Yes...I have been dead for a while

So yes I have dead to the world for well the past month. I have been doing EFY in Tacoma and Forest Grove and have been loving my life! I went as a kid but it has been a totally different experience being a counselor. I love working with teenagers and just having an excuse to be crazy all week...it is great. It's also amazing to see how the kids grow throughout the week...it seriously is a dream job!

Here's my cute group my first week of work in Tacoma...

I have learned so much from these kids and have loved every minute of being with them. I work with amazing counselors too that teach me so much of what I still want to become. So now I have done 3 weeks and will do 2 more after next week. It has been good to be home tho and I am super excited to go to Shasta with the fam this next week! The summer is goin real good...<3

it's SUMMER!!!!

School is OUT

summer is here <3

I am HAPPY

sometimes i forget....

I LOVE music...I really think I have an addiction. This weekend was like the weekend of concerts and I seriously have forgotten how much I LOVE live music! Every time I go to a concert, all i want to do is drop school and just start a band...that would be ok right? I mean, I've only played the guitar for like 2 months so I would need like 5 years of practice but if you hear about me running away, and turning into a homeless with only a guitar in my possession just know i'm fulfilling my dream of wanting to become a musician. Seriously tho...it's becoming more of a possibility!

a normal thing to do on an average tuesday night.....

ice blocking & astronaut suits

Who would have thought it would be SO fun?

We maybe got caught by the cops at the end....

but it was SO worth it!

this is HOME...

It seems like you always don't realize how much you miss something until it is 

right in  front of your face. When you are away from something for so long you forget how it makes you feel. It seems like there are so many experiences in my life that this completely describes but what I'm referring to is home. 

I love coming through the front door and finding myself getting bulldozed by my huge dogs

I love being in a place where no matter how crazy or annoying I get people still love me

I LOVE spending time in Portland

I love rainy, overcast days and the smell

I love driving on streets that actually have names

I love realizing just how GHETTO my high school is

I love seeing all the people who have shaped your life

I love all the trees

I love sleeping on our couches cuz lets be honest....they're more comfortable than any bed I've slept on before

I love being reminded of life...every place has a memory

I love visiting the grandparents and hearing their crazy stories

AND of course....

I LOVE spending time with the family <3

It is always good to be HOME

Here's to Happiness....

So ok I'll be honest, I am obsessed with the blog rockstar diaries...reading about all of their adventures seriously makes me want to move to the east coast! But recently she has asked everyone who reads her blog to make a list of things that make them happy so yes I have given in....Here's to Happiness : )

1) Seeing Oregon License Plates

2) People Watching 

3) Hugs from behind

4) Going boating in SHASTA California <3

5) Shopping at vintage Stores

6) Singing in my car at the top of my lungs with the sunroof down!

7) When my dogs get a haircut

8) Old people holding hands

9) Looking at the *Stars*

10) Downloading New Music

11) Watching little kids play sports

12) Reading a good book Outside

13) TCBY Frozen Yogurt

14) Learning Something New

15) a REALLY good laugh...

16) Running at Night

17) Watching Anne of Green Gables or Gilmore Girls

18) Old-fashioned bicycles

19) Smiles and Laughter

20) Life.....ENJOY every minute of it

What a Weekend....

So originally this Memorial Day weekend we were supposed to go to California but we ended up staying here in Provo BUT instead of sitting around and doing nothing really important we decided to actually DO some things. Lilian, Tayler and I decided that we had to do two things no matter what and that was TUBE down the Provo river and HIKE...and a few other adventures popped up too. When we told people that's what we wanted to do....nobody believed us. They thought we'd just sit around and do nothing OH but we showed them : ) Anyways the weekend ended up being AMAZING and we realized Utah really isn't as boring as we always thought especially out in nature. There really is nothing better than spending a beautiful day outside! Although we did have some rough times on the river, let's just say when the guys in charge tell you to not float through the bridge DON'T DO IT! We basically waterskiied on rocks and almost completely broke our feet haha and we have some huge bumps and cuts to prove it. But it was totally worth it and we dominated! 

