zion's.. again.

remember that time i went to zion's and tried to be a videographer? but then i didn't charge my camera so i died when we actually got there? yeah that was cool.

livin' the dream.

so, i'm not way obvious about it.. but i'm a closet music snob. college has made my new band finding time take a hit, but i'm still a sucker for a good acoustic track and that band that no one else has heard of. MLK jr weekend rach and i took off to vegas to see five (yes FIVE!) bands play at the hard rock cafe on the strip. so worth the measly fifteen!! dollars we paid.

it all started when i was looking at my friends from sd's tour schedule. yep that's right. a boy band from south dakota is touring! (check out the boys of pf) they've been very successful lately, touring with bands i love.. even all time low! i had to see them. and guess what? they were coming out west, to vegas to be exact. it was the perfect weekend for it (byu had monday off) and i would probably be going to st. george anyways. i decided i'd go. then it got better.. i saw who they were touring with..
days difference
he is we
the summer set
the cab.
um.. yes please? other than days difference these were some of my favorite bands.. all in one place. i was so excited to take my friends, madison five's soundtrack is basically he is we. long story short all that this group ended up being was just me and rach.. but that was perfect :)

summer set top left//bottom + cab pianist in top right (aka my new love)

the drive was long and the concert started pretty early, so we barely got to see paradise fears finish up. it was a long concert because of all the set changes, but it was soooo good! rachel is now converted to my weird bands, especially the cab. we were most looking forward to hearing he is we, but rachel (the lead singer and voice of he is we) was having throat problems and wasn't actually supposed to be performing. they were short on stage but still so good to see live.

in between set changes i met up with marcus from paradise fears, who conveniently is a best friend from high school's boyfriend. it was so funny to see these random girls come up and just paparazzi'd him and started taking pictures of him as we were midconversation. after i got to see all of the pf boys. they were so cute and i was thrilled. (its been a couple years since i've seen them, and we we're that close so i didn't know who would remember me.) i'm so proud of all they're accomplishing!

 

clockwise from top: jordan, me, rach, and lucas (pf)//rach and i with he is we//marcus and i

it was good to have some more south dakotans in the west.. + i got a picture with he is we, + i saw he is we, the summer set, and the cab live = perfect night

after the concert we made a quick in n out stop (duh) and traveled safely back to st geezy in grandma j's van. yummm.

i'm blogging from a car.

can you believe technology? i am on the internet while driving home from st. george. a- mazing. and pretty sweet and productive :)

 the provo bubble was popped thursday night when b-dog and brittany took off to head south.

this little gas station saved our lives. um. just know that if you are low in gas on the way to st. george GAS UP IN CEDAR.. if not you may have some technical difficulties. let's just say that our gas tank got very low for a very long time, according to the gas light.  how low you ask?

we are poor.. so we put five dollars in to get us to st. george (we were four miles away) and the gas light was STILL on. i am happy to report we made it safely. (barely.)

both friday and saturday night i worked the closing shift at ace. why do i love it so much? i don't exactly understand it.. but i like it and it pays so i think i'll keep picking up these shifts when possible :) i saw some of our "regulars".. one almost didn't recognize me when i was in the store that day without my vest!

i worked both shifts with this kid (breckon). he's underage so don't get any thoughts. we're just work besties. it's a love/hate relationship but on a good day i can get him to do the cleaning for me :) he started this summer and was just a little trainee and now he's earned the rights to the keys over me! so proud.

after work i made an appearance with bryn and brit at my aunt's halloween party. it was rockin'. everyone (except for us) was in full costume. dj lex was there (apparently he's a big deal) and every now and then a zumba instructor did a dance with everyone.

somehow my clever cousin ethan constructed a robot head thing to be like the LMFAO guy. his eyes even lit up! he's a keeper.

after we went to the haunted corn maze at staheli family farm.  not too scary but fun, and it was cool to meet new people. thanks for the facebook tag kortney!

sunday i went to church with my grandma, uncle, and cousins. i got the pleasure of taking kennedy out when sacrament meeting was getting long for her.

it reminded me of old time with my siblings :) we went around and look at all the pictures and talked about them. i just want to be a primary teacher! stupid YSA wards.

now i'm provo bound. i had the perfect weekend of family, friends, catching up, shopping, and work :) almost home!  we were driving and kennedy found part of her brother's costume from last night (he was an old man) and put it on. below is the result.

happy halloween!

life of a college student.

i have had less than ten, even five dollars, in my account on multiple occasions this month.
boys cooked for us today, its the most nutritiously balanced meal i've had all school year.
i avoid homework like the plague.
i'm constantly setting goals, but sometimes it takes a while..
my gas tank usually only receives a couple gallons at a time.
i had pasta five nights in a row.
right now i'm craving st. george. i need to get away. i miss my grandma! (ps call out to the stgeezy girls.. i think i might go down in two weekends.. who is down? split gas?) :)
apparently the new software update for my iphone was the coolest thing since sliced bread, but i was too busy to really notice.
tonight i got ready for bed and quickly noticed my shorts (running shorts, the kind with the built in awkward undies) were on backwards. i was too tired to care.
the dollar menu almost too expensive for me.
the idea of being in a house is extremely exciting, even if its just for the night.

