Profile pictures: a critical review.

I recently went through my old profile pictures on Facebook and had a good laugh, so I thought you all might want to join me. Behold! the evolution of, well, me. We'll start with the oldest and work our way to now, yes? Yes. (And I should tell you in advance that I have 17 profile pictures so this may be a little really super lengthy. But I crack myself up with my commentary, so I'm posting them all anyway. Let's just all be thankful that I'm not one of those people who changes their profile picture every 7 hours, ok?)

*AWKWARD ALERT*

Exhibit A: 

Date: 22 July 2009
Description: This is me, making banana ice cream on Gram's porch, in sweats and a t-shirt I didn't actually tie correctly. With black and white plaid wedges into which I have neatly tucked my sweats. And a hot pink watch. 
Awkward factor: Hello, everyone's first profile pic is awkward. Solid 10.
Reason it had to go: That face, mostly.


Exhibit B:

Date: 10 August 2009
Description: Mariah and I had a lovely time at our ward youth conference smashing our faces together. This picture is evidence of my NOT wanting to slide down that natural waterfall and therefore doing everything to avoid the peer pressure to do so. Also, apparently I wore earrings for the activity?
Awkward factor: 8 for overcropping. Rookie mistake.
Reason it had to go: I had a new picture from a cooler activity with better bragging rights.


Exhibit C:

Date: 18 August 2009
Description: Won a radio contest which gave me free tickets to an outdoor concert in SLC. Took Jenna with me, enjoyed listening to The Fray, whose album I had definitely purchased and learned before going. Posted this for bragging rights.
Awkward factor: 6ish because cool event but awful picture.
Reason it had to go: Couldn't handle the blur.

Exhibit D:

Date: 26 August 2009
Description: Another youth conference picture. Here's a secret--there are at least 3 other girls on the other side of that cute Heather girl. She made it because we were the only two actually looking at my camera, I think. Plus because I love Heather. Duh.
Awkward factor: Overcropped again! Curses. 8.
Reason it had to go: Too much sweat, I think.

Exhibit E:

Date: 13 September 2009
Description: Ah, the model shot. Neon grass in the background, and a whole lotta tree bark. Bob hair which I would go back to if I didn't now think it made my head look like a Christmas ornament. Also, I loved that jacket.
Awkward factor: 9 for attempting to model.
Reason it had to go: The angle of my head. And the grass.

Exhibit F:

Date: 11 October 2009
Description: YES this is my first date. I actually think this is pretty cute because he dipped me and then I dipped him, except we weren't in love, so whatever. But look at my forearm! Also, this was one of the first times in my life that I felt skinny because I fit into one of Bri's dresses and that was not anything I ever expected to see happen. So, profile pic.
Awkward factor: I actually feel that it's minimal. 3?
Reason it had to go: Probably because either he used it and we matched (unlikely), or I just wanted another dance pic in my profile folder.

Exhibit G:

Date: 11 October 2009
Description: Did I mention I got the swine flu from this date? So that explains why there are two pictures! Because I had nothing better to do for my week of quarantine. Anyways, this one is definitely weirder than the last one for lots of reasons.
Awkward factor: Yeah this jumps up to 7 or 8.
Reason it had to go: The dance was suddenly a month behind us and I still had a dance profile pic...

Exhibit H:

Date: 1 November 2009
Description: Yikes to everything. Chose this because I was in love with my freckles. What freckles, you say? I dunno. While we're nice and close, can I just say that I have never done anything to my eyebrows and I plan to leave it that way until I die? And that I still wear just as much make-up every day as I'm wearing in this pic (which would be solely mascara). Word. I guess.
Awkward factor: FAR TOO CLOSE, so 10. But the little thumbnail square looked cute, so 9.
Reason it had to go: Needn't be explained.

Exhibit I:

Date: 3 January 2010
Description: Cool mirror at IKEA, needed a pic. Wearing my map shoes and my yellow purse and that bomber jacket which I still wear all the time and love to pieces. Underneath is my Fray shirt from the concert mentioned earlier. Irony.
Awkward factor: Meh, how bout a 5?
Reason it had to go: No clue.

