Assembly Required.

I know I don't blog nearly enough to satisfy the wants for updates from mi familia and various others, so I'm sincerely sorry. So without further ado, here is some of what has been going on in my life for the past month...please enjoy!

-I gave blood again!! I have no idea why I did, especially after I almost DIED last time (obvious exaggeration, but still). However, whenever the sign up sheet came around at church to donate, my name somehow found it's way into an open slot. I am happy to announce that this experience of saving 3 lives was worlds better than the first. This time I didn't almost die (the whole needle and blood comin' out thing went rather swimmingly)...my blood bag however got too full and apparently almost busted, or at least that's what one of the doctor/nurse people said frantically as they all rushed to get my arm undone while my machine was making panic noises. Good times. But again, I received my [red tape bandage] badge of honor, and that was worth almost spilling my blood for...literally.

-I have experienced many firsts out here in college...first time living on my own, first mountain hike, first job, first kiss, first semester of college. But far surpassing these seemingly insignificant firsts (sarcasm), I have experienced firsts that will remain ingrained in my memory forever...or I guess in my stomach because they all deal with food now that I think about it! Such as:
             ~First time eating Panda Express

(We frequently order take-out...college life<3)

             ~First time eating Ramen Noodles

                                    (No picture, sorry)

             ~First time eating a Twinkie

(Yes, I did make a Twinkie tower in class)

 

-I was able to attend General Conference for the first time in person!! That was amazing beyond measure. To be able to sit in the same room as general authorities who are called of God...WOW. Let's just say the spirit was definitely there, and I was in party town. Even though it was really awesome, I think I'll stick to watching general conference at home...it's too dark and warm and comfy at the Conference Center. My narcolepsy was havin' a hay-day in there, if you know what I'm sayin. Anyways, the speakers were so inspired and the music was wonderful as always. Did anyone have their mind blown by the missionary announcement?!? Of course you did, you fool. It's so crazy, but so perfect at the same time. All my plans are now thrown out of wack, but it's all good. Weird to think that I could be gone this time next year, huh? Moral of this tangent: I HEART GENERAL CONFERENCE. It's my favorite [semiannual] time of the year :)

                                                         

(I of course got the traditional temple picture after conference)

 

-I BUILT A BOOTY-KICKIN' FORT in our living room/kitchen area. BOOYA. (Pictures to come on Facebook). But seriously, it was so much fun. We pretty much lived in there the whole weekend...naptime, movie nights, music jam sessions, the works... it was pretty amazing. I should go into the fort assembly business...I hear it's a growing market and let's face it, I've got skills!

(Canopy View)

 

(Chillin' like Villains)

 

-I guess it was about a month ago now...my roommate Katie snuck into our FHE brothers apartment and stole their precious stuffed antelope, Gallaheed. When they noticed he was missing, WAR ERUPTED...consisting of fly swatters, ransom pictures, brassieres, laundry baskets, chucking flowers, a cameo snuggie, and the chastity line. Needless to say, the brothers now always have their doors locked.

 

-Speaking of our FHE brothers, I would like to take this moment to say how awesome they all are. THEY ARE AWESOME. Seriously, I love hanging out with them. Growing up with only brothers around, and then coming here and living with only 5 other girls has been a really strange adjustment. Luckily, my brethren don't seem to mind too much when I hang out at their place. I need my daily dose of brotherhood every once in a while. They have done so much for me and my roommates. Through blessings, food, talking, and simply being around (among other things), they have become some of our best friends out here at the Y. So thanks you guys, we love y'all!!

 

 

 





-ZACHARY AND MARISSA ARE ENGAGED. Finally. Long story short, I helped and photographed the whole affair from behind a minivan at 6 in the morning. Creeper status. [She said yes, by the way :)]

 

-We went on a spontaneous hike two Sundays ago to Bridal Veil falls. We were all sitting around at our place, and next thing we know, we are in Jessie's car drivin' through the canyon. I love random adventures. Our explorer group consisted of me, Hayden, Austin (Texas), Jessie, Mady, and Katie. It was so nice and beautiful out there. And honestly, it was probably one the the highlights of my college experience so far...even though I ripped my pants...and when I say ripped, I mean RIPPED...like 8 inches down the crotch ripped. But I guess that just added to the excitement of the evening!

(So amazing!)

 

(Austin posing like champion next to the falls)

 

(ONE RIP TO RULE THEM ALL...there she blows)

 

-Campus is so beautiful, so here are a few pictures I've snapped with my phone while walking on campus. Feast your eyes.

(Snow topped mountains after the first snow fall!)

