Beatboxing

In need of a study break? I have the perfect thing for you to do. This will really hit the spot if you feel like your brain is on the verge of becoming mush.

Type "pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk bschk pv bschk bschk pv kkkkkkkkkk bschk" into Google translate from English to German and then press the listen button.

It will brighten your day guaranteed. You can thank me later.

Tis the season of good fortune

Fun fact for the day: My brother enters the MTC 2 months from today. Holy cow. 

Now down to business. I have a great job. It's a fact. Tonight was our work Christmas party, people have been talking about it for weeks. It was in the convention center in Provo. Ever been there? It had a way of transporting you to another world. One where I felt like a full on grown up, weird. Normally most people bring a date to this sort of thing, but since my special boy is currently not available my darling roommate agreed to come instead. She is a gem! I think I'll keep her around. 

They had a photo booth that we had to try out. Our pictures turned out pretty well I'd say. 

At each seat there was a water bottle. Ask anyone in my family and they will tell you how we have a water bottle hoarding problem. With that thought in mind it may help you realize how excited I was to see them. Plus, glass water bottles are kind of the thing now, right?

People dressed up in crazy Christmas sweaters, we played trivia games, and people won prizes.  At the beginning of the evening, each employee was given 12 tickets with our names on them to put into different bags for prizes. A few of the prizes sparked my interest. The one I wanted the most was a $50 gift card to Barnes in Noble that came with a large plush blanket. I put 5 tickets in this bag hoping to stack the odds a bit more in my favor.  I went into the night hoping I would win something during the night but I wasn't expecting too much. I don't get lucky very often.

 After a trivia game that I thought may never end, the executives got up on the stage to start pulling the winners names out. The Barnes and noble one came and went and my name was not the lucky one. The prize after that was for an Apple TV. I turned to Carolyn and said dang that sounds cool I should have put my name in for that one. And what do you know. Not even two minutes later I heard my name being called from the microphone for the Apple TV. It took me a second to realize that was my name. I clumsily stumbled up to the stage to redeem my prize. I couldn't wipe the silly grin off of my face that I had finally won something!

The only problem is that I don't really know what to do with it...Anyone have any knowledge on this that wants to share the love? It would be much appreciated. 

The thing that honestly was the best about the night is that Carolyn came with me. Having a wingman, or woman, in a social situation that has the potential to be very awkward means a lot. So thank you to my beautiful best friend! And many thanks to my grandma for the wonderful Christmas sweaters. It wouldn't have been a complete party without them.

Happy holidays! And may you be lucky in your Christmas raffles!

20/20 Vision

How often have we heard the phrase that we have 20/20 hindsight? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have 20/20 foresight? I'll admit that I have wondered before what it would be like to know what is going to happen before it does.

Would that effect what I do?

        What I say?

                                           The people that come into my life?

I think the answer to all 3 questions is a resounding yes. If we based our actions off of what we knew would happen that would end up changing the outcome. And that would land us right back to where we started.

I won't lie, uncertainty of the future can be very unnerving. Sometimes it is really hard to believe that everything happens for a reason, but I KNOW that it does.

I could never explain to you why the things in my life have happened the way they have. All I can say is that I'm grateful for my life and everything about it.

the uncertainties
the trials
the pain
the fear
the light
the joy
the happiness
the moments of understanding
the small miracles

I love when I realize that this life is more than how you do on a test or the score you get on a paper. Life is about relationships and how you treat people. And the best thing of all is that I never knew when any of it was coming which I think is such a blessing.

Think of a time when you had built something up so much that once you experienced it it was a disappointment. Maybe it was the movie premier of your favorite book, your first time experiencing a delicate dessert, reading a popular book, or whatever it may be for you. I imagine that if we always knew what was coming that life would be very disappointing for us. We need a little bit of spontaneity in our lives.

So the next time something happens and you wish you had handled something differently to produce a different outcome tell yourself that it's okay and that everything happens for a reason. You did your best at the time and your best will always be good enough.

Weekend Happenings

With this weekend being Sarah's birthday it was the perfect excuse to get out of Provo for some adventure. We made our way to  the Festival of Trees! If you haven't been I strongly suggest you put it on your bucket list. It is a grand old time. It amazes me how creative some people are. Just take a look!

One of my personal favorites is the one with the license plates on it. Also, I love Snowmen, can you tell? I secretly love being in crowds of people. I love people watching and seeing how different people react to things. 

 Me, Carolyn, and Hayley especially liked this one. 

It was in honor of the 2 Missionaries from Texas that died. How neat.

I love these girls!

Sarah, Stephanie, and Hayley ran a Santa race this weekend. 

They make the darn cutest Santa's I've ever seen!

One of the things I found the most joy in this weekend was this lovely hallway.

It may not look like much, but when you run through those balloons trying to kick as many up as possible it turns into a fit of giggles and a happy girl. It's the simple things in life that make it great. 

We finished off the weekend by going to Diving Comedy. I'm not sure I have ever laughed harder. I'd also put that on your bucket list. If you like music, glow sticks, and laughter you would nearly be in heaven. 

