freaky friday.

sometimes my life is boring. surprising, i know. but alas, when things seems to be going a little slower than preferred, somebody usually thinks of a way to spice things up.

situation:

friday night. laura and jenny went out to a party. hillary, rachael and myself didn't feel like going out (spending money) so. we decided to have some fun. hillary is majoring in visual arts. so rachael and i became living works of art. (or something like that) it was fun....until i had to spend 20+ minutes washing my face and 15+ minutes combing the teased knots out of my hair.

here are the photos to prove it wasn't totally a waste time.

what i have learned from this experience:

1. playing dress up is still acceptable (i think) no matter what age you might be.

2. i am a pretty decent photographer.

3. it doesn't take much to entertain 3 girls on a friday night.

4. i would much, much rather have a clean, smooth, makeup-free face than wear any makeup at all.

5. i hate hairspray.

6. i need a more exciting social life.

7. my friends are great.

fictionist.

greetings.

so there's this band called Fictionist. My cousin Brittney's husband Stuart is in this band. And they're getting to be a pretty big deal. They're in this competition to get on the cover of RollingStone magazine and premier their band on Jimmy Fallon. So, you should vote for them so they can win and make it big!

get busy living

i am happy-truly.

i haven't been able to say that for a long time, or at least it feels like it. i honestly wake up in the mornings now excited to take on whatever the day brings. these past two weeks have the best i can remember in SO long. i might've had a few experiences that helped me out with that, but regardless, i am happy. and i realize how lucky i am and have been as of late.

i catch myself in the most unsuspecting places just thinking about life. where i'm going, where i've been, who i know, who i love, what i want, and what's important.

i can't even begin to really understand forgiveness, but i know it's real. i know i am blessed with that priviledge. and i, too, am learning how to forgive. i am so undeniably grateful for everything that's happened to me. the good, the bad and the ugly. every hard experience that's shaped me, tested me, questioned my beliefs, hurt me, healed me, helped me, blessed me. i reminisce. more than i should. but now, it's not to long for things that once used to be, but to reflect on the things that were and JOY in those experiences.

i'm learning to let go- and let life take its nat ural course. deep down, i have this unrelenting need for things to go my way. i feel like this is natural, but i've been practicing supressing that need. i've figured out that i am so much happier when the people around me are happy. stop. take a second. and breathe. think before you speak. express your appreciation. smile at a stranger. help someone in need. avoid confrontation. you'll be amazed at the difference it makes.



"Do me a favor… Stand up, walk to wherever the nearest window is, and just look outside. You may not know this, but there’s an entire planets-worth of summers, friends, sunsets, street lamps, songs, late nights, great films, and night skies waiting for you. Your life is as amazing as you want it to be, but first, you have to let it be that way." -chad sugg




ps- i signed my contract for fall and winter! i cannot wait. :D

tune my heart to sing thy grace.

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I've come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.

O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I'll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

hey, 2011. wassssuppp?

"it’s a funny thing coming home. nothing changes. everything looks the same, feels the same, even smells the same. you realize what’s changed, is you."
-the curious case of benjamin button-

it's been a while...in the past month and a half i have...

1. finished/survived my first semester of college.

2. went home for christmas.

3. saw old friends i haven't seen in six months.

4. spent time with my family.

5. realized how great my life is.

6. but at the same time realized how hard growing up is/has been.

i have loved, loved, loved these past seven months of my life. i feel like i say this all the time, but i have learned/grown up so much. but at the same time, i feel like i have so much to learn...because i do. i've started school again. i don't know how i feel about my classes yet, but i think that i'll be able to love them a whole lot more than i liked my classes last semester. almost half of my classes are about family/marriage/development. and i'm excited about that. this kind of stuff is so fascinating to me, despite all of the lengthy papers i am going to have to write. i'm sure that this is going to be the best semester ever, and i'm really going to work hard. i have so much to look forward to, too.

-summer :]

-new apartment/roommates

-new friends

-new job...hopefully.

