Long Time Coming

Man oh man it has been a long time since I've posted. I'm sorry to my diligent readers who have missed me...oh wait...I don't have any diligent readers ;). But seriously I promise I will be better. It has been a great few months. I'm really starting to settle into my life here in Provo. The first few months I lived here I pretty much hated Utah but it has started to grow on me. I'm starting to establish who I am here and the shape that my life is going to take. I have also made some amazing friends. To start out...my roommates are great each one of them has their unique personality and they all bring something different to our apartment. Don't get me wrong it's not always roses and we butt heads sometimes but that's what makes us great :) We seriously have so much fun together. Sometimes there is just those nights where we can't stop laughing and the next morning I can't even remember what was so funny. Secondly, there's our FHE guys. They are seriously great. We have been getting to know each other better and better as the week goes on and I really love hanging out with them. They are great friends and great guys to have around. I've also been getting pretty tight with some of the girls who live next door. They are way fun. Most of the time the door between our two apartments is open and we just go back and forth and hang out :)

I had quite the adventurous weekend these past few days. It's actually a pretty funny story so I think I'll share :) On Friday night we had a wishing party because it was 11/11/11. It was so much fun we each had cupcakes with a candle and at 11:11 we all made a wish...and then we had a dance party :) As the party was winding down Kennedy and I were talking to Sam and he invited us to go to Kaysville and watch Fiddler on the Roof at his high school so Kennedy and I decided we would do that. So we woke up Saturday morning and we wanted to go do baptisms at the Temple. It took 3 hours!!!!!!!!! 3 freaking hours!!! So because of that we were kinda late leaving Provo. So we drove to Grandma CC's house and dropped off our stuff and rode to the Trax station. As we were riding the train we figured out that there was no way we were going to make it to the Farmington station in time for the show to start. We felt so bad cause we were totally being an inconvenience to Sam. But we got there and Sam's sister came and got us and we got to the show only a half an hour late. The show was amazing!! I mean for a high school play it was freaking legit!! They did such a good job. So when the show was over we were talking and we realized we needed to book it back to the frontrunner station in order to catch that train and make it to where we connected to the Trax. So Sam dropped us off and as me and Kennedy are standing there looking at the time we realize there is no way we are going to make it to the Trax station so we call Sam back and he had to come get us. So after a few minutes of driving we decided that we were going to go to the Trax station at Temple Square. So we drove to Temple Square. Sam's dad works for the church so we got to go into the church parking lot where all the General Authorities park...yeah I felt really special... :). But luckily we made it to our train. When we got onto the train there was this homeless guy that totally smelt like pot and he was in a wheelchair. He wheeled over near us and said "can you ladies spare something for an old Marine that is eating out of the trash?" Kennedy and I looked at each other and said..."uhh....nope." Thank goodness he got off the train at the next stop and the Real Housewives of Salt Lake got on ;). So after a lot of stress and running around we made it back to Grandma CC's house. From there David picked me up and I spent the night there and went to church with them this morning and hung out with them most of the day. It was way fun. My little cousins Jackson and Sophie are so dang cute. It was the funniest thing. Sophie said, "1. you walk away....2.I walk on your face." hahahaha I totally busted up!! It was the best!! Over all it was a really great weekend. I hope all is going well. I promise I will be better about updating as long as I still have readers :)

Love you all :)

Homecoming Weekend

This past weekend was homecoming here at the Y and what a festive occasion it was! Friday night I took a trip back to my swimming roots. Ryan and Christine were here with their kids and I got to go watch Christine swim in the alumni meet. That was a ton of fun and really made me want to get back into the pool. It really needs to happen soon. After the meet Kennedy and I had to get to bed early because we were going to run the homecoming 5k the next morning. It's been very cold here and we felt in the morning of our run. We wore several layers and went out the door with our other roommates to do the run. I finished the race in 29 mins and 52 seconds. It was my goal to finish in under a half an hour and I just barely made it!! I was 10th in my age group and 93rd overall...no not out of 94 :p. After the run I went to go hang out with Ryan and his family again. We went to lunch and I finally had fish!! Being in a landlocked state has really made me appreciate the fresh fish of the pacific northwest! But I satisfied my craving and I think I'll be OK :) After lunch we walked around campus the kids had a blast in the Science Center hahaha. Saturday night was the homecoming game. It was a great game for BYU. We had 6th row seats so we were right up in the action. We had a ton of laughs at the game. Our football group is great :)

Well it's just about time for mamma to go to FHE! Love you all :)

Dear Old Dad

Today is my Dad's birthday and I thought that I would take this opportunity to mention just a few of the things that I love about my Dad.

1. Kind: There is no other man on earth as kind as my father. He never misses an opportunity to put his arm around you and just chat.

2. Example: My Dad is such an amazing example to me. Everything he does in his life is done with dignity and class. He is sophisticated and lives his life in a way that earns him respect from everyone he comes in contact with. I want to be able to live like that.

3. Caring: My Dad calls me several times a week and I love it. He just likes to hear what I've been up to and how my life is going. Although it is a small act it means so much to me because it shows that he cares about me.

4. Encouraging: My Dad motivates me to be the best that I can be. Even when I don't achieve exactly what I had hoped for he has a way of lifting my spirits and putting me back on my feet and back on track.

