Up the Timpanogos Trail

These are some pictures from a hike we took for FHE a while back: 

I live in a beautiful place with beautiful people.

The end.

Cuz the last ones were a hit

This weekend we have my uncle Keith, aunt Susan, and cousin Kim staying with us. They are here in celebration of General Conference and D.I. (can I get a woot woot?), and it's been a seriously fun weekend. I have been awful at taking pictures (like I don't even have a single one), but we went on a walk tonight and lil sister Mariah brought her camera and we made a lovely group GIF. So...enjoy!

PS to Kim: you are definitely my favorite one to watch. You win the "pose variety" award.

PS to the general public: Mariah gets all the credit for the heavy lifting again. Don't we all think she should get a blog? 

Yes, yes we do.

What are the odds?

Last night I was looking through pictures from this summer on my computer, and I found this:

We definitely didn't know each other yet. This was taken at NSO, when I was a Y group leader and she was a participating freshman. We met on the first official day of choir, which was about a week later. Little did we know that WE ALREADY HAD PICTURES TOGETHER.

We are no longer folder partners, but we do still sit next to each other. When I saw this last night, I was all, "What the heck?? That's Lauren!" And then I laughed to myself because everyone else had already gone to bed. Today I [of course] friended her on Facebook (goodness knows why we didn't take care of that already), and posted this picture to her wall so we could both marvel at the coincidence. 

Tell me that's not a nifty story. Just try.

The end.

In which all hands are needed

Sometimes I think about what cool thing I can contribute to the world before I die.

Like what would I say at the end of my own "I'm a Mormon" video? 

"My name is Alyssa. I'm a pianist, I'm a math teacher, I'm a mother, and I'm a Mormon."

That's basically where my life is taking me.

Which isn't bad. 

But it also isn't a fashion designer with 154 children who has worked with Mother Teresa.

When we start comparing our weaknesses with others' strengths, we can take all the wind out of our own sails.

Comparison is, I believe, one of Satan's all-time favorite tools. It's subtle and extremely effective.

So what I liked about this video was that line: "Come, all hands are needed."

Not "all hands with expertise" or "all hands with lots of extra time" or, in fact, all hands with any qualifying factor. 

All hands are needed, everywhere, to do whatever they can where they are. 

And if one person's hands stop working simply because they aren't as good as someone else's hands, 

we lose one good worker.

So you know what? I'm going to be one whose hands come to help.

I had a few things stick out to me during church and during my own studies today, 

and I think this is my next step to focus on.

Come, all hands are needed.

Even mine. Even yours.

Even though many others are already working. 

Do what you can where you are. It'll help more than you know.

Happy Sunday!

happy happy happy

Today, I slept in on purpose. I'm wearing my excellent J.Crew jeans and my hair is in the most perfect first-time fishtail braid that ever existed. I passed my 2 technology skills tests for my major application (which means I can blog and use Microsoft Word, woot), and now I have an unexpected extra hour. My neck just popped, which I've been waiting for since last night. And as if all that wasn't enough, it's my favorite day of the week!

Today is just a great day.


I survived my crazy weekend, and now I feel like I have lots to blog about, but I can't think of specific things that have happened. But I can think of this story:
Yesterday, I left my car lights on for the whole day. My battery died. This was bad news because it was the one and only day of the week that I have to hurry home to teach piano lessons. But Jenna's friend/roommate, Kate, happens to park in the same lot as I do. And at this weird time, when we have never crossed paths until yesterday, she happened to be at her car. And she happened to have three boys and a set of jumper cables with her. And we were parked close enough that those cables reached without a problem. And my car was ready to go abnormally quickly. And I made it on time to piano lessons, which was a miracle.


You could say I'm pretty lucky, but I think it's more than that: I think I'm pretty blessed.
And I'm really grateful for my life right now because it rocks.
And I think I just wanted to stop in and mention that gratitude.
And now I need to keep doing homework.
But y'all go out and have lovely days now, y'hear? And if today isn't as lovely as it maybe could be, then I hope tomorrow makes up for it entirely.

Picture: this was in my "inspire." folder (so goodness only knows where I got it), and I love it:

"Si se puede" is what I'm telling myself this week

I miss this boy a lot today:

Also I miss talking to Bri all the time and BYU football isn't the same without Will around...
Essentially, if December would hurry it up already, I'd greatly appreciate it.


On a different note, tonight is our first concert of the year for Women's Chorus, and tomorrow I'll be at a family reunion, both of which will be a blast. However, I'm trying really really hard to not freak out about the amount of homework I have to fit into all the times I'm not busy (AKA: no times whatsoever). If anyone out there loves doing multi-variable calculus, abstract algebra proofs, or reading and writing about math education in America, you are so welcome to come sit at my house and do my homework while I go play :) 

...[crickets]...

Ok, I jest, I jest. That's against the Honor Code, of course. But seriously guys: starting in one hour, my life is going to be insane for...a long time. Don't expect to hear from me until, like, Wednesday. (I know, you're terribly disappointed, you don't have to say it.) Except if you really don't hear from me beyond then, I probably died, so please do look into that.

And now I sign off. Have yourself a merry little weekend.

What the heck?

2 days. 

2 benches.

2 buildings. 

2 boys. 

2 conversations. 

1 flattered girl.

Ok I just wanted to be dramatic there for a second. I have two other quickies to say now before I go be productive:

1 :: A huge THANK YOU to everyone for your input on my racism post. I don't think I've ever posted such a controversial opinion or topic or anything, and I was kinda freaked out by it. But I was ever so happy to hear others' thoughts and gain more insight, and it just really made my entire week! (Because it's a week later and I'm still happy about it and I still think about it.) (The post itself, that is. Not racism. Racism doesn't make me happy.)

2 :: That girl from Women's Chorus is totes engaged.