All in all I thoroughly enjoyed Sarah's birthday weekend. Happy Birthday Sarah!

Paper: A blessing in disguise

I've had the opportunity over the past week to ponder on the topic of the Atonement. This is a sacred topic and one that I could write about 100 times over. The thought that has stuck out to me the most is the difference in Christ being my brother and being my sibling.

I have grown up my entire life hearing that Christ is my brother and while that has always been very special I have felt a little bit distant. My professor who assigned this paper gave us a list of scriptures about Christ's life starting from the Pre-mortal existence. There were 2 that really stood out to me. The one that has been on my mind the most is found in John 5:22.

"For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:"

When I read this I started thinking about how my siblings and I will ban together. There have been times that something has happened that I've only told my siblings about. Not because my parents wouldn't be kind or understanding, but just because my siblings are more on my playing field, they get me. It was then that I thought of Christ as a sibling for the first time. The word sibling holds such a special place in my heart.

Being the oldest of 6 kids I've had a lot of experience with siblings. I can honestly say that I would do just about anything for my siblings. One thing is for sure I would defend them to the death. And guess what? Christ, as my sibling, is going to be defending me. He is on MY side. At that day of judgment when I will be hoping with every fiber of my being that I did enough, even though I know I won't have, Christ will be there pleading my case for me. 

Maybe I should have connected this long ago, but I think we figure things out at the time we need them most. Thinking of Christ as a sibling has made all the difference for me. What a comfort it is to know that He has my back and that He will do anything for me. I definitely consider myself one lucky girl. Who better to have as a sibling and a best friend as the one who understands it all.

 We are all so blessed. He loves you too, you know. Don't believe me? Just ask Him. He will tell you. 

5 fun facts for the day

1. I can tell you when there will be a significant change in the weather. My left arm starts feeling like the whole thing is in one of those things that takes your blood pressure, except it's like that for hours at a time. I get it from my mom. You didn't know those really existed, did you?







2. I absolutely love birthdays. My beautiful roommate Sarah's birthday is today and I got overly excited decorating and planning things for it.

3. I would consume hot chocolate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner everyday if it had any nutritional value







4. I could spend all day in a bookstore and never feel bored.

5. I should not be allowed into Desert Book or Walmart. Far too much of my money is spent at these two places. Can't blame a girl for liking some good reads and fabulous decorations can you?!?

Saaaan Diego!

For Thanksgiving break this year my family headed out to sunny California. Our final destination was the result of some last minute planning, but it ended up being one of my favorite vacations so far! It has always been one of my biggest dreams to go to the San Diego Zoo and that was how we spent out first day! I woke up excited. The night before was similar to the 'I can't sleep before Christmas' feeling.

Dream come true I tell you!!

Walking up to the front where we bought our tickets was a giant plant shaped like an Elephant. We went on Thanksgiving day and they had Christmas music playing. Now I am a person that likes my Holidays to be celebrated separately, but the Christmas music just added to my excitement. Once we were through the gates we wasted little time before getting started.

By some lucky chance the turtles happen to be near the entrance. Talk about starting the day off right! [For those of you who don't know I have a turtle obsession, it's probably not healthy, but we won't go there]

These ones were big enough that you could ride them! They were the most active turtles I have ever seen. We spent a good 30 minutes just watching them. I was in turtle heaven!!

Fun fact: They like to have their necks scratched. I don't do the whole touching animals thing, but my dad sure does. He said they felt like an old piece of worn leather. 

The turtle pictured below looked something straight out of a Dinosaur movie. Probably the coolest underwater animal I have ever laid my eyes on.

This picture does not do it justice

After the turtles we explored the rest of the amphibians.

I kissed this frog wondering if Prince Charming would appear, but no one did. I'm pretty sure that means my Prince Charming is in New Mexico, but who really knows :)

Another favorite, the elephants.

My favorite animal ever since I was little has been a lion. They are so majestic and powerful. I just love them. Isn't she gorgeous? Please excuse the fence

The Polar Bear exhibit was another place where we spent a good chunk of time. Say hello to the newest Sea Lions in California.

We ended the day at the Zoo with a ride across the park on the Skyfari. The Sun was just starting to set and it was the perfect end to a perfect day.

Love these kids

The next day we spent some time at the beach. My dad, Jenn, Emily, Josh, and Jayden went kayaking while Ashley and myself stayed back. We wrote lots of things in the sand, built a sweet sandcastle, and tried not to freeze.

These cute kids played in their wet suits for hours after kayaking. We ended up waiting in the car until they were done. Good thing they're so darn cute!

The water would get stuck inside, so their pants would get bubbled up.
For some reason we all found this hilarious.

And you can't go to San Diego without making a stop by the beautiful temple. We finished our trip with a stop by the Mormon Battalion, which was way cool, go if you're ever in the area, and also stopping by the Temple.

She made a great soldier

Panning for Gold

The long car ride was definitely worth it. Thanksgiving 2012 you were great!