5. Supportive: In every activity that I have been involved in my Dad has been there. He sat through never ending choir concerts, all day swim meets, voice and piano recitals, and so much more. He gives up his time to be there for me and I am so thankful for that.

Happy birthday Dad I love you!

The weekend is here!!! I just love the weekend it's always a well needed break from the go go go of life. This weekend has been great so far. Yesterday was the BYU vs UCF football game and BYU finally pulled out a win! It was a good game it's a totally different feeling to be in the stadium watching the games with all the students. The excitement and the energy is contagious. I love it!!

Today I slept in which was really needed. I really don't sleep enough. I seriously can't make it through a single class without falling asleep. It's not that I'm not paying attention but I just can't stay awake. Anyways....today I went to lunch with Uncle Dave and Aunt Melissa. It was so fun!! It is always so great to be with people that I know and that care about me :)

The rest of my Saturday will pretty much be spent studying...fun I know :/ Next week is going to be crazy. I have three tests so that should be interesting...

Well that's pretty much it sorry there's not much to report. Love you all :)

Be Still My Soul

Every Sunday here at BYU there is tunnel singing. A huge group of students gathers in the tunnel outside the Marriot Center and sings hymns. I have been going to tunnel singing for the past few weeks now and it is something that has been really good for me. I'm a lot like my Dad, we both are greatly inspired by the spirit through the singing of hymns. Each time I go a different hymn sticks out to me and the words are exactly what I need to hear. "Be Still My Soul" was particularly powerful tonight.

Be Still My Soul

Be still my soul: The Lord is on thy side: With patience bear the cross of grief or pain. Leave to thy God to order and provide; In every change he faithful will remain. Be still my soul; Thy best thy heavenly Friend Thru thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still my soul: Thy God doth undertake To guide the future as he has the past. They hope they confidence let nothing shake; All now mysterious shall be bright at last. Be still my soul: The waves and winds still know His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.

Be still my soul: The hour is hastening on When we shall be forever with the Lord, When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone, Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored. Be still my soul, When change and tears are past, All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Love you all <3

You Must Not Know Bout Me

So I'm not gonna lie...this weekend has been hard. I've felt homesick. Weekends at college can do that to me sometimes cause my mind is not constantly occupied with classes and the go, go, go of everyday life. But it's these kinds of feelings that make me stronger and a better person. I woke up today and decided that I was going to take my swagg back...and I did. I've learned that you always feel better when you look good. So even though I probably won't be doing much more than homework today I put a cute outfit on and did my hair. I've got my pump up music going and I'm good :). It's my Beyonce attitude ;) "you must not know bout me".

"The Future is as Bright as Your Faith"

Well it's the end of my first week back at BYU. It has been a great week. It felt like I never left. There are somethings that are different from summer though. There are so many people here! During passing time I feel like a sardine. You are walking shoulder to shoulder with everyone on campus. It's crazy. I love the new atmosphere. Everyone has come together in a common goal which is to learn and gain as much knowledge as possible. Everyone is striving for success. Pretty much every moment of everyday is dedicated to learning and study. Which is what it should be. That's what we're here for. I have found myself becoming more engaged in my school work and in the subjects that I am studying this semester. I have a desire to absorb as much as I possibly can. I can see now why they church stresses so much that education is critical.

We have a long weekend and I am so happy about that. I have and eight o'clock class every morning which means that I get up around 6 and my average bed time is around mid night. I was exhausted at the end of the week. It's nice to have this weekend to relax and catch up on some rest and sleep.

I went and watched the BYU football game yesterday. It was so intense! I was on my toes the who time. It was such a different feeling to watch the game with a bunch of students. There was so much pride and excitement. Before BYU has been my team and I have been a fan but now it's a part of me. It is my school.

I've got church today. It should be good. I like this ward so much better than my summer ward. It just seems so much more organized and put together. I need organization in my life or I just get stressed hahaha :)

I love you all :)

Good Old Provo

I'm back baby!! And better than ever!! Hahaha yesterday I returned to Provo to start my fall semester here at BYU. I'm excited :) it's going to be a busy and hard semester that's for sure but I think overall it will be good. I'm taking Chem 105, Math 112, Book of Mormon, Nutrition, and Polysci. Chem and Calc together are going to be the hardest I think. I'll have to put in a lot of study hours for those classes.

I'm all settled into my new dorm. It's different than WyView for sure but it'll be good. It is so hot in our dorm though. Yesterday it was seriously at least 90 degrees in our room. Not fun. We were all sweaty and gross and felt like we were going to die!!!!! But we made it through the night. It's still hot today but not as bad.

First Sunday in my new ward today. I don't have church until 1:30 so that kinda stinks but I do get to sleep in. Fast Sundays are really going to stink though. I guess our ward is so big that we have 2 RS which will be kinda different and weird. My dad introduced himself to my bishop yesterday and he already knew my name....that could be good or bad...

Well my new adventure is about to begin. I'll be sure to keep up on the life and times of me :) love you all!

