It's been a while.

The past couple of weeks have flown by. I can't believe it's Thanksgiving this week. That means I only have like 2 full weeks of school left, if that. Hallelujah. Not too much has happened to me except for turning 21, earning a promotion at Aero, and QUITTING THE CUSTODIAL JOB!!! WOOT WOOT! There needs to be some serious celebration going on soon.

For my birthday, I just went home and partied it up hard core with the fam. Mom made my favorite meal: Lasagna and Parmesan rolls. I had vanilla cake and mint choc chip ice cream and vanilla ice cream. Normally, we get to choose what kind of cake and ice cream we want for our birthdays, but I guess Mom forgot to ask ;) oh well, it was good anyway. I was sad that Dad didn't get to be there, (or Hay) but it was the first time in YEARS that Troy and Amanda have celebrated with me. It was awesome. Whenever I'm feeling unloved, I'm just gonna make a trip home because those kids make me feel awesome. Grace wanted me to wish that I could stay there with her forever when I blew out my candles and Emma wouldn't let go of me and kept saying, "I wanna go with you" when it was time for me to go back to Provo. It was so sweet. Cole even randomly gave me a kiss without me even asking!

Being 21 is super weird. To this day, my mind is stuck on 18, so when someone asks me how old I am, I automatically say 18. I don't know if I was expecting this awesome monumental thing to happen to me by turning 21, but nothing happened. In reality, I am an LDS girl. I don't drink or gamble, so what's the big deal about turning 21 anyway? It's kind of sad that all of my big birthdays have come and gone, (baptism birthday [8], new teenager birthday [13], sweet 16, technically legal [18], turning 20 on the 20th, and now my 21st). What's after that? Congratulations! You have now reached the menace-to-society birthday! I don't think so. Plus I feel like birthdays are getting more overrated every year. Don't get me wrong, it's fun getting free gifts (especially if it's a $45 gift card to your favorite underwear store) and cake and ice cream are amazing together, but the magic is gone now.

Anyway here are some things that I learned in the last year:
It is never a good idea to play Chocolate Milk Pong.
Ihop is better at 2am.
There is no such thing as catharsis.
Marcia Lynn Mcclure is very successful in creating unrealistic expectations in romance.
I am never alone.
I love lace.
I get nightmares sleeping on my back.
P.F. Changs really isn't THAT awesome.
No matter how many years I've been doing it, waking up early will NEVER make me a morning person.
Dr. Pepper deprivations = a very violent Shalese.
I really, REALLY don't like school.
Friends will never cease to make me giggle, even in a bad day.
There's not just one Cosmo. There's actually a team of Cosmos, therefore increasing my chance of actually going on a date with one.
I attract drama like a moth to a flame. Wish it were boys and not drama...
I like the band Parachute.
I loooove country dancing.
The University Parking Enforcement really is the outer darkness of Provo, not the testing center.
Accepting dates from numbers left on your shake cup at the Malt Shop is a bad, bad idea.
Despite popular belief, North Dakota does exist.
Heavenly Father saying "No" is him really saying, "I've got something better in mind."

Buried Alive

Just because you're bored enough to look at my blog, I figured you'd be interested enough to know what's going on in my week this week. I really have nothing to do at all. So, you know, if you wanna hang out or something, just give me a call. I'll most likely be chilling in my PJs and watching Friends the entire week. Really, I don't know why kids complain about how hard college is. I mean, it's so not stressful at all. In fact, I don't understand why everybody doesn't work 3 jobs. It's super easy!!!!

Just so you know, if you complain to me about how busy your week is, you may just end up with a permanent fist-print in your brain. Not that I'm a violent person.

Sunday:
9:30-12:30 Church
12:30-1:00 Committee meeting
1-2 Making rolls and lasagne for break the fast
2-2:30 Meeting with Bishop
2:30-3:30 Break the fast
3:30-on Hang out with family/Mary Kay prep

Monday
5-8 Work
8-11 Homework
11-12 English
12-2 Mary Kay prep
2-3 Infant Development
3-7 Homework
7-8:30 Mary Kay party
8:30-on Get food with Hilary and Lindsay

Tuesday
5-8 Work
8-9 Aerobics
9-11 Adult development
11-1 Homework/Mary Kay prep
1-3:30 Presentation at Spanish Fork Elementary
3:30-5 A trip to the bank
5-7 Work
7-8:45 Mary Kay unit meeting
8:45-10 Work
10-10:30 Deliveries
10:30-on Homework

Wednesday
5-8 Work
8-11 Observing BYU preschool
11-2 Homework
2-3 Infant Development
3-6 Mary Kay prep/Homework
6-8:30 Folklore dinner
8:30-on Homework

Thursday
5-8 Work
8-9 Aerobics
9-11 Adult development
11-12 Homework
12-1:30 Socialization
1:30-3 Donate plasma
3- ... Crap. I know I've got something going on...

Friday
5-8 Work
8-10 Homework
10-11 English
11-3 Meeting with District Manager
3-6:30 Drive to Jamie's

6:30-Sunday Night PARTY WITH MY SISTERS! This weekend could not have come at a better time. It's the only thing getting me through!

life can be a punk sometimes...

Wow. My life is an adventure. I think someone should really start following me around with a video camera.

So this past week has been super crazy for me. Multiple times I have gone to class and finding out about an assignment due that day or a test that is scheduled for the weekend. It was not fun. I guess I need to be a little more religious in my syllabus study. But apart from the crazy school week (bombing a test I studied for a least a week in advance and acing a test I studied for 2 hours before taking) I got to see Troy and his family which was fun... exhausting, but fun.

