What really matters

Well, seeing how it's now the end of 2013, I think it's time for another post.

This time last year me, Harm and Mel were hanging out at the countdown to 2013 in the institute gym. A whole year has passed since then and the memory of that one night is vivid to me. This year was a great one, for sure. I've laughed and cried more times than I thought possible. I learned some important things. There's been a lot of changes, too. Looking back, I have come a long way and I usually seem to when I take a trip down the previous year.

The most important things in life are not materialistic things. While I have come to really appreciate modern day technology, the things worth fighting for are what goes with us into the next life. And that's what really matters. I realize that everyone we have ever known and all beings that God himself created will be resurrected. I had a small revelation from this just tonight. There are some things that happen for a reason and it is sometimes hard to explain. I know the Bible and the Book of Mormon are the true words of God. They are full of revelation and are the best things to hang out with. They will never change, they will never let you down.

There is nothing more I really want than to live my life happily. I want to be able to look back on my life and be satisfied. With that said, I am going to risk it more often b/c you just never know what will come of some things. I look forward to the time when I can be with everyone I have ever loved and who has loved me in return, for eternity. Forever and always. I can only dream of what that will be like until the time actually comes around for my wish to happen. I cannot say how thankful, grateful I am for this kind of knowledge! There is so much more to life than just living day-to-day. There's a reason we are all here being tested in all aspects of life. I pray that those searching for the truth will find it. I hope I can take part in helping said people.

See ya all in 2014

Now That It's Almost Over

Hiya! So it's probably time for another update seeing how it's now December!!

Um, well there's been lots of snow here. It was fun for like the first two days. By fun I mean driving and sliding all over brought a big grin to my face. That is, until I had to come home to the unplowed culdesac. This week was real fun having all of it turn into ice. I really love the negative temperatures because then I have to get my car defrosted AND jumped just to get it up and running. I will say that frolicking through the snow on campus is fun when you have knee-high boots. Anything else sucks. I had on a pair of jeans and tenny shoes which soaked up all the snow while I trudged on my way to the PE bldg. That all melts and your feets and shoes are soaken wet for the rest of the day. It's fine. Let's not forget the ice between the tires! I'm gonna have to get a shovel or a pick axe to free my tires.

This was the last week of classes! My 5th semester is so close to being over that I can almost taste it! I'd say that this was a great semester. My grades will prove it, too :) For the most part I have kept the same friends that I already made in earlier semesters and I have come to know my instructors. Matt Adams is awesome. He's a great person as well as  a teacher! He read us Dr. Suess for class one day (in math) and even dressed up on halloween. I'm missing that class already…

As much as I love photography, I'm glad the class is over. I had fun, yes, it's rather obnoxious though when you have to fit a criteria. Mostly I love taking pictures of whatever. In spite of this I'm forcing myself to take more advanced classes b/c someday I wish to do pictures for people. I want to learn the art of studio lighting and such.

Last night was the closing social for the institute. The only thing we went to though was just the dance. Because dinner sucked hardcore from the opening social, we took care of dinner for ourselves. (Costa Vida)! This year it was in the institute bldg instead of the heritage theatre so that was kind of a disappointment. I was however pleasantly surprised by how well it turned out though!  The gym was very cutely decorated and had lots of christmas lights and such. We really got going once the music was good for dancing. And after that we watched Bridesmaides at Kenzie's!


Did you think I was kidding?

Halloween

One Fine Day 

What is this "free time" you speak of?

I think I'm starting to figure out the 'real' adult life. Lately I've really been immersing myself in my academic life and consequently I have basically no time for anything else. I eat, I sleep, and I repeat day to day through college. So in a sense, I think I've been doing better. It's difficult, but I know it is worth it. This whole experience has me thinking if I really want to go to grad school. I think once I actually graduate with my bachelor degree, I will save up lots of money and possibly go on a mission like I had planned for a long time. We'll see. Life never seems to work out like you had planned out.

