Thursday, December 31, 2009

a haiku for packing

lots of suitcases
lots of stuff to bring with me
i'll squish it to fit

Monday, December 28, 2009

the year that was...2009

longest blog post ever...

Life is more about the little moments, right? Well, 2009 had lots of those little moments. Now, a look back at some of the things that weren't quite cool enough to get blogged about the first time, but somehow got more notable over time...

January brought long days in the newsroom and the start of creeping on the dtr-bench out the window. Also, basketball, hammering paths for car tires in the cinnamon tree parking lot and Sunday afternoon gymnastics. This was also the month we were introduced to the beauty of "Another Cinderella Story". We just really wanted to go to a wedding, but ended up crashing Rihanna's first birthday instead.
February, month of my birth, the start of the "year of me". We tried on mumus, were too poor to buy them, so had a photo shoot instead. This is also the month I told Jimmer "good game" and he smiled and said "thanks". we're basically bff.In March, I mingled with Provo's finest at the Y Awards. The month also brought hints of spring, late night talks at the park and a PRSSA golf outing. March is also when accounting 200 and Norm took over my life.April ended winter semester with a bang. We celebrated Easter with an apartment egg hunt, celebrated the end of the newspaper with a series of parties, and celebrated finals with an ice-cold slip n slide and Nepalese food.
We cleaned forever before moving out of our apartment, were too scared to use the super clean bathroom, so we went down the road to Dennys to use the toilet and eat, then moved our mattresses into the living room for a last night sleepover. May brought spring term, sunshine and a new apartment. Adventures including playing in the sun, joining an intermural kickball team (go Desmond-aters!) and surviving the outbreak of swine flu.
One day in May, I accidentally followed Cecil to devotional. At the end, he turned to go in a special VIP door and I chickened out and went in the main door. MLIA.
oh hey, and I went to Guatemala and built houses. and passed out just feet from where this pictures was taken. and got sick. and danced with rabid dogs. In June, I saw Kelly Clarkson in concert. There was a guy near us who knew every word to every song and rocked so hard, he was nearly more entertaining than Kelly. I was also a Y Group Leader for NSO and partied like a freshman. The highlight was definitely showing them how to take naps on campus.In July, I was back in Sammamish, babysitting for these cute kids. We also started a new tradition with a family baseball game on the 4th of july in coeur d alene, where I hit a homerun and talked some serious smack. I also started braving the singles ward, found it wasn't that bad, and had my records moved for the last Sunday I was in town.August was hot, hot, hot and brought the first of 2 cross-country road trips to Utah. Roommates were reunited, and Sian-Amy went tubing for the first time, goggles, carp and all. Grandma gave me a care package and we made delicious chocolate covered cake balls.
In September, I embraced my inner Kylie on friday night and won a free costa vida shirt. Connection? I think yes. Our roommates also nearly burned down the apartment and gassed us out, so Kylie and I holed up in our room with our emergency food supply until it was safe to come out.

September was also BYU's big win over Oklahoma, which led to impromptu celebrations and a dance party down University Ave, when we nearly got hit by multiple cars.October introduced us to the football face, a natural occurrence whenever the topic of football comes up and I get way too excited. This is also when we enrolled in comms 402, traveled to Burley to experience Crazy Daves, and had one kickin Halloween where my costume literally unraveled throughout the night.November brought a trip to San Diego, complete with glee parties, Damien and Julio. We also learned how to fit 5 people into the backseat of a car with minimal permanent damage to all involved.
Basketball season came again, and the team came out to a Beyonce song. low point.

November was a month to give thanks, go home, and explore the ship that was the Interceptor in the first pirates movie.

December was snow, roadtrips, packing, unpacking and saying goodbye. It was choreographed Christmas lights, internships and another long drive. We also fed big jumping fish in a Cabella's adventure.

So there it is, the mundane but wonderful year of 2009.
Celebrate the small things, my friends.
and now, on to 2010
(two thousand ten? twenty ten? how are we saying it?)

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

1-1-3

and now, dear friends, a tribute to my roommates, who have been wonderful this semester.
The girls of apartment 113 are lovely. we've had good times and gone through a lot together...

...we probably have more inside jokes than are normal for roommates...
...and spend way too much time together...

...but I love them all a lot!

Thanks for putting up with me, for feeding me and for being great roommates!
Don't have too much fun without me!

and a special shout out to this little lady, my dear kylie, who has been my room roommate for the past five semesters. that's a long time, people. I seriously lucked out when we were randomly paired together freshman year because she is the greatest roommate!

and I'm sure she will love turning my side of the room into a permanent fort.

(believe it or not, this is the first picture ky and I have together in November of freshman year. Remember how we were awkward around each other at first and Kylie went to bed first and wore non-hfac clothes? oh, how times have changed)

“A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow.”


