Make Someday Today

WEDDING!!

2012-02-09T21:26:00.005-07:00

So once upon a time I got married.

And now I'm finally blogging about it.

I don't have the actual pics from the photographer yet, but these are a few taken by family members that I think capture the essence of the day.

Enjoy!

The coming out of the temple pics are always my fave. Everyone always looks so happy!

"Aunt Becky got married!!" That's what Hannah kept saying. Cutest little three year old with a broken arm ever!

Don't we look happy. This is on the side of the temple where the sun was shining and it was warm.

Then we moved to the shade where it was freezing and we had to wait forever to take pictures. I guess that's what you get for getting married in January.

Now to the reception. Cutting the cake has got to be the most awkward thing ever! I love how you can see Hannah creeping in the background just above our hands. So cute.

So my bouquet weighed like 30 pounds. And in all of the planning I didn't even think that I would need a bouquet to actually toss. This one would have knocked someone out if I had thrown it. So this is me, fake throwing the bouquet for the photographer.

This is our first dance. I didn't realize until we were actually dancing that the song I had picked forever ago was probably too slow to dance to. So we laughed while everyone stared at us awkwardly dancing slowly to the song. It was funny.

And of course, our lovely car that Spencer's brother and cousin decorated. They did a pretty good job I think.

And there you have it. Some lovely photos of the best day of my life so far! Yay for marriage!

2011

2012-01-04T17:54:00.002-07:00

Because everyone is doing it, I think I'll jump on the wagon too.

Let's review last year with a few pics, or maybe a little more than a few pics.

In January I turned 23 and celebrated at PF Changs with my family.

In February Suzie and I took a nice President's Day road trip to Arizona. Apparently we have the same road trip face ;)

This little beauty was the reason for the trip. My namesake Rebecca Maude Turley.

March brought Emily home.

And my second Moab Half with three of my sisters.

In April my best friend Elizabeth graduated with her masters in Accountancy. Yeah, she's kinda smart.

In May two of my sisters, my roommate Emily and I roadtripped to California. Camilla's wedding was the reason for the much needed vacation.

Leslie got married in June. She looked just like a princess that day.

In July I got bangs. It was quite a step.

And of course there was the end of my childhood with the very last HP movie at midnight.
I was Ginny Weasley and Emily was Fawkes the phoenix.

August brought the weekend of weddings. First was Angela and Joe.

Then there was Emily and Thayne.

And lastly it was Brooke and Taylor.

I also ran my first ever marathon, the Mesa Falls Marathon, in Ashton, Idaho.

While there I realized I loved this guy and in September, we were engaged.

In October Mel and I finally got to see Switchfoot live! So much goodness.

Apparently I didn't take any pictures in November, but I got to have like three Thanksgiving dinners and it was delightful.

December of course brought Christmas and visiting Temple Square. Oh, and I also graduated from college! That's right! I'll get my diploma in a few weeks.

Thanks 2011 for being a great year. I'm excited for 2012, especially the marriage part. I think that's a great way to start off the new year!

DONE!

2011-12-14T19:22:00.002-07:00

Today I took my LAST final ever in college.

Yup. The last one.

I'm graduating!

It's kind of a weird feeling. Now I have to be a grown-up. That's hard.

Oh well. For now: CELEBRATE!!

Best and Worst Christmas Songs

2011-12-07T14:23:00.003-07:00

What are the worst Christmas songs of all time?

I will answer with three.

#1. Little Drummer Boy

(I don't really want to hear "pa rum pum pum pum" anymore)

#2. Christmas Shoes

(Ew! Gag! Like unto "Butterfly Kisses." Is it the same singer?)

#3. Mary, Did You Know?

(Yes! Of course she knew! Gabriel told her!)

Those, my friends, are my top 3 least favorite Christmas songs. Please don't ever subject me to them. I may not be nice about it.

Now, onto the best.

#1. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

(This will forever be my favorite Christmas song. Love!)

#2. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

(Thank you Meet Me In St. Louis and Judy Garland for giving us this classic)

#3. Last Christmas, the Wham! version

(Oh yes. George Michael love! So many good memories with this song)

And these, are my top 3 favorite ones. These, on the other hand, I could listen to on repeat all year long.

Christmas time is here!

Seriously?

2011-11-30T15:33:00.002-07:00

I remembered a funny story I want to share.

Back in April a guy in my ward took me on a date. We went to get Costa Vida, which we carried out to eat while we waited in line for BYU's ever so popular Divine Comedy. This particular Divine Comedy was a spoof on Harry Potter and included a music video entitled "Firebolt" set to the tune of Katy Perry's "Firework." (The singer in this video was one DC member named Whitney. This is important later.) I enjoyed myself, I'm assuming he did too. But we never went out again and that was fine.

Fast forward about a month. My roommate and I are over at said boy's apartment visiting with him and his roommate. For some reason we get on the topic of boldness and bold ways they've asked people on dates. The roommate tells us said boy was brave enough to ask one of the girls in Divine Comedy out. We were amazed (they're kind of like celebrities here on campus) and inquired as to which one it was. They told us it was Whitney and then he proceeded to tell us this:

"Yeah. Last time I was at Divine Comedy I saw that 'Firebolt' video and thought 'man, this girl can sing. I need to ask her out!'"

Lest I remind you folks, that when he saw that music video he was on a date with me! And he seemed completely unaware of what he had just said, and what it meant. I didn't say anything of course, neither did I care. I just thought it was funny that he could be so obtuse.

Fast forward six months. I'm happily engaged by now and actually haven't really talked to this boy since that time. Spencer and I get tickets for Divine Comedy on Saturday night. Naturally we go early to stand in line so we get good seats. While we're seated on the ground of the Wilk Terrace who do we see? Above mention tactless boy of course; obviously on a date. And what food did they bring to eat while they wait might I ask? Yes. You guessed it. COSTA VIDA!!!

I laughed. Out loud. And proceeded to tell Spencer's sister the whole story. How many girls has he used this date on? Can he really be that lame? Is it working???

And as far as I know, he never went on that date with Whitney. It's probably for the best.

Boredom ABCs

2011-11-28T13:23:00.002-07:00

Remember those questionnaires that used to be forwarded through all your friends' email accounts? Yes, this is one of those. But because I'm so bored, I'm actually taking the time to fill it out. Don't feel obligated to read or even comment. It's mostly for my own entertainment.

Age: 23, for a few more months.

Bed size: Currently, twin. But not for long ;)

Chore you hate: Mopping the floor. Hands down.

Dogs: I don't have one, nor have I ever had one.

But if I did it would be a black labrador, like the ones the 101 dalmatians

cover themselves in soot to be disguised as.

Essential start of your day: Brushing my teeth.

I will go insane if I leave the house without brushing those

pearly whites (or rather yellows, I need some whitestrips).

Favorite color: Yellow.

Gold or silver: Silver.

Height: 5'

My fiance's uncle told me "diminutive" was a good word to describe me.

I didn't really know how to take it.

Instruments I play: Sometimes I pretend to play the piano.

Sometimes my teacher tells me I play with ice in my veins.

Job title: Research Assistant.

Kids: Want them, badly.

Live: I live in Provo.

Mom's name: Linda.

Nickname: Becks, Bex, Beckra, Beckron, Little One.

Overnight hospital stays: None that I'm aware of.

Pet peeve: Oh so many! I really hate it when people turn

lights on/off that aren't/are needed without asking me.

Quote from a movie: Um I speak in movie quotes. There are too many. We'll go with this one: "Isn't a bit early for blueberries?"

"Well they were strawberries, but it's been so cold lately that they turned blue!"

Right or left-handed: Right.

Siblings: Four older sisters.

Time you wake up: Usually between 7-8. This week hopefully 6.

Underwear: I don't understand.

Vegetables you dislike: Frozen peas.

What makes you run late: Usually nothing. Sometimes oversleeping.

X-rays you have had done: I've had a ct scan.

Also probably something on my head when I was little and fractured my skull.

And my ankle when I sprained it in October.

And those ones at the dentist/orthodontist.

Yummy food you make: Spaghetti.

Zoo animal: Giraffes! Did you know their hearts are 25 pounds?

They would have to be in order to pump all that blood up their necks to their brains.

And they have special arteries in their neck that won't explode from the pressure.

And there you go. I'm done now.

Slackers and Engagements

2011-10-28T16:27:00.007-06:00

Sometimes I run a marathon and then don't run for two months after that. Oh and I don't blog either. Sorry peeps. And it would seem that a lot has happened in the last two months. I'll try and catch you up.

School started. It's good. My piano teacher doesn't like the way I play. Oh well.

My best friend is having a baby girl in March! Wahoo! Cute little pregnant Zabet. I'm excited.

Oh right and I guess the most important news is that I am engaged! Yup that's right. ENGAGED! Spencer proposed, oh, almost a month ago. And I said yes. We're getting married!

Here is a little picture to whet your appetites for our engagements.
(Compliments of my roommate Katie Bell)

The date is January 12, 2012 in the Salt Lake Temple.

Happiness abounds.

Mesa Falls Marathon

2011-09-08T08:52:00.004-06:00

Yay! Life goal accomplished. On August 27th I successfully completed the Mesa Falls Marathon in 4 hours and 43 minutes. It was pretty hard at times, but it was so worth it. Running a marathon is something I've wanted to do for quite some time now. When I began training for this one I wasn't so sure I was actually going to make it, but I did, and now I don't have to run ever again! Just kidding. I'll run again. I just have to give my knees a break first.

Here we are the night before. It was held in this small little Idaho town that I fell in love with. It was like the whole town got together to put this marathon on and they were all so nice!

This guy showed up at mile 17 to surprise me. I had no idea he was going to come. It made me real happy to see him holding up a sign cheering me on.

Unfortunately that is the only post-race picture I have on my camera. Pretty sure I teared up when they put that medal on me.

And the name of this town provided Mellie and I with minutes straight of laughter on the long drive up in a hot car with bad ac. Portage? Really? Hahaha!

Five Years

2011-08-28T10:04:00.000-06:00

Well folks, this week marks the five year anniversary of me starting school at BYU. It also marks the beginning of my last semester as an undergrad. That's right. I'm graduating in December. In honor of both of these I've decided to do a celebratory post about the things I love most about my wonderful university. So here we go.

In no particular order.

The bell tower that chimes "Come Come, ye Saints" every hour on the hour.
It makes me smile every time I hear it. Really, it does.

The Joseph Fielding Smith Building or JFSB. This has always been my favorite building and this past year in particular I've gotten to spend ample time in here as it is the building I work in. Love love love the architecture and just everything about it really.

The Spencer W. Kimball Tower or SWKT (pronounced swicket). Yes. This acronym provided me with much entertainment my freshman year. Back then one could often find me randomly screaming out "SWKT" at various locations and times. The building is the tallest building in Utah outside of Salt Lake County and it also houses my college. The largest one in the university: Family, Home, and Social Sciences.

The mirror doors of the Herald R. Clark Building or HRCB. I have most def used these on numerous occasions to check that my outfit/hair/makeup are all in order. Seriously, they are just like mirrors.

The Museum of Art, aka MOA. I've also spent a great deal of time in this building. I had two art history classes in it and I've been to countless exhibits and eaten lunch at the delicious cafe many times. I love art. I love museums. So what could be better than an art museum? NOTHING. Thanks MOA. I'll come back and visit you often.

The first floor of the library, aka the dungeons. This is where I go to study because I don't get cell phone service and no one really goes here except nerdy history majors so I don't get distracted. Last winter semester I spent too many hours here writing papers that actually turned out to be pretty good. I heart you first floor and look forward to many more hours here writing my senior thesis.

So there you have it. A few of the things I love most about this wonderful university. I cannot believe it has been five years since I entered here as a terrified little freshman. Now I am on the eve of my graduation and I still have no idea what I'm doing with myself. Oh well, I sure learned a lot along the way :) I really do love BYU. I'll probably have school pride forever.

Weddings Galore

2011-08-24T16:36:00.004-06:00

So this past weekend three of my best friends got married and I got to be there to take part in all of it. It certainly was a lot of fun and it reminded me just how much I love weddings.

Number one: August 19, 2011
Angela and Joseph

Angela was my MTC companion. She quickly became one of my best friends and it was because of her that I didn't go crazy and give up in the MTC. 18 months later we returned home on the same airplane and now she's all marriaged and grown up.

The best part of the day was running into these two lovely people at the reception. They, my friends, are President and Sister Hoer. My most wonderful/amazing/youbanfa/incredible/any other great adjective you can think of mission president and his wife. I love them so much.

Number two: August 22, 2011
Emily and ThayneEmily and I went to high school together but didn't become friends until we lived together freshman year. We have been very close ever since and had the great opportunity of serving missions at the same time. It was always so comforting to know she was on the other side of the world in Chile doing the same thing I was.

Just because I love this picture.

Number three: August 23, 2011
Brooke and TaylorI was separately good friends with both of these people in high school. They began dating our senior year and were senior prom queen and king. After five years and some ups and downs, it finally worked out just right for them to get married. They are two of the most righteous and just plain good people I know. They're perfect for each other and it was such a treat to be a part of their wonderful wedding.

I got to be a bridesmaid at this one! This is me with Katy and Bethany at the reception.
It was quite a lovely day.

It's that time of year for weddings I guess. But they really are such a happy event.

Summer Movie Guide

2011-08-12T12:10:00.001-06:00

I love me a good summer movie. They always make me so happy. And this summer has been no different. I've seen quite a few of this summer's big blockbusters (or not blockbusters) and would like to offer my opinion on these movies. Warning: I'm an awful movie critic and like basically everything I ever see.

Something Borrowed
This one was cute. It was one of those movies where it just builds and builds and you know it's going to end badly when everything finally blows up. But it was still good. I wasn't sure if I liked it right away, but after thinking about it for a few days I decided I did. It was a fun, romantic movie which I always enjoy.

Thor
This was by far my favorite movie of the summer (excluding Harry Potter, which is in a league of its own). I thought this movie looked kinda stupid, and didn't really know much about it. I did know that the actor who played Thor was attractive so when my roommate asked if I wanted to go see it with her I decided to go. It ended up be being fantastic. It was funny, and good, and not too long, and it just made me happy inside. The story was believable, as well as the characters and I didn't want it to end. Goodness all around :)

X-Men
I love a good super hero movie, especially if it involves the men and women of the X (unless it's X-Men 3: the Last Stand. That one was stupid). I remember going to see Wolverine at midnight and absolutely loving it. And then seeing it one more time before I left for my mission. This latest X-Men was no different. Even though the characters were played by different actors and it was a somewhat different story, I LOVED it. I liked seeing the young X-Men and learning about how they came to be the way they are. And I also can't say no to James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender! So good. So good. And there are some fun cameos I never expected :)

Super 8
Yes, yes, yes, yes. LOVE. This movie was such a treat. Despite my intense love for Lost, I am always wary of J.J. Abrams because some of his things are so weird, e.g. Cloverfield. I never saw it, but I didn't have to to know that it was stupid. I saw the trailer for Super 8 and was very skeptical. 1. I don't like scary movies, and 2. It was J.J. Abrams. However, my family was going one Saturday and I couldn't turn them down. And the main character was that guy from that show I loved when I was a kid, Early Edition (I never got into Friday Night Lights). So I decided I'd go. It turned out to be fantastic. I absolutely loved it. The kids were hilarious and the story was good. And I just loved it, apparently along with every other movie I'd seen this summer. This one is definitely up there with Thor and Harry Potter. SO GOOD!