(One day it was super foggy, and you could barely even see the mountains...so cool.)



(The flag at half mast on September 11. The ROTC stood on guard next to the flag all day long, which was so amazing. God bless America!)

 



-A few things I've realized while being out at college: I love root beer floats; LOVE THEM. I want to learn to speak Hebrew one day. Bed-side tables/desks are the bees-knees. I hate alarms...hence the reason I snooze them a kagillion times before finally getting up late. I love simply cruising in the car with the windows down, heaters up, and music playing while driving through the canyons(or anywhere for that matter); it's one of my favorite feelings in the world...especially when James Taylor is playing! I love everything about autumn. It's colder back home in the winter than it is out here; thank you frozen humidity for preparing me so well.

 

I hope you all enjoyed that...my tangents were very out of chronological order, so sorry about that.

 

Carry on my peeps, and may the force be with you.



Rest In {REESE'S} Pieces

Here lies Abigail Nicole Page

May 1, 1994---October 3, 2012

Great roommate. Fantastic daughter. Giving friend. Booty-kickin' cafeteria lady.

Cause of death: College. [homework]

 

Hark! The bells are ringalingin'

So Friday was a wonderful day, but also an interesting one as well. The one main thing I wanted to focus on is that after work, I was sitting in our kitchen just pondering my life and the tiny problems I have that sometimes seem like the Himalayas to my meager mind. As I was sitting there, the BYU bell tower (which is right outside our window) began playing "Come, Come, Ye Saints." It is one of my favorite hymns. (For all you non-Mormons reading this, listen to it by following the link added to the word 'listen.' It is a song that can really change your heart.) The parts that hit home on Friday was the last few notes/words at the end of every verse that say "All is well!" I have always loved that part, and since I was going through a particularly difficult point in my day when the bell tower rang out this lovely tune, I was reminded of a few things. First off: I love my Heavenly Father. The simple fact that I was able to hear that song when I needed that spiritual and emotional up-boost was such a testimony-builder of His hand in my daily life. From helping me find my keys to sending me reassuring nudges through songs and people, I am constantly reminded that my Heavenly Father loves me :) I'm so glad I know that and that I know Him. Second: The Mormon pioneers were the most kick-butt people I know! Seriously though...they left their homes and all of their fancy possessions behind in order to cross thousands of miles on foot (and mostly by handcart) into unsettled territory simply because they had the most steadfast faith in the gospel and the restored church. Many of them died and lost loved ones along the way, and they suffered more hardships, sufferings, and persecutions then most people can even begin to imagine...and yet, as they walked all that way, they sang out strongly and proudly "All is well!" They are truely inspiring examples in my life. Sometimes I wish I had a fraction of the faith that they possessed.. I guess that's one for the bucket list!!

Every Day Is Gameday

Howdy everyone. Lots and lots and LOTS of things have happened these past two weeks, so this post should be a doozy...but it is also 1:30 in the morning time that I am working on this bad boy, so let's see how far I get!
First off: Random fact of the week is I was super sore for atleast 3 days over the weekend/the beginning of the week. On Friday, I went to the gym for the first time since last semester ended. (Don't worry, I haven't been getting fat; I ran around the streets of Provo. I just haven't really had access to the gym since then.) But anyways, I went to the gym after my classes were over, and I ran and lifted weights and used tons of the fancy machines for over an hour and a half. Moral of this pointless story: I love to sweat. Weird, but true. And it's not that I love being sweaty in normal life. I like sweating when I go to the gym. I think it is a very rewarding feeling. Call me weird, but that's just how I roll. But yes...ANYWAYS.
Moving on. A week ago today, BYU had it's first home football game of the season. The recently spiffed-up stadium was jam packed by the time I got there after work. Everyone was all decked out in their cougar gear, which was awesome to see! My friends and my brothers and I were directly behind the goal post on the second row of the student section. Talk about flippin' awesomeness at it's climax! Things that happened right in front of us: The cheerleaders did all of their funky stunts; the Cougarettes shook their groove things; attractive males ran around with BYU flags and signs; many a touchdown and field goal occurred; Cosmo (our mascot) jumped up into the stands!!

I GOT A PICTURE WITH HIM.

 

(Please enjoy this image of me and mi amigas surrounding Cosmo the Cougar)

 

Funny side story about this picture: Cosmo jumped up into the stands down a little ways in our row. He was slowly making his way towards us while getting attacked for a gazillion photos. RIGHT when he got to us, he turned to jump down back onto the field. I screamed "NO Cosmo!! I HAVE to get a picture with you! You can't leave yet. Baby, come back!" I then preceeded to grab his arm while he was in mid-jump over the railing and turned him around so I could fulfill a major part of my college life and get a photo with that dang cougar. (Don't you see me gripping his arm? ...tehehe :)) All I have to say is "CHECK. Off the bucket list." Booya.