Then Monday was our hike to Ensign peak...we thought it was going to be a semi-long hike but we soon realized it was 0.86 miles haha but the view was SO worth it and don't worry we had some really good photo opportunities. I would have to say the high

light of the weekend though was when we decided to play some mud volleyball since it decided to freaking pour yesterday. The boys said we wouldn't get too dirty but we all secretly knew we would end up completely covered in mud. For the first 20 minutes we were completely dry but that didn't last for long....here's the final outcome of all of us...I'm pretty sure I'll find sand in my ears for the next month! Overall it was a REALLY good weekend! There will definitely be more adventures to come!

I don't know why I love this so much....

fd

i love to ride my bicycle....

My dear cousin David let me use his bike for the spring. I've been wanting a bike for a WHILE now but just haven't bought one yet so yay!! Now I have one to ride! Today was my first time out which I'm sure looked really special with me wearing my huge backpack AND trying to hold my tennis racket and ride at the same time (wouldn't recommend this by the way) AND I  never get ready for tennis so I probably looked like a homeless. It was a lovely morning tho. The sun actually shines in utah who knew : ) Summers here really are perfect!

I LOVE my Mama

Happy Mother's Day!

Here is my beautiful mother! I wish I was home to celebrate today with her but i hope she knows how much I love and appreciate ALL she has done and continues to do in my life. I truly am who i am today because of her example. I am eternally indebted to her and for all her support she has given to me throughout my life. She has been through so much in her own life and continues to amaze me everyday. She has the strongest testimony of the gospel and always puts her family first. i love her SO MUCH and am so grateful to have been blessed with the best mother in the world! Happy Mothers Day to every mother and to every woman in my life...thanks for all you do! 

If you ever want a good laugh....

Ok...question of the night WHY does every first ward FHE have to include volleyball? I mean it's not like I have an extreme hatred of the sport but honestly I really REALLY SUCK at it! People probably think I never ever developed my hand-eye coordination skills. Lets just say...I leave a really good first impression. 

Back in the Provo....

The vacation is over....

Back to real life and school!

DC was absolutely AMAZING and I really hope I can go back there and live someday! 

I feel like Provo for spring will be fun...I was feeling sketch at first but once I got here I felt A LOT better. Oh and guess who isn't a teenager anymore! Yes it is me...today is the day of my birth 20 YEARS AGO! It is so hard to believe that i have been on this planet for 2 decades...I didn't think I would feel different on this day but I have had some very deep, pensive moments haha but really I have been thinking about my life and where it has been and where it is going. I know I take so much for granted and I hope I can be better at making everything count. 

Here's to being 20!!!

20 Things I want to do Before I am 30 

Do a Triathlon

Live in DC or New York City

Start a Jewelry Business

Make homemade bread

Watch Gilmore Girls 1-7 in one week

Windsurf or regular Surf

Own a pair of Hudson Jeans

Write a Song

Graduate from BYU

Go "REAL" Rock Climbing

Travel Europe or Africa

Get Fake Nails

Paint a Picture

Create my OWN recipe

Get into Photography

Own a pair of vintage Cowboy boots

Go Skydiving

Become a Child Life Specialist

Find a MAN

LIVE to the Fullest EVERY DAY

Life is BEAUTIFUL <3

I Paid $$$ to have my feet eaten by FISH!!!!

Ummm YES Liz and I got Fish Pedicures yesterday!! It was probably the weirdest thing I have ever done in my life but it didn't feel as gross as I thought it would. Here's a video of someone else's experience but this is pretty close to what happened at the place we got them done at!

I Have Fallen in LOVE...

This place is seriously AMAZING! Liz and I finally got here Saturday night and have just been enjoying the sunshine! Yesterday was absolutely BEAUTIFUL...we went to church  and I met some crazy people haha and then after church we took a little visit to the Washington DC temple. It reminded me of Portland so 

much! 