Green Lantern
Disappointment. I feel bad for DC. I feel like they're failing at life. Except for you know, the greatest superhero ever: Batman (so stoked for next summer!) This summer was definitely a Marvel summer. I will admit, the main reason I saw this was Ryan Reynolds. And I didn't have to pay for myself, so that helped. It was just kinda blah. It wasn't particularly good, or funny, or anything really. Pretty much just disappointing.

Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon
This was one pretty good. When I was a kid my sister and I would make fun of Transformers. So four years ago when I heard they were making a movie I just laughed. But then I went to see it and I fell in love. That movie was so good. In fact, it was the first movie I've ever purchased myself. I loved it. I still love it. I was sad when I found out the second one was coming out when I was in the MTC, and even more sad when I heard it was really stupid. I've still never seen it. So I was a little wary of the third one. How could they top the greatness of the first one? Answer: they couldn't, and didn't. But it was still fun. I liked it well enough. Except I don't understand why they have to choose such trash girls for the love interest. First Megan Fox, and now whatever-her-name-is-was-once-a-Victoria's-Secret-model. I didn't like her. But it was kinda fun to see Patrick Dempsey as the bad guy. That was new. This one is a good dollar/redboxer.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2
LOVE OF MY LIFE! As is obvious from the previous post, I am a huge Harry Potter fan/nerd. Love love love love. This was so bittersweet. The last of what has been a good twelve years of my life. Harry Potter is in a league of its own and I loved it so much. Once again I wish I hadn't read the last few chapters of the book right before I saw the movie (I reread the third book right before the movie and ended up hating it). But I still loved it. It was just a good movie. Really. Even if I hadn't read all the books and grown up with them like I did, I still would have loved it. What I love most about Harry Potter is how it emphasizes the importance of love and friendship and how they really can trump even the evilest of villains. Of course there were a few things that bothered me, namely the Harry/Ginny relationship (which is SO good in the books and which they murdered in the movies). Also the whole snake scene. I feel like they made that much more dramatic then it needed to be. I liked what happened in the book better. But alas, it was still good, and I def need to go see it again to do it justice. Mmmm. Harry Potter, my love.

Larry Crowne
Such a treat. I have waited for quite some time for two of my favorite romcom stars to do a movie together. Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks. And it was so fantastic. So funny, so good, so many good quoteable quotes. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and would recommend it to anyone. Spectackaler!

Monte Carlo
I went and saw this with my sister. It was fun. But def see it in the dollars or redbox it. I really like Selena Gomez. She's cute and I really hope she doesn't turn out like all the other Disney Channel crazies. If you want a feel good teenaged movie then this one is for you. It makes you happy inside. And it makes you want to go to Europe.

Midnight in Paris
Loved this one! I've only ever seen a few Woody Allen movies, and they've always seemed a little weird. But this one was great. It made me happy because I had just learned about all of the historical figures portrayed in the film. It was funny, and cute, and it had gorgeous scenery of Paris. Seriously. Made me want to go there so badly. Someday, someday. And I just liked seeing Owen Wilson playing an intellectual. I feel like his characters are always shallow stupid guys, but he was smart and fun in this one. And I liked it.

Captain America: The First Avenger
This movie made me so proud to be an American. Typically fun superhero movie. I really liked it. I think the best part, however, was the trailer for The Avengers that was after the credits. I'm so stoked for that movie next summer. I didn't love this one as much as Thor or X-Men, but it was still really good. And like I said, really patriotic, (it should have come out over the 4th, not Transformers, but I digress). See it, love it, feel intense love for your country, and excitement for The Avengers next summer :)

Cowboys & Aliens
Not so much. I saw they were making a movie called Cowboys and Aliens and thought it sounded so dumb. But then I saw the trailer and saw that Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford were in it, and it looked pretty good. And then I saw the trailer again and it looked even better so I got more excited about it. So then I went to see it. And it made me sad inside because it was so violent. Literally in the first thirty seconds I saw more blood then I wanted to. And the violence continued the whole time. I was disappointed. What I did like, however, was Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig. I just love them. And I was further convinced why Daniel Craig is James Bond. He's so awesome. So that was fun, but I don't think it was enough to make it worth seeing, except for maybe from redbox.

Crazy, Stupid, Love
I like romantic comedies. I like Steve Carell. I like Emma Stone. I like Julianne Moore. I love Ryan Gosling. I liked this movie. But I hate how they always add stupid parts that are really unnecessary. There was a whole storyline I feel could have been left out of the movie. But overall I liked it. It was funny. Laugh out loud funny, really. And there were some fun twists that I didn't see coming. And I got to see it with all four of my sisters so that was fun. I liked it and would probably watch it over and over.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
I know this came out in May, but I didn't see it until last night. It was pretty good. I've always loved the Pirate movies, but the second two kinda went down hill. I was a little skeptical about this one because I felt like the story was dead. But when I found out the Will Turner/Elizabeth swan storyline was going to be left out, I was a little more hopeful. Despite my roommate and I's many tries to see this movie (neither one of us have cars) at the beginning of the summer, we were fruitless. So we finally got a group together and went and saw it at the dollars. I mostly enjoyed it. I do love Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, but I wasn't really invested in the story. During the movie I was wishing it would hurry up and end already because I just wasn't as into it as I used to be into the Pirates movies. But after it was over, I realized I really did like it. It was definitely worth a dollar.

Wow. I've see so many movies this summer! I didn't even realize it until now. Apparently I've returned to normalcy.

I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

2011-07-14T09:45:00.006-06:00

Today is the day
my childhood is ending.

I read my first Harry Potter book in sixth grade and have been along for the ride ever since. I've been there for midnight book releases and midnight movie premieres. I've read and re-read all seven books more times than I can count.

But tonight that is all going to end. I feel like a little part of me is dying. I grew up with Harry Potter, and after this movie comes out, there will be no more.

I guess it's just time to reread the series again. Maybe that will bring me some comfort.

The only thing left to say is this:

Mischief Managed.

I Got Bangs!

2011-07-10T17:16:00.003-06:00

My hair is so now!

Well folks. I did it. I got real bangs. It was scary. But I think I'll like it.

Reese was my inspiration.

I've been told I look like Miss Pepper Potts from the Iron Man movies.
I liked that compliment. Gwyneth Paltrow is a babe.

I will admit. I was very scared. More scared than when I donated 15 inches of hair to Locks of Love when I was 17. This time, I saw my hair falling to the ground and was convinced I had made a huge mistake. BUT I think it's all okay. It has definitely been a fun and much needed change.

Bus Stories

2011-07-01T11:36:00.003-06:00

Let me tell you a humorous story.

When I was 19 I worked as a receptionist at a law firm for three weeks in downtown Salt Lake City. I didn’t have a car so I took the bus every day. Every evening when I got on the 5:15 bus the bus driver, who must have been mid to late thirties and possibly unmarried (no ring), would smile at me but I didn’t think anything of it. One day I got off the bus one stop early because I wanted to visit my old dance studio that was right nearby. He commented on my getting off early. Still, I thought nothing of it.

My job was only temporary and only lasted through the month of May. My second to last time riding the bus everyone got off before me and I was the last person on the bus when I got off at my stop. That day I remember I was wearing a nice black skirt, black stilettos, and my hair was curled (I always tried to look good. I worked at a law firm). As I stepped of the bus I heard him say “hey!” I turned around and he said, “You know you’re extremely beautiful right?!” I did not know how to react. He must have been at least 10, maybe 15 years my senior. So I just laughed a little, said “thanks” and proceeded to walk away.

I only rode the bus one more time because I only had one more day of work. He didn’t say anything and neither did I. I felt bad. I hope he didn’t think I had stopped riding the bus because he was hitting on me, but I really just had no need anymore. I got a car shortly thereafter.

So that, my friends, is when my bus driver hit on me. It’s been four years, but it still makes me laugh.

Bad News Bears

2011-06-28T17:47:00.002-06:00

There is never a good time for bad news.

In case you were wondering kidney stones are as painful as you would expect them to be.
I got one about a month ago. No fun. No fun at all.

What else is no fun at all? Getting a nearly $1,000 bill from the hospital three weeks later.

Thank you crappy health care. So much for buying a car.

Cheers to being a grown up.

Lost

2011-06-25T15:16:00.003-06:00

I finally finished it. Season six. I don't really know how I feel about it.

I came into Lost during the season finale of season three in 2007. Just after I finished my freshman year of college. It's amazing how captivating a good love triangle is and how easily it can suck me into a tv show. After seeing that episode, my sister Suz and I decided we needed to start from the beginning and it just so happened that my other sister Gen had the first season on DVD. So we put up a tent on the deck and spent the majority of Memorial Day weekend watching episode after episode late into the night. Those are some of my favorite memories.

Season one was finished within days and we quickly realized we must continue. So through the help of Blockbuster we managed to finish season two relatively quickly as well.

Lucky for us abc.com put all of season three online so those were easier to catch up on. I have many memories of staying up all night watching these episodes on my computer, in my bed, over Christmas break.

I still remember that the season four premiere was on January 31, 2008. I remember making sure my roommates knew that the tv was mine that night because I was so excited for it. I was all caught up and was going to be in on everything that was happening. But I soon realized how torturous it was to wait week to week for the new episodes because every episode ended with a cliff hanger. Oh J.J. Abrams, you sure know how to get and keep viewers don't you?

Although the show got weirder and more and more questions were brought up the longer I watched, I stayed faithful and watched the season five finale just a few days before entering into the MTC. I won't lie. That was one of the things I was saddest about when I left on my mission, that I was going to miss the sixth and final season of my favorite television show. I knew that catching up on Lost was going to be a priority upon returning home and envisioned many late nights with my sister Suz.

But I changed on my mission. I gained a greater sense of what is important in life and what doesn't matter at all. I also gained a real knowledge and love for the gospel and the Plan of Salvation. Upon returning home the things I loved so dearly before my mission (books, music, movies, tv shows) simply did not matter as much to me. And it took me seven months to actually bring myself to devote the time it would take to watch the last season of Lost.

I finished yesterday afternoon. I still don't know how I feel. I kind of feel like I invested so much time a show that gave me so little payoff. At the risk of spoiling just a little, to me it seemed like the creators of the show were trying to portray their own beliefs of life and death and what happens when we die. But I know what will really happen. I do. I really really do. And to see it portrayed differently than what I believe is a little weird. It was a happy ending, but I still felt a little unsatisfied. I can't put my finger on what was unsatisfying about it though. It may take me a while to actually decide how I feel. But now at least I'm done and I don't have to worry about it anymore.

So Lost, it's been a great four years.
Thank you for a lot of frustration, but also many happy memories.

Summer Solstice

2011-06-21T23:13:00.000-06:00

June 21. My favorite day of the year. First day of Summer.
The most sunshine in the day. Basically it's perfection.

Today was good.

Work
Costco
Dried mangoes
Delicious smoothie
Gorgeous sunset with great company.

It would have been better if I could have seen the sun tunnels with my family.

Alas, no such luck.

Maybe next year.

Happy Summer Solstice!

Top 25

2011-06-02T22:39:00.003-06:00

I used to think that people who looked at the top 25 songs played on my iTunes would not really get a great representation of my music taste.

However I looked at it again this week and realized that I was wrong. It is actually a pretty accurate description of my favorite bands and artists and songs. And I also feel like it has great insight into my personality, at least for myself. I can remember exactly when and why I was obsessed enough with all 25 of those songs that they made it onto that list. It's been fun to think about the past few days.

And I'd like to share that list with you now.

Paris by Benton Paul
Let That Be Enough by Switchfoot
I'd Rather Be With You by Joshua Radin
Acoustic #3 by Goo Goo Dolls
Brand New Day by Joshua Radin
Relax, Take It Easy by MIKA
This Is the Last Time by Keane
Shadow of the Day by Linkin Park
Be OK by Ingrid Michaelson
Vegetable Car by Joshua Radin
The Call by Regina Spektor
These Photographs by Joshua Radin
Viva La Vida by Coldplay
Green Eyes by Coldplay
Between the Lines by Sara Bareilles
This is Home by Switchfoot
Lost It by Cartel
Open Your Eyes by Snow Patrol
Everything'll be Alright by Joshua Radin
Love Today by MIKA
Big Girls (You Are Beautiful) by MIKA
Road to Ride On by Joshua Radin
In the Sun by Michael Stipe and Chris Martin
Red Cape by Priscilla Ahn
Closer by Joshua Radin

So there you go. What iTunes says are my top 25 favorite songs.
I may have to make my own list sometime and compare it to this one.

Everything'll Be Alright

2011-05-23T21:24:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite artists is Joshua Radin. His music just makes me feel happy no matter how sad I am. I had the great privilege of seeing him in concert a few months ago and he definitely did not disappoint. The second song he played was my favorite song of his called "Everything'll Be Alright." He told us he wrote it while he was watching his friend's kid after Hurricane Katrina, and upon further listening to the lyrics, I realized he does talk about New Orleans. The song is a lullaby of sorts and repeats the line "everything is gonna be alright" multiple times. Everytime I listen to it I feel better and it was a song I had to hum to myself during the hardest parts of my mission when I really did not know if everything was gonna be all right.

The reason I bring up this song is because I finally feel like everything really IS going to be all right. After six months. When I left on my mission I put my life on hold for a year and a half and I was terrified of coming home to a world that had moved on without me. I kept telling myself it didn't matter what happened when I got home and that I wouldn't be one of those RMs that can't move on and cries every day because they miss their mission so much. I had full faith that I would immediately return to normal and be okay.

BUT that didn't so much happen. Coming home was a lot harder for me than I thought it would be. In fact I couldn't eat normally for a few weeks and even into the new year I still wished I was back in Taiwan preaching the gospel. School was stressful. Life was stressful. Making decisions was stressful. Not having a purpose was stressful. So I just kept doing the things I knew I needed to do, and although at times I felt completely lost and hopeless, I knew I was never alone.

It's been a slow process getting back to normalcy and I don't think I'm there yet, but I'm on my way. I've managed to find a good balance. I still think about Taiwan every single day, but it's not so much in a sad, pining way, but in a happy, reminiscent sort of way. I've somehow found a way to return to my pre-mission life, keep my mission life, and start along the path of my post-mission life (if that makes any sense . . . it does to me). I've had a lot more challenges and heartache in the last six months than I imagined I would, but I know it's all for my good. And I know I can finally say "everything'll be alright." I know the trials won't stop. I know life will probably just get harder. But I also know that it will all be okay. I had a companion that would always tell me "In the end everything will be okay. If it's not the okay, it's not the end." I really liked that. Because even if things aren't okay, we can still find joy in life and joy in knowing it's not over yet. We still have time left to live.

So in the words of my good friend Joshua Radin, "I know everything is gonna be alright, yes now I know it'll be alright."

The Good Life

2011-05-21T20:59:00.004-06:00

Recently I've realized how blessed I am to have good friends, roommates, and wonderful family members that love me. My life is really great and even when it doesn't seem like it,
I remember that I am surrounded by people that love me.

I'd like to share a few recent pics to illustrate this.

Movie night at Aunt Kathy's with the cousins.

Alexis's bridal shower. These are three of my five Freshman roommates. Alexis, Stephanie, and Emily. Lexie just got married yesterday, Steph is married with a baby, and Emily is getting married in August. I love them all and even though our lives are going different ways, we're still great friends.

My bestie's graduation with a Masters in Accounting. She's a constant in my life. Love her so much! Even when she goes to Europe without telling me.

Dying Easter eggs with three of my four sisters: Mel, Suz, and Gen.
Always fun. Always happy.

My cute nephew Dean whom I love dearly. I've gotten to spend some quality Dean/Becky time since I've been home and it always makes me happy.

