The Life of Stephanie Goodson

I did it!

2011-12-17T14:15:00.003-07:00

Stephanie Goodson is now a college graduate! I graduated with a BS in Agribusiness, Plant and Animal Science with a minor in Biology. It took me a little longer than most, because I transferred after going to BYU provo for three years. But I finally did it! I'm awesome!

Brother Lamb and I

Fun times amidst the stress

2011-11-29T17:02:00.002-07:00

So there is only about 2 1/2 more weeks left in the semester. Although this is very exciting, it also means that there are finals coming up, research papers due, lots of tests and projects. Good times. I can feel some stress, but mostly I am excited to be graduating! After seven long years my college career is coming to an end. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have learned so much and have grown as a person, but I'm excited to be done. But I just wanted to share some pictures that make me laugh. Justin and I are still able to be silly and have a good times despite the stress of the end of the semester. we're awesome. p.s. only 28 days till we are married! holla

Last night I was trying to find my gauze pads to put in my wrist brace because it was cutting the circulation in my thumb and we were going to fix it (which we did by the way-thanks Justin!) In the process, Justin and I found some of my dad's awesome old glasses and he tried them on and this is what followed:

haha I think he will be an adorable old man. Don't you?

this picture just makes me laugh

This next batch is from way back in Halloween. We should have been doing homework, but instead we took creepy pictures. win.

Adventures

2011-11-16T16:06:00.004-07:00

A bunch of my extended family was here this last weekend for my cousin Lydia's wedding! It was so great to have family around! I love my family!! One night a bunch of us cousins went some type of fishing...I forget what it was called. It was very cold and I just watched, but it was so fun and exciting.

We are in love!

I'm so excited!

Josh Monk

my handsome man. oh how I love him

Tyler Woodland

Luke Farr

Katrina

Katrina Westfall

Jacob Richardson

Halloween

2011-11-16T16:02:00.001-07:00

I am a little behind in my posts. For Halloween our FHE group had a Harry Potter themed party! I was Luna Lovegood. It was an awesome party and Katie's mom, who is amazing, made us delicious treats including butter beer. awesome

I'm in love I'm in love and I don't care who knows it!

2011-10-21T14:11:00.004-06:00

It's true! I'm engaged to the man of my dreams - Justin Holt! It happened on October 14th (see the story below). I'm so happy!

The Ring

Here is the story:

Justin took me to dinner at Applebee's. Then when we got back to my apt it was all set up like the pictures show and the radio was playing country music. I was very surprised because I didn't think he had the ring, because he had told me it would probably be another week. Tricky. So we were just talking and then I heard his voice on the radio and he said my name and some very sweet things and dedicated the song Then by Brad Paisley to me. Then he said some more very sweet things to me, knelt down, grabbed the chocolate covered ring box off the platter and proposed! Of course I said yes. And now we are engaged and I'm so happy and I just love Justin Holt with all of my heart! I almost ruined things because I happened to be in slow motion that night and he had a schedule because the radio message was going to be playing at a certain time. haha so I kept saying things like why are you walking so fast? haha silly. But it all worked out and it was so romantic and perfect and I'm so happy!

Harry Potter!

2011-09-24T11:45:00.006-06:00

Look how excited we are

I finally went and saw the last Harry Potter movie. Since I was away from civilization this summer in Montana, I missed the premiere. But don't worry, I still drew a scar on my forehead and made everyone else do the same. It was epic and I loved it. I guess I am a nerd. Just embrace it. And then go watch that movie if you haven't seen it.

My favorite part was when this girl sitting in front of us started sobbing during a sad part of the movie. haha amazing. she knows

What now!?

2011-09-23T07:14:00.002-06:00

Here is what happened. On September 21st I learned in my biology class that is was September equinox. This means that neither pole of the Earth is tilting towards or away from the sun. My teacher then when on to explain how this makes it possible to stand an egg up. A couple kids in class said they had done it, so when I got home of course I gave it a try. And....success! It took me a while and required a lot of patience and determination. But it was amazing. Also, no one believed me, but now I have proof. So come next September you should all try it...or in March for the March equinox.

Crawdad Fishing

2011-09-13T12:42:00.002-06:00

For Rachel's birthday we went Crawdad Fishing. I had never even heard of it before but it was very fun. They are these lobster type creatures. I even caught one by hand after Justin showed me how. Good times all around - it's going to be an awesome semester!

The crew - Justin, Rachel, Lauren, Nathan

Lauren - the brilliant mastermind behind this awesome activity

Justin - hot cowboy

Rachel - the birthday girl

Glacier National Park Part II

2011-09-10T11:01:00.003-06:00

Glacier Park was too beautiful to not go back again. So we did. We stopped by on our way to Rexburg.

Seriously amazing. Breathtaking. I love this world. On this days adventure we saw a huge grizzly and her two cubs about 30 feet away from us. I wanted to get closer and give it a hug, but Justin saved my life and we quickly went back down the trail. Good call. Then we told this guy coming up the trail that there was a grizzly and cubs and he said, "sweet. that's the money shot." so then we did try to get closer....but it was ok because he had bear spray. haha and he handed me his tripod so that I could beat it away. haha he was awesome. But the bears had already crossed the trail and were long gone. sad day.

I also caught a snake. Just a little guy. A great day of adventures

Glacier National Park Part I

2011-09-10T10:37:00.004-06:00

Justin and I were lucky enough to have the opportunity to go to Glacier National Park. It was so beautiful and breathtaking. Everywhere you look is a mind blowing beautiful scene. It was awesome and we went on lots of mini hikes to waterfalls. Good work Montana. Here are just a few of the pictures we took of our adventures:

This was actually how close we got to this mountain goat. I think people feed them so they weren't afraid of us and we got very close to them.

Pictures can't accurately portray how beautiful it really was.

Caliente Nevada and the Holts

2011-08-21T15:33:00.004-06:00

This last week I was lucky enough to be able to have a week off of work and Justin and I flew down to his home - Caliente, Nevada. His brother Chauncey just got off of his mission and I was able to meet his whole family. They are awesome and made me feel so at home and comfortable. Thank you Holt family.

Climbing down the rope

So handsome

Here is some of the Holt gang

We went and saw some charcoal kilns, which were cool. Then we hiked around for a while at this beautiful place...don't remember the name of it. Then we went to the Moon Caves and climbed up a rope and down the other side and had so much fun. Justin also hunted while we were there because he drew an archery tag for a deer. On Saturday I guided him into the deer and he got within 50 yards. So close, and yet, so far. But it was an amazing week and The Holts are amazing people. I was also able to catch up on a little bit of sleep from the ranch life. Justin and I are the hay crew. Bob put me in charge of the hay. So I usually swath during the day and then we check the hay all night until there is the right amount of dew. Then Justin bales and I rake. It's a good time, but also exhausting. So it was nice to be able to sleep all night and sleep in a little this week.

Not the best picture but you get an idea of how cool of a place we were at.

Other exciting happenings include:

- I ate a porcupine for the first time on the ranch because we were running out of food. So Gary killed and skinned and his wife slow cooked a porcupine and it was delicious!

- There were others but I can't remember them now...more to come later

Don't be Jealous...

2011-07-14T12:27:00.003-06:00

This is the very ancient and ghetto swather that I am privileged to drive. It's exciting and often gets plugged up. A great adventure.

Me and Karen at the top of Shepherds Monument

The other day we all hiked up to the shepherd's monument. This cool place is where the shepherds used to watch their sheep I guess. I carried Gracie most of the way up the hill because she had flip flops on. That was a good work out.

Gracie, Me and Katie

(Melisa and Gary have five kids and we are fast becoming friends. It's awesome)

The professional fencing crew. We fixed many miles of fence. We even made it through many deep coulees (as they call them here in Montana) and although there were times I thought the 4-wheeler would roll, it never did! We are awesome.