So another thing that happened at the game that fulfilled a life-long bucket list item is... I caught a tshirt!! Ya know how at sporting events and at other such things, people throw tshirts and stuff into the stands for the fans to jump and snatch at like it's the last bit of manna from heaven and we are about to go into the Great Drepression? Well, guess what. This girl won big time. I was jumping up and down in place yelling repeatedly, "Please I wanna shirt! Please I wanna shirt!! Please, oh please. Goodness gracious that's all I ask of life! PLEASE! I'm jumping around and I wanna shirt. Oh please Ms. Cheerleader lady. Please throw one to me!" And BAM. All of a sudden my annoying chants were cut short by a tshirt flying at my face and landing in my hands. It was honestly really funny cause I wasn't expecting it, and then I looked down and there it was in my hands! Sighh... I caught a shirt. I can die happy now.

 



Beware the swamp cooler!

After a [two week] 'summer break' filled with movies, moving, shopping, gatherings, phone calls, movies, interesting evenings, more shopping, sleeping, and more movies, I am very ready to begin fall semester. I miss having a schedule and having to work around things. I get more done when I have more to do...if that makes any sense? I'm just ready to get this show on the road! Classes and work and friends, oh my!
Starting today, all of my roommates are officially moved in! It's kinda weird sitting in my dorm and someone other than my past summer roommates walking in. I miss them a lot, but I am super stoked to start fresh. I can already tell that my new roommates are awesome, and we probably have the cutest apartment/dorm on the block!
Word to the wise: when you are about to move in somewhere and the only source of air conditioning is through a swamp cooler, look elsewhere for living arrangements. At times, it's brutal. But luckily, past development in technology has given us the invention of the electric fan. Thank you Schulyer Wheeler (inventor of the electric fan).
I'm going to end this post by saying the first five things that pop into my head: Scooby-Dooby-Doo; my CTR ring is German; everything in Utah is Utah-like; vintage bottles are the best; rain is a good thing.
That's all folks.

I simply remember my favorite things

So this past week, I have been in a form of homelessness; however, a pair of one of my adopted parents was kind enough to take me in during the semester break. I have been shown more Brazilian love this week than most people know in a lifetime, and for that I am beyond grateful :)
Zachary came out to Utah today!! It was really awesome to actually see him in person for the first time since he has been home! It was the first time Matt had seen Zach since before Matthew left on his mission, so it was super sweet to see them pick up right where they left off. Gotta love bromance.
Okay, so I know this post is so random and pointless, but I can't sleep, so I figured I would type a few words. Slightly similar to Fraulein Maria, I like to think of a few of my favorite things. This usually happens around beddy-bye time for me, when my mind wanders. Since I can't sleep, I figured I would share a few; sadly though, it will not be in a sing-songy manner with Austrian children jumping on my bed during a thunderstorm..

I LOVE: pillow pets (especially my giraffe one, Greg); bedside tables; slight stubble on men; awkward tan lines; sidewalks; temples; MTC's; benches for poppin' a squat; secret smoothies at Jamba Juice; missionary homecomings; curly hair; pretty eyes; autumn; walking signals; little baby ducks; camouflage; 'save' buttons; keys; Jedi; chargers; face wash that smells good; football; accents; bagpipes; CTR rings; Vans; dollar bills; getting emails; Captain America (all day, everyday); tabs; root beer floats; receiving texts; plaid; sliding on hardwood floors with socks; fake fighting; pictures; retro bikes; back scratches; when people play with my hair; when people harmonize while singing; and TV shows streamed online for free.

So when the dog bites, when the bee stings, when my social security card gets lost in the mail, when I jam my pinky toe, when I can't sleep, when I'm feeling sad... I simply remember my (random) favorite things, and then I don't feel sooo baaaaaaaddddd!!

~~Please enjoy this picture of me laughing at who knows what~~
~I felt that it was very fitting for this post~

I got a nickel HEY HEY HEY HEY!

