Winds of Change

I am back. Believe it or not, I am back to blogging after a semester of craziness. Honestly, the past few months have been the busiest and most strenuous of my life up to this point. They have been some of the most rewarding, but have definitely pushed me to my limits.

Needless to say, I have missed this hobby of mine. There is something about spilling my mind and heart out through this computer screen that is real relaxing. Call it crazy...because it kind of is...but blogging is almost as great to me as eating some chocolate cake or some other glutenous activity.

And boy oh boy, SO much has happened in the past 4 months. My life is almost a completely different life...or at least is on its way to being there. In the words of Julie Andrews, let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start" as I catch up on my whirl-wind life and some exciting changes that are blowing my way!

First things first. I got my wisdom teeth out on Tuesday. I have heard story after story, both horrifying and calming, about what it is like to get your wisdom teeth pulled. But everyone's experiences aside, mine hasn't been too terrible. My right cheek is still really swollen, I am still on pain meds, and I basically sleep all day. I am on Day 4 now and am hoping that some energy and normality will return to my life. I feel completely lazy and slightly loopy. But, it is kind of nice to have a serious break from real life. I just hope this break wraps up soon. These cheeks of mine can't stand to get any bigger.

A little collage of my wisdom teeth journey. Excuse the no make-up.

Next up, some great news! My big brother Matt is getting married. YAHOO!! Finally, the boy proposed to his year-long girlfriend back in March. The two little lovebirds are getting married one week from tomorrow. So you best believe that a whole blog-post will be devoted to their big day. Matt and Brynnly are perfect for each other. They are pretty much the same human being. So it's great that they are ending up together for eternity. I am excited to have my first official sister. She is the perfect one for the job! :)

Matt and Brynnly

Engaged!

Next,  my little brother Jared had a basketball tournament down in Las Vegas over his Spring Break this year. It was both Aaron and Jared's first time going to Vegas, and let's just say, I think it was a little eye-opening for them. We all realized how much we love little Logan, Utah after that trip. But it was fun to sight-see and watch some great ball games. Here are a few pictures of the weekend.

Watching the water show at the Bellagio.

 

Visiting the M&M Store.

Jared in action.

  

Jared's team after their tourney.

The Las Vegas Temple. SO beautiful!

Next, I can officially cross an item off of my bucket-list. I have lived in Cache Valley my whole life. Up until this past November or so, I had never been to Angie's Restaurant. "Where the Locals Eat"? Well, not this local I guess. But now I have. Well, another Cache Valley tradition is that of hiking the infamous Wind Caves. Never had I ever done that...until a few weeks ago. A group of friends from high school got together at night and scaled the mountain. It was so much fun! And so much harder than I was thinking. I would like to go there again in the daylight, but a little moonlit hike was a blast. Might I recommend it to any of you out there who have never done the hike. You are missing out!

Our late night Wind Cave hike.

Next on the list...good books. I think one of the hardest things for me to do is to put down a really really good book. I am always so anxious for the ending, but once I finally read it, I wish that I could read it again. I am just never ready to say that I have completed the book. But then I start reading a new one, although it is a new kind of exciting, it is just as exciting as the other. This is exactly where I am in my life right now. I am ending a really awesome book...the best one yet! I don't want to shut that back cover because I know it will really be over, but with shutting that cover, I am opening a the front cover to a new book. So here are a few of the really good chapters that I am having a hard time closing...

Piano Teaching. For the past 5 years, I have had to coolest job. I have taught piano to the greatest piano students in the whole wide world. Teaching piano has been the most rewarding job. Honestly, it hasn't even really felt like a job, but more of a hobby. Due to some changes, I won't be teaching piano anymore. So this past weekend, I had my final piano recital. It was so wonderful to have one last sha-bang, Cinco de Mayo style! The kids did awesome, the parents were perfect to work with, and I said hasta la vista to five of the best years of my life.

All of my current students (just missing 2) after our final recital. What cuties!

My little brothers and myself.