Also on my crazy week schedule which I was neither expecting or wanting was draining my checking account for things concerning my car. So in the past 3 months I have gotten a boot, a parking ticket, a fender bender, a speeding ticket, and a towing charge. Provo is REALLY nazi on the parking spots and I'm living in a place where I have like 5 stalls I could park in and I have to compete with about 50 other people. It's ridiculous.

A bright spot to the week was Friday when Kelsie and I made our way to Salt Lake to see Parachute in concert. We got there just in time for it to start, (I was delayed with my car being towed and getting stuck in BAD rush hour traffic and all). It was a little sketchy since it was at a club in the ghetto but once I was able to fend off the girl practically jumping on me during the concert with my purse, it was fun. We were introduced to a new bad that had an extremely attractive lead singer and we got to meet the lead singer of Parachute! We got a picture with him and I got Kelsie's poster signed for her :) This turned out to be a really good thing since once we got to Kelsie's car, we found one of her windows smashed in. The picture and autograph cushioned the blow a little . . .

Apart from that, my life is pretty boring :) hopefully it will slow down soon. And by that I mean once Christmas break hits. My school life is going to be really hectic here in the next few weeks. Wish me luck!


Our pic with Will to make the night all better!

Some Changes

Soooooo I am now an Independent Mary Kay Beauty Consultant. I know. Weird, right? I'm kinda freaked out about it actually. It all happened so fast. But, I am excited. I'm ready to do something new and fun and I REALLY want to quit at least one job that I have now. I just signed up last night and my director dropped off my starter kit this morning. I've been organizing my stuff ever since and the entire time I'm going, "Holy crap. What did I get myself into? Can I actually do this?" I'm super scared, but like I said, I'm ready for something new and I want to have fun. So, to all my friends and family out there, I'm calling on you to help me get started. Once I get trained, feel free to set up some appointments with me! I would looove to hang out with all of you and do some facials!
Wish me luck...

Cherry Blossoms

So over the summer I got into painting mode again. When I was in Young Women's back in the day, we had the opportunity to do a couple of oil paintings since a few women in the ward were pro artists. I never had so much fun! It was so cool to be able to create something so beautiful and it was so relaxing.

Since I was having some troubles this summer, Mom suggested that I start to paint again. Maybe I could focus my negative energy on the painting and it would help me to feel better about life in general. So we got some supplies together and I got started.







This painting isn't really one of my best, (I've only done 3 so far) but I think it means the most to me. I was looking at it last night trying to figure out why I picked an image like that to paint. This is what I came up with: I had a rough summer. A really, really rough summer. And the hard times aren't over yet. But, this painting, to me, signifies resiliency. That no matter what life throws at me, no matter who tries to break me down, I will always rise up and become stronger than before. A quote from Mulan goes through my head every time I look at it: "The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all." Ironically enough, A cherry blossom is the flower that is shown in that movie.

This painting is a reminder to me now. Whenever I look at it, it gives me strength and a hope to go on. It kind of fuels my stubbornness. I will not give up and I will never back down. I will keep going, keep blooming, just like the cherry blossom tree.

Corney, I know. But true.


Here are some detailed shots:

Corn Mazes, Hot Chocolate, and Campfires

Why am I blogging so much, you ask? Well, it provides a great way to procrastinate as well as giving me a good excuse not to write in a journal since I suck at that.

Anyway. So on Monday Mom brought down the YSA branch to Cornbelly's at Thanksgiving Point for FHE. She invited me to come and since I LOVE hanging out with my mom (seriously Mom) I drove up to meet them. Apart from the fact that it was FREEZING, I loved it. Mom and I walked attempted to make it through the maze, but it was dark and I practically had to hold Mom up so she wouldn't trip. So, we cheated and totally just walked out the side of the corn maze. I was all for calling 911, (maybe a hot, single, priesthood-holding fireman would rescue us, but we were brave and escaped ourselves.

So after that, we walked around and saw this tower of carved pumpkins that was really cool. They had things like Disney characters and famous faces. I should have taken a picture, but I didn't. My whole body was a giant ice cube by that point so Mom and I got hot chocolate and sat by the fire. We had some good chats. Neither of us had been to Cornbelly's before and it seemed like a really cool place to bring a family.

Here are some pics from the night:

I love this pic of me and mom!


HA! Favorite pic of the night!

Thanks Mom for the fun FHE, (and yes I did have fun) AND for the cupcakes and root beer! :)

Concerning Yesterday

Today has been such a great day!
I made it to work on time
I made it through my aerobics class
I can fit into my black slacks which used to be too tight
I got to see Jamie for lunch today (YAY!)
My adolescent development class was so much fun
I got a phone call from Mom and Troy giving me the best news ever!

LOVED IT!

I am sooo excited for Troy and his family. They get to move back to Utah! (If everything works out smoothly, that is). I have missed them so much. Especially the little ones. I haven't seen them since last Christmas. Emma didn't even walk back then, now she is running around and actually talking! I haven't even met Maren yet. Oooooh boy I canNOT wait till next weekend. I just pray that they can get everything done in the short amount of time they have. I wish I could help out . . . stupid school!



This was my costume for my adolescent development class. We got to act out a mock trial where a girl in the state of Idaho gets pregnant and sues the state for not teaching her how to use a condom. Mess up I know. But class was fun. I got to play the part of the student-loving principle who is for abstinence-only programs. I was a witness for the defense. It was kinda nerve-wracking because the prosecution was like, super intense and kind of insulting about things. I think they took it way to seriously. I'm hoping I never have to do that kind of thing in real life.

After that, I just kinda started to play with photo booth on my computer instead of studying.