So... It's December 1st.

I would like to publicly thank my forever friend, Ashley "Helga" Palmer, for the shout out to blog every day in December. What a fun challenge!

With it being the first day of December, and my favorite time of the year (just ask Michael, he could have sworn Christmas started on October 1st with how many Christmas activities we've been doing lately!) this is the only thing I have to say today:

In Noteworthy we've been polishing up all our Christmas music. It just brings a whole new spirit to the group! I'm so thankful for all this music that can help brighten my mood.

So, pop in your favorite Christmas Album (on me), sit back in the Christmas tree's splendor and sip some hot cocoa! It's that time of year!

I hope the beginning of your Christmas season is as magical as ever!

On a typical Friday Night...

...I wouldn't be spending the night taking pictures of my hair, but what the hey. When you like something, you've got to document it!

Thanks, meg for the inspiration!

I'm really not TRYING to be foggy.

This is my attempt at saying things how they are...which is something I'm really quite terrible at. I'm also pretty terrible at writing well, so bullet points will have to do.

• I'm on a real "Spiritual high" right now. I'm reading my scriptures, praying, and most important of all: PONDERING! I'm discussing things with Heavenly Father that I've never really thought of discussing with Him and I can tell you here and now that he knows you and listens to you.
• I'm dating one of the most uplifting people I've ever met. Never have I ever dated someone that makes me feel good all around (spiritually, mentally, physically and emotionally) like he does. In past relationships I've been really blind to what should be most important, and now that I'm seeing the light, I'm glad to have him so close to me in the right ways!
• School is relatively monotonous. I love my ASL class, HATE my American Heritage class, skip my Honors 212 class a lot and have a crush on my D&C teacher.
• I still love my job. When I haven't seen people for a while the first thing they usually ask is "Are you STILL working at the museum?" I always reply with a hearty "Yes! It's the best job in the world," because it is. I love working with adults that I can learn so much from. I look up to them a lot.
• I love my roommates. I can't number the times I've teared up when I think of them. These girls are my closest friends and I can't imagine going through this crazy college life without their funny mumbled remarks, dance parties, and late night couch crashing. I think these "glory years" that everyone says we're experiencing really will be times I will NEVER forget.
• I'm looking forward to the choices I get to make in the next year. At the beginning of this new school year I made an internal decision to serve a mission. I've always wanted to serve and the more I think about it, the more my heart and mind agree that it would be the best thing to do. While I understand that marriage, if it is the right thing, will take precedence, this is still my plan. Relying on the Lord with his name on a badge on my chest, trudging through the snow (or intense heat, or sleet or hail or tornado) sounds like the most exciting adventure to me right now. I want to be a missionary. I've felt the promptings I need to feel, and this is my decision for now.
• Now, how Michael (my "wrapped in a bow, delivered straight to my door, spiritual giant, sweetest thing" boyfriend) and my mission go together I don't know, but I'm trying to take this advice:

“Let us earnestly seek the light of personal inspiration. Let us plead with the Lord to endow our mind and soul with the spark of faith that will enable us to receive and recognize the divine ministering of the Holy Spirit.”

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Your Potential, Your Privilege,” Liahona andEnsign, May 2011, 60.

I'm praying, and counselling and pondering and praying some more. I'll let you know what I find.

Sometimes...

Sometimes he plays the song he wrote for me on the guitar.

Life as of late--picture edition.

I love paying attention in class.

(Thanks for the idea Helg!)

Fall is on it's way in and I cannot WAIT for leaves to start changing.

One year older and wiser too...

Happy birthday to one of my greatest friends.

(Please disregard cheesy high school picture, and the fact that I should have published this yesterday.)

They just keep growing!

I'm lucky enough to work on BYU campus where Especially for Youth is held every summer. It's not my favorite thing to have thousands of tweeners running around campus (even though it was one of my all-time favorite memories).

However, there is one week when I am lucky enough to be able to see my 3 favorite EFY kids.

(Cousin Chase, 17. Sister Maddie, 16. Cousin Bridger, 17.)

It's so fun to be close and actually feel like family, now that we're all a little older. I'm so lucky to be related to these 3. They are the epitome of this year's theme "Believe. Hope. Endure."

Seriously, I'm so lucky.

Plan of Correction

In this summer of self-exploration and strengthening I've realized the importance of Heavenly Father in my life. Not just as someone of extreme importance to my eternal progession, but as SOMEONE. He is there no matter what and it's especially nice because He has the power to influence other parts of my life. Thus, I'm making a "Plan of Correction" (a.k.a: goals) to keep me close to Him. The plan consists of:

1. Listening for the Spirit and it's promptings

2. Seeing trials in the light of the Father who gave them to me

3. Verbally acknowledging His hand in my life through prayer--morning and night.

And last but not least, 4.....

"I would like to speak of one particular attitude and practice we need to adopt if we are to meet our Heavenly Father’s high expectations. It is this: willingly to accept and even seek correction. Correction is vital if we would conform our lives “unto a perfect man, [that is,] unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). Paul said of divine correction or chastening, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth” (Hebrews 12:6). Though it is often difficult to endure, truly we ought to rejoice that God considers us worth the time and trouble to correct." -Elder D. Todd Christofferson

He loves me and wants me to happy. Even if it has to sting a little to get me to where I need to be, I will forever put my faith in Him. He loves you too.

Hip-Hip-Hooray!

If you know me at all, you know I LOVE birthdays. So, in honor of my love of birthdays I will be making this:

And if your birthday is coming up, you may just be receiving it from me.

Happy end of June!

