Presents and Lights and Trees, OH MY!!!

So I haven't posted in quite a while because, to be completely honest, I've been too busy and haven't really had much to say. Christmas was wonderful and I actually enjoyed being able to go to church on Christmas day, though it was at 9:30 AM, instead of the usual Christmas program before December 25. My younger sister could hardly stand waiting around for an hour and a half for us to be able to go home so she could open her presents but for me, I felt it was a good way to remember the real reason we celebrate Christmas. Christmastime is not for the presents and the tree but the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. His life and the things he did were the most important events in our history and yet this meaning gets lost behind the flashes of wrapping paper and the lights on the tree, the money spent and the food we get to eat. We celebrate other important people on days such as Martin Luther King Day or Presidents Day throughout the year. In elementary school we learned about the significance of these people in the world, their story and the impact they have had on us. But when Christmas comes around, its all about Santa and his elves making presents for good kids. My favorite parts about Christmas are the Christmas program at church or the gospel message our family does on Christmas Eve. I love listening to the spiritual Christmas songs that make me cry when I take the time to listen and believe in the words of the song. This is what Christmas should be about. The birth of the most important person, our Savior, and his sacrifice for us. We should take the time to remember him every day throughout the entire year and try to live like he lived. I know that he lived and died for me and I hope that in the spirit of Christmas, I too can live and love as he did. I hope everyone enjoyed this holiday season! Happy New Year!

I Admire Moms Everywhere

I admire moms. The position of mother is the oldest known job since the beginning of time. For every person ever born, for every person who has ever lived, there has been a mother involved. The work and selflessness it takes to be a mom and raise kids is incredible. I've always known my mom did so much for me, but today, after being away from home for 4 months, I caught another glimpse at the stress in her life.

My dad has a job that keeps him away from home for most of day. That leaves my mom in charge of taking care of the kids all day long. She has me, a college student who attempts to live on her own but always needs her mom there to help her. She has a 13 almost 14 year old son who is getting ready for high school. He is involved in band and basketball throughout the year. He has scouts and church responsibilities, plus he is teenage boy... :D She also has a 12 year old daughter who is involved in band, leadership, soccer, and church activities. My mom has an 8 year old son who has play dates, scouts, soccer, and other sports. Finally, she has a 5 year old daughter who has just started school, is involved with kindergarten, goes to gymnastics, and is experiencing the terrible twos again at age five.

This busy schedule leads her to be spread thin every day. She has to run her errands, drive the kids everywhere, make dinner, help with homework, solve fighting problems among the kids, pay bills, and worry about her self in any free time she has. Tonight I began to get a hint at how much her life is spent enabling others to live their lives to their fullest while she is forced to sit back and watch. As we have gotten older, she has been able to have more time to herself. She can go on dates with my dad, go out to dinner with her friends, and watch her TV shows when she gets the chance. Yet she still has to deal with the rest of us in the morning. Whether it be watching a soccer game in the blazing heat or icy winds, sitting in the car for hours during the day driving the kids around, or getting claustrophobic at a middle school band concert, my mom is the bravest person I know. She gives up everything for those she loves. I hope someday, I can be a mother to my kids the same way she is to me.

Almost Home

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUk_BaQc8TE

I was just listening to this song as I finished studying for my Astronomy Final and I felt it was very fitting for what's happening right now. (Just think about the words of the chorus, the verses are don't really apply) All I have to do is finish my sandwich, go take my last final and then come home and pack because tomorrow, I fly home!!! I'm so excited! California here I come!

I also thought this was some good inspiration for those of you who still have some finals and a few more days left before going home.

SNOW?!?!????!!!????!??!?

So this morning I woke up, totally ready for the day. I had spent quite literally every hour yesterday studying for a test I had today. I was proud of myself. I took just enough breaks to keep me motivated but not so much that I was distracted, I didn't go on Facebook (I know, SHOCKER), and I felt like I know everything there is to know about the Middle Ages. I felt ready. I woke up this morning to the most annoying sound I have ever had to hear, my obnoxious alarm clock. If I could kill that thing, I would. So I fell out of bed (since our beds are like 10 feet off the ground), grab my towel and shampoo, and head for the shower. Finally, after warming and waking up for the day, I step out of the bathroom and my roommate is doing her hair. We exchange morning greetings and I begin to get dressed. She then says to me, "Have you seen the snow yet?"...............

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WHAT!!!!..........................

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I quite literally got mad for a second. I ran to the window and lo and behold, the ground is white and there are these annoying little white flakes falling from the sky. The sky is an ugly grey and my morning is officially ruined. I had almost made it!!! Two more days and I'll be back to better weather in California! I was hoping to be able to beat the snow home and wait till Winter Semester to deal with crappy weather. Luckily, after about an hour or so, the sky cleared a bit, it stopped snowing, and the small amount of snow on the ground began to melt. By the time I had to leave my dorm to go to my first test, the snow was a more like a frosting on the ground. I still managed to slip a couple of times on my way to the test, and it was still cold out, but by the end of the day, the snow is gone and I am happy again.

