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

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. 

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 

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. 

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."

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. 

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.

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.