-new adventures

i couldn't be more excited. b-t-dubbs, it's two thousand and eleven...2011. wierd.

pleaseexcuse me while i go out and dance the night away with my favorite people.

blizzard.

well, the list is done! i can't believe it's already been thirty days.

it's just a reminder to me about how fast that time is flying.

literally, these past four months have been the quickest of my entire life. i've changed so much and have done a lot of growing up. or at least i'd like to think. i can't believe i'm almost done with my first semester as a college freshman! i can't wait for next semester. i feel like everything is going to be cemented and a lot of plans will fall into place. and i definitely am looking forward to everything.

tomorrow we get out for thanksgiving break. break. i love that word. i'm looking forward to the home cooked meal, lots of naps, seeing my grandparents, seeing friends...and then i'll probably throw some homework in there, too. actually, i'll be doing a lot of homework. ...joy. but on the upside, when we get back from break, we only have to go to class for about another week and a half. thats 7 physical science lectures, 7 music 101 lectures, 4 american heritage lectures, 4 BOM meetings, and 4 living prophets class periods. ahhhhh. the excitement is overwhelming. me and the library are going to become even better friends come these next few weeks.

oh, and on a side note, there is a BLIZZARD warning for utah. blizzard. yeah, i've heard of there being snow showers and sleeting and stuff like that from where i've lived my entire life, but never ever have i been in a blizzard. we'll see what this is like. if you're traveling in this storm, BE CAREFUL!!

la dee da.

DAY THIRTY
your favorite song

i almost wanna refuse to answer this question. it's just too hard. i live off music. we listen to it in the room, in the car, while i'm reading, while we're getting ready, when it's christmas, when we're dancing. literally...all the time. i'm listening to music as i write this.

when you believe- whitney houston and mariah carey

so there are alot of songs i love. so i don't know how to answer this question.

lately, my favorites have been christmas music. that's just because i'm so darn excited about it. :] and i love, love, love instrumental music. my favorite instrumental artists are jenny oaks baker, jon schmidt, and a new favorite: yanni.

music makes us happy, sad, pumps us up, is fun to dance, is praise-worthy, is soft and calming...the list could go on forever.

you try and pick a favorite...not that easy, huh?

knowledge is power.

DAY TWENTY NINE

in this past month, what have you learned?

i've learned a lot this past month. i mean, that's the main thing i am doing right now. learning.

i'm learning about rocks, and the economy, and the living prophets, and Book of Mormon stories and about the romantic age composers, along with a lot of other things.


i'm also learning a lot about me. but that would be not just in the past month, but more like over the past couple of months. i'm shy. but i've learned that i'm not as shy as i thought and meeting people is getting a lot easier. i've learned how much i really don't like eating at the cannon. i love cooking. and can't wait till i'm out of the dorms cooking for myself. i've learned that i can do hard things. if i have a positive attitude, it's possible. i've learned that i'm going to be okay and that i shouldn't worry so much. i've learned that i'm vulnerable. but i've also learned that is a weakness and a strength in itself. i've learned it's okay to spill your soul to good friends and just cry it out. because it will get better. i've learned optimism is key. i've learned you can be happy if you try. i've learned that good things are going to come to those who wait. i've learned a lot. and i've got a whole lot more to go.

then and now.

DAY TWENTY EIGHT
a picture of you from last year and now, how have you changed since then?

<--then.......now-->

how i have changed. well first off, i look a lot different. my hair is longer and i have bangs. and i think i look slightly older as well.

i am in college now. i am smarter now than i was then. (or so i'd like to think). i've learned a lot since then. i've met some amazing people and made life-long friends.

i'm just as happy, if not happier.

change is good.

why?

DAY TWENTY SEVEN
why are you doing this 30 day challenge

i never used to post on my blog. i would do a post once in a blue moon.
i came across this list when i was looking at a friend's blog.
i used to think that blogging took up a lot time, but really, it doesn't.
a quick little post every day gives me the ability to look back and see what i did that day and what i learned.
and even if i don't write much, i feel like those who are reading this might actually care what i write, which means a lot.
this blogging thing has been really nice for me. i can expel some of my thoughts this way and I'll always have it to look back on and reminisce.

i hope you'll keep reading.