Thought I would upload some pictures of the ranch that I am internshipping (is that a word?) at this summer. It is a very beautiful ranch!

There is a plethora of antelope at the ranch

This is where I dwell.

The other day Bob and I were driving back to his house in the little Buick car. He decided to go off the road to look at a bull, but drove into the largest hole ever. So we were very stuck and had no means of communication. So I had to run about 2.5 miles to his house. It was a grand old adventure. haha love it.

Branding!

2011-07-02T12:40:00.003-06:00

This is Buster. He is the owner and provider of the horses. He got kicked in the head by a calf at the branding. It was the loudest sound I have ever heard. Luckily he was ok and just carried on...so tough.

We had an epic branding day the other day. I think we branded around 500 calves and we also ran all of the cows through the shoot and gave them shots. It was an awesome day. I was in charge of giving the ral-gro to the calves. A great day! There were so many people and it was a little chaotic, but so much fun. I love brandings!

It's What We Do

2011-05-29T13:24:00.003-06:00

Here I am learning how to use a plasma cutter. That was exciting, but I didn't do too bad of a job. They even let me fix this other kids attempt. Awesome. They just let me go for it and the only thing they told me was to make sure I had the welding mask on so I wouldn't go blind. Great advice.
Instead of horses we move cows on motorcycles....normal things. A new adventure.

We butchered a bull one day. Just a spur of the moment type of thing. I loved it.

It has been raining a lot so we have had to be creative and do more indoor things. So we cleaned out this old barn for a few days. It looks amazing now; we should have taken before and after shots. Next time...

I still am just loving my internship. I'm learning so much and it's just very exciting.

I'm in Montana

2011-05-20T17:32:00.002-06:00

Here is a couple sneak peak pictures of my adventures on the ranch. This is me fixing the tractor that I drive to rake rocks. It's exciting. Remember when I fixed the chain on the rock rake? who does that? this kid.

Canadian zoo

2011-05-20T17:02:00.002-06:00

So before I headed up to the ranch I went up to Canada for a few days to see my dear friend Lauren. It was amazing. Even though I did get stopped at the border and was interrogated. It was an amazing weekend of fun and adventure. We went to the zoo and it was a good one. We shared some laughs and caught up on good times. I love that kid.

In Canada they call bathrooms washrooms...awesome. Also weird.

Update

2011-05-13T17:25:00.003-06:00

I really have no idea who reads this blog. But I just wanted to say that I am in Montana now working on a cattle ranch for my internship. It's awesome. It's a 15,000 acre ranch with about 500 head of cattle. I've only been there three days but I love it. I work 14 hour days and each night I come home so exhausted, but so happy. I don't have internet or cell phone service. But it's been nice to be unplugged from the world and just work all day.

Some things I've already done:

- fixed fences

- put together and fixed a chain on a tractor and got it working again

- raked rocks

- odd jobs

I know there is more, but I can't think of things right now. I'm in the airport waiting for my flight to Chicago. I'm going to my best friend's wedding: Cassi Elton. She's awesome and I'm so excited to see her and be apart of this magical day.

The house that we stay at on the ranch has a super sketchy shower. It's so rugged. Life is so good though. I will probably be a pro mechanic by the end of the summer. Maybe also a farmer and rancher. who knows. Life is good and I am happy. But I must be people deprived because I struck up a conversation with the lady next to me on my flight and talked to her forever. who does that? not usually this kid. I just had so much to tell her. hahaha awesome

St. George

2011-04-29T11:24:00.003-06:00

I was also lucky enough to be able to go down to St. George with my mom and Matt. We got to see some extended family and my amazing grandmother.

We went hiking near Zion and it was so beautiful. I decided that if I lived there I would go hiking every day. It was so amazing. Matt and I also decided it was a good idea to jump into the water. It was very cold and at first I was just numb but then I thought I was going to freeze to death. But totally worth it.

It was a great weekend and it was so great to be able to see some of my cousins and aunts and uncles. Family is the best thing in the world.

The Zoo

2011-04-26T22:27:00.003-06:00

For a couple weeks I was lucky enough to be able to spend time with my dearest mother in Utah. My mom was out in Utah to help Ashley out and it was so fun to be able to spend time with family. Matt also came out for a week because he had spring break. It was the best times.

We went to the zoo when we went and picked up Matt at the airport. Ashley even felt good enough to come with us! Bonus! It was a great day and Cameron loved all the animals. As you can see in the picture, he was all tuckered out.

Justin was also able to come and hang out for a few days! It was the best!

Cameron really likes red birds and fish or feeesh as he says.

My mom is a rockstar. She's in better shape than I am and has more energy than anyone I know. She is an amazing woman and I hope to be able to be like her one day. I love her to pieces! Hooray for family! I'm so blessed to be part of such an amazing family. How did I get so lucky?

On a side note: I'm so glad to be done with the winter semester! And have a break from school. My mind needs a break. I'm also very excited about my internship in Montana on a cattle ranch.

Matt went down the slide with all the little kids. He was too tall, but that didn't stop him. hahahaha you're awesome Matt.

2011-04-01T12:46:00.002-06:00

Silent Band

2011-04-01T12:36:00.004-06:00

Here is a little sneak peak of a jam session that went down the other night. My roommates and I are in a band...well not really but sometimes we jam. This is how we keep sane during finals. For a band name we are thinking either the silencers or silent band...The song we are singing in this video is called "Life in a Northern Town."

We are also in the process of writing a song. It's going to be a good one.

Love this song

2011-03-24T01:26:00.005-06:00

Is it the face of a child? Is it the thrill of danger?
Is it the kindness we see in the eyes of a stranger?
Is it more than faith? Is it more than hope?
Is it waiting for us at the end of our rope?

I say it's love!
I say it's love!

Is it the one you call home? Is it the Holy Land?
Is it standing right here holding your hand?
Is it just like the movies? Is it rice and white lace?
Is it the feeling I get when I wake to your face?

I say it's love!
I say it's love!

Is it the first summer storm? Is it the colors of fall?
Is it having so little and yet having it all?
Is it one in a million? Is it a chance to belong?
Is it standing right here singing this song?

I say it's love
I say it's love

(I say it's love!)
Is it making you laugh? Is it letting you cry?
(I say it's love!)
Is it where we believe that we go when we die?

(I say it's love!)
Is it how you were made? Is it your mother's ghost?
(I say it's love!)
Is it the wish that I'm wishing for your life
For your life, for your life the most?

-sugarland-

Boring Dreams?

2011-03-13T14:55:00.002-06:00

The other day I woke up, not because I was rested or ready to wake up, but because my dream was so boring. haha. That's right, my dream was so boring that it woke me up. It also seemed to be on repeat. It was something about my biology class. I think I was trying to figure a problem out on a test, one of the phases of mitosis...but couldn't remember it...boring.

Sniper

2011-03-07T00:32:00.002-07:00

Last night I had a dream that I was a sniper. I was assigned to take down this woman at this little party thing. My whole family was there and they knew what was going on and no one even seemed to really care. It was just like it was a normal part of life. haha awesome. I camped out in this upstairs area over looking the whole party/convention thing and there was a circle window that I shot through. After I completed my mission, I packed up my gun and went to put it in my car. On my way to the car, my brother Matt, ran into me and asked me how it went. I said, "got it done" and then he got in the car and said, "i'm just going to take a little nap here." and I went and got the rest of the family. good one subconscious. my dreams had been getting a little boring, so it was nice of my brain to step it up last night.

