Finals are Stupid (November 27th - December 10th)

I am so excited to go home! I miss Michigan so much. I am SO happy that I only have five more days until I fly back! I miss everything about home and I miss my sisters and my parents and my DOG. Holy crap I miss my dog. She's my baby. I know that sounds so silly but honestly, I haven't let myself think about her too much since I left home because it makes me sad.

A lot has happened since I wrote last... Next semester, I will be rooming with Emma, which will be super fun. Karinne has been an awesome roommate, and I'm so glad we got the experience of rooming together this semester. It will be good for me to learn to live with another person, too. Mostly, though, I'm just excited to room with Emma because if we didn't room together this semester, we would probably never get the chance to because both of us plan on serving missions.

Two weeks ago from today on Monday, we had our first snow here in Provo. It was super pretty and very cold, but it was so fun! Samuel and Drake and I took a picture with a snowman outside the Joseph Smith Building. I wish the snow had stuck, I miss the white.

On the Saturday before last, our ward went to Temple Square in Salt Lake City to see the Christmas lights. I've never been to temple square before, so it was really interesting, and very pretty! I got a few funny pictures that I will include in the random photo gallery.

This most recent Thursday, I went to the Yule Ball (basically just a winter semiformal dance) with my friend Roger. It was an interesting experience. His goal was to embarrass me (apparently), but he failed. However, he was a very entertaining date haha... Sorry that I didn't get any pictures, my phone died right before the dance and the girl who took the group pictures hasn't gotten them to me yet.

Finals are so stressful. It's like they're this huge hurdle I have to run up to and jump over but the hardest part is running up to it. In other words, in case you didn't understand that completely failed analogy, studying seems impossible, because I have had such a hard time making it to class the past few months. I will get through it though I guess. I really hope my GPA stays high enough for my scholarships and loans to stay through next semester.

I feel like my blog posts aren't as entertaining as they used to be. I'm sorry. I haven't been having the easiest past couple months, but hopefully the upcoming three-week-long Christmas break will help, and next semester my posts will be better.

RANDOM PHOTO GALLERY

Karinne and I bought some Martinelli's sparkling cider for fun one night, and I didn't have a bottle opener so we used my hammer haha... Thanks for giving me a hammer Mom and Dad! This is literally the only purpose it has served all semester hahahaha

For Karinne's final project, she has to create something (and I can't remember what) but it required a mammal bone. A few weeks ago I walked in on this scene haha, it was hilarious. We captioned this picture, "Karinne's nightly routine - washing pig femurs."

I found my headquarters at Temple Square! Samuel made me take this picture. Hmph.

Samuel also made me take this picture in front of the temple. As you can see I was very excited about it. Also, don't mind the no smoking sign behind me. 

Next week will be about finals and my trip home!!!

Thanksgiving Break (November 20th - November 26th)

This week was nice because I didn't have to go to class! I didn't do much for Thanksgiving though. I stayed in my dorm most of the time. The one thing that all of the girls did that stayed here was decorate our hall with tons of snowflakes. I didn't help much as I wish I did, but I did make a handful of the snowflakes.

It was kind of hard not being with my family for Thanksgiving. They were in northern Wisconsin most of the week with my dad's family, so it was sad seeing pictures of all the cousins and not being able to be there with them. I'm going home in 19 days though, so it won't be long before I'm back to the lakes and trees in Michigan with my crazy family haha...

This week I realized that I might want to switch my major again. I don't know what I want to do. I was thinking about maybe elementary education or going back to dietetics. I have no idea. If any of you have opinions please tell me because I feel kind of lost at the moment with what I want to do.

Earlier this week, before break, I was sick with a fever and the sniffles. (I always feel weird saying I have the sniffles haha, it sounds so silly.) I was pretty much bed bound and kind of depressed, so Samuel FaceTimed me, which was nice. My visiting teachers also brought me hot cocoa and Emma let me crash on her bed for a few hours. :)

On Tuesday some friends and I went out to try to catch a movie at the theater, but by the time we got there all the tickets were sold out, so we went to Walmart instead haha... We basically had a scavenger hunt, which was pretty fun I guess. Afterward we went to InNOut, which I had never had before.

Sorry that I don't have much to say again this week. Next week probably won't be much different, since I won't be as social and will be spending most of my time catching up in my classes and doing homework and studying for finals. SO much fun. Ugh.

Oh! One last thing. I cut Samuel's hair and didn't totally destroy it. (Mostly due to him telling me what to do the whole time haha...)

