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!! :)