This was a fun little reunion last week. Four of the five Taichung sisters that went into the MTC on May 27th, 2009. KC, Camilla, Angela, and me. Unfortunately Allison lives in Canada. We are showing off our Asian peace signs. I am so lucky to know these wonderful women, all of whom are getting married in the near future.

See I have a pretty great life filled with really awesome people.

Love and happiness abound.

I just want to be somebody's . . .

2011-05-18T23:46:00.003-06:00

NUMBER ONE!

Really?

2011-05-13T22:22:00.006-06:00

Yesterday I went shopping with my roommates. Of course we had to make a stop in Icing. The little girl in me loves everything about that store. I feel so happy just walking into the glittery goodness and having a visual feast at all the shinyness. This time, however, I found something that kind of disturbed me.

These my friends are rhinestone-encrusted flasks. Yes FLASKS. As in to carry your own alcohol with you wherever you go. Here's a close up. (I don't know why it uploaded sideways, I tried to fix it. But you get the idea.) I love how it says "bad girl." Yes. Drinking is bad!

As if they don't know who their demographic is. Most of their customers are probably junior high and high school girls. Why on earth would they feel inclined to sell flasks? Despite this sign I still can't help but feel like they're condoning and even promoting under-age drinking by making it look glamorous.

You disappointed me Icing.

Mr. Pre

2011-05-09T21:34:00.005-06:00

Welcome to a not-so-uncommon conversation on BYU campus.

Mr. Pre: So, what are you studying?
Me: History
Mr. Pre: Are you going to teach?
Me: No.
Mr. Pre: Oh, cool (inside he's probably thinking I'm the most boring person in the world).
Me: What about you? What are you studying?
Mr. Pre: I'm pre-med (law, dental, insert any post-graduate degree that can have a "pre" here).
Me: Nice.

But really in my brain I'm thinking "you are an idiot! Pre-med is not a major! You are not 'studying' pre-med!" Just tell me your major. That was my question. That's the answer I want. Don't try to sound cooler by telling me you're pre-med instead of exercise science. I will inevitably ask the follow-up question "what are you gonna do with that?" I don't need you to save me the extra two seconds by first telling me you're pre-whatever!

Extreme pet-peeve.

That is all.

Recluse

2011-04-30T18:24:00.004-06:00

Yesterday I took advantage of Utah's public transportation system to get home to spend time with my whole immediate family. I sat down on the bus and hoped that no one would sit next to me because I hate feeling obligated to talk to strangers. Lucky for me the seat next to me stayed empty for the whole ride. As I got on the empty Trax train I sat down and knew it was very unlikely anyone would sit across from me because the train was so barren. But, to my dismay, not but one minute later a very beautiful, red-headed girl sat down in front of me (which on a train was facing me). In my head I thought "Seriously? There are so many other seats available. Why do you have to sit down right in front of me. This is so awkward." It was then that I realized I'm somewhat a recluse in public.

Before my mission I was the person that would put her iPod in to make the three minute walk between classes. On my mission I decided I needed to not listen to my iPod on campus, which I've been very good at. But that still hasn't made me a very friendly person. I don't smile at strangers, I look at the ground when I walk, and sometimes I even purposefully look away when I see someone I know so that I don't have to talk to them. Why? I don't know. I think I'm afraid of awkward situations, so I just choose to avoid them at all costs. This is bad. I know.

Anyway, back to the red-headed girl on the train. She started talking to me and at first I was annoyed. But then I thought about it. Maybe she didn't want to have to sit alone. Maybe she wanted company. Maybe she saw a relatively harmless fellow red head who she knew she could trust. Maybe she was avoiding sitting next to a scary stranger. There were numerous reasons for why she chose to sit next to me. In our short encounter I discovered how nice she was and that I really had no reason to be so annoyed. It was only a brief encounter. I didn't even get her name. But when I got off the train I realized it was really nice that she chose to sit by me and talk to me because I felt happier because of it.

So I have a new goal to not be so introverted. I'm going to be friendlier. I'm going to smile at strangers. I'm going to say hi to people I know even if they don't recognize me. I'm going to talk to strangers on buses and trains, because I just might brighten someone else's day in the process.

Too Cool for School

2011-04-28T18:18:00.001-06:00

I started Spring Term this week. I'm taking two art history classes for my hopeful minor in art history. I've always loved this subject since I took AP Art History in high school. However, as I looked around at my classmates in both classes (Modern and Contemporary Art) I realized that I'm simply not cool enough to be in these classes. They are full of liberal, indie, artsy people. I def don't qualify. I don't wear skinny jeans. I don't use a Mac. I don't wear Toms. I don't wear hipster glasses. I don't really have much to say about the art. I just like learning about it. I thought about majoring in art history once, but I decided against it and now I'm kind of glad I did. I don't think I would have fit in. But for the next eight weeks I think I can handle going to class and studying alone because I just really really like art history.

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T20:28:00.004-06:00

One of my favorite Easter traditions in my home is the pictures my mom puts up on the cupboards in our kitchen. For as long as I can remember she has put up wonderful pictures of the last week of the Savior's life to celebrate Easter. I remember helping her put them up every year when I was a child. When I was on my mission my sweet mother sent me a collection of pictures for me to celebrate the holiday in Taiwan like I used to at home. It was one of the best gifts I've ever received.

I love Easter and I love the Savior. I'm so grateful for His atoning sacrifice and that we can remember His resurrection today. Happy Easter!

Identity Crisis

2011-04-20T22:42:00.002-06:00

Sometimes I realize I am graduating in December and I have absolutely no plan for my life beyond that. I don't like it when that happens. What am I supposed to do with a degree in history? Originally the plan was law school, but I'm pretty sure I don't actually want to do that. So now what? Grad school? Also included in the realm of "I don't really want to do that." I keep trying to figure out what my passion is, but every time I try to think about it nothing comes to mind. Apparently there isn't anything I love so much that I can imagine myself doing it the rest of my life. Can't I just get married and have babies? But they tell us to be prepared in case something happens and we have to provide for our families. So I'm trying to follow that counsel, but I honestly can't figure out what I am supposed to do. I'm very open to suggestions.

MIA

2011-04-17T14:05:00.003-06:00

Dearest Blog Viewers (all two of you):

This teddy bear is missing in action.

Her name is Beth. She has been my faithful companion since before I can remember. Beth was a gift from my grandmother and I love her dearly. Sadly, she has disappeared. I was in Taiwan for a year and a half and when I came home she was missing. If anyone knows the whereabouts of my beloved Beth I would appreciate the information.

Thanks,
Becky

BFF

2011-04-10T20:24:00.003-06:00

This weekend was lovely. I got to spend some of it with my best friend. Elizabeth and I met when we were in 4th grade. We were both cast as Buffoons in Ballet West's production of The Nutcracker. Because we lived nearby we were chosen to be in a carpool group together. But we went to different elementary schools so after that we didn't really see each other until 7th grade when we were both put in the nerd's program called Access. We quickly became best friends and have been ever since.

We've been together through the awkwardness of junior high, the drama of high school, and the stress of college. Even though we're different and our lives are taking different paths (I went on a mission, she married her high school sweetheart), I know we'll always be friends and that makes me happy. I like her and she likes me. She won't ever get offended at anything I say, even if it's yelling. I value her opinion more than anyone else, besides my family.

She's graduating next week with a Masters in Accounting and she has a job lined up with a Big Four accounting firm in Salt Lake City. She's the smartest, most talented, most beautiful person I know and I feel very privileged to call her my best friend.

Heartbreak Warfare

2011-04-02T23:43:00.004-06:00

"Open me up and you will see, I'm a gallery of broken hearts. I'm beyond repair, let me be. And give me back my broken parts."

-Ingrid Michaelson-

This weekend I experienced the third and possibly most severe heartbreak of my short life.

#1: 18 years old

#2: 21 years old

#3: 23 years old

I feel exactly like that line from Ingrid Michaelson's song "Be Okay." I do just wanna be okay. I feel like my insides are just a gallery of broken hearts. And not just from romance. My heart was broken many times on my mission. Maybe I just give my heart away too easily. But is that such a bad thing?

Despite the sadness I feel like the most remarkable thing I've learned from all this is the reality of the Atonement. Today in Conference I learned that the Atonement covers everything and can help us overcome anything. I've also realized lately that Heavenly Father has given me an extraordinary gift of healing after I've had my heart broken. There is a scripture I love from 3 Nephi 9 when Jesus is talking to the Nephites before he descends from heaven. Verse 13 says:

"O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?"

I discovered it on my mission and interestingly it has been quoted in the last two conferences by Elder Anderson (of the Twelve) and Elder Richards (of the Seventy). I think this scripture can be referring to many things and can be applied many different ways. For me, I feel like I was really converted to the gospel on my mission and now I'm seeing the ways Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are healing me.

In the depths of heartbreak it's hard to see how anything that painful could ever be for our good, but it is. #1 took me 10 months to get over. #2 took me 18 months to get over. I don't know how long it'll take me to get over #3. Although it's the most severe, I also think I was the most prepared for it. I know it'll take some time, but now that I've learned all of these things I don't think it will be quite as painful. Heavenly Father loves me and will never leave me alone when I need Him the most. He can heal me. I have faith in that.

And Ingrid, we will be okay. Don't you fret.

Stuff and Nonsense

2011-03-26T13:59:00.002-06:00

So sorry it's been so long. Life is busy. Man school likes to take over my life. But only three more weeks till the end of the semester. I can already see light at the end of the tunnel. I just have to buckle down and finish a paper that's due on Tuesday that is worth half my grade. After that's turned in life will be significantly easier. I probably shouldn't be taking a break to blog, but I just can't read or write about Nazis anymore.

This is just going to be a post of randomness.

I don't like it when they change the taste of my favorite things. Examples : Kix and Honeycomb cereal. Those def don't taste the same as they did when I was a kid. And right now I'm eating Sour Punch straws. They taste different and I am disappointed. But whatevs.

I am in serious like.

I ran the Canyonlands Half Marathon last Saturday for the second time. It was so fun. Running is my current love.

I've been reading a lot of depressing books lately about the Holocaust, slavery, lynching, and the Civil War. It's taken quite a toll on my brain, but I think I'm doing all right. Don't worry. I also watched a great, but sad documentary about the Holocaust in my class. My teacher asked a few of us what we thought about it and he then quoted me in an email he sent to the whole class. It made me feel special. I've realized this semester how much better things go when you get to know your professors. Too bad I didn't figure that out in the six semesters I completed before my mission. Oh well, my last two will go well.

I took a Chinese test to get me out of some Chinese classes. I don't actually need the credit because I am neither majoring nor minoring in Chinese, but I did need the grades to boost my gpa. I got my results back: two As and two A-s. That made me happy.

I can feel spring time coming. If only that dang snow would go away for good. I'm waiting, not so patiently.

Life is good. That is all :)

Okay now it's time to get back to my paper.

Staples

2011-03-06T15:26:00.011-07:00

I realized that I eat the same thing every day. And I've probably been eating the same thing for the last four years (except the year and a half I wasn't here). I'm a poor college student. I find something cheap that I like and I eat it until I get sick of it. Fortunately I haven't gotten sick of any of this.

Breakfast:

Every day I wake up and have a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats. If I'm lucky(meaning, if it's on sale) it's the kind with cinnamon clusters. So good.Lunch:

Every single day I have a peanut butter sandwich (that's right pb only, no jelly) made with this:

Bread is the one thing I won't skimp on. I have to have the Grandma Sycamore white bread.

I also go through about a box of these every week:

Probably the best snack cracker ever. The side of the box says "get your own box." I firmly support that. I love me some Cheez-its.

And to stay somewhat healthy I always take a bag of carrots.

And because I have a major sweet tooth I always include these:

Curious George fruit snacks and Chewy granola bars.

So these are my college staples. The food I eat every day. I hope I never get sick of it because I still really like everything that I eat, and I don't want to have to think of other things to eat. :)

I Love Music

2011-02-11T09:35:00.006-07:00

Music is my life. I love playing it, singing it, and most of all listening to it. Silence kills me, it does. The other day my roommate told me I have really good taste in music and it made me so happy. I'd like to think that's true. Yes of course I like an occasional Keisha or Katy Perry or maybe even Lady Gaga song. But overall my music tastes are pretty fantastic if I do say so myself. Lately I've been listening to Pandora at work and I've realized there are a few songs I will never ever get sick of no matter how old they are or how many times they were played on the radio.

Examples:

"Clocks" by Coldplay
"A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton
"Over My Head" by The Fray
"Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol
"Beautiful Day" by U2
"Mr. Brightside" by The Killers

These are just a few.

Music makes me happy. My sister got me an iTunes gift card for my birthday. Mmm 15 new songs. I must choose wisely :)

Rings

2011-02-04T23:32:00.002-07:00

I've noticed lately that our society is very focused on rings. Rings on our fingers can symbolize so much. The thing that probably comes to mind first is marriage. But there are also promise rings, and CTR rings among others.

When a woman is engaged she wears a ring telling everyone else that she is taken. The man, for some reason doesn't have to wear this until he is actually bound by the marriage contract. But it's still the same concept. We want people to know. We maybe even want them to stay away because we're married. This was quite differnt in Taiwan. There, no one wears rings. It was very rare that I actually saw people wear wedding rings even when they were married, and had been for quite some time.

I usually only wear one ring, my CTR ring. It was a Christmas present from my mother almost 10 years ago. I love it because I have never seen anyone else with the exact ring. And for the past 10 years this ring has been worn on my left hand ring finger because it's the only finger it fits on . . . really. My sophomore year of college I decided that maybe the reason I wasn't getting asked out on dates was because boys thought I was married. So I took my ring off and put it on a chain around my neck where it stayed for a year and a half until the chain broke in the MTC. It returned to my finger because it didn't really matter if I wore a ring on that finger on my mission. Upon returning home I left it there because I like the ring and it only fits on that finger. I have gotten a few comments though, mostly people thinking I'm engaged and I'm not.

I realized too that I automatically do the ring check anytime I see a guy. I can't help myself. So I assume that most people do it to me too. Therefore I have begun switching the ring to the pinky on my right hand (which isn't exactly a comfortable fit) when I go to campus in hopes of not deterring anyone that may potentially want to ask me out. If it's working or not I don't really know. But I think I'm going to continue it until I find another chain that will allow me to wear it around my neck so that someday I can have a much bigger ring on that finger ;)

Everything I Need To Know In Life I Learned From Little Women

2011-02-02T16:56:00.003-07:00

For those of you that know me well, you will know that I absolutely love Little Women. Whether it be the book or the wonderful movie with Christian Bale. Today I decided that everything I need to know in life I learned from this story. Here is a list of my top ten:

1. Beware of the boy next door. He may just be perfect for you.
2. Don't say blast and retch.
3. Limes are overrated.
4. Don't let your sister do your hair, it may burn off.
5. If you stand too close to the fire you'll burn the back of your dress.
6. When you have to reject a "perfectly good marriage proposal," no worries, just run away to New York and all your dreams will come true.
7. No matter how many times someone tells you "nothing's going to change," everything will change. But it will all be okay in the end as long as you have your family.
8. "We're all going to grow up someday, we might as well know what we want."
9. "You don't need scores of suitors. You just need one, as long as he's the right one."
10. If you throw your sister's manuscript into the fire, she will try to kill you.

So there you go. Words of wisdom from Louisa May Alcott and the screenwriters of my favorite movie.

Random Recents

2011-01-27T16:01:00.002-07:00

I wanted to blog, but I didn't quite know what to blog about so I decided to expound on some thoughts and events that have occurred recently.

