We got to see all of the treasure that was found in King Tut's tomb. His was the only tomb that wasn't robbed because it was covered in debris from a tomb that had been built right above it. If he was only 18 when he died and he had that much treasure, I can only imagine how much treasure the other pharoah's had! I also got to see the mummy room, where there were actually mummies. Again, cool in a sort of disturbing way.

After the Egyptian Museum we had lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe in Cairo. It was like a little piece of home (America), which I missed for the first time that day. We got to do the YMCA with the employees, and then they taught us some sort of Egyptian line dance. It was way fun.

(this was on the stall door in the bathroom:

"no drugs or nuclear weapons allowed")

Wednesday we left the Africa and drove to the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula (it is still part of Egypt, but it is technically on the Asian continent). We stayed at a hotel in the middle of the desert, where we slept until we were woken up at 2:00 in the morning. At 2:30 we embarked on our journey up Mt. Sinai. We got to the top in time to sing hymns as we watched the sunrise. It was such a special experience.

We spent the rest of the day driving back to Jerusalem. We ate dinner at another kibbutz in southern Israel. We were all so excited because we could eat fresh fruits and vegetables again, and we didn't have to sanitize our hands after washing them. It sure made us appreciate some of those luxuries we don't usually think about! And of course, the best part about the trip to Egypt is that our group is all a little bit closer now. We're basically a family :).

The Western Wall

2010-05-07T23:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday at sundown I went with our whole group to the Western Wall, the site most sacred to Jews. The Western Wall is what is left of the walls surrounding the ancient temple. It is the closest the Jews can go to the temple mount, which they will not walk on for fear of desecrating something holy. So instead, they pray and read scriptures at the Western Wall every day, but especially on Fridays at sundown when they are ushering in the Sabbath (Shabbat). Some of them write down their prayers and place them in the cracks in the wall. The cracks are packed tight with these written prayers. The most common prayer is that the Jews will be able to rebuild their temple on the temple mount.

It was a special experience to touch the wall with a crowd of devoted Jewish women as we welcomed in the Sabbath. Some of them would rock back and forth as an outward manifestation of praying with all their heart, might, mind, and strength.

Sometimes I think that, as a Latter-day Saint, I think of the Sabbath as the day I have to go to church and meetings and stay inside. But, as the orthodox Jews understand, the Sabbath is so much more than that. It is a holy day that should be gladly welcomed in, because it is a day during which we can take refuge from an often troubling world and worship the Lord.

* * *

We weren't allowed to take pictures on the Sabbath, but here are some pictures I took of the Western Wall earlier in the week. It was much more crowded when we were there Friday night. This is the men's side. The women's side is to the right.

My First Arabic Words

2010-05-06T06:23:00.000-07:00

mahabar=hello
sabah el kher=good morning
shukran=thank you

More to come...

An Arabic Experience

2010-05-06T05:53:00.000-07:00

Today I felt like a missionary again.

I just got back to the JC after eating my first meal in an Arab home, where I ate food until I felt like I was going to explode. My stomach is still hanging over my skirt.

I was walking back from the Old City with my friends Sharleis and Scott when a friendly Arab man started walking beside us. I'm not sure how we started talking to him, but we tried out the few words we learned yesterday in our Arabic class (basically just hello and thank you). At first I thought he spoke English, but I soon learned he didn't speak much. After talking with him for a few minutes, he started saying, "Welcome, coffee," and it took us a few minutes to realize that he was inviting us to his home to have coffee. So we decided to do it.

When we got to his home, we met his wife and four boys, who were very nice to us! Of course, we explained to him that we didn't drink coffee, and he brought us juice instead. Then we were going to leave when they insisted on feeding us as well. The meal was pasta with red sauce and meat, and pita bread. Sharleis and Scott, who have both served missions, told me to eat it all. Fortunately I was able to give Sharleis the big chunks of meat when they weren't looking, but yes, I did eat a little bit of it.

We ate as much as we could, but we had just finished pizza and ice cream about 20 minutes earlier so we barely had any room left for food. When Scott finished his plate of pasta, the mother of the house dumped a bunch more on his plate, which he diligently ate. Sharleis and I gave valiant efforts, but we just couldn't quite finish.

When we were about to leave again, they insisted that we sit back down, so we did. Abdullah (I think that was his name) returned shortly with a plate of fruit that tasted like cantelope. They also tried to serve us chai (tea), but we made out best effort to explain to them that it was against our religion.

We finally got out after that by explaining to them that we had to get back to school, but we agreed to return tomorrow after 3:00.

Shabbat Shalom

2010-05-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

Today was our first Sabbath.

We go to church on Saturday since that is the Jewish sabbath and the day most of the church members in the area get off work. Even without the students in the JC, there are about 70 church members in the Jerusalem Branch. We had over 200 today since there is a tour group in town.

After church I went with some friends to the Garden of Gethsemane and Orson Hyde Park. One particular section of the garden has been gated off and flowers have been planted. This is where people think Jesus Christ suffered for our sins. Across the street was "the Mormon garden," as one Arab guy called it (I'm not sure why). It felt more peaceful and more real over there since there were fewer additions and tourists. I'm sure I will return several times over the semester. I'm especially anxious to go back after we study the Atonement in our New Testament class.

By the way, we are easily recognizable as Mormons here. Everyone in town seems to know who the Mormons are. It's kind of fun. I'd rather be known for being Mormon than for being an American tourist.

By Jaffa Gate, just outside the Old City and shortly before we were attacked by a group of 6-year-old children trying to get us to buy gum and toys. And I seriously mean attacked. They followed us down the street, pulling on our clothes and pounding on our legs with their little fists. We just had to laugh and keep walking. What else do you do?

View from our balcony

The Garden of Gethsemane--this is where they think Christ suffered for our sins

The more natural part of the garden that I liked a lot better

At the Catholic church near the Garden of Gethsemane

Welcome to the land of conflict, sometimes called the Holy Land

2010-04-29T02:57:00.001-07:00

The title is ironic, yes. That's why we all laughed when we were welcomed to Jerusalem this way. This city fascinates me. I feel like I have an infinite amount of history to catch up on just to try to understand it, both politically and religiously.

I love it here already. The Jerusalem Center where we live is one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever been in--probably right up there with temples. I almost feel like I am living in a palace. And the view is stunning. I will soon take a picture to post, but I'm sure I will fail to do it justice.

There are some things here I'm going to have to get used to--like having the sabbath on Saturday, not making eye contact with men on the street, and carrying toilet paper around with me. Also, there is a call to prayer played on the speakers at the mosques five times a day for the Muslims, including one at 4 in the morning. Fortunately, I am a heavy sleeper.

Today we went on a tour of the Old City. It was so interesting. In a lot of ways I almost feel like I'm serving a foreign mission...well, except for the fact that we can't talk about the church.

After our tour we had some free time to wander around. We ended up going to the local McDonald's to use the restrooms, which were co-ed. I was totally ok with that since it was just students and there were doors, but still, it was a new experience for me.

Tomorrow we start our Old Testament and Ancient Near East History class. I am SO happy to be here!

Jerusalem

2010-04-26T22:30:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I begin a new adventure. One that really began over almost exactly a year ago, when I wondered if a study abroad in Jerusalem would be right for me. After thinking and praying about it for a long while, I felt like my answer was no. I accepted that and tried to move on, but I couldn't let the idea go, so I tried thinking and praying about it a trip to Jerusalem again, only from a different angle. I thought maybe I would feel better about going for only two weeks, but that didn't feel right either. After another few weeks passed I tried one last time. I felt good about applying for the study abroad program and so I did. Later, after being accepted, I made the decision to actually go. At the time it seemed so far away, but it snuck up incredibly fast. I leave for the airport in about 7 hours and I still can't believe I'm actually going.

The past few days I have felt really nervous as I think about leaving friends, family, and home for 4 months. But whenever I start feeling sick to my stomach about travelling so far, I just think about this picture, and I feel immediately calm:

I can only imagine that being in the city where Jesus once lived and seeing some of the things He saw will be a life-changing experience. And I will be there in just a couple days.

While I'm gone I'll try to update this regularly, although I can't guarantee my posts will be long or full of pictures. I can say that there is a good chance the number and quality of my posts will correlate positively with the number of comments they receive :). If you need me for anything else, email me at abbycrich@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you!

The Happiest Place on Earth

2010-04-24T16:06:00.000-07:00

While the rest of my friends were busy graduating on Friday, I was at Disneyland with my family. There were 18 of us altogether--the biggest group I've ever been with. Except for a brief (and stressful) incident where one of my nieces got separated from the rest of the group, we managed to stay together pretty well. I didn't take a ton of pictures since I was busy having fun, but here are some:

Me with Katie before our ride at Autopia. I have to say the driving rides were a lot more fun before I was 16...

Me with baby Lilly

Me with Bella

Bella during a nap. Rich explained to me that babies don't get cricks in their necks like adults do because they don't really have necks and their bones are "like rubber." I also wanted to capture this great hairdo on camera.

Crazy boys

Me with my mom and sisters after Star Tours

Me with my dad and sisters

Me with Skylee. Skylee was really brave and went on a lot of intense rides for a four-year-old! I got to sit next to her on Space Mountain. I don't think she liked it very much...