Well last night I was indeed successful in registering for classes. I consider my self a pro at doing it even though I've only done it like four (five times) now. So there I was sitting, waiting at 11:55pm last night. About two hours prior to that I was learning from Youtube how to do my current math homework. (Thank you, random stranger!) I felt tired and decided to set like four different alarms so I didn't sleep through it. I woke up probably thousands of times out of nervousness. I qualified as a junior this time registering so that gives me priority over the underclassmen. The smart thing I'm glad I learned was to write the schedule all out in what classes I need, what days they are, what time they're held, and probably most importantly, to include the CRNS. That way you just have to shakily type in the CRNS and hit 'submit changes'. I say shakily because that's literally how everyone is I'm sure.

I went with my friends and our singles' ward to st. g for baptisms a week or two ago. I drove and didn't kill us so I guess I was successful. :) The temple is a wonderful place.

The Halloween dance for institute was the week before Halloween. I with some friends dressed up and had some clean fun. :)

I love Mondays, really. I've nicknamed them missionary Mondays b/c that's all my friends' p-days! So emails galore! And pictures from my twin friends. I love just talking to them for those few precious minutes. I was sitting in marriage and family relations and talked to Harm for a few minutes. Awkwardly enough, I started tearing up. I just miss her and Mel so much. Words can't describe how it feels.

I feel like I've been improving as a person. I feel like I do things better and that I am a better manager at my time that is so preciously given to me. Institute has really blessed me in the priceless truths I have been able to record and use.

My schedule for next semester is going to be awesome! Mondays and Wednesdays I'm completely finished by 12pm noon. :) the other days I'm done around 2 and 3. I do love my education! It's exhausting but so worth it.

Fall Break of 2013!

Hello you lovelies! So it's fall break. It's been real nice having school off. I still work though. So I can't be 100% lazy. Ha! Um I've actually been spending today doing some productive things.

I studied. I did my math homework (cue the clapping). And well, I live my life day to day with not too many different things. For one I am so glad I went to all my meetings at church yesterday in spite of it being the LONGEST DAY EVER. I seriously watched three Disney movies yesterday. Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas 1 and Pocahontas 2: journey to a new world. There's this wonderful thing called Netflix that allows this phenomena to happen. And family too.

Speaking of family, I'm really excited to have Sandy be a real member of the family. No it's not "official". I consider it to be!  I was over there last night watching Beauty and the Beast. Gram went to his house and didn't come back til after midnight. The later the better cause the party at my house (where I wasn't present) was still happening even after I came home around that time. I mean parties, yeah they're fun but have you heard of chocolate fountains??

Mondays are my favorite. Really. It's the start of a new week and new possibilities. Mainly it's cause it's all my buds' P-days! Annnnnnnnd that means new emails and stories! I miss them all. I basically owe my entire well being to the internet and email because all these pictures and the stories makes it feel like they aren't so far away. I'm glad to know everyone's had some kind of baptism! The gospel is very real. I have come to know and have been strengthened by that.


Would you look at these cuties! <3 

Well that's another update! Just felt like writing something. Have a great week! Tah Tah! For now.

Welcome Fall!

I got out of class early today. Friends make such a difference in how things work out. I'm not saying I take advantage of them either. Today in math we just had a group project and out of the three of us, I did the least amount of work I'm pretty sure. Speaking of math, I took the second exam today and after I was finished, felt really good about it. I checked all of my answers and made sure they all worked out. I seriously felt like hugging myself after that exam. I thanked myself for all of the work I put into working on matrices.

