Roommates

I just wanted to spend a little time giving a little description about each of my roommates. :)

First, Alaura: Alaura and I have been friend since elementary school. Despite her moving to different schools during our childhood and teen aged years we have still been able to remain good friends. I'm so glad that I was able to move to Utah State with her. It was just comforting to move with someone I know to a new and strange place. One of the many things I love about her is her love of different cultures and religions. She also knows a lot about food from other countries and she likes to cook them and share them with us. She loves music! She is always singing or whistling. We have a ton of fun when we go on our Cafe Rio runs. :D I'm grateful to have her and her strong testimony in my life!

Brittany: My dear sweet Britt! She has the cutest smile that is so contagious!!! She never stops smiling, even when she's mad! She is a master at playing Mario on her old school Nintendo. She never ceases to surprise me with the funny things she does when no one is watching such as, flipping over the side of the couch or playing lacrosse in our living room with the door closed. :D She just makes me smile! I'm so glad that I got the chance to travel all the way down to Blanding and back with her. Ha ha! And I will never forget how she carries her camera EVERYWHERE! She would even leave it on the top of the fridge just in case something funny was happening! I truly have been blessed by her never ending happiness. :D (OH! And my Tetris buddy!!!! Hahahaha!! :) :P :) :P)

Aubrey: Aubs A-Baubs!!! I love her laugh!! When she gets laughing pretty hard she has one of the cutest laughs ever! She makes me giggle! I have enjoyed so much listening to Aubs tell me all of her stories about meeting Devin, her boyfriend who's on a mission in Hong Kong, and about high school friends and more. I guess I have to admit that I was slightly intimidated of her and Lacey at the very beginning of the school year. Aubrey is just so cute and she is fun and she just never seemed to do anything wrong. I wanted to be like her so bad. Now I'm not intimidated (as bad :D) but she's still as cool. I love having our little chats and reading quotes from our quote boards. :D I'm so blessed to have her in my life. She really is a wonderful example to me.

Lacey: My beautiful Lacey Bottoms! :D I love to get hugs from her. She'll just come up to me and start leaning on me. I totally love it. Lacey is a talented seamstress. She went home one weekend and came back with a bunch of pillows and a blanket that she had made for her bed. They are so cute and she did it all in one weekend! I have also enjoyed coloring pictures with her and Aubrey. Like I said I was a little intimidated by her and Aubrey only because they just seemed so perfect (which they still are!) Lacey has such a big heart. She never wants to be mean or rude, but it is super funny to watch her pretend to be rude like at one of our FHE nights. :D I always loved the chances that I had to have lunch with her. We would sit there and chat. She gives great advice. She and Aubrey gave the rest of our apartment the Yoga bug. :D I love my Lacey.

These are my roommates and I hope that I will be able to stay in touch with these sweet angels. I love you girls!!!

Winding Down & Looking Back

Today I had my last real class. I'm getting ready for finals for next week. I've started packing my things up and I'm getting ready to go back to good old American Fork. *Sigh* I really am excited for the summer and all of the fun things that I have planned. My list of activites for the summer keeps getting longer and longer. It will be nice to just work and not have to worry about homework. Also, my really good friend, Elder Eric Fugal is returning from his mission. I can't wait to see him and be able to spend a little time with him. But to every sweet side there comes the sour. I have to say goodbye. I have gained some valuable relationships this past school year. I love these people and it's not like they are dying and I will never be able to see them again. There is Facebook and I'm grateful for it but it's not the same as living with your best friends.

When I got to college I had dropped all of my high school friends because of different interests and I only had a select few people that I was really close to. Completely starting over was intimidating. I had to really put myself out there and learn who I wanted to be. By doing that I have been able to welcome many people into my life. My roommates Alaura, Aubrey, Lacey, Brittany and even Autumn have all touched my life and have helped me become who I am. They have been there for me when I needed a shoulder to cry on, a friend to laugh with and a sister to bond with. All of them carry the spirit with them and they are all trying to live the gospel. I look up to each and every one of them and I want to become like them. I love those girls with all my heart and I will carry their friendships with me where ever I go.

Not only did I become close to my roommates but other people in our building. The boys next door, Brant, Dane, Marcus, Randon, Jon and Chris, were always there to provide entertainment. They have been kind and caring. I have had the opportunity to hear each of their testimonies. Each one is golden. I've been blessed to live by such great young men. I have also become really close friends with Will and Chris from upstairs. Will has been fun to play around with. We have had great times laughing at dumb jokes and late night Wal*Mart runs. Chris and I have been able to have many laughs as well. I love to hear his stories about his dad's business and all the fun that happens in Idaho Falls. We also have had great times playing games or watching House and Leverage. I have enjoyed many, many talks and chats that have lasted until two or three in the morning and even pulling an all nighter with Will and Chris. The girls directly across the hall and the boys kitty corner across the way have also been really fun to get to know. I will always remember the practical jokes, loud music and Jessica studying out on the couch. I would feel awful if I forgot to mention Greg, Steve and Chaise. I loved hanging with them playing Halo or reading the quotes on the big blue wall. What wonderful people I have been surrounded by.

I knew that there was a reason I needed to come to Utah State and live in Jones Hall. I have been given the chance to walk away from this experience with my head held high knowing that I have become a better person because of the great people I have been touched by.

Goodbye Jones Hall.

Hoppy Easter!

For the first time in my life I was not with my family for Easter. It was sort of a bitter sweet holiday. It was sort of sad not being with my family but on the upside I had so much fun with one of my close friends, Tawnette. I also had the wonderful opportunity to focus on the reason why we celebrate Easter. I had a chance to think about my Savior and all that he did for me, for all of us. I didn't really think about the Easter Bunny or about candy too much. I was too focused on having fun and my Savior, Jesus Christ.

Tawnette and I had lots of fun going to dances, shopping, tanning, making dinner, dying eggs, studying, going to church, hanging with friends and doing an Easter egg hunt. We had so much fun and we laughed a lot. I loved going to church with her because they had some really great speakers and the Relief Society lesson was amazing.

I also felt so inclined to watch the movie called "Finding Faith in Christ". This movie was about how we find faith and about who Christ was and what he did on the Earth. It also talked about the Resurrection. I love the spirit that the movie invites. I can say that by watching that movie and studying Christ's life in the scriptures has really built my testimony. I can say and love to say that I KNOW that Jesus Christ LIVES. He was resurrected and he has a body just as real as you and I. I love my elder brother, Jesus Christ for all that he did for me and the rest of the world. I'm so greatful for the Atonement and the role that it plays in my life. I say these things in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Happy Easter!

Boxed In

I don't understand why people pidgeon-hole each other. Whenever I try something new or do something that I wouldn't normally do I have people tell me that they would never see me doing stuff like that or they tell me that I shouldn't and it's just a waste. I tried longboarding and loved it. I plan to continue to do it. I have only gotten grief from people who say that they could never see me trying it. I also have gone tanning once. Many people ripped into me about skin cancer and stuff. I'm not dumb! I know I'm asking for skin cancer but I just wanted to try it ok! I also dyed my hair darker and I've just gotten weird stares. Am I really that extreme? I don't think I am. I guess that I just want my friends and family to respect my choices of trying new things and I want to be seen as a person that isn't afraid to try new looks, new activities or meet new people. I do have a reason behind my madness. I want to at least try new things because when I'm a teacher I want to be able to talk to my students about thier likes and dislikes and be able to understand why they like something or at least have them feel like I care enough to try something that they like and that I care about them. And now for my next trick: YOGA!!! I'm pretty excited for it. I've only heard positive things about yoga so I don't think I'll hate it. I'll never know unless I try it!