Paul, Kelsey, and Skylee on the carousel

My Week

2010-04-04T15:08:00.000-07:00

General Conference--LOVED it, as usual
NO MORE WALKING BOOT (I'll be ready to run again soon...)
Went to the temple for the first time in about 8 weeks
Did the Strut Your Stuff Internship Showcase--I didn't win anything, but it was fun, and now I can cross something of my very long "To Do Before I Go Home" list!
Went on a double date with one of my best friends and her husband and her husband's best friend
Practiced the piano for the first time in a looong time. I think maybe I'll keep it up this time.
Had some time to read
Celebrated Rachel's 21st birthday! Lynne and I got some of our DC guy friends to compose and sing her a song (they did a great job!), and we got her flowers, Martinelli's and cake. It was so great to hang out with them and reminisce and catch up. I've been missing DC lately (who am I kidding--when DON'T I miss DC?)
Started the job search...this is going to be a long project. Let me know if you have any great ideas!

Things to Look Forward To

2010-03-21T19:53:00.000-07:00

March 25: Walking around the apartment without a boot

April 1: Walking around campus without a boot (maybe?)

April 3-4: General Conference and Easter

April 20: Finishing my major

April 21: Finishing finals

April 22: Driving home to California

April 23: Disneyland with my family

April 27: Jerusalem

And that is what keeps me going :)

Hunger Banquet

2010-03-07T16:34:00.001-08:00

Last night I went with some friends to the 20th annual Hunger Banquet. Every year BYU's students for international development put on this banquet. They then donate the proceeds to NGOs. Everyone pays the same amount for a ticket, but once you get there you are divided into classes. Ten percent of the people are upper class and they get a three course meal. Twenty percent are middle class. They get to sit on chairs and eat hot dogs, a bag of chips, and a soda. The other 70 percent sit on blankets and cardboard on the floor while they eat rice and beans and drink water from a plastic bag. It is supposed to illustrate world poverty. There was also entertainment and a great speaker, Martin Burt, who is involved in many projects to help eliminate poverty and hunger around the world.

Some things that were said last night that I wrote down:

Celebrate human dignity.
We are all descendants of poverty.
We eliminate poverty by working together and by treating the poor with respect and admiration, not pity. We all have dignity. The worst thing you can do is think of it as us and them.
Let's be courageous and leave our comfort zones.
If we're gonna change the world, let's do it as happy people.

Good News!

2010-03-02T07:38:00.000-08:00

Just last night my ankle hurt badly enough that I was sure it was going to be at least another week before I could ditch the crutches, but this morning I took my first few [awkward] steps without them! Perhaps I will just leave them home tomorrow.

It's only been 2 1/2 weeks, but I never thought that walking could feel like such a miracle! And it coincides perfectly with the beginning of spring; yesterday I even saw people wearing shorts and sitting outside on the grass (hopefully I didn't jinx us . . . Utah can be such a tease).

On the other hand, it has been kind of nice being forced to cross campus so slowly. It gives me plenty of time to soak up the sun (or snow, depending on the day...), think, or just listen to my iPod. Unfortunately, the battery in my little shuffle died this morning, so I'll just have to spend more time thinking instead.

Stadium of Fire

2010-02-28T20:16:00.001-08:00

Every year BYU puts on an amazing Fourth of July show at the football stadium, which becomes the Stadium of Fire, and they always get a big (well, that's sometimes debatable) celebrity to come. This year it's Carrie Underwood!!!!

I'm going to miss it obviously, because I will be in Jerusalem.

Sigh.

This Boot is Made for Walkin

2010-02-25T16:03:00.000-08:00

I still have my crutches today, but now I also have a walking boot! It feels big and clunky and I hesitate still to put my weight on my left side, but I'm healing! Being able to put any weight on it at all feels a little bit like a miracle. The doctor told me the X-rays looked pretty good. Yay for progress!

I never before realized how much my attitude and self-esteem depends on my ability to move with ease--to run, to dance, to clean my room, to grab the newspaper with my free hand as I quickly pass by, to jump out of bed in the morning, to take a brief shower, to stand on 2 feet to cook a dinner (however amateur).

Now that the hardest part is behind me, I wish I had been more optimistic, but let me justify my attitude by saying that I tried hard, and on occasion achieved said optimism. But, at the time, I very sincerely felt almost irrevocably tired, frustrated, misunderstood, and perpetually behind.

But today there is a light at the end of the tunnel! I will be able to walk on my own again soon! I will be able to focus all my energy on my life goals and helping others rather than just trying to get up the stairs or open the door. I will be healed in time to go to Jerusalem.

Cheers to soon being able to do athletic things once again:

Instant Friends

2010-02-20T12:34:00.000-08:00

Yesterday when I walked into the JKB I saw a girl on crutches. We were instant friends. We both stood there on one foot (with the support of our crutches) talking for a few minutes. I'm sure we were quite the sight. I'm pretty sure she only sprained her ankle because she had a cute little sock on her foot (I haven't yet found a sock I can fit over my splint). She had been ice skating when she got hurt. (Dang ice. Dang winter sports.) When she told me it just happened yesterday, I felt extremely grateful that I had a 3-day weekend to adjust before going back to school. It must have been a tough day for her but I told her not to worry...it gets easier!

Inspiration

2010-02-18T07:39:00.000-08:00

If you've never read the Nie Nie Dialogues, you should. I've been reading it more often lately for its inspirational value. Click here to read Nie Nie's story.

Below is my favorite paragraph from the article. Being the religious and emotional person that I am, I cried. She will likely never see my blog, but thanks, Nie Nie, for being such an amazing example.

Stephanie says she had a vision while she was unconscious, and she was given a choice. "[I was] with somebody who told me that I could choose to live and have a hard life, you know, embarrassing at times and painful. Or, I could just stay there, and there's lots of work I could do there too," she says. "But I thought of my children and my husband, and it was easy. An easy choice."

Day 6

2010-02-18T07:14:00.000-08:00

Jon once told me that your whole room looks cleaner when your bed is made and I really took it to heart. I've been extra sure to make my bed every day since I broke my ankle. Something about making my bed, even when I can't clean up the rest of my room fast enough, is inherently satisfying.

Day 4 of Having a Broken Ankle: First Day Back on Campus

2010-02-16T19:36:00.000-08:00

For today, I will optimistically ignore the challenges and list blessings instead:

Elevators.
Lunch with Barbs. I will stay in touch with this girl forever. I love her so much.
NPR in the morning. Always a good thing.
People holding the door open for me. They probably have no idea how much that simple act means!
Kimberly. She gave me a ride to campus and has the most positive attitude.
My hometeacher. Spencer picked me up from my last class today. Thank goodness because I don't think I had enough strength left in me to hobble home.
Sympathy. Well, this is good and bad. I actually hate getting so much attention because I don't know how to react, but I get sad when people ignore me.
My philosophy class was canceled which gave me extra time.
I'm learning how to be more efficient.
I'm learning more empathy. I saw a boy in a wheelchair today and I really felt for him. I will never see handicapped people the same way.
I'm learning patience and humility (although I don't remember ever praying for those...?)
Lynne called me just to see how I was doing.

Best Brother Ever

2010-02-13T17:54:00.000-08:00

Today I fractured my ankle while running. Fortunately, Joey was there to help me when I hurt. So here is a letter for him:

Dear Joey,

Thank you for helping me today when I needed it. Thanks for carrying me up the hill, for driving me to the emergency room, for holding my foot up and gently pressing ice on my ankle, for waiting patiently as I hobbled slowly up and down the stairs, for enduring my alternating fits of laughing and crying, for going grocery shopping for me, etc. I am blessed to have a brother as wonderful as you.

I love you,

Abby

happy news

2010-02-04T06:50:00.001-08:00

This article gave me goosebumps, and the photographer did a great job of capturing the moment.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700007042/Utah-familys-dreams-come-true-Their-kids-are-home-from-Haiti.html?linkTrack=rss-30

Bucket List

2010-01-28T19:01:00.000-08:00

Road trip to Texas - check
Run a marathon or half marathon - check
Travel to the east coast, specifically DC - check
Go to Jerusalem - PENDING

Yay :)

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And just because I know you're curious, here are a few others on my list:

Ride a horse side saddle in a dress
Watch the sun rise over the ocean
Hike the Grand Canyon

Happiness

2010-01-17T14:17:00.000-08:00

So I read this op-ed this morning and I really liked it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/17/opinion/17kristof.html?em

Maybe I like it because his second example sounds like an LDS woman. I like what this article says--that the truest and most lasting happiness comes from looking outside of yourself. It's interesting that so many people have trouble finding true happiness that we need to conduct studies on it and write books about it. Happiness does not need to be so mysterious and unattainable.

The things in my life that bring me the MOST joy are:

The Gospel
Helping others
Positive relationships

Favorite Things This Week

2010-01-08T16:46:00.000-08:00

Carrie Underwood's Cowboy Casanova.

The light of the setting sun on the mountains (I missed this while in DC, but the light of the setting sun on the Lincoln Memorial over the Potomac River puts up a good fight).

Skinny jeans and boots. I like this functional trend.

The Kite Runner.

Listening to NPR as I get ready in the morning.

Leather gloves (thanks, Mom).

Free copies of The New York Times.

Senioritis

2010-01-06T13:39:00.000-08:00

For the second time in my life. The last time I had it started the end of my junior year of high school.

Why do I have senioritis? Because

(a) I have been at BYU for 3 1/2 years...and I still have another year to go.
(b) Many of my friends have graduated, including my good friends from the PR program. Fortunately, many of them are still around the town so we can keep in touch anyway (right??).
(c) After making the transition from school to an internship, I finally decided I LIKED having a full-time job. Right about the time I started liking it, it was time to return to school again.
(d) As many of you know, I like to move and try new things. I get antsy being in one place or doing the same thing for too long.