School. So get this folks, I have one semester left until I graduate. Yep, let me say that again. ONE SEMESTER BABY! I am kind of still in shock at the reality of being done-zo in about 7 months. Where has my college career gone? But, I can feel myself getting more and more ready to actually be teaching rather than be in a teacher education program. This last semester was hard. Woosh, it was the hardest one I have had yet. But 19 credits later, I am alive and kickin'. I spent 9 weeks doing coursework, planning lessons and units, talking management techniques and teaching strategies, etc. And then I spent 6 weeks in a 2nd grade classroom. I actually was lucky enough to get placed with my aunt Michelle. And no, we didn't rig it. We just lucked out big time! It was the funnest 6 weeks. Those little kids just find a way of making you so attached. It was hard saying good-bye to them too. But through those weeks, I taught, observed and validated my feelings for wanting to be an elementary school teacher.

Mrs. Daines's 2nd grade class.

Being crazies!

:)

The students' persuasive letters that came from a persuasive writing unit that I taught.

Cute students, don't you think?

 Moving home. After a wonderful semester living with 5 of the coolest girls ever, I had to say good-bye to our little apartment at D201 as we split our separate ways. Two will be married by August, one will be in summer school, another up in Yellowstone, and the other living up her dream of being an EFY counselor. Even though we will never all be roommates again, we have made friendships that will last a lifetime. I am so grateful for the lessons I learned and the memories that we shared over the past 8 months.

My roommate Ashlie's wedding.

Alright, so what in the world are these huge changes that I am alluding to? Well, there really aren't that many haha. I just wanted to add a little drama and suspense to the mix. Mostly, it is just a change of pace and location.

This summer, I will be moving to Bear Lake. Now stop. I know exactly what you are thinking...You're thinking "this girl said she was done with Pickleville last year, and the year before that, and the year before that." Yep, you're absolutely right. I did. And plans changed. Instead of commuting from Logan every day, I will be living in Bear Lake, working at a resort by day, and singing my little heart out by night. And I could not be more excited. Pickleville wasn't in the plan for this summer originally, but has ended up coming around and being the perfect summer remedy for me. I honestly can't wait! So, come to PVP this summer. It's going to be a hoot!

Finally, when summer is over, it is good-bye lazy summer days, hello student teaching! And believe it or not, it is good-bye Logan, hello Provo! That is right, I will be heading down to P-town come late-August for some permanent living...at least for the next year. This is a decision that I have been playing with for months and months. In fact, I feel like it has been slightly consuming my life the past 6 months. If I had all the time in the world, I would expound on my exact reasoning for leaving, but in short, I feel like it is the right thing. No, I know that it is the right thing.

I will be doing my student teaching at Orem Elementary school, about 10 minutes away from where I will be living. I am not transferring to BYU...don't worry, I am still a true-blooded Aggie! But I can do my Utah State student teaching anywhere in the state, so why not Orem? My best friend lives down in Provo and has been trying to convince me for the past few years to move down, so we will be living with a fun group of girls.

It is kind of crazy to think that everything I know...the places, the people...everything.. will not be there. I am so comfortable in my Cache Valley life, but that's why I think this will be the best thing in the world for me. It will be a huge change, but I can't wait! The reality of this move is slowly starting to set in and these butterflies inside my chest start freaking out. If I can just keep them calm for the next 3 months...

So there you have it. Old events. New events. Future events. The whole enchilada. I have a pretty good feeling that my blogging skills will come back to my life now that school is out for the summer. Life is so awesome and so unpredictable. I get the shivers just thinking of what lies ahead... :)

Days of Deep Thinking

Gosh, where to start tonight? How am I even having time to blog? Well, I really don't have the time, but I have decided that you make time for the things that are important. And tonight, updating my blog is the number one task at hand. Not because it has been almost a month (eww, I can't believe I have gone that long) but because I am needing to spill my guts somewhere. Blogging is my form of relaxation...my runner's high. Blogger's high? Is that even possible? Sure.

School has been in session for three weeks now. And the past three weeks have kept me running at full speed. Literally. There is minimal down time in my current schedule. Between a weekly 15+ hours of class, working in Admissions, teaching piano, dating (multiple nights of the week), working out, and never-ending homework, there is never a dull moment. Sometimes I feel like I am the only one in the world with such a jam-packed schedule. Then I look at my roommates, my friends and my family, and they all have their own agendas that keep them going going going.