Highlights

My 8 weeks of summer term is coming to a close. It has been a fantastic summer. Before I left everyone was telling me how much they loved summer term and how much fun it was. There were times when I was thinking what is so fun about this? But the majority of the time was a blast. I'm so glad that I chose to come in the summer I've made so many memories and had so many adventures and fun times. So I thought that I would look back and give you all the highlights of my summer.

1. Meeting Jessica: Jessica is my roommate and she has been the best. We really connected from the very first day and I can tell that we have a lasting friendship. I don't know what I would have done this summer if I didn't have her.

2. Stadium of Fire: This was seriously one of the funnest things of my whole summer. I got to see David Archuleta and Brad Paisley...what could be better than that?!

3. My Book of Mormon Class: Book of Mormon was my favorite class this term. Every time that I went into that class I learned something new and interesting and I always got a laugh. The teacher was great. He did such a great job of making each and everyone of us feel important. He knew each of our names and things about us. He was invested in us and I thought that was really cool. At the end of last week I was going to a review for that class and I passed my teacher in the hall and he said "Hey Alyssa, wow you always look so pretty I wish I was that pretty." That meant so much to me. He was just really a great teacher.

4. Days of 47 Rodeo: This was sooooooo much fun. I was fascinated by each of the different events and the things that these cowboys could do. It was such a cool environment and I loved it!!

5. Deny's at Midnight: One Sunday night when we didn't have class the next Monday we went to Deny's at Midnight...cause it's not the Sabbath anymore ;) haha I felt so rebelious...and tired.

6. Visiting Idaho Falls: After midterms I went to Idaho Falls for the weekend. I don't think I need to recap the whole weekend but let's just say that is was very eventful ;)

7. Hiking the Y...twice: This summer I have hiked the Y twice. I would say that's a big accomplishment most people that I've talked to have never done it. It's a fun hike. My lungs were burning both times cause the air is so freaking thin but still fun. The view is amazing. There is this man who does the hike everyday and while he is hiking he yells "GOOD MORNING EVERYONE!!! YOU'RE ALMOST THERE!! YOU'RE SO CLOSE YOU CAN TASTE IT!!!" Hahaha it made my day both times that I saw him.

8. My Birthday: I spent my 18th birthday out here in good old Provo. It was fun and kinda strange at the same time. It was the first time I had ever gone to school on my birthday...that was weird. But I had great people to spend the day with and it was great :)

9. The Bees Game: Going to Salt Lake with Jessica, Dalton , and Trey was so much fun! We got to watch the baseball game and firework show that would rival the fireworks at Stadium of Fire...yes they were that good.

10. Swimming at Scera Park: Shortly after coming to Provo Jessica and I went to Scera Park and layed out pretty much all day. We had to get our tan on and it was a great time to hang out and get to know each other better. I'm just sad that we only did it once.

Friday I will be on my way to Idaho Falls to meet up with family and then Saturday I will be on my way back to Vancouver. I really am so excited. I think I might cry when I see my family :p I get to spend two weeks at home and then it's back to school. It's been a great summer but I can't wait to be home!!!! Love you all see you soon!!!

Lights Will Guide You Home

I know it's been forever since I've posted. It's been a crazy busy week or so and it will continue to be busy until Thursday when finals are over. I've been doing homework like no one's business. Or at least it seems that way. It's coming to the end though and you know what that means.....I'M GOING HOME!!!!!! I am so excited. I feel like excited isn't even the right word to describe how I feel. I can't wait to see my family and to spend some time out on the boat. I also can't wait to see the cabin. I've heard that it is amazing so I can't wait to see it for myself. Gah I'm just so excited!!!!

Today was the last day of my weight lifting class. I did really like this class but at the same time I am so glad it's over. Thanks to this class I had the strangest morning routine. The class started at 9 and so I would have to get up at 7am (another thing I'm excited about for when I get home....sleeping!!!) and since I live so far away and have to walk to school I would have to leave by 8:20. So I would get up and shower and do my hair and get all ready just to go and workout. I would pack normal clothes for the rest of the day and when I was done with my weight lifting class I would change and go to the rest of my classes. I would be in normal clothes for a few hours just to go back to my workout clothes when my classes were over. That whole system just doesn't really make sense but it's what I had to do.

Today was and interesting day in my weight lifting class. Every Thursday was a free day so I would usually use that time to work some technique on my lifts. Today I worked front and back squat. My teacher told me that my form on my front squat got better as I added weight. Usually it's the other way around so I was surprise to hear that. Also, as I was adding weight to the bar this other guy from my class was on the rack next to me and he added a plate for me on the other side of my bar. Now I know that he was being nice and friendly but that just really bothered me for some reason. I don't really know why it bothered me so much I guess it's along the same lines and when people talk to me when I'm working out. It just bothers me. So that was interesting. The last thing that was actually really funny was after I was done working out I was stretching and talking to a girl in the class and she asked me if guys are intimidated by me cause I can lift. I thought that was the funniest thing of all time!!!!

Like I said nothing super exciting has happened in my life for the past week. Hope all is well. Love you all!! :)

If I Were Stranded on an Island....

You know that dumb question that people always ask..."if you were stranded on a desert island what would you have with you?" Number one that is a dumb question and number two it's a trick question because your answer is never really that good and when would that ever happen?! Unless you're on the TV show Lost the answer is never. So even though I hate that question I do know that there are some material things in my life that are essentials. Here they are...

