Once Upon a time... Once Again

My goodness, I believe I am just about the worst blogger of ALL TIME! I am determined to keep my blog up to date (hopefully -- no promises). Once school got going again it got really hard to keep blogging. I kept forgetting and other things always came up. Eventually I just forgot about my blog completely. I can't promise I'll write faithfully every day/week/month, but I'll try my best. I also just re-designed my blog. Now it is a lot more exciting, not to mention COLORFUL!

I am having a good experience at Snow College. I have made a lot of new friends that I love spending time with and we all have a lot of fun together. I have a job that takes up quite a bit of time, but it is worth it. I work for Snow College Intramurals. EASIEST JOB EVER. No joke, I do just about nothing. All we do is keep score of the games and sometimes make sure that no fights break out -- although when it comes to that point I usually grab the nearest man and tell him to do something because I'm too scared. About two weeks ago, a few friend and I started an intramural volleyball team. It has been a lot of fun! We've been doing pretty well so far. It is obviously quite different from high school volleyball, but it is still a blast.

This weekend I was home for conference weekend. I really enjoyed listening to the speakers and loved the messages they taught. I have always looked forward to conference weekend but each time it comes, it seems to be even better than I thought it would be.

HOPEFULLY I can get a camera sometime soon that actually works and I can start adding pictures of the things I'm doing. It could be a lot of fun showing the world my life -- or at least a bit of it.

Here are some RaNdOm pictures from the beginning of the school year.

Me, Kristen, Monica & Kim were all sitting nicely SQUISHED into the back of Mike's car on our way up the canyon to the fire. So while the boys were in Walmart looking for an ax -- to cut wood for the fire -- we decided to take pictures!

James decided to squeeze in the back with us... but didn't want to take pictures! What a BUM!

No promises, but look for a new post sometime soon-ish....

forever & always,

me

Manti Temple

I went to the Manti Temple today for the first time. It is such a beautiful temple! It is also VERY different from Timpanogos - the only other temple I've ever done baptisms in. It is SO SO much smaller. But I really loved it. It is simple, but you still feel the spirit just as strong, and for me maybe even a bit stronger than I've felt it other times. It was kind of a humbling experience actually. I've been so lucky to have temples so close to me all my life. Yes the Manti Temple is very close to me here in Ephraim. But for other people, it is the closest temple to them and its like and hour or so away. Also, I've only ever gone to the Timpanogos temple for baptisms (like I said before) and it is quite a large temple in my view. So going from a place that is so big, to such a small place was quite the experience. A very good one. :)
The temple workers were so incredibly nice. There weren't nearly as many workers there as there are in the Timp Temple. They were amazing. Such cute old people! They thanked us for coming so many times I honestly lost track of how many times they did. In Orem, so many people go to the temple, but here in Ephraim - or Manti - not too many attend. We had to call in advance to let them know we were coming so they could make sure that we had someone there to help us.
Inside the temple was beautiful. Like I said, it was very different, but I loved it. It was different than anything I've ever experienced. While we were sitting on the bench waiting to start, one of the temple workers decided he would remind us of the importance of attending the temple and why it was such a great and amazing thing that we decided to come. I had never heard someone explain it the way he did. He said,
"There are women up in heaven who are shouting for joy that you girls have come today. They are saying, This is the day, Finally it has come. They have been waiting a long time in the afterlife for someone to do this work for them, and it is finally their turn. If you had not come today, they may not have been given this great blessing today. They would have had to wait another day, or week, or year to have the work done for them. This work you are now doing is so important because it is the first step. It opens the doors to everything else. Without this ordinance the other ordinances aren't possible. You are saving someone by being here today."
Now he didn't say it in those exact words, but it was very close to that. I loved it and as soon as he said it I thought to myself, I'm not only going to write that down, but I'm going to share it. Because I don't know about any one else, but that stood out to me because I'd never heard it explained like that. It really struck me and helped me understand the importance of going to the temple and doing the ordinances. How it is important to go often because you may think "someone else will go" but if you don't go, someone in the afterlife has to wait longer to have that joy and that blessing.
Anyway, I just thought I'd share that because it really meant a lot to me. I am very excited to keep attending the temple, especially the one in Manti. I love going there and feeling the spirit so strong. It is one of the best feelings in the world. I'm so grateful that I have the gosple in my life. I don't know where I'd be without it.

forever & always,

me.