On a more positive note, being a senior is a wonderful thing because

(a) I see people I know everywhere I go.
(b) I feel that I have valuable knowledge I can share with the young ones that will hopefully improve their college experience.
(c) For the most part, I know the system. I know what I can and can't do, and there are few surprises.
(d) I know more about my major, and I can do more with it.
(f) Teachers don't intimidate me so much anymore. And I'm friends with many of them.
(g) I can reminisce the whole walk across campus as memories of my younger self play in my mind. It seems like every smell, song, and sight is a catalyst for one good memory or another.

Stay tuned as I attempt to figure out life's next big question:

What should I do this summer?

I may, perhaps, have a better idea after the next week or two :)

Day 1. Again.

2010-01-04T22:16:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I know I have been horrible about updating my blog. I probably won't be any better in the future, but I decided to write some thoughts about my first day back at school:

I felt awkward. It wasn't as easy for me to jump back into things as I thought it would be. I have to relearn to divide my attention between about 10 things, instead of just 3 or 4. I think I've gotten a little slower in my time away from school.
I love my classes.
I made a lunch last night. Then I forgot to take it with me to school today.
I ran into lots of DC friends on campus!
I have class with one of my new BFFs Rachel, and we had lunch together, too.
The PR office was welcoming and wonderful.
We had a Washington Seminar reunion tonight because it was Kit's birthday. Kelli made him a rocketship cake. I LOVE those guys so much.
The library printers were all broken today when I needed them. On the plus side, I befriended the computer guys who had to help me print. Then I somehow spent $20 on printing. Maybe those guys weren't as friendly as I thought they were. I will see what I can do to take care of that problem tomorrow.
I was late to two of my classes.
I wore a cute outfit.
I found out that lots of my friends from live within only a couple of blocks!
I have wonderful roommates, a great place to live, and a big room ALL to myself (for now, at least).
School is good. But it's hard to be back. It's good to know I am exactly where I am supposed to be. And I'll move onto something else soon enough, so I might as well enjoy it while I can.

The Spirit of Christmas

2009-12-13T09:15:00.001-08:00

I love this video:

The Christmas Spirit

Jerusalem

2009-12-01T18:27:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow morning I mail in my application for the BYU Jerusalem Center. Wish me luck!

A New Blog

2009-11-18T14:21:00.000-08:00

If you didn't see, I started a new blog. Click here to see it. I'll keep this one to write about things I do, and the new one will be more about what I'm thinking. It helps me to compartmentalize my thoughts a little bit :).

My Biggest Adventures

2009-11-01T20:01:00.000-08:00

Over Columbus Day weekend in October a few friends and I hopped on a bus and rode up to New York for just $17.50! It was a short but wonderful trip. My cousin Adam and his wife Hillary were nice enough to let us stay with them at their apartment in upper Manhattan for the first couple of nights, and we rode the train down to New Jersey for our last night there. Jamie's parents live in New Jersey. They welcomed us into their house, fed us, and gave us candy (here Dad works for Mars, Inc.).

I also saw my first two Broadway shows: Mary Poppins and the Phantom of the Opera (after returning to DC, I also got to see Jersey Boys at the National Theatre...musicals are a little bit addicting). After New York, it was great to come back to DC, where the Metro is easy and clean, the people are friendly, and the buildings are relatively short.

On the Staten Island Ferry.

In front of the New York Times office.

On the train ride with all our luggage/purchases.
We went for a bikeride through Central Park. It was beautiful! I think this was my favorite scene because you can see the contrast between nature and the skyscrapers.

Some other pictures from my adventures:

Watching the first BYU game of the season at ESPN Zone.

Our second excursion to Eastern Market.
After Eastern Market we went to the National Zoo--mostly to see the Pandas. On our way we ran into these little entrepreneurs. We wanted to support them so we bought their overpriced lemonade and brownies.
We took a field trip to Harpers Ferry in West Virginia. This is where the Shenandoah and the Potomac Rivers meet. It rained, but it was beautiful.

We went to a concert on the west lawn of the capitol. It rained there too. We had to huddle under a blanket to try to stay dry but we eventually gave up.

I went to the National Naval Hospital in Bethesda to support a co-worker who was helping with the breast care art show. This group was made up of 10 extremely talented people from the Air Force. They were called the Strolling Strings. In this picture they were performing "My Heart Will Go On."
I got to see Danielle!
The Army 82nd Airborne Division performed at the National Military Family Association's (where I work) big 40th anniversary celebration. All their songs were a capella. Some of the songs they sang: The Star-Spangled Banner, An American Soldier, My Girl, Under the Boardwalk. They quite possibly could have been my favorite part of the event, besides meeting the families (see below).
With two friends I made at NMFA's big event. Marissa (on the left) was from the Marines Corps Family of the Year, who actually ended up winning the Military Family of the Year award. Check them out--they are an awesome family! Morgan is my little friend on the right, from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Family of the Year. I also got to take a tour of the CIA museum with the families. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take any pictures there...
Garrett and me after church.
This is what Georgetown looks like on Halloween. CRAZY!
Riding the Metro to a barn dance for Halloween.

Ok there, I'm caught up! In the meantime, I started another blog...

Isabella Claire

2009-10-21T14:04:00.001-07:00

Check out my new niece. I can't wait to meet her!

I Feel Happy Inside When I See Your Face (and Letters!!)

2009-10-07T15:11:00.000-07:00

I think about my best friend and roommate, TyRee, all the time. TyRee is serving a mission in Pocatello, Idaho and now she is known as "Sister Fausett." I just got a letter from her yesterday! Her letters always make me happy.

At the end of winter semester, we filmed a bunch of little clips on her Mac and then she put them together in this sweet music video and presented it to me just before she left. I apologize for this version being a little small and pixelly, but I had to upload the condensed version...besides, it's less awkward that way :).

Love you, best friend!

Thoughts on DC

2009-10-06T14:19:00.000-07:00

Some of my observations about living in a city so unique as Washington, DC:

Disregard what you learned about crossing the street only when the flashing white man appears; just cross when you get the chance!

If you can't walk fast, at least make sure you're out of everyone else's way.

When leisurely using the escalator, stay to the right. The left side is for people who don't slow down.

People come here from all over the world, so it's helpful if you know your geography.

It's also helpful to know something about politics.

Unless you know exactly what you want to do in life and will do anything to get there, you may at times feel a little behind.

Lots of stuff is free, so take advantage of it!

The Nationals are not very good at baseball.

The east coast is beautiful.

Everyone should come at least once.

On a side note, I found out today that I'll get to go on a tour of the CIA Museum (a rarely seen one) at the end of the month for work!

What Do You Want to Do After You Graduate?

2009-09-26T21:31:00.000-07:00

I hate this question. Can I please just figure out the next few months first?

Is Chivalry Dead?

2009-09-16T19:02:00.000-07:00

BYU has spoiled me.

If I'm walking to the library, about to open the door, a guy who is a step or two behind me will shamelessly quicken his pace so he can open it for me. In fact, I've grown so accustomed to this that I will often instinctively slow down to allow him that opportunity. (Don't get me wrong, I open doors for and help out others as well, but in my experience, our guys really have been exceptional)

While this is the most illustrative and typical example I could think of, there have been many other times during my years at BYU when the rule, "ladies first," has been applied.

It's not like that here in D.C.

Everything is a free-for-all...like getting on the Metro. No one sacrifices their precious few seconds to allow anyone to board the train before they do. I don't think this is a bad thing. In fact, in some ways it's kind of refreshing--to feel like I'm just making my way through the day like everyone else. It's just taken some getting used to on my part.

On the other hand, my guy friends who are here with me from BYU have always given up their seat on the Metro to a mother or a senior citizen whenever I've ridden with them, and it makes me feel a little proud inside.

But then again...I'm a girl who dreams of white horses and knights in shining armor :).

Growing Up

2009-09-12T19:58:00.000-07:00

My college experience thus far has been tightly packed with lessons--academic lessons, moral lessons, spiritual lessons, and lessons simply about life. Some lessons have been fairly painless and others...well, they've taken much more time and heart, but I always emerge a little bit better than I was before. It is as Viktor Frankl points out in his book, "Man's Search for Meaning"--what we expect out of life doesn't matter so much as what life expects from us.

That's something I'm hoping my experience in Washington will help me figure out...

When I came here, I left parts of my self in California, Utah, and Arizona, all way on the other side of the country. Now, I'm certain, part of me will forever be here, in this dynamic city that is the heart of our nation. What impact that experience will have on me and where life will take me next I have yet to learn, but fortunately, I have an insatiable appetite for adventure and discovery. BYU has worked its magic on me; if there is anything I know I will grow up to be for sure, it is a "lifelong learner."

Take Me There

2009-09-05T13:29:00.000-07:00

Today I have pictures! You can find them below...be prepared, there are quite a few!

This morning I woke up early and went for a run along the Mall. I stopped at the Korean War Memorial, which was touching. It was an especially pretty run because the sun was still rising.

When I got back, Rachel, Melissa, Lynne, and I went kayaking in the Potomac River for an hour. The water was a little gross, but the scenery was beautiful!

Some houses in Georgetown

Georgetown Campus

Reading the student newspaper

Rachel and me at Gravelly Point

Sitting on the steps at the Lincoln Memorial

The group at Gravelly Point, where we watched the airplanes take off

Right before we got very, very lost in Alexandria...

