Play-By-Play

Today's Highlights:

1. As I was walking to school this morning, I passed this kid that I have never really talked to before. We know each other, but we aren't best friends or anything. We said good morning and then he said, "You look great today!" Right after my 90 minute getting ready process....yeah that was nice to hear.

2. Western Civ was painfully boring, but I actually paid attention and understood almost the whole lecture.

3. We got our paints, paper, brushes, and palettes in painting today! They are beautiful! Now if only I knew what to do with them. I am so excited/nervous for this class.

4. I went to Institute. Love.

5. I did my homework. Less love.

6. My allergies kicked in hard core. Even less love.

7. I attempted to find myself a good running route. Fail. It is impossible to find a few miles in this town that are just flat. The whole place is hills. I don't do hills. Also, I prefer to run where the whole population can't watch me. That's not an options around here. Our school doesn't even have a track...indoor or outdoor! I am transferring.

8. Instead doing a real run, I went on an ice cream run with the friends. I love Ben and Jerry so much. They are great guys.

9. I went to some meetings.

10. I finally got a desk chair!

11. I may watch a movie or some TV now. It's been a while since I did something like that. I wish I was a normal college kid who could nap and watch TV or just hang out during the day. I have this obnoxious conscience who won't let me do anything fun until all of my work is done. And my work is never done. Even now there is more homework that I could/should be doing. But I am just done for the day.

The End.

P.S. Right after I published this post, I decided to check my e-mail. My professor had just e-mailed the class our assignment that is due in the morning. He said that he realized it was late, so if we didn't do it, we would just have to do the quiz tomorrow. If we did do it tonight, we didn't have to do the quiz. I didn't get to watch TV or a movie tonight. I'm a little furious. I did a terrible job, but I don't care. Also, my printer is out of black ink, so I printed my assignment in orange. He will have to be okay with that.

So Good!

Oh it's a good day! I think that I have my schedule worked out how I want it, and I think it will be pretty good. I decided to take 2 institute classes this semester. It's only the second day of the semester, but I have already decided that that was the best decision ever! I would be content to just take institute and nothing else. I LOVE it! I pretty much just smile the whole time I am in an institute class. Today's class was "Teachings of the Living Prophets." Elder and Sister Crowther are the teachers. They are a senior couple missionary serving at our school. I love them soo much! I met them at a basketball game in January right after they got here. Melissa and Beka were taking institute from them so they introduced me. Elder Crowther has never forgotten my name since then, and Sister Crowther always gets super excited and hugs me when she sees me. They are the cutest couple ever! They are always holding hands and complimenting each other and just being the ideal married couple. They are so sweet and so much fun! I fell even more in love with them when I went to institute today. I am so excited to be in their class. They are just wonderful in every way.

I got home about an hour ago, and when I walked in the door two of my housemates were sitting in the living room (Brigitte and Jauphlynn...the two I didn't know before this year). When I walked in, Brigitte said, "Can I just tell you that you are so cute? We were just sitting here talking about you and we just think you are so pretty and so much fun." Then Jauphlynn said, "Yeah, don't take this in a weird way but every time I see you, I just get super happy and excited. We were just watching you as you got out of your truck and walked up the sidewalk and I just got really happy. You're just so cute!" Um okay, thanks for just making my entire week! That was pretty much the sweetest thing I have ever heard! I feel that same way about a lot of people, but I had never imagined that people thought those things about me. Mostly that was just the best thing anyone could have told me. So yes, even if the rest of the day had been horrible, that 2 minute conversation would have made it wonderful. Sometimes I just love life. :)

First Day of School!

Things change as you get older. This morning it didn't actually hit me that today was the first day of school until I was actually in my first class. It wasn't like back in the old days when I would plan for weeks what I would wear and how I would do my hair on the first day. I just threw on some clothes, straightened my hair, and went to class. When I was younger, I wouldn't be able to sleep the night before school started because I would be so nervous. I didn't even think about it last night. I wasn't stressed about making good first impressions or having friends in my class, I just went to class like it was any other day. It was kind of nice really.

I think (hope) that this will be a good semester. I am taking a strength training class which requires me to do some kind of working out for 2 or 3 hours a week. Then, at the end of the month, I e-mail my teacher and tell him what I did. We never actually have to go to class. It's pass/fail. Work-out...get credit. Too easy! The rest aren't quite that easy, but I think they are bearable. After almost running out of the class crying when I learned that my Spanish 3 teacher would not be speaking a word of English the entire semester, I decided to drop it and try taking Spanish 2 first. I could give you the low-down on all of my classes, but that seems boring to me. And I have already done it several times today.