RANDOM PHOTO (There's no gallery because there's only one...)

Photo credit for this one goes to Samuel. It describes my life so accurately right now that it's not even fair haha...

It's Getting Really Hard to Keep Coming Up with Blog Titles (November 14th - November 19th)

This week was still pretty rough, but it was balanced out with some fun!

On Wednesday I was dead. Not necessarily physically, but in every other possible way. However, I could not fall asleep due to the fact that I slept in very late, so my friends Mad and Carolyn and I put on our Christmas onesies and went on a walk around Helaman Halls. Honestly, I'm surprised guys didn't ask us for our numbers when they saw us... we looked dang hot. Also, I felt very fabulous, as you can see from the picture on the left. Actually, whenever guys noticed us they acted very confused or freaked out haha... We did get one guy to try to buy us pizza rolls out of a vending machine, but he couldn't figure out how to work the stupid thing. It was very frustrating, let me tell you. Overall, though, it was a good night. We got home at about 3:00 AM. (There will be more pictures to follow.)

I'm not gonna lie, this week was filled with a LOT of late nights. I had some pretty bad insomnia and it got me on a bad sleep cycle. I had a hard time focusing at any given time. I felt pretty upset at myself for that, but this week is a new week and everything will work out okay. (Also it's Thanksgiving so what could go wrong haha...)

I forgot to mention this, but last week I decided that I want to serve a mission. Since I'm not going to medical school anymore, I feel like I have more flexibility and would totally love to serve the Lord for 18 months and share His gospel with other people. I am so excited! 

It snowed on Thursday!! It was soooo pretty. Samuel and I went on a walk around campus and looked at how pretty it was. We got pretty soaked though because it melted when it hit us. It was worth it though! I wish I had taken pictures. The bell tower looked especially pretty. 

I am very behind on homework, so much so that I have decided that it is better at this point to give up trying to catch up and to just start up fresh and new and study what I missed when I study for the final. 

RANDOM PHOTO GALLERY

Mad and I (she is my super hot visiting teaching partner)

Mad discovered that I was super light and started running around everywhere with me on her back. It was super fun haha...

I hit a wall at about 2:30, but then Carolyn came over and got me up and we started stalking more unfortunate souls who were still up at that unholy hour. 

We had a shower party on Thursday!!! It was fun. :)

All of the late nights caught up to me and I accidentally fell asleep on Emma's bed for three hours. She was kind enough to document it for me.

Late nights with Emma in the mezzanine haha... This picture was taken at 4:30 in the morning after we watched 10 Things I Hate About You. I just want to say that that movie made absolutely no sense to me haha... 

Love you all!!!!

Why am I an Adult (November 6th - November 13th)

Yesterday I entered this thing that everyone calls adulthood. So far I don't feel any different and I hope it stays that way!

These last two weeks have been weird, as you can probably tell from my last blog post. I've been sort of out of it and have had a hard time feeling motivated to do much of anything. I'm okay though!

Sorry that this post is out late. Yesterday was crazy. It was kind of fun but not the best birthday I've ever had. I missed being with my mom, I've never had a birthday all to myself before. It's like being without a twin.

This Friday I went on a group date to the BYU Flannel Fest. It was really fun! There was ice skating and broom hockey and free food. I was so fun to play hockey again and ice skate. It was the most fun thing I've done in ages!

I don't really have much to say this week. I'm sorry. :( I'll hopefully have more next week!

RANDOM PHOTO GALLERY

This vending machine is a metaphor of my life haha....

This is a urinal in one of the other girl dorms that used to be a guy dorm. They have a hilarious tradition of decorating them each year. I'm not sure how I feel about this...

Emma was upset that I didn't feature her in my blog last week so here is a fabulous picture of the love of my life. 

I still can't believe the mountains are real sometimes!

Emma printed off an essay for me and slipped it under my door at 1:15 in the morning haha... (LOML stands for love of my life.)

Samuel ran into a wall and now this is what he looks like. (By the way Turd is my nickname for Lily on Snapchat.)

BLAHBLAHBLAH (October 30th - November 5th)

This week was a complete blur....I'm not even completely sure what happened.  I hibernated through most of it which was super fun. I think I may switch my major to sleeping cause I've realized I have a lot of potential in that field - A field of pillows and fluffy blankets to be exact. 

Oh...I was visited by my home teachers today.

That was great...David my home teacher taught a lesson about keeping the commandments but his companion JR was not completely on the same page as him....let alone the same book.

