Saturday, December 18, 2010

Dedication.

     Have you ever woken up in the morning, and you can just tell that it is a special day? My alarm went off at five o'clock a.m. this morning, and I knew it was going to be a special day. Today was the dedication of the new BYU-Idaho Center. It was such an incredible experience, and something that I will not soon forget. 
It was one of those moments when you know that the Lord lives, loves you, and knows you personally. 
It is such a beautiful building (it is literally a miniature conference center), and we are incredibly blessed to have it. I could not be more grateful. 
     It was my first time ever hearing an Apostle speak in person, and Eyring, Bednar and Nelson were all there today! It was this tangible thing, the love of God, you could feel when they walked into the room. I know the Savior lives, and I know that He loves each and every one of us. I know that He atoned for our sins, because He loves us and wants us to return to live with Him and our Heavenly Father. He knows our strengths and our weaknesses, our pains and sorrows, our passions and our joys. He knows we will all make mistakes, but that is exactly why we are here, to learn from them. 
     During the dedication, Elder David A. Bednar said (something to the effect of), "This building is a historic even in the history of this university, and one day you will tell your children and  your grandchildren that  you were present for the dedication of it." and President Kim B. Clark, "The wonder [that is felt in this building] is not in the building itself, but in the work that the Lord will do here." And Elder Eyring said that we are here to "worship, study and serve." 
     After the Elders had spoken, and the building had been dedicated to further the work of the Lord, the BYU-Idaho choir sang the Mormon Tabernacle Choir version of  Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, and it was the most beautiful thing I think I have ever heard. "Prone to leave the God I love." You can feel the love of the Savior in this song if you understand that He knew you would make mistakes, stray from the path, and get lost at times. It is all part of the fall. However, He still loves you and wants you to return back home to him, He is our most loving Heavenly Father. So here you go, enjoy. 

    Overall I think I've done a poor job of explaining how life changing I think today was for me. But all I know is that I felt the love of God today, so strongly that I think it may literally have poured out of Heaven into my soul. I want to keep that love with me always. I want to share it with others, so that they too can feel the love that our Savior, Jesus Christ has for them too. I love being in Rexburg, I love BYU-Idaho. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now. I will be forever grateful for the promptings of the spirit that lead me to the decision to go here. 

(If you're really bored, or just want to hear amazing messages, you can watch the dedication here: http://new.byuicomm.net/dedication-of-the-byu-i-center/ )

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

I decided that I needed to revise my bucket list. . .

  • Go to Alaska (See the norther lights)
  • Go on an African Safari
  • Marry my best friend
  • Go to Paris
  • Attend a major sporting event (The Super Bowl or the Olympics)
  • Get married in the temple
  • Go to Boston Massachusetts!
  • Go horseback riding
  • Stay in a haunted hotel on the east coast
  • Brad Paisley concert
  • Have my portrait painted
  • Be a bride's maid
  • Be an extra in a film
  • Learn how to take a compliment
  • Milk a cow
  • Get my palm read
  • Be a member of an audience in a TV show 
  • Send a message in a bottle
  • Learn how to ballroom dance, properly.
  • Have my fortune told
  • Sit on a jury
  • Stay out all night dancing and then go to work in the morning without having gone home (just once)
  • Spend new year's in Times Square 
  • Justin Bieber concert
  • Drive across America, coast to coast
  • Hike the Grand Canyon
  • Write my will
  • Sleep under the stars
  • Spend a whole day reading a novel 
  • Find a job I love
  • Overcome my fear of failure
  • Buy my own house, and then spend time making it exactly what I want
  • Drive a convertible with the top down and the music blasting
  • Swim with sharks
  • Go up in a hot air balloon
  • Visit the Holy Land
  • Go to the Valley of the Kings in Egypt with my mom.
  • Visit a concentration camp
  • Run a marathon
  • Look into my child's eyes, see myself, and smile
  • See a game at a major league baseball park
  • Climb an active volcano
  • Identify someone who has inspired me in my life, and let them know that they have done so.
  • Pack my bags and set off to a random location with no itinerary 
  • Live in a different country for at least six months. 
  • Gain closure on my hurt, grievances or unhappiness from the past 
  • Visit a volcano
  • Fly in a helicopter 
  • Have dinner with someone I'd only dreamed of meeting.
  • Ride a roller-coaster 
  • Go to England
  • Go to Scotland
  • See the Mona Lisa
  • Be a good grandmother
  • Improve my photography skills
  • Visit all 50 states
  • Go to a play on Broadway
  • Go to Disney World
  • Go horseback riding on the beach