Sidenotes: I had some wonderful conversations today with some wonderful people. Just a heads-up, phone calls pretty much make my day every single time. I used to hate talking on the phone, but I can't get enough of it now...especially when it's with people that I love. Obviously, I also like face-to-face conversations if you are one of those who lives in the same state as me. Other sidenote: I really love this school. Coming back here has really felt like coming home. I didn't think I left here with too many friends, but coming back I realize that I have lots! People are always saying hi to me. The best is when people who I thought were way too cool to know a nobody like me, actually know my name and stop and talk to me. This school is wonderful for that sort of thing. I just feel really loved around this place (of course, I feel loved at home with mom too ha!).

Things are just really pretty good right now.....I love that.

Made It!

Orientation is over!! This has been such a long and exhausting and crazy week. But fun. So much fun...for the most part. Between being on the activities committee, being an orientation leader, and not knowing how to say the word "no," I had zero chill time this week. I came home late at night, slept, got up early, and was gone until late the next night. Probably classes starting will seem like a nice break after this week. The good news is that the football team had the whole team with them at the game tonight....a couple of them were almost lost at the hands of their orientation leader. I never want to have an 18-year-old son. They were fun but didn't understand when was a good time to be fun and when was a good time to shut up. Probably they are better to be friends with than to have responsibility over. There were a couple of fun girls in my group though, and I will probably hang out with them some more.

Last night, after a very long day, we had a dance. It wasn't anything to write home about (oh wait, that's kind of what I'm doing). I wasn't really in a dance/party/energetic mood. Can you blame me? If I'm not in the right mood, dances aren't super fun. Plus they didn't do an awesome job with the music. Plus the majority of the people at the dance were the awkward freshmen who are just trying to impress each other. We ended up leaving early. I did dance one slow dance though with a kid I had never met before....I think his name was Andrew? Everyone's name is Andrew these days. I have met sooo many people this week it's hard for me to keep track. Anyway, he was nice but pretty awkward and weird. Probably that one dance will be the extent of our relationship. Right before we left the dance, Melissa and I were standing in the back talking to our friend Tyler. Then these 3 freshmen girls who were in his orientation group came over and started flirting up a storm. Tyler is pretty cute and Melissa and I decided these girls must have been smitten with him from day one. They stopped us mid-conversation so they could flirt with him. That irritated me. It took about 5 seconds after they had gotten there before Melissa leaned over to me and whispered that she couldn't handle the flirting anymore. I agreed and we decided to leave that little circle of fun. Flirting is something that really makes me crazy. Everyone does it to some degree, but some people do it so incredibly obnoxiously! I really prefer real conversations over flirtatious ones. Maybe that's why I have yet to have a boyfriend. I just feel like there is so much fakeness involved in flirting. I don't understand why people have to be fake and obnoxious when they talk to members of the opposite sex. It makes me crazy. Just be real and talk to them like you would anyone else. I like to think that's what I do. Sometimes being flirty is fun. And sometimes it's fun when someone else is flirty to you. But really, be real. Okay, that's the end of that spiel.

Today we had some orientation stuff in the morning and then we were DONE! It was so nice to have the entire afternoon to myself. I got my laundry done, cleaned my room, and made myself a beautiful picture wall. We went to the football game tonight and watched SVU get beat...for those of you who know, SVU football is painfully similar to BHS football. Nuts. After the game, our housing complex had a bonfire and s'mores. Love those little guys.

Just for everyone's reassurance, the hurricane didn't do much where I am. We are on the west side of the state, so we aren't in any real danger. Today the skies were dark and it was pretty rainy. The wind picked up for a minute once in a while. That's about all the excitement that I have to report. Sorry. I have been touched by how many people have expressed their concern for my safety the last few days. I feel like all of my friends and family know more about the hurricane than I do. I'm just hanging out and wishing the rain and humidity would go away so my hair could calm down (it was super crazy today). Anyway, I'm fine. Don't stress. And, with any luck, I will be able to go on a little service trip to provide relief to the people that Irene did hit hard. I have always wanted to be a part of something like that. Though, with even more luck, there won't be enough damage caused that they even need any help. Keep the people on the coast in your prayers.

Well, I have more I could say but this is long enough. My days have been so crazy which means A) I have lots to write about and B) I don't have time to write about any of it. I will work on it. For now I am going to bed.

Whew!

Wow, what a crazy couple of days! I had no idea that being an orientation leader was going to be so intensive! I am exhausted and today was only the first day of the actual orientation. You don't realize how much work goes into something until you are the one behind the scenes.