-shakespeare

snowflake lane


Mom and I met lots of cousins, aunts and uncles to go to snowflake lane last night.

real drumming "toy soldiers"?
a dancing polar bear?
fake snow that never hit the ground because of the wind?
lots of cousins and lots of Christmas cheer?

yes please!




Sunday, December 20, 2009

it is christmastime. i am home.

This semester was hands down my craziest one yet. I often felt like I didn't have time to breathe, but in a lot of ways, it was my best semester yet. Now I'm home, getting ready for Christmas and thinking ahead to my next adventure. As I drove out of Provo last week, it was weird that I won't be coming back next semester. Like a friend told me, I want to go, I just don't want to leave.

Anyway, this break should be quite lovely.
Here is my to-do list:
  • edit the BYU Comms Annual Report (honestly, I am super glad to have this project. I don't know what I would do with 2 PR-free weeks)
  • catch up in my journal writing
  • plan my life/summer internship
  • get ready for my winter internship
  • grow an extra layer of fat to stay warm in a DC winter
  • update my portfolio
  • celebrate Christmas with friends and family
  • meet my newest niece
  • play the piano, something I haven't done in months
  • relax...if I can sit still love enough

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

pops

My dad is the greatest guy I know.
Today is his birthday. He is celebrating with whole-grain tortillas and low-fat, low-cal, reduced sodium sour cream.
I am so excited to see him in just a few days!
Happy Birthday Toby!

Monday, December 14, 2009

this weekend was incredibly festive.

first: studying for econ all day long (not so festive)...but then
wrapping Christmas presents
making gift wrap bows
going to see the lights at Thanksgiving Point (see above)
petting a small reindeer
watching an amazing house with lights that match the radio station
Christmas Music and the Spoken Word (Natalie Cole, children in berets and the bell choir-- it doesn't get better than that)
Christmas songs at church
Decorating Christmas cookies with the Guatemalans
Ward Christmas music fireside (my apartment sang, there was pie, it was great)

I love Christmas time!

Saturday, December 12, 2009

viva las vegas!

Last weekend, my dear friend Laura and I went to visit her sister and brother-in-law in Las Vegas. Talk about a trip down memory lane!
My elementary school. RHB Bulldogs!
Christmas time at the Bellagio. apparently, people in Vegas don't realize they can take vertical pictures because they all took them like this.




And of course, the classic Bellagio fountains. my favorite!

such a fun weekend, and a joy to come back to snow and finals in provo!

Friday, December 11, 2009

coming to an end

warning: this post is probs the most emo thing I have ever written. I just have a lot of feelings.

One week from today, I will be somewhere on the road, headed towards by who-knows-how long hiatus from Provo. To me, this is bittersweet.

I am excited to go home and spend Christmas in my favorite place.
I am excited for finals to be over and to pack up everything I own, which is surprisingly fun and drive across the west with my dear mother.
I am excited to see my sister and her family and meet my newest niece.
I am excited to start 2010 off with a bang, flying across the country.
I am excited to get out of the dry cold and into wet, bitter cold.
I am excited for a new adventure and a great internship, to be a real person who takes the metro and wears collared shirts and dress slacks.
I am excited to live on my own, more than I ever have before, in a wonderfully big city.
I am excited to not have to worry about classes (as much. I'll still have 12 credits and an internship) and tons of activities and focus on what's important and fun.
I am excited to meet new people and explore new places.

I am sad to leave behind a place that is so dear to me. Seriously, I quite love Provo.
I am sad to leave my roommates, who have been lovely to me for the last 3 semesters living together. They are so fun and put up with some of my crazy mood swings.
I am sad to miss basketball season, prssa and all-men's chorus, inside jokes and random afternoons.
I am sad to leave behind some of the best friends I have made this semester, even though I have known them all for much longer. They were seriously what got me through this semester and I love them dearly. It's crazy to think that this is the last week we will all be together as students, before internships and graduation take up who knows where. luckily, we have skype and party calls.
I am sad to be so far away from everything so familiar and so close to everything that is so unfamiliar.

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
-2 timothy 1:7

Thursday, December 10, 2009

so cold, it's comical.

"it's been so cold lately, the only thing to do is laugh about it"
-my econ professor.

"it is stinkin freezing!"
-me

but seriously, it is so cold. I don't think I've ever been in Utah when it's this cold. The other day, I got to campus around 8 and weather.com said it was -1 but felt like -13. Today I walked to campus wearing four layers and gloves and still felt like my fingers were literally going to explode. Tomorrow's high is 24 and it will feel like a heat wave.

Yay for winter!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

home is...

where you are free to be yourself
where it feels like nothing can do wrong
but when it does, you know it will all be okay.
beautiful
a sanctuary from the craziness of life
somehow full of distractions unknown until you try to write a research paper
my favorite place to be for Thanksgiving
where it's okay if it rains every day, in fact
full of love
where the heart is


my week at home for thanksgiving was great. I loved relaxing, being with family, and taking time to be thankful and thoughtful.