Waiting at the bus stop right outside where I work

Lynne and Melissa

The view from kayaking on the Potomac

Outside the Library of Congress

At the Supreme Court

The Real World

2009-09-02T19:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my first day on the job! My favorite part about going to work was walking along the city streets with a mass of other professionals living their grown-up lives. It makes me feel independent and important.

My office is wonderful. The receptionist told me it is 35 women (only 2 men, but I don't think they're actually in the office much), and they'll probably treat me like a daughter. Anyway, more about that later...

What I really wanted to write about was the new friends I've made! I made a goal to talk to at least one new person every day, but it's not always easy when everyone keeps to themselves on public transportation! Plus, I seem to be attracted to foreigners and I have a really hard time understanding people who speak English with an accent.

For example, yesterday I befriended Jose when he thought I looked lost after getting off the bus. I wasn't lost...just a little disoriented for a minute! He was super nice and helpful (well, he tried to be, but I think he actually pointed me in the wrong direction...) and we talked for a few minutes. Our conversations ended with him saying, "Maybe I'll run into you again," so that's a good sign, right?

This morning I befriended Mechael as I waited for the bus stop. I asked him where he was headed and he replied, "What?" We repeated this exchange about 5 times (no joke) until finally I changed my question a little and attempted to appear as though I understood his response. Then I was quiet so I wouldn't embarrass myself further, but he kept wanting to pursue the conversation further. I found out English is his second language...but I didn't understand when he told me his first. I also found out he works at the Pentagon...but I'm pretty sure that's not true so he must have said something else...Anyway, our conversation was troubled and awkward, but at least now I have a new friend!

Today my friend, Rachel, and I walked around Georgetown University campus. It's SO beautiful! Pictures soon to come...promise!

And it's Just the Beginning

2009-08-31T17:16:00.000-07:00

My first day I wasn't sure what I thought about D.C.--instead of mountains there are tall buildings, instead of cars (ok, well there are PLENTY of those too), there are Metros and buses and LOTS of walking--but I think I'm in love with it already!

Instead of trying to include everything in here, I'll just highlight my favorites...and while I love the famous historical sites and museums, my favorites are usually the simple or unexpected moments.

The first thing we did after unpacking on Friday night was go find a place to eat. We ended up at a little French place just down the street and the food was great. Unfortunately I don't think my stomach agreed with it because I woke up in the middle of the night and threw most of it up (sorry, that was gross...).

Saturday night after a long day of walking and exploring and feeling like tourists, some of the other girls and I met at the Lincoln Memorial and just sat on the steps for maybe 45 minutes, soaking in the moment. As cool as the view is during the day, it is even more beautiful at night! We asked a random guy to take our picture and it turned out he was Mormon. I forgot how fun it is to meet fellow Mormons when you're outside of Utah! After taking our picture, he stayed and talked to us for awhile. Befriending random people is the best :).

Sunday we all rode the Metro to church in Maryland. It was probably my second time ever using public transportation. The ward seems awesome and we have a pretty view from the large chapel windows. Everyone was very welcoming. In the evening, about 6 of us rode the Metro down to the Ronald Reagan airport and walked from there to this little park right next to the Potomac River. Because we were there during sunset, we had an amazing view, especially of the Washington Monument and the capitol in the distance. We sat on a blanket and talked while we watched the departing planes fly right over us!

This morning my roommate and I got up early and went for a short run through Georgetown, which is just down the street. I loved it! Then we had class until about 12:45. Then our instructor split us into groups of 4 or 5 and we went to the sites of all our internships. Our experience turned out to be quite the adventure! We found the sites where the other 4 in my group would be working first, but none of them were very close to each other and we got a little bit lost a few times! We went to mine last. Since mine was the farthest--in Alexandria, VA, I told them they didn't have to come, but 3 of the 4 did anyway.

First, we rode the Metro to the Pentagon (awesome, right?) and then we took the bus to the place where I will be working...sort of. We made the mistake of getting off at the wrong stop. It's a good thing they were with me though, or else it may have taken me longer to realize the bus doesn't actually stop unless you pull the yellow cord....Then we had to backtrack a little until we got to the right street. But when we had to choose between going left or right, we chose to take a right. Unfortunately we didn't see any addresses on any of the buildings, so we just kept walking, hoping we were going the right direction. Long story short, we finally got some directions, stopped for slurpees, and then had to walk about a mile in the opposite direction until we found the place, which just happens to be across the parking lot from the bus stop where we should have gotten off but didn't...

By this time it was later in the day, when the buses don't come by as often, so we had to wait about 35 minutes for the next bus. The good news is that Alexandria is beautiful and my ride to work every day will be a scenic one!

I'm sorry I only have a few pictures...I actually stole these ones from a friend's camera, but I'm not able to download my own pictures on my computer just yet...

Lynne and me at the WWII Memorial

The mall

P.S. My internship starts tomorrow morning!

D.C. Here I Come

2009-08-23T20:13:00.000-07:00

I just finished summer school a week and a half ago, and I did pretty well. Fortunately, I get a couple of weeks for a break before I get back to work...this time in D.C.!

Did I mention I did a half marathon the Saturday before finals? My very first one! It made me feel like I conquered myself a little bit, and it was good motivation to run during a time when I usually slack off.

What else I've been up to:

After a tedious last week of school, I left Provo and drove with my roommate, Katie, to Gilbert, Arizona, where I stayed with Carly and Rich. I fully enjoyed my time with them and the kids, who are both SO sweet!

Last Tuesday night, Katie and I ate with some of her friends at Casey Moore's, a restaurant on Ninth and Ash in Tempe, by Arizona State University. For the record, the band, Jimmy Eat World is from Arizona and a line from one of their songs that Katie and I like is "Ninth and Ash on a Tuesday night..."

Katie and I also got to go to the Mesa temple...SO pretty. The week before I left Utah I got to go to the Provo temple, and this week I get to go to the one in L.A.

Oh, and I dyed my hair, but that's no shocker. I'm trying to get it back to a lower maintenance color, but it's harder than I thought!

I had an uneventful flight from Phoenix to Ontario on Thursday, and I've been home since then. Friday, Kellie, Colleen, Allison, and I took our traditional trip to Newport, where we took pictures and ate at BJ's...most enjoyable because of their pizookies! Afterward, we saw "500 Days of Summer" in this adorable little theater in Newport. The story was different from what I usually like, but I liked the message a lot!

I wish I had the picture we took about 5 years ago that looks almost exactly like this one, but unfortunately I don't have it on the computer. It would have been fun to compare!

Saturday I got to see Jamie! I drove down to her house in Brea and went to her brother's wedding reception. They had an In-n-Out truck, so I got a free grilled cheese...don't laugh; they're delicious!

It's been great to spend some time with my parents and get to be a kid again for a little while before I have to go be a grown up. Today Katy and Paul came over with the kids and we got to play outside...pictures soon to come!

My BIGGEST news is that I leave for Washington, D.C. on Friday. That means I get all Saturday there to play, class on Monday, and start my internship on Tuesday. People keep asking me if I'm nervous. I'm not when I don't think about it, but I definitely am when I do!

I'll try to update this consistently for your enjoyment, but I just might be having too much fun :).

Dance Dance

2009-08-11T15:10:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been really busy trying to keep up with school, packing, moving, etc. So I just thought I'd take a quick break to blog!

Last Saturday our ward had a formal dance and it was WAY fun! I love our ward because you can just be goofy and everyone loves you anyway.

Before the dance:

At the dance:

After the dance:

Justin's Return to the States

2009-07-24T13:36:00.000-07:00

Since February, I have been following the blog of Justin Jones for my research with the Saints at War project. Justin Jones is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and just completed a 423-day deployment to Afghanistan. I have really enjoyed reading his posts and it's been a great experience for me. His last post was on Wednesday and I almost started crying when I read it and saw the pictures of his reunion with his family. I'm so glad he made it home safe. It's interesting that I've been reading about his life even though he has no idea who I am, but I have a feeling I'll get to meet him one day.

I'm so glad I get to be a part of this project. It's come to be one of the things I am most passionate about. I love my work.

Called to Serve?

2009-07-08T07:29:00.000-07:00

As I watch so many of my girl friends decide to serve missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and become very excited about it, I sometimes wonder why I don't feel the need to go on one. At the moment I don't really have any other absolutely pressing things I need to do (well ok, now that I've accepted an internship for the fall I do, but after that I don't) and I'd really love to be a missionary.

I think I've been blessed with my calling this summer as a member of the Missionary and Fellowship Council. While there aren't too many people in Provo to preach the gospel to, I feel like it's given me a taste of what it's like to be a missionary and to do the Lord's work. But lately I've been blessed with so many other opportunities that for some reason feel to me like they should be prioritized above a mission. I hope I can do them justice. I feel blessed to know that, if not right away, one of these days I'll be blessed to wear a black missionary nametag.

That Thing You Do

2009-07-05T11:48:00.000-07:00

This week was a fabulous one! Here are some good things that happened...

-I got a new roommate. Now I actually share a room again. Her name is Kelsey. My third roommate with that name.

-I had three phone interviews for internships. (This is a good and a not-so-good thing...I hate interviews!)

-I was offered an internship! I haven't accepted it yet because I wanted to think about it and make sure it's what I felt good about. But I plan on calling and accepting it tomorrow because who am I kidding...it's perfect for me!

-I had ice cream with my friend, Barb, who I haven't seen in awhile. We talked about a good news blog we want to start. More about that in future posts...