We have a pretty good group of kids in our orientation group. Some better than others. This morning they were all pretty quiet and stone-faced. After lunch they livened up though....too much even. When you have a group of 18-year-old football players all talking at the same time, very loudly, it's hard to accomplish anything. After every sentence that I said, tons of loud side conversations would break out. I had a hard time getting them all to shut up and focus and, when I finally did, I would have their attention for about 5 seconds. They are fun kids, but it got a little irritating after a while. One of my biggest pet peeves is disrespect. I HATE when people talk when someone else is trying to say something...especially when it's something important. Even in just a group of friends, I can only handle one person talking at once. Just wait your freaking turn! Okay, I'm done. Sometimes I get irritated and need to share. I managed to stay chipper and happy while I was with my orientation group, and told them to shut up in a nice, light-hearted way (maybe that was my problem). But, after I was done with my group for the day, I got super grumpy. Okay, not super grumpy, just not in an awesome mood. I don't think anyone could even tell. I am good at controlling my emotions like that....one of my talents. I was just exhausted. I had been being extremely happy and energetic for the kids in my group even though they were making me crazy. That kind of sucked all of the happy and energy out of me for the rest of the day. It is definitely bedtime. It has been since like 4:00 actually.

Oh! Yesterday, my housemate, Brigitte, took us up to the haunted tower!!!! There are all kinds of stories about ghosts and haunted things around this campus. One of them is that when this used to be an all girls college, a girl hung herself in the Main Hall tower. Now it is haunted. I don't think I really believe in that stuff, but it's still fun to talk about and explore. Students aren't actually supposed to go up there (but there's lots of places that you're not technically supposed to go....you just have to know the right people). Nothing crazy happened while we were up there, but it has an AMAZING view! Maybe we will go again on Halloween at midnight and see if that's more exciting. Okay, probably not.

Also, I love the people at this school! I live about a 15 minute walk away from campus. I don't think I have done that entire walk to or from campus more than three times. Every time I am walking home or to school, an SVU student stops and gives me a ride. Or even goes out of their way to give me a ride. Or backs halfway up the hill after they've seen me and realized where I was heading. SVU really has some of the nicest, most genuine people I have ever met. That's a huge reason why I love it here so much.

One thing that I don't love about this place is the water. Virginia has yucky water. The water at my house in Idaho is THE best water you will ever taste. (blah, blah water doesn't have a taste....yes it does!) Really though, will someone from Idaho send me a year supply of water? I really don't love what Virginia has to offer. :p

I have made lots of new friends in the last few days. Are they lasting friendships with people that I will end up hanging out with all the time? I don't know. I hope so. I love new friends.

Oh! Cool phenomenon! Yesterday, Melissa and I went to family dollar and both of our totals ended up being $3.13....and we live in apartment 313!! Coincidence? I think....yeah probably so. Oh well, still cool.

We had a ridiculous thunderstorm today. It was so sunny and hot until about 2:45. Then it started dumping rain like I had never seen. There was lots of thunder and lightning too. That messed with orientation a little. Super annoying. Apparently that wasn't even the hurricane though. It's coming tomorrow.....awesome....

Okay, I have more to say in this super random and long post. However, it is sooooo bedtime. I need to get some sleep so I can be happy and energetic for my slightly irritating, but wonderful group tomorrow. Goodnight!

Don't Worry!

I'm alive. Yes, we had an earthquake here today. Yes, I came close to death. Yes, I survived. Yes, one of those statements is a lie...you can pick which one.

We were in orientation training when the building started moving around. It took everyone a minute to figure out what was going on (okay, by a minute I mean a second...the quake didn't even last a minute. 10 seconds maybe). Some people got pretty excited about that. "Did you feel that?!" "Was that an earthquake?" "What just happened?" "Are we going to die?" "Where's the nearest doorway?" "I love you mom." "Weird, I just got super dizzy or something." "Hmm my nails look great today." "Wait, what is everyone talking about?" "Earthquake?? AHHHH!" While some of us (more level-headed people) said, "Yep, earthquake. Cool. It's done now. Can we finish this meeting so we can go home please?" 5-10 minutes after the earthquake, we were told we had to evacuate the building because of the earthquake....which was already over. Everyone moved out into an open space away from the buildings and proceeded to tell their earthquake stories. Surprisingly, there were some pretty animated and intense stories from the earthquake that lasted a few seconds, and that was so small that there were some in the same room as us who didn't feel it. People are funny that way. While we waited for an aftershock, (which didn't come) maintenance made sure the buildings were safe to go back into. All was well. The quake's epicenter was in a little town north of Richmond. It was a 5.8 there. Did some slight damage. It hit 22 states and freaked out a bunch of people, but everyone is fine. You may resume your normal breathing....now.

