vamos!

My suitcase is packed to the point of a beached whale, my passport is just waiting for a stamp, and I can barely sit still because...

In just about 24hours from now, I will be de-planeing in Guatemala City!!!!

I am excited and nervous and stir-crazy and a thousand other emotions because I can't wait to have this great adventure and meet great people and have a chance to talk to them and see how they live.

see you in 2.5 weeks, america!


When we work together cooperatively to lift the level of life for so many people, we can accomplish anything. When we do so, we eliminate the weakness of one person standing alone and substitute the strength of many serving together. While we may not be able to do everything, we can and must do something.

-Thomas S. Monson

utah is pretty

Had a lovely time hiking the Y at sunset with the FHE group last night.
Oh, how I love springtime!

things are looking good, my friends, and here is a little sampling why...

• sunny summer-like days

• a chance to hang out with old and new friends this weekend

• i think i'm naturally talented at photoshop.

• sprinklers all over provo are starting to get turned on and i've gotten caught in the middle of them three times in the last two days. it's great.
• it's more socially-acceptable to wear skirts to class during the spring. i approve of this trend
• the flowers are blooming and campus just smells better in the spring
• today i sat on a patch of grass and thought it was wet, but it wasn't!
• i keep running into great people i haven't seen in awhile. that makes me happy
• today these ducks came up to me as i read on a patch of grass. i was nowhere near the duck pond. they were cute until i feared they would eat my toes. i didn't zoom, i promise.
• oh yes, and i will be in guatemala in one week!
  

feeling creative

One of my new favorite things is picnik.com, a lovely free photo editing site. I went to explore and I got sucked in. Here some of my favorite creations:

well, i guess i'm going to guatemala...

Ok folks, change of plans. After a very up in the air trip for the last few weeks, Mexico officially got cancelled on Monday due to swine flu (oh those pigs). BUT the good news is that today our back-up plan to Guatemala got approved.

Oh yes, we are leaving on the 25th for 2.5 wonderful weeks in
Chimaltenango, GUATEMALA!
Even though I am totally bummed about the lack of Mexico, I am super excited for Guatemala. I think I checked every book about Guatemala from the HBLL and Provo libraries.

can't wait for this...

2 weeks?

I'm supposed to be leaving for Mexico in two weeks, but the pigs keep getting in the way. Hopefully all of this swine flu business will be worked out before we go.

Meeting tomorrow to decide if our trip is canceled. I may be baking cookies tonight as bribes.

700 pounds of fudge

Disclaimer: I think Women's Conference is a wonderful thing. Maybe I'll go in about 30 years from now.

Ok, but really: as wonderful as it is to have thousands of middle-aged women running around campus, they personify all stereotypes and myths about the Relief Society population.

I had been doing a fairly good job of avoiding the crowds, until I decided to cut through the bookstore today. They were everywhere. Women crowded around tables selling everything from missionary care packages to food storage purifiers. The fudge line wrapped around the entire candy counter twice. Confused old ladies didn't know where to go. It was mayhem. On my way past the Cougareat, I noticed long lines for ice cream. Across the way was a huge poster for mint brownies. Way to know your audience, BYU Dining.

The bathrooms right by the terrace were being cleaned. As a weary female custodian escaped to find more paper towel, a rather burly male student employee stood guard in front of the door, next to the "bathroom is closed" sign. The mens room next door had a large "MALE ONLY" sign. I found it quite amusing that the women's bathroom needed a bouncer, until a little old lady came up and tried to sweet talk her way into the bathroom. The nice young man told her that if she could make it, there was another bathroom down the hall, but I was too distracted to see if she made it. I hope you did, dear Mary Lou.

I managed to finally escape the madness by dashing into...Campus Craft and Floral. Weird, that's the place I thought they would all be.

Enjoy L. Tom Perry, ladies, and I hoped you liked your 24 pounds of chocolate covered Cinnamon bears.