(Pictures to be posted soon)

Forbidden Love

He was my little sister's EFY counselor and he came to visit me while I was working at the Bean. I ate lunch with him every day that week--using my little sister as an excuse, of course, and he visited every day--using my little sister as an excuse, of course. Lucky for me, that Friday was my 19th birthday and like the gentelman that he is, he wrote me a poem. It included all the parts to make girls swoon (a confession of love, rap-like rhymes, reference to future dates, his phone number, etc).

As it so happens, we've kept in touch and this year, I was lucky enough to get the same thing. Here are two (out of 12!) of my favorite stanzas:

My three favorite things:
Sports, Sports Center and Mountain Dew.
But don't worry, in fourth,
is you, my boo.

So enjoy turning 20.
I hope it's simply the best.
Maybe I'll spend 21 with you,
And 22, 23, 24 and all the rest.

Mountain Dew rhymes with boo?! Who knew?! (ha) Did I mention he lives in Hawaii?

(Sigh)

Blood's thicker than water....

The family is a haven in a heartless world. ~Attributed to Christopher Lasch

I have really realized lately how glad I am that I get to spend eternity with these crazies! Families are the best, especially mine. No battles.

RIP

We've had a great 3 years together.

Baby Bumper, you will be missed.

(It's Friday the 13th....coincidence?)

Hickory Kist

My friend Sarah and I have been friends since we started working at the Bean Life Science Museum our Freshman year at BYU (which was almost 2 years ago. eek.). This summer we are both working full time at the Bean and have decided to make lunch every Friday "Fabulous Frugal Friday".

The requirements for "Fab-Frug-Fri" are:

1) 2 {or more} single ladies

2) The hour between 1:00 & 2:00pm

3) A BOGO or Half off coupon to a never-before-dined-in restaurant

4) A camera to document the (hopefully) delicious findings.

5) Delightful savings and joyous conversation between delectable bites.

So, here's our first try at it...

Friday, May 6th: Hickory Kist

First of all, isn't the name clever?! I was into it the first time Sarah talked about it, only from the title. This lovely place is found at 42 West Center Street in Provo.

They're known for their signature sandwiches and meats. Sarah and I found this coupon that gets you a BOGO on any sandwich in the store! (Not to mention that it's free online and doesn't expire until December 31, 2011!!)

We decided to each get a sandwich. Sarah got...

The Clinster:

2 Slices of homemade white bread

Honey Butter

Mayo

Hickory Kist signature turkey breast

Breaded chicken breast

Tomato

Avacado

Lettuce

All smothered in HK Barbeque sauce

Yep, it was just as good as it sounds.

I got....

The Mojo:

2 slices of Homemade Wheat bread

Honey Butter

Mayo

Avacado

Ranch

Tomato

Turkey Breast

Breaded Chicken

(I can't figure out how to get rid of the underline....) These were some of the best sandwiches I've had in a very long time! So filling and so much flavor! My favorite part was the two different kinds of meat: Breaded Chicken and Turkey. WHO KNEW?!?!

And if there's one thing I love more than free food...

It's having some to take home after.

Three cheers for a successful first Fabulous Frugal Friday!

If you have any suggestions to places to go, I'd love to hear about these hidden treasures.

Lastly, if you don't have anything going on between 1:00 and 2:00pm on Friday and feel like trying something new, give me a buzz. We'd love your company.

Bottoms Up

You know you're having a good day when you drink this....

and it turns into this....

Hopefully the sun will come out so we can enjoy this summertime beverage where it rightfully should be enjoyed. Happy May!

Examples

Meet one of the people that has changed my life, for good, forever:

His name is Matt Relei. You could never find him without a smile on his face, a protien bar and at least one bottle of Gatorade. He's famous for his kindness, portrayed here (amid my moaning and groaning--skip all that). He's showed up at my house with all kinds of fun things at the most random times: Sombraros, fake flowers, kites, peeps (Most people hate them, but he knew they were my favorite) and even flowers for me on our first date. Who would expect this from a big, bad BYU football player? Definitely not me.

The best part is, under all that fun stuff, he has the most REAL testimony. He didn't get it from his parents. He has searched, prayed, looked, thought and experienced. That's the biggest part of him that I covet: his ability to put in the work to know for himself. I need to do that more.

"It is amazing to see the hand of the Lord in the work. He has truly laid the path and we are following. The mission is great. It really is. I am so glad that I decided to serve. It is amazing what the world does to people. Their thoughts and ideas only focus on things of the world and not anything more. What the world doesn’t know is that we have a potential that is celestial. We are of a divine lineage. We one day can be divine. I hope all this doesn’t sound just weird or like sci-fi because before the mission I probably would have just let this go in one ear and out the other but hopefully for whoever reads this meditates for a minute on this. Keep the future in mind. Don’t just get lost in the day-to-day rat race. Be the cat and be one step ahead."

His silly analogy next to heartfelt concern for the world represent him perfectly.

Boys, this is the kind of missionary you should be.

Girls, this is the kind of man you deserve to marry.

Rededication

I want to be good at blogging. I want to have a cute blog. I want to have meaningful things to say. So I'm going to try (however, probably no insightful nor cute things will be mentioned in this post).

This summer will consist of me:

1. Working at the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum

2. Living in King Henry Apartments with Hil and Abby

3. Spending every Saturday at Seven Peaks Water Park

4. Training for a half marathon on July 30th.

5. (insert something worthwhile here)

I'm looking for something to work through, a project for the summer. Whether it be reading a whole series of books, cooking my way through a cook book, visiting all the coolest places in Utah, documenting and compiling all the hilarious date stories I've had in my lifetime, etc. But I don't know where to start. Without Noteworthy this summer it's time to find my identity. If you have any project ideas please don't hesitate to let me know!

Happy re-blogging and Easter!