SKRRRT OUTTA LOGAN

It's been a loong year haha! I honestly can't believe I made it. I'm currently sitting here in my REAL O.G. full sized cozy bed in a house full of siblings and parents in Las Vegas. Now that I'm back for the summer it feels a little like everything that happened in Logan never happened. It's mysterious.

But on the first week of school I made a little blog post and included everything I had learned in that first week of college. It seemed fitting that I make a blog post about everything I learned in the first year. So here it is: 

-It's okay to not be like everybody else. It's also okay if not everybody else is just like you 

-Anything above 30 degrees isn't that cold! 

-Not everybody is as fortunate as you and your Summerlin squad. Be generous.

-A hand written letter in the mail is 10 times better than new clothes in the mail 

-Don't take the sunshine for granted. Or Target. 

-You're so lucky to have the parents/family/friends/people that you do

-You'll be fine wherever you go. And even if you're not fine, you'll be fine. It's just a season. Things get better.

-It's better to go on 3rd dates than 3 dates

-You can survive a small town life but only if you've got people you love with you

-There is no shame in staying in on a Friday night

-There is no growth in the comfort zone

-Heavenly Father trusts you. 

-You are so incredibly dependent on Christ and Heavenly Father. You can not do this on your own.

-Your weaknesses are blessings because they pull you back to Heavenly Father and remind you of ^^

In the grand scheme of things you'll see how everything played out for the best. Until then just hang in there, say your prayers, and be positive

I’m looking back through pictures of fall 2016 when this was all beginning and I see a COMPLETELY different girl when I look at myself. I had so much yet to learn about both myself and the real life that I was suddenly a part of. 

The more I've lived the more I've realized that everybody has trials.

I always compare myself, my struggles, my strengths, weaknesses, talents, clothes, looks, etc. to my friends. So here’s a comparison that I was kind of pondering tonight. Every single one of us experienced a new chapter of life inclusive of some really good times and really hard trials. Even though they’re not comparable to each other in the littlest bit we all had the big ones. So this year I had a big one too. Moving to a foreign farm land with no friends within a 2 hour drive, missing all my people- friends, family, Dylan, fighting really hard with myself about going on a mission or not, and spiraling down into, but ultimately finding a way out of, a heavy case of seasonal depression. While my big trial was totally unique from everybody else’s, it was totally normal to have. And it’s going to be like this every year for the rest of my life. Some years will be great and some will be terrible and some will be in between but it’s always going to be uphill so it’s up to me to make the happiness. 

I'm very thrilled for what this new season of life holds. If you've read this little blog for some time you might know that change is so tough for me. Slowly but surely I'm learning that the silver lining of change is a fresh start. So get excited for lots of new and fun things! I'm working hard on reinventing myself and finally starting to get some inspiration back! Big things are coming!!

APRIL GRATITUDE + PICTURES

4/30- bubble baths, May starts = party starts, pretty sunsets with “penthouse” views

4/29- the Lee family, birthday party collaborations, living the dream

4/28- Logan temple (last trip), abs hour at the ARC, grandmas fuzzy pink robe

4/27- last day of art history, Brooke's muffins, getting to catch up with Cait 

4/26- group fitness classes, solo movie theatre trips, halo top ice cream

4/25- roolee video shoots, the maintenance guy that knocked on the door to wake me up 15 minutes before the shoot #blessed, NOT having to go to stats

4/24- driving safely to Logan, grocery shopping with Abby, 3 for 5 raspberries 

4/23- runs with grandma and grandpa, the sacrament,

4/22- Latin dance parties at wedding receptions, mint ice cream at grandmas, happy earth day!

4/21- cherry blossom pictures with Abby and Kenz, 4am nights, packages sent to Dylan

4/20- last math class I'll ever have to take, phone calls to mom, elder Holland talk

4/19- easy Wednesday's, clean laundry, cherry blossoms blooming

4/18- short Tuesday classes, institute teachers that care about me, $1 strawberries

4/17- Sav's bridals being beautiful, safe drive home, phone calls to mom on the way back

4/16- Christ's atonement, Easter Sunday at a home, hospital cafeteria heart to hearts

4/15- sydneys birthday celebrations continued, endless love soundtrack, pancake breakfast in apartment 143

4/14- sydneys birthday celebrations, Provo life, caves, glow sticks

4/13- stats extra credit, finishing school stuff early, not having fomo

4/12- drives through the canyon with gabs, answers to prayers, Cam's birthday (excuses to celebrate)

4/11- English presentation over, gabs on a blow up mattress in my apartment, ice cream