I took a test today that told me I have the mental maturity of a 37-year-old.  I feel so proud.  I sometimes dream about what it would be like to be 37. I imagine I have four kids and a hot tub...maybe a hot air ballon too.  But I don't want to dream too big haha...

As you can probably tell...today has been kind of a ruff ruff day.  That's what I would say if I was a dog. See picture of Maggie...heeheehee

This Saturday I went to a hockey game with Samuel. We won.

I think I'm addicted to cats and coolers...wait I meant cactus coolers haha I'm tired...

Oh and I got to finally watch the movie Zootopia!!!!  My favorite part was when it ended. 

Pretty solid week if you ask me.

RANDOM PHOTO GALLERY

The hockey team

Samuel and I at the hockey game

Me enjoying a Sunday nap on the floor

Our FHE Karaoke activity

P.S. One last story I had a run in with the po-po last night. If you have further questions feel free to contact me. 

Love you guys haha... sorry that I'm so out of it, maybe next week something coherent will flow out of my brain and onto this blog.

What the Heck (October 23rd - October 29th)

SO. This week was weird. I honestly have no idea what to write right now!

This Monday for FHE we did a swing dancing activity. It was kind of boring for me because it was really basic and the few times I've swing danced I've been flipped all over the place and tossed around like a sack of potatoes, which is EXHILARATING! On the other hand, just being spun around is quite disappointing... Oh well, the activity had good intentions, and I'm sure everyone else had a lot of fun! (Now I sound like a total party pooper and a grump, I'm sorry.)

On Wednesday our Relief Society had a fall photo shoot. I was so glad that people actually showed up! The past couple activities we've had, only about three people showed up. I think the majority of the hall came to this one! The pictures are so pretty too. :) I'll include more below, but here is one of all of the girls who came.

Honestly nothing else really happened that is worth mentioning this week... Our ward had a Halloween party but I forgot to take a picture of my costume! I'll take a picture on Monday.

RANDOM PHOTO GALLERY

The girls in my Relief Society on our way to take pictures. It's so pretty outside!

Karinne wrote this beautiful piece of poetry when Emma asked her to revise her essay. Appreciate it.

I was a little loopy during the photo shoot... I don't know if you can tell. I wasn't feeling too good so I was on pain medication haha... I've never been so excited to throw leaves in my life!! In general though, this is a hilariously dysfunctional picture of all of us hahaha...

This is the DEMON CAT that scares the CRAP out of me every time I exit a bathroom stall. I HATE IT. It just stares into my soul with it's demon eyes. :(

The weekly pic of me and Emma haha

A picture of moi. I knew my mom would want to see it so I included in this post haha...

This picture drives me CRAZY. Every time I see it I'm like, "fix your hair ya goon." AARRRGHHH

Midterms were Rough (October 16th - October 22nd)

Let me just say that although this week was better than last week, it was still rough haha...

Last week I wrote about how I felt like I was being jipped out of a fall here. I want to clarify that it is still absolutely beautiful in Provo! It's just a different kind of beautiful than I'm used to. :) This Thursday our hall is going to have a fall photo shoot under this canopy of trees over the sidewalk near our dorm. There are leaves all over the sidewalk and in the air everywhere, it's like something out of a movie! I should have taken a picture of it... Oh well, next week I'll have pictures from the photo shoot!

This week was full of messing around. I was kind of stressed out because I had to study for three midterms, so whenever I wasn't studying Karinne and I (or Emma and I, whoever was available at the moment) would goof off. See picture of Karinne chasing me in her T-rex sweatshirt haha...

On Friday night, Samuel and I reserved a study room in the library and watched the movie Rudy. He told me that since I hadn't seen it I was uncultured, so apparently now I am because I have seen it! (By the way he told me to write about it so here you go Samuel haha...) I really liked it. It had a really powerful message, and I could definitely see parts of myself in Rudy and some of the things he went through. I'm glad I watched it. :)

I had a lot of chemistry this week since I am taking my midterm tomorrow. Honestly, it wasn't stressful at all. Chemistry keeps me sane. It just makes so much sense! I remember at the beginning of the semester during the very first week, something was really bothering me and I couldn't seem to feel better, but I started reading my chemistry textbook and I instantly felt so much relief. I'm such a nerd...(Insert ashamed face here.) 