1. Nutella- I freaking love this stuff. I have given up putting it on things and I just eat it with a spoon. Don't judge until you've tried it. It's amazing.

2. My planner- I'm the type of person that likes to see what's going on each day of each week. Every Sunday I think to myself, "what do I have going on this week?" Also, every morning in the shower I go through all the things that I have that day in my head. Sometimes it's a lot of things my planner helps me from going totally crazy.

3. Toms and Five Fingers- I love shoes. Anyone who knows me or has seen my closet will know that. However, if for some reason I was only allowed to have two pairs of shoes all I would need are my Toms and my Five Fingers. If you have those two things you can do anything.

These are my 3 essentials. What are yours?

My Crazy Beautiful Life

Things are going really great! I'm really getting into the swing of college and adjusting really well. I feel better and better about being here everyday. It feels normal. I have had an eventful last few days. We had a 4 day weekend which was fantastic. Out here in Provo Pioneer Day is an actual holiday...that is new and kinda weird for me. But if I get school off for it then I'm not complaining. Saturday night I went to a Bees game. The Bees are the triple A affiliate team to the Angles. They play in Salt Lake. So we went up there to watch the game. They were playing a team from Tacoma and I'm sorry to break it to everyone in Washington but they got killed. The Bees destroyed them. The Bees scored 10 runs in just the first inning. I felt bad for the Tacoma team! After the game there was a firework show and it was great. It was right up there with Stadium of Fire which is saying something.

Sunday we got up and went to church. Pretty uneventful. I went to Tyson's for Sunday dinner. That's sort of becoming a routine now :) and I'm perfectly OK with that. We went to their friend's house later that night and did some more fireworks. Fireworks are big here in Utah and not just on the 4th and 24th. They are legal so I hear fireworks set off pretty much every night. That was super fun. Later that night/morning me and Jessica did something pretty awesome that I'm surprised I actually did cause we all know that I need my sleep and I'm not really one to stay up super late but I did. We went to Deny's at midnight....because it's not Sunday anymore ;) that was pretty fun. There were actually a lot of people there at midnight which was surprising.

Monday morning we got up bright and early. That was not very fun after being up so late the night before. We were going to hike the Y so we had to get up and go before it got too hot. In case you don't know the Y is a huge Y that is up on the side of a mountain above the BYU campus. If you look at my pictures of Facebook you will see it. The hike was crazy!! It was so fun at the same time though. It's a really steep hike. It's pretty much straight up the whole way. I was sucking wind the whole time!! I thought that I was used to the altitude but man oh man I'm not. Well I'm used to it down here in the valley but up there..goodness!! You can reallly tell a difference. The air was noticeably thinner. I was so glad that I did it. It's one of those things that you have to do while you're going to BYU. There were a lot of people there too because of Pioneer Day.

Now the best part! Monday night I went to the Days of 47 rodeo!! It was one of the best things of my entire life. I had so much fun. I love horses and that kind of thing...which sometimes surprises people. They had single man roping and team roping along with barrel racing and bull riding and so much more! It was a blast. It's one of those things that has been on my list of things to do sometime in my life. I loved it! My grandpa wants me to be a barrel racer it looks dang fun!!

Today I went to my classes. My music class was canceled so I got out earlier than I normally do which was great. I did my workout then came home. We needed toilet paper (which has it's own story that's coming later) and I needed cereal so I walked over to the creamery and picked those things up. As I was walking over there I saw these guys dumping boxes into the dumpster. I instantly had a brilliant thought. I need boxes for the end of the term when I have to box all my stuff up. So after I picked up what I needed at the creamery I dumpster dived for a box! I'm such a pro!!! I was really proud of myself :)

Anyway now the TP story. On Saturday we ran out of TP so me and Jessica went and got a pack that had 4 rolls in it. We figured that would last us AT LEAST two weeks. This morning I got into the bathroom...ALL OF THE TP IS GONE!!! How the heck did we use 4 rolls of TP in a day and half?! I don't understand how that happened. I know that I didn't use a whole roll bymyself. So that's why I had to get TP today. I got a pack of 6 rolls...hopefully that lasts us but who knows...

So that's my last few days! I hope all is good! :)

Small and Simple Things

This morning I got up and I was not in a good mood. I was tired and you all know when I'm tired I'm not always the best person to be around. I know this about myself and I also know that when I'm tired everything seems worse than it actually is. I was feeling homesick, left out, and kinda lonely. All I wanted to do was go get my stuff done on campus so that I could come home and sleep.

So I went to school and went to my classes and such and when those were over I headed down to the indoor track to do my workout. My workout today was 400 meters of lunges. So I went to it. I was about a quarter way around the track and I stopped for a second to shake out my legs. This little old man came walking the opposite direction and he stopped and said, "hey can you do me a favor?"I was a little confused but I said, "sure." He said, "can you say a prayer for me too while you're down there?" It was the funniest, cutest, and most precious thing I have ever heard. He brought a smile to my face and totally made my day. My bad mood was turned right around. That man has no idea that his little cheesy joke made all the difference today but I am grateful for him.