Earlier this week I came down with a crappy common cold. It kinda started on Monday when I noticed I couldn't really breathe as I normally do. It got progressively worse and come Tuesday afternoon I couldn't stand it. I ended up taking a roll of TP with me to class everywhere I went. Thankfully I didn't really have to pull it out. That my friends, is flat out embarrassing. To me it might seem like your peers are annoyed as is your professor but maybe that isn't the case. I'd be sitting in class and want to get up and leave b/c I felt sleepy and congested. Not fun. So I ended up calling in sick Tuesday night for work. The night spent at home was long and boring. The hours felt like days as they ticked by. I slept a little but mostly I was just bored and hurt all over. No I didn't want to do my homework.

As for my friends serving missions... They're all doing well. Least that's what I feel like when I read their emails. The language is challenging, which is no surprise. The things they have to say about Chile, Argentina and the Phillipenes is just nuts. Mostly Chumpy has to deal with man-sized spiders that will eat you. The other two don't necessarily have bug problems (at least I think) but they have their own share of challenges. All in all, I'm proud and happy for them. As always, I miss them. I'm glad I get to talk to them at all though! Thank you modern technology.

Yesterday Kenzie and me went up the mountain a little ways to look at leaves. Pretty! I'll just let my pictures speak for themselves.

Um, things are pretty good. I am just balancing my life out and trying not to sleep too much. Haha. It's amazing how much a college student can (and does) sleep while they go to school! Mostly I feel mildly depressed because of how broke I am all the time. I feel like I can't buy anything I want to. I have to make ends meet first and then the rest of it goes to things I actually need, like gas for the car. Eh, I don't need anything. I know that God provides with a surety.

Oh, I watched Brave for the first time yesterday. And, I liked it! Very cute. Yes I did cry a little bit towards the end. I'm kind of cinamatically deprived. (Is that a word)? That creates a few startled reactions. I have a lot of friends who come from movie families and they've really helped me out. :)

When the Bird Flew in

I figured it'd be a good day to catch up with some things! So basically I've been in school for almost a month. Also, my friends have been on their missions for about the same amount of time. I miss them everyday, still. On the contrary, I'm doing really good. :) I still love going to school. I kinda always have since I was a wee tike.

This semester...well obviously I love photography. Haven't had the class all week b/c it was just help sessions. So I didn't go! Cause I didn't need it! Math hasn't been too terrible. I do study it as often as possible though. Had my first exam for that class in the wonderful testing center today. To tell ya the truth, I'm not a particular fan of that place (who is?). I get anxiety so bad like, is your phone on you? Is it off? Put your stuff in this big red bag so you aren't tempted to cheat even though they have huge windows which they watch you take your test. Oh and don't spray too much perfume! I hate that they have a clock at the center of the room. It's mocking, really. Like oh hey here's the time! You've been in here for hours on end, bwahaha!

I'm thoroughly enjoying my marriage and family relations class. Ah thank goodness for friends! The only class I don't really have friends in is Development Through the Lifespan. It's interesting enough though. We're talking about pregnancy and stuff! (whoo hoo).

Oh! Institute is so good this semester. So Good. In brother Lefevre's class we talk about things that have a profound effect on me. It's like everything I needed to hear is there-everyday. He's a great instructor, has that original wit to him. Kind of hard to explain. We also talk about some good things in brother Staple's class too. Book of Mormon. Last lesson we talked about the Liahona and it made me think of our aides we've each been given in life. Where are our own liahonas in our lives? God cares about us. He loves us so much and is ever mindful of our situations. He has our names engraved in the palms of his hands. -Isaiah 49:16.

So I'm living my life day to day. I hope and pray for my buds everyday. They both left to South America this last monday. I've heard from Mel but I still haven't heard from Harm. I know they're both being looked after but none other than our Savior. So I am content with that knowledge. Life is good guys. There's beautiful things happening all around us if we look. Haha like today my kitty brought a bird inside our house. And it's still in here to my knowledge. I don't know if it's flown out or not. So please enjoy these few pictures:

Here's to Another Year!

Happy September!