Luckily, I find a little time here and there (mostly on the weekends) to squeeze in a little free time. A few weeks ago, I went down to Provo with my roommates to watch the Young Ambassadors perform. I have a few friends that perform with the group so it was just delightful to get away for a night and enjoy good company, good entertainment, and good food.

Whit, me, Rylee, and Chelsea

Then last weekend I headed down south for the whole weekend. Whitney and Meesh were so sweet to let me stay with them for the weekend. I had an audition and interview down in Provo, so we made a whole weekend of it! In fact, I was able to experience my very first pedicure. I know, right? Pretty pathetic that it took 20 years for me to finally have one. And boy, oh boy! It was incredible. I still find myself looking at my toes. :) There is nothing like sitting in a massage chair while someone makes your feet look like a million bucks. And then we topped it all off with a little P.F. Changs and frozen yogurt at Yogurtland. Mmmm, what a wonderful night!

Meesh, Whit and myself indulging ourselves at P.F. Changs

And I have even tried to find a little bit of time to discover some new tunes. I have been listening to this song for the past week on a daily basis. It is called "Fine By Me" by Andy Grammer and couldn't be cooler! I love everything about it. So go crazy listening to this. Might I suggest a few others like "Love on Top" by Beyonce, "You Gave Me You" by Coffey Anderson, and "Stand Out" from A Goofy Movie. These are not necessarily new songs, just ones that have been blowing up my iPod the last week or so.

Fine by Me by Andy Grammer

Anyway, I mostly want to express what has been on my mind a lot the past month.

I feel like I have been doing a lot of deep thinking and contemplation over the past month, due to various reasons. How has there been time for that? I honestly don't know haha. But right now I feel like I am closer to my Savior than I have been for a while and continually desire to grow closer to Him. Some things have happened in my life that have made me remember a few important truths...

First: Trust in Him always.

This is something that I have a developing testimony on. Life can take us on unexpected pathways and throw some interesting curve balls. Sometimes the hardest part is knowing what to do in the future...knowing what decisions to make. Decisions of school, marriage, and careers are just the tip of the iceberg. Despite the craziness and stress that these choices can cause, there is so much comfort in knowing that the Lord has a plan for us all, and that He wants the best for us. All we need to do is trust Him. I have been in the midst of a big decision lately, and this has been a reoccurring theme that I have found through reading my scriptures, my patriarchal blessing, and in saying my prayers. I also had some really great advice given from a good friend of mine who is serving a mission. It was simple but very powerful. He told me:

"One of the thousands of things I've learned on my mission is that things work out the way the Lord wants, we just have to trust Him. "

I couldn't agree more. Which leads me to another thought that I have been reflecting on...

Second: The Lord's Will

Just like Brian said in his letter, things will work out the way the Lord wants. His ways are not always our ways, and one of the hardest things to understand in life is to accept that and be okay with it. Right now, I am at a point in life where I have no clue what my future has in store. Will I get a teaching job? Serve a mission? Get married? Who knows right now. My life could go in many different directions. But I want more than anything to do what the Lord wants me to be doing. Elder Robert D. Hales spoke on this in this past October Conference. He said,

"We may not know when or how the Lord's answers will be given, but in His time and in His way, I testify, his answers will come. Let us not give up on the Lord. His blessings are eternal, not temporary."

In a world and life where things are completely changing, the one thing that will never change is the Lord and His gospel. If my life was to completely flip upside-down, that would remain as a rock and my constant. The Savior is my best friend and will never leave me alone, as long as I come unto Him. I know without a doubt that my Heavenly Father and my Savior love me. They have blessed me too immensely to not. I don't know where I am going to end up in the next five years, but I do know that if I live faithfully, I will end up with those that I love for eternity. And that is enough to keep me going for now.

So here I am, ready to step one foot into the blind future, relying on the faith that the Lord will direct me where to go and help me in my decisions.