-I got to see Carly twice. She drove up here with the kids on Wednesday so she stopped by the apartment. Then Friday I drove with my friend, Kadi, to see her in Sandy.

-The Fourth of July! It's right up there with Christmas as one of my favorite holidays. My holiday consisted of volunteering at the Freedom Run, going to the street fair on Center Street, ice blocking with the roomies, making a delicious apple pie, a picnic at DT fields with friends, dancing outside the stadium to SheDaisy and The Jonas Brothers live, and laying on a blanket almost directly under the best fireworks show ever.

-I used my webcam for the first time to video chat with my French roommate who is currently doing an internship in Geneva, Switzerland. It was wonderful to see her and hear her voice.

-I realized some things in my life that all seem to be falling into place as I was promised they would.

Daddy's Little Girl

2009-06-20T22:32:00.001-07:00

Happy Father's Day, Dad--love you! My Dad is the best. Thanks for everything.

PICTURES!!

2009-06-14T16:41:00.000-07:00

With Jamie...at Spark...for my birthday...fun night

Everyone's feet at Spark...we're so hot :)

Katie and I wore matching outfits one day...

Joey and Katie gave me this headband for my birthday...it's from Peru!

Katie and I before our ward's "Dance Through the Decades"

With my friends Austin (left) and Eric (right) early Saturday morning before our 10-mile run

After our 10-mile run. It was SO pretty. Eric got third place overall, and first in his age division--58 minutes!

My roommates and I matched today...

...and Katie and I made delicious pizzas!

Hey Little Lovers Heaven

2009-06-08T21:25:00.000-07:00

So Carly gave me an iTunes gift card for my birthday (thanks Carly!). I still have some money left on it and I've been looking for some new music since I'm getting sick of listening to my same favorite songs all the time. I need some new favorites. Any suggestions?

Spring Term Thus Far

2009-06-04T23:13:00.000-07:00

-I adopted another soldier. This is number three. I wish I could adopt them all, but because I can't I'm trying to get everyone else to do it because it's wonderful. Check it out if you'd like http://www.adoptaussoldier.org/

-I turned 21!!!! My roommmates and I got non-alcoholic drinks at Spark (the Mormon way). Kayley took me out for ice cream, as did my friend, Eric. Jamie made this lovely blog post for me.

-The swine flu is being a life-interrupter. Well, mostly only at the MTC. They told us to "volunteer at your own risk." My roommate has benefited though, as her class was canceled this morning due to the fact that her classmate's roommate was diagnosed with the swine flu.

-Our new ward is fabulous and our bishop is even better. Seriously, I LOVE him.

-My roommates are planning a road trip to California for the end of June. I'm still trying to decide if I'm going or not. If so, I would have to drop my Latin dance class, which I REALLY want to take.

-The other day I ran 9 1/2 miles! I signed up for a 10-mile run so I've been training and I've discovered I actually like running even more than I thought I did.

-Joey and Katie have been in Peru for the past month. I miss them but I have been enjoying their car!

-One of my best friends got home from his mission on my birthday and I got to talk to him soon after he got home, which was awesome! He'll be here in just a couple more weeks.

-On the other hand...TyRee is leaving on her mission on June 24. That will definitely be bittersweet for me.

Me with all but one of my roommates on our cozy porch swing we like to share with everyone:

Love Story Meets Viva la Vida

2009-05-17T19:33:00.000-07:00

So my roommate had me listen to this song the other day and I loved it so I wanted to share. It is way awesome, and combines two of my favorite songs!

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!!

2009-05-10T17:28:00.000-07:00

I often go walking in meadows of clover,

And I gather armfuls of blossoms of blue.

I gather the blossoms the whole meadow over;

Dear Mother, all flowers remind me of you.

Put a Smile On

2009-05-07T18:17:00.000-07:00

Some days I have a hard time not feeling sorry for myself, but most of the time I feel like I must have the best life ever! I've learned over the years that even though how you perceive your life is often all about your attitude, it's still very difficult to flip that switch from negative to positive. It just doesn't always work that way.

Monday was a pretty good day and then Tuesday really brought me down. It began about the worst way possible and I felt like it just got worse from there, but that night I read one of my books that I seem to have neglected for awhile. I call it my "Feel-Good Quote Book."

Starting my sophomore year in high school, I decided to write down all the nice things people say about me. Of course, people say nice things all the time, but sometimes there will be several months between entries because I like to include only the ones that really mean the most to me, even if they're simple. My intention in "writing" this book was to boost my self-esteem when I'm having a hard time. It's pretty amazing what a simple compliment can do for your attitude.

I'm writing this because today I made an accidental mistake that took me about an hour and a half of unplanned time to correct. What was my mistake gave me a chance to prove my dedication to making things right again. After making things right, I received one of the best compliments ever, although I'm sure the complimenter probably had no idea. Even though it began as my mistake, life just looked better after that.

Another First Day of School

2009-04-28T18:12:00.000-07:00

It's weird to think today was my third first day of school in less than nine months. I should have taken a picture, but I didn't...sorry Mom. But it's been a great day...minus the fact that I still have to unpack most of my stuff.

I spent the weekend at Joey and Katie's apartment while I was without a home, went to my old ward on Sunday, and moved into my new apartment yesterday. Then went to dinner for a friend's birthday, then ward FHE, then to watch the Hannah Montana movie with my new roomies! It was awesome...even if we were the only ones in the theatre...

Then came home, went to bed, got up early, read, went to class, job 1, job 2 (read another email from my soldier...I'm telling you, everyone should adopt one!), temple, ate dinner...and now I'm posting. It's been a crazy few weeks, and now I get to drive to Texas with TyRee on Thursday and I'm soo excited!

Adopt a U.S. Soldier

2009-04-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

I recently "adopted" a U.S. soldier. I just received my soldier's information yesterday and wrote him an e-mail right away. I was very excited to hear back from him already this morning! He sounds like he really appreciates having someone to talk to and just be friends with. I've already hand-written a letter and I'm going to start working on a care package soon as well.

The non-profit organization I found him through is called "Adopt a U.S. Soldier," and they need as many volunteers as they can get! Once you sign up, they assign you a deployed military service member, and then it's up to you to decide you want to communicate--snail mail, e-mail, care packages, etc. I think it's a great way to show support for our country and our troops, and to be a friend to someone who may or may not have anyone else back home to talk to. Plus, it's a great service you can do on your own time. So...if you're interested, visit http://www.adoptaussoldier.org/. Also, if you know anyone who is deployed and would like to be involved you can refer them to the same organization.

Hey Everybody

2009-04-22T08:37:00.000-07:00

I’m trying to figure out the rest of my life and I need your help. Please vote on your top 3 choices for what you think I should do when I grow up:

--Run away and join the circus
--Write a book series that will gain Harry Potter fame
--Marry rich and just don’t worry about it
--Open a hot dog stand (this is actually quite popular in Provo as demonstrated by the success of J-Dawg’s)
--Be a mime
--Start a secret career as a singer and no one will ever know it’s me
--Be a career advisor (this is supposed to be ironic)
--Model for Victoria’s Secret
--Start a dating service…or better yet, be a dating consultant
--Be a beach bum
--Dive horses

…

Other suggestions welcome.

Way to Go Miss California

2009-04-21T17:03:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad she gave the answer she did instead of simply giving a neutral answer because the judges would prefer it, or worse--saying something she didn't believe in.

To Kellie, Love Your BFF

2009-04-13T13:18:00.001-07:00

The weather is finally warming up! Here are some new pictures I finally got from TyRee. We were having fun with photobooth on her computer the other day...

Lessons Learned

2009-04-10T15:37:00.001-07:00

I've realized something life-changing this semester:

It can be extremely painful to align your will with God's will.

And I'm still in the process of learning that.

In addition, I have learned some other wonderful lessons. One of those lessons I think I've really had drilled into me is the importance of preparation and flexibility. In everything, really. Preparation in my day, and preparation in my life. For example, the past couple of months I have been working hard at researching and applying for different internships in Washington D.C. And then came along another opportunity to apply for an internship I hadn't expected, that would require me to change my summer plan, as well as my whole graduation plan, and maybe even my life plan.

At the same time, I've been preparing for grad school as much as possible. I'm not even sure if I'll decide to apply, but that doesn't matter. It's the preparation that counts. I've also thought about going on a mission, and some other possibilities for the future and I've tried to be ready for all of them. It's more work than just preparing for one thing, but I never regret it. I've learned God blesses us when we are prepared, even if we end up doing something totally different than what we originally prepared for. I think this is because it shows we're willing to work. It's important to be flexible and faithful.

Just this week I have been blessed to hear some true stories of amazing faith. I don't have room to share them here, but they were definitely inspiring. God knows every one of us and things get hard, but He always wants to bless us. I have no doubt we are His children and He loves us. The church is true :)

A Nurse for the Nursing Student

2009-04-06T22:22:00.000-07:00

My roommate has been really sick today. I've been having fun playing mom for her, even though I've hardly been home. She's always been so good at taking care of me when I'm sad or sick that I was glad to return the favor (but not glad she was sick). Even though she has felt terrible, she aced her nursing test tonight! I love her.

Aren't we cute??

P.S. I'm almost done with my internship applications...it's been a long road and I can't wait to be finished!