The last night of my college freshmen summer was quite the way to end the best summer of my life. Let's just say Kendall, Kali, Kenzie, and I went out on a bang. Since we were some of the very few that were still around last night, we decided to go to California Pizza Kitchen and then to the Nickel Arcade!!! Talk about most fun night ever. Due to Kendall's rather large jar full of change, we gamed all night. I had forgotten how awesome it feels to win tickets. For those of you who may not understand, it is the closest thing to sheer joy you will feel in this life. So after we traded in our hundreds of tickets for some sweet High School Musical sweatbands and candy, we moseyed on over to the little waterfall on campus by our dorms that leads to the duck crick and chilled there for a bit. It was all great fun, and it will definitely be going down in my book for one of my most memorable nights ;) Things I learned: I should go on 'Deal or No Deal' because I'm awesome; Skee-ball is still the best arcade game ever; I like the tops of waterfalls; ducks sound like people at one in the morning; I can pin guys twice my size; and I'm a ninja at chameleon-fly-lick-knocking-downing.

Roommates say the darnedest things!

This summer my roommates and I have kept a quote wall of memorable things we have said that were really funny. So to preserve the memories, I am going to record them on here! That way, 37 years from now, we can look back and laugh again about the old times :)

*****Note: These quotations will remain authorless to protect the innocent. Also, they only make sense in context.*****

"I always get fuzzies there and I pick at them."
"And that's why I wish I was a man!"
"No! He's really cute, he just has a mole between his eyes."
"Will you lay on me?"
"Our dishwasher totally lays down a beat."
"Zamoroni"
"I have to pee like a pregnant mexican race horse!"
"You're like a holocaust survivor."
"I might take my pants off tonight."
"Yes it does. She has man parts now."
"Zuhhh!" "No."
"Easy Dump"
"Don't be nervous. Do you want me to lay on you or something?"
"Here's your shoes with no tongue."
"We're a family...If she has AIDS, we all have AIDS."
"Pray for your salvation!"
"It tastes like really good poop!"
"I was sitting in class when I saw this guy's eyelashes...then I decided, 'Wow. I'm really attracted to guys with long eyelashes.'"
"Why do we have to be attracted to men?" "Yeah, why can't we be attracted to cats or sprinkler heads?"
"You wratched."
"Did I ever tell about how an ant attached to my brother's uvula?"
"That's the last time we're adopting Asians."
"If the llama would've spit 'invitational' on the ground, I would've been impressed."
"Yeah! Rain and Chick-fil-a together!"
"Children, please. I will murder you in your sleep...It's like a spanking but a little worse."
"Your dad's a vegan?" "No, he's Presbyterian."
"Imagine this song like they're talking to a bra."
"The library is SICK!"
"Oh...That's a hard one; one's hot and the other one is cute."
"Well my apologies to the kids in Africa, but I'm throwing this away..."
"I trust you to cut my butt and not my pants."
"Who wants some purple drank?!"
"Do nuns have a Facebook?"
"I'm just not attracted to other genders."
"Are you trolling me?"
"Hold up!!! What if I get a hot hometeacher?"
"I hope I don't get spices in my contacts!"
"Tests are like sports for me. And I'm on the Allstar team."
"Touch my body...Breanne! Please stop raping my leg!!"
"It's like Depends for the floor."

I love these girls so much!!! They have made me laugh til my abs hurt everyday this summer, and I'm going to miss them more than words can describe. They are and always will be my sisters from different misters <3

Cheese Pants

Our family home evening started out as a peaceful and pleasant picnic outside, but when one of my FHE brothers, Kendall, started throwing dirt pellets at me, that's where I drew the line. I took a slice of packaged cheese that we had been using for our sandwiches and chucked it at him when he least expected it. This resulted in an all out cheese war in our dorm kitchen and living room.  Umbrellas were opened, couches were turned, and many random objects were grabbed for protection. My roommate Kali and I decided it would be best to seek shelter under some blankets. The battle got pretty intense, and I have to say, more than one slice of cheese was ripped in the process. However, it was extremely entertaining to watch it all go down. Now my FHE family is outside playing 'Ultimate Cabbage' while I'm at home doing homework. I'm so excited for no homework in a little over a week, even if I have to be a slight hobo in the process during the semester break. Yeah, this post is short, but I wanted to always be able to remember this :)

Homemade Acupuncture...