WIld Montana Skies

2011-02-28T17:37:00.002-07:00

This last weekend I went up to very northern Montana to check out an internship on a cattle ranch. It is awesome! It's a 15,000 acre ranch with about 500 head of cattle. It is very isolated; the closet town is Shelby and it's about 30 min from the Canadian border. The manager is an awesome 80 year old guy named Bob. I would be staying in a sweet house that is on the ranch.

I drove up with two girls and we stayed at one of the girls grandparents house in Helena. It was a sweet house and this is the view outside of their window.

My responsibilities on the ranch would include typical ranch stuff: fixing fences, fixing the barn, farming, herding the cattle, brandings, etc. I am so excited and hope that everything works out! It's too good to be true. It will also be really good experience and I am excited to learn so much more about cattle ranching. Also, Montana is beautiful.

It made me so happy to be able to sit by a cozy fire and fall asleep with its warming rays. So cozy and awesome. We were also fed amazing Philippine food. Delicious! It was a trip well worth all of the driving! I'm glad I went and checked it out.

"Oh montana, give this child a home....give her a fire in her heart, give her a light in her eyes. Give her the wild wind for a brother and the wild montana skies." - John Denver

Happy Birthday Mom!

2011-02-24T17:36:00.002-07:00

Happy Birthday Mom (yesterday)! You are the greatest mom of all time! I love you so so so so so much! You are a great example to me and I appreciate everything you do for me and all that you have taught me. Love you!

This is an awesome picture...just saying. haha I would have posted this yesterday, but it was the craziest day of all time. But I got my huge project done! Presentation presented! Homework completed!

dreaming in song

2011-02-15T20:56:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I wake up with a random song blaring in my heard. Am I the only one that this happens too? I wonder if I have soundtracks in my dream...

Anyways yesterdays song was "For the longest time" by Billy Joel.

Awesome.

First time for everything

2011-02-05T12:44:00.003-07:00

If I had to label yesterday it would be the day of new adventures and first time things. Here are all the new things I did:

1) I went to my first swim meet (two of my roommates are on the swim team - they are amazing. It made me wish I could swim better. Maybe I will have to go practice.)

2) I watched my first wrestling match (this kid Sean, who is always over studying with my roommate, is on the wrestling team.)

3) I went latin dancing for the first time - lots of fun!

4) I had Abuelitas, which is this fancy hot chocolate and you dip french bread into it and it was soooo delicious. (or del-yummy) as they say.

What a day full of new adventures. It was a great day and I was so happy but also exhausted at the end of the day. I love days like that. I also went running and lifted weights. A good day all around.

More free food? Ok

2011-02-03T15:14:00.002-07:00

Yesterday I went to a pre-vet meeting and learned about Ross University, which is a vet school in the Caribbean. Awesome. But more importantly I got free pizza!

Today I made a stop in the MC and received free popcorn from the outdoor adventure club! I should participate in more outdoor activities. They have some good ones for the winter such as: night skiing, cross country skiing, snow shoeing, ice fishing, air boarding, and a carriage ride and dinner and so much more. They all sound so fun, but now I need to find someone to go with me on these adventures...tricky...

Rexburg

2011-02-01T17:50:00.006-07:00

Here are some awesome things about Rexburg:

1) the sidewalks are actually made out of ice and so I get to ice skate to and from classes

2) I was told today that for this week I have to leave the vans running at the livestock center while we are in class so that we won't have to worry about if they will start in the cold weather. It makes them very warm and toasty.

3) At one point today it felt like -23 degrees

Awesome things of today:

1) In my morning class my teacher let us out early and then we all ate bratwurst that he had made! It was delicious

2) After devotional, this jimmy johns guys was handing out free sandwiches!!! Hooray for free food

	Tonight	Tomorrow	Tomorrow Night

Fair	Clear	Mostly Sunny	Partly Cloudy
-10°F	-16°	11°	-3°
Feels Like: -22°	Low	High	Low

Gems

2011-01-28T14:47:00.003-07:00

haha check out some pictures I just rediscovered that I had forgotten about. These were taken during one of my visits to utah last semester. Cameron thought it was soooo funny that our faces were being distorted. I am trying to hide in the first picture.

Good times. It's how we roll.

Internship

2011-01-25T18:12:00.004-07:00

I just received the bad news that I did not get the internship for the church ranch in Nebraska. This is a major bummer. So if anyone knows of any internship....anywhere....for a ranch type experience...you could let me know, and I would love that. I have a couple leads I am looking into, but pretty much I'm open to any suggestions.

On a side note, the antibiotics I'm taking, or maybe it's the cold weather...or a combination of both...something makes me a bottomless pit. It's awesome. I can eat and eat and eat and not ever get full.

events

2011-01-23T21:19:00.003-07:00

1. I got my haircut. I like it.

2. On our way to church, the car in front of us was stuck and couldn't make it up the hill. So some of my roommates and I, in our high heels and sunday clothes, got out and helped push them on their merry way. awesome. gotta love rexburg. and service!

3. I took a three hour nap today.

say what

2011-01-21T14:58:00.002-07:00

Fun fact: turns out I have bronchitis...that explains why I can barely walk up to campus without feeling like there is no more oxygen in the air. Hooray for antibiotics!

That's a good one

2011-01-21T10:19:00.001-07:00

bahahahaha this picture makes me so happy. I just think it is a great representation of us. haha so funny. love it. what do you love?

What now

2011-01-06T12:10:00.002-07:00

Me and Matt fixing a light in our kitchen. Don't worry, I am a certified electrician. Turns out the bulb was broken.

We all went to Matt's recital thing and he did such an amazing job singing. What a good kid.

Tender. Ben, Matt and myself in a group hug. I love my brothers. I love my family! Life is good.

Family

2010-12-29T17:03:00.003-07:00

I just love being home with my family. They are so awesome and I love playing games with them, laughing with them, dancing weirdly with them, and I love that I can be my complete self around them. Family is the best! I love eating the delicious meals that my mom makes everyday, watching movies and relaxing with them, and just everything about home and family. I'm so happy.

Here is a cool shot of our new pet fox....well, at least it always hangs out in our backyard. One day there were three of them! Foxes are awesome. So is family. Family, foxes, fun, free, fantastic food.

Gingerbread Houses

2010-12-28T13:55:00.004-07:00

We went old school and went back to one of our old traditions - making gingerbread houses! Hooray! It was lots of fun.

My house was a haunted house, but it did have a sweet action chimney.

Matt with his awesome house that had a huge peace sign

Ben and his house...if you look closely on the roof you can see a gummy bear being speared by a sharpened candy cane.

Dad helped me glue my pieces together and get it started, they were very lopsided because the walls were all different sizes. I had a very huge gap between my roof and wall.

Courtney and her cute house

Happy Christmas!

2010-12-28T13:40:00.003-07:00

Pealing oranges to make delicious fresh juiced orange juice! Delicious

me and the bros

Matt showing off his new long johns. Now is the time when on sprockets ven ve dance...

check out my new socks to wear with my cowboy boots! awesome. I also got a sweet action guitar chord book and jason mraz and cat stevens books.

Here are just a couple of some of the pictures from this Christmas. It was a good one. I just love Christmas and I love being able to relax and be with the family and have a little break from school. It's awesome. Life is great! In case you are wondering what I am wearing in all these pictures, we call it the penguin suit. It is very warm! We very much missed the rusts and paganos being with us. Happy Christmas! It even snowed a little Christmas morn, even though it didn't stick, it was better than nothing.

Katie's Wedding

2010-12-09T15:19:00.003-07:00

So this post is kind of old...but worth it. A little while ago my dear friend, Katie, got married in Spokane, Wa. So of course I went! I'm so glad I did. I love Katie, she can always make me laugh and is such a great friend. She looked so beautiful and I'm so happy for her and Josh.