It's Snowing!

I am officially a college student. I moved down here to snow on Monday this week (yesterday) and it kinda feels like I've been here for longer than one day. Yesterday was quite a long day because we had to go shopping before we drove down, which took FOREVER! Then we had to stop by Krispy Cream because we still had our report cards from last year and had not yet gotten our donuts. Finally, we started the hour and a half drive down. Dallin was with me in my car while Ashlyn drove my mom's car so she could get some more driving time.

As soon as I pulled in my friend Katie and some guys she knows helped me move all my stuff into my room along with my family, because I am not allowed to lift anything more than 10 pounds due to my surgery on August 11th. Which is starting to be a huge problem because I am wanting to re-arrange my room to make it seem a bit bigger (because it is SOO incredibly tiny) but I can't lift anything because everything weighs like a thousand pounds, give or take a few. I was very appreciative that everyone helped me move in. I honestly thought I wasn't going to have enough room for all my stuff, but somehow we got it all to fit and it looks pretty good. It doesn't look cluttered or like I stuffed everything somewhere. I have a nice view out my window. Most of the apartments have a view of the other apartments, but mine is the very end one so I have a view of a cute little pathway, some trees, and the road. It is the perfect creeper view ;) I also like it because the sun doesn't shine into my room in the morning so I can open my blinds and the window, making it nice and cool, then in the afternoon I can shut my blinds and turn on my little fan and it stays cool.

Last night I was up in Katie's apartment with her and her roommates and we played Apples to Apples. It was a lot of fun. Some of the guys in the apartment across from theirs came over so we got to meet them. I'm excited to be able to meet more people. I think this is going to be a lot of fun. But after a long day of moving in, I was so tired. I tried to fall asleep but there was just so much on my mind that I was having trouble falling asleep, and also it is always weird trying to fall asleep in a bed that isn't your own. But I finally fell asleep.

I kind of wish I could have been in the same apartments as Katie and her roommates because I know most of them from Timp and they are all so fun. My roommates are fun, but a lot of the time they aren't here, and when they are it is kind of awkward and everyone is kind of quiet. Which I'm hopeful that that will change as the year goes on because we'll be getting to know each other a lot better, but right now it is kinda hard not feeling quite comfortable to talk to them. It makes me a little home sick.

I never thought I'd really get very home sick, but I've realized that I probably will. Especially because Ashlyn and I have grown so close that we're always talking and telling each other things. It is going to be so different and hard not to tell her everything when it happens. Also, it is way different living on your own, I find myself constantly thinking about money (mostly the money that I don't have) and worrying if I'll make it a month, or a semester or how ever long. Everyone keeps talking about what they have to buy - food, books, fees, etc.- and it scares me to think of how poor I actually am. Hopefully I'll make it. I'm hoping to be able to get a job in the intramural sports, so at least some money will be coming in and I wont just be watching all my money disappear. I'll probably also go back to the dentist and orthodontist down here and let them know I'm here (since I came down last year to give them a resume) and just let them know if they need any help I'll definitely help. Maybe they'll even hire me for like a once or twice a week thing. That would be nice. I don't know, we'll see I guess.

Honestly, I'm going to try really hard to keep up with blogging and have fun with it. My new life should - hopefully- be a lot of fun and a whole new adventure. I just need to hang on tight and enjoy the ride.


forever & always,

me.

A Well Needed Laugh!

