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!

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

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!

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.

survey

to whoever has a moment....
please take a survey for a PR campaign I am working on.

thanks!

http://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_9NwvBMfUGFbY31W&SVID=Prod

100

This is my 100th blog post. Woohoo!
I feel like I should do something epic to celebrate,
but I think I'll do something celebratory to celebrate.

I was inspired by this fabulous video (I'm on a total video kick recently...weird)...



...to create a list of 100 things I am thankful for. 100 posts, 100 ways to be thankful. get it?

1. The Atonement of Jesus Christ

2. My eternal family

3. Temples

4. The scriptures

5. A living prophet

6. Good health

7. Sisters

8. Baseball

9. Mornings

10. Crunchy leaves and the colors of fall

11. Nieces and nephews

12. The start of a new season

13. a warm bed

14. BYU

15. Opportunities to travel, learn and grow

16. Post-it notes

17. Music

18. Piano (the ability to play and listening to talented people)

19. Journals

20. Cell phone

21. My laptop

22. Technology in general

23. Airplanes and the ability to go home when I need to

24. Sammamish

25. Trees

26. Rain

27. Pictures

28. Memories

29. Baseball

30. Endorphins from exercising

31. Bargain shopping

32. Small children

33. Smiles from strangers

34. Conference issue of the Ensign

35. Living in a free country

36. Great professors and friends in the PR program

37. PRSSA

38. Sunshine

39. Ovens and microwaves

40. My heritage

41. Grandparents

42. Laughter

43. Toast and hot chocolate

44. Tights

45. Personal revelation

46. Spunky Sally

47. Priesthood blessings

48. Choirs

49. Christmas

50. Thanksgiving

51. Roommates

52. People who freely share their talents

53. Books

54. Harry Potter

55. My internship

56. The freshmen I get to mentor this semester

57. Tuesday devotionals

58. The Sacrament

59. Comms 402

60. Gardens

61. Safely exploring new places

62. Fireplaces

63. Missionary opportunities

64. Missionary letters

65. Movies

66. Spontaneity

67. Organization

68. Automatic spell check

69. Good examples of those who have come before

70. Glasses

71. Holidays and reasons to celebrate

72. Notes for no reason

73. Phone calls from a friend

74. Random happy texts

75. Lakes, oceans and all bodies of water

76. Trials who shape who I am

77. Being busy

78. Beautiful earth and all God has created

79. Love

80. Plans for the future

81. Miracles

82. slippers

83. Time

84. Bulletin and white boards

85. Vitamins

86. Vacations

87. Being able to get an education

88. Visiting and home teachers

89. Free time to curl up in a ball

90. People who dress modestly

91. Libraries

92. People who are anxious to teach and learn

93. Fruit snacks

94. Umbrellas

95. Gloves

96. Ice cream

97. Thank you cards (writing and receiving)

98. Lists

99. People who do the jobs I never want to do

100. Late night chats

dc by the numbers

41: days until DC
3: phone interviews, my favorite
2: internship offers
2: internship offers waiting to hear back from
off the charts: my excitement level