It started raining during the pictures outside of the temple. So this was our attempt to stay warm and dry. And I got to hold the camera lady's back pack.

I also got to see another dear friend, Rachel Clark! It had been a while since I had seen her and it was very heart warming. I miss her and love her to pieces. She is so easy to talk to and I admire her so much.

Congrats again Katie and Josh! My other favorite part was that Rachel and I got to help clean the house before the reception! I felt to useful and I like that. The reception was so beautiful and everything was just amazing. Hooray for good friends and good times!

Thanksgiving Break

2010-12-07T12:02:00.004-07:00

I love this kid! He is adorable and so sweet and I love how into football and tackling he his.

Me and the Cam-jam. Tender. Also we didn't take a lot of pictures this break. Silly us.

I went to Utah for Thanksgiving break. I stayed with Ashley and Jake and Ben came and stayed at there house too! Hooray for family! It was just the break that I needed. I was able to catch up on some school work that I had been falling behind in. And I was able to chill with family and hang out with my awesome nephew and Ben and I bonded with late night conversations. I just love my family so much and loved this break! On the last night, Ben is the only witness, but I lost my mind a little bit. I could not stop laughing for sooo long! It was crazy. I kept trying to stop and pull it together but then I would laugh all over again. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time, it felt good.

Things I am particularly thankful for this year:

- I am so thankful for Ashley and Jake and for them letting me crash in their basement and do my laundry and eat all their food and just their awesome hospitality. They are awesome.

- for Ben and his sense of humor and how we always have awesome conversations and laugh really hard. Ben is always so chill and easy to get along with and I'm so proud of him for going on a mission.

- for Matt and how awesome he is and how he is always involved in lots of things and such a people person. He can always make people feel included and he is the life of the party, I admire that Matt.

- for my Dad and all that he does for me. For his example and his humor and his musical talent and I just love him to pieces.

- for my mom and how she taught me how to work hard and her example to me and how she is always so giving and how in shape and strong she is.

-for Marg and Mike and Bradley and Mr. Smiles for their support and love and I just love you guys so much!

- So basically FAMILY!

- technology and new computers that work so fast and make school so much easier

- a car that gets me around to where I need to go

- good friends

- education

- warm clothes

- blankets that are fresh out of the dryer

- food

- freedom

- the gospel and a testimony

- the scriptures

- garbage disposal

- washer and dryer

- things that smell good

- music

- and oh so much more.

Life is good and I have so many blessings.

Mother Teresa

2010-12-03T14:48:00.003-07:00

People are often unreasonable, irrational and self centered.

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and genuine enemies.

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you.

Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.

Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.

Be happy anyway.

The good you do will often be forgotten.

Do good anyway.

Give the best you have and it will never be enough.

Give your best anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.

Help them anyway.

In the final analysis it is between you and God.

It was never between you and them anyway.

Rachel shared this quote and I thought it was amazing. Thank you Rachel and thank you Mother Teresa.

Ben is going on a mission!

2010-12-02T15:27:00.004-07:00

So my brother, Ben, opened his mission call yesterday. He is going to serve for two years for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the :

Long Beach, California Mission

He leaves February 2nd, 2011. I am just so proud of my little Ben Hen. Ben is an awesome kid and I'm so glad he is my brother. We have really bonded over these past couple years. He is so funny and very chill and I just love him to death. He is going to be such a great missionary! I'm proud of you BEN!

I'm just Harry...

2010-11-24T16:51:00.002-07:00

So of course I went and saw Harry Potter 7 on the opening night! I am Harry Potter, so I had to be there. I also saw Hagrid and so many other friends! It was awesome. I drew a scar on my forehead and brought my wand and wore my gryffindor shirt. We got there very very early so Lauren and I just chilled and during our free time I was wandering around and saw a table where they were drawing the Dark Mark for free! so of course I got one.

Also, it really is amazing how similar Harry and I are. Here are some of our many similarities:

- This is my sixth year of college and Hogwarts is for 7, and I have another year...so...same.

- during the movie my wand broke and so did Harry's!

- I'm British...

- I have an enemy named Lord Voldermort who I have to kill. (neither one can survive while the other one lives).

- My best friends names are Ron and Hermione.

- I can talk to snakes

- I'm in Gryffindor

Tuna for breakfast?

2010-11-22T14:28:00.003-07:00

So I was recently part of an experiment. It was for my weight lifting class and because I participated, I don't have to take the final! yay! So for the first week I had to eat oatmeal for breakfast. The next week was captain crunch cereal. And for week three is was tuna! What? That's right I had to eat 1.5 cans of tuna fish for breakfast. I am not the biggest fan of tuna and we just had to eat it plain. Nasty. But I did it! Success. We also had to record everything we ate for those three weeks. But anyways, here are some pictures I took of me eating the tuna....hahaha. I am silly.

Rodeo

2010-11-01T14:05:00.004-06:00

My best fans! Thanks for coming to support me Nate and Lauren!

Here are some more pictures from the rodeo. Good times!

We had to go out into the arena at the beginning and just stand there...awkward. Also, remember how I was second?

Attempt #3

2010-10-25T14:21:00.002-06:00

Here I am on a steer...for not very long. But it was so fun! I just love riding steers, such an adventure and an adrenaline rush! Also this time around was more extreme because we weren't given a vest or a helmet and the steers had horns...so that's exciting. I love rodeos!

Inception

2010-10-21T11:43:00.003-06:00

The other night I had an inception dream (a dream within a dream)...it was crazy. I was dreaming that I was learning how to surf. So I got on my surfboard and we were swimming out to find the best waves on our boards. But somehow we took a wrong turn and ended swimming for a very long time until we came to this island. We realized we went way too far and had to swim all the way back...it was a weird dream. But then I woke up (or so I thought) and told my mom about that dream. It was a saturday and I remember thinking, "oh no, the testing center is closed and now I can't go take my neurobiology test." It was so real. But then my alarm went off for real real...I was so confused. Also it took me longer than normal to awake from my deep slumber. Inception. Awesome.

Last night I had some more crazy dreams. In my first dream, my mom was cutting some vegetables and she slipped and chopped her hand off. What? But she wouldn't let any of us take her to the emergency room until she finished up some chores. Then, Ashley's appendix exploded or something, so she needed to be taken into the ER as well. But it took us forever to get everyone in the car and no one was cooperating and it was very frustrating. And my mom was just holding her cut off hand, but also somehow cleaning. What a woman.

Then I had a dream that this kid asked me to marry him. So I said yes, because I felt bad for him....that is a terrible reason to say yes. But then I realized what I had done. So I had to tell him that I wouldn't be able to go through with it because he was 18 and hadn't gone on his mission yet, etc. I felt so bad. An exhausting, emotional roller coaster ride of dreams. Good times subconscious.

Curve ruiner...oops

2010-10-08T14:15:00.005-06:00

So a couple weeks ago I studied my brains out for a feeds test. I even woke up at 5:30 am the morning of the test so I could study before I took it at 9 am. Anyways, I came out of the test feeling like I got at least solid B. Today in class my teacher told us he had finally finished grading the tests. He then proceeded to tell us that the highest grade was a 98, so he could only curve the test 2 points. Everyone booed and I even said, curve ruiner. But then, we got our tests back, and yep. you guessed it: I was the one who got the 98! hahahaha So I pretended like I didn't know who got the 98, so I wouldn't get stoned by my fellow classmates. So I got a 100% on my test! Who does that? This kid! I was so happy, but also felt a little bad about ruining the curve for everyone else...but not really. Awesome.

Long night?