School is back and sesh. Right now I'm taking Marriage and Family Relations, institute, Photography and Math 1010. The week before school started, I tried my best to hang out with everyone. Pretty successful. I called Rachael to go swimming that Monday since she was actually home for once. Like, literally. She traveled to far and distant places (like Florida!) and was home for a week the entire summer. So we partied it up by swimming.

 

I was also able to hang out with Makenzie. Like usual we went on a few rides on our fourwheeler. Got Tikishack a couple of times. Most recently we went to "Slurps Up" on 200 N. To my surprise, I really liked that place! I just heard it was worth checking out. They have a drive thru and smoothies and cookies. That sentence alone is what got me converted. So there's another decent place in town to go to now. 

School started this week. And I was more than happy to start going back. See I like to go to school. I like making something of myself. I just like being a poor college student! Really though, there's something good that comes out of every semester. Usually meet some friends along, I LEARN a ton! I even had some new clothes. Hehe. Thanks, Forever 21! 

I've been enjoying my missionary emails a lot lately. On Thursday I got around 6 from Melody, with pictures to post! I literally wait until they start coming and I time it right so I can talk to her personally for a few minutes. Ahhh. It's something I need every week. I honestly have never missed someone so much that it hurts like this. Kind of hard to explain. She and Harmony are my family. Speaking of her, I got around twelve, (yes 12) emails from her friday while I was in Math. My ipad kept sounding too. Kind of embarrassing. I didn't care. I also typed to her personally despite being in class.I also got a handwritten letter too that day from Harmony. It's become a routine to pick it up in the mail right before I go to work fridays. I spend my break writing my response back. I'm just so happy that everything is well with them. They're leaving to South America a week from tomorrow! God speed, my friends!

I kicked off the semester by paying a visit to 2000 flushes. My best bud's ex has been talking to me a lot lately, which to me is a little weird. I gave him a chance when he was in town last wednesday and it actually ended up being really fun. So it was that and a long fourwheeler ride. We also just looked up at the stars when it got dark. So is there potential? Not even. I just wanted someone to hang out with. I don't want anything of that sort. 

 

Well, here's to another year! 

Everything Has Changed

I should be in bed.

Ya know when you plan something and you think it'll go one way but ends up being flipped around and turned inside out? Yeah. I got here at like 9:30 and I'm still on here two hours later. Expectation: go research your talk and possibly start writing your lesson plan. Reality: researched lesson plan, did not write any of it, but I did finish my missionary letter to Harmony.

I was looking through last years' posts around this time. Everything has changed! This time last year, my best mates were just moving in. I was going to school as a sophomore, and I have changed quite a bit. I look through the photos and see how far I've come yet again. I am thankful for the progress I've made.

Speaking of progress, I feel as though I've improved in the sense of my spirituality. I have been more mindful of my scripture study and attending all the church meetings. I watch the missionary life videos on lds.org and from reading all my friends letters, I want to serve a full time mission someday. As far as reaching out to those around me, I feel like I've improved. Anyone who semi knows me usually notices my level of shyness. Maybe it's just what the situation is, but sometimes I'm very outgoing. I think I usually keep to myself but I have opened up a bit. It's like when you're happy with yourself, you get this desire to make others feel that way too.

School officially starts again next week! So here's to another two semesters! 0.o I'm returning this time as a JUNIOR. Freak. It just blows my mind. I'm excited to see where I'll be by the time these next two are all said and done. I really should just enjoy the beauty of the present time though. I feel like I look way too far ahead because right now I want more than anything than to have my friends come home...a bit selfish, really. But all at the same time I want to grow and take what I've learned from them and have their influences in my life. I guess I miss them way more than I should.

I'll just say that I'm pretty sure I have a talent for finding good friends. Coping with the whole separation thing for 18 months has been one of the hardest things for me. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't miss them. Back to the friends thing...I never thought I'd have the friends that I do in my everyday life as I do now. Before I talk about that, I am positive that who I have now isn't merely by a coincidence. I honestly believe that our Heavenly Father watches out not only for me but for each of us. People are there for a reason. Some stay for a time, and others for a lifetime. "In my life, I've loved them all." :) Anyway Jaye and Kenzie, I feel honestly lucky and blessed to have them. We even work well together in our little trio. It brings me back to the good days with me and my girls. The last few times we all hung out together, I felt whole. And there's nothing that I'm more grateful for.