One thing that I have expressed to my mom and to Karinne is that I really miss fruits and vegetables! I told my mom to stock up the fridge for when I come home because I'm literally only going to eat cucumbers, snap peas, grapefruit and broccoli for three days straight. (Well not really, but I want to.) There are just no fresh vegetables here. The only kind of fresh vegetables we have access to are baby carrots from the mini grocery store by our dorm (and to those who know me well, I HATE carrots), and the vegetables at the salad bar in the cafeteria, which taste like they're a week old. Ew. 

I also think I'm gonna take over the kitchen when I get home. I've spent way too much time on Pinterest looking up fun new recipes to make haha... I also miss making smoothies!! I have a blender here, but no freezer, so I can't really use it. (Insert angry face here!!)

Friday night after the movie (sorry my thoughts are really disconnected right now), Karinne got back from a run with a big box of sushi from a sushi place that is only open from 9-12 at night. DUDE. That sushi was BOMB. I rate it 5 stars!!! We have to get some more this week, I am dyyyyyiiinnnnggg for more!! It wasn't the best sushi that I've ever had, but it's been so long since I had any Asian food that it was heaven. 

RANDOM PHOTO GALLERY 

Another glamour shot of me and Karinne being goons in the hallway. We are such weirdos. Other roommates have cute little pictures in dresses outside, and we take selfies in our pajamas and dinosaur sweatshirts acting like we're about to be eaten. I love us haha

Emma took this lovely picture of me. I don't know what it was on Friday, but my friends kept taking lots of candid pictures of me that I had no idea about. (There is a heart around my face because Emma is the love of my life and we are soul mates, ask anyone and they will confirm this truth.)

Me waiting for Emma to come out of her room to come to dinner. I was very tired, and the door was very comfortable. 

Me dead on the floor after midterms and class on Friday. College is hard man.

Love you all!! I hope I have some better stories next week haha...

Maybe I Should be Sleeping Instead of Writing this Post (October 9th - October 15th)

If there is one thing Karinne would tell you about me this week, it's that I have either gotten too much sleep or not enough sleep. I slept way too much on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, so I got really behind on homework, and decided to pull an all-nighter last night and finish everything. I got done at 6:30 this morning and then I went to church. Then I came home and took a 6-hour-long nap. I'm going to have to take a sleeping pill tonight or something. (Will I ever get the hang of this adulting thing???)

Honestly, I feel kind of bad, this week I don't have very many pictures. I do have two videos though so maybe that will make up for it!

This week was homecoming, so lots of fun stuff was happening around campus. There was a slip n' slide filled with bright blue foam, a pancake breakfast, the football game and parade, and a rollerskating night at the Orem fun center. Sadly, I didn't get to participate in any of it because I was so busy trying to do my homework (and sometimes failing).

The one thing I thought was really cool was the lighting of the Y. Students hiked up the Y with little lanterns and filled in the big cement Y one of the mountains overlooking BYU. It looked so cool from down on campus! I didn't get a very good picture, but I still got a picture! (The Y is the little glowing thing behind the clock tower.)

Part of me is really sad that I didn't get to be part of any homecoming activities. Honestly, it's been really hard for me not to beat myself up over my poor time management this week. The one good thing is that I definitely will do better next week, there's no way I'm having another weekend like this one.

Karinne definitely manages her time better than me - HOWEVER, last night we were both procrastinating and decided to deep clean our dorm. Like at the level of vacuuming the chairs haha...

Yesterday afternoon, there was a Michigander apple cider and donut gathering. OH MY GOODNESS did I need some fresh donuts and apple cider. I miss the apple orchards, corn fields, barns, and cider mills so badly here. I really, really miss Michigan falls. It's almost liked I'm being jipped out of a fall here haha...

Honestly, there isn't much more to write about this week. I feel so bad. I really hope that next week is more interesting...

P.S. I love popcorn. And all of you guys too, but mostly popcorn. :)

RANDOM PHOTO (OR VIDEO) GALLERY (OR FEATURE PRESENTATION)

Emma and I are such goons (to steal a word from her vocabulary). Literally she calls everyone a goon haha... 

I'm Alive (September 25th - October 9th)

Hello everyone! Yes, I'm alive. No I didn't forget to post last week. Yes I was being crushed by mountains of homework that I procrastinated. (See photo of me reading the endless documents I am forced to read for American Heritage...)

I mostly blame the extremely distressing (but exciting!) home football game on the 29th. We won 55-52!!!!!! Our team made a field goal in the last 2 seconds of the game and I almost died!!!!! Karinne and I had camped outside the stadium the night before with some friends. I stayed up until 6:00 in the morning talking with my friend Samuel, and to be honest I had to force myself to go to sleep after that... Somehow I didn't get tired!! When the football game actually started, Karinne had to go sit with the band the next day, but the rest of us sat in the front row of the student section! Apparently we got on ESPN twice, it was awesome! There were some good (and not so good) pictures taken of us, and I have chosen to include a good picture. If you want to see the bad pictures you have to ask me personally haha...