2010-10-07T10:48:00.003-06:00

Parts of my dreams last night included:

- running to the beach in a sand filled swimsuit

- jumping into the ocean, only to land back on the shore...tricky

- wearing my BYU-I shorts to the beach and thinking how they will wonder why they smell like salt and are covered in sand when I return them

- living in a dungeon type apt. with a window that constantly had icicles and snow on it, even in the summer. then running into the previous girl who lived there and she told me how in the winter it floods very easily. kickin'

- seeing the coolest and longest comet blaze across the sky!

- trying to show my mom the comet's path with a laser pointer...it didn't work very well

- getting on a spaceship and heading to saturn (apparently the air is breathe-able according to my subconscious)

wow. I had a lot of dreams last night. Thank you subconscious. Thank you for making my sleep very interesting to make up for my boring, study filled waking life. I appreciate it.

oh rexburg

2010-10-01T11:22:00.004-06:00

So today I went to Wal-mart to buy some things after my morning feeds class, in which I just took a test. As I was checking out, the guy looks up and asks me if I was 18. I said, yes. yes I am. He asked for ID, but I had left it in my car. I asked what n the world I bought that required ID? answer: white-out. who knew you needed ID to buy white-out? not me. But I told him I was 23 and he told me he would just take my word, what a sweet guy. hahaha. then he told me I just look super young (I get that a lot). Good thing he trusted me and good thing I still look 16, even though I am in fact 23.

Studying

2010-09-26T17:48:00.004-06:00

Do you ever have those days where you study all day long and feel like your head is expanding and might explode with knowledge? No? Well, I had one of those day yesterday...I hope the swelling goes down soon... muahahahahaha

Weight Lifting

2010-09-21T17:45:00.004-06:00

Remember how I am in a weight lifting class? remember how on monday I put too much weight on the leg press machine and remember how now I can barely walk? I remember. every time I move my legs. hahaha I am silly.

This is how it went down. There is a group of us girls in my weight lifting class. They sort of named me leader (silently) because I knew what I was doing, sort of. Anyways, this one girl went first and started using the leg press machine with the weights that were already on it (90 lbs). I wasn't sure I could do this much weight, but she did it, so I had to too...right? good one. And the whole time I knew I would regret it and be so sore today, and I was right. And then all of the other girls also used that amount of weight. Mostly, we should have lowered the weight. I guess that is why you lift weights with a buddy? So you can motivate/peer pressure each other? Things to think about. So tomorrow I will not be using any of the machines that work your leg muscles. Also I waddle a little. And have to hold onto the railings when I go down the stairs, so my legs don't collapse. hahaha it's a good one.

On the up side, I think lifting weights gives me energy! Yesterday I had so much energy I didn't even know what to do about it, it was crazy talk. And I am looking forward to getting stronger. I haven't worked out in many moons. True story.

Life is good.

Jumper Cables

2010-09-15T18:22:00.003-06:00

So I am in this very intense mechanics class. It's all about electricity and my teacher said that by the end of the semester, we will know everything there is to know about electricity. That is exciting, but also intimidating. It is a 4 credit class and it's all about farm electrical systems. I am the only girl and there are about 10 students total. I know nothing about cars or tractors or such things of that nature. When I went to buy the tools that are required for the class, I had no idea what to get. I still haven't got everything, but I am getting there. (slowly) Anyways, today we made mini jumper cables! That's right, I made these (see pictures)! It is very exciting and I made them with no major problems! We also magnetized one of our screw drivers! I am gaining so much new knowledge and it is exciting! Look out world.

On a different and unrelated note, I had my weight training class today and I am excited to get back in shape! I am going to be strong like bull...and very sore tomorrow, guaranteed. Life is good!

The New Mine

2010-09-10T13:17:00.002-06:00

So my cousins found this old mine and I had never been to it. So we went and explored it. It was very cool, but also a little dangerous. Also we ignored this sign...good one?

There was this ladder that went up forever and ever! You couldn't see the top for a very long time. Also it was very rickety in some places and curved out from the wall. It gave you quite the adrenaline rush when you climbed it.

Tonya, me and Lydia

Here I am climbing the crazy ladder.

Here is the crew that went. Also Nephi and I climbed these even sketchier ladders to see where it went...it ended up going nowhere, but it was quite the adventure.

(Sarah, me, Lydia, Jacob, Nephi, Luke, Tonya, Ammon)

The Farm II

2010-09-09T15:37:00.003-06:00

We went to Miller's pit and jumped off a small cliff. I am the one all the way on the right side.

Some of us went to the sand dunes and I had a great time. I even tried jumping a 4-wheeler...I wasn't the best at it, but it was fun! My cousins were amazing and got some fantastic air! Impressive.

We took the nephews on lots of rides on 4-wheelers and motorcycles. they loved it!

We also decided to pull the weeds around the cemetery one morning! It was quite the project, but as my mom and grandma say, "many hands make light work." We should have taken before and after pictures. With everyone's help and the loader, we created quite the mountain of weeds.

Here is the whole family! (minus Mike, who we missed dearly). It was so great to see everyone and I just love my family!

The Farm

2010-09-08T14:40:00.002-06:00

Me and Jake shooting clay pigeons. I hit 4! Jake was a pro.

I had lots of great bonding time with my three adorable nephews! Me and the Brad-man playing

There was a sweet maze that my uncle Glen built. We spent many nights running around playing tag in the dark with flashlights! awesome

Truck driving. Classic.

The one time I helped haul hay was a very tricky thing. Where the trucks were unloaded, was a very small space and every time I had to turn around, I din't think I would make it. But I did every time. Nice.

Some of the cousins just chillin' during dinner time.

The Birds

2010-09-07T10:46:00.004-06:00

So on my flight to Salt Lake, right before we landed, my plane hit some birds. We were in a very small plane, so I felt the bump and saw something white fly by the window. Mostly, I thought it was hilarious and then as we got off the plane you could see a beak sticking through the front window and blood splattered everywhere. It was crazy! I had no idea, and the whole front of the plane was torn up. Crazy!

Also sorry I haven't posted in a while....but get ready for lots of posts.

I'm just Harry...

2010-09-01T13:07:00.006-06:00

So I made it a goal this summer to read all of the Harry Potter books before Part I of the seventh book comes out in november. I know, a little nerdy...but actually not at all. It's cool and you know it... The other night I had the craziest/coolest dream. I had just finished reading a chapter in the seventh book and my dream picked up right where I had left off! I was Harry Potter! And I found one of the missing Horcruxes in Hogwarts and destroyed it with the sword of Gryffindor that I stole from a goblin. What!? It was an amazing dream. So basically I don't know that to do now that I finished that quest of reading all the Harry Potter books.

I can't be a wizard...I'm just Harry. I'm just Harry.

Love it.

Boston and the beach

2010-08-02T11:51:00.004-06:00

One night Jen, Cassi and I went out to eat at this delicious Italian restaurant. It was so del-yummy. Then we went to this pastry shop and each got a delicious treat. But then we had to find somewhere to eat it and it had been raining very hard so everything was wet. So we invented a way to stay dry and sat on our umbrellas! Brilliant.

On saturday we all went to the beach! We were planning on going to this one beach, but then we got lost....so we wound up at this other beach. But it was amazing and really pretty and we got to climb on sweet rocks! I loved it. The water was freezing cold, but after climbing on the rocks I jumped in because I needed a cool down.

Our triumphant, successful, and noble climb to the lighthouse type thing (seen in the picture below)

Cassi, Jane, Jen, Steph, Carter...(I look very short, well I am short, but more so than usual. haha)

P.S. Inception was amazing! It has revolutionized the way I dream. So good!

more Boston

2010-07-29T13:31:00.003-06:00

The freedom trail! Also if you look closely you can see a Mennonite choir...

This building looks like a face. Do you see it? It took us a while to find this one, but it was worth it.

Boston!!