Exhibit J:

Date: 17 January 2010
Description: Hey look, a literal profile! Hah! This is from one legit modeling stint because my friend needed a picture to sketch for a final project in her art class. Or something? She dressed me up as a pixie on a Friday night and we took pics.
Awkward factor: 7 because I stink at the serious face thing.
Reason it had to go: Didn't like my lipstick. I know it's ridiculous.

Exhibit K:

Date: 24 January 2010
Description: Still pixie status. CHECK OUT MY HAIR. It was super cool that night. I also happened to genuinely like this attempt at a mischievous look. It was described as "HOTT" by a friend (no worries, it was a girl friend not a boy friend), so I'm not the only one, ok??
Awkward factor: Maybe a 3 or 4. The 4 would be for trying to be too cool.
Reason it had to go: Got sick of it, probably.


Exhibit L:

Date: 9 May 2010
Description: Taken on an important date night wherein a certain boy whom I liked a lot told me he liked me too. Well, he said it first. You know what I mean. Anyways, I really just liked my hair a lot and felt the need to take a picture. Thanks be to Carolyn for sharing her skills on such an important occasion. 
Awkward factor: Well I definitely shouldn't have gone with that head tilt. 5.
Reason it had to go: Too yellow, awful lighting.


Exhibit M (only like 5 more!):

Date: 18 July 2010
Description: Hahahaha I love this picture forever and ever. I couldn't make that face again if I tried (and I've tried). Plus, my hair was at a fun length, and I was on a fun vacation, and we were in a really awesome thrift store full of junk that hipsters wouldn't even buy. Hipsters didn't even exist yet! So really, it was just pure junk.
Awkward factor: 0. [Hilarity factor: 10.]
Reason it had to go: Ugh, senior pictures came along and everyone was changing theirs to fancy portraits. I never should have changed mine cuz this is still my favorite.


Exhibit N:

Date: 24 November 2010
Description: First, I'd like to thank my sister Jenna for taking my picture against a wall that so nicely complimented my eyes. Then I'd also like to thank Gold's Gym for providing that wall. True story. This was my picture for, like, everything important in senior year. I suppose I like it, but sometimes I wish we would have done more to get a more legit senior photo shoot and therefore more options. But then most of the time I don't care because this more than sufficed. Love that dress, too.
Awkward factor: Maybe a 2? I dunno, I pretty much look the same now so I can't say I look awkward, duh.
Reason it had to go: Too profesh. Needed something a little more fun.


Exhibit O:

Date: 7 February 2011
Description: I enjoy this picture still. I still wear almost all of what I'm wearing (new watch, though), and my hair looked good that day, and it's candid! And I'm on a stool in a field, so I guess I did get senior photos after all. Hey family, remember how we hauled a couch and two stools up the mountain for these pictures? Good times, good times...
Awkward factor: 4 for my hand placement and schlumping (not sitting up straight)
Reason it had to go: The next photo was a memorial photo and therefore more important.


Exhibit P:

Date: 20 February 2011
Description: Gram and me. I love this picture and I love her. Posted this on the day she passed away because I couldn't bear admitting she was gone in words but I also couldn't bear letting her pass without public acknowledgement of her hero status in my life. Sure miss my Grammie.
Awkward factor: Solid ZERO. We're adorable.
Reason it had to go: Joe left 4 months later and was my new person to miss.


Exhibit Q:

Date: 22 June 2011
Description: Posted on the day he left, expected to remain until he returns. That boy hates being in pictures, so this is one of very few decent ones of just us two. There's pretty much nothing about it that I don't like except that date stamp. Hey look, he's wearing that jacket of Brigham's that he used to steal all the time and my hair's decently long! Our most endearing traits, for sure. 
Awkward factor: Also zero.
Reason it has yet to go: Well, he has yet to come home. But here's a confession: everyone knows that a boy in your profile pic who is not a brother is likely a love interest and that's why I haven't changed my pic in a year and a half. It's a statement, you know? But sometimes I want to change it just because my hair is way longer now and it feels stagnant to leave something alone for so long and maybe I don't need to make the same statement I did right after he left. Blog readers, WHAT DO I DO?? (I know this is not a big enough deal to ask opinions, but give them anyway.)