See? Told you that I have been having some deep thoughts lately. I'll try to be a little more light-hearted next time I blog. But sometimes the best way to organize and understand your own thoughts is to write them down. Or in my case, type them up. So before I sign off, here is a little picture that I snapped during my Provo weekend last week. It was pouring rain when I left, and I had a little down time before I had to get home, so I made a [second] stop at the Temple. Despite the old-school, 1970's architecture, it is truly a beautiful place with a beautiful spirit. It is the Lord's home and I can't wait to go inside one day. Well, until next time!

I love to see the Temple.
I'm going there someday.

Let's vacation....to Idaho?

This is the final week of my highly anticipated Christmas break. It's true. Four more days and it's all over. Then the craziness of reality sets in....school, work, dating, homework. Shall I continue? This Christmas break has been a little less exciting than last year's. 365 days ago I was basking in the rays of the Hawaiian sun, snorkeling with sea turtles and eating THE most delicious pineapple I have ever tasted. I'm not going to lie, I kind of wish that I was there right now. Okay fine, I would give my right arm and leg to be there right now. But I have had a lovely break this year as well. I guess if I was able to go on extravagant vacations every Christmas break, I wouldn't appreciate them as much as I do now.


So what exactly have I been doing over the break? Well, after Christmas, my little brothers had a basketball tournament up in Idaho Falls. And although Idaho Falls isn't quite Hawaii, I figured it would be great to leave Logan for a few days and chill with my family.

We sat through hours and hours of basketball. We ate some delicious food. And we sat through more basketball. We played some games and took naps. We did a little birthday celebrating. Oh and did I mention that we sat through a whole lot of basketball? I think that I would have gone crazy sitting through all those games if my brothers weren't so dang good. Seriously, those little boys (who are not so little anymore), are incredible athletes. They are so much fun to watch! I was the proudest sister. Call me biased, but they are the best on the team. Just saying. :) But seriously, it was so much fun to see my little brothers in their element, doing what they so dearly love to do.


Like I said, I did eat some tasty food and have some quality time with my parents. My mom had a birthday on the second day of the tourney, so we went to dinner and celebrated a little. We also made a pit stop at the Idaho Falls Temple. They were displaying some incredible sculptures by Angela Johnson. These displays have been traveling to various Temple visitors centers over the past months and was only in Idaho Falls for a few more days. Did we luck out or what? Seriously, these were breathtaking. Don't believe me? Check them out. The temple was beautiful, as all of them always are. There was even a bride and groom coming out! (And yes, it was 7:30 pm. Not your typical wedding, right?) I always love visiting the temple and can't wait to finally go inside one day.


Also, this New Year's Eve can be chalked up with the other many great ones. Last year I celebrated New Years in my shorts and t-shirt, watching fireworks go off above Waikiki Beach. This year I still got to see some fireworks...outside in the snow in my coat and boots. But hey, fireworks are fireworks right? I spent the night with my two sweet roommates and dear friends, Rylee and Chelsea. We had some pizza, danced our little hearts out playing "Just Dance" on the Wii and rang in the New Year with party hats, whistles, fireworks in the snow, and some Martinelli's. No kissing at midnight occurred but it was a wonderful New Year's Eve nonetheless.

Here is a sweet video that has gone viral over YouTube and Facebook. It's the oh-so-unique Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Leavitt (stars of 500 Days of Summer) singing their own version of What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? They are quite the duo and her voice is one of a kind.

So it's the cold, hard truth...the holidays are over. It is hard for me to tuck away my Christmas albums and take down the trees. It isn't nearly as fun to go on nightly drives when the Christmas lights are gone.


But with the holidays rolling out, the new year rolls in. Which means that there are goals to be set and worked toward. I wrote down all of my "New Year's Resolutions" and yikes! I have a lot. But slowly over time, I hope to accomplish them all. 2012 is going to be a great year, I can feel it. There is so much to look forward to. I am in the "Decade of Decisions" as they say, and with that comes a lot pressure, a lot of stress, and a lot of excitement! I am thrilled to see what this new year will bring and grateful for the chance to continue progressing and striving to be more like Christ.

The Most Wonderful Time.

According to Andy Williams, this season is the "Most Wonderful Time of the Year." I would have to agree with him for many many reasons. Christmas brings out the best in everyone (and maybe sometimes the worst when it comes to shopping?). But overall, I would say that Christmas is a joyous and delightful time filled with family and friends and lots of food. What is better than that?