Thou Shalt Not Covet Even Thy Neighbor's Ass

Before I get into today I just have one thing to say...COME ON PEOPLE!! After being in Idaho Falls I know that there are quite a few more people reading my blog than I thought there were. I need some feedback. Follow my blog so I can see who is reading and when you like something please comment!! I feel like I'm writing to brick wall!!

Anyway, today was pretty good. I was tired from my weekend of playing. I just had my weight lifting class and my writing class today so that was good. Those are my two easiest classes. Also, I'm done by noon so I can come home and actually have the day to do things. After my classes I went to the gym and did my workout. The other side of the gym is open now and it makes it so much better. I can go in whenever I want now without having to worry about a class being there. There is also a little bit more equipment to work with on the new side. After that I trekked home. I put it into my iPod and it's 1.2 miles from my apartment to campus. That's a pretty long walk to be making everyday. Especially when it is hot. It was hot today. It's kinda weird because whenever the weather is kinda overcast and looks like we'll have thunder and rain it's the hottest. When the sun is actually out it's cooler. That just doesn't make sense to me.

I was doing my Book of Mormon homework and I was listening to the chapters and it came to the part where Abinidi is telling the Nephites the commandments and he was saying that we shouldn't covet not even your neighbor's ass. I laughed to myself when I heard that. If you take that out of context it's really funny. I don't know maybe I'm the only one who would think that is funny but it made my day :)

Well, lots to do better go! Love you all!

Gotta Love Family

So here it is the long awaited blog post on my weekend in Idaho Falls ;) It was a great weekend. I loved seeing everyone. It was exactly what I needed, just to get out of Provo for a few days and be with people that I know. I was so glad that I didn't have to sit in my apartment alone all weekend.

Here's the recap of the weekend's festivities...

Me and Tyson and Kati got to Grandma's house around 11pm on Friday night. It was a fun drive. I love being with Tyson and Kati! They're just fun people to be with. We jammed to music the whole way. Once we got to Grandma's we were all pretty dead so we pretty much just went straight to bed. I got to sleep in the cave (aka Ryan's room) and I loved it!! I'm pretty sure the fact that that room is illegal because it's in the basement and it has no windows but I don't care it was awesome! Here in Provo we have this window right by our beds so in the morning the sun shines through and it is so bright!! It wakes us up way earlier than we want to wake up. In the cave you don't even know it's morning. It was fantastic.

Saturday was our boating day and let me tell ya it was an adventure. It was windy as heck out on the lake so that kinda stunk but we still had tons of fun. We had a few mishaps on the boat and I hate to admit it but if I don't my family will go crazy.... it was a good thing that I was there. The first mishap was on the tube. I was on the tube with my cousins Hayden and Cooper. They are little so we were just going slow but on the tube if you go too slow the front of the tube goes right under and you take on a lot of water that is moving pretty dang fast. So Cooper, the younger of the two cousins, got totally washed off the back of the tube. I was half washed of the tube half jumping in after Cooper. I'm told it was quite a sight to see. Cooper got pretty far under the water and my mind was going a mile a minute. Some of my thoughts included, "crap I can't see him", "oh no my cousin just drowned", "he has a life jacket on so where the heck is he" but then I saw him. It was a good thing he was wearing a bright red Spiderman life jacket. I pulled him out from the water and of course he was freaking out. I was kinda freaking out too. He was saying ow ow ow and so I was like crap he's hurt! It turned out that he had just bitten his tongue. All of this happened in a matter of about 45 seconds. By some miracle Hayden managed to stay on the tube. Once we got Cooper back on the boat I looked back at Hayden and he had this huge grin on his face. He had barely even gotten wet during this whole thing and he was ready to get going again! I guess all that night Cooper was going around saying, "I fell off the tube but Lyssa saved me." That kid is just so stinking cute!

The second mishap happened shortly after this. We had my uncle out in the water and he was switching from the ski to the wakeboard. No one was watching the rope, which is one of the first rules of boating. Luckily we weren't really moving or the situation could have been a lot worse. I looked over the side and saw that the rope had gone under the boat so being the swimmer that I am I jumped in the water with no life jacket and began to try to pull the rope out. It wasn't coming. So again we're back to that same thought of, "oh crap" going through my head. I know how bad ropes around the prop can be. It can result in having to cut the rope and, sometimes, expensive damage made to the prop itself. So I take Laura's kids goggles and look under the boat. Sure enough the rope is around the prop. Since we weren't moving very much it wasn't bad and I was able to swim under and unwrap the rope.

The best part of the day was watching Brandon and Braxton learn to wakeboard. Before I get into the story I want to make it clear that I love these kids to death. I think they just forgot to bring their brains to the lake that day. Or maybe the wind just blew them right out of their ears. The whole situation was just hilarious. We have the boys out in the water laying there pretty much doing nothing while we have at least 3 people yelling at them from inside of the boat at all times. It was one of those 'you have to be there' type of situations. After about 30 mins of the same thing going on I just laid on the back of the boat and laughed. It was just so funny because that is my family. No matter where we are or what we're doing that's exactly how it's going to be and I love it!!