2010-07-29T13:13:00.003-06:00

So last weekend I had a grand adventure and took the bus up to NYC, then took the train into NJ to see my dear old friend, Cassi! Then Cassi, Carter and I drove up to Boston to see another old friend, Jen, from freshman year. It was a weekend full of memories, adventure, learning and good times. We went to Harvard campus and Cassi brought a book to tell us about all the buildings. This is the Widener Memorial Library named after Harry Widener who died on the Titanic. We are holding our breath in this picture because rumor has it Harry couldn't swim 50 yards to the boat...bummer.

Then we all took turns posing like statues.

This is an arch that when you whisper in one side the person on the other side can hear you. awesome. It was so fun to see old friends and to be able to see Boston, I had never been before. more pictures to come...

Dreamland

2010-07-14T12:03:00.002-06:00

Something you should know about me, if you don't already, is that I have dreams that I usually remember every single night. Sometimes they are crazy, sometimes wierd, sometimes funny, sometimes random, sometimes out of control and I worry about my subconscious, and sometimes normal dreams...if there is such a thing as a normal dream. Originally my good friend Cassi told me my blog should be a place where I could share these dreams with whoever reads this...but I forgot about that until just now. So here are two of my dreams from just the other night that I had:

(warning: most of my dreams don't really make sense, so don't judge me. They are just dreams after all...right?)

1) Cassi had sent me her whole wardrobe, who knows why, and I was trying everything on and she was explaining what went together best and how it all worked. So I tried on this fancy white coat and Whitney (a friend from freshman year) started making fun of it and how ridiculous it made me look. Then, suddenly, I was walking behind a huge crowd of people who were all seating and facing a podium. Cassi was at the podium and had been asked to say a few words to all of these people. But we weren't sure whether it was a funeral or a graduation, or what...so she just said, "Live everyday like it's your last." Then she did a sweet dance move! ba hahaha

2) There were different apartments/groups and they each had to complete a project. Our apt sang a song and played different instruments, I played the recorder. One group procrastinated, so I thought I would help them. They were trying to sculpt something and paint it...so we mixed blue, red, and yellow paint - which made it black...tricky. But the paint was hardening too fast and so it ended up looking like a volcano/dinosaur and we kept stabbing it with our paintbrushes to add more blue paint. Well they all got in trouble for not having it done because it ended up being a disaster...and I almost got blamed but the teacher remembered my stellar recorder playing from earlier.

Lesson from this dream....don't procrastinate? or learn to play the recorder?

Archives Museum

2010-07-06T21:22:00.002-06:00

So some of my cousins are here visiting us in Virginia, which means that everyday is a new adventure in D.C. It's awesome. Yesterday, we went to the archive museum, Museum of Natural History, and the air and space museum. While I was wandering around this section of the archives museum, a funny moment happened. This lady was intently watching a video and listening to it with a phone. There was another phone next to her, so I picked it up and then saw some pretty buttons...So I pushed one of the buttons, not thinking, and it changed the video she was watching. hahahaha my bad. She just looked at me funny and I said I was so sorry and I had no idea it was going to stop her video. She said it was okay and then just explained to me how it worked. hahaha awesome. I felt a little bad, and apologized a million times, but mostly I just thought the whole situation was hilarious. It was a good one.

Rodeo

2010-06-21T15:49:00.003-06:00

Here I am riding the steer...there is a lot of build up for just a couple of seconds...so just prepare yourself.

Rodeo...take 2

2010-06-20T17:37:00.004-06:00

So remember how in the fall I rode a steer? Well, I signed up to ride again! My goal was to beat my old record of about 3 seconds...but I just tied it. It was so much fun and I am so glad so many people came to support me, I really appreciate that. After the rodeo, we went to this country dance and they had a mechanical bull there...so I rode that too and did much better. So now I am ready to try it again next fall? Yes! Count me in!

So happy!

I was so determined to do better...but my steer turned so sharp right as the gate opened...it was unexpected.

Falling...

It was just the best day ever! I got to be outside, be around animals (especially cows), and horses and cowboys! Holla. I love rodeos!!

Soon to come: the video of me riding...hold onto your pants.

Circus

2010-06-20T17:28:00.004-06:00

So I am a little behind on my posts...my bad. But a while ago, our FHE group decided to go to the circus that was in town! It was so amazing and I was so happy and my mind was blown. ALSO! I rode an elephant! Yeah buddy!

Angie, me, and Dara on an elephant...no big deal...

I like all of our faces in this one...hahaha. classic.

The ancient japanese art of Karaoke...

2010-05-26T15:08:00.003-06:00

Me and Greg looking through all of the songs.

Craig, Katie, Leah, and myself

Victoria, Dara, Steph

So on Saturday night a bunch of us went to a Karaoke place in Rigby. I wasn't planning on singing at all, but I gave into peer pressure. It was a very fun night full of laughter, singing, pool, and much more.

Big Juds Adventure

2010-05-15T14:09:00.003-06:00

Katie, Chelsey, Ashley

Huge hamburger! If you eat that whole thing then you get it for free maybe...I might have made that up. But you do get your picture on the wall. But don't worry, we split it 4 ways. Awesome.

Katie, Victoria, Ashely, Me, Angie

We all went out for an adventure and we went to Big Juds. It was delicious and good times. Also on our way home we saw a moose on the side of the road. Moose are so majestic and mighty and I wanted to give it a hug...but I didn't, cause I might have died. It was a great time all around.

I love you mom!

2010-05-09T15:36:00.003-06:00

Mother! I love you so much! I am so grateful to have you as my mom. I feel so blessed to be your daughter. You are the best mom in the whole wide world! I am so grateful for all that you have taught me. I am grateful for your testimony and your strength in the gospel and for letting me lean on your testimony until I gained my own. Thank you for teaching me to work hard and for being the best example of a hard worker. Thank you for always being there for me, for comforting me, for taking care of me when I was sick, for being silly and making me laugh, for all of the delicious home cooked meals you prepared, for listening to me, for teaching me everything I know, for believing in me, for seeing my potential, for loving me, for supporting me, for braiding my hair everyday and for everything else! Thank you mom!

I love you with all of my heart and can't even begin to put into words how much I appreciate you and all that you have done and continue to do for me. You are the most amazing woman I know. You are so beautiful and I love how you are in better shape than all of us combined. Awesome. You are always willing and happy to serve others. You are always ready to help others and people everywhere look to you and admire your good example. You never cease to amaze me with your many talents and the perfect example that you are to me. I love you mom! You are my hero!

Bonfire

2010-05-08T12:50:00.002-06:00

So a while ago...a huge bonfire happened. It was the largest bonfire I had ever seen, very impressive. Also there were hundreds of people! It was a great time! Also I am glad Katie is back in town because she is the best at taking pictures and I appreciate that. In addition, she is so fun and keeps me laughing!

Cinco de Mayo!

2010-05-06T00:25:00.003-06:00

Happy Cinco de Mayo. In honor of this day I wore my Mexican shirt! I also went out to eat at a Mexican restaurant and went to a little party to celebrate. It was a great day all around. I also went country dancing, which is a big deal for me - but it was a lot of fun. Mostly I love the line dancing because I don't really know how to dance. But I am slowly learning...yeah. I also wrote some letters today, got some stamps, and cleaned. A very productive and busy day. Life is good.

Seattle continued...

2010-04-24T18:47:00.001-06:00

Good trick...I only have one leg? maybe.

Gargoyle?

I love Seattle

2010-04-24T18:30:00.002-06:00

At the end of winter semester, I went to Seattle with two of my roommates (Dara and Angie). They live there and they invited me to join them in their trip home. I am so glad they did because I had so much fun! I've decided that I love Seattle.

While there we hung out with their friends Ron and Spencer every day and quickly became best friends. They were awesome. We had good times. Ron taught me and Dara a dance that he choreographed.