So here is a little re-cap of my week leading up to Christmas as well as the big day.

The Birthday Bash

One week before Christmas, Sunday the 18th, my family had a big birthday bash. It was my little brother Aaron, my cousin McKenzie, and my brother's friend Brynnly's birthdays. So triple the cake, triple the candles, and triple the wishes, right? We had a party at my parent's house and had a delightful time. Aaron wanted a few things for his b-day, one of those being this gaggy BYU cougar beanie. Now, even though I am a true-blue Aggie, I don't hate BYU at all. In fact, I quite like the school. But this hat is pretty ugly. Let's be honest. That did not seem to phase Aaron though. He wanted it so bad and so being the good sister I am, I got it for him. I'm pretty sure I have seen him wear it once a day since then. HE LOVES IT! So happy 14th birthday to my not-so-little-any-more-brother Aaron!

The birthday boy with the lovely cougar beanie.

A little sibling love.

Aaron and McKenzie blowing out their candles.

Christmas Piano Recital

I have been teaching piano for the past five years. Wow, five years! That sounds like forever, yet it has gone by so quickly. Ever since my first year teaching, I have had a Spring Recital. Then during the year I have had group lessons/parties for both Christmas and Halloween. Well, this year I decided to do a formal Christmas Recital for my students. I love Christmas music so what better way to celebrate the season than have a recital for the kids to perform what they have been working on. It turned out lovely and some wonderful songs were shared that afternoon. I wish I had a picture or two of the event but when you are the one hosting the recital, it's a little difficult to snap some pics. Maybe next time!

Roommate Christmas Card

I live with the coolest girls. Ever. And this year we decided that we wanted to spread the Christmas cheer by sending our friends, families, missionaries, etc. a little Christmas card. From our home to theirs. And now to yours! Here is a peek to the photo shoot we had for this card.

Pickleville Christmas Show, "12.25"

Another successful season with Pickleville has come and gone. This was my second Christmas show and it was probably one of my favorite shows I have ever been in. T.J. Davis did a brilliant job of writing and directing the show. Sharli King put some killer choreography in it and then with some great lights and costumes, the show was a success. In fact, it was the most successful Christmas show that Pickleville has had thus far. Pretty cool that I was able to be a part of that. I have an especially special place in my heart for this one because of all the spiritual ties that were interwoven throughout the show. I truly felt the spirit of Christmas and the spirit of Christ on a daily basis as we performed for many sold out audiences. What a wonderful experience to cap off my Pickleville adventures over the past few years. I love Pickleville and the wonderful people that have influenced my life through being a part of it.

The cast of "12.25. A Merry Musical Comedy."

Whit, myself and Sharli. These two are basically my sisters. I love them!

The cast, crew, and even Santa Claus. What a special group of people.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!

Christmas Eve is almost better than Christmas Day in many ways. This is the day when the anticipation is so high that you almost want to burst! This is the day that the stockings are hung by the chimney with care, Christmas traditions are in full swing, and the Christmas story is told, helping us to remember the true meaning of Christmas. One of my family's traditions is to hear my grandpa tell "The Candle Story." This story has nothing to do with Christmas really, other than he tells it every year on Christmas Eve. This year, just my family and my grandparents were together to tell the story. Once again, it was delightful. Afterward, we read the Christmas story from Luke 2 and sang Christmas carols. Then we finished with unwrapping our p.j.'s at home and going to bed...dreaming of sugar plums and Santa Clause. :)

Grandpa Mecham telling the Candle Story.

My mom and pops snuggling up on the couch. :)

I love my brothers.

This video is dark and slightly hard to see. But it is the tail end of the infamous Candle Story told by my grandpa. It won't mean much to those other than my family, but it gives you a snip-it of our funny and memorable Christmas Eve tradition.