So after that eventful day we went back into town and Christine sheallaced me up!! Or as Chloe would say I got pretties on my nails. Haha she is so cute and she has a little attitude. Hahaa all day on the boat she would sneak up to the driver's seat and have a drink of the Pepsi that was in the cup holder. That's the Dustin's for ya!! Teachin them young!!

I was so tired by the end of the day that I totally crashed that night. The cave was great I slept until after 10 which is late for me. Grandma made a great breakfast and Ryan stopped by. He brought little Zachy. That kid is adorable. His hair is so long and he's so little and he's just so stinking cute!!

One highlight of the weekend was the little visit that we got from the ghost of Black Like Me. After we got back from boating there was a sign over the doorway to the family room in Grandma's house that said "Black Like Me." I took a picture of it and sent it to Michael saying, "is this your doing?" He said that it was the ghost of BLM (aka it was him). For those of you who don't know the Black Like Me story...sucks for you. Ask one of my uncles or my Dad.

Tyson and Kati and I left Sunday afternoon after visiting with Laura and Jared. Only in that group of people would be talking about seeing eye horses. Yes, they do exist. I guess some people are now using mini horses as seeing eye dogs because they are more likely to seek out ramps than dogs are. That's pretty much the only benefit to having a horse as a guide. I don't think that it really out weighs the negatives such as the fact that a horse is just gonna take a dump where ever and when ever it feels like it, and how the heck are you supposed to take a seeing eye horse on an airplane. I don't know I just don't get that. But anyway we left to drive home that afternoon. It was a good drive and pretty quiet. Tyson slept pretty much the whole way so me and Kati just sang in the front seat. But I'm home now and get to go back to another week at BYU. I'm so glad I got to see all my family. Thanks for the love!

Catch Up

I've been so bad at updating lately. That's my b sorry to whoever is reading this. Things have been going well. I got a 90% on my first music 101 test which was a good surprise. I was nervous because I've heard that it is a really hard class but I studied and did my thing and it turned out good. I am in love with my Book of Mormon class. Whenever you talk to and alumni of BYU they say that the religion classes are the best and they are dang right. My teacher is great and he really makes an effort to know each person in the class by name and it's all about discussion and learning from others in the class as well as from the teacher and the spirit. That class does require a lot of reading which can be difficult and sometimes. We've made it through 1st and 2nd Nephi so far and we also read some supplementary articles. I have found a trick though. It goes much faster if you listen to the audio hehehe don't tell anyone ;)

Stadium of Fire was amazing. I had such a great time. Thanks mom and dad for the tickets. David Archuleta was great and Brad Paisley put on an amazing show. I had never seen Brad live before and it was really something. He is great on stage and he really pulls you in. I've become a big fan of his since then. I have pictures from that night up on my facebook if anyone wants to check those out.

I was thinking today that I'm halfway through the term and it's time for me to refocus. Not that I wasn't already focused, but now that I've got the lay of the land and have figured out what I'm doing it's time for me to focus on a few things. I've made a goal to be more positive. I was talking to my dad yesterday and he was worried that every time I talked about church or how church was I would say long and boring. I didn't really realize that I was being so negative about it but since last night I've been thinking about it tonight. Church is going to be something that I refocus on. I'm going to go in every week with my bucket and have it ready to be filled. I

When I first moved here I had a mind set that this isn't home. This is just where I live right now and it's temporary and I don't really have to like it because this isn't me and this isn't home. That's not true and it's another thing that I'm going to work on. I'm here now. Like my mom said, "your life is at BYU now." She is so right. I need to focus on my opportunities here and Provo and start to pull my roots from Vancouver and replant them here. It's not that I'm going to give up on everything that I had in Vancouver but I need to have a new start with those things here. This is home now, it's hard for me to think or say that because it really means that I'm on my own and this is it but it's true. This is my new life and I'm ready to to fully embrace it. I am excited to come home though! I really miss boating. I had no idea how much I would miss it but every time I look outside and it's such nice weather I think about the boat and the cabin and being out on the lake. The weather is good pretty much everyday here so I have those thoughts a lot. I looked up some wakesurfing videos on youtube the other day. When I get back I'm totally going to nail a 360 on the surf board :)

On Wednesday Grandma and Grandpa are coming out here with Jen and the kids to spend the afternoon with me. I am so excited. I can't wait to see Cal and see if he still remembers...."don't get crazy weirdo!!!!" Hahahaha I miss that kid so much he's just so stinking cute!

Well I had better get back to my crazy college life! I love you all :)

Week 2

My second week of college has come to a close. Everything is going great! I got 100% on my first BOM quiz, I grocery shopped all by myself, and Cosmo wave to me...that's me and just me. All of that together makes for a pretty great week. This weekend is going to be awesome! Tonight Jessica and I are having a girls night. We are going to walk to Cafe Rio (yay!), then come home and watch She's the Man which I have never seen before. Tomorrow, we are going to stadium of fire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm mega excited for that. I am going to marry David Archuleta....It's going to happen. Then, on monday we are going to hike the Y. I hope all is well :) Happy 4th everyone!

Party All The Time!

So far to all my family my college life seems like a big party. I guess it is! Yesterday I spent the evening with Tyson and Kati again. I love hanging out with them! They take such good care of me and they're just really fun to be around. I love their dogs! They have one huge chocolate lab named April and a little chihuahua named Taco. I'm Taco's new bffl. He snuggled with me yesterday!