2009-04-05T21:42:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I know I'm a horrible liar even writing, but for those of you who were wondering, my last post was definitely a joke! Thanks for not believing I would be such a quitter. The truth is, school has been tough these last couple of weeks, but I love it anyway and I'm really looking forward to the Washington Seminar this fall! I would never quit, and I hope to never live at home again (no offense, Mom and Dad) and I would probably never go back to that job teaching swimming lessons. It was a good high school job.

My roommates and I took roommate pictures today, for the first time! Then TyRee and I started making a video we want to complete before summer starts--taking our future selves on a tour of Provo and our favorite/most memorable spots.

Anyway, this week should calm down a little (hopefully!), but it will pick up again next week. Tomorrow I get to have lunch with the other research assistants and our boss, and the district president in Afghanistan (over all the members of the LDS church there), so I'm super excited! Like really, I'm kind of nervous for some reason!

So what if I'm a college drop-out?

2009-04-01T13:55:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about all I've been doing this semester and whether or not it is worth it. With all the work I get from my classes, I think school is just too hard. I know so many people who never finished college and are doing just fine.

So...I'm still taking my classes this spring but I dropped all my summer classes and withdrew from the Washington Seminar. I'll just go home and live with my parents for awhile. I'm sure the city will give me my swim instructor job back and then I can figure it out from there...and save some money in the meantime!

Thanks for reading.

This Is It...

2009-03-26T21:18:00.000-07:00

We're down to the last couple weeks of classes...and then finals...and then a short break...and then back to school!

This is usually the hardest part because you just have to keep pushing even though you don't really feel like it. By this time of the semester, I really feel like I deserve a break. But even if I've been trying as hard as I can all semester, I can't get my good grades unless I endure to the end. I learned that lesson awhile ago.

Almost there!

If you go into media relations, be prepared...

2009-03-18T17:12:00.000-07:00

Today we had a mock press conference in one of my public relations classes. By the time it was my group's turn to go, the man who was playing the "hostile mayor" was really getting into his part. In fact, at the very end of our turn, he walked down the aisle and threw his shoe at Susan! Ok, he actually threw it next to her, but it was a humorous way for us to end our few minutes of stress.

It was a little bit like this, but without all the hard feelings:

Courtesy of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM3Z_Kskl_U

Chocolate for Bananas?

2009-03-13T12:29:00.000-07:00

This morning I walked into the kitchen to get breakfast and my roommate from Taiwan was sitting at the table eating toast. I noticed two fun-size Twix bars next to her plate and I laughed and then asked her if she was eating them for breakfast. In all seriousness she said yes, because she was out of bananas: "Something had to replace the banana and so I thought of chocolate."

Thank goodness for happy little moments like this; without them I'm not sure I could make it through the day sometimes.

Sometimes I'm Gonna Have to Lose

2009-03-09T18:37:00.001-07:00

Lately I've been having trouble thinking of words to express myself. I think mostly in pictures, feelings, song lyrics, and snippets of conversations I keep re-playing in my head. Here is one of the songs I keep thinking of because it seems to be so applicable. I like the music video, too. Yes, I know it's Miley, but it's a good song! It's the one she sang at a concert honoring military families, which is probably another reason I like it...

I Spy The Temple and Trafalga

2009-03-08T08:04:00.000-07:00

My good friend, Brent, moved into town this week so we got to hang out a little bit. Friday we went to see I Spy exhibit at the Museum of Art on campus. There were regular pictures, optical illusions, and pictures that actually listed objects for you to find. I really liked it because it was interactive and made me remember being a kid.

Then we went to the Draper temple open house with a bunch of other people in the area. Whenever a new temple is built, anyone is allowed to go on a tour of the whole thing before it is dedicated. It was so beautiful, and such a neat experience!

Last night I went with my friend, Curtis, to Trafalga, a family fun center in Orem. We mini-golfed inside, ate Dippin Dots...the ice cream of the future. Then we played some of the arcade games. We got a bunch of tickets and some other people gave us theirs before they left, so we got some pretty sweet prizes.

For the Love of Lent

2009-03-01T07:51:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know, Lent started on Wednesday.

You're probably wondering why that matters to me since I'm Mormon, but for the past few years I've always given up something for Lent because I like the challenge. Usually I give up candy or something, but that's not much of a challenge anymore.

After some long, hard thinking, TyRee and I decided to sacrifice "negative attitudes." That probably sounds really cheesy, but we wanted to give up something that would actually make us better people...and we couldn't think of any vices that we're not already working on.

At first, we were going to not complain, but then I realized that there is such a thing as "productive complaining," sort of like constructive criticism.

It's been interesting these last couple of days because I never would have thought of either of us as pessimistic, but we've both been noticing that we are more negative than we think we are! This has helped us to have better self-discipline, and it's been fun/funny to try and see the bright side of things we usually complain about. It came in handy the other day when I came home to a very disgusting kitchen and I felt like yelling at somebody. But I didn't.

The Privilege of Giving

2009-02-24T17:36:00.000-08:00

Today Arthur C. Brooks gave an excellent talk at our forum, titled "The Privilege of Giving." He told us about research he has been involved in that shows a strong correlation between giving (of time and money) and happiness, wealth, health, etc.

**Charity brings happiness and happiness brings success**

One reason is because we alleviate our stress by giving, and people who do their job with less stress are happier.

But the best thing he said was this:

When we give, we are helping other people, but we are also beneficiaries of our own giving. If you really want to help someone else, give the gift of giving. What can you do to help someone else give? He suggested that in thinking about this, we overcome the following myths:

1. Giving makes us poorer
2. People are naturally selfish
3. Giving is a luxury
4. Our nation can afford to substitute government for private giving

Just something to think about.

Tamed

2009-02-22T15:31:00.000-08:00

The Little Prince is a children's book, but contains many true principles. At one point, the little prince meets a fox he wants to play with.

"I cannot play with you," the fox said. "I am not tamed."

After the little prince asks the fox several times what this means, to be "tamed," the fox replies, "It means to establish ties. To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you, I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world."

Later on in the discussion, the fox says, "One only understands the things that one tames."

And when the little prince asks the fox how he can tame him, the fox replies, "You must be very patient."

Although I believe this story refers to all relationships, I thought it went very well with our Relief Society lesson today, in which the lesson was based off the following quote by Elder F. Burton Howard in his talk on eternal marriage:

"If you want something to last forever, you treat it differently. You shield it and protect it. You never abuse it. You don't expose it to the elements. You don't make it common or ordinary. If it ever becomes tarnished, you lovingly polish it until it gleams like new. It becomes special because you have made it so, and it grows more beautiful and more precious as time goes by."

On Life

2009-02-21T12:46:00.000-08:00

So, here's another update on my life for those who are curious. I decided to do it by different aspects of life this time:

Spiritual ... I've been much better at taking time to study my scriptures and read uplifting material every day this semester, and it has made a huge difference!

Social ... So I should probably make a little more time for socializing, but I have friends :)

Mental ... I like to think I'm getting smarter here in college.

Physical ... Going good. The sun is out today and I ran for almost an hour! Yesterday I swam laps!

School ... It's got its ups and downs, but fortunately more ups than downs.

Work ... I'm just a college student, but I have two jobs I adore where I learn skills I can actually use. Does it get better?

Dating/Love ... Did you really think I'd post that up here for everyone to see??

And some other thoughts - been trying to decide if grad school is what I really want and if it is how I can make it happen. Looking for an internship in DC for this fall. My best friend gets home from his mission on my 21st birthday. Going back to blonde. Wore flip flops today for the first time since I can't remember when. Get to dress up tonight. Just saw the movie Taken yesterday...disturbing plot line but good...until the end!! I think I could have dealt with it if it were based on a true story or had a realistic ending, but I just left feeling sort of depressed about not being able to save the world. Wondering if I should go on a mission. Just two more months of the semester. Miss the fam.

My Online Presence

2009-02-18T18:06:00.000-08:00

So....in public relations they encourage us to have an "online presence." Since I no longer have a facebook, I think this means I'm supposed to use my blog more often. It's basically, homework, right?

Then I don't feel bad about procrastinating my English paper right now...somehow, when choosing my minor, I didn't put it together that being a good writer does not equal being a good analyzer of literature.

I can't wait until the weekend!!

25 Things

2009-02-14T15:29:00.000-08:00

Since I no longer have a facebook, I decided to do the "25 Things About Me" thing on my blog. This way, fewer people will see it, but I wanted to be a part of it since I keep hearing so much about it...

1. I LOVE where all the freeways cross. This is a more common occurrence in California than it is in Utah, but that is why I love driving to Salt Lake. There is something thrilling about seeing where everyone crosses paths as they travel to different destinations.

2. I'm much better now, but I can be extremely shy. Most of the time, though, if I'm quiet it's because I am enjoying being an observer and listener. I like to absorb things that way.

3. I love the fourth of July. Last summer I made Carly while listen while I read the Declaration of Independence. When I'm older, I want my family to be patriotic. We'll play baseball, eat apple pie, and read about our history. I am so excited to one day meet our founding fathers.

4. Icees are my comfort food. Actually, they're good anytime, but I especially enjoy them when I'm happy, sad, or stressed out. Smoothies and ice cream are a close second and third.

5. When I'm really sad, I can't eat. When I'm really happy, I eat a lot. Is this normal? I think I might be programmed backwards.

6. I love to exercise, but I have to mix it up a lot or I get bored. I think I've mentioned on here that I enjoy running, TAE BO, jump rope, and other work out videos, i.e. dancing.