Christmas Day was just as joyous. I had to play the piano for my roommate Hillary at our student ward's sacrament meeting. She sang "Breath of Heaven" and did a fabulous job. As always. I was a little bummed that I had to miss going to church with my family, but there was such a strong spirit in my ward that I ended up being pleased as punch that I went there. After church, my family opened gifts and we were truly blessed and spoiled. Santa found our little home this year, that's for sure! A few of the highlights for me were new running shoes, a new phone (which was desperately needed!), a book, a watch and my personal favorite...tickets to WICKED this summer! After we opened gifts, we headed up to my grandparent's house for a delicious Christmas feast with some extended family. It was the perfect Christmas. I am so blessed. The Lord has not ceased to pour out those blessings into my life.

Christmas Day

One of the most important things that I heard this Christmas was in my sacrament meeting. A bishop in my stake spoke about the talk in this month's Ensign by Elder Russel M. Nelson. He said that the "best gift we can give our Savior for Christmas is keeping ourselves unspotted from the world, worth to attend His holy temple. And His gift to us will be the peace of knowing that we will be prepared to meet Him, whenever that time comes."

The Christmas Season continues on...

One of the hardest things about this season is saying goodbye. This year especially I feel like it came so quickly and now it's over. So I don't let the Christmas season end until New Years arrives. Then I guess it is time to move on and take down the tree, the lights, the decorations. But not until January 1. So what better way to continue feeling the Christmas spirit after the big day then going to Salt Lake and doing Christmas-y things? Yesterday I went on a fun date with my friend Travis to Salt Lake. I have always wanted to go ice skating downtown at the Gallivan Center and yesterday that wish came true! It was the perfect post-Christmas activity. We went to dinner and then even went to Temple Square to see the lights. Twice in one month. Yeah baby! We finished by sneaking into the cemetery where President Hinckley, President McKay, President Hunter, and many other prophets and general authorities are buried. It was awesome!

Ice skating at the Gallivan Center.

Travis and myself.

There are just a few more days to hang onto this, the most wonderful time. But that doesn't mean that we can't strive to have the Christmas spirit in our hearts all year long. Giving gifts is something unique to this season, but we can give gifts of love and service to others continually. And most importantly, we can give of ourselves, with an open and willing heart, to our Savior. All year long.

Merry Christmas!

Picture a Christmas

I have had this crazy love for singing all of my life. Starting as a young, curly-haired girl. This is just a short little 30-second clip of me singing "Picture a Christmas" back when I was about 4. Kudo's to my uncle Mark for filming this and keeping it on file. I wish I had a copy of the whole thing...because it gets pretty dramatic towards the end haha. I guess even as a little kid I had a hint of acting in me.

This song reminds me of what Christmas can be like for a child: magical! I am so grateful for the music of this holiday season. It is my very favorite. What better way to praise the Savior and His glorious birth than through music? Hmmm...yep, can't think of one.

Let the fun begin...

This is the week that every college students loves so much. Yep, you guessed it. Finals week! The late night cram sessions at the library, bags under the eyes, frazzled minds and hair (because whoops, you slept through the alarm!)....the whole enchilada. So why in the world am I taking the time to blog during finals week? Well, that's because I am DONE as of 5:00 pm today. All of my finals, which mostly consisted of projects/papers/lesson plans, were due last week. So this week is pretty smooth sailing, leaving plenty of time to sketch my thoughts on this computer screen.

Five semesters down and only two more to go until this girl is a certified teacher! Boom baby. That feels so good. And yet it's pretty scary too. I am only 20 years old and I am now a senior in college. Weird. I am excited to begin my teaching journey however. I have a feeling that I will have a lot of ups and downs, but that's the beauty of any career. So, with finals wrapping up...let the fun begin! It's Christmastime and time to LIVE. IT. UP. Except actually, who needs finals to be over to have fun? The last week or so has been quite exciting. Scratch that...extremely exciting. Let me expound.

Two Sundays ago, on December 4, the First Presidency had their annual Christmas Devotional held at the Conference Center in SLC. I had a few friends that wanted to go down to Salt Lake to attend, but we didn't have tickets. So we packed up in Holden's car, "Pocahontas" and hit the road hoping to get a few standby tickets and sit somewhere in the back.

When we got there, the workers on Temple Square were trying this new little "system" of getting standby folks into the Conference Center. We had to take a number card and wait in the Tabernacle. So at 5:55 pm, we were still sitting there (being number 250-254) waiting to get a ticket. My hope was completely gone at this point and I decided that I would be completely content watching it from the coziness of the Tabernacle.