but- the life of a byu student is all of this and more.

the boys are nice and complimentary.
students and professors alike are teaching me things i haven't even thought about.
this week i found out the Christmas story is a fraud. (did you know Jesus was actually born in a cave, and wise men didn't come for a reallly long time after?)
i have a reason for being here and i know what i need to do to better myself.
where else can you feel the Spirit so strong you are about to cry?
there's something about those white shirts and ties on sundays that you just can't beat..
even though i do horribly on my New Testament tests, i still am grateful for all i learn.
i'm still poor, but still lovin' life.

content.

last night i noticed i'm content.
content with my life, my friends, my family, and the way things are going.
and, as always, i'm grateful for the people in my life that make it so great.
last night alex came down and we just did somewhat random things, and i started noticing how comfortable i am around her.. so next year should be quite great :)
is this random? probably.
it doesn't matter what you're doing, it matters who you're with.
yep. i just went there.
enjoy some pics.

ps i'm in love with my new aviators. gold rims. six bucks. yes please.

^ late night girl talk hard core. it was great :) i love her, i'm glad she's back.

ps I GO HOME IN TWO DAYS! i am so excited!

scenes from the last couple days.

and reasons i've been mia.

so raise your glass.

life as i know love it. 

things i'm dreading:
my accounting final
my accounting grade post final
writing two essays for my polisci final (i'm SO over papers! especially polisci papers)
packing up my room
saying good bye to my floor/ward
my last sunday with the best freshmen ward i could ask for
ending this year
saying goodbye to my first missionary friend, seokhee (i've never done this before!)

things i'm looking forward to:
getting finals over with
seeing my grandma, who is coming to help me pack up
seeing my family
..seeing my family in FLORIDA
being tan 
being back in st.george
earning MONEY!
summer
lake powell
weddings

i'm trying to see the glass and half full, but i have to admit i get choked up just thinking about the goodbyes that are coming in a matter of days. 
i'll keep you posted. 


ps just a little word to my lovers- byu is awesome. 
i'm totally converted/brainwashed/whatever you want to call it. i used to be a hater, but i don't think much can beat the year i've had.
anyone who wants a wholesome college experience that consists of:
one of the cheapest private universities, the best people you'll ever meet,
a spirit that is so unique in itself,
a school you can totally pride yourself in saying you attend,
and education that isn't all about your final grade (though you have to work dang hard for a good one)
..byu is the place for you.
i know i won't have the college experience 95% of my friends from home are having, but i don't want that.
i needed this more than i could of ever have known. to sum up my thoughts on byu post freshmen year - refreshing and rewarding.
gosh i'm a freakin' commercial, i should get paid. oh well, i'm a proud cougar :)

official annoucement.

i will be spending my saturday here!

while we're on our way there/back we will stop here!

YAY for fabulous las vegas birthday weekend!

we being me and eight others, and my dad, sister abby, and brother isaac will also be in vegas so i'll get to see them! can't wait to tell you more

just a little tribute

to my girl bryn. 

its this chick's nineteenth bday. party! and as i sit here, at my grandparent's, trying to focus and write a paper, i just really wanted to blog. and i feel she's a pretty worthy topic. :)

here's a little photo journal of our friendship. 

it all started when our mom's set us up on a little play date. i was visiting my grandparents and bored. aims and rob played tennis together in high school, and had baby girls two weeks apart. 

from then our friendship grew :)

she'd go to help our at the family stores with me. 

(we were more of a bother, but we had fun)

we spent christmas breaks taking weird pictures. 

oh yeah, we did that spring breaks, too.

 we went to efy and were roomies.

then she went became official when she went on vaca with the fam, to places like 

florida

new york

 and d.c.
then after graduation i loved her so much i moved to be in the same place as her for once.

(st. george)

which called for lots of sleepovers and even more weird pictures. 

then she got me through the hardest time of my life yet, and for that i am forever grateful. 

but, then school came, and i moved away to provo.

so she'd come and visit

and we'd go to football games

and basketball games

and we'd throw christmas parties

and go to crazy houses, like the power tumbling gym. and soon my friends became her friends. and everyone was happy. 

and then, she liked provo enough that she moved up here too.

and now, we're together again. 

just one pair of best friends. 

the moral of this story is that she is one of the most friendly, happy, forgiving, likable person i know. and its pretty cool to have someone like that as a best friend. 

so b dog. thanks for everything. sorry sometimes we seem to be complete opposites, which works both ways for us, but thanks for stickin' it out. just know i'll always just be lookin' out for you because i love you so much and wants what's best for you, because you deserve it. 

happy one nine. 

:)