Item #1:

Dear January Shorts-Wearer,

Why would you actually dream about going outside in January in Utah without a coat? Moreover, why would you go outside wearing shorts and a t-shirt? Hey moron! Can't you tell that it's freezing and there is a high chance that you will get hypothermia and die? Okay maybe that's a little drastic. But seriously. I cannot help but get angry whenever I see you wearing shorts to campus all day when it's snowing outside. YOU ARE AN EXTREME IDIOT!

Sincerely,

Concerned Student

Item #2:

I realized last night at the SDSU game why Jimmer Fredette is the only BYU basketball player I have heard of. He is the team. He is amazing. I have a renewed love for basketball.

Item #3:

Is kissing just like riding a bicycle? I sure hope so. I'm real good at riding a bike.

Item #4:

I really really miss Taiwan. Sometimes it physically hurts. But I know Heavenly Father has a plan for me and right now I'm supposed to be in Provo. I don't really know anything about what that plan might be, but I'll figure it out slowly. And in the meantime I have facebook to keep me connected to Taiwan. Facebook, oh how I love thee!

Item #5:

I felt really magical today when someone threw reams of bright blue and green paper off the JFSB just as I walked past. I have no idea what it was for or why they did it, but it made me feel happy.

That's all.

Birthday Wishes

2011-01-21T23:17:00.007-07:00

Today is my 23rd birthday. I know it's not the least bit old, but it feels a little old to me. I remember turning 21 and thinking that was quite a big deal. Two years later, I just feel like I'm getting older. When asked what gifts I wanted or what I wanted to do for my birthday I couldn't come up with any answers. I didn't really want to celebrate it at all. But today turned out to be the perfect day. I woke up to this lovely display on my table this morning from my lovely roommate Camilla:

After a successful day at school and work (okay I did skip out on one of my classes) and a great trip to the temple I got to eat dinner with my family at PF Changs. Mmmmm. So good.

And here are the gifts:

It turned out to be a fantastic day. And I can say that I think 23 is going to be a good year. Yay! Happy birthday to me.

May or May Not

2011-01-19T20:52:00.002-07:00

At this very moment I may or may not be putting off loads of homework.

Translation: I'm totally procrastinating.

Recently (and by that I mean beginning a few months ago when I was still in Taiwan) I've realized that I, and those around me, use the phrase "may or may not" quite frequently. I've also come to realize that it's usually referring to negative things. Examples:

"I may or may not have forgotten (insert item here)." Said to my companion (more than once) after we had already descended the elevator, unlocked our bikes, and fastened our helmets.

"There may or may not be a Cinnabon." Said to my sister after noticing that the Arizona Hills Mall does, in fact, not have our desired cinnamon roll destination.

"You may or may not have some of that on your pants." Said to me after I had spilled Kung Pao Chicken all over myself without noticing.

All of these are negative. So I ask, why do we have to have both the "may" and the "may not?" Why can't we just tell it like it is. Are we dressing it up to soften the blow? Why can't we just be blunt and say things like "Hey, you spilled on your pants!"? Because for one brief second, the "may or may not" turns it into a guessing game. We're left thinking "did I or didn't I?"

But, despite all of this, I will still continue to use the phrase "may or may not." Let's face it, we all know what it means and we all enjoy it anyway. We're not REALLY left guessing. We all know, without a doubt, what the intended meaning is.

Winter

2011-01-14T17:26:00.003-07:00

I had a happy moment the other day. I was walking home from school. It was cold, but not freezing. I was listening to really good music. On my right was one of the most beautiful winter sunsets I've ever seen. The sky was a gorgeous mixture of pink and blue. I have never seen anything like it. And then on my left were the mountains covered in snow. And the best part about this whole scene was that the air was absolutely clear. NO hint of an inversion anywhere. As I continued to walk I couldn't help but smile and think to myself, "it is moments like this one that make me like winter." The simple beauty of it all was beyond comparison.

Happy New Years

2011-01-01T12:34:00.002-07:00

Today is 1-1-11. What a way to start a new year! I'm excited. Usually I LOATHE New Years resolutions. It's the cynic in me, but I just feel like we're all setting ourselves up for failure. BUT this year is different. I've decided to embrace the resolutions and set some quality goals for the year 2011. Something I really learned on my mission was how to set goals and make plans. If we really set our mind to something and enlist the help of the Lord we can accomplish so much. In the strength of the Lord we can do anything.

I just came back from a mission and I still feel really weird. But I'm excited for the new year. I'm excited for the rest of my life. My future is very indefinite and I have no idea what I really want to do with my life, but I know it'll all be okay. If I know one thing it's that Heavenly Father loves us. He wants us to succeed. And I know that as I follow Him and do the things I'm supposed to be doing He will help me. He will help me know what I'm supposed to do after graduation. He will help me know who I am supposed to marry and when. He will help me love everyone. He will help me get along with my mother. He will help me be patient.

So it's the beginning of a new year. A new year that will bring much joy and many happy memories. Happy New Year! Happy 2011!

Who Do I Want To Be?

2010-12-28T23:41:00.003-07:00

Who am I?

Good question.

What do I want to be?

Even better question.

Before leaving Taiwan my mission president told us that we needed to figure out what it was gonna take to BECOME the right person and then to BE that person. I really like this advice. Sounds easy enough right? Maybe. I think it's doable. It reminds me of a quote I really like by President Thomas S. Monson:

"In the search for our best selves several questions will guide our thinking: Am I what I want to be? Am I closer to the Savior today than I was yesterday? Will I be closer yet tomorrow? Do I have the courage to change for the better?"

This is the key. Do I have the courage to change for the better? Life is scary. Change is scary. But we can't let the fear take over and stop us from being the person we can become through the help of the Savior. If I learned one thing on my mission it's that we MUST trust in the Lord. We CANNOT do anything alone. And He is so ready and willing to help us. We just have to ask.

So are you who you want to be? Well today's the day. Be brave! Gather the courage to change for the better.

Pick a path and stay on it!

Tattoos and College

2010-12-26T23:46:00.003-07:00

I've always said that if I were to rebel I would get a tattoo. Not anything big and ugly. Something small on the outside of my ankle, like a star or a flower. I think I like tattoos. Small, innocent ones at least. But sometimes I think tattoos are really stupid. For example:

I worked at Honeybaked Ham for the last two weeks. It was pretty hard. My first day there I met a girl named Jasmine. The first thing I noticed about her was the big tattoo on her neck, just below her ear. It was of red lips, and underneath the kiss it said "Emilio." I thought, "wow I hope she's still with that guy." It would be real awkward if she weren't. I'm not gonna lie, she was a little white trash, but for the most part I liked her. And I was really curious about Emilio. Then to my great delight, my last day there my curiosity was satisfied. A new guy showed up, who was pretty white trash, and seemed to be real tight with Jasmine. After a couple of hours working next to him, I noticed the tattoo on his neck. Just below the ear. Very familiar red lips. I bet you can guess what was written under them. Yup, "Jasmine." It was Emilio! He was her fiance, and apparently they had four children. But they really could not have been that much older than me. I felt kind of bad for them. And I hope, for the sake of their tattoos (and really their children) that they stay together, and get married.

So through all of this, I learned that tattoos are pretty lame, and I'm really grateful I go to college. I now know why all the studying, and tests, and papers are worth it. So I don't have to end up working at Honeybaked Ham for the rest of my life.

Where Are You Christmas?

2010-12-15T23:12:00.005-07:00

Christmas is in ten days, but I don't feel it coming. There is snow on the ground, there are lights on the houses, there are two trees in our house, and there is Christmas music everywhere, but I still don't feel it. And I actually prefer to listen to real music instead of Christmas music (gasp)! Me, of all people. I LOVE Christmas music. What is my problem?

I think I'm just taking a while to adjust to normal life. I've recently begun working at Honeybaked Ham for the next two weeks as seasonal help. As I wipe off hams and incur tendinitis in my wrist, I think about how I went from being a full time servant of the Lord, bringing the most wonderful news in the world, to a slave in the back room who wears an apron and a hairnet.

I spent the last year and a half of my life spreading the news of our Savior Jesus Christ and it was the happiest I've ever been. And I'm trying to keep that happiness with me, but it's going away. I have to be a grown up and do grown up things . . . like go to school, and work, and pay for things. And I don't even feel the happiness of what I think is the happiest time of the year. CHRISTMAS! Where are you? Please come to me!

Please bring me this:

Coming Home

2010-11-28T20:36:00.003-07:00

And here it is November 28, 2010. I don't know how a year and a half goes by that fast, but it does. There aren't really any words in my brain right now for how I'm feeling. I'm just kind of numb. I'm here. I'm not in Taiwan. I can listen to music and watch movies and I don't speak Chinese to everyone.

Coming home was different than I expected. Not that I really know what I was expecting or how I thought it would be. I know it will all be okay and I'll find a way to assimilate into society. Right now I feel a little out of place. But I have hope, I have faith, and I know that everything will turn out all right.

The mission was amazing. It really was the best decision I ever made. My ultimate someday, but now I know that there are many more somedays to be had. And I know I can do hard things. I can make things happen and I will. There will be much more to blog about in the coming years and I'm excited for what the future holds.

Anyway. I'm back. Life is good.

This Is It

2009-05-26T01:15:00.005-06:00

Memorial Day usually means the official beginning of summer. At least that's how I've always seen it. But this one was different. It was my last of a few things for a little while. Last summer I was talking about how I needed an adventure and now I'm about to embark on it. I'm forgetting about myself for 18 months to serve the people in Taiwan.

Yesterday I was talking to my aunt and she pointed out that I'm pretty much saying goodbye to my childhood. I had never really looked at it that way before but I guess she's right. I feel like Jo in Little Women when she goes to New York and says "I was stepping over the divide between childhood and all that lay beyond" (or something to that effect). When I get home things won't be the same. I'll be a different, hopefully better, person. The world will have moved on and I'll come back to a new place. But I'm excited for everything really. I know what I'm doing is so wonderful and it will only enhance my life that much more.

So while I may be moving on from childhood, there is still that little girl inside me that gets scared. She knows that it's going to be the hardest thing I ever do. But I have faith that I'll be okay and I can tell her "everything is gonna be all right."

My someday is here! I'll be back in a year and a half!

Footprints

2009-05-12T00:31:00.002-06:00

You know that poem about footprints and people coming into our lives for a reason? Well I firmly believe that some people in our lives are there for a specific reason and we are supposed to learn something from them. Sometimes, however, it takes a while for us to see those reasons. I've had a few of these people in my life. Most recently I became very close to one such person. And sadly I think that his time in my life is coming to an end, and when I return from my mission things will never be like how they were. But I know that there is something I am going to learn from my friendship with him. What it is I don't know yet, but that's why we have certain experiences--to be able to look back on them and learn right? That's what I think at least. And I look forward to the day when I will know why I was meant to be friends with this specific person at that specific time in my life.

Another one of these people has become one of my best friends, which is funny because my first impression of her was very misjudged. We became extremely close my senior year of high school when I needed her friendship the most. I think at times she knew me better than I knew myself, and I think that's why I needed her. That summer I went to her for everything and although she did not always agree with some of my choices (later mistakes) she always supported me and helped talk me through some of my heartache.

It was during my first year of college and her senior year of high school when she needed me. I helped her through all the drama that comes with high school and we still managed to stay good friends despite the separation.

After that year, however, things kinda changed. I felt like she didn't really need me anymore and although it was hard at first I got used to it. Then she went away to a different college and our friendship has pretty much been reduced to occasional phone calls and periodic lunch dates.

Looking back on my time with her I've realized it was her friendship I needed when I was tired of being the third wheel and when I had had quite an emotional setback due to a certain boy. She helped me through one of the most difficult times of my life and helped me see my own self-worth. For that I will be forever grateful for her. And even though we don't get to see each other as much as we'd like, she will always be one of my closest friends, and I will still go to her for advice and love even if it's only over the phone, or a Cafe Rio pork salad.

So Many Mutants, So Much Time!

2009-05-10T22:58:00.002-06:00

Let me start off by explaining the title. It was a quote from a radio show my sister heard discussing the new X-Men movie about Wolverine. I happened to think this movie was awesome. It was definitely my favorite X-Men yet. But the people on the radio show apparently disagreed with me.

But anyway this phrase is reminiscent of the saying "so many ____, so little time." This perfectly explains how I've been feeling lately. When I got my call on February 11th, May 27th seemed so far away. It felt like I had all the time in the world to finish up the semester and get ready to leave. But wow time flies. May 27th is in 17 days. I can't believe it's already upon me. I haven't had time to do the things I wanted to do before I leave like read a billion books, watch a billion movies, and go on a few trips. There are still so many things I want to do and so little time to do them. My room is a disaster area filled with mission things. Sometimes I still can't believe I'm actually going to be leaving for 18 months. There are so many people and things I'm going to miss. It's sad.

I know that in the end, however, it will all be worth it and the things I missed won't matter. But it's hard to see that now. I feel like the excitement of leaving should take over the sadness of saying goodbye, but that excitement isn't coming very quick . . . .

Goodbye. Already?

2009-04-20T14:46:00.002-06:00

I said my first goodbye last night. It was pretty sad, to me at least. It was harder than I thought it would be. And strangely, it was somewhat of a movie moment. He hugged me and walked me outside. We said goodbye, and I looked at him one last time before turning around and slowly walking to my car. Then I drove home feeling sad and confused. I technically only met this boy in January, so why was I so sad? Maybe because it was my first goodbye and it came a lot sooner than I expected. Last night was my first glimpse of what I'm going to have to do at a much larger scale in five weeks. But I realize I shouldn't worry about it too much because I am leaving for something wonderful and I am so beyond excited! And 18 months is really not that long. But for now, I'm still feeling a little sad.

Looking Back

2009-04-12T00:03:00.002-06:00

Today was one of those good days. It's simple, it was just a good day. I slept in after going to bed late, went and got a pedicure with Emily, watched Slumdog Millionaire (also with Emily, and it was incredible by the way), ran some essential errands, did some last homework of the semester, and then went to dinner at Cheesecake Factory with some girls from high school for a birthday. The interesting thing was that in high school I was not necessarily good friends with any of the other seven girls at dinner, but through various circumstances after high school I have grown extremely close to one of the girls (the Emily mentioned above) and relatively close to a few others. But one of the girls, we'll call her Anne, I actually had a very hard time with in high school and although she was very good friends with Emily I still did not necessarily like her. It bothered me for a while my freshman year of college and I really tried and even prayed that I could see the good in her and not feel the way I did. This process took a long time, however, and it has just been as recently as January that I have been able to overcome this. I think it was a combination of learning more about her background, being more open, our own growing up, and of course my prayers that led to this. But tonight I had a break through. After a very good conversation I began to see that we could really be friends.

At dinner we all talked about marriage, missions, boys, movies, current events, etc. and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. My favorite part of the night was discussing a particular boy that interestingly enough three of us at the table (myself included) had dated. On the way back to Provo with Emily and Anne, we continued our conversation about said boy and it was very enlightening. This led to other topics of conversation, like how I decided I would serve a mission, and even some tears were shed. I used to think that Anne was putting on a show, but tonight I began to see that she genuinely cares and is interested in the things I have to say. It made me feel good that she cared.

Whilst on the way home I remembered something my oldest sister had said once. It was when she turned 30. I asked her if she felt old because that is obviously an important birthday and she responded with something along the lines of this:

"You know what, I don't feel old. I feel good that I can look back on my life, the last ten years in particular, and see my accomplishments. I'm proud of my life and I feel good about how I got to where I am today."

I could be fabricating some of that, but that's what I got out of her comment about looking back on her life. In the car tonight I told my friends about this and mentioned the fact that we were beginning to enter that stage of our lives where we could look back (which is what Anne and I had done for a lot of the night) and analyze the decisions we have made. I know we're still pretty young but I can remember relatively well the past twelve years, at least, and, like my sister, I am very proud of where I am today.