4/10- family in town, Trader Joe's, drives up the canyon with gabs

4/9- chocolate chip cookies, Kenny, the notebook (movie night with Brooke part 2), dad and drake dropping by to visit

4/8- fresh oranges, movie night with Brooke, dad and drake driving safe kneaders with Cait, oatmeal halo top ice cream, new greys anatomy episodes

4/7- hot springs, megabed sleepover with Cait, baby bunnies

4/6- that my worst day is 1,000 times better than some people's best, prince of peace Mormon messages, the ARC

4/5- face times that I pee my pants on with Gabrielle, third day hair still looks good, a B on my stats test

4/4- that there are many ways to share the gospel, 100% on stats quiz, bishop Floyd, midnight cupcakes with cait and caroline

4/3- new denim shirts, good hair days, Abby's soccer games with Kenz

4/2- general conference, grandma and grandpas on the way home, snickers in chocolate chip cookies

4/1- Lexi coming to Utah, general conference in real life, being with all my girls at Sav's bachelorette

FEBRUARY IN REVIEW

2/28- That February 2017 is finally over freaking bless the heck up, that February 2017 was 2 days shorter than most months bless up, that it's finally March so maybe spring will come soon

2/27- Pretty tassel shirts, expedited shipping, vanilla hot chocolate

2/26- Filming cute proposals, home safe, the sacrament

2/25- Drakes baptized, my talk didn't crash and burn, cafe rio, movie nights in moms bed

2/24-  My own bed, Gabrielle's silly humor, Drake won playoffs

2/23- Stats getting out early, not failing that test, revelation for baptism talks

2/22- Syd's going to Paris, Brooke Gunnel (HBD), ice cream sandwich cake recommendations from mom

2/21- Sushi not studying, movies with Skye and Kenz, floral embroidered pants

2/20- safe drive home, bachelor with Skye and Kenzie, old pics

2/19- safe flight home, unlimited mint ice cream at grandma and grandpa's, sweet grandparents

2/18- weddings gone right, wedding food, Casie

2/17- out of nowhere Disney world rides, free Greek salad for singing, finishing my essay

2/16- kind of understanding STATS, being able to fall asleep on the plane, Syd might come to Paris, old emails

2/15- Face timing Lexi, John Wahlen printing my papers even though I broke up with him over face time, Cait's late valentines treats

2/14- afternoon naps, art history is cancelled, sugar cookies in institute 

2/13- Finding the shirt, low key Monday's, valentines grams from mom and dad

2/12- Dad flying me home, valentines cupcakes, that I'm not as sick as caroline 

2/11- Drakes basketball games, moms bed, family movie night and out to dinner

2/10- flight benefits, corbin Ballard, great pics

2/9- Sky and Kenzie, finished art projects, grandma and grandpa's apartment

2/8- Actually figuring out an essay topic, sleeping in til 9, coffee ice cream 

2/7- caroline for picking me up from long Tuesday's, laugh attacks at the grocery store, Oreo truffles + coffee ice cream, out of stats early 

2/6- Fresh start=rearranged furniture, Monday mornings, Oreo truffles, ASOS orders

2/5- driving home safe, not getting a ticket, family prayer

2/4- nick jones dance moves, Eliza and Syd, the chocolate 

2/3- syd Stagg, quick long drives, Provo is 50 degrees

2/2- Sushi burrito, John knows the full truth and doesn't hate me, happy light 

2/1- LDSSA, good personal scripture study, heart to hearts with Brooke, new month fresh start

USU SEMESTER 2 LIFE UPDATE

 A lot has gone down in the first 3 weeks of this new semester. Mostly just freezing our buns off though. Here's the low down...

 One of the happiest things that has happened is NEW PRINTS!! There's literally no sunshine out here so these always brighten up my day!

 I made it a total of 5 days in the Logan cold before coming back to visit home

 While there we took DRAKE'S BAPTISM PICTURES!!

He's the cutest.

 

 The view every morning is WHITE. White walls, white sheets, white curtains, white snow, white sky.

My main survival tip for temple trips in the snow is to wear pants under your pioneer skirt. Fashion forward & warm. Lol what could be better? 

THEN MONDAY WE WOKE UP TO AN EMAIL SAYING THAT CLASS WAS CANCELLED DUE TO THE EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS. This was the first Utah State snow day in 10 years. Yes, it snowed that much. Yes, the piles of snow are taller than me. Yes, I had to get professional help to dig my car out of the snow.

this vlog is action packed so ENJOY!!