Friday, October 1, 2010

It's been a while...

And I apologize for that. So, this will be my "catch up blog", I think we'll have those periodically from now on. College is really putting a damper on anything not college related, but here goes my last 4.5ish weeks.

Nothing like catching up with some old friends! We stopped in Salt Lake for
about a night before heading up to Rexburg. (left to right) Rebekah Winslow,
Anna Adrignola, and me. We ruled the playground of West Valley Elementary.
Not much has changed. That gives me hope.

Our hotel in Idaho Falls. Day before the big day. S-C-A-R-E-D.

Me and my roommate out at Wingers. Kadee & Kaitin. Precious!

 
Me and Annie have loads of fun! From grocery shopping
to webcam pics in the library, we just. . .have a blast.


I forced a roomie trip to Yellowstone, of course. Back to the place I love.
I seriously hadn't had that much fun in. . .4 years! (left to right) 
Tiffany Barton, Me, Kiersten Parlogean, Kaitlin Welker,
Lorin Brown, Juli Loosle and Chelsey England. I love these girls

Skype makes the world go round. Yes it does. I love these people,
and I get to see their faces almost everyday!

Makin' it feel like home. I sure try. I like my little corner.

I love Geology!

 
FHE is fabulous when you have such amazing FHE brothers haha,
After all, it's not everyday you get to learn how to breathe fire!

 
Girls Night! Nothin' like pancakes at midnight, eh?

 
Ward activity: Karaoke. Let it happen.
Why? Because Earl Had to Die. 

Sunday, September 19, 2010

I love Shauna Roberts

"True courage is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to proceed in spite of it." -Unknown

Never underestimate the power of perseverance. – Shauna Roberts 

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Here's to hoping.

Distance is not for the fearful, but for the bold. It is for those who are willing to spend a lot of time alone, in exchange for a little time with the ones they love.  It’s for those knowing a good thing when they see it, even if they don’t see it nearly enough. So here's to hoping that absence makes the heart grow fonder. 

Friday, September 3, 2010

I am blessed.

     I'm not sure how to put into words what I'm feeling. There have been SO many emotions running through me today. Fear. Anger. Love. Joy. Peace. Confusion. What to say? I know this much, The Lord knows what he is doing. He knows who to put in your life, and who to keep out of it. He knows how you feel, and who to cross your path with in order to help you along your journey. He knows all. I have never felt more blessed in my entire life than I have today. I got to spend a that one last night with my best friends. You'll never know how much that means to me. Today was very self fulfilling. After today, I finally feel a sense of peace. Nothing changes but the distance between us. And that distance, I believe, will only make our friendships stronger. Oh, the beauty of life. God has blessed me with angels that surround me constantly, keep me grounded, comfort me when I am in need of comfort. They are my friends. I don't know that everyone is as blessed in that aspect of their life as I am. They bring me great joy, peace and happiness. I'll love them for eternity. 

Today's Joy: 
"Its not goodbye, its see you later."
 - Jackson Campbell
Joy #2:
Me- "Off to make the best of today."
Kennedy- "No, you're off to make today the best."

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Sometimes,

God grants you the divine opportunity to be the bigger person. And who would I be to deny that opportunity? It's all a part of moving on. Today is a leap of faith, a holding to the rod in the dark.