I will let you know if we make it through the two hurricanes coming this way in the next few days. Virginia is sooo much more exciting than Idaho!

The rest of the day was spent running around just like yesterday. BUT, so far the perks of this orientation leader thing are: free pizza two nights in a row, free food in the cafeteria all week, free awesome SVU drawstring bag, free official orientation leader t-shirt, free binder, and some new friends! Whoo! Also, I am helping with check-in at the boys' dorm tomorrow...I like that idea.

Also, among other compliments, I was told that I looked posh today. That was a fun one.

Also, I love this school because people are so ridiculously helpful. They just drop whatever they are doing to help someone else. Especially guys when they see girls carrying big/heavy things. I love that soo much! (especially when I'm the girl carrying the heavy thing)

Also, for your viewing pleasure, here is my bathroom wallpaper:

Why the cacti? I wish I knew. Who thought, "Hmm I think putting cacti on wallpaper would look really nice. Just randomly all over the white wallpaper, just throw in a cactus here and there."? Also, who thought, "Hmm I think putting cactus wallpaper in this bathroom in this apartment/town house would look really nice."? I may never know. I am trying to figure out what kind of shower curtain I could get that wouldn't clash with my cactus friends. I don't think there's any hope for that. I love my house, but it definitely has some quirks (no, I am not talking about the people living here).

Tapanga!

Today was a long, crazy, good day. I woke up at 7:30 this morning feeling wide awake. I decided to take that as my body telling me to get up and go for a run. It had been over a week since I had gone so I figured as long as I was up before the heat of the day, that was probably a good plan. I was wet the second I stepped out my door...this humidity could be the death of me. I had no idea where to run or how to track my distance, (that's so much easier to do on country roads) so I just did a little circle. I don't know how long it was, but it definitely wasn't very long. I will have to work on finding good running paths.

At 1:30, we started orientation leader training. That is the reason that I am here a week before school starts; so I can be an orientation leader and so I can help with all of the activities this week since I am on the activities committee. We got done with training just in time to go to FHE, and I got done with FHE just in time to go to an activities committee meeting. I have pretty much been going all day. And, weird as this may sound, I love it! I don't love being super busy and having zero free time in general, but I love it when all of my time is filled with doing things that I enjoy. For a lot of people, these things might not sound enjoyable, but this is fun for me. I love being involved. I love being in charge and having important responsibilities. I love planning and putting together things, and being in the know about everything that is going on. I love being friends with some of the most important people at the school, and the amazing opportunities that come with that. Being on the activities committee and in the senate this year will definitely take up a lot of my time, but I am so excited for it. It's my happy place. I would love if I could have days like today every day rather than going to class and doing homework every day. That would be wonderful. Unfortunately, I don't get to pick one or the other. Starting next week, I will be doing both. Ugh. Things are going to get crazy. Talk to you in 8 months.

Just kidding.

P.S. I realize the title of this post doesn't make sense...you had to be there. Also I couldn't think of anything that related.

On My Own

This morning I had to say goodbye to my dad. I didn't love that. I did okay with telling everyone else goodbye because I knew that I wasn't completely on my own yet. But after my dad left, I was. Saying goodbye to him made it final. I am on my own again....on the other side of the country from every member of my family. I don't really love that. Fortunately, the rest of the day was much better.

After my dad left, I got to go to church in my new ward. There was hardly any people there today, but it still feels good to go to church. And I got a couple of hugs the moment I walked in the chapel. That was a welcome thing. One of my professors from last year/the bishop's wife (that's how it works at SVU) taught combined relief society/priesthood today. She is so sweet and I just love her. She's not your typical college professor. 1st grade might be a better place for her, but I just love her anyway. Her lesson didn't really have a theme, it was mostly just her telling stories about their family and how the Lord had played a part in their lives. It was really interesting. She told us that she had moved to Virginia to start teaching, while her husband stayed in Vegas and tried to sell his medical practice. They lived on the opposite side of the country from each other for 3 years! The best part? He commuted to Virginia EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND!! What did I get out of today's lesson? My friends and family don't actually love me that much.

After church, I fried myself an egg...in my kitchen!!! I know, pathetic Sunday dinner. Besides that, I have eaten a banana and a granola bar today. My stomach is growling but I don't feel like doing anything about it. This cooking for myself thing could be trickier than I thought.

The rest of the evening was spent moving from one couch to another, and one house to another, with a couple of my friends. We mostly just sat around and talked and laughed. I really love where I am living. I feel like it will be a lot more social than the dorms last year. I met 4 new people tonight, and there's hardly anyone here yet. It's looking good.