Whew! That was exhausting.
Two wrap-up thoughts:
1) I am really really glad that it landed on Exhibit Q because that's totally a quote from Pee Wee Herman something-or-other, which I haven't seen in years and don't expect to ever watch again, but I remember that part was funny when I watched it the first time! Does anyone know what I'm talking about?
2) If you made it to the end of this, I applaud you. Cuz I almost didn't make it myself, and it was me talking about me the whole time, which I usually find utterly fascinating (JOKE). In any case, I now invite you to post something similar because, hello, we all need to face the fact that our profile pics define us in this life (another joke, duh). But really though, I think it'd be hilarious if this became "a thing," so do it and let me know!! Pleeeeaaaasse? Thanks, you're the best.

And those are my profile pics.
The end.

When it rains, it pours.

Can I just tell you about the day we've had, real quick?

:: Leaking water heater noticed this morning
:: Water working its way through half of the storage room, ruining carpet and a couple atlases but fortunately no food
:: No warm water all day
:: Sputtering toilets and faucets, dripping showers. In Briana's words, "Toilets are spewing forth much anger."

:: Frozen cars
:: My car battery is dead. It idles too low when it gets cold. Or something. All it means is that I have no transportation of my own.
:: Used Rye's to go to Jen's for the evening, couldn't see squat for the entire 2 minute drive (just kidding, Mom)
:: Her window scraper doesn't do a darned thing, by the way. I tried it.

:: Came home to Mattea having eaten a mysterious nut and ready to upchuck
:: Poor girl is presently lying on the floor by the nearest toilet
:: Also came home to frustrated people because something about "Lowe's wasn't cooperating so FINE, we'll just take our business to Home Depot!!" because it was kind of a last straw thing so we became those customers
:: And by last straw I am not kidding because oh, did I mention that Will's truck died and needed to be towed home?
:: And Dad fell down while carrying a new water heater and slipped on ice and nailed his elbow on concrete stairs

Needless to say, we're all a little a little anxious for today to be over.
I suppose lots of this doesn't really make sense if you haven't been at my house today. 
But that's ok because it's more for us to read over in the distant future and laugh, "How awful!"
Because seriously guys, I don't remember a time we've ever had such bad luck in one 24-hour period.



On a positive note, we have much to be grateful for.
The new water heater comes with energy efficiency labels and 10 extra gallons! And a discount because the people at Home Depot felt bad for us!
We have a bunch of cookies because we made some for a wedding reception in the ward tonight!
And our house is still standing!

All is well.
[Or at least, it will be in the morning.]
So good night.

Turkey pics

One time, I went shooting again for Thanksgiving.
Pretty much, this is, like, totally my favorite tradition.

The turkeys:

The people:

The location:

Me and my turkey:

[That totally makes me think of that Rascal Flatts song... "Me and my gang, we live to ride, we ride to live." Weird.]

Brian and his gun:

Me bringing my lifetime "shotgun+clay pigeon" average up to 66% and then back down to 50% [poop], plus Mom:

And that's pretty much a wrap because I didn't take too many pictures this time around. If you want to see more, you can review last year's Thanksgiving celebrations because they were very similar to this year's celebrations. 

I love Thanksgiving! And my family rocks!

In case you're curious what I did a few weeks ago

Let me tell you.

First, I took a bunch of tests called finals. They were stressful but it all worked out in the end through a series of downright miracles. I might share the story later, but for now, please enjoy this scanned picture of a worksheet I completed for the end of my math ed class this semester.

In the middle of finals week, my little sister's choir sang at the mall and did a lovely job. She's a right little accompanist, and I'm just so proud!

Hours after my last final, my brother-in-law became a doctor:

And the neph and I were cute for a minute while I showed him where Daddy was standing in line:

(More pictures from the event can be found on their blog.)

To celebrate the end of finals (mostly just the end of abstract algebra), I had a pizza party with some super cool friends in my major. Our host had this hilarious Christmas toy/decoration, and I need one in my life ASAP. It's just a little reindeer that bounces his way from the moon to the roof. But it's also, in a word, awesome. So if anyone out there knows where to find something that does this trick, please let me know.

And yeah. That was finals week. 

Hola

Oh look, I still have a blog!
I thought for sure this thing would disappear if I ditched it for a month.
I've been real busy and stuff.
But it's not like that's a real excuse. I mean, you know, it's not like I've been out of the country or anything...

Oh wait. I almost forgot.
I just got back from MEXICO.
¡¡¡!!!
No worries, I didn't see anyone I know there. 
(Well that's a lie, I did see one person I know. But it wasn't a boy or anything.)
(So we're good.)