Now don't get me wrong, I like the snow. I am not a deprived California kid who has never seen the stuff. I do have friends like that and I feel bad for them. I do, however, enjoy the snow for limited times. I know this winter I will literally freeze to death. It has already been so cold up here that I have never been colder in my life. To have snow on top of that, who would choose to live in that miserable weather? Yeah, it's pretty, when it first falls to the ground, and it's fun for a few days, but then it turns brown and nasty and everything is wet and cold. I am a California girl through and through. Sorry mom, I know you love it, but I can only take so much snow before I literally freeze to my death. Hopefully, the weather will be nice again for tomorrow and Thursday, then it can snow all it wants and I will be prepared to deal with it when I return in the Winter Semester. For now, let's keep it snow-free! Please and thank you!!!

BYU Pictures

So I never really take pictures, so I thought I would put the few pictures I do have up on here so people can see some of the stuff I've done!!!

The Christmas Lights outside the Cannon Center! (random couple in the background...)

Emily and I dressed up as nerds and went to a PARTY!!!

Our Halloween decorations outside the dorm!

Our attempt at making Fluffy Whites without a mixer

We didn't want to make individual cookies so we made Fluffy White Brownies!!!

My Car Is AWESOME! We went off-roading and hiking and my car made it! Although it did get a nail stuck in the tire... $20 to get it fixed!

My Car is AWESOME! (cont)

Again...

The BEAUTIFUL Mountains in Utah

Cont...

Again...

Gas was BELOW $3!!!!! 

My Brother sent me Flat Stanley and I had to dress him for living in Provo and take pictures. He has a "Y" shirt, scarf, hat, and boots! Here he is with the beautiful mountains behind him!

The "Y" is in the background

There are SO many jewelry stores we thought he should visit one...

On the way to Utah, my car had some issues and we had to spend the night in Truckee while my car got fixed

Up where the Olympics were back in the day in Tahoe
Tahoe Lake in the very back

Olympics!!!

My desk in my DORM!!!

My bed in my dorm!

Double Rainbow in Elk Ridge, UT

Look how close we are!!! BYU v U game (disappointing but fun...)

Stanley and I outside one of the Helaman Halls

BYU Honor Code

Senior year in high school, when everyone would talk about the college they were going to, it was pretty obvious to most people that I would be going to BYU. So we would talk about our schools and how excited everyone was for the next year, and somehow, the topic came up that BYU has a dress code. I had never really thought much of it, but all of my non-member friends were shocked. I kind of blew it off and the conversation continued. I had never really thought about the honor code system here at BYU until recently. Not related to dress code, but the fact that we have an honor code and everyone lives by it really well was a bit of a shock for me. Coming from a high school in California in the Bay Area, a lot of people don't have the same honor and principles as I have seen here at BYU. There are so many assignments that we have turned in for a significant amount of points that have been completely based on the honor system. For example, in Writing 150, we had to write in a journal, or on a blog, or something similar every day for the entire semester. At the end of the year, we didn't turn in our journals or blogs, instead we turned in a paper with marks on the days we wrote. Anyone could have marked every day and gotten 100% for no actual work and the teacher would never have known. Yet, from what I could tell, no one in the class lied about the time they spent on their writing. People were willing to take the lower grade rather than compromise their honor. At my high school, that NEVER would have happened. The grades would have been fudged a bit to give the student a better score. It's such a pleasant surprise!
So now, my syllabus for my Book of Mormon class said that our final would be on Monday. I would have all my finals done by Wednesday so we booked my flight home for Thursday. Then, last week, our professor tells us the test had been moved to Thursday from 11-1. Are you kidding me? What am I supposed to do now? So I emailed the teacher and told him my situation. Relying on the honor code, he replied telling me that he would leave a test with his secretary and I could come and take it any time during the week as long as I didn't tell anyone else in the class what they should study. YES! So I can still fly home Thursday because the teachers trust their students. This all comes back to the honor code here at BYU.
Living by standards brings way more blessings to my life than doing whatever I want. I have more freedom because I am trusted and can choose to do what I want with my life rather than be bound by some mistake or the stereotypes of others around me. The honor code is sometimes an annoying thing to follow but like any rule set in place, it helps us to be more successful and make better choices. I am grateful that BYU has the honor code so I can live my life around people with my standards and be blessed for it.

Herds of..... HORSES?!?