Also, we are currently having a pretty intense thunder storm. Luckily we got home right before the rain really started pouring. I have definitely not missed Virginia and its incessant raining. Ugh!

Call me!

...for real though, I want to hear from you.

Well It's a Pretty Good Day

Another productive day. This morning my dad and I drove to Roanoke to pick up my friend Melissa from the airport. While we were there, we took Little Blue to Sears Auto Center. My dad got my oil changed, my alignment fixed, and beautiful, brand new tires put on. He is wonderful. We also went to Target and got some super cute dishes and other essentials for my kitchen. When we got back to BV, my dad helped me stock my kitchen with food. I discovered that it's a little intense to stock a kitchen completely from scratch. I might have been a little overwhelmed. We ended up just going down every aisle while my dad helped me decide what would be good to have and what I ccould do with it. We mostly bought everything in the store. I'm not afraid of starving now (at least not for a few weeks). Just before the sun set, I took my dad for a little drive to show him the beauty that is the Blue Ridge Parkway. That was an enjoyable experience for both of us. It really is gorgeous.

I didn't take these, but I very well could have. This is really what we are dealing with here. Sooo pretty! Tell me you don't want to see this in real life. Can't do it can you? Come on over. I can't get enough of it.

After our evening drive, we went to Applebee's and had appetizers and dessert for dinner. Delicious! Appetizers and dessert are really my favorite part of the meal, but I don't usually have them because it's just too much food with a main course. So we opted out of the main course tonight. Good choice.

Funny story of the day: Earlier today I was driving my truck, and I stopped at a red light. I glanced over at the car next to me, and just as I did, the 75-year-old man sitting in it winked at me. I know that sounds conceited but I promise you it was right at me. I cracked up and told Melissa what had just happened. Then I glanced back at him. He was still looking at me...with a huge smile on his face. That was probably the longest red light ever! He sat there the entire time just looking and smiling at me. I didn't know how to take that. Mostly I was just glad when the light turned green and he turned left. Why can't a cute, smart, funny, successful, LDS, 20-year-old guy do that to me sometime?

P.S. The sun came out today. I like that.

Home Sweet Home

Today was a very productive day. My dad and I went to my storage shed this morning and got my truck and all of my junk out of it. I was sooo happy to see my Little Blue!

This isn't actually my baby, but I'm sure they are related somehow.

Then we moved all of my junk into my new...wait for it...house!! Not a dorm room! I cannot tell you how excited I am about that little thing. Our furniture is pretty ghetto, but I love the place. It will be so nice to be able to say "I'm going home" and have it actually be a home, not a room. I am thrilled. We got me all moved in to my lovely little room. It almost feels like home now. I think this will be a good semester.

Pretty cute huh? If you want to see the rest of the wonderful place, feel free to come on over....even if it is a little plane flight away (it's not that bad I promise). See you soon!

I'm Leaving On a Jet Plane

Well, here I am, in Virginia. Yesterday was my last day in Burley, and I filled it with classic Burley activities. First, I went to the parade. Yes, it's the same every year and no, it's not anything too thrilling, but it's Burley. It's just one of those things that you do every year. After the parade I went to lunch at Edith's. That is something that can only be done in Burley. They have THE best burgers and I'm glad that I got to have one before they were no longer an option. Then I went boating. Another one of those things that you just do if you are in Burley. I didn't think that I would have the chance to go again before I left, but we managed to squeeze a few hours of wakeboarding in. So fun. After boating, we went to the fair. I will never understand why the fair is such a big deal, but it is. I didn't feel like I could leave for Virginia without going to the fair for a minute. Mostly I had to get a maple bar. There is nothing better than hot maple bars from my stake's fair booth. YUMM! Then the best friends came over for one last night together. We played Trivial Pursuit. We were terrible at it, but it was fun. Eventually I had to do that whole goodbye thing. I really hate that. I'm going to miss those kids....and my family....a lot.

I finally got to sleep around 2:30 and was up at 3:30, so that I could be ready to go by 4:00. My dad and I traveled all day. Now we are in the hotel room, excited to catch up on the sleep that we missed last night. Tomorrow will be an exhausting day. Also it's raining. Yuck.

Getting Close...

Today's post will be written in list form due to the fact that it feels more efficient to me.

So, today I:

1. Went to the dentist. Fun times! Not really, but it wasn't too terrible

2. Went to the bank and finished setting up my checking account. All that money that I made working this summer is now available for my use!