Liz and I just kinda walked around for a bit really wishing we had men in our lives but that is a whole different story haha! Then after our little walk we took a drive around the city. I really have fallen in love with this place. The atmosphere, the weather, the people...there is so much history here and I just love seeing all these places I have learned about all my life but never had seen. My favorite were all the houses along the Potomac river and the entire Connecticut Avenue. I'm pretty sure EVERY house on that street was beautiful. Ah I just LOVE it here and it's going to be REALLY REALLY hard to leave!

Here's one of the homes I was in love with! i could totally afford it right now too...ahh I just want to live here!!! : )

from Provo....to denver...to kansas city...to columbus ohio...we're ALMOST to DC!!!

Me and Liz have now driven 3 days on our cross country excursion to DC.

Surprisingly the drive hasn't been too bad except i'm pretty sure I found an STD in my hotel bed tonight which is NOT my idea of a good nights rest. 

Hopefully I don't come back with Syphilis or Gonorrhea.

***

This is the beautiful "Ellsworth, Kansas" in tribute to my favs Rascal Flatts 

so naturally I had to take a moment of silence

I'll just give a little summary of me and Liz's trip so far...

DAY ONE

saw really disturbing gray skies

liz saw her first tumbleweed and shouted for joy

ate A LOT of chocolate covered banana chips

stopped at a lookout point that had creepy men selling jewelry

jammed out to knock you down on REPEAT

stopped at Chick-fil-A for dinner

had a really interesting drive through aspen colorado

had an hour drive trying to find our hotel

realized colorado is not a place we would ever want to live

DAY TWO

drove through ellsworth kansas <3

saw a lot of....grass...cows...windmills and dirt for about 5 hours

got pulled over and luckily just got a warning!! watch out for them kansas cops

worked out in our hotel gym

wanted to go hot tubbin but don't worry it was cleaning week!

 DAY THREE

drove through 3 states today!!

drove under the arch in st. louis...saw the ghetto

had my first meal at steak 'n shake...got to know our hostess audrey very well

got a really awesome look from liz when I asked what state Indianapolis was in

i have the privilege of staying at a super 8 motel...liz really appreciates this

pretty sure i found and STD on the bed

getting excited to FINALLY be in DC tomorrow!!!

I feel like I will NEVER want to leave!!

SERIOUSLY...i LOVE roadtrips

OH AND...pretty sure I stalked the blog rockstar diaries for 2 hours

I want their lives!!

Tomorrow i am making my summer list of all the things I want to do...

ALL of them will happen : )

#1 on the list:

Become a Better BLOGGER

Uh ya....it's been a WHILE!!!

SPRING BREAK 2009: Orlando, Florida DISNEYWORLD

The HAPPIEST Place on EARTH

This year I got to go to FLORIDA for spring break!! Even though BYU doesn't really have an official break, I just kinda took one anyway. It seriously was AMAZING! I left on Tuesday and got there at like midnight and then came back to the Provo on Saturday. It's always so nice to leave but once I come back I hate my life haha! BYU is a good place but it's always this time of year that I need to just get away. 

This was our hotel that we stayed at! It seriously was so fun! We got to walk around the boardwalk every night and then take the boat to wherever we needed to go. It seriously was way fun! I'd have to say that EPCOT or Animal Kingdom was my favorite just cuz I want to travel the world and EPCOT had all these different countries they had set up. Papa James said this counted for my study abroad but I definitely wasn't liking that idea : / But someday I will see the real countries of all those places! Seriously...that's all I want to do...when I see all these different places with people from the countries I just want to peace out of school. I'm tired of hearing about all these amazing places and not doing anything to see them! I feel like this is the time I can do ANYTHING in my life and I just want to get out of school and see the world!! haha anyways...good trip would recommend it to anybody but I just wished we had some beach time at least!! oh well it was a fun time!