We also went to a Mariner's game. I also decided that I love cities. I love the people, the sounds, the smells, and just everything about them. I just had a great time and loved everything about the trip. I am so grateful for the Gleed's and am so glad I have friends like them.

Another Semester Ends...

2010-04-20T22:31:00.002-06:00

Our apartment was in a prank war with an apartment of guys in our ward...we had some good ones. They got us one night by filling our apartment with confetti. We pranked them by saran wrapping their cars, beds, books, among other things in their apartment. We also pulled many other pranks on them. It was good times.

I got wrapped in saran wrap...good times? yeah. but this was not connected to the prank wars. Just a crazy night in apartment 108.

We all went and watched Avatar. I loved it! In fact, it was so good that we decided to dress up like avatars and then we went and shot glass plates....you know, normal things.

At the end of March I went on a backpacking/camping trip with my basic skills class. I had a 50 pound bag and we hiked 5 miles into our campsite. It was exhausting, a little cold at night, but so beautiful and so much fun. Oh yeah, Jeff decided to see if I fit in the backpack I would be carrying. I did! It wasn't very comfortable, but still...

This semester has been such a great one. I was blessed with awesome roommates and great friends. My finals week was the easiest it's ever been, which was awesome. My classes were awesome (meats and animal reproduction especially) and I just loved this semester. I am so grateful for everything I have learned and all that I was blessed with.

TheLympics

2010-03-11T21:03:00.003-07:00

My roommates and I got really into the Olympics this year. One night we all wore bandannas and drew soul patches...so we could be Apolo Ohno. Then we cheered him on. It was very fun. Go United States! I love our country.

Yawning to stay relaxed.

James Morrison

2010-03-11T21:01:00.000-07:00

So this is my new favorite song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i85P8NDvSmg

Adventure Date

2010-02-27T16:04:00.003-07:00

A while ago our ward had an auction, well it was supposed to be an auction, but really it was just a raffle. And each apartment raffled of something. My apartment decided to do an adventure date, so last weekend, it finally happened. We were all princesses and the guys apartment were princes and they had to rescue us in different spots on campus. We left clues everywhere that they had to follow and then they had to complete different tasks. It was awesome and they got so into it, which made it even better! Each of the princesses were also tied up in some way, so they princes had to untie them.

Me and Angie were the queens and we set up a delicious dinner and once they had rescued all the princesses they all met us there. This is when we knighted them for rescuing the princesses.

This was when they had to free princess Lauren, put they weren't allowed to use their hands.

It was quite the night of adventure, rescue, dinner, and danger. Good times all around.

They had to paint their fingernails for one of their tasks.

Also!

2010-02-24T23:50:00.004-07:00

I got my hair cut also...I went to Paul Mitchell. The lady who cut my hair got a little carried away and it is very short now. But also, I like it now. The first day I was a little bit in shock, but I like it now. This picture is scary...that's all. But it was the soonest picture of me after my haircut. Also it was Courtney's birthday. My roommates are the coolest.

This is a continuation of our trip to the mall. We bought a lot of things...we all just encouraged each other. Good times.

We also went to Cold Stone. Delicious and nutritious?

This is what happened...

2010-02-24T23:42:00.002-07:00

So once upon a time, my roommates and I went to the mall in Idaho Falls. Suddenly I decided to get my ears pierced. It was a crazy decision. But it is done now. It's true. My ears are pierced. The end.

Signing the papers

My roommates were all very helpful. They helped me pick out the ear rings and made sure they were even. Way to go team!

Pierced ears.

Luke is a Married Man

2010-02-17T21:23:00.006-07:00

It was so great to be able to see everyone and reunite with my extended family. It was a crazy fun filled weekend, with not a lot of sleep, but lots of good times.

I love that Ashley came with us! It made the whole trip so much better! It was her first time away from Cameron and it felt just like old times...I love Ashley so much! Why is my family so amazing? We were trying to be really creepy in this picture...I think we succeeded.

The happy couple. Remember how Luke is married? Weird. Also awesome. In addition, I feel like the whole world is getting married or going on missions. True story. Also Luke and Tonya are a very attractive couple...good work.

So my cousin, Luke, got married on Feb 13th in the Denver, CO temple. I am so happy for him, but it kind of blows my mind that he is married now...weird. I drove down to Provo to pick up Ashley, Michael and Matthew and then we were on our way to Denver. It is about a 9 hour drive from Provo. It was so great to be able to make it to this important day and have the three musketeers reunited one last time. Luke's wife, Tonya, is awesome and I definitely approve - she is the coolest!

A fantastic weekend

2010-01-23T15:29:00.003-07:00

So yes. I drove to Canada last weekend, for the long weekend (thank you Martin Luther King, Jr.) to go see Rachel Johnson before she leaves me forever on her mission. I am very proud of her for serving the Lord and she is going to make the best missionary ever! We had a grand old time. I got to check off something on my bucket list: snowshoeing. Check. It was awesome. Also I had Tim Tam Slam Bams for the first time ever and they are delicious! It was just a grand old time and I'm going to miss that kid. Best. Weekend. Ever. I wish I could have stayed longer, but school was calling me back home. Here are some pictures from our adventures:

Christmas break II

2010-01-09T12:30:00.003-07:00

The Cam-jam

I love my mom!

We spent many a hour playing Beatles rock band! Best. game. ever. By the end we were all pretty much playing on expert, and we always had Beatles songs running through our heads.

The nephews.

Christmas break!

2010-01-02T10:30:00.002-07:00

My two most adorable nephews in the whole world! This isn't the best picture of them...more to follow later.
Me and Matthew.
My siblings. After church we decided to take some family pictures.
We are silly sometimes.
This is our creepy picture...awesome.

Christmas is round the corner

2009-12-22T15:11:00.004-07:00

We went to our ward closing social like this...it wasn't a Christmas party, but we made it one...I was Santa.

Rachel, Karlee, Steph

Katie planned a sweet Christmas party and Santa came, there was a white elephant present exchange and lots of fun to be had by all. Also, Christmas break is finally here! I very much need this break from school. Finals took a lot out of me, but somehow I managed to do very well on all of my finals (all A's and 1 B)! Awesome. I will miss my roommates and Rachel very very much. Today I took a 3 hour nap after I slept for 12 hours last night...fantastic! Life is good and I am excited for my whole family to be together.

My brain is having a hard time adjusting to the fact that I don't have to be in school and I can just relax...also where are all of my friends? But I'll get used to it I'm sure. Oh and the flight home was a bummer because the lady sitting next to me smelled like death and so I had to keep my coat over my head so I wouldn't gag...a great flight.

Superpowers

2009-12-15T20:46:00.002-07:00

Today as I sat in my Chemistry class I thought about what superpower I would want. I came up with two very good options:

1) I would be able to speak every language in the world. This way, when I travel the world, I will be able to speak to everyone and hear their stories. I could even visit the most remote places, where the language is dying, and still be able to talk to them! Fantastic.

2) I would want to be able to tell what people needed, whenever I used my power, and what I could specifically do for them that would help them. Brilliant!

Thanksgiving

2009-12-13T23:39:00.003-07:00

The day after Thanksgiving, we all drove to the mountains and picked out Christmas trees and cut them down. It was a grand adventure!

This is when Rachel and I went crazy...I believe I am making an Indian call...we have that wild mountain look in our eyes.
Here I am with Luke, Rachel, and Lydia. This was on the ride to our adventure cutting down Christmas trees.