Thursday night began as a disappointing, lazy night spent in the dorm room "studying" while the rest of the world (or so it felt) was out having the best night of their lives. After a couple of hours, Emily and I could not take it anymore. We HAD to get out of our dinky little room! So what do we do? Put on sweats and t-shirts and headed down to the lobby. There were a couple of people to talk to, so for about an hour we chatted (our lame attempt at being social for the night). As the clock hit 12, the guys had to leave the building. Emily ran outside to do who knows what with who knows who, and I stumbled up the stairs to our room exhausted but dreading that tiny prison.
A few minutes after reaching our room, Emily bursts through the door and says, "Do you want to go to the hot springs?" .... What? It took me a few seconds to really understand what she was asking. Finally, I got the picture and we put our bathingsuits on, grabbed our towels, bundled on a bunch of clothes (cuz it is FREEZING here) and headed out the door. We walked all the way across campus to meet up with some other people who were going, got in the car, and drove off.
Let me first explain the car situation. There were six people going, two couple plus me and Emily. The car could fit five. Emily decided she would be the one to sit on someone's lap. Who does she choose? One of the guys, who is in a couple, sitting next to his girl. Emily and the guy have known each other for a long time so it wasn't that big of a deal. It just made all of us laugh and the situation was a tad awkward. Finally, she moved and I sat on her lap.
Our drive took us to unknown locations. We traveled south on the freeway for a bit. When we got off we headed for the mountains. We probably passes a total of 3 cars along the road through the mountains. We we turned off the main road, there was not a soul in sight. No lights, barely any useful signs, anda blank wall of mountains around us. We drove up and down the road a few times, trying to find the place where we were supposed to park and start hiking, but to no avail. We ran in to a herd of horses just standing in the middle of the road. There were probably somewhere between 15 and 20 horses crossing the road in front of us. Definitely NOT something that would happen in California, let me tell you. Cows, deer, that's all normal. But HORSES! Are you kidding me!?! It was pretty crazy. They were very beautiful, if that gives them any credit for being there.
Finally, we could not find the hot springs and the car was almost out of gas. We had to get back to civilization before we ran out or else we would be pushing a car through the middle of no where. Luckily, we made it, filled up, and headed back home. At this point, it was about 2:30 am. The entire ride home was silent. Most people had fallen asleep in the back (except for me due to my awkward position sitting on top of people). We got home at about 3 am, headed upstairs, and immediately went to bed. Our own little adventure to find the hot springs didn't turn out to be as fun as hoped but it pulled Emily and I out of our dorm room which was all we needed for the night. Maybe next time, we will go during the day so we can actually find the hot springs!

Super Secret Awesome Birthday Ninja ATTACK!!!!

Last night, the super secret awesome birthday ninja attacked again! Only this time, the attack was MEGA AWESOME!!! I decided that I felt bad for the 15 people who had their birthdays over the summer so last night I did something drastic. I made a big poster saying "Happy Summer Birthday" and put everyone's name who has a summer birthday on the poster. Then I got everyone their favorite candy and and taped it up by their names so they could come and collect their "present". I feel like it was a good way to help inspire people during finals week! I know that I was happy to get a giant Kit-Kat bar (even though I bought it for myself). I even had to have an accomplice. Emily (roommate) and I snuck out of our room at 12 am last night. She snuck down the hall and checked the lounge to make sure no one was in there. Once the coast was clear, I ran down the hall and shut the door of the lounge so we could get to work. We taped everything up, had a couple of scary moments (people walking by the door outside), and put notices up on the doors at the end of the halls so the summer birthdays knew there was something for them in the lounge. We then super sneakily snuck our way to back to our dorm. MISSION COMPLETION!!! (Little Einsteins reference) So that was my night last night! And now that all my classes for the semester are over, I have to actually spend time studying... NOT fun. One more week till I head back home!

Here you go!

Well, my suite mate just complained (from her room where I was eavesdropping) that no one has updated their blog in forever. I am one of these people. So here is my updated blog!! Hope you're happy Shanna! (http://weareautonomy.blogspot.com/) Check her OUT!!!!! (Smokin' hot right? :D) Love you too Shanna!!!!

No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service...

I LOVE my cabin. Coming up here, to the mountains, is such a refuge from the rest of the world. I was worried that, since I now live in the mountains, I would not enjoy the cabin as much this Thanksgiving and I would wish I was still in the bay. Boy was I wrong! Everything up here is peaceful; the smell, the scenery, the sounds. We even got some snow already! But my favorite part about coming up to the cabin is the lack of cell phone service. I don't have to worry about anyone texting me (or not texting me) the entire time I'm up here. Plus, it's always fun to go back into town and see how many people actually cared enough to send me messages over the week. For example, yesterday we went to the movies where there is cell service and I had a bunch of texts from my roommate! Awesome!!! At least someone out there loves me enough to send me a message!

Anyways, just wanted to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving tomorrow! Eat lots of food and enjoy yourselves! And watch lots football!!!!! :D

"Cuz I'm Leavin' on a Jet Plane...