I have done a lot of looking back lately, especially through my journal. I am almost done with this current journal, which I have been working on for over three years. Something I have really liked in reading it is that I can see my growth from the young 17 year old I was when I started it. I know who I am and how I got to be the way I am, and I love that I can see the changes I have made to make myself a better person.

Yeah, it was definitely a good day. Now I'm just hoping I can have the same attitude my sister had on her 30th birthday. We'll see nine years from now :)

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

2009-04-05T00:23:00.002-06:00

Holy crap! Can I say sad? I don't think I've ever cried so hard in a movie . . . well except for maybe Hotel Rwanda. My first reaction: said through heavy tears, "I hated that, why did I just watch that?" But after I calmed down I realized it was very good. As sad as this movie is, it is an incredible story.

I saw the trailer for this a few months ago and knew right away it was something that I wanted to see, but I never got around to it until tonight. And wow, I was not prepared for it. I knew it was going to be intense, but I didn't realize how intense. I became so invested in the characters and in the story.

The acting in this movie was superb. Every character was so believable. Especially David Thewlis as an extremely controlling NAZI leader. The only other role I had seen this actor in was Remus Lupin from Harry Potter, which is quite opposite. As a NAZI he does such a good job of making you hate him and his actions, as well as making you feel awful for his wife.

The most interesting part for me was to see it from the perspective of a German soldier's family. My whole life I've been learning about World War Two as an American and we're never really taught about how it affected the German people. Not all of them were horrible, not that I thought they were, but it really was educational to see a fairly accurate representation of how it was.

So anyway, I highly recommend this. If I were a member of the Academy this definitely would have gotten my vote for best everything. I don't understand why it wasn't nominated at all. But I must warn you, prepare yourself. Watch it with a box of tissues and at least one other person; definitely don't watch it alone.

Life Never Goes as Planned, or Does It?

2009-04-03T21:35:00.006-06:00

So here I am, blogging at 9:30 on a Friday night when I really should be working on my ten page paper. I just can't bring myself to do it. Probably because I don't really know what I'm going to say. I hate writing on topics that my professors are experts on because then if you forget something, or say something completely untrue, then they know right away. I think one of the only useful skills I've learned in college is how to BS a paper. Even if it isn't good BS, if it'll help me pass the class and just fulfill the assignment then I'm happy. I should probably spend more time researching and actually learning about what I write on, but I'm just so worried about getting it done. I hate that quality in myself, but anyway, enough about this paper.

I think for the most part it's true that life does not go how you planned. That is certainly true for me this past school year. I became so invested in one area of my life that I completely forgot about another more important one--school. I pictured and envisioned how that one area would go and how things would pan out. But things didn't happen how I wanted them to and I was left alone in the cold (so to speak). So now that that is over I'm left scrambling at the end of the semester trying to stay afloat. And of course I'm procrastinating because why would I get something done before the night before it's due? I'm a typical college student I guess.

I love having a plan for my life and knowing what is going to come next. At the risk of losing your respect, I'm going to reveal my guilty pleasure and reference Gossip Girl. In one of the latest episodes Nate and Blair are talking about why Blair would always make them watch the same movies over and over again. And the answer was because she likes knowing how things are going to turn out. I think I'm a little bit like that. I could watch the same movies over and over again and it is something my mother never understands, but I think that is the reason. I like knowing how things are going to turn out. That's why I like history so much as well. It has already happened and we already know how it happened. So when things go differently than I want, I get scared and hurt, and I wallow in my self-pity too much.

When things did not go as planned this semester I started really thinking about my life and what I wanted. If you had asked me when I graduated from high school what I wanted out of my life it would actually be pretty accurate to how my life has turned out. I thought my life was so different from how I had planned, but looking back on the past few years it really isn't. I ALWAYS wanted to go on a mission, and I NEVER wanted to get married BEFORE I graduated from college. And look, here I am two months away from entering the MTC to serve my mission in Taiwan. There were so many things I wanted to do and I can still do these things. I can be an EFY counselor, I can go on a study abroad if I want, I can graduate before I get married, and most importantly I am serving a mission--the thing I desired most out of life.

I think I got a little disillusioned this past year because I had some close friends getting married, and I thought that's what I wanted too. But I'm relatively young and there are so many things I still need to learn and do before I get to that point in my life. So while my day-to-day existence may not go exactly as planned I'm really getting everything I wanted out of life post-high school. It's like President Monson's talk from last conference. We need to find joy in the journey and be happy with life as it comes without dwelling on the past or the future.

April Fools

2009-04-01T13:33:00.002-06:00

I woke up to snow again. I'm hoping that the weather is only playing some sick April Fools joke on me and that tomorrow the beautiful April sun will shine. One can hope right?

Moab

2009-03-24T22:32:00.004-06:00

So on Saturday I ran my first half-marathon. Wow, me running a half-marathon? Crazy, I know. Never in a million years did I think I would do something like that, but it was awesome. Well now it is awesome, during and right after it wasn't so awesome. Running is something I was never particularly fond of, but have come to love in recent years. It has become somewhat of a therapy for me. I love the feeling of just putting in my iPod and running all my cares away. So in November when my friends brought up the idea of running the Canyonlands Half-Marathon I thought it might be fun. We got accepted and started training in December and I can't believe it's already over. It was probably one of the hardest things I've ever done. My knee, which has never hurt before, began hurting within the first mile but I ran through the pain. I ran the whole time and finished in 2 hours 11 minutes--better than I thought I would do by a little bit. The first 11 miles in the canyon were so pretty, but when we got out onto the highway it was really hard. The only thing that kept me going those last 2 miles was the thought of my friends and family waiting for me at the finish. And it was definitely worth it to see them cheering me on. I felt loved.

I don't know if I'll ever want to do a full marathon, but I know I definitely love running and want to do some smaller races in the future. Hopefully my knee doesn't give up on me. Yay Moab!

It's a Brand New Day

2009-03-13T15:35:00.009-06:00

So the other day Suzie introduced me to this song. It's "Brand New Day" by Joshua Radin from his new album Simple Times. I've pretty much been listening to it non stop for the past week now. It just makes me feel happy and good, as does most of Joshua Radin's music. So I thought I would share :)

Some kind of magic

Happens late at night

When the moon smiles down on me

And bathes me in it’s light

I fell asleep beneath you

In the tall blades of grass

When I woke the world was new

I never had to ask

It’s a brand new day

The sun is shining

It’s a brand new day

For the first time

In such a long long time

I know

I’ll be ok

Most kind of stories
Save the best part for last

Most stories have a hero who finds

You make your past your past

Yeah you make your past your past

It’s a brand new day

The sun is shining

It’s a brand new day

For the first time

In such a long long time

I know

I’ll be ok

This cycle never ends

You gotta fall in order to mend

It’s a brand new day

For the first time

In such a long long time

I know

I’ll be ok

Eraser

2009-03-02T15:25:00.002-07:00

How do you forget about something that has been occupying your thoughts for six straight months? I need a magic eraser.

What Are You Passionate About?

2009-02-27T13:07:00.004-07:00

A few years ago someone asked me what my passion was. I could not really think of an answer right then. But a few weeks later I went to a performance of a dance team I had been a member of at one time. As I was watching them perform I could feel in my heart the desire to be perfoming with them. I've realized since then that my definition of something I'm passionate about is when I can genuinely feel the love in my heart for that thing. That is when I know it is my passion. Well I have recently decided three of my biggest passions are these:

The French Language

I love French and anything related to it. It is my ultimate dream to someday go to Paris and someday be fluent in French. But now I have to put that aside and focus on learning Mandarin . . . yikes!

PIANO

I love playing the piano so much. And I am so sad that I did not take it more seriously when I had the chance. There are few things I regret more than not practicing when I had the chance.

BALLET

And of course ballet. I love ballet, and actually any performing in general. I was a dancer my whole life and my heart yearns for it now. I just recently had the opportunity to dance in a Christmas concert and it was the highlight of my 2008.

Engagements, Engagements, Engagements!

2009-02-23T14:02:00.003-07:00

Everyone around me is getting engaged lately. Both the girls I visit teach are engaged, my FHE Dad is engaged, the Sunday after Valentine's Day five girls announced their engagements in Relief Society, and three girls did so yesterday. A few friends from high school are engaged. On Saturday, my good friends Kimberly and Jason got engaged. Today I learned that my home teacher from last year is engaged. Who isn't engaged, seriously?!

I'm certainly not. I'm going to Taiwan!

My Head is Going to Explode!

2009-02-18T15:27:00.004-07:00

So I'm taking a page from Megan's book and compiling a list of all the thoughts that are swimming around in my head right now. This is going to reveal my nerdiness, but I wish I had a pensieve like in Harry Potter to put my thoughts and memories into so I could sort them out.

-What is this nervous feeling about? Does my body know something I don't?
-Professor Lee what the heck do you want me to do? I don't understand these documents.
-How am I going to learn Mandarin?
-I'm going to Taiwan!!!
-"I need to be bold, need to jump in the cold water, need to grow older with a girl like you!"
-Kimberly, I hate that you don't live with me anymore.
-L&T was just what I needed. Mmm.
-"I just wanna be okay!"
-"Everything is gonna be all right!"
-School! Who has time for school?
-MIDTERMS???!!! WTF?
-I never say WTF! That's how crazy I am right now.
-I love to see the temple, I'm going there someday. . .soon!
-I need to prepare for the biggest event of my life thus far, but when do I have time?
-MAKE UP YOUR MIND AND TELL ME WHAT YOU'RE THINKING ALREADY!
-Frustration to the max!
-Taxes!
-I think I am currently experiencing every single emotion known to mankind.
-I desperately need to cry those emotions out of me, but it just won't come.
-What the heck was that dream last night? Creep sauce!
-"Are we human? Or are we dancer?"
-Why do you people live in Logan?
-Where did she come from?
-Motorola phones suck!
-Why am I running a half-marathon?
-It would have been nice to go to Arizona for the weekend.
-Too bad I can't go skiing ever.
-What do you want for your birthday?
-"Take my hand, knot your fingers through mine, and we'll walk from this dark room for the last time."
-If you make me redo that bibliography again I'll probably break down.
-How the heck do I find sources?
-12 Weeks! AHHH!
-Everyone I know is getting married, I swear!
-I still feel bad for making you cry.
-"Kiss me!"
-"It's a love story, baby just say 'yes!'"

I Love You . . .

2009-02-14T09:42:00.004-07:00

Love it or leave it Love is cheap Make love not war Love hurts love stinks Gimme some love Love me or leave me Love for sale You can't buy love True love love conquers all I love new york Love at first sight I'm falling in love You never forget your first love All i need is love I love you, too!

-American Eagle T-Shirt I Own-

Taiwan

2009-02-12T10:15:00.006-07:00

I'm going to Taiwan Kaohsiung. Taiwan!!! Never in a million years did I think that's where I would go. Am I scared? I'm terrified. Am I excited? Heck yes. Is it going to be hard? Oh yeah! But most importantly it's going to be awesomely wonderful and I am so stoked. I am going to preach the Gospel in Mandarin Chinese, a language I do not know a single word in. It's craziness. But that's where the Lord wants me to go, so I will willingly go there and I will love every minute of it. Taiwan, I still can't get over it. All day I've just randomly been saying "Taiwan?!" Am I really going there? Yes, I'm really going there!

In Case You Were Wondering . . .

2009-02-09T15:40:00.000-07:00

I'm A Positive.

25 Random Things

2009-02-04T14:49:00.003-07:00

So instead of putting this on facebook where people I don't even know can see it, I've decided I'll put it here, where the likelihood of those people seeing it is significantly less.

1. I get annoyed very easily--it's probably a bad thing.
2. I'm helplessly addicted to Dr. Pepper.
3. I eat a box of Cheez-its a week.
4. It's impossible for me to stay mad at my sister Suzie for more than 5 minutes.
5. I'm insanely good at making paper snowflakes.
6. I've been to 36 of the 50 states.
7. I've never been pulled over.
8. I cry every time I watch Little Women.
8. I voted for Barack Obama
9. I can usually remember a phone number after only hearing/seeing it once.
10. I really love movies, but I'd be an awful movie critic because I usually like every one I see.
11. I'm afraid of empty swimming pools, empty as in a pool with no water in it. Don't ask me why.
12. I peed my pants at Disneyland . . . when I was 20 years old.
13. I mini golf left handed, but I'm right handed.
14. Most of my first cousins have children older than me.
15. I've never broken a bone, but I did fracture my skull when I was two after falling down cement stairs.
16. I've only ever beaten my dad at bowling once. It was probably one of the happiest days of my life.
17. I reread the Harry Potter series in exactly two weeks after the seventh book came out. I don't even remember the amount of times I've read those books. I might only be slightly obsessed.
18. I love seeing movies at midnight, but I always regret it the next day.
19. There are few things I hate more than removing staples.
20. I might have an abnormal love for the color yellow.
21. Getting out of bed is my least favorite part of the day.
22. I'm very self-conscious of my nose.
23. I save all my ticket stubs. Movies, concerts, plays, etc . . . .
24. I'm a very jumpy person and am easily scareable.
25. I wear my ctr ring around my neck and I never take it off. Not even for showers, running, or sleep.

Blood and Tears

2009-02-02T13:23:00.003-07:00

Something very important and exciting was supposed to happen yesterday, but it was delayed because I don't know my blood type. Apparently they don't tell you this when you're born and unless you've had a reason to find out, i.e. donating blood, you'll never know. My parents and I searched our house for any record of my blood type and it simply did not exist. There was a sheet with that information for everyone in my family, except me. Maybe I don't have blood . . . or maybe I was adopted. Okay neither of those are true, but anyway.

I figured nothing could really be done about this on Sunday so I would have to wait till today to work it out. I called my doctor right when I got out of my 8:00 class and they told me that they did not run that test, despite pricking my finger, because it's very expensive and the insurance didn't cover it. Okay, that would have been nice to know a MONTH ago when I had my physical. So my next option was to see what the blood drive people could do. There is always a blood drive going on and of course there was one today in the Wilk so I went into see if they could test my blood. Wrong. They can't test it unless I donate and unfortunately for me, my petite little body doesn't allow me to donate blood because I don't weigh enough. LAME!

By this time I was extremely frustrated and on the verge of tears. After many calls to my mom and dad, and back to my doctor, and to the Student Health Center, the tears finally came. I couldn't stop them. So there I was, sitting on the floor of the Wilk by the ballroom, trying, to no avail, to hold back the tears. I've never cried in public like that before, and I felt kind of dumb. Oh well, life goes on.

I just have some questions. Why is it so hard and apparently expensive to find out what freaking type of blood you have? What if I was bleeding to death and needed a transfusion and they didn't know my blood type? What would they do then? Don't ask me!

Complication

2009-01-26T13:46:00.002-07:00

I have a feeling my life is about to get extremely complicated.

Golden

2009-01-22T13:16:00.002-07:00

So yesterday was my golden birthday. Pretty much the birthday I've been waiting for my whole life. 21 on the 21st! It was a fabulous day complete with birthday pancakes, knitting needles, concert tickets, new camera, dinner, friends, cake, and other gloriousness. There are times when I feel like I should make things elaborate because of the situation surrounding it. This was one of those times. 21 is a big deal and maybe I should have thrown myself a huge party, but since I don't drink alcohol, 21 isn't that big of a deal, and I was perfectly content with my chill little gathering of close friends. It was a good day.