Yesterday when I got home from taking my Stats test, I saw that every single pot, pan, and bowl we own was in the sink or on the counter dirty, so I said to myself, "Abby, do the dishes." So I was obedient to my little Jiminy Cricket and did the dishes. I was on a slight cleaning spree, so I started cleaning every dirty dish that we had. My lovely roommate Kali had made some brownies earlier in the day for our visiting teachees, so the pan full of brownies was sitting on the stove. I decided to further my service by cutting her brownies out of the pan and moving them to a pretty plate, so I could then clean the pan. I was not aware of how stuck the brownies where to the pan... So there I was scraping and sawing away at the non-soft brownie edges and SLIP-SLAP-STAB. The dull, everyday use, everyone has dinner knife that I was using to detach the brownies lost it's hold on the them and flew through the air at lightening last speed (so fast that it was like slow motion fast for me watching it come to forewishin) and stabbed my lower palm that was bracing the other side of the pan to keep it steady. Needless to say, it hurt. Very bad. The cut was a few centimeters deep, which when you think about it is very deep considering the fact that your hand is only about an inch thick on its own. Since if I would have gone to the hospital and they would have just glued it and charged me a couple hundred dollars, I decided that my trusty friend Neosporin could probably provide me with the same method of healing over a slightly longer period of time. My hand burned and stung for a good portion of the rest of the day, which was uncomfortable. However, now it has a scab over it and is a little red around it, but my roommates have assured me that that means it's healing, not that it means it's getting infected and is gonna fall off. That made me happy. Moral of the story: Service requires sacrifice; some people sacrifice their time... I sacrifice my limbs. Hopefully I'll have a cool scar there, so I'll have a story to tell me kids one day!

The Fight That Will Live in Infamy!

I know that I have already posted something within the last 24 hours; HOWEVER, when the sun goes down at Brigham Young University, that is when the real day begins.
First, there I was minding my own business, about to go to bed early for the first time in quite some time, and BANG-BOOM-POW! People assumed that it would be a pleasant idea to throw water balloons at our windows at 10:30 at night. This was a false assumption. After giving them several (Mormon appropriate) threatening gestures, spouting out several "come at me bro!"'s, and pretending to call the campus po-po, they dispersed. They will rue the day they chucked H20 filled rubber at our window. Rue it, I say!
Secondly, there is a slightly sketchy R.A. from the boy's dorm (who shall remain nameless) who feels the need to hit on freshman girls. One such female who was caught in his sights was my dormmate Rachel. But thankfully, after receiving a stern metaphorical back-hand from our lovely, rockin' R.A., his creeping level has taken a steep decline. Tonight, however, the tables have turned...let's just say that said creepy R.A. received a rather lovely note attached to a nice gift from a special group of girls. (Note: I was not involved.)(Disclaimer: The anonymous gift was not for reals/serious, though he did in reality receive one at his door.)
Lastly, but most definitely not leastly, the fight of the century broke out between my roommate Rachel and myself. I would just like to preface that Rachel is literally my sister from a different mister. Maybe it's cause we both grew up with four brothers and no sisters... I don't know. Also, when I say "fight", I don't literally mean fight fight. We fake fight in the literal sense of the word fight. Does that make any sense? Abiding by an ancient form of white kid kung-fu, which was inspired my Rachel's brother Daniel, we fight without touching one another. We donkey kick and punch and karate chop and jab each other all without making actual contact. It sounds kinda strange, but let me tell you... It is probably one of the funnest things I have ever done in my life. It's so funny to watch and be a part of. You get such a workout: half from running around and flailing like an idiot, and the other half from laughing so hard. All I gotta say is don't knock it before you try it. You never know... You may secretively be a great fake literal fight fighter ninja!
Here are some pictures from before our adventurous midnight duel:

Beware of our muscles and game faces.

Our warrior poses.

You know you wished you looked this graceful while ninja kicking the air.

The Restricted Section.

Yesterday I spent about 5 hours in the Harold B. Lee Library writing a paper for my New Testament class about how I've been a 'Good Samaritan' during the past two weeks. In a weird way, I love writing. I blame my Junior and Senior high school English teacher, Mrs. Lin Smithson. Anyways, not gonna lie, I wrote a pretty kick-booty paper, but that's not what this post is gonna be about. This post is dedicated to one of the most amazing places on the Brigham Young University campus: the Harold B. Lee Library. I don't mean to sound like a complete nerd, but seriously, I love it there! It's the best place to productively get homework done, or to simply have a few reserved quiet moments. I love putting on my headphones, turning up the hymn/piano music, and (peacefully) rockin' out some work. I completely go into my own world. I originally wasn't going to share where my super-sneaky-study-nook-seat-table-place was because I didn't want to give away it's shear awesomeness. And also, I know that my hundreds of blog followers will now want to take over MY place, but it's too amazing not to share. I always go to the 'Asian Collection' section of the library. It only has the most perfect placement to choose from in the library. It's right next to a water fountain and a bathroom (which has a few couches in it for sleeping); it has lots of studying tables around with outlets on the sides of them for easy charging access; it is far enough back into the library that not everyone will be there, but it still has easy access to a flight of stairs; it's right next to the Media Center, so if I ever need to print something or rent something or browse something, it's right there; it's also next to the Juvenille Literature section, so if I ever want to get my little kid on, I'm just a hop and a skip (or two) away; and finally, it's the ASIAN section. Thus, it will be filled with Asian culture and Asian people. And Asian people value smarty-pantsness and study time, so I know it will be a peferctly quiet place where I can study. It's the best. I helps me study like a scholar.
One interesting thing that happened while I was in this blessed place was that some girl had her own like dance party in the middle of the Asian section while I was writing my paper. It was really strange to tell you the truth because there was no music anywhere and she was literally dancing around me...circling my table and the table and bookselves near me. Needless to say, I avoided eye contact cause I was slightly frightened. Only at BYU would this occur with people thinking it's no big deal. Gotta love those Mormons.
-p.s.- This is how I envision the Asian Collection section of the library...it's my own "Restricted Section"