... I don't know when I'll be back again!" Actually, I do. Ten days from now to be exact! I'm currently sitting in the airport in Salt Lake City waiting for my plane ride back to the Bay Area. Have you ever noticed that there are a TON of California songs? I just typed into my itunes the word "California" and I got a list of seven songs ranging from Katy Perry to Beach Boys, Led Zeppelin to The Eagles, and so much more. Everyone wants to live in California! How many songs have you heard about Utah or Nebraska or Alaska? If you guys can name one, I will be super impressed! Comment below!

Anyways, so now I am sitting in the airport, hopefully by the right gate, listening to songs about California. I love it!

So, here is my little plug for a business/restaurant. Too bad I can't get any money for this, but if you haven't been to the crepe place on State Street here in Provo, you HAVE to go. We went with our Family Home Evening group and it was really good (and cheap too!). I just went again tonight with my Grandpa who took me to the airport, and it was just as good as it was last time I went! We also had some interesting conversations and had our own adventure! 

Well, that's it for tonight! Hopefully, we don't pull a Lost on this flight and I make it home safe and sound!

Going Home!!!

On Friday... I'M FLYING HOME!!!!! Can't Wait!!! I am so excited! I just have to make it through Thursday.

Now don't forget to count your blessings. I go to an amazing school where I have the perfect opportunity to gain an astounding education, be with my friends, and live on my own. I have a wonderful family that I get to fly back home to on Friday. I have a car as a freshman in college. Not many students get that and trust me, I appreciate it. I have a bunch of family up here in Utah to feed me awesome Sunday dinners. I don't have to work this year because my parents have lived their lives in a way that enables me to be well taken care of. I have a computer that I am using now (obviously) which was so kindly given to me at graduation from high school. I have awesome roommates/suitemates! We have spectacular pet fish in our bathroom! I have food to eat, a roof over my head, a bed to sleep on, and the opportunity to be really busy (like tomorrow). I hope that one day, my kids can have this opportunity same as me. I hope I can live my life in a way to provide for them so they can choose whatever path they wish, the same way my parents have provided for me. Thanks Mom and Dad. I love you and can't wait to see you guys on Friday!!!

About Me

So I figured, since this is the start of something new for me, I would introduce myself and tell people more about me. But I think more importantly, this is a way for me to know more about me. So to begin...

I'm a freshman in college at Brigham Young University and I love it here. There are so many wonderful people around me. The classes are fantastic and I am learning so much. I am also enjoying living on my own (although the Cannon Center food I could live without) :D I was originally a film major but after about a whole month of stressful thinking, I decided to put off applying for the Media Arts program here at BYU and take some other classes in order to open my horizon and be sure of my future. We'll see how that goes.

My calling (for the LDS people reading this) or my job on our floor (for the non-LDS people) is birthday coordinator. Basically, I do something for everyone's birthday on our floor. THIS is where my guardian angel gift bags from being a cheerleader in high school has actually benefitted me! I make posters and little goody bags for everyone on their birthday and it's actually a lot of fun! Especially the sneaking around the hall, hoping no one will see me! I'm like a birthday NINJA!!!!!

Alright so now to some more fun information. The other day, I was thinking about how I am from California, yet I have never surfed! This is a little more acceptable because I live in Northern California where the ocean is cold and it's almost always cloudy at the beach. We wear sweatshirts and jeans to the beach where I'm from. So, that got me thinking about crazy things I want to do before I die (or become to old to be able to do them). Here's my list:

1. Learn how to surf
2. Visit every continent (apart from Antarctica although that would be pretty awesome too!)
3. Learn how to ride a motorcycle
4. Walk along the Great Wall of China
5. Learn how to play the guitar
6. Become scuba certified
7. Get a pilot's license (doubt this will happen but that would be WAY cool)
8. Live in a castle (I guess staying in one on vacation is okay too)
9. Become a YouTube sensation
10. Make a full-length feature film

I highly doubt that like any of these things will happen but, who knows? Dreams come true sometimes right?

Pilot

Have you ever noticed that for EVERY SINGLE NEW SHOW the first episode is called PILOT? Well, I have, so.... this is my first blog post, why not continue the tradition and call it Pilot! Wahoo!!!

Anyways, so basically everyone and their dog has started their own blog over the last few months and I have been feeling a little left out. After much thought I decided, why not give in to peer pressure and join the crowd!?! Sounds like fun, right?

So basically, this is a test to see if I can even do it. My goal with this blog is to simply rant about things going on in my life. Obviously, being a freshman in college means I have a LOT of important decisions coming up in the future as well as a LOT of opinions and ideas that I have to establish on my own. This is where I plan on doing just that. Hopefully, I can post something every couple of days. Again, this is a test to see if I am even capable of such amazing blogging!!! Well, enjoy!