As for my list of 21 things, I accomplished all but three. No New Year's kiss, no cab ride, and I almost finished the cross stitch. But I managed to complete everything else in time and I feel pretty good about that. Over Christmas break I decided that since it wasn't likely I would accomplish all 21, I would make a list of things I did (since May) that weren't on the list. This is what I have so far, but I know there were a lot more.

I went to Disneyland
I was a Bridesmaid for a non-family member
I went to California, twice
I threw my first bridal shower
I hiked the Y twice, at night, in November
I went to the Grand Canyon
I saw Coldplay in concert
I also saw Jason Mraz
I performed with the Tabernacle Choir
I got the best GPA I've ever gotten in college
I learned how to make a new kind of snowflake
I purchased sassy tights and red heels
I began (and am still) training for a half-marathon
I was the student employee of the month for November
I started my mission papers
I spoke in church for the first time in three years
I learned a new song on the piano I can play and sing
I played Guitar Hero for the first time and subsequently got really good
I kept a secret
I saw High School Musical 3 and the 4th Indiana Jones at midnight
I went skiing for the first time in three years
I went sledding with my nephew
I got addicted to So You Think You Can Dance and went to the concert
I went to Wendover and watched my aunt gamble
I camped at Bear Lake
I went to Raging Waters
I became an aunt for the third time

So even though I did not do all 21 things I wanted to do, I did a heck of a lot of awesome other things to make up for it! I am golden!

Skills and Lists

2008-12-30T23:32:00.007-07:00

Upon complaining to a friend once that I had no skills, I was quickly presented with a list of all of the skills that I do in fact have. Some of these were stretches, but most of them were legitimate and it made me realize that I do have skills, I just have to look for them. The past few years I've realized a random skill that I have. That is the art of making paper snowflakes. My father, who was an elementary school teacher for many years, taught me how to make a six pointed paper snowflake when I was in junior high and I have since perfected the method to the point where I like to brag about how good I am. My sister taught me how to make a different kind of paper snowflake this year which makes me feel even better about my snowflake making skills. While looking at the creations I made and put on the wall of my home in Provo I wondered aloud "why can't I be as good at other aspects of my life as I am at making paper snowflakes?" If only I could apply that skill to other things. Alas, that is not the case. But today I went skiing for the first time in three years and it came right back to me as if I had been skiing everyday for the past three years. It made me happy and I added that to the list of skills I have. So far: snowflake making, skiing . . . oh yeah these are quality. I think I could probably add list making to this list, that is something I love to do. Maybe not list accomplishing, but list making. Which brings me to the other topic of this post. My 21 things list.

I gave myself just over 6 months to accomplish this list and with 3 weeks left I still have 11 things to do. Most of them are easy things that don't take much time, but there are a few that take work and I've been working on them nonstop, but they still aren't accomplished yet. I have faith that I will be able to do all 11 things in the next 3 weeks, because I would feel like a failure if I did not do everything on that list. That is going to be the first goal for the new year. To finish the list I started 6 months ago. It'll give me something to look forward to in January--my least favorite month. And then maybe I can add list accomplishing to my list of skills.

Changes

2008-12-25T01:55:00.002-07:00

In November I gave a talk in sacrament meeting. In that talk I spoke about change and how we need to have faith to accept change. I mentioned that for me this was accepting that my family was only getting older and that we might not be together for every holiday like I was used to. Well I didn't know that this would come to pass so soon. Tonight was the first Christmas Eve I can remember that my whole family was not together. My oldest sister, Sara, and her family spent the night with her husband's family. It was strange to not have them here for games and the various other Christmas Eve activities we always enjoy together. As I sat pondering this, I realized that this Christmas just seems to have a lot of changes attached to it. For the first time in a long time we have a real Christmas tree in my family room, and it's white. Usually the tree in that room is colored. This is a trivial thing, but there are other big changes in my life that are happening as well which I choose not to divulge via the internet. However, for the most part all of these changes are good and I can accept them. I am actually excited for most of them. It took a while for me to actually feel the Christmas season this year . . . in fact, it didn't really feel like Christmas to me until tonight. But I'm happy it is Christmas, as always, and I am happy I get to spend it with most of my family for one more year.

Christmas Questionnaire

2008-12-15T13:19:00.002-07:00

I stole this from someone else's blog and I'm bored enough to actually copy/paste it and fill it out. Finals have arrived and I have no motivation to study, so this is what I do instead. I would tag you, but I don't want you to feel obligated to have to fill this out.

1.Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper of course. Bags are lame.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Real tree. For the first time in a long time we have a real tree in my family room and it makes me happy. Even if it is a little Charlie Brownish.

3. When do you put up the tree? That depends. Sometimes right after Thanksgiving, but it has been later the past few years.

4. When do you take the tree down? Usually on New Years.

5. Do you like eggnog? Nope.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Probably my American Girl doll. I got Felicity because she looked like me.

7. Hardest person to buy for? My dad for sure. "Dad what do you want for___(insert Christmas, birthday, father's day here)?" "Oh nothing. Just hugs and kisses." JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT! I know you want something other than that.

8. Easiest person to buy for? Suzie's pretty easy. Usually a good movie will suffice.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Beaucoup. A pretty porcelain one that was broken and repurcahsed via ebay on the piano. And a sweet one from Jerusalem thanks to Sara. And one made out of wooden blocks that's pretty cool. My mom likes nativities.

10.Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail for sure. E-cards are so impersonal.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Probably when I got a hair dryer and I was hoping for a cell phone. That was pretty disappointing.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Oh there are sooo many good ones. Little Women is definitely on top. Also there's Muppet's Christmas Carol, and of course A Christmas Story. The Holiday is a recent addition as well.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? When I'm done with finals, which is usually only a few days before Christmas--thank you BYU. This year it's earlier though, so I may actually have time to get good presents.

14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Chocolate kisses. Especially the candy cane ones. Actually just any junk food really.

15. Lights on the tree? Of course.

16. Favorite Christmas song? Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.

17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay at home for sure. Although I think it would be fun to go somewhere warm just once.

18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Of course. Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner (Donder?), Blitzen, and Rudolph.

19. Angel on the tree top or a star? The colored tree always has a star and the white tree always has an angel.

20. Open presents on Christmas Eve or morning? We used to get one present, pajamas, on Christmas Eve, but not so much anymore. I like opening them all on Christmas morning now.

21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Shopping. Crowds. Driving in the snow.

22. Favorite Ornament theme or color? I like the white/gold theme my mom has created for our tree.

23. What do you want for Christmas this year? A camera.

It's About Time!

2008-12-08T15:44:00.005-07:00

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW!

It snowed today and it finally looked like December for once. Of course none of the snow stuck and I think it has stopped since I've been at work, but for 3 short hours I was in bliss. I noticed it as I was enjoying a magnificent crepe full of nutella, bananas, and whipped cream provided by my French professor. It was lightly snowing outside and gradually got heavier as I ate lunch with my good friend in the Wilk. Now I just need to see snow on the ground and I will be completely happy.

VIVA LA VIDA!

2008-11-24T13:41:00.003-07:00

On Saturday I had the amazing opportunity (because I paid for it) to see Coldplay live at the Delta Center. It was AMAZING! Seriously, the best concert I've ever been to, and I've been to quite a few concerts. Well worth the insane amount of money I put out. I've been a big Coldplay fan for about five years now; ever since I first heard their album A Rush of Blood to the Head. I would definitely rank them in my top 3 favorite bands. They're one of those bands that are incredible when listened to on cd but then blow you away when you hear them live. I love it when bands put on an incredible show and actually sound better live than you ever could have hoped for. I cannot describe how much that concert changed my life. It made me happy that I knew every single song that they played because I've been such a devoted fan over the years. Mmm, I'm still revelling in the euphoria, yes euphoria, from Saturday night. I would pay twice what I paid to see them again, in a heartbeat. So beyond awesome!

Doppelganger

2008-11-07T14:11:00.002-07:00

It snowed on Wednesday! The snow made me happy inside and out. Outside because I got to wear my boots and my red pea coat! So I bundled up and walked to school. As I was waiting for my 12:00 class to begin the girl who always sits next to me came in and sat down. I was busy texting or something so I mumbled a hello without looking at her. A few minutes later, she turned to me and said, "we're wearing the same thing today." I looked at her and realized it was true. She was wearing a red pea coat, dark jeans tucked under dark brown boots, and she has red hair--a very similar shade as mine. It was somewhat strange, but more funny than anything. Luckily she didn't stay the whole time so there was no awkwardness of wearing the exact same outfit as someone sitting next to me. I subsequently told everyone I saw that night about the encounter. I found it too good not to share.

Sleep

2008-11-03T15:17:00.002-07:00

I really like sleep. Probably too much. Just ask my roommate. Getting me out of bed is probably one of the hardest things to do. I feel bad for the people that attempt to do so. I've always been this way for as long as I can remember and it all got pretty bad my first semester of college when I got Mono. Seriously I would wake up at 8 and go to class by 9, then sleep through all my classes. I was usually home by 12 and would probably sleep till 4. And after doing my homework and eating dinner I'd be in bed by 11 and I'd sleep all night long. It was ridiculous, but I couldn't do anything about it. When I finally got better I learned to control my daytime sleeping. It's still really hard for me to get out of bed in the mornings and I usually snooze my alarm clock for at least 1/2 an hour. But because I have class and work all day I never get to take afternoon naps which I miss a lot. So today after falling asleep in my French class for the first time and jumping awake, to the amusement of my friend, I decided to skip my 12:00 class and take a nap on the couch in the women's restroom. It was marvelous. The couch was so not comfortable but I was so tired I didn't even care. I was happy and hope I provided people with entertainment as they walked in. I know I laugh inside when I see people sleeping on campus. Mmm. . . sleep is good!

Christmas Music

2008-10-24T14:20:00.003-06:00

You're probably wondering why I'm posting about Christmas in October? Well let me tell you why. I love Christmas, especially Christmas music. I have so many good memories associated with Christmas music and the songs never get old to me, ever. I used to be one of those people that would wait until after Thanksgiving to listen to it, but for a while now, probably since high school choir, I have begun listening to Christmas music on Halloween. In recent years Utah's radio station Kosy 106.5 has begun playing it on Halloween as well, which makes me happy. They conveniently stream it online which allows me to listen to it at work (unbeknownst to my co-worker who is adament about waiting for Christmas music). October to November is definitely my favorite time of year and in my mind it all leads up to Christmas. But for a few years now I've felt so rushed with school and everything else that I haven't gotten to enjoy the season like I did when I was a kid. So my little way of prolonging the season is to listen to Christmas music for two whole months. It brings me such joy. Seven more days; I'm stoked!

Know-It-All

2008-10-17T14:41:00.002-06:00

This summer I read a book by A.J. Jacobs called The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World. This was recommended and given to me by my father. The author read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica from A-Z and wrote a book about it. It is hilarious and I highly recommend it. In the book Jacobs often makes references to his childhood and how he always had to be the smartest person, and be smarter than his dad. I feel like I can relate. I LOVE being smarter than other people and I'm obsessed with being right. A lot of the time I'm wrong, and it's okay, but when I am right, it makes it all that much better. And of course, it is the best feeling when I can prove my dad wrong. It gives me a sense of accomplishment.

I would consider myself a know-it-all, but not the annoying know-it-all. You know that one who ALWAYS speaks up in class and ALWAYS has something to say about EVERYTHING? That is the annoying one. He or she gets on my nerves. When I'm in a social setting with my family and friends I have no qualms about being loud and obnoxious about my knowledge, but when I'm in class I generally tend to be more reserved. Probably because I'm terribly shy in those situations. But there is one such know-it-all in one of my classes that I am DYING to prove wrong. He always contributes and has apparently lived everywhere and read everything and this makes him qualified to always share his knowledge and opinions. Seriously! It gets so old.

So I've resorted to saying snide remarks under my breath whenever he speaks that usually make the people around me laugh. And I guess it isn't much of a 'resort' because I tend to do that anyway, but the problem is that he's usually right so it's all I can do. So far, I haven't been able to find something he has said that is wrong and I am waiting for the day when I can raise my hand in class and publicly prove him wrong! That would bring me so much satisfaction it's somewhat ridiculous. Just wait, it'll happen . . . someday. I have faith.

Sexy Mates

2008-10-04T21:11:00.005-06:00

This weekend, when I went home for conference, my sister showed us all these beauties she found in our house. I just have a few questions. Why would anyone actually make a product like this? Why would anyone actually buy a product like this? And what was this doing in my house?

If you can't tell they are a toothbrush and a razor in the shape of a woman's figure.

Profile: it's pretty anatomically accurate. Why would anyone ever use these? I'm a little creeped out, but at the same time I still think they're kinda funny. We had a good laugh.

OCTOBER

2008-10-01T16:31:00.009-06:00

Yay, it's October! October is my favorite month. It is the epitome of autumn to me and it just makes me so happy. Here are just a few of the things that are making me excited:

General Conference

Colorful Leaves

Newborn Turley

Six-Year-Old Turley

Ridiculous Amounts of Candy

Cool Weather

Fall Clothes

Football Games

Pumpkin Carving

Decorations

and of course

HALLOWEEN!

And Halloween is on a Friday this year, which means I can actually go to a party without feeling guilty for putting off my homework! Unfortunately I chose October to give up Dr. Pepper and I have a million tests and assignments due this month, but I still think it will be wonderful like it always is. I love October, yes I do! Who's excited? I certainly am!

Wedding!

2008-09-26T23:26:00.002-06:00

So one of my best friends got married today. It's kind of strange because she was the first of my real close friends to do so, but at the same time it was an incredibly happy day. I was a bridesmaid and got to attend the luncheon and of course the reception. It makes me happy to see her so happy. Then again, maybe I'm also a little envious. I don't know. I came away from the reception feeling a little strange because I know our friendship won't be the same anymore. She is married and I'm not, so that automatically changes things. But I truly am so happy for her that she found someone so wonderful! Congratulations Marlayna!

School, work, school, oh and throw a hospital in there too.

2008-09-19T13:17:00.005-06:00

So my past three weeks have been filled with basically nothing but school and work. I go to school in the mornings, work in the afternoons, and then come home and do homework all night. This past week in particular was insanely busy, but somehow I managed to come out of it alive. I got my French presentation out of the way, I learned every country in the world, I wrote a small paper, and I read a book about the plague, just to name a few of the things I did this week. And of course cleaning checks are today. They always seem to come during the busiest weeks.

So last night after I had memorized the countries, cooked dinner for my dinner group, and after everyone was gone, I decided I would do my cleaning. But I was sitting at my computer and thought, I'll do that later, I should write this paper now. So I managed to crank out a semi decent paper and decided to take a break for the cleaning. It was around 9:00 and I had just taken everything out of the fridge so I could scrub it when my roommate (who also happens to be my best friend) called. She explained that she was on the way to the emergency room because she had excruciating pain in her stomach that she thought might be appendicitis (which turned out to be a kidney stone). So without a moments delay I rushed off to the hospital, saying a quick prayer on the way.

I stayed with her for about an hour until her parents got there. As I was sitting in that room, watching someone I cared so much about in so much pain, I felt so helpless. There was nothing I could say or do that would make the pain go away. All I could do was say "it'll be okay" not knowing if it would be myself. Nothing like that has ever happened to me before and I hated the feeling of helplessness.

When her parents got there I left and for some reason it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I immediately started crying when I left the room and cried all the way home, and some more when I called up my other friend cause I didn't want to be alone. It was a strange night and now looking back on it, I feel dumb for falling apart like I did. But I really just hated the fact that I couldn't do anything to make her feel better.