Here it is, the end. And a whole new beginning.

    My last day in St. George, Utah.
 I'm leaving the house that built me, and going on to new adventures. 
All I know is, if God put you to it, He'll bring you through it. 
And I'm definitely counting on that right now, because I'm tellin' ya, it's is if God himself
sent me the acceptance letter to BYU-Idaho. I know I'm supposed to be there, in fact, 
I've never been so sure of anything in my life. I've also never been more scared.
So here I go, I'm stepping off the edge with my blindfold on,
putting my faith in the Lord. I know he'll never leave me alone.
So in the end, I guess that's all the knowledge I'll ever need. 

Today's Joy: 
Looking forward and moving on. Marvelous things are waiting for me. 
Now is the time to cherish them.
So goodbye St. George, hello Rexburg.

Finding Joy in The Journey

Todays Joy (okay, yesterday's):
I got to spend time with my good friend Wendy Bateman. She means so much to me!
She has always been an incredible example of having faith in 
The Lord, and knowing He'll see  you through everything. 
I love her so much and am so grateful that the Lord has crossed our paths. 

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Goal - Find Joy In the Journey.

Today's Joy:
      Me and Kamryn made Tyler sugar cookies and surprised him with a knock on the door at 9:30 at night! His mom is such a sweetie and it was so fun to sit and talk with him. I sure will miss that kid. But, thats what Christmas break is for!!!

     I've realized that time will make our friendships sweeter. Not seeing the people that I care about so much every single day will make me realize how much I really do love and appreciate them. It will make the times I do get to see them that much better. I love the people that God has put in my life. He has placed them all there for a reason, and I couldn't be more grateful for them. He has put some special people in my life, people that both He and I know will stay here my entire life, enriching it as we roll along. And that's the beauty of growing up and moving on. God has even more special people waiting for me up in Idaho, and that is why I'm so excited to go. More people to care about, more people to love! I am blessed.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Concert Junkie? I think- Yes.

And I have no shame when it comes to, what I like to simply call, Band Stalking. 
The following is a collage of every band I have ever seen in concert.

Some I've seen more than once. Some I love more than others. But they have
all made incredible concerts! Now, here are some double-takes:

This Century (partial)
Top: Sean Silverman - Bass
Middle: Joel Kanitz - Vocals
Bottom: Alex Silverman - Guitar
Missing:
Ryan Gose- Drums (below)
Long story short, This Century came to STG last September,
so about oneyear ago. They didn't come with a very
huge band so there were seriously only like 30 peopleat the concert.
 So naturally, after the concert me and Kamryn had to go talk to the band!
 Ended up talking to Seanand Joel for like an hour and a half or so!
They were SO niceand way down to earth, and just fun fun people.
  So when we heard they were coming back here with The Maine
(in the world of band junkiesThe Maine is huge.), we were stoked! 
We were going to hunt them down and see if they remembered us.
So after much stalking:
(Got a picture with guitar player Kennedy from The Maine in 
October when they opened for BLG)

(Lead singer of The Main, John)

(acoustic artist that opened for The Maine, Austin Gibbs. Never even heard of 
him before and I have no idea how. He is incredible!)

I then ran up to Sean from This Century and said,
 "Sean. . .I know this  is a long shot but..." which is when he cut me off
by saying, "Yes dear, I remember you." Okay so obviously I peed my pants.
No big deal. He then proceeded to tell me that on their way here he
was thinking to himself that no one from the last time they were here
was going to be at this concert. "Then I saw you down there on the front row
singing every word and  I was like, heck yeah!"  Then he asked us what there
 is to do in the good ol' STG and we told him that sometimes we like
 to go caving (climb up on dixie rock and break open glow sticks 
and splatter them everywhere and all over each other.) and so he said
that next time they were in town. . .we would go caving after the show.
So. . .yes, I'm friends with the band. Oh, and Joel remembers me too.
I love my life. Yes I do.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Quote of the day:


"Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith."
 -Thomas S. Monson

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Goodbye.