7. If you'll play Catch Phrase with me, I'll love you forever.

8. Hugs are my favorite...anytime! I love giving them and getting them! When I'm sad, I might not want to talk to you, but I'll usually welcome a hug.

9. I think anything is easier to do (and more fun!) when I'm doing it for someone else and not just for myself. I don't really like to cook for myself, for example, but I enjoy cooking for other people!

10. I have a knife collection, but I don't know anything about knives. I was jealous because Joey had one, so I wanted one too. I think Joey might have gotten into it because of Grandpa.

11. I'm a little bit superstitious.

12. I love Disney and all the Disney stars...until I find out they're not who I thought they were. I like them because they're wholesome.

13. I'm a dreamer. I love fairy tales and sappy stories. I love fantasy and playing pretend--anything where I get to be in another world for a little while.

14. Laughter may be the best medicine, but I think going for a long drive with the windows rolled down and loud music playing is a close second.

15. I've never been trick-or-treating. Most people think this means I was deprived, but the truth is, I never knew the difference. I still got candy and Halloween was just another family night with pizza from Little Caesers. And one of the few days of the year we got to drink soda.

16. I LOVE meeting random people and finding things we have in common. But I think it's more fun meeting random people and finding out something about them I never would have guessed. I'll ask them a ton of questions. I think the best way to learn about life and the world is to hear other people's stories.

17. I think a picnic is always a perfect date (as long as there is good weather). Inside or outside, on the roof, in the park, near the railroad tracks, in the middle of the forest, homemade food, fast food, store-bought food...the list goes on and on. Picnics are the best.

18. I love love LOVE being outdoors, but I'm definitely a beach girl, not a snow girl. I love hiking, swimming, sports, running, bike riding, rock climbing, boating...the wind in your face is one of the best feelings. In fact, I love water in all forms...waterfalls, water under bridges, swimming pools, rivers, oceans, etc.

19. Two of the things I miss most about California are palm trees and the fog.

20. I'm a huge bargain shopper...at least when it comes to clothes. I'm working on being a bargain grocery shopper, furniture shopper, etc.

21. The only reason I carry an umbrella in the rain is to keep my backpack/laptop dry. I love being rained on, and thunderstorms are the best! I take that back...I love being rained on in the SUMMER, when it's warm rain.

22. I fall asleep during late-night movies without fail. I think I got this from Dad.

23. I won the science award in 8th grade. Ender inspired me to learn everything I could about the world around me!

24. It's one of my life goals to solve a riddle. I always give up before I get it!

25. I have a secret wish to go dog-sledding one day.

It's Good to Be Home

2009-02-13T22:43:00.000-08:00

I really like to be on my own because I like being independent and I think I do well that way. But it's really nice to be able to come home to a PEACEFUL house, WARM shower, HOME-COOKED meals, parents and friends.

Tonight I got to hang out with Kellie and Brent...two of my best friends!!!!!!! I last saw Kellie over Christmas, but I haven't seen Brent in 2 WHOLE YEARS so it was awesome. When I download our picture from Cold Stone, I'll post it :). We all got more ice cream that when needed it and SADLY, none of us could finish.

Well, I have a little while before I need to go to bed and I have a bunch of homework to do tomorrow (on Valentine's Day, of all days! :). Maybe I'll watch an episode of Psych...

Tender Mercies

2009-02-11T14:09:00.000-08:00

I love those days when you notice the Lord in the details of your life. For example, I've been feeling like I have an IMPOSSIBLE amount of things to do lately, but have amazingly been able to keep my stress to a minimum and not miss out on relationship-building opportunities. I have to add a prep class this semester for the Washington Seminar and I thought it was going to be a 2-credit class, but it's actually only 1. It's still the same amount of work, but the fact that it's only 1 credit just makes me FEEL better.

Also...something I was working on for my dad was pushed from August to next May, so that relieves some pressure. AND for my new job, I only have to commit to 4 hours a week (sounds like a little, but this is in addition to my current job, and I'm not one of those students who can work 20 hours a week) instead of 5!

I know, I know...that sounds lame, but anything I add right now feels like a lot, so that one hour makes a huge difference. Yay for tender mercies!

Oh...and I get to go HOME this weekend, even if I will just be doing homework for most of the time.

Serendipity

2009-02-03T15:36:00.000-08:00

Those of you who know me well know I have a fascination with this concept...and this word. It just rolls off the tongue, don't you think?

Anyway, Serendipity is commonly and simply defined as "a happy accident," but I don't feel like that definition encompasses enough of the meaning. Some people think it's the same thing as fate...but it's not. The original definition of the word is "the quality or faculty, through awareness and good fortune, of being able to find something good while seeking something else." Serendipity has everything to do with being in the right place at the right time and living the right way so you can make the right choice that will have the biggest impact.

I think it has a lot to do with being flexible, too. For example, I have the next three years of my life pretty planned out, but I have learned from past experiences that life doesn't always respect my plans. The best I can hope for is that I will make choices that will lead me to be in the right place at the right time so that I will find the best things in life and help the most people, whether I'm looking for those specific opportunities or not.

Right now I'm reading a book called Spiritual Serendipity, by Richard and Linda Eyre. It's not quite what I was expecting, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I kind of think it's a lot of words for what I think is a simple concept...even if it is difficult for me to explain.

La La La

2009-02-01T10:05:00.001-08:00

Friday I went to visit the school (yep, that's a link in case you want to check it out) I'm working with for my Public Relations Writing and Productivity class. It is a nonprofit PRIVATE school for children with autism where my cousin teaches. I was only there with the KIDS for about an hour...they are SO CUTE and sweet! Then I got to talk with the guy who will be taking over the BUSINESS side of things at the school about some public relations stuff. It's hard to give it the TIME I would like to since I have so many other things going on and it's just one class, but I've been getting really EXCITED about it!

Saturday was spent doing HOMEWORK...no surprises there! The highlight of my day was going grocery shopping with Joey and Katie because it's ALWAYS NICE to just get out of the apartment. Oh, I guess RUNNING was nice too. I look forward to going running more when I only go once or twice a week because then it's like a TREAT, rather than a chore. Don't worry, I exercise the rest of the week too; I just like to do more inside activities during the winter time like TAE BO, jump roping, and belly dancing :).

THEN at night I got to see my old FRIENDS, Darin and Aaron!! We've been friends since I was 15, but this is the first semester they've been up here with me. It's kind of cool having people up here that know me from my HIGH SCHOOL days...not that I'm much different, but I can just be NORMAL because they already know me and not have to deal with any awkwardness because they're BASICALLY my brothers.

Saints at War

2009-01-27T17:07:00.001-08:00

Ok, so probably no one will find this exciting except for me...but I have good news! I went to talk to one of the religion professors the other day about a research project he and some other professors are working on regarding Latter-day Saints involved with the war. I probably won't be hired as a research assistant this semester, but maybe spring and summer! For now, I'm just volunteering a couple of hours a week, but I'm soo excited, and I think he was excited that I was excited! My first assignment is to watch this DVD about the war in Afghanistan and look for things that members of the church should know about members who are involved in the war...from every day things to the miraculous, he said...and to find out what our government has been doing to help them out since we got there...rather than just all the bad stuff we hear about. I am SO excited, I think it will be awesome. Here is a link to an article that was in The Daily Universe: Saints at War

Oh, and then I told him I was doing Washington Seminar in the fall and he got really excited about that too. He used to work in D.C. at the National Defense University and hire interns so we wanted to tell me all about it.

I have a bunch of other projects on my plate right now, too. I wish I could tell you about ALL of them but I just don't have the time. Suffice it to say that I love all of them and life is wonderful.

Proud to be an American

2009-01-21T16:39:00.001-08:00

I remember when I first came to BYU and I thought it was so strange when I was walking to school early in the morning and all of a sudden I'd hear the National Anthem. Everyone would stop in their tracks to face the flag and place their hands over their hearts as it was raised. Then, the same thing would happen when I was walking home and the flag was lowered. I used to think this was silly and annoying, especially if I was in a hurry.

The other day I was studying when I heard the National Anthem, quiet through the library walls but still strong. I looked out the window to see the Air Force cadets respectfully lowering the flag and everyone holding still, as usual. I almost wished I were out there so I could also show my respect for the flag and my country even though it's such a simple act. Sometimes I think we don't appreciate America as much as we should, and all the effort that was involved in establishing it as a free and independent country. I've noticed that learning about the military last semester and making a greater effort to learn about our history and follow current events has made me feel much more patriotic and fiercely loyal to my country.

Here is one of the very first articles I wrote for the school paper, and one of my favorites!

http://newnewsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/69320

My Holiday Weekend

2009-01-18T08:09:00.000-08:00

The second week of the semester is now complete, but it feels like it's been about a month already! My friends and I spent the weekend supporting Jamie--in her intramural soccer game on Friday, and then in her tap dance performance on Saturday. She is an amazing tap dancer! The show included 31 performances--tap, clogging and Irish dance. I think the little kids may have been my favorite. They were all so good and could move their feet so fast! We also especially loved the super curly wigs that the Irish dancers wear.

Tomorrow is a holiday, which rocks. This is why I love winter semester, because we get a couple of Mondays off. TyRee is in St. George for the weekend, so I'm a little lonely, but my other friends and I are planning on driving to Park City to be tourists at the Sundance film festival. I think you have to get tickets ahead of time, so we probably won't watch any films (plus it's so expensive) but it will be fun just to go. I think Alison is really hoping we'll run into some celebrities.