But life goes on, and I had to go to classes today. Fortunately I was on time to turn in my paper (which I'm glad I did before the cleaning), I aced my geography test, and I gave my French presentation splendidly. Then I went home to clean the house so hopefully we can pass our cleaning checks. I sure am glad it's the weekend. I definitely need some rest. And as for my roommate she's okay and resting, which is what she really needs as well.

The Ford Flex

2008-09-05T14:28:00.002-06:00

This is my newest obsession. The Ford Flex. I am absolutely in love with this car, and the funny thing is, I've never even seen it in person. I discovered an article about it a week and a half ago and fell in love with it. It comes with a fridge and theater style seating. This would be the car I would drive as a mom, if I had money. I think I need to test drive it. That would make me extremely happy. Mmm . . . .

Appreciation

2008-08-29T15:28:00.003-06:00

Today was my last day at the insurance agency I've been working at all summer. Most of the time I hated this job because it was so boring. However, as I got to know the people I worked with and became more comfortable in my environment it got better. The one major thing that I really had a hard time with was the fact that neither of the owners bothered to introduce themselves to me. I worked there for four months, and I was the main receptionist. How hard would it have been for them to realize that I was a new face and get to know me? Apparently they're too good for that, because now I'm gone and they never once said hello.

I got to know most everyone else in the office in the time I worked there and I got to the point where I could joke around with some of them. In fact, I have to admit that I may have had a crush on one of the agents. But I still felt rather small and insignificant because the two most important people were too good to get to know me.

But I think today may have made up for my feeling unappreciated all summer. The last day of each month all the birthdays from that month are celebrated with some sort of treat. My leaving was included in this celebration today, so there was a little recognition. I got to eat really good pie and feel that maybe someone cared. But the best part came when my superviser handed me a card. I was curious so of course I opened it right away. Upon opening, I found that almost everyone in the whole office had signed the card. Some notes were more heartfelt than others, but they were all there nonetheless. Even one of the owners signed it, although I'm pretty sure he still has no idea who I am. As I read this card something happened to me that has never happened before. I was actually brought to tears. I have never started crying over something like that before, and I probably would have been balling if I hadn't have had to answer the phone (with a shaky voice). For the first time I felt that the people in this office did care about me and what happened with the rest of my life. Maybe they did notice the short, quiet redhead at the front desk, and maybe they did appreciate my work all summer.

So I am just a little sad to leave because it was a great job. It was close, the hours were good, it paid well, and I liked my coworkers. And now I know they liked me as well.

Autumn

2008-08-26T23:20:00.007-06:00

To me, everything has a certain smell. Seasons, holidays, even precipitation. I can smell snow, I can. This past Sunday night, while on a walk with my mom and sister, I briefly smelled fall. Fall is my favorite season and it definitely has some of my favorite smells. And these aren't ones I can describe. I want to say it's the leaves, but the leaves haven't changed yet, so that doesn't quite fit.

Some of my favorite moments occurred last fall semester as I walked home from work at 5:00 in the afternoon. I would walk down the 147ish stairs I climbed each day, past all these beautiful trees, in the crisp air, with the sun in the perfect location, usually to really good music. Most likely Switchfoot or John Mayer, which are some of my Autumn artists. These moments made me really happy. That fall was perfect. It was the first real fall I think we've had in Utah for a long time.

Tonight as I was going to get myself some dinner I smelled fall again, and I noticed that the air was just a little crisper than it was yesterday. There is just something about the season that I find so beautiful. The way it smells, the gorgeous leaves, the different colors the sun makes, the holidays, and of course, the clothes.

And maybe it's a little too early for my Ode to Autumn, but I don't care. I mean soon enough winter will be here, and come January I will be openly cursing the snow. So I'm going to revel in every second of this fall and hope that it's just as wonderful, if not better than the last one.

Goodbye Summer

2008-08-24T01:08:00.004-06:00

This is how I'm feeling right now.

Today was technically the last day of summer for most students, but not for me. I still have an entire week left of summer, but I felt like it was the last day and that made me sad. It was a typical Saturday really. I went shopping with my sisters and then saw a movie. I still feel weird, however. I actually don't really know how to feel about summer ending. A few weeks ago I was overjoyed that summer was almost over, because in a way these past four months have been the longest of my life. But this past week I've realized they've also gone too fast at the same time. It's strange how time can do that.

I have been waiting to return to Provo all summer, but now that it's actually here I realize how much I didn't accomplish. I came home in April with tons of goals and projects in mind. The first was to go running at LEAST once a week. Of course that died in June. Another was to completely clean out, organize, and rearrange my bedroom. I completed one-third of that one: the rearranging. There is still crap all over my floor that I don't know what to do with.

All in all I kind of feel like it was a disappointing summer. I felt stuck. It was like everyone around me was moving on and leaving me behind. One of my roommates got married. Another started working on her mission papers. One close friend got engaged. My best friend was off living in Jerusalem. And I realized that I am in a completely different stage than everyone in my family, and there are times where I just don't feel like I belong.

As weird as I feel right now though, I know it will be better when I wake up tomorrow. The excitement for the new school year will be back. When I get to Provo I'll remember why I love BYU so much and why July to December is my favorite part of the year. There is so much to look forward to that it seems pointless to dwell on my unproductive summer. Besides all the homework and tests, there's Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. There's Autumntime, which is my favorite. There will be dates (hopefully) to be had. And in September there will be a wedding and most likely a new baby added to my family. Two of the most joyous occasions I believe.

So now I'm off to bed to have sweet dreams and sleep off this awful rut I've fallen into. Tomorrow I'll wake up on the right side of the bed, I have faith in that. Good night.

Questions

2008-08-19T13:05:00.003-06:00

This past weekend I travelled to California for the wedding of one of my good friends. It was a very relaxing, fun trip, and it was definitely good to get out of Utah, even if it was only for a few days. While there I discovered an annoying quirk I have. I love answering questions, but more specifically, I love answering questions that are directed to other people. For example my friend Lynn's brothers picked me and my other good friend Elizabeth up from the airport last Friday. On the drive back to Modesto Elizabeth asked Bradley where he served his mission, and I, all too quickly, responded "Russia" before he could. Later that day as I was reflecting upon this encounter it hit me that I do that all the time. I bet this is really annoying to everyone involved. Annoying to the questioner because they weren't talking to me, annoying to the questionee because it was directed to them not me, and annoying to me because I can't stop myself. Why do I do this you ask? So I can show off my knowledge of course. I know a lot of weird facts, and I take pride in my very randomly good memory that allows me to remember lots of things about everyone else I know. Sometimes it's actually kind of creepy; see the above mentioned example. I'm a very competitive person and I think it all stems from wanting to know as much if not more than my father. When I was little I always thought that he knew everything, and now that I'm older I've realized he doesn't. But I still have this desire to blow him away with all of my knowledge, especially in games like Trivial Pursuit and a favorite of ours: Remote Possibilities. I guess this competitive side of me manifests itself in my answering questions for other people. I'm not exceptionally talented in any other aspect, so I guess subconsciously I try to wow people with my reservoir of random information about everything and everyone. But now that I'm aware of this, I'm going to try to hold my tongue and let people answer questions for themselves. I'll find a way to show off some other, less annoying way.

Four Eyes

2008-08-04T13:29:00.003-06:00

I got glasses when I was eight years old. No one wants glasses that young, at least I certainly didn't. In elementary school glasses are lame. They turn you into a dork right? Not to mention all of the teasing you have to endure. Okay so maybe I was already a dork and it wasn't the glasses, but I certainly did get teased. Nothing so bad that it ruined my life, although there was one incident that was pretty brutal. But I got over it.

Every few years or so my eyes would get worse and I'd have to get a stronger prescription. I don't know if I ever had what could be considered coke bottles, but my glasses were pretty thick. I remember in about 5th or 6th grade a fellow glasses-wearer in my class got contact lenses. I was so envious and I remember begging my mother to let me get them. At that time a pair of hard contact lenses cost around $100, or so my mother said. She promised me that if I could save up that amount of money she would get me contacts. This didn't happen until the summer after 8th grade.

So I got contacts, which instantly added to my appearance right? Wrong. Because a week later I got my braces put on. For the first few weeks while I got used to my contacts this was a deadly combination. (If you want proof check out pictures/video from my oldest sister's wedding.) 8th grade has to be the most awkward, horrible time in anyone's life and I was no exception. Anyway, moving on.

In 9th grade I got new glasses which looked much better than my old ones and weren't so thick. A year later I ended up losing one of my precious contacts for good during gym. Upon going to the eye doctor I learned that my eyes had indeed gotten worse. I received a new prescription (-5.00, which means my eyes are really bad) for my glasses and switched to soft contacts, which were much better.

Just this last Friday I went to the eye doctor again because my prescription had expired. Unfortunately my eyes have gotten worse. Something that hasn't happened in four years. I was written out a prescription for -5.50. This means my eyes are roughly around 20/400. In my research I found out that means (theoretically I assume) I have to stand 20 feet away from an object to see it clearly when someone with good vision could see it from 400 feet away. Good vision is 20/20 and perfect vision is 20/10. That tells you how bad my eyes are. I am considered legally blind and according to one random website I found, this makes me eligible for "tax breaks and certain federal and state social services, such as help in purchasing magnifiers and other low vision aids." Hmm, I wonder how I would go about getting the tax breaks. . . .

Twenty One

2008-07-22T19:38:00.003-06:00

We all know how I love list making. Here is a very special and important list that I have recently compiled. It is entitled 21 things to do before I turn 21. As of yesterday I officially have six months until my golden birthday (I turn 21 on the 21st). I started making and accomplishing this list in May and so far I've made little progress, which is kind of disheartening. But now that I only have six months to complete the other remaining 18 things on my list, I am really going to get down to business. I tried to make most of the things on this list things I had never done before and had always wanted to do. At the same time, however, they had to be things that I could realistically accomplish by the time I turned 21. I have now decided to share said list and I'll try to keep you updated as I complete each item.

21 Things to do Before I Turn 21

1. Read The Chronicles of Narnia
2. Go to Timpanogos Cave
3. Watch An Affair to Remember
4. Eat at Rodizio Grill
5. Go to a movie alone
6. Give up Dr. Pepper for one month
7. Learn Claire de Lune on the piano
8. Go to the Spiral Jetty (Completed 7/12)
9. Go on at least one spectacularly memorable date
10. Watch all three original Indiana Jones movies (Completed 6/9)
11. Learn one song on the guitar
12. Earn the congratulatory word next to my name at the testing center
13. Finish this temple cross stitch I started three years ago
14. Go to the Living Planet Aquarium
15. Read The Book of Mormon again
16. Obtain a digital camera
17. Memorize a poem
18. Ride in a taxi
19. Have New Year's kiss
20. Learn how to tie a tie (Completed 7/6)
21. Vote for President

The Bible Bus

2008-07-17T12:26:00.006-06:00

This is the silver Ford van that has been in our family for about 15 years. It was the car my dad drove on a regular basis for about 12 years. It has had a regular parking spot in front of our house because it was too big to fit in the garage. I have countless memories associated with this car. I even vaguely remember when it was purchased. This car has taken us to some of the best places in the country. It was in this vehicle that we took our month long trek back east when I was six that I have little memories of. It took us to Yellowstone, and South Dakota, and California numerous times. It has overheated in the summer sun many times. It has seen a great many national parks. It has been on several church excursions including girls camps and scout camps, for which it got the name Bible Bus (the license plate has the letters GBH on it. . . .Gordon B. Hinckley). And we can't forget all the trips to Grandma's house in Idaho with many stops at Bear Lake on the way.

This van seats 12 people when all three back benches are intact. On the vacations my whole family went on, the furthest back seat was removed to make room for our stuff. This meant three girls to one bench and two to the other. There were many a fight about having to sit next to the sister I had trouble getting along with, and not getting to sit next to the window. As our family grew up and the older girls left home the seating arrangements changed and I remember the first time I got a bench all to myself. It was actually pretty lonely.

I remember when I was learning to drive my father made me drive the huge van to the airport to pick up my sister. I don't think I have ever been so scared. And I don't think I have ever driven the van since.

Unfortunately as the car got older it became less trustworthy and it was simply too big for our shrinking family. In 2003 we had it all packed to go pick up my sister from her mission in Arizona and return my other sister home, but it wouldn't start. So we had to rent a Ford Excursion instead, which was just not the same. For later vacations to California and Illinois my mother's minivan took it's place.

For the past few years it has remained in front of our house most of the time. It gets driven every now and then, mostly when something big has to be moved. For example last summer my sister Suzie and I rode on a couch in the back that was being delivered to my other sister in Logan. Most recently, however, it was taken to Bear Lake again. My parents, two sisters, niece and nephew, and I traveled to Bear Lake in the van just like old times. We were met there by my other two sisters and my brother-in-law. It was the first time my entire immediate family had been camping together in about 10 years, and it was definitely as fun as it always was. And on our way home it traveled across 16 miles of dirt road to take me to see the Spiral Jetty in the Great Salt Lake. I was happy.

Phone Voice

2008-07-09T15:55:00.000-06:00

I'm the receptionist at a fairly large insurance agency which means I get a lot of calls. All I can really do is direct the calls because I know nothing about insurance and cannot answer anyone's questions. Most of the time it's not too bad, but there are those times where I get difficult people and have no idea what to do with them. Everytime the phone rings I glare at it before putting on a fake smile, picking it up, and saying in the most disgustingly sweet voice ever "thank you for calling Trustco, how may I help you." First of all this is a lie. I do not thank them for calling. I wish that they wouldn't call because I don't want to have to deal with whatever it is they need. But I do my best to help them and sometimes I have to kindly explain that all I can do is direct their call because I can't answer their questions.

For all of these calls I have developed what I call the phone voice. It is slightly higher pitched than my regular voice and it has evidence of the fake smile on my face. I try not to speak very loudly because there are lots of other people working around me, and the nature of the phone voice doesn't really allow me to talk very loud. So sometimes people can't hear me and I try to speak up which usually works. Today, however, a man who was practically deaf called and I tried three times to explain to him that at the tone he needed to dial extension 100, but he couldn't understand me so he just kept calling. I was trying to be nice, while I was a little frustrated, and at the same time trying not to laugh as my coworker was laughing as she overheard my loud end of the conversation. Eventually I managed to explain to him that Abby would have to call him because I couldn't transfer him (or rather he didn't understand the part he needed to play in the transferring process).

Lots of times I get calls from India. Those are fun and relatively easy, but are very frequent. This is how it goes down. Keep in mind they have the all too stereotypical Indian accent.

Me: Thank you for calling Trustco, how may I help you?
Them: This is ____ calling from the insurance service center of GMAC Mortgage. I need to obtain renewal information for a homeowner's policy.
Me: Okay, is the policy with Homeowner's Catastrophe?
Them: Before we proceed, I'd like to inform you that this call will be monitored for quality assurance. Uh yes, this is with Homeowner's Catastoph (they never say it correctly).
Me: All right, what state is the policy in?
Them: The policy is in the state of New Mexico.
Me: Okay let me transfer you.

And let me inform you that as I was typing this I had one such call and laughed to myself. But anyway, the phone voice is something that only happens while I'm at work. It would make everyone laugh if I answered the phone like that normally. Maybe I'll try it just for fun. . . .

Adventures and Such

2008-06-23T12:25:00.000-06:00

So today my best friend left to spend two months at the BYU Jerusalem Center. Am I jealous? Oh yeah, I'm very jealous. I feel like every single one of my close friends has gone on some sort of study abroad, but not me. Here is a list of the places my close friends/roommates have lived or will live in the near future: Hawaii, Italy, London, Vienna, Spain, Israel, and Africa, not to mention all the places they visited or will visit while living there. I feel a little left out and my excuse for not going on a study abroad myself is that I don't have the money. I think this is a very valid excuse, but I think moreso my excuse is that I'm just scared. I could earn the money if I really wanted to, but it's scary to think about living in a foreign place where I don't know the language with 50 people I don't know very well. This makes me feel like a coward because it's easy to stay home, go to school, and do the same things I do all the time while waiting for adventures to come to me. But hello Becky, the adventures aren't going to come to you, you have to go find them! And what better time is there to seek adventures than now? There isn't. So hopefully by this time next year I will have gathered the courage to find my own adventures and I will have marvelous stories to tell.