So my bad...it's been a while. For thanksgiving break Rachel and I went to Nevada and stayed with my grandma and partied with all of my aunts and uncles and cousins. I love my extended family! Even though I also had a lot of homework to catch up on, it was a much needed break and we had lots of fun. Turns out I only have pictures from one day of the whole trip. One of my favorite adventures was when we went rabbit hunting and we saw hundreds of antelope and we chased them in the car, it was very exciting!

Roommate bonding

2009-11-25T15:16:00.002-07:00

Sarah, Rachel, Stephanie, Alyson, Katie, Rachel O

My roommates are pretty awesome and we decided to take roommate pictures. Once again, Katie is an amazing photographer. Also it was very very cold that day so we almost froze to death, but it was lots of fun and good bonding times.

Good times

2009-11-15T15:42:00.002-07:00

In addition to the witches party, I also went down to Provo for Halloween and we had a huge cousin reunion/party. It was awesome. I was a newsie.
We went out to Craigo's for Heather's birthday. She rocks! It was delicious.
Went to see a movie.
We supported some guys in our ward for their football final game. It was awesome and they won. In this picture, I am the one flapping my blanket like a bird...embarrassing.
We made shirts to cheer them on. We're awesome!

Witches Party

2009-11-08T15:18:00.004-07:00

This is a little delayed, but on Halloween Eve, we had a sweet action witches party! My roommate, Katie, was the party planner and did an extraordinary job! Amazing! Best party ever! We all dressed up as witches and I was the evil witch with the poison apple. We played games, ate dinner, had a dance party, and just rocked the witches life. It was amazing.

Pumpkin Carving

2009-10-26T11:01:00.002-06:00

This past weekend a bunch of us carved some pumpkins! Me, Rachel, Rachel, Katie, and Jordan...we're awesome.

I decided to make a pirate pumpkin.

It was a very spooky night.

Everyone is Getting Married

2009-10-21T18:20:00.002-06:00

This is our last dinner together as an apartment before Karlee left us for marriage. I am very excited for her, but I will miss her dearly. We all went to her reception and it was a party. There was dancing and doughnuts and fruit and ice cream and fudge and laughter and good times and crying and long embraces.

Here we all are holding Dave...I can barely be seen.

With the lovely bombshell bride. Goodbye my room roommate.

One last shot of our completed apartment. Why is everyone in the world getting married? It's gotta stop.

The Rodeo

2009-10-19T14:27:00.003-06:00

Here are some pictures from the rodeo that I was in. I rode the bull for about 2.4 seconds. Right out of the shoot I somehow lost the rope I was holding onto, so I just rode without hands. It was crazy but so much fun! I can't wait to do it again next semester! Thanks to everyone who came and was so supportive. Also I will post the video as soon as I get that.

Me and Rachel.

Look no hands. I was so frazzled because I was first to ride in my section and I didn't have a helmet. So I finally had to go to one of the other girls and ask for her helmet. So I was not in the mind frame that I wanted to be in when I was finally on the steer. But it was so much fun! I love rodeos and riding a bull is very very fun!

Me and my roommate Katie. She is responsible for these amazing pictures.

Hilarious Tuesdays

2009-10-13T20:32:00.002-06:00

Sorry about the delay in rodeo pictures and videos...I'm working on it.

Today I got out of my foundation capstone class a little early, so I took my sweet time walking to my next class. I got there and no one was there. When I looked at the clock I realized I was 15 minutes early (or so I thought). So I sat down and checked my e-mail and rested my little eyes. Later, I was wondering why no one was coming and why class was not starting. Suddenly! I realized that I went to the wrong class. hahahahahahaha I had a good laugh. So I booked it over to my real class and was about 15 minutes late. It was a good "just laugh about it" moment. And so I did, I laughed very hard. It's funny. Oh Tuesdays. I was on campus from 10am-7pm today...normal things. Also exhausting. But life is good.

Fact: I will ride a bull on friday

2009-10-06T22:38:00.004-06:00

Yes. The rumor's are true. I will be riding a bull (but really just a steer) this Friday at 7:30pm in a rodeo for spirit week. Everyone should come because it's going to be awesome! If I stay on for 8 seconds then I win a belt buckle! Fantastic! This has been on my list of things to do for a while and now I will be able to check it off! In addition, sometimes I get very scared when I think about it but other times I am just very excited. The end

Need proof?
Here you go:
Congratulations!

You are officially on the roster to ride a steer at the Spirit Week Rodeo on Friday, October 9th. This is going to be a kickin’ rodeo because of your participation.

Also, you must plan on arriving at the Madison County Fairgrounds on Friday, October 9th at 6:30 pm so that the Rodeo manager can run through some safety tid bits with all of you before you suit up to ride.

I love Jason Mraz!!

2009-09-30T15:02:00.003-06:00

I went to a Jason Mraz concert on the 26th of September! It was so amazing and fantastic and it completed me. He is such a beautiful man and has such a beautiful voice!

I went with my cousin, Lydia and my friends Rachel and Elina. We drove to Nampa, ID on Saturday and stayed overnight at my aunt's house in Boise. An all-around fantastic trip!
G. Love & Special Sauce opened and they were also very good. I love Jason Mraz!

Homeless in NYC

2009-09-29T16:33:00.002-06:00

So I had another crazy dream last night...it's a frequent occurrence. It started off with me working for the railroad company. I was digging out the rocks and stones underneath the railroad because we were relocating it or something. My cousin, Luke, was also there and I remember it being really hot, but then they supplied us with some candy and water. Then while I was digging the underneath of the rails turned into a sort of mine looking place and it was suddenly air conditioned and lit up...random and weird.

Then my brain shifted gears and suddenly I was wandering around NYC and I noticed two children, a brother and sister, around 10 and 12 years of age also wandering around. I noticed that they were begging for money so I decided to go help them out. I realized that they were orphans and homeless...just like me. So I told them that I would take care of them and to follow me because I knew the best sleeping spots. So we were wandering around and I helped them steal a jacket and blanket from this old looking store. But I didn't realize that this store had a special kind of security system...it was a cat. So this cat runs out of the store to go and tell the owner as soon as we had taken the jacket and blanket and we knew we were in trouble. So I told them to run and I would buy them some time by talking to the owner. So I was explaining how lovely all of the items in the store were to the owner while these two kids were climbing onto the roof...weird. Then I somehow escaped and met up with them and we were at one of my favorite sleeping spots, when the owner of the store found us and we knew we were busted...then I woke up. Awesome.

Babies! But not my babies...

2009-09-24T00:51:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I got to hold a brand new baby! It was amazing! It is my old roommate and friend Jen Cochran's baby. Her name is Liza and she is adorable. I have never held such a brand new baby, she wasn't even 24 hours old. Life is such a miracle!

Territorial birds

2009-09-22T23:37:00.002-06:00

So last night I had another weird dream. I dreamed that a bunch of yellow birds flew into my room and Karlee, my roommate, said "oh no, those birds are territorial and it looks like they chose you to be their territory." haha. then the birds started pecking me and so I ran screaming into the living room where all of my roommates just stared at me. So I ran outside to try to get rid of them, and they got lost in the storm...so I come back in and my roommate Katie says, "Don't you know that if you would have just remained calm, they would have left you alone?" And I was like well thanks for telling me that after I ran screaming past you. Yep. That is all.

My 22nd Birthday

2009-09-21T00:21:00.002-06:00

On September 11, 2009 I turned the magical 22 years of age. My roommates who are awesome made me a cake and Lauren, Rachel's sister, made me cupcakes. I felt so loved. They are awesome!
Here is the beautiful and delicious cake! I also drove to Utah with Rachel to go see Jenessa and we had a party in Utah with some old friends. It was a great birthday! I have great friends.
Another highlight was when my family called me and sang me a beautiful rendition of happy birthday. It was amazing and one of a kind. Also note the red, white and blue --to be patriotic and remember what also happened on this day. I love our country!