HELLO WINTER BREAK

 Without a doubt I've been neglecting this little blog but for good reason! Finals week whipped my bum but I'm officially done with my first semester of college! I'd absolutely consider it a success but I'm relieved that I finally have winter break to relax and enjoy some time at home. Here are a few pictures that have accumulated the past month. (That perfect house you see above sadly doesn't belong to me but I couldn't resist stopping to snap a picture of it on my way home).

Before we got crazy selfishly busy studying for finals, light the world started off really strong! Day one we gave out free compliments in the student center. Brightening people's day brightened mine the most.

 Basic UT date. Saw the lights & had a blast before going to the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional. La luz es muy bonita.

 

 

CAIT! 

 

^^ apparently how John really felt about taking me to the lights... 

 The first snow! I'm surviving so far!!

 In case you missed it, our apartment had the most bomb Christmas card ever.

the mail has clearly been poppin' the past few weeks 

 

SO many gingerbread houses. Sadly neither counted for my interior design final but I still had so much fun making them! 

 

 

 Ice skating and tree farm dates are fun!

 

Mostly just happy that finals are over!!!! Hello winter break!

OCTOBER IN REVIEW

10/31- laugh attacks with the boys (initiated by expired arugula and boiling milk), haunted houses, that I have enough money for quality groceries 

10/30- hearing elder Uceda speak, pumpkin waffles, relaxing time alone

10/29- heart 2 heart w/ John, great new college friends, having my car up here so I can drive us fun places

10/28- Trips to bear lake, dad for buying dinner for me and friends, hot tubs in the rain

10/27- bring your dog to school day, 2 hour long phone calls with Syd, lunch with grandma 

10/26- Not dying when I got flipped at country swing dancing, preach my gospel, honest institute lessons

10/25- John, Cody, Blake

10/24- Taylor (hbd), a clean room, my own room

10/23- dad for driving me 8 hours out of his way, having my car at college, Cam

10/22- Weddings that are well decorated, temple marriage, mom 

10/21- making it home from lake Las Vegas safe, valet, customers that aren't mean

10/20- getting to take Drake to track practice, getting to take gabs to the temple, getting to see a movie with dad

10/19- dad for buying my plane ticket, Caroline for studying with me, Brooke for the head scratch

10/18- waffle parties, weights class, SIs to save my grade

10/17- institute videos, running into friends on campus, new workout clothes

10/16- making it home safe, Corbin, sweet room mates

10/15- sequin bridesmaids dresses, nice photographers, bundt cakes

10/14- bri Baxter, blood donors, pretty weddings

10/13- hospitals for saving Heather Pritt's life, urban outfitters, hats to hide my week old hair

10/12- my Logan fam, my Vegas home, being just a 1 hour drive and 1 hour plane ride away

10/11- That apartment 20e is the cooking/decorating/hangout/party apartment, Jayden and Ian, moms calls

10/10- Spontaneous New York trips, tj max candles, Cody liking his bday socks

10/9- muddy buddies, John and the 20b boys, phone calls to Han

10/8- Pumpkin carving dates, haunted houses, Lindsey tanner

10/7- LIT fires in the mountains, pumpkin photo shoots still existing, fridays off 

10/6- Counselors, Taylors heart to hearts, pad Thai inlets

10/5- Pumpkin spice cookies, institute, 8 hours of sleep nights

10/4- Thai food that kindof works out, good company, grandpa

10/3- Movie nights with Cody and Kaden, Caitlyn for being my ride literally everywhere, rainy overcast days

10/2- Caroline the best room mate I could ask for, the 20B boys and their yummy brownies, days I know I made the right choice coming here

10/1- Caroline, roommate bonding days, conference questions answered

BEAR (BABE) LAKE

*cue another grunge post*

So once upon a time a few days after I moved into my Logan apartment, I was walking down the stairs with my room mates and there were all these boys unloading their stuff into the apartment below ours. So of course, we introduced ourselves and, of course, pretty much forgot their names the second after they said it because that's just what happens when you meet people the first week of school. It's a whirlwind- you can hardly even remember your own name. But as the semester went on we became pretty tight thanks to muddy buddies, ward prayer, and luring them in with our fall scented candles. Then the building 20 friendship began. Pretty much since the start of all this we had talked about taking a trip to one of their cabins in Bear Lake. FINALLY this weekend we got a chance to.

 Planning activities ^^

 the go to pose for pics was just jumping on each others back's I guess.

Also this pic ^ makes it look like a couples retreat which it absolutely wasn't. 

 

 

 missing 4th room mate Ireland (but always in our hearts though)

 John and I also accidentally twinned. We have the same great taste obviously.

 

ghost shaped marshmallows for the win.

Grateful for cabins and fun friends to hang out with.