After the game we went to Saratoga Hot Springs, which is in Lehi. We left at about 1:30 in the morning and got back at like 4:00. It was so worth it!

The next day, Saturday, I was having a really hard time with a few personal things, so I asked Samuel (who also happens to be the Elders Quorum President in our ward) to give me a priesthood blessing. That made me feel much better. We got to talk for approximately another three to four hours, which was really good. We relate on a bunch of different things and it was nice to talk about those things with someone who understands. (We also tried hiking the Y at like 1:00 in the morning but decided not to because a) I hadn't eaten or drank barely anything all day, b) I have exercised induced asthma, and forgot my inhaler, which wouldn't be good at high altitudes, and c) I was already starting to feel dizzy. We're gonna try hiking it again another time though haha...)

I feel bad admitting this, but I missed the majority of General Conference. I was just so off on my sleep schedule and was so busy trying to catch up on homework that I didn't really get the chance to listen to much of it. I have been going back and listening to a talk each morning while I get ready for my day, though, and I have to say, they are all amazing so far!

On Sunday, our hall decided to go crazy and decorate for Halloween! We used literally all of the Halloween decorations that were meant to be spread across the whole dorm complex we live in. Today I was informed that one of the guys' halls in our ward decided to use all of the Christmas decorations for the entire hall complex, so the war is ON. (Sorry that you can't really see the decorations very well in the picture, but if you could see them you would realize that it looks like Halloween barfed all over our hall.) I'm convinced I have the most awesome Relief Society/hall on the entire BYU campus!

This week, I have mainly been desperately trying to get caught up on homework. Yesterday I did about 8 hours of homework and pretty much died.

One thing that I should mention however, is my friend Emma. It's funny that we have the same name, because we get along so well and have really similar senses of humor. We've done some pretty stupid things over the past week... These include going to Building 9 to spy on guys (and then when we get there just buying chocolate milk and leaving because we're wimps/avoiding relationships), studying together and getting nothing done because we can't stop taking ridiculous pictures, and making lots of references to our favorite TV show. I will be sure to include lots of funny pictures and a video below.

This Sunday, I had to give a lesson in Relief Society. I was really nervous and had been praying all week that I would be able to convey the message that the Spirit wanted me to convey. I didn't just want to spit a bunch of information out at all of the girls. I wanted it to be meaningful and for the Holy Ghost to testify of the Atonement of our Savior during my lesson. Giving that lesson was one of the most spiritual experiences I think I have ever had. I felt so guided the entire time by the Spirit, and I seemed to know exactly how to connect all of the things I had wanted to say beforehand. One of the things I shared in my lesson was a story called "The Room," by Joshua Harris. I included the link because if you have the time, you should read it. It is a beautiful story! It made me cry while I was reading it to the girls, and I never cry in church. To be honest, I have actually not truly cried once since I got here to BYU, so it felt good to let go for a few moments.

After that lesson, I realized how close I feel to my girls. They are all so amazing, and I truly love each and every one of them! I am so humbled I get to lead all of them. I hope I can make a difference in their lives.

THE ONLY PART THAT IS ACTUALLY EXCITING--RANDOM PHOTO GALLERY

This most recent Friday, some friends and I decided to get French toast at the creamery at 10:30 at night. Literally, that French toast is some of the best I've ever had! (Closest to farthest on the right: random guy I've never met, Jenna, Emma, Brittany, me, and Christena. On the left are the precious souls that made the French toast.)

Karinne enjoying the freedoms of college life. 

This is what happens when Emma and I try to study together.

I got to learn how to suture this past Wednesday!! Literally it is SO FUN. I could have sutured every piece of chicken five times if it hadn't been only 40 degrees and windy outside. My sutures aren't as even as they could be, but I found out I have really steady hands! 

Karinne and I are such dorks haha... Pro tip: don't keep a face mask on for 40 minutes because you forget to take it off. It hurts.

No comment.

Shayna and Laura visited us this weekend! I feel bad because I was really busy the whole time. (Question: why am I so weird? I think we maybe got one good picture and I do not have it in my possession.)

I love you ALL!! Have an awesome week, and I won't miss posting next week! (I probably just jinxed myself haha...)