3. Made Tracy Alvarez banana bread. Soooo good! Most of the loaf was gone within the hour.

4. Swapped recipes with Cheri. I know, we sound like 65-year-old relief society ladies. It was good though. Now I can say that I have lots of wonderful recipes to sit in the kitchen while I make PB&J.

5. Went to Emily's house for literally 5 minutes. But I got to see Eli in a wrestling outfit in that five minutes so that made it worth it. (For those who don't know, Eli is 7. I would be disgusted if it was anyone older, but he was pretty dang cute)

6. Went to Kiwi Loco with my mom. We had been discussing what we should do tonight and I told her that I probably needed to go there one more time before I left. She said, "Oh, well let's just get that done right now." Very critical thing checked off the to-do list.

7. Went to Wal Mart with my mom.

8. Watched dumb (but entertaining) TV with my sisters.

9. Packed, packed, packed.

10. Listened to Sam's stories from her vacation.

11. Baked brownies

12. Packed, packed, packed.

13. Family time! Sam got home yesterday and my mom decided that tonight she was going to have all four of her kids at home together...even if just for an hour. We had brownie sundaes (yes I had Kiwi Loco and a brownie sundae in the same day...and I didn't run. In 48 hours I will be back to being on my own for food...give me a break today) and watched a bunch of funny Youtube videos (Yes, the whole family. It was mom's suggestion).

That about sums up the day. It was a pretty busy one. Tomorrow promises to be ten times as busy. I can't believe tomorrow is my last day here. I knew this day was coming but it definitely snuck up on me. It hasn't completely sunk in yet that I am done here and I won't be seeing any of these people for quite a while....some longer than others (like two years). I really, really don't like being far away from people that I love, and this summer I have definitely gotten too attached to the people that I have to say goodbye to tomorrow (and some that I have already said goodbye to). I'm stressed, and nervous, and sad, and excited, and happy, and anxious, and lots of other emotions that may or may not have names. Ugh, why must we go through change so freaking often? Don't ever get comfortable. That's what I've learned. Everything will change as soon as you do. Rude.

You Have Stolen My Heart

Okay, I don't care who you are or whether you're into his kind of music or not; you can't deny that Josh Groban can sing. Like extremely well. Through a kind of random occurrence, my mom and I ended up going to a Josh Groban concert in Salt Lake last night. We had both heard some of his music before, and liked it, but we wouldn't really consider ourselves fans. I knew he could sing, and I have his Christmas CD, (which I love) but that was the extend of my knowledge or fandom of Josh. My mom's was even less. But there we were, at his concert. We were excited but I wasn't jumping out of my seat like I was at Taylor Swift. However, by the time the concert got over, you could definitely consider us fans. He was AMAZING! A lot of times you are disappointed when you go to a concert, because they don't sound near as good live as they do on their CD. Not with Josh. His voice is literally flawless. I know that sounds cheeesy, but shoot, it's gorgeous. Also, he is a little gorgeous himself. And sooo funny! I expected him to be super sophisticated and slightly boring just from what I knew of his music: not true. He was like two totally different people when he was singing and when he was talking. He was a crack up. And just a super down to earth, real guy. I may love him a little bit. And, from what I saw last night, I am not the only one who feels that way. It really was an awesome concert. I was pleasantly surprised.

Today, my wonderful friends came over and pretty much put me and my suitcases out on the front step, despite me not leaving for three more days. Really though, they were awesome. I thought that I would be stressing and going crazy for the next three days trying to pack everything. We pretty much accomplished the whole thing in a couple of hours. Cheri is the best at stuffing clothes into tight spaces. I barely had to do anything. AND Emily finished my recipe binder for me! That was one of those things that I wanted to do but knew that I probably wouldn't end up finishing before I left. Having best friends is the best. Then we made breadsticks with a recipe that Emily had just copied for me. They were delicious. It's weird for me to look at my empty room and closet now. I don't know how I feel about that. I wish I could bring all of my Idahoans with me. Then I would feel much better about this endeavor. Nuts.

Hallelujah

Today's blog was a combined effort. It can be found at emaloochie.blogspot.com

Enjoy!

My Happy Place

Remember when I said that I wasn't going anywhere near the river for a while? Well apparently 24 hours counts as a while. My dad got done with work relatively early today, and what does he do as soon as he knows he will be home soonish? He texts me to see if I want to go boating when he gets done (I really like that guy). And of course, the answer to this always yes. It was a PERFECT day to go boating. It was roasty toasty outside, the river was as glassy as it could possibly get, and the water was the perfect temperature. I couldn't ask for better conditions. So, we did some wakeboarding (I even got brave and tried to jump un poco....still have some work to do) and surfing. I like that we just wakeboard and surf these days. Those are my favorite things. We haven't hardly gotten the tube out at all this summer and, I realize that this makes me a weirdo, but I don't love tubing too much so I'm okay with it staying in the shed. It was the perfect end to a pretty good day.