"I've had to say goodbye more times than I would have liked... but 
everyone can say that... And no matter how many times we do it, even 
when it's for the greater good, it still stings... and though we'll 
never forget what we've given up, we owe it to ourselves to keep moving
forward. What we can't do, is live our lives always afraid of the next 
goodbye... because chances are, they're not going to stop. The trick is 
to recognize when a goodbye can be a good thing. 
When it's a chance to start again."

Saturday, August 21, 2010

And so it hit me like a ton of bricks, I'm growing up.

"Growing up is never easy. You hold on to things that were. You wonder what's to come. But that night, I think we knew it was time to let go of what had been, and look ahead to what would be. Other days. New days. Days to come. The thing is, we didn't have to hate each other for getting older. We just had to forgive ourselves... for growing up." - 'The Wonder Years'



It was a rough night for me. Wanting to hang out with Kamryn and spend time with Mitch turned into a nightmare, all because of my attitude. All I ever want to do is spend time with these people that mean so much to me before I leave-which is in two weeks from today, need I remind you?- that when I don't get to, or things don't go how I plan, I ruin it. Well i decided something, I'm not going to do that anymore. I'm done saying goodbye. I can't handle doing it anymore, I need to let go And after the much needed and appreciated help of Amy Mickey, I realized that I've known that for a while now. 


To let go isn’t to forget, not to think about, or ignore. It doesn’t leave feelings of anger, jealousy, or regret. Letting go isn’t about winning or losing. It’s not about pride and it’s not about how you appear, and it’s not obsessing or dwelling on the past. Letting go isn’t blocking memories or thinking sad thoughts, and doesn’t leave emptiness, hurt, or sadness. It’s not about giving in or giving up. Letting go isn’t about loss and it’s not about defeat. To let go is to cherish the memories, but to overcome and move on. It is having an open mind confidence in the future. Letting go is learning and experiencing and growing. To let go is to be thankful for the experiences that made you laugh, made you cry, and made you grow. It’s about all that you have, all that you had, and all that you will soon gain. Letting go is having the courage to accept change, and the strength to keep moving. Letting go is growing up.


And that's what I have to do now- grow up. Put on the  "big girl panties" and move on with my life. But someone wise once said, "Graduation is only a concept. In real life every day you graduate. Graduation is a process that goes on until the last day of your life. If you can grasp that, you'll make a difference." So now that this post has basically a collection of quotes and sayings, I guess I'll just let  you marinate on that. Life is good, and so- I'm letting go.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Sometimes,

Things just don't go your way. And the thing that sucks, is that big girls can't cry/complain about it.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

My power animal: Siberian Tiger! RAWR!

Striped terror of the jungles,
Walker of secret paths and ancient ways,
Give me the strength and courage to do what is necessary.
Teach me not to cringe from actions that may cause pain, but must be done.
Tiger of action, lead the way that I may know how to go
confidently through my life.


Passion, Power, Devotion
The Tiger is the symbol of darkness
and the new Moon.
When a Tiger totem enters your life,
expect new adventures.
It will awaken new passion and power.
Tiger people do their best work at night.
They are very sensual and passion people and devoted parents.
Your best work will be done at night.
Tigers are associated with water and have 
all the properties of the element of Water –
healing, power through gentle flow, feminine energies.
In China, there are 5 mystic tigers:
The red tiger is south, summer and fire.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Allow me to quote myself. . .

"I am slowly but painfully learning that the only person I have the power to change or not change is myself. And thats going to have to be good enough for me."- Kadee Taylor. And with that my friends, I will now cross something off of my Bucket List- Gain Enlightenment- CHECK.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

My Bucket List!!!

Attend at least one major sporting event: the Super Bowl or the Olympics.       