Last night, after going to my volleyball banquet with my mom, I was sitting here at the computer and heard my mom laughing and calling my name. I wasn't sure what she was doing and was frantically trying to finish my first blog and get it saved before something else happened and it ended up deleted for the second time (which would have ruined my entire day and made me in the worst mood possible...which, if you know me, is saying a lot), so I just stayed sitting at the computer. Soon enough my mom comes into the kitched almost crying she is laughing so hard. Seeing this, I HAD to find out what was making her laugh so hard. She then told me to grab a camera and come look at Dallin, my brother. Now, a little background on the situation. Dallin has been wanting an ipod for quite some time. He's asked my mom a few times about getting one for his birthday or Christmas or something but she had to tell him that in order for him to get one he would need to be more responsible because ipods are expensive and he would need to keep it in good condition and not just leave it sitting around and things. So he then decided that one way he could become more responsible would be to clean his room (DEEP clean his room) and keep it clean. So for the past few days he has been cleaning it and organizing it. He even went to the extent of re-organizing or in other words changing where his bed, dresser, and book stand were. He cleaned, vacuumed, dusted, etc. So as you can see, he REALLY wanted to make sure that my mom knew he was trying to prove he could be responsible. SO back to last night. My mom tells me to grab a camera so I do so and follow her into Dallin's room expecting to see him half undressed laying on his bed, or sleeping with a pick fuzzy blanket (hence the camera, so we could take a picture and black-mail him with it in the future when he has a girlfriend or something). As I walk in, I don't see him and I'm wondering why she is still laughing. My mom then points to the closet and I look over and see Dallin's ENORMOUSLY LONG legs (if you've seen him you know exactly what I'm talking about) sticking out from inside. I start to laugh finally realizing how funny the situation actually is. I look around the corner of the closet and see that Dallin is OUT, in other words, if he were any more asleep he'd be dead. So immediately we start taking pictures hoping he won't wake up from the flash of the cameras. My mom then decided that we had enough pictures and it was time to wake up him so he didn't wake up in the morning and be in pain from the position he was in. She starts to wake him up and I hear her say, "Dallin, buddy, its time to wake up and get ready for school". I start laughing again because he then wakes up (partially) and asks what time it is and my mom tells him it is 6:45 am. He then gets up, follows me and my mom out to the kitchen, is asking my mom questions about the day while he is getting myself a bowl of cereal. I was laughing so hard I had to leave the room because i didn't want to spoil the joke. Soon enough my mom burst out laughing and I do as well. Dallin is standing there confused as I proceed to tell him that it is still night time and point to the clock which said 9:30. Dallin then tries to cover up his embarrassment by saying he knew it was still night time and he was just getting a snack.
It was UBER hilarious. I will definitely have to post pictures later when I put them on the computer. Then I'll be able to show just how funny it was that someone as big and tall as he is, found his way into the small closet he has.

forever and always,

me.

Sad, Sad Day

It is a sad SAD day. I had a whole blog written down, and my sweet mother, whom I love MUCHO much, logged me off the computer without saving it... so now it is dead, it no longer exists, long gone, no way for it to be resurrected. I am very sad :( I spend a great (emphasis on the GREAT) amount of time working on it because I wanted it to be perfect because it was my very VERY first time blogging.
So basically I was just saying why I decided to name my blog "Life's a Journey". I just wrote how life really is a journey because of all the trials and challenges we have to go through. There are so many things that happen that each one of our lives takes us on our very own journey. The journey we take makes us who we are. It defines us and helps us grow. Without the trials, struggles, and challenges we go through, we don't grow, and we don't have the experiences we gain through going through them. With those experiences we are able to reflex and make it through other trials and hard times, but we are also are able to help others with their trials by using the knowledge we gain from ours. When you are going through hard times, it is such a blessing to know that others have been through situations similar to the ones you are going through and to know that they can give you the knowledge they gained from their experiences and that knowledge can help you through yours.
So I'm not exactly sure what to write all the time for this blog, or if what I end up writting will even be worth reading but I've been wanting to start a blog for quite some time now and the oportunity finally came for me to start so I just decided why not? Hopefully I'll keep up on it and make it somewhat interesting in order to have people actually willing and maybe even excited to read it and possibly even actual followers that read it regularly! That'd be pretty awesome, I think it would probably make my day, and all the days to come.

forever and always,

me.