Honestly, without the gospel of Jesus Christ, I know I wouldn't be half the person I am today. There's nothing that brings greater happiness. I know that by living by its principals, we will gain the promised blessings. We have to do our part before the Lord will do his. I also know that we are loved by a loving Father in Heaven who is ever mindful of our needs. All we have to do is be obedient in doing as He asks of us. The book of Mormon is real. I have a testimony of its teachings. Prayer is the way in which we pour our whole soul to God and earnestly seek Him. There's no greater comfort and peace than that.

Well...

It's now the middle of August guys. I am seriously amazed by how time seems to go by, although the days seem longer than the weeks do.

Gosh, a lot has happened since I got back from Cali. K that trip was fab. The drive was absolutely terrible, to and from. I still think that was the lamest idea to leave at 11pm cause we got there around 6am our time. It's pitch black outside and we can't even check into our hotel til 3pm. So we wonder around aimlessly in the dark trying to get a view of where we were. Laguna Beach is where we were-for the first two days. We end up on Huntington Beach since it was the only place open at 6 in the morn. We crashed right there on the sand for a few hours. The snooze wasn't that great since it was freezing.

Laguna is a nice place. The beaches there are also. My only real complaint I have is that everything seems to be so smooshed together. It's like the city ran out of space. Kind of how jeans that are too tight fit around you. Uncomfortable. Anyways the shopping there is neat. Everywhere you go there was an art gallery of all sorts. Didn't look at those, though. We did find a really legit music store that had A TON of Beatles merchandise. Vinyls, stickers, pins, remastered records...yup my kinda place.

Huntington had better places to shop, but the beach wasn't quite as fun as Aliso. The beach there never ends. Our hotel room in both places was pretty decent. 

We spent about 86% of our time on the California sands. We consequently all got really dark. We'd spend around four hours just lounging out and occasionally walk around in low tide. As much as I loved that place, there really isn't a place like home. Home is where my hair is doable. HA! All while I was there, it poofed like a big fro. Thank you humidity!

We've sure spent a lot of time with our inheritance toys! aka 3 four-wheelers. I've also spent a good amount of time with Kenzie. Me, her and Jay went to the paint dance last night. AHH so fun. Never been to one before and wasn't sure what to expect. Kenz and I wore white shirts and shorts. We looked like we were on drugs after all was said and done. It's fine. :) I'm glad everything turned out so well cause I feel like it's a bit awkward sometimes when you and your friends haven't really met each other and you're all together. We apparently had a knack for attracting weirdos though cause we each had people come talk to us. No one we'd even consider, but hey if we're cute enough for that I guess that's something. :)

Then I've been keeping up with all of my sister missionaries. I update both of my best bud's blogs. Their pictures and everything they tell me make me want to go that much more. Kinda makes me sad because I cannot just yet. :/ But I know in due time I'll be able to! School starts up again in just over a week. Cray Cray. But I'm excited. :)

Some Practical Tips-

Things your mother should have told you….

1. Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips.

2. Use a meat baster to “squeeze” your pancake batter onto the hot griddle and you’ll get perfectly shaped pancakes every time.

3. To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.

4. To prevent eggshells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling.

5. Run your hands under cold water before pressing Rice Krispies treats in the pan and the marshmallow won’t stick to your fingers.

6. To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room temperature and roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before squeezing.

7. To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on the stovetop.

8. Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato-based sauces and there won’t be any stains.

9. When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead and there won’t be any white mess on outside of the cake.

10. If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it’s still cooking, drop in a peeled potato and it will absorb the excess salt for an instant “fix me up.”

11. Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.

12. Brush some beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.

13. Place a slice of apple in hardened brown sugar to soften it.

14. When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn’s natural sweetness.

15. To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool, salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh, but if it rises to the surface, throw it away.

16. Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.

17. Don’t throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.

18. If you have a problem opening jars: Try using latex dishwashing gloves. They give a non-slip grip that makes opening jars easy.

19. Potatoes will take food stains off your fingers. Just slice and rub raw potato on the stains and rinse with water.

20. To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area and you will experience instant relief.

21. Ants, ants, ants everywhere … Well, they are said to never cross a chalk line. So get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march. See for yourself.

22. Use air-freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job and better still, leaves a lovely smell to the shine.

23. When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.

24. Now look what you can do with Alka Seltzer. Clean a toilet. Drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush and flush. The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous china. Clean a vase. To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill with water and drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets. Polish jewelry. Drop two Alka-Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse the jewelry for two minutes. Clean a thermos bottle. Fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka-Seltzer tablets, and let soak for an hour (or longer, if necessary). Unclog a drain. Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka-Seltzer tablets down the drain followed by a cup of Heinz White Vinegar. Wait a few minutes, then run the hot water.

Well, Gee

It's August. 0.o But I'm pretty okay with that.

Ah, the life. I'm currently writing four of my friends who are serving missions. I love writing letters and waking up to a reply in my inbox. :) There's just something special about handwritten notes though. It's like they take their time with them. When missionaries reply via email they only have like 30 minutes to write everyone. I'm honestly just glad I get any reply mail at all!

Umm...well this month so far:

1. nonslip shoes are neat. Why didn't we enforce them sooner at work?

2. I'm becoming photo-obsessed. I love improving and editing. And Photoshop.

3. I miss my friends way more than I probably should. But I do get emails and letters. I also update their facebook pages and their blogs.

4. We're going to California really soon. Like, twenty minutes soon. We'll be spending four days on Huntington and Laguna Beach.

5. I'm excited to go back to school, really.

I'm getting by, thankfully. I mean I make the most of the time I have. I miss school for the thing of always having a filled schedule.

This is all SO crazy.

Phew...what an emotional overload! It's okay.

I tried this new hair strategy last night before I went to bed. You towel dry your hair and split it down the middle into two sections. Then you put some mousse in and braid the said sections. You let it dry over night and when you get up the next morning you're supposed to be able to comb through it and have beachy waves. Right?

Wrong.

Yeah it was bad. My bed head was almost to the point where I had to get in the shower and just redo everything. Instead I just sprayed it down pretty good and curled it with my wand. {too embarrassed to take pictures}

Earlier this week I tried out a face mask I found on Pinterest. It called for lemon juice and a couple of egg whites. Was it successful? You tell me.

I checked my morning paper around eight this morning (facebook, instagram, twitter, you name it) and saw that I had a message on facebook from Mel. A pleasant surprise.

Last Wednesday we all Skyped together for what I thought was a final goodbye. Turns out it wasn't. I asked about the possibility of a blog and I learned that they were each doing one. I didn't think I would be the admin of them though! :) Another surprise. She told me her final goodbye in the message and I did the same. 

Well I was on my way to my singles ward this morning. Then road construction happened. There was like a mile long line of cars waiting to get across the bridge. Eh screw it. I went around the long way on center street and there was STILL construction going on! You know it's bad when there's a guy out there directing traffic. By this time I was already like twenty minutes late for sacrament. So I turned around and went home since I knew I'd already missed it. But on the contrary, I went to my home ward and hung out with my gram gram. 

A few hours later I find myself laying on our living room couch inhaling the pleasant smell of fresh cleaned carpet. I'm all sprawled out when I see that I get a facebook notify seeing that Harmony updated her status. Then a few seconds later, Mel did the same. 