But anyways, I'll be back soon to show off my recent adventures and my rockin' sunburn.
Before then I just have to finish unpacking my toiletries and souvenirs and then I need to buy presents for like ten people and wrap them and give them away and then I have to send some stuff in the mail to like three different people and also I have to eat as much yummy food as possible and sometime in all that there's a Skype call that I'm looking forward to and at least I got to spend last week doing absolutely nothing so that I have a whole bunch of stored up energy for everything on the to-do list for the next two days. Right?
Whew. I love the holiday season.

Just in case I really don't have time to come back and say hi before Tuesday, I wanted to say:

Feliz Navidad, everyone. If Christmas isn't your thing, happiest of holidays. I love you all because you read my blog. 
And also for other reasons but that's the one that applies to everyone simultaneously. 
And I got you a baby sloth video as a present. 
Enjoy!

Dear reader,

Well, you may have noticed that I haven't blogged in like a week. I'd apologize but that feels conceited so I guess I won't. 

Pretty much here's the deal: the end of this semester is in sight! I'm fairly certain I will hear angels singing on the day I take my last final. However, the bad news is that my level of care for my assignments/grades/future decreases [exponentially] with each passing day. For example, yesterday I showed up 30 minutes late to a study sesh with friends, and then today I totally forgot to go to two reviews. Like, I didn't even think about those bad boys until they were over. Like, they were the only real reviews I even planned to go to, and I inadvertently skipped them. 

So, ya know, whatev.

In honor of me trying to kick it in gear for the next week, however, I think I shall continue my blogging hiatus. If I'm going to not care about something, it may as well be something that affects my posterity rather than my scholarship, right?

Ugh, this is so not me. 

I think alls I'm tryna say is: I'll see you in a week. Or maybe right before. But don't expect to hear much from li'l ol' me for a while here because I have bigger fish to fry. 

Your understanding is much appreciated. 

With love from:
the management.

Well, that wrap-up was more serious than I expected.

This is a list of things that have been sitting in the bottom of my bookmarks folder or the bottom of my Google Reader because I liked them when I first saw them but for different reasons than I like most things on the internet and therefore I didn't quite know what to do with them. So now I am collecting them into one post on my own blog so I can relieve the stress of wondering where the heck I should save them. 

Most of these are sappy. Don't say I didn't warn you.

(1) From a bookmark of my cousin's friend's tumblr:

slaughterhouse90210:

“Because that is when you love somebody - when you see them being game in the face of the worst. Not courageous. Not heroic. Just game.”
― Philip Roth, The Human Stain

(2)

This video was posted on the BYU webpage once when I was still in high school, and I watched it and loved it and forgot about it. When I saw this link on someone's tumblr last week (I forget whose!), I fell in love all over again.

(3) From Dani's tumblr:

Love this cuz I was raised on these two characters!! Never would have put them together, but isn't this just perfect?

(4)

I absolutely love this blogger, Elise. Her's is my current favorite blog of ever--inspiring in so many ways!--and I want to be Elise when I grow up. Her husband serves in the military, and she recently wrote a blog post about missing him. It struck a chord.

And I know I'll continue to pour my heart and all my thoughts into hand-written letters and email. But it's so far from the same. It's so far from in-person. It's so far from normal to have your favorite person on the other side of the world. And some days it's just horrible. Certainly not the worst case scenario - or even close - but still immensely difficult.

I realize that I am not married to the boy I miss every day, and I recognize that he is not on the other side of the world, and I recognize that he is not often in harm's way, and so really Elise and I don't have that much in common here. BUT this post says many of the things I've thought while he's been gone and describes many of the things I expect to feel when he gets back. It's nice to hear it put eloquently and from a different, non-missionary perspective. Sometimes it's hard to remember that I'm not the only person in the world who doesn't have all the people I love right near me all the time, and that other people have similar situations/struggles/feelings.

Anyway, now you should go read the whole post because it will take you about 3 minutes. And then read her whole blog because suddenly you will feel motivated and able to finish every project you ever start. And then report back to me because I will gladly have entire conversations with you about how inspiring she is.

(5) These are all from Ruth's tumblr.

Adorable!

Not to be mysterious or anything, but this is totally true.
Plus, I love C. S. Lewis.