Get married in the temple.
o    Swim with a dolphin.
o    Have my portrait painted.
o    Learn to speak a foreign language and make sure I use it.
o    Watch the launch of the space shuttle.
o    Be an extra in a film.
o    Tell someone the story of my life, sparing no details.
o    Own a room with a view.
o    Learn how to take a compliment.
o    Be a member of the audience in a TV show.
o    Send a message in a bottle.
o    Ride a camel in the desert.
o    Plant a tree, watch it grow.
o    Learn not to say yes when you really mean no.
o    Write a fan letter to your all-time favorite hero or heroine.
o    Learn to ballroom dance, properly.
o    Be the boss.
o    Fall deeply in love - helplessly and unconditionally.
o    Sit on a jury.
o    Write the novel I know I have inside me.
o    Stay out all night dancing and go to work the next day without having gone home (just once).
o    Shower in a waterfall.
o    Learn to play a musical instrument with some degree of skill. (maintain that skill)
o    Spend a night in a haunted house.
o    Write down your personal mission statement, follow it, and revise it from time to time.
o    See a lunar eclipse.
o    Spend New Year's in an exotic location.
o    Drive across America from coast to coast.
o    Make a complete and utter fool of myself.- shelby's wedding
o    Write my will.
o    Sleep under the stars.
o    Spend a whole day reading a great novel.
o    Learn to juggle with three balls.
o    Find a job I love.
o    Spend Christmas on the beach drinking pina coladas.
o    Overcome my fear of failure.
o    Raft through the Grand Canyon.
o    Put my name on something: a bench in the park.- top of door at NorthGate
o    Buy my own house and then spend time making it into exactly what I want.
o    Grow a flower garden.
o    Spend three months getting my body into optimum shape.
o    Drive a convertible with the top down and music blaring.
o    Accept myself for who I am.
o    Swim with sharks.
o    Go up in a hot-air balloon.
o     Give a speech in public.
o    Attend one really huge rock concert.
o    Go deep sea fishing and eat my catch.
o    Create my own web site (blog).
o    Visit the Holy Land.
o    Make myself spend a day at a concentration camp and swear never to forget.
o    Run a marathon.
o    Look into my child's eyes, see myself, and smile.
o    Reflect on ,my greatest weakness, and realize how it is my greatest strength.
o    See at least one game at a Major League Baseball ballpark.
o    Draw a map of a nonexistent or fictional place.
o    Climb/hike an active volcano
o    Visit the 7 wonders of the world
o    Achieve my ideal weight
o    Connect with all my teachers from my past schools -Let them know how they have shaped my life.
o    Identify someone who has inspired me the most in my life. Let him/her know that they have done so.
o    Give a heartfelt surprise to someone.
o    See the northern lights
o    Pack your bags and set off for a random location with no itinerary.
o    Live in a different country for at least 6 months
o    Bake a cake for someone special
o    Go deep into the heart of Mother Nature.
o    Call the customer service just to thank them for the great service
o    Tell at least 10 people about your bucket list and encourage them to do the same
o    Get closure on my hurt, grievances and unhappiness of the past
o    Organize a picnic outing
o    Fly first class
o    Hit bull’s-eye on a dartboard
o    Visit a volcano
o    Fly in a helicopter
o    Have dinner with someone I had only dreamed of meeting
o    Ride a roller coaster
o    Get on a romantic getaway
o    Visit a castle in Scotland
o    Learn sign language
o    See the Mona Lisa in Paris.
o    Gain enlightenment
o    Be a good grandmother
o    Improve my photography skills
o    Move to California
o    Visit all 50 states
o    Play the cello
o    Go to a play on Broadway
o    Fly in a helicopter over the Grand Canyon
o    Go on an African Safari
o    Go to Disney World
o    Walk on the Great Wall of China
o    Go horseback riding on the beach
o    Kiss in the rain