sometimes i love to cook

so sometimes cooking is great.  but as a college student you don't have all the tools of mom's kitchen so...that's why i think it'd be awesome to win a kitchen-aid mixer!

you should enter too!

or not. because then that just decreases my chances of winning ;)

enter here...

we are learning...or are we?

I'm sitting in MIS right now.  We each have a computer in front of us...which leads to a lot of distraction.

One boy is looking at sports stats, another at cars.

One girl is browsing Pinterest, while I'm reading blogs.

Multiple people are checking their e-mail...I did that earlier too...

And then there's the front row.  Their screens look like Dr. Dragon's.

They are actually paying attention and asking questions.

At least I showed up today.  I almost decided to ditch to study for computer science.

I was scared I would miss something important.  That always happens when I ditch.

I think I would have been okay...

sometimes it's awkward when...

sometimes it's awkward when...

...when you camp out on the quad and some creeper kid tries to become best friends with you and your roommates. itd be cool if you weren't a creeper...but awkward if you are {see creeper next to katie}

....you help break a world record {it hasn't been updated yet, but according to here we demolished it...}

...one of your old roommates participates in the chain {a few people down} and tells all your old roommates about it...and they start freaking out because you didnt call them and you receive endless questions the next time you see them

...you go to school monday and see sir jedi-braid wiener-face while walking on campus...but either he didnt see you or had the same {pretend you don't exist/youre just another face} reaction you did

...you see mr. i-dont-go-to-school-here can-i-help-you-set-up-and-put-your-stuff-in-your-tent are-you-gay-i-guess-not-since-youre-talking-about-wanting-to-name-your-first-son-augustus on tuesday by the library.  you have the same reaction as you had with sir jedi-braid wiener-face

...you are doing homework and realize none of it's making sense.  and you have a test on friday.  and it's not multiple choice.  okay.  that one's not awkward.  it's awful.

...youre told that youre probably the person someone misses most. im pretty sure you talked to me once in like the two weeks before you left sir. part of me just doesnt buy it

...you write an entire blog post with no capitalization and little punctuation

...but it's even more awkward wHn U tYpE lYk DiS!!!1!11

...you have known a kid for a few weeks and in your head you still call him nate when it's really matt.  sorry...you just seem like a nate.  whatd be even more awkward is if you actually called him nate...which you havent done yet thankfully

...instead of studying for aforementioned test you sit blogging and blog stalking instead

...using the word aforementioned...especially without using a thesaurus. sometimes your brain finds little pockets of smartness/big words leftover from high school

...ending abruptly...

...me

advice to a friend...

Try not to let yourself be Satan's project.  ...He knows our insecurities and weaknesses.  He also knows our strengths and wants us to forget about them or at least downplay them into something insignificant.  ...Don't let him use those against yourself.

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"Please, never forget that you must be patient and compassionate with yourselves, that some sacrifices are better than others, that you need not wait for a golden ticket to be happy."
~Dieter F. Uchtdorf

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and some Pinterest love...

Source: iheartgifs.blogspot.com via Kelly on Pinterest

Source: hautelook.com via Kelly on Pinterest

Source: myblessedlife.net via Kelly on Pinterest

Lions and Nieces and Dancing Oh My!

So after pretending to be a big girl and taking my car to get fixed I was able to go down to Ogden and visit my nieces.  I haven't seen them in a while...I got home from work on Sunday totally expecting them to be there...and they weren't!  So Stephanie, Brooklyn, Bailey, and I decided to go see The Lion King in 3D last night!

source
Thankfully 3D glasses have improved since these awful things

The best part was me IMDBing in the middle of the movie to look up Scar's voice...and discovering Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson) is Zazu.  Because of this, Steph and I just busted up laughing in some random part of the movie.  And I kept picturing a little Jonathan Taylor Thomas from Home Improvement whenever Simba would talk.  And Rafiki reminded me of this person I know from work so I would just laugh because I would picture this person being Rafiki.  I was also reminded of Larry giving to birth to Simba on stage during a choir concert.  Probably one of the funniest things I've seen.

I was glad I got to go down and hang out with those girlies.  It's been different not seeing them as much, but I think everyone is in a good spot with life at the moment.

When I got back to Logan I watched the tail-end of Enchanted with Heather.  I swear Patrick Dempsey and James Marsden have been in all the chick-flicks we've watched recently.

Then Heather decided she wanted to play Just Dance 2.  Knowing this doesn't usually happen, I knew I had to make the most of the opportunity.  Soon after, the other girls came home from Pie Night and joined in the fun.  Eventually Brian came over and started playing too.  So I decided I wanted to play a song I knew I was good at since Creighton pretty much killed me the other night when we were playing his favorite.  Yeah...these boys play this game all the time so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised at the outcome.

So this is the song Brian and I danced to:

Yeah...he not only beat me...but he beat my high score.  Granted, I've only played this song like 3 times (plus did it in AquaZumba during the summer) so I probably could have gotten it higher...but yeah.  He won.  I'll have to reclaim my high score sometime when I have time to play.  Or at least beat him some other time :)

Happiness!!!!

I got my program to download!

Not quite the one I wanted...but hey...it gets the homework done!

And I got my homework done!  Yay! :)  Happy day.

My Lovely Logan Home

Here's my lovely messy bed.  And my pillow pet Augustus that Sarah and Kylee bought for my birthday.  Kylee named him since she is pro at naming things like PillowPets and cars.  But notice...my bed is made...so does that count for something?  And see my Diet Coke addiction? 