Today my class got out early so I came home and got all my stuff done. Jessica's aunt came into town today and took us both to the Park City Outlets. I got a few things. I totally scored on a Columbia jacket and I love it!! It was the first time I had been to Park City and all I could think about was how much I wanted to WOD with the big boys!!! But shopping was a pretty good alternative. I'm really resisting the urge to talk about working out right now.

Anyway it's late I'm gonna sleep so that I can dream about crossfit!!

Mormon Dating

I almost feel like and alien here. I feel like I am the only girl who is not constantly thinking about dates and guys and going on dates and having a boy friend. I mean those things are all great but I really don't think it's healthy or sane to be always be thinking about that. There was a guy in church who when he introduced himself said that he was still trying to uphold his goal of going on at least one date a week. If a guy is going to take me out I want it to be because it's me not just because I'm the next girl on the list. I don't think that would make any girl feel good about herself. It's not that i'm against going on dates or anything I just think that there should be some thought behind it not just because we're Mormon and that's what we do.

Lazy Day

Today I didn't shower until 5:30. If that doesn't say lazy then I have no idea what does. I actually did get some stuff done today. I got to sleep in which was awesome! I was so tired. Each day of the week I felt like I got more and more tired which makes my hard dorm room mattress feel better and better ;). Anyway, I slept in then did the dishes. They were sort of piled up from last night...and most of them were mine. But when you're such and amazing cook like I am then you use a lot of dishes...it's just how it works. After the dishes I was going to go swim for the first time in 6 months at the pool on campus. I was actually really excited but when I got there the pool was closed because of the swim camps that are going on. So that was a bummer. So I walked back home in the 100 degree heat and gathered my laundry and did it. Go me!! In order to avoid making my farmer's tan worse I went outside and did a little laying out with Jessica (my roommate). That was fun but we didn't stay out too long...it was dang hot. By this time it was 5:30 and I had some people coming over to do a video for my writing 150 class so I figured I should actually get ready. We did the video and it took like 2 mins which was nice. Tonight I'm going to meet up with Breanne Hauver. I haven't seen her in so long so that will be fun :) I'm really excited for tomorrow because when Jessica gets back from Manti we are going to this pool/waterpark place it's going to be a blast!! If that doesn't take care of the farmer's tan then I'm doomed.

Just yesterday I was sitting on campus reading for my BOM class and waiting for the gym to be open and all of the EFY groups started marching past me. It was weird to think that just a year ago that we me. And yet they looked so much younger than me. I guess that's what happens when you move to a new chapter in your life. They were so cute all arm in arm!! They were all dressed up so I knew that they were going to their testimony meeting. I looked at them and could recall the exact feelings of that night. You feel so close to all these people who you really have just met. It goes to show that friends made in the spirit are friends for a lifetime :)

So Many Questions...

"So many questions...." I find myself thinking that a lot as I walk around this bubble that some like to call Utah. Just the other day I saw a girl riding a unicycle around campus....so many questions... I also saw duck in the parking lot. I had a lot of questions about that until I was then enlightened to the fact that there is a duck pond on campus. Why is there a duck pond?...I have no clue. Another thing that puzzles me to no end is this apparent obsession that Utah (and kinda Idaho too) have with ratting their hair. I mean with the heat and the dryness my hair is big enough as it is. Why would you want to back comb your hair and make it HUGE!?! So many questions.

It's been a good first week though. By now it doesn't really feel like a first week. It feels like I've been doing this for a long time. I was asked just a few minutes ago if I was nervous about living on my own. At first I was...seriously...I was a wreck. But now that I've been doing it for a week it's not biggie. I'm fine with cooking my own food, in fact, I'm pretty pro at it. I've also picked up a few groceries. It's nice to do things on my own. Everything I do something I have that GO ME!! feeling and I love it!

I just got back from watching Zoolander with the guys from the building next to us. I guess it was pretty funny. I don't really know because I was basically asleep the whole time. That's a problem I have. Unless I'm completely uncomfortable, you put on a movie and I'm out in less than 5 minutes.

Just to clarify from my last post...OCD is supposed to be a joke. Yes, I do love crossfit but I wouldn't want anyone to worry that..oh I don't know...that I've turned into that weird girl who only talks about kettle bell swings ;)

There is one thing that I have really been worried about and sure enough my worst nightmares are coming true. It's something that I vowed to myself would never happen to me. However, when you come to Utah and go to BYU I guess it's inevitable. It is........the farmer's tan!!!!!!! It's been high 90s to the 100s the past few days and I spend a good portion of that time outside walking. My arms are actually pretty dark just not my shoulders. It pretty much kills my soul.

I went to dinner with my "cousin" Tyson last night. I say "cousin" because he is really my dad's cousin but he is closer to me in age than he is to my dad so he's my cousin or in his words, "we're twins can't you see it?" I was fun though. It was me and him and his wife, their two friends and their friend's little son Owen. It was nice to get out. To this point I haven't ventured very far so I was getting a little bored. But they saved me :) It was also nice to be with some real people. Not that the people I see on campus aren't real it's just that it seems like everyone is so on and happy and 'every thing is awesome' all the time. I'm happy don't get me wrong but I do have a sarcastic side. I like to joke around. So it was nice to be with people who more matched my personality if you know what I mean.