Cell Phones

2008-05-30T10:42:00.000-06:00

Cellular telephones: a very useful invention. I remember around ten years ago when my family got our first cell phone. It was this huge black brick, the kind Julia Roberts carries around in My Best Friend's Wedding. Most of the time this phone was in my mother's possession so that we could track her down when she wasn't at home, which was very often. At this point my dad didn't need one all the time because he was usually at one of two places: work or home, and we could easily reach him at these locations. The service on this phone was provided by Voicestream which was later bought out by T-Mobile.

A few years later my mom got a new phone. That slightly smaller Nokia brick with the most annoying ring (the Nokia ring which I still hate to this day) and the ever so fun and primitive game of Snake. The service switched to AT&T. A couple years later my Dad finally got a phone along with my sister Suz. These ones were the newer version of my mom's Nokia brick. They had Snake II which was even more fun. By this time I was probably in Jr. High and thinking it'd be great to have a phone of my own, but alas, no such luck. Then Gen came home from her mission and of course she got a phone. The newer black model of my dad and Suzie's phones. This was by far the coolest phone yet. And despite my pleading and begging and presentation of evidence (my best friend got a cell phone for her 16th birthday) that I needed a phone, they wouldn't give in.

In 2005, during the second half of my junior year of high school, Gennie went to spend a semester in Romania and I comandeered her phone while she was gone. It was a wonderful 4 months I spent with that phone, until the contract was up and four shiny new camera flip phones were purchased when our service was switched to Verizon. Unfortunately not one of these phones were for me as Gennie had returned and taken charge of her phone again. This phone is the one used by Amanda Bynes in She's the Man. The summer before my senior year everyone kept telling me that I needed a cell phone and I kept begging my parents, but to no avail. Christmas came and went and still I did not get a phone.

I didn't give up. My 18th birthday was approaching in January and I figured that would be my best argument. I was turning 18 and deserved to have a phone because I was going to be an adult. I was still not convinced that I was going to be successful. But then my boyfriend dumped me two days before my birthday and I think my parents felt bad enough for me that they decided to give in. Finally a phone number all my own, although it didn't come with a brand new phone. I got my dad's old one and he got the new one. In February Mel came back from her mission and needed a phone. So Suz got a contract of her own along with a new Razor and Mel inherited Suzie's old phone.

My phone was special in the sweet spirit sense of the word. It had been in a bike accident and had been dropped repeatedly and so it looked rather ugly. It got even more scratches during it's time with me and at one point I thought I had lost it to water damage, but it came back. It treated me well. I put heart stickers on it to cover up some of the scratches and it wore the best fortune I have ever received on it's back for quite sometime. Before an evening of romance turn off the cell phone. Then last September the front screen got smashed or something. I really don't know what happened to it, but it didn't work anymore and had funny marks on it. The phone part still worked fine so I dealt with it.

In March our contracts were up so Mel left to be on her husband's contract and got a cool new phone with her new service. I got the hand-me-down-hand-me-down to replace my screenless phone. This is the phone I currently use. Just recently my mom's phone broke so she got a new one. A really cool one that she doesn't even know how to use. I don't think she's deserving of this phone. My dad is planning on getting the new Palm Centro when it is available for Verizon while I still have the crappy phone that came out three years ago. I understand his reasoning. He doesn't want to get me a new phone because that means a new two year agreement and I could get married or go on a mission in two years. But I've never had a brand new phone of my own. They've all been hand me downs. But I have a feeling no amount of whining or begging will get me a new phone and I don't have a boyfriend to dump me and make my parents feel bad, so I'm stuck with my hand-me-down-hand-me-down phone. Someday I'll have a new phone of my own, someday.

And now this brings me to the other part of my rant about cell phones. I hate it when people talk really loud on their phones when they're in a public place. Or when they don't leave the room/table to answer the phone. I also hate the stupid blue tooth devices people use in their ears. I understand that they can be very helpful while driving or sitting at your desk. But please only use them there. I work with this guy who is always on his phone. He comes into the room and you never know if he's talking to you or not because of his blue tooth device. And he talks SO loud as he lingers at my desk doing who knows what. It is really disturbing and really annoying. Besides you just look ridiculous talking to yourself or rather your blue tooth. Another thing I hate is when people keep their ringer on high. It does not need to be that loud or vibrate at the same time if it's just sitting on the table or something. SO annoying. Anyway, I guess that is all I have to say about cell phones. Just please don't be that annoying cell phone user. I try not to be.

Top Ten

2008-05-23T13:59:00.000-06:00

Two things I particularly love in life are making lists and watching movies. I love making to do lists and I get so much satisfaction out of crossing things one by one off the list as I accomplish them. I also love almost any movie I ever see; there are few that I have absolutely detested which include Somewhere in Time, Dr. Zhivago, and Premonition among others.

To keep me entertained during my downtime at work at the Law School, and coincidentally keep me from doing my homework (which would have been the better and smarter option), I chatted with my sisters, had Solitaire Showdowns with Suzie, watched TV shows I couldn't see at my apartment, and filled my brain with an everlasting pool of pop culture trivia to share with my roommates. One such trivia fact was that Clark Gable was buried in the same cemetery as my grandparents--Forest Lawn Memorial Park--and it was me who suggested we visit said park on our vacation. I was disappointed, however, when I found out that we couldn't see Clark Gable's grave, but we did manage to find others such as Walt Disney. Anyway as I cached all of this useless pop culture trivia into my brain, instead of important facts about writing good papers and who Beowulf fought in the epic novel of the same name (which I didn't actually read), I realized that I wanted to assemble a list of my top ten favorite movies. This proved to be a more difficult task than I thought. For the longest time I claimed that Clueless, the modern version of Jane Austen's Emma, was my favorite movie ever. But I realized that maybe this wasn't entirely true. I wanted my top ten favorite movies to reflect me as a person, and be movies that I wouldn't be ashamed to admit. They had to be deserving of a spot on my top ten.

So I began to think about movies that I enjoy watching over and over and ones that have good memories attached to them. Immediately Little Women came to mind. This has been a favorite of mine and my sisters for a long time. In fact I think that this movie is the first movie I ever remember seeing in theaters, and I think I was only five at the time. This helped me to think of other movies that I felt belonged on my top ten. However, I know that this list is not final and is subject to change as new movies are made. But without further ado I give you my top ten favorite movies, in no particular order (except alphabetical because I have OCD):

Anastasia
Anne of Green Gables/Anne of Avonlea
It's a Wonderful Life
Little Women
Sleeping Beauty
The Lord of the Rings (I count these as one)
The Sound of Music
Titanic
Two Weeks Notice
You've Got Mail

It was extremely hard to condense my favorite movies to only ten (or technically 13). There are many more that just couldn't make the list but were very close and maybe someday I'll make an honorable mention list, but I know that would be overwhelmingly long.

The Happiest Place On Earth!

2008-05-11T19:29:00.002-06:00

So last week my whole family and I (except Preston) took a much needed vacation to Southern California. This trip has been in the works for quite sometime and was originally supposed to take place last December. Anyway we all managed to work out our schedules so that we could all be there at the same time. We arrived Thursday afternoon and left Tuesday morning. It was a fantastic trip and I didn't want to go home, but I guess it couldn't last forever.

Friday was spent at Disneyland where we arrived an hour early to be the first ones in. Peter Pan was our first ride of the day which made me extremely happy because it is my favorite! We really made the most of our time while at the parks because my brother-in-law found this cool software which calculated a schedule based on what rides we wanted to go on. Two of my sisters and I managed to complete almost every ride we wanted to except Space Mountain because it had broken down, and then hit up ESPN Zone in Downtown Disney for dinner in time to see the Jazz beat the Rockets! After dinner we rode the monorail back to Disneyland, upon which my sister and I commenced to take hilarious pictures of ourselves which led to me peeing my pants on the way to the bathroom after we got off. The perfect ending for the perfect day I think ;)

On Saturday we slept in late and then went to the beach, with a quick detour to see the Newport temple. We couldn't stay long at the beach, however, because we had to get ready to go to Hollywood to see Wicked at Pantages Theater. It was my first time seeing it and I LOVED it! I want to see it over and over because it was so wonderful.

Sunday we went to church and then drove to Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale to see my grandparent's graves as well as some celebrities like Walt Disney and Nat King Cole. After that we waited for my parents and uncle to make some hike up some mountain to see a view of LA which of course wasn't very good because it was smoggy. When they finally came back down we returned to the motel to have a little birthday party for my mother and watch a movie.

Monday we went back to Disneyland and finished the rides we weren't able to complete on Friday. We ate dinner at Mimi's after that and gave my mom her birthday presents. By that point we were all very tired and my niece and nephew fell asleep at the table. We returned to pack up our stuff and get to sleep so we could make our 7:00 flight the next morning. Whoever planned that was crazy.

All in all it was a marvelous trip and I think Disneyland really is THE happiest place on earth. I will return often and cannot wait to take my own children there someday.

Paris

2008-04-22T00:16:00.000-06:00

So today I finished my last final and ended my fourth semester of college. It was a good year. Much better than last year, but much harder schoolwise. I am really glad it's over and I have basically finished all of my generals which is a nice feeling. I'm really looking forward to the summer and I hope it brings me much joy. There were so many things I learned this year, one in particular was that you cannot plan your life out to a T. I had a whole plan worked out for my life for the next few years and that all came crashing down at the beginning of this year. Not in a bad way, just in a reality check kind of way. But it all worked out for the best because now I've realized that I just need to take life as it comes and make every day count. It is good to plan, but it is also good to have an open mind for what might come along.

Almost a month ago I got in a really bad car accident. It was probably the single scariest moment of my entire life. I could have died and that makes a person think. I was with my roommate and her friend and we all came out fine, including the car. It was a miracle, but it did make me feel weird thinking that I could have died, especially since I wasn't wearing my seatbelt. . .something I'll never do again. Ever since then I've been thinking a lot about my life and what I feel like I've accomplished and what I want to accomplish. I'm pretty proud of my life so far. I'm 20 years old and I've never had anything terrible happen to me. I'm in college and have a direction in life. I have a wonderful family and great friends. I've been very blessed. Right now I have two major goals in life and those would be a mission and marriage in the temple. I have been thinking about these a lot this year and I've realized that they are both wonderful options, including marriage which still kind of scares me. It is possible to do both or just one, but either one is worthy. I don't know when, or if, either of these things will happen but I most definitely have a more open mind toward marriage than I did going into 2008.

There are so many wonderful things I could do with life and this brings me to the title of this post--Paris. Paris has always been that dream lurking in the back of my mind--the someday. And it's still someday because I think there are other things I need to do before I can go there, but today I discovered a song that perfectly describes how I'm feeling. Here are the lyrics (some of them are in French):

Paris
By Benton Paul

There comes a time for everyone
To find a place where they belong
Feeling alone out on the ocean

Yours and mine are different yet the same
Go out, come back again
Harboring most of the emotion

Quand tu arrives a Paris
Te ne veux pas partir
Quand tu arrives a Paris
Tu ne peux que sentir
L’amour, la joie
Tu veux jamais rentrer
L’amour, la joie
Tu veux jamais rentrer chez-toi

You climb aboard and sail away
Beyond the stars of everyday
Searching for some clear direction

The shore gets closer everyday
The clouds begin to fade
The compass reveals your destination

Quand tu arrives a Paris
Te ne veux pas partir
Quand tu arrives a Paris
Tu ne peux que sentir
L’amour, la joie
Tu veux jamais rentrer
L’amour, la joie
Tu veux jamais rentrer chez-toi

Allow me to translate to the best of my ability:

When you arrive in Paris
You don't want to leave
When you arrive in Paris
You can only feel
The love, the joy
You never want to return
The love, the joy
You never want to return home.

And so Paris is my ultimate someday, but it's true, if I went now, I'd never want to leave and I can't do that. So someday=Paris, and that someday will happen. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

Parlez-vous francais?

2008-03-26T22:03:00.000-06:00

I'm in my third semester of French. The main reason I am taking French is so that I can get out of taking math. At BYU the "Languages of Learning" general can be fulfilled with one math class or four language classes-well up to a certain level and I had to start from the beginning. Because of my complete detestation for anything arithmetic related, I chose the harder route with four semesters of a language. I really would like to be fluent someday, but that would probably require actually living in a French speaking country which I cannot foresee in my immediate future. I actually started taking French in seventh grade and continued up until my junior year of high school. Then I started again in college with good old French 101, the placement exam put me there. That shows you how much I retained in my two year absence-absolutely zero, except maybe a few vocabulary words and the basics like je m'appelle Becky et j'habite a Provo.

I often get discouraged in class because I feel like I can understand it really well and write it really well, but when it comes to speaking I get really nervous and the words get jumbled in my head. However, today I received my score back for my second oral examination and I got 97/100. I got 95/100 on my first one. Either, my teacher has listened to the wrong tests or he doesn't know how to grade. Taking French orals (I know that phrase can sound dirty, but get your head out of the gutter) at BYU is really annoying. We have to go into the special Humanities testing center which is a room full of cubicles, each with a very nice iMac computer, and speak into a microphone that records us for our teachers to listen to later. That would be fine, except the testing center is not only for the French students and everyone else in there is taking a legitimate exam. It's extremely awkward because we're the only ones talking and that's probably really disturbing to the poor students who are taking essay tests and such. I feel bad, so I try to speak quiet so as not to be disturbing, but loud enough so that the microphone can record me. Needless to say, it's not a fun experience and that is why I was surprised by my scores.

Maybe these scores are a little glimmer of hope for my future experiences with the French language. My hope is that I'll go on a French speaking mission or something, because I really do think it is a beautiful language, and I desperately want to be fluent. Quand meme, j'ai besoin de faire mes devoirs. Bonne nuit!

(Translation: Anyway, I need to do my homework. Good night!)

I've Been Converted

2008-03-13T15:12:00.000-06:00

I hate blogs. I think they're lame and trendy. But in a moment of sheer boredom at work, I decided I would start one. I've recently taken up reading the blogs of my family and friends and realized it would probably be a good way to solve my bouts of boredom at work, or any other place.

Maybe I'll start off by telling you a little bit about myself. I go to BYU where I'm majoring in history. I work at the law school and hope to someday be a student there. I want to go into family law, but I'm not exactly sure why. I love Dr. Pepper and my favorite color is yellow. I really love movies, but I'd make a terrible movie critic because I like basically everything I see. I don't have any brothers and my four sisters are definitely my best friends. I'm really short and it makes me sad that I'll never be able to look eye to eye with my husband, unless I marry someone who is five feet tall, and that is completely out of the question. Oh well, c'est la vie. I love to talk and sometimes my inability to hold my tongue gets me into trouble. I'll work on that.

So I got the title of my blog from a Dove Promise, which seems a little cheesy I know, but I figured it applied to me because I have so many goals in life that seem so far away. And I always say, "someday." Someday I'll go to Paris; someday I'll get the lame 'Fantastic!' next to my name in the BYU testing center; someday I'll go to law school. Yup, there's a lot of somedays in my life. But I think that I can start making someday today and maybe I'll keep you guys updated on my quest. However I should probably get back to work now, that is if there is any work to be done.