(Disclaimer: I do not literally study in the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts library. Filch would have caught me by now.)

For All Eternity

This is going to be all about creeping and caring. These two basic necessities to life have become extremely prominent since I've been out at school. 
With a constant stream of EFY kids coming and going this summer, there is never a lack of people to properly creep on. Now before you judge me, don't even lie to yourself. You know that you have creeped once upon a time, and you know that you enjoyed it. It's super fun to watch people! Like my roommates say, "It's like Facebook in real life!" The huge windows in the living room in our dorm have a fantastic view of the quad in front of our building. I'm not gonna lie, some of the greatest moments I've had with my roommates involve creeping on random strangers down there through the window. I have two prime examples: FIRST. One morning at around 2am, I walked into the kitchen to find Breanne and Kendra dancing to the EFY "We Like to Party" song for people outside. Yeah, I think that explains itself! SECOND. About two days ago, Kendra, Breanne, and I were thoroughly entertained for probably about half an hour at least by making faces at EFY kids who were sitting outside. I don't think I've laughed that hard in my life. And I must say, Kendra's "Mr. Bean face" was the highlight of my summer.
Now for caring aspect of this blog post. I would just like to take this moment to publicly say how much I love my family. They literally are my best friends (and that includes my momma and daddy). I thought about it the other day, and I honestly have no idea where I would be without them. (What got my started thinking about this is my brother Zachary's last email while being on a mission{"Zachary's last email" is a link to it if you wanna check it out}). Being out at school, you tend to hear about a lot of different family situations from everyone around you. I must say, I completely lucked out and got THE best. I can't think of one thing, one moment, one memory that I would change for the world. Even though we aren't always skipping around in daisies and singing about butterflies and rainbows, I love them so much. If I didn't know that families can be together forever, I would probably cry myself to sleep every night. I love that I know that this isn't the end for my family, and we have forever to spend together. Very few things make me happier than knowing this fact.
Which leads me into my final topic: summer term. I count my blessing every day that I came to BYU for summer term. I've been able to gain a family here that will forever be a major part of my life. My wonderful roommates have become some of my best friends! I feel so blessed to have been given literally the best girls out at BYU for my roommates. They make me laugh, they keep me focused, we giggle about boys, we can all relate to each other, we share food, we creep together, we hang out almost every single second, we have inside jokes, we keep each other in line, we tease each other, we love each other, and we are sisters. This has literally been the best summer of my life because of these leading ladies. I love every second I spend with them, and I wish we had more than just 8 weeks together. As crazy as it sounds to say, I think it will be harder leaving these girls after just this short summer together than it was for me to leave my friends back home after 18 years. (I'm not trying to be mean; I'm just being honest. I love everyone back home more than they will ever know, don't get me wrong!) Rachel, Alex, Kali, Breanne, Kendra, and I have connected on a different level than I ever did with people back home. Maybe it's because we live together and we honestly never really hang out with much anyone else... I don't know. I can't explain it in the slightest. All I know is that I've gained 5 new sisters in the course of just a few short weeks, and I love them more than I can bare. I'll end this bad boy by quoting my amazing roommate Kali: "This is pretty much a two month long sleepover...with the occasional paper due." ...Couldn't have said it any better myself :)