Also, I made Andrew these little guys for his birthday. I bet you wish it was your birthday huh?

Lucky to be Alive

Well I don't have anything too thrilling to tell you, but for the first time in a very long time I'm not tired. So, here are today's highlights:

1. I got completely put to shame by an old(er) lady while running this morning.

2. I got my hair cut! That's one of my favorite things to do. And she put Moroccan oil in it which made it ridiculously soft. I can't stop playing with my hair....what else is new?

3. I took a load of junk to DI with my mom.

4. I made myself a delicious BLT for lunch.

5. I took a much needed nap. I also dreamed that my house was on the river (literally, the floors of my house were the Snake River). Also, the river was so full of fish that you could barely see the water, and it was also infested with a ridiculous amount of alligators and boa constrictors. Needless to say, I'm not too excited to get anywhere near that place for a while.

6. I had a Diet Coke after my nap.

7. I woke Emily up from her "rest" so she could play with me.

8. I burned some kettle corn and was judged for it.

9. The effects of my late nap and Diet Coke made themselves apparent.

10. I did some facebook creeping with Emily.

11. I watched Easy A with Emily and laughed at how incredibly (and inappropriately) funny it was.

12. I was almost killed by the tarantula on Emily's wall (that I unknowingly touched!!!!) and his brother on her floor.

13. I worked for a good 20 minutes to get my heart rate and breathing back to normal after that little experience.

14. I was almost killed again by the murderer that I'm sure was just seconds away when I returned my Redbox movie alone in a dark, deserted parking lot at 11:00 at night.

15. I came home to find my little brother watching Beauty and the Beast. Just him. Of his own accord. That made my night right there.

16. Also, the Red Sox winning tonight (and every night) also made my night. (I think I should say "night" one more time!)

Night Night!!

Can you say DISGUSTING??? I don't think I've ever freaked out so intensely in my life. (P.S. this isn't actually him, but this little guy is equally as horrifying)

"It's a Love Story"

This is my best friend Heather

She got married yesterday.

I don't know if you knew, but getting married is a big deal. I know what you're thinking, "Duh I knew that Cassie." That's what I would have said too, but until this kid told me she was engaged, I honestly didn't realize what a big deal it was. I've known lots of people who have gotten married, but none who are as close to me as Heather is. With this one, I couldn't just say "Congratulations. Pretty ring. Here's a toaster. Have a nice life." like we do with so many others. There's so many things that come with getting married that I had never really thought about before. It really is the biggest change you ever make in your life. Your whole life has been a certain way, and in just a few minutes it has suddenly changed into something completely new. It's not something to be taken lightly. There have been many times in the last few months that I have almost felt like I was the one getting married. I stressed and thought about all of the logistics and details of being married way more than anyone besides the bride or her parents should. I would lay awake at night realizing more and more changes that come with marriage, and stressing about all of them. For weeks after Heather told me she was engaged; that was all that I could think about. And every time I thought about it, I would be hopping back on the Heather's-getting-married emotional rollercoaster. I have shed a lot of tears over this whole thing for a variety of reasons (some still unknown) both good and bad. It really is a lot to swallow in a short amount of time. Luckily, none of my stress or worries or tears were ever over whether or not she was making the right decision. Even though I don't know him very well, I have felt confident that Mitchell was the right one for her from the beginning. I also know Heather well enough to know that she is smart enough to not get caught up in the thrill of marriage without actually thinking it through. And she definitely thought it through. She wouldn't have married him if he wasn't the one that she was supposed to marry. That's comforting. Even yesterday morning I was doing that thing where I almost felt like I was the one getting married. As I drove to the temple, I was feeling super nervous. My hands were shaking and there were butterflies in my stomach. I still couldn't believe it was really happening. But, when I saw them walk out of the temple all of my fears, stress, and worries were gone. She was gorgeous and (cheesy as it may sound) they were both glowing. I shed some tears but they were definitely good ones. It was a wonderful day and I couldn't be happier for her. I am jealous that Mitchell gets to see her every day. Saying goodbye last night was hard, but there was comfort in knowing that even though I won't see her as often as I would like, we are determined to beat the odds and stay best friends despite our different marital statuses. Mitchell: this is your warning that if you keep my best friend in Oklahoma and don't let me see her as often as I would like, things could take a turn for the worst. She may be your wife, but I loved her first. Heath: Congratulations. I know it's been a long, hard road, but you made it! I am so happy for you! Thanks for leading the way. Love you!