This has been haunting me since I read it.

So there you have it, ladies and gents. Five solid pieces of evidence that I sometimes get sentimental and nostalgic and sappy. For any who don't know me really well, this is kind of a big deal since I am a girl who often avoids real emotion wherever possible. [Now that I think about it, even people who know me pretty well may not know this.] It is much easier for me to blow things off as artsy and idealistic and irrelevant to my life than to let in a thought and feel a feeling and have that moment of vulnerability. I think we are all like that sometimes, right? But I'm slowly learning that those moments which briefly expose the heart and soul are what change a person over time, and I'm trying to end my days of being forever tough-skinned. 

I leave you with this idea from my choir director, Sister Applonie: "We all rely on the artists of our culture to remind us to feel." If that's the case, then I think these are each pretty good pieces of art.

The end.

Obsession with film

A while back, I heard from someone or read somewhere about digital vs. film photography. The main point I understood from it was this: no matter how hard digital cameras try, they will never measure up to the potential quality of photos taken the old-fashioned way. I have since compared the two categories on my own and noticed that I really really love the look of real film photos. Digital is crisp, but film has character. 

Knowing that, you can understand how excited I was last week when my mom came home with an envelope from Macey's which held a bunch of old film rolls and a CD of the pictures from them. I've been dying to go through them ever since and just got around to it last night. And oh my heavens I love film.

Can I just share some favorites?
Ok thanks.
And feel free to click on these and zoom in and snoop around because that is the only way you too will fall in love.

[Quick note: Most of these are mysterious in that we don't know for sure who took them. But our most educated guess is that they are from a disposable camera of Mattea's. She would have been in 5th grade or so when she took these.]

We went on a family vacation to Oregon a few summers ago, and we had somewhat of a collective obsession with the beach sunsets. We ran down to take pictures every evening:

This one. I die.

Just for comparison, here's one from my own [digital] camera:

Sharper image maybe, but there's just not as much charm, am I right?? 


We also found a few daytime beach pics from that trip. Here's my fave:

It looks like a wonderland! Is it the beach? Is it Narnia? We may never know.
Also, I don't know a whole lot about composition and lighting and stuff, but this is pretty darn pleasing to the eye so I vote that it passes the test of good photography. Somebody post it on Pinterest or something, k? (not really.)




So yeah, I find these incredibly dreamy. Something about the imperfections and the graininess and the colors--I just love it all. I think I want to take a disposable camera on every vacation I ever go on now. Wouldn't it be fun to find gems like these more often? Yes, yes it would.
I will share them when I make this happen.

Liebster Schmiebster

Well hey, apparently I'm getting an award. I don't actually believe in blogging awards, but I do believe in free post ideas, so...

This is from the lovely Annika Leigh, an amazing human being whom I've always admired for her kindness and her hair. Hey Annie, are you blogging while you're gone, by chance? Cuz I will miss your blog. 

And I'm going to just cheat here, and only do the parts I want to do. This is because I am a bona fide blog snob who can't be bossed around by awards! Ha!

Eleven things about me.

1 :: I am a pro at PROcrastination. And I like puns.
2 :: I dislike traveling/being away from my home. This is always true, but some days it only applies to traveling outside the country and some days it applies to traveling to Provo.
3 :: I am excited for one week from today, when the number of days until that one missionary comes home will be less than 200. [No, I have not been keeping track as meticulously as that sounds. There is another missionary who left on the same day whose blog I look at sometimes simply because his mom keeps a count of days at the bottom.]
4 :: I have excellent luck.
5 :: I also have a large cache of awesome jokes stored inside my brain. And I whip em out whenever conversation is slow. Like on dinner dates and stuff.
6 :: I pop my joints. [Ewww] My elbow and my knees and my ankles and my fingers and my shoulder and my toes and my neck. Isn't that awful? I didn't used to, and I don't like that I do now, but apparently not enough to fix it. 
7 :: "Never say never." Love, Mariah.
8 :: I want my wedding to be shot in film. This is just a phase. Or so I tell myself. 
9 :: I don't like sushi, but I've never tried it. But I don't like it. 
10 :: I don't have the most open of minds...
11 :: I taught my first math lesson ever to a real class today and it was a blast!! I think it's a sign that I'm in the right field. [Yes, this one is a cop out.]