Yup, this is legit. I was curious when they were going to post their last statuses. The time leading up to it, I had been watching the clock for 2:30, as that was the time they were going to be set apart. AH the emotional trauma. I won't lie and say I didn't cry when I saw these.  It's all so crazy. I know they'll be amazing out on the field. The people of Argentina and Chile sure are lucky to have such individuals! They are now set apart. I kid you not, I messaged Harmony through texting up until the final minutes and said yet another goodbye. It's bittersweet. But hey, if the last year I spent with them went this fast, well, this will be no different! 

Tah tah for now! I will keep anyone who's interested updated with all of their adventures. :) It's certainly been a joy. 

Photoextravaganza!

I don't think I've ever blogged as much as I have in one month. This will be what, like my seventh post? I guess I've quite an eventful July!

Yesterday was going to be a seemingly normal day. That swiftly changed. I did get up around ten, having gone to bed around two am. I think I need to be getting into the habit of getting my minimum eight hour nights sleep so I can be all pumped and ready for school. Sleep is a luxury in college.

So I get up and I go lay out on a blanket in my backyard with my book of Mormon and my copy of Preach my Gospel. I prayed right before I read the two and honestly, it was a neat thing. I've decided just to start from the beginning of the book of Mormon and reread again even though I've read through it a few times. I followed up with the chapter in Preach my Gospel that discusses the book of Mormon. The spiritual feeling I attained was strong. It helped my desire to serve a mission stronger. I realize I have a lot to learn and to also prepare myself in all ways possible.

My new visiting teachers came over shortly after. I found out that the one was in my culinary class the spring semester before this last one. We had such a big class that it was hard to get to know everyone. I was surprised to hear that it was their first time visit teaching. They both did wonderfully. We basically just asked a few questions to know a little bit about the other. They left me a Rocky Road candy bar and a sheet of paper with Proverbs 3:5-6. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thy own understanding. A cute and creative idea! I'm not too creative in that sense-I'd rather do the teaching.

I also didn't think I'd get to spend some time with Harms and the family yesterday, either. I was on my way to deposit some cash in the back when my phone started shaking in my cup holder. What a pleasant surprise! They were at the dentist's office getting some work done. Harmony was waiting a long time and we hung out for a little bit. We stopped by A Mane Attraction so she could stock up on Bareminerals "for life!" I got me some new mascara and lip gloss. A little bit later we met the family at Lupita's for lunch before separating again.


My brother and I went to the orthodontist's office b/c he apparently won a drawing. Only when we got there did I notice the three boxes. "Have you ever heard of the show, Let's make a Deal"? The receptionist greeted. "Yeah, I said. I faced Kaden. So basically you can choose a present, or an x amount of money." He just stood there for a second. His face, was like uhhhmmm. Uhhh. They were all wrapped in girly wrapping paper.

Good timing, eh?

So like twenty minutes later, he chose the $31. We don't even find out what was wrapped in the presents til like the end of this month. I just figured he could buy whatever with $31. Kinda fun.


I hung out with Kenzie again as well! I was a little surprised to see so many people at the canyon park. So we went to the east side and isolated ourselves a bit. At first I didn't really know what we were going to do, but we did have a table and my camera. Soooooo....

 

Yeeah we're freaks. But hey it was lots of fun :). I didn't realize how much I knew about a camera til I started teaching her yesterday.  I went all out and described all the functions of like every button on the body. I even threw in how lenses impact the picture. Then I let her take pictures of me. I could see she was having a good time so we kept going. 

Then I took a few of her! Pretty sure it was her first time
 using a DSLR. Yeah, I remember when I used one for the first time too. Harm's 5000 back when :) I got in lots of practice yesterday. Being both the photographer and the subject I have to say that I love portrait photography! My actions from Paint the Moon are just for that. I'd say I fixed us up real nice. :)

Good times there yesterday! I'm anxiously waiting for Sunday to roll around so I can hear my missionaries talk. :)