Manna From Heaven

Let's start this out with the highlight of my day from yesterday. It was Krispy Kreme's 75th Birthday!! To bless us mire civilians, they let us get a dozen original glaze doughnuts for 75 cents! Talk about tender mercies :) I'm so thankful for good 'ole North Carolina for blessing the world with Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. They truly are manna from Heaven. 
Random thought: say Provo PoPo five times fast...well maybe ten times would prove my point better. It sounds funny. I do this every time I see a Provo police car. Another thought (which kinda involves the police), there are ZERO speed limit signs in Utah. Literally, no where. It frustrates me cause if they were there I would follow them. Or I would at least be aware of my law breaking. Without them, I just feel awkward driving in general. Am I speeding, or are we being Sunday drivers together without knowing?? 
In high school my Sophomore year, we had a Harry Potter club. It was really fun, but it wasn't very organized. I was sorted into Ravenclaw back then, which I was super excited about (I love Ravenclaw!). However, yesterday I decided I needed to be truly sorted with the help and seal of approval from J.K. Rowling. Thus, I turned to the trusty sorting site of Pottermore. Turns out, I really belong in Gryffindor! I guess this makes sense considering I bleed red and not blue. Trust me, I saw it when I was giving blood. GO GO GRYFFINDOR! GO GO GRYFFINDOR!! (That's our Quidditch chat.) I'll take Gryffindor anyday, as long as that means I get to fraternize with Neville Longbottom.

 Yesterday in the testing center, I was sitting there taking my Stats test when I glanced out of the corner of my eye to check the clock... I got an eye-full of something, but it sure wasn't the time. Josh Hutcherson's long lost identical twin was sitting next to me. I had to do a double take to be sure, but in my head all I could think was, "PEETA!" That made my testing experience much more enjoyable. 
Another thing I noticed about the testing center is that "Knowledge is power" is carved on a seal at the entrance. I started pondering this, and I came to the conclusion that it is so true! He who holds the brains holds the smarty pants, and he who wears the smarty pants wears the pants in the relationship of the world. That's just how it works. Then I started thinking of "The Help"..."You is kind. You is smart. You is important." 
I have a weird thought process.. don't think about it. Just accept it and enjoy the ride. 
One last thing that made me smile yesterday was the Duck Pond. BYU has a duck pond on South Campus by the testing center. Matt and I walk by there after our tests. Last time we were there, we considered the possibilities of if someone has ever stolen a duck. Probably not very likely, especially at BYU, but I am contemplating trying to get a pet duck when I grow up. They are so cute when they waddle and their little "quack quack" and webbed feet. Anyways, we were standing there watching and all of a sudden the biggest duck in the pond with a green head (we assumed he was King Ducky) started hydroplaning over the water like he was a jet ski or something. While he was doing this he managed to pile-drive over about three little baby duckies. It was so sad and funny at the same time. We also got to see this little Asian boy try and chase down a duck...now that was adorable. Question of life: How do duckies float on water? Are they just that buoyant, or is it their body shape, ooor what? 
Here's a picture of the little duckies! Aren't they so cute?!

Well that's about it. I got to sleep in this morning, and now it's going to be a pretty easy-breezey day until we all start getting dolled up for Invitational. Invitational is pretty much Freshman prom, so I'm pretty excited! It's a murder mystery masquerade theme, and during the dance we have to figure out which RA is killing all of the other ones. I'm going to have to keep my eyes out for some Blue's Clues tonight!

Inspector 17

Today was our monthly cleaning check. Sometimes it's a hard life being a slightly OCD cleaner. I'm not an absolute clean freak. My mother would probably say that I am rarely clean at all, which can be true on occasion. However, I have been way clean since being in college! I love the look, smell, and feeling of a clean house. Besides, organizing things gives me a strange buzz of excitement. I just love it! It's like a puzzle...and I like puzzles very much. We were literally scrubbing every surface of our dorm until the last seconds before our amazing RA, Miranda, came bearing no-bake cookies. Talk about a way to make instant best friends! Good news...WE PASSED, with flying colors I might add!
Earlier today, Rachel and I went on a Super Target extravaganza for a few items. I could probably live in Target.. If they combined Ikea, Super Target, Panera Bread, and Jamba Juice, I would never leave. When we were checking out, the Mexican cashier lady kept trying to convince us to get Target credit cards. She didn't win, but I think she did influence us in another way because we went to Taco Bell and some ghetto Mexican drive through for dinner! YO QUIERO TACO BELL! Man, I miss that little chihuahua wearing a sombrero.
After our cleaning check was over, I got to talk to my brother Matthew for a long while in the stairwell. I love him so much. We have some of the best conversations with one another. I'm so glad I have him as one of my best friends out here. He is such an example to me in more ways than I can tally!! I'm so beyond glad I have my forever family :)
Sooo I kinda sorta got my roommates addicted to the show "Love in the Wild". It's pretty much the show "Survivor"...but the dating show version. Sounds awesome, right? Yeah, I knew you'd think so. It's so fun to watch. If you have never seen it, enlighten your life and partake of it's entertainment.
That is all. Carry on young ones.

When in doubt, sound it out!