Eleven answers to questions.

1 :: If you could do anything and money was no matter, what would you do?
This is supposed to be a change-the-world answer, huh. But honestly, I think I would do exactly what I am currently doing--going to school, serving in my church, and spending time with the people I love--because that is what makes me happiest. And because I believe that if I'm going to change the world, I might as well change it from where I'm already at.
2 :: What is your favorite memory?
I like to relive things on a regular basis (like every night before I fall asleep and then throughout the day as I think of them), which means I have lots of favorite memories at any given moment. One that seems to be everywhere lately is the first time a boy said he liked me, after a concert and over a shared grasshopper shake from Iceberg. That moment will always hold a certain charm because it felt so nice to be liked like that.
3 :: Who has made the biggest impact on who you are today?
My parents, of course. I have raved about them on here before, but they truly are amazing people and I want to be them when I grow up. And good news: studies show that I will be! Woot!
4 :: If you could be any celebrity, who would you be and why?
Well how about we discuss how many celebrities I even know stuff about. Cuz that number is zero. If Albert Einstein is a celebrity, I choose him.
5 :: Favorite holiday.
Easter.
6 :: Favorite movie. internet browser. 
I talk about my favorite movie way too much. So instead, my favorite internet browser is Chrome, thank you for asking.
7 :: Who is your biggest role model?
Oh heavens, I already said I want to be Mom and Dad when I grow up! But I'll add someone else...how about Albert Einstein? He's pretty cool and brilliant and stuff. [I know I already brought him up, just go with it, ok?]
8 :: Where is the best vacation location?
In my house. See #2 above.
9 :: What goals do you have for the next year? 
Straighten out my priorities. Learn to make myself do stuff I have to do before the point where I have no choice but to do it. Wake up to one alarm instead of four.
10 :: What were you like in high school?
Wouldn't this be better answered by my peers? If you're looking for a stereotype label for me, I was the "choir nerd." Or just "the nerd," actually. [I'm ok with that.] But in seriousness, I think I was probably a jerk in high school and I didn't have a darn clue about it. It's only been since I went to college that I've realized the world doesn't revolve around me. 
11 :: What makes you happy?
Letters and baby laughter.

Eleven people tagged.

Well....

If you read my blog, I tag you.

Take that, Liebster.

I think this is a rant.

I would like to thank whoever taught me that all information is as applicable to me as I let it be. 

There's a considerable amount of angst inside many students from my major because we spend lots of time discussing the same tips for how to teach over and over and over, and hardly any time at all constructing lesson plans and actually practicing teaching. I sometimes find myself caught up in that same angst when a lecture feels redundant (often) or when the homework load is a little too heavy (daily) or even just when I want to be in a bad mood over something (pretty rare, thank goodness). But I feel like I've always been taught that how much and how well I learn depends on me and [often] me alone. If some course or some teacher is awful, I spend a little extra time with my textbook and Google, and I figure it out anyway. I like to think that I don't waste too much time complaining about the course or the teacher (but I suppose my mom might say otherwise). 

I like to think that there's something to be learned in every textbook and every lecture and every conversation and every experience, and you just have to look until you find it, even if it takes until the bitter end to find. Maybe this is idealistic. Maybe this is truth. Maybe it makes life easier either way because then every glass looks at least half full (but usually more than half). 

If everything you see/hear/do has at least one purpose [to learn], then you're never wasting your time. 
Tell me that's not satisfying. 

A great professor can facilitate great learning, but an awful professor is no excuse for a student's failure to learn. 

These are sweeping generalizations, but there's a lot of truth to the idea, no?



Why don't the people in my classes know this??



So anyways, many thanks to my parents and some really great teachers in my past, for showing me that I can always find something to take away from every circumstance, lesson, and homework assignment if I just choose to find it on my own. 

I have no clue when this happened

but apparently I like music like this all of a sudden. 

I used to be pretty much completely disinterested in this stuff. But HELLO these are amazing. I'm about to look into that Ed Sheeran album because I'm positive it must be incredible, but I'm also not sure if this is just a brief music fad for me!! Oh, my life is so hard. I'm sure I'll be back to rant about Ed when I actually buy his album. In the meantime, you can join me in falling in love with these two songs.