More Beach Pictures

2009-01-16T13:55:00.001-08:00

Allison sent me some more pictures from our beach trip this week, so I wanted to include them because they're the only recent pictures I have...

The thoughtful picture

I like this picture for its artistic value...not because they're my legs

Models?

The balance beam

Again, I don't just like this picture because it's me...but because it looks like I'm flying!

Catch Up

2009-01-11T07:51:00.000-08:00

Today I thought I'd do one of those updates on my life.

--I got to go home for Christmas and see most of the family, which was great! I went with my friend Amanda to a concert in Los Angeles and at the Walt Disney concert hall. Little did we know we were in for a treat...the concert was all about the history of Yiddish theater! We weren't sure what it was ahead of time, so that was an interesting experience :). Then we stayed the night in a Moroccan hotel in LA. Here is a picture of the view from our hotel:

--I got to see a lot of my friends from home, and some of my guy friends who I haven't seen in two years since they've been gone on missions. Kellie, Allison, and I took a traditional trip down to Newport Beach to play in the sand, take pictures, ride the ferris wheel in the fun zone, and eat pizookies at BJ's! It was a beautiful clear and warm day.

--We have a new roommate! She's from Taiwan, so now we have two international students in our apartment (another roommate is from France), so that's way cool.

--Classes have been going great so far! I think I'll really like them this semester. I'm taking Current Events again, which I took last winter and I loved it. It's just a pass/fail one-credit class, so it doesn't require much work, but you learn a lot and stay caught up on the important current events. I'm also really excited about my Teachings of the Living Prophets class, Masterpieces of English literature, and Public Relations Writing and Productivity. For that class we work with a non-profit organization throughout the semester and get to do some real PR work!

A Dream I Remembered

2008-12-31T13:45:00.000-08:00

I rarely remember my dreams but this morning I woke up with my dream fresh in my mind. I was at the beach with my friends and we were walking back to the car. For some reason, I went a different way than they did and to get to the car, I had to pass through a hotel. I stepped into the elevator from outside and started going up. At first, there were two guys who worked at the hotel in the elevator with me, but they got off on the first floor where we stopped. I didn't get off, though, because I wasn't sure if it was the right floor. I kept going up and down, waiting for the elevator doors to open at each floor so i could take a look, but there were no signs on any of the floors to tell me I was at ground level--where I wanted to be. During my ride on the elevator, many others kept getting off and on. Finally, I decided to get off at one of the floors, even though I didn't know where it was. I ran into one of the hotel workers I'd seen on the elevator and he led me down some flights of stairs until I got to the ground-level floor.

I thought this dream was interesting since I'm in the middle of making some big decisions, and so I decided to take a lesson from it. In my mind, I keep going back and forth between different decisions I could make, waiting for some sign to tell me which decision would be best--which floor to get off on. But then the more I think about it, the more I realize that any of the decisions I made would be good ones, I just need to pick one. As long as I know my end goal (which was the floor that was level with the ground in my dream), I'll find some way to get there, even if I end up having to take some extra steps (flights of stairs) to get there because my first choice wasn't a direct path. As we take the steps to make choices, we run into people who affect our lives for good and will help us reach our destination.

Home is where the Heart Is

2008-12-23T13:36:00.000-08:00

I never thought I'd admit to missing Provo, but I do--snow, school, work, all of it. I'll always be a California girl, but now a big part of me is in Utah. I think I've done more growing up there than anywhere else. Coming back to California is now more like a vacation. It's nice to have a break, but sooner or later you want your life back.

Tis the Season

2008-12-16T16:14:00.000-08:00

It snowed on Saturday! Normally, that doesn't excite me, but it's just been so long since I've seen snow that it almost make me happy. TyRee and I decided to take a break from studying to play in it for a little bit.

Then on Sunday, our hometeachers came over to give us a spiritual message. In light of the season, they decided we would act out Luke chapter 2, about the birth of Jesus. We made makeshift costumes from around the apartment and every few minutes we would stop and sing a Christmas hymn. We got our roommates to join in as well. Our hometeachers are the best!

Joseph and Mary

The angel visits the shepherd

The wiseman brings frankincense and murr

The whole cast

2008-12-12T19:20:00.001-08:00

After publishing that last post, I realized I've been writing so much but posting hardly any pictures! I should probably start taking more interesting pictures to post up here, but here are some to catch you up on my life...

Me with some Arizona friends

Audra eating cake at her first birthday party

Me and Audra

Jamie and I...I can't believe it was this pretty at the end of November

TyRee and Jamie walking down a dirt road in Layton

American Heroes

2008-12-12T19:10:00.000-08:00

Tonight I'm going with Jon to the Air Force ROTC closing social. They're playing broom hockey and then ice skating. While there are a few girls, the Air Force mostly consists of guys and the Colonel is always trying to get them married off. I know this from interviewing him a few times and from the way he talks to me about Jon and others. The other day TyRee, who is in the nursing program, received an email inviting all the nursing students to the closing social. We laughed because we know the Colonel was the mastermind behind it, playing matchmaker with the Air Force guys and nursing girls.

I talked to the Colonel again this morning, because I'm writing an in-depth article (my very last article...I'm a little sad) about military families. Out of the 28 years that he and his wife have been married, they have spent a total of 9 years apart-that's about 1/3 of their marriage! And he said that they had moved about 27 times--including moves in college, but still. The way he talked about it seemed a bit casual, like that's just the way it was, which I thought was interesting. He said being in the military had strengthened his relationship with his children, and helped them be closer to each other. I suppose you'd adjust to whatever lifestyle you take on, but still, that just seems like it would be so difficult. People who manage that lifestyle and are still as amazing as the Colonel are my new heroes.

So much to do, so little time

2008-12-05T13:15:00.000-08:00

I hate when I start to feel like my life is so consumed with little errands and chores that I don't have time to do the other things that are really important...like writing my paper. You're probably wondering why I'm blogging when I should be busy...I guess I just wanted a little therapeutic break.

Anyway, it should be a pretty good weekend. Hopefully I can get done even half of the things I actually need to do. We did get to go to the temple this morning and that was nice. And work went well and TyRee and I are going shopping this afternoon-somehow we have to figure out how to go to about a zillion different stores in a period of two hours. Being a poor college student with no car, it's a rare treat to go to any stores, so we have to squeeze them in all at once!

Ups and Downs

2008-12-03T13:37:00.001-08:00

Today was a hard day. I had to wake up without an alarm clock because my phone is dead. Fortunately, I was able to wake up as early as I usually mean to get up. Work and class were a little tough today. More criticism today. Useful, constructive criticism, but still...some days you wish you were receiving more praise to balance out the more critical comments and today was one of those days for me. I'd call mom to make me feel better but I won't be able to use my phone for another day or two. Oh, and Kellie was going to come down for her birthday this Saturday, but now she can't because she has too much homework.

I have to write an article for BYU's bridal guide. It should be fun, except that I just can't get a hold of the source I really wanted to talk to and the article is due Friday.

I just finished a long paper for one of my classes yesterday, but now I have to get to work on another one that's due on Friday. I'm just glad the end is in sight-next week is the last week of classes!

To end on a good note, let me list some of the things that have made me happy this week:

-TyRee and I ran into Breezy from our freshman ward at Wal-Mart
-Jon and I went running together
-I got some Christmas shopping done
-I get to have lunch with Heidi next Wednesday
-I ran into my freshman roommate, Brooke, and my friend from home, Meredith
-The devotional was excellent
-Pete called and it's been nice to talk to him after 2 years
-I got to talk to Cara from Arizona
-I worked on my 72-hour kit and food storage
-Knowing school is almost out
-The Christmas season!
-All life's simple pleasures: roommates, sunshine, curly hair, reading scriptures, the police beat, dancing, sleep, pictures, music, Gilmore Girls, jumproping, black boots, skinny jeans, popsicles, etc.

I am Thankful for...

2008-11-27T00:05:00.001-08:00

(this is by no means all-encompassing or in any particular order)

...The gospel
...My testimony
...The atonment
...My family
...My roommates
...That it's barely snowed in Provo this season
...The smell of rain
...BYU's low tuition cost
...Relief Society
...Rainbows
...Rules/guidelines
...BYU
...My teachers
...Sunshine
...Thunderstorms
...Pedicures
...Catch Phrase
...Chocolate
...Getting into the Washington Seminar
...Temples
...Jon
...Agency
...My job
...My parents teaching me to save money
...My bike
...Monk and Psych
...The military
...The dollar theater
...Ibuprofen
...Smoothies
...Music
...Heroes
...Disney
...Little kids
...Humor
...Faith and hope
...The police beat
...Photographs
...Art
...Education
...Forgiveness
...Being a deep sleeper
...Doctors
...The beach
...Pizookies
...Smoothies
...The kindness of strangers

What are YOU thankful for?

P.S. I'm 20 and a half today! Does anyone else celebrate half birthdays?

P.S.

2008-11-23T18:01:00.000-08:00

Oh, I forgot to do an update, so here we go:

1. It's almost Thanksgiving! Even more than the excellent food, I'm so excited to see Carly, Rich, Evan, Audra, and my parents, not to mention to get out of Provo for a little while.

2. The BYU v. Utah football game was yesterday. We lost...but that's ok because we'll have an awesome comeback next year.

3. Today was Pete's homecoming. TyRee and Jamie drove up with me to Layton to see him speak at church. I was hesitant to go at first, but now I'm so glad we did. He gave a great talk and it was cool to see the change in him since he left.

4. I had two front page articles!

5. It still hasn't snowed!