On the way home from the Smith Fieldhouse, which is at the south side of campus, you have to first face the dreaded MOUNT FIELDHOUSE. For those of you have never faced this trek, it is a hike up a set of Everest-like steps. Isn't that silly to have this on the way to and from the gym? Going down is fun, but going up is of the devil. When making the hike today on the way home from weightlifting class, one of my roommates said, "Well I guess it scares away the fat people from going to the gym." Thank you Breanne for your wonderful words of wisdom :)
I had three major highlights to my day yesterday. ONE: On the way home from the gym, Rachel and I located the only swamp in the state of Utah, and it was a secret swamp. We were casually strolling home, and we decided to cut across this open field in front of our dorms. Worst mistake ever. The first step I thought, "Hmmm..this is kinda squishy and wet." Next step, my ENTIRE foot up to my ankle sunk deep into the muddy swampy watery grass field of death. I then had no choice but to walk the rest of my way home in my wet socks. Sick. The only reason this was a "highlight" is because it made me think of Princess Bride for the rest of the day at the part when they went into the fire swamp to escape Prince Humperdinck. Okay, TWO: Rachel and I had to go grocery shopping at the Creamery. I decided to go ahead and buy all the groceries that I will need for the rest of the summer, so I had to use a buggie to push around all my goodies. When we were checking out, Rachel and I realized that we had too many groceries to carry home by ourselves...so we just pushed the buggie down the street, across the courtyard, into our building, up the elevator, and into our dorm room to unload all the groceries! Best idea I have ever had in my life :) All the looks we got were extremely entertaining. To bring it back, I pushed the buggie while Rachel rode inside. While pushing it back to the Creamery, a BYU police officer pulled us over. I was having a mini freak out in my brain, but he ended up just asking us what we were majoring in (he recommended we switch to basket weaving) and telling us to have a nice day. Only at BYU would stealing a grocery cart be considered normal and acceptable. Honestly though, I'm probably going to do that every time I go grocery shopping there now. It makes life so much easier and enjoyable! Last but not least, THREE: I spent the majority of my evening and night hanging out with my roommates in Rachel and Alex's room watching random youtube videos and hanging out eating pretzels til about 2 in the morning. I love college so much.
However, tonight I'm going to break the college norm...I'm going to go to bed at 10 'oclock!! I'm so excited to sleep :) On that note, nighty night!

18 going on...oldness

I've always loved the idea of a blog; it's like an online journal...but everyone (including random internet surfing strangers) can read it. To tell you the truth, I enjoy the idea of a hand-written journal better, but I can never bring myself to sit and consistantly write in one. It's sad cause wouldn't it be so much more awesome to hand my kids my journals and say, "My life is right in here" instead of having them peruse the internet? But alas, my short attention wins out again. I'm a much swifter typer than writer. My words per minute with a pen and paper is equivalient to a grandma with a nub trying to record her life. Yeah, it's a process.
Having this blog now almost makes me laugh. Old ladies have blogs. (Just kidding Momma!) But seriously though, when I think of blogs, I think of mothers with kids or middle-aged women who are beastly at making knick-knacks. And since I am neither of those, I feel a bit odd now a part of the blogging population. I AM a college gal now though, so I guess I am technically all growed up!
Speaking of college life.... I don't wanna go on a long tangent about classes and Utah and my dorm and my roommates and all that AGAIN. I've repeated myself enough on those topics to last a lifetime. For all of you who haven't gotten the shpill yet, I may post little sidenotes to catch you up on my life in Happy Valley in the shadow of Y Mountain. Until that point though, I give you permission to use your imagination.
Today, I saved three lives. I broke the covenant I made with myself to never give blood, and I gave a pint. The only reason I did it is because one of my roommates is on the service committee, and hardly anyone signed up to donate. So I took the bullet...or I guess the needle. I was so scared, and I don't think I have ever shook so bad in my life! The nurse-doctor people were having trouble with my blood and the needle, so they moved it around a lot while it was in my arm (hence the reason I can barely move my arm now). After a 12 minute and 52 second pumping, my arm stopped working I guess because they decided they needed to get my blood for the test tubes from my other arm, which I found out later was a "better arm" to get future blood drawn from. (Yeah, thanks for that AFTER THE FACT buddy). So I got double the pricks and pumps. It didn't hurt too bad, when they weren't repositioning the needle over and over. However, the whole process was very mentally taxing on me. I must admitt, a few tears were shed. BUT I survived and all is well! I didn't get a shirt, which would have been a bonus. On the brightside though, I got that really cool red tape-bandage thing they wrap around your arm to hold the little bandage down. Not gonna lie, I looked pretty legit.