We are such attractive people. Love you girls soooooo much!!

Thanks

I love when things happen just when I need them to. Earlier today I was having a little meltdown. Don't ask. I don't know. They happen sometimes. I was suddenly feeling really alone (along with who knows how many other emotions). I had just decided that it was time to pull myself together when my phone starting ringing. It was my best friend. Coincidence? I think not. Granted, she wasn't calling just to say hi and that she loved me, but even if our conversation wasn't just warm fuzzies; it was exactly what I needed. The rest of the evening went much better after that. I love having people to pick me up when I need it. Thanks Em. :)

Whistle While You Work

Today Lexi decided to take advantage of the fact that she is one of two kids left at home now. Her bedroom is pretty small and she was ready for something new (and bigger). So, rather than taking over mine or Sam's room, (which I was completely opposed to) she decided to convert the playroom in to her bedroom. The playroom is a pretty large room that we spent a lot of time in as kids...well....playing. In recent years, however, it has kind of become wasted space. Up until today, it was still fully equipped for playing barbies, polly pockets, dolls, school, house, ninja turtles, legos, dress-up, and anything else your imagination can come up with. Now all of that stuff, and lots of other random junk, has been shoved into Lexi's old bedroom. Her bed, dresser, clothes, etc are now in a giant room complete with foosball table, TV, and computer. Spoiled? I think yes. So, today mostly consisted of cleaning out, organizing, and moving. I also did some of that of my own. I organized my closet into what is coming to Virginia with me in a couple of weeks, and what is staying here. It seems silly to leave half a wardrobe in a closet in Idaho, but really, you try and shove everything you own in one suitcase under 50 pounds. Thought so. Cleaning out my closet also led to me putting on my prom dress and dancing around in it for a while. Who doesn't want to put on a pretty princess dress for no reason once in a while? I just couldn't resist. I wish I could wear that thing more often without being judged. It's a little fun. Sometimes I love clean-out days like today. It's fun all of the stuff that you can find that you had forgotten about. We also did some good reminiscing about all of the fun times that we have had in that playroom. On another happy note, Lexi taught me how to get music onto my itunes without paying for it. She swears it's legal. I don't necessarily believe that, but I'm not going to stress about that minor detail because this is pretty much the most exciting thing of my life!

Example of the fun I have when I have to clean rooms out :)

Just a Little Smile :)

So, I realize today's earlier post was a little depressing. I decided to end the day on a lighter note. Nothing does that like a little Calvin and Hobbes. This is probably my favorite one ever!

"I'll Never Let You Go"

Do you know what sucks? Losing people. I'm not so much talking about losing them in the sense that you never see or hear from them again; just having to say goodbye because they aren't going to be right there with you anymore. I've been thinking about this a lot lately and I've realized that, apart from your spouse, (hopefully) you eventually have to tell everyone in your life goodbye for an extended amount of time, if not, forever. It's a really rude fact of life. Throughout our 12 years of public schooling, we work to find our niche and what people we fit in with. After trying out many different groups, dealing with some backstabbing, and having the inevitable growing up and growing apart, we finally find the ones that we work perfectly with. And then, just when you think your friend situation couldn't possibly get any better, and you are closer with your family than you ever have been; you graduate. Everyone goes their separate ways and you are stuck with phones, computers, and the occasional, short-lived, best friend reunion at Christmas to keep your friendship going strong. In the meantime, the same process is starting while at college. You find your niche there and the people that you can be yourself around, just in time for another graduation. While it's nice to make plans to be neighbors forever, deep down we know it's not realistic. Then you get married and settle down in a nice little neighborhood. You find some good friends in your neighbors and enjoy spending time with them; until your job moves you across the country. I feel like it's a never-ending process. You get comfortable with a group of people and then are forced to say goodbye and start over again. There are some pros to this little cycle but, in all honesty, I am not a big fan of it. I can deal with change - a lot of times I even welcome it - but I really hate this kind of change. For me, it takes time to be totally comfortable and myself around people. I hate that I can't just do that once and then have those people that know me so well right next door to me forever. Unfortunately, that's not an option. So, I will continue to be determined to maintain my wonderful friendships in any way that I can. I absolutely cannot stand to think about losing the people in my life that I love so much, and who know everything about me and, somehow, still love me too.

"I'm so afraid to love you, but more afraid to lose

Clinging to a past that doesn't let me choose.....

But I will remember you

Will you remember me?

Don't let your life pass you by

Weep not for the memories."