Dumb Ways to Die

Mariah showed me this on Saturday and I thought it was kind of adorable and kind of brilliant and kind of morbid, so...

here you go:

And wouldn't you know, I totes got the message!

Effective? Yes.

HEY SOMEONE FROM MY FAMILY

I'm just going to post this and hope beyond hope that someone from my family stalks my blog in the next half hour or so. My phone is broken and kind of ruining my life; I need to talk to Mom. Can you pretty pretty pretty please tell her to get on Gmail and answer me?? Because none of my current attempts are working. And I assure you I've attempted everything. 

Ok, go ahead now. Mattea, Mariah, Jenna, Bri, I'm talking to you. And--heaven forbid--if Mom sees this first, GO TO GMAIL. 

Kthanksloveyoubye.

Sad--happy--heartwarming post (in that order)

Today I got a bad test score and a broken car heater.
Tomorrow I am buying pity ice cream and hot chocolate.
And I just think things will be better after that. 




Can you believe that Thanksgiving is a week away?? I'm so darn excited! Here is how I see my life currently: 

:: sister, brother, nephew arrive next week
:: we all eat yummy food and play with extended family
:: back to school for three weeks
:: CHRISTMAS VACATION
:: talk to a missionary 
:: a semester with only one hard math class instead of two 
:: fun stuff in my free time since I'll maybe actually have free time next semester
:: that same missionary comes home
:: .......?

So, you know, if I can get through tomorrow and Friday, I am set for life/eternity/whatever.

On a different note, this is cool: 

These are LDS missionaries serving in New York currently. The one on the far right is who I got this picture from [pardon my awful English]; his family posted it as his new cover photo on Facebook. I know him because he's friends with my cousin Drew who I played with lots last fall semester. He's speaking Mandarin on his mission. The one second from the left is from my home ward and group of friends in high school. He's speaking Spanish on his mission. HOW DID THESE TWO LAND IN THE SAME PICTURE. We may never know. (But for reals, we might not.) But it made me really happy. 

And while we're talking about it, this is also cool:

Mormon Helping Hands :: Hurricane Sandy :: Rockaways, NY from Joshua Brown on Vimeo.

Hospital Branch

This Sunday I had the opportunity to volunteer in the LDS branch that meets at the hospital each week. Mostly this branch exists for two reasons: so those who must work on Sunday have an opportunity to worship, and so patients and staff can have the chance to take the sacrament. It's a pretty awesome idea, and those stuck in the hospital on Sundays really do take advantage of it.

We arrived at 8:55 AM for a combined Priesthood/Relief Society lesson with the regular volunteers, after which we split up into small groups to visit each floor. I was with the most adorable old couple to orthopedics/neuro on the 4th floor, where we went from room to room, visiting church members who expressed an interest in receiving the sacrament. The sweet Priesthood brother we had with us blessed and passed it to each member, after which I had the opportunity to read a quote and share a thought. The tenderness of those hospital patients was humbling and exemplary as they very gratefully took the opportunity to worship and receive the most important blessings of the week. 

I believe everyone can always stand to improve their relationship with God, but these folks really understood the weight of needing to communicate constantly with their Heavenly Father and the blessings from doing so. It's nice to be reminded that He really is our Father and we really are His children, even [especially] when things don't work out nice and pretty. We can and should call on Him during every sorrow and every joy; He will listen and answer. This I know to be true.

It happened on November 9

Yesterday, winter began. 

On Thursday, the news predicted 1-3" of snow for Utah valleys this weekend (Friday-Sunday).
On Friday [yesterday], the sky dropped a solid 5 inches over the course of the day. 
Saturday and Sunday are not yet come and gone.
So, like I said, winter is here!

I know I already blogged about the first time it snowed; that's different because it happens every year: it snows mucho one day, melts real quick, and then doesn't snow for a while longer. 
But I think this weekend might be the real deal, starting the cycle where the snow insists on sticking around just long enough for it to snow again. 

Yesterday I drank hot chocolate and ate soup for dinner and watched a movie with a blanket on the couch and listened to Christmas music (although this is old news) and wore boots.
So it's all rather exciting and downright romantic [in the way that old things and cozy things are romantic] at this point.
Ask me how I feel about it in February.

Proof of the events hereby discussed: 

Both of these were taken in the early afternoon, when less than half of yesterday's snow had fallen.

I rest my case.