But fortune was in our favor that night, because we FINALLY got our hands on some tickets. We literally bolted from the Tabernacle and booked it across the street to the Conference Center. We did the whole security/bag check dealio and were figuring out which way to go to get to the balcony when a nice lady stopped us and asked us to please come with her. She opened a door on the ground level and told us that there were a few seats that they needed to fill.

I was completely under the impression that we would just tuck back into one of the back rows, which would have still been sweet because we were on the ground level. But nope. That wasn't her plan. She walked us up the right-center isle, removed the rope that separates everyone from the General Authorities and sat us on the FOURTH ROW. The 4th row. F.O.U.R.T.H. Oh did I mention we were on the 4th row?! We were among family members of the G.A.'s as well as sitting among them. President Packer was directly in front of us as well as the rest of the 12 and other emeritus General Authorities. Afterwards we were chatting with Elder Dellenbach, who Holden once met in Alaska a few years back. What a delightful couple the Dellenbachs are. I hope that my husband and I are as sharp and endearing as those two were.

So basically to make a long story short, we had the coolest experience. We went from being ticket-less to sitting with General Authorities. The devotional was incredible. The words were comforting and inspiring. The music was thrilling. My favorite Christmas song that the choir sings is The First Noel and they sang it that night. I admit that I shed a few tears. After the devotional, we walked around Temple Square and looked at the lights. I can't think of many things that I enjoy more about this time of year than seeing the lights on Temple Square. It was such a perfect evening!


Then to top off an already bomb.com night, we made a little pit stop in Hooper, Holden's home town. It reminded me of Newton or Benson...a small little farming community with homes spread pretty far apart. And let me tell you, they know how to put up some quality Christmas lights in that little town. Holy smokes! Check this out...

Seriously, this is something you would see in Who-ville.

Here are three more things that have added to my weeks of fun.

First: Roommate Date Night.

Every month we do a roommate date night. It's tradition. So for December, Whitney joined our group and got everyone tickets to our Christmas Show at Pickleville. After the show, we went back to the apartment, had hot chocolate and cinnamon cake and played some Disney charades. It was so much fun! I'm so glad that Whit got to be a part of the fun that we have as roomies every month.

My darling roommates

The whole group

Hillary's date. Wow. I'm still a little speechless.

A few of us sipping our hot cocoa.

Next: Ward Service Auction

My calling in my ward is the Service Activities Co-chair. Basically, this is the Activities Committee Chairman, but since the Church got rid of Activities Committees, they called it something else. And the focus of this calling is to reach out and get those who are a little less-active involved in the activities while performing service. So for December, we held a big service auction and it was a HUGE success! We had soup and bread bowls for dinner, had the service auction in the back and even had a special visit from Santa Claus (aka: the bishop). I was hoping we would raise maybe $200 dollars and we ended up with about $900. It was incredible! The money that we raised all went towards getting gifts for a Sub-For-Santa. I am so grateful for a great student ward with an incredible bishopric.


Finally: Dying my hair

I have been in serious need of a hair coloring. This summer I went blonde, then went dark again come school time. But the brown was beginning to fade, creating a bit of a reddish/auburn color. So it was time to get it done again. But I am a poor college student and especially around Christmas, I just didn't have money to get my hair done at the salon. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I am a firm believer that if you want something done, just do it yourself. So that's precisely what I did, with the help of Whitney. I went to Sally's, bought some color and tools and then Whit and I created our own little hair salon in my bathroom. It was pretty scary, I'm not going to lie. I was worried. But Whitney could make big bucks doing what she did for me last Friday. I was so incredibly pleased with the outcome.

I don't have any pictures of the final results yet. Pictures to come in the future.

I have learned that despite crazy schedules and stressful weeks, like finals week, there can still be many moments for fun. And half of it is just recognizing those fun and beautiful moments through the drab of every day life. I am definitely looking forward to no homework or school responsibilities for the next three weeks however. Christmas break has never sounded so nice!

So hasta la vista USU, finals week and homework.
Hello Christmas!