Well I'm so tired. I get to sleep in tomorrow thank goodness!! Hope all is well. Keep in touch. Like I said I get a little bored sometimes so it's nice to hear from people. Text me whenever!! Lots of Love!!

OCD--Obsessive CrossFit Disorder

OCD...it's a real thing...I have it...and I'm ok with that. I'm sorry that I talk about crossfit all the time but I love it...I think about it pretty much all the time especially now that I have to do it all by myself.

I made my first voyage to the school gym yesterday to do my first WOD all by myself. I also did my first workout in my weightlifting class today. So I don't have very much experience with being in the weight room but I have been in there enough to have noticed one very important point. That is that there is a difference between working out and being an athlete. I go into the weight room and there are these guys who think they are just the coolest thing to walk the planet because they come in and back squat 500 pounds. Don't get me wrong being able to lift a lot of weight is a good thing. I'm always trying to be able to lift more than I already can and I'm not trying to say that the way that I do things is the only right way but in all actuality what is back squatting 500 lbs (that's and exaggeration) going to do for you?! By working out you should be doing thing that are going to help you in your everyday life and are going to make you feel better in your everyday life. You can come in and be a macho man but what are you getting from it. You're not faster, you're not more flexible, you're not more agile, and you really can't be that physically fit. I just don't get it.

"It's All Going to be Ok"

Today: day two of classes at BYU. It was pretty good. Today was a much longer day than yesterday. I got up at 7 and got ready and left by 8:15. I have weightlifting at 9 and it's quiet a walk to I have to give myself enough time to get to campus. Good news...we had a teacher today!! He's this big buff guy and he comes in and you can tell that he's trying to be kind of intimidating and I'm thinking whatever dude stop with the act. So I talked to him a little and asked about crossfit and if he knew anything about anyone doing it on campus and he gave me the same response that everyone else has..."no one does it here but there's one in Orem and in Provo." THANK YOU!! I AM AWARE THAT THERE IS ONE IN PROVO!! IF I WANTED TO GO TO THAT ONE I WOULDN'T BE ASKING!!! Anyway he told me that he doesn't believe in crossfit but that if I wanted to I could do my own work outs during class. So we'll see how that goes.

I also had my Book of Mormon class today. I really liked it I think that it might end up being my favorite class. I'm in the return missionary class. That's kind of weird for me because I by no means consider myself a master of the scriptures. I think that I'm really going to learn a lot though. It's so much better than seminary!!!! Bro Smith (my BOM teacher) told us a story today of a freshman that he had who was a little bit overwhelmed with starting college and getting into all these hard classes and he said that the kid's screensaver was this repeating message of "It's going to be ok it's going to be ok it's going to be ok". So that's what I kept telling myself today as we jumped into my harder classes...it's going to be ok!

I also started my music 101 class today. My schedule is sort of weird on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I have weightlifting at 9-10, BOM from 12-2, and then music is from 4-6:30. It is the longest class of my entire life!!!! And we got out early today....oh my gosh!!! It's going to be interesting. I do have some friends in that class though which helps. Jessica Young is there with me and another guy from Wyview is there. He's a ginger and super funny and I think that we're going to have a good time.

I also did my first workout today on my own. I miss my hometown box so much!!! :( it's all I could think about when I was working out. You can't have headphones in if you're working with free weights so I was thinking a lot while I was working out. The gym kinda sucks and it's disappointing. Before I left I was totally turning a corner with my crossfit workouts and I was doing really good and getting a lot stronger. I feel like being here and not having that many resources that I'm either going to stay where I am now or go backwards and get worse. It just kinda sucks. But I'm doing the best I can with that..."it's going to be ok".

Well I better get to studying. Hope all is well!!

So Here We Are

Following the inspiration of my writing 150 teacher and my mother I have decided to reenter the blogging world. So here we are. Today was my first day of classes at the Y. It was great! My first class is beginning weightlifting. The teacher didn't show today. Mom was saying that maybe they don't have a teacher for that class. So tomorrow I'm going to go and if he's not there I'm going to see what I can do about being the teacher...I know quiet a bit about weightlifting. No joke. Anyway, my next class is writing 150. It's a pretty good class from what I can tell. It seems like it's going to be just like my AP lang class at Union. Each week, for that class we have to make a blog post. My blog for that class, in case you're interested in following it is www.ttoad.blogspot.com. My other classes include music 101 and BOM. I have both of those classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays so I'll let you know how those go!

I love my room mate. We have tons in common and get a long great. So far I'm doing just fine being on my own. I was really worried about it at the end of last week and some tears were shed but I had nothing to worry about. I've got this college thing down ;)

I had my first Sunday in a YSA ward yesterday. It was pretty good. I think I'm going to like the people in my ward. The only thing is that here in Utah...IT'S SOOOOOO MORMON!!! Don't get me wrong I believe in the church and know it's true but holy cow! Seriously... how many hours can we spend at church in one day?! It's a major culture shock for me. I'm not sure I'll ever get used to it.

So here we are just livin it up. My WOD today...just in case you were wondering...100burpies for time.