My closet.  Guess which half is mine?  Yeah...I'm messy, I know.  I want to get crates like my roommate's...but Walmart only has ugly red ones left.  Red doesn't match my stuff.  Therefore...I stay messy.  I need to do something about it sometime though....

Our lovely vanity where we vainly look at ourselves in the mirror.  Okay.  Probably not vainly...but it is where we get ready for the day.

 Yep.  I made this beaut.  I love it.  I love when mistakes turn out better than the original plan.  It was supposed to be four squares...I like lots better though.

And the polka dot bow pillow.  Yep.  Adorable.

 And the button pillow.

 The arm chair...that the door runs into.

And our couch and recliner.  And my ottomans that are oh so great to have.  Perfect for putting your feet up.

 And my entertainment hookup.  Hello electronics.  Also, don't forget to say 'ello to Harry Potter.  He lives in the "cupboard under the stairs."

Somebody got angry and punched a hole in the bathroom door.  At least it wasn't my face this time ;)

 Monogram letters.  I think they're pretty fun.  They're above our HP closet.  If you're confused it's the first letter of the first name of the six of us.

 Our tiny kitchen.  If you look closely, you can see part of the blender in the sink.  I made a delicious strawberry banana smoothie this morning after Zumba.  Mmmm.

 When storage is minimal you learn to improvise.

 I love the stair rail.  I don't know why.  But it just matches our cute little place so perfectly.  Oh.  And I still leave my shoes in the living room like I did at home.

And this little gem.  Deliciousness in the palm of your hand.  Baby Ben and Jerrys.

*School Update*

• I <3 my computer science class.  We really haven't done too much yet...but considering the majority of the classes I haven't looked at the clock I take that as a good sign.  And I find it interesting.  The only thing I don't like is that my computer is being ridiculous and won't download a program I need...and I don't really want to live in the campus computer labs.  I guess I should find someone to help me out.
• Computer science lab - I decided I think the lab instructor is pretty fun.  I think that what makes him so great is his accent.  Everything is more entertaining in an Indian accent.  Is Outsourced the show with all the Indian people?  I should watch that and I'd probably be entertained.
• I dropped Intro to Elementary Education.  The more I looked at what it entailed and I imagined being an elementary teacher, the more I didn't like it.  It's just not me.  And the class seemed like too much effort for having a lack of interest.
• Career and Life Planning.  Yeah.  I thought that class would be a joke.  But it turns out I'm learning a lot about myself.  Some related to careers and majors...and some things of just what makes me who I am.
• MIS - This class is okay.  I like the website stuff.  Except he's going really slow.  I thought Boog taught me nothing.  Okay he did teach me nothing.  But I understand these basics from my high school class.  But I think we might eventually dig a little deeper.  I don't really like the business aspects of it as much.  But you do what you gotta do.
• I like that "gotta" doesn't come up as a misspelled word :)
• Lifespan Development - I still think this class is a joke.  I still think my teacher doesn't know what she's talking about.  BUT I did realize it is going to be a really easy class which is pretty awesome.  Hardly any assignments.  Everything (tests and such) is open book, open note, and online.  I don't even have to go to class on test days :)
• Zumba.  Can you say LOVE?  Yup.  It's pretty fabulous.  I think I may get a Fun Fit Forever pass just so I can take extra classes.  That'd make for two Zumba classes in a day...but hey.  It's great.  I kinda miss Aqua Zumba because I thought that was fun too.  But this works.  Except I'm not too coordinated.  But it's coming along.  There's this foot thing I can do if we just do the feet...but when we add the arms...well let's just say all hope is lost.  Maybe one day I'll get the hang of it.

*church*

So I went to my ward up here in Logan.  I like it here.  I feel like it's really small though.  Oh.  I guess the downfall of sitting next to the Relief Society President in Sunday School is getting asked to say the prayer for RS.  I don't remember the last time I gave a prayer at church.  But hey.  It wasn't the end of the world haha.  I don't necessarily mind...I just choose not to volunteer haha.

Then we went home and ate dinner.  Shayna and Heather cooked us a fabulous meal.  We made roast in the crockpot.  Shayna made us "smashed potatoes."  I asked her the difference between "smashed" and "mashed."  I guess leaving skins on makes them "smashed."  Makes sense!  And we had corn on the cob. (Thanks Dan and Eryka for making me try it!)  Well it all was pretty much delicious.

This picture probably looks disgusting.  But I'm not a food photographer for Food Network or any food type magazines...so hey...it doesn't matter! :)

Then we went to the CES fireside at our stake center.  Can I tell you just how adorable Elder Oaks wife is? I think she's a bundle of fun.  I totally wasn't expecting her to be that funny.  AND I can't believe she was never married until she was 53.  Seriously?  All those boys were crazy.  Anyway.  I thought she gave a great talk.  It was just what I needed to hear.  After seeing all these people my age, older than me, and especially younger than me get engaged and married thoughts sure do run through your mind.  Anyway.  One of the points I took away from her is that the focus right now shouldn't be on getting married.  It should be on living a Christ-centered life.  And obtaining an education.  And just making yourself the best person you can possibly be.  Which is all stuff I need to work on.

So.  I should probably be a good student and do homework.  Especially since today is one of the days I actually feel somewhat productive.

brain fried

tonight my brain feels like this

Source: google.com via Kelly on Pinterest

um yep.  it's pretty much fried.
stupid professors and their busywork.
but...i'm still managing to stay caught up.
barely.
but things should slow down soon.
hopefully.
my eyes are dead too.
good thing it's about time for sleep.
maybe i'll actually go to bed before midnight.  who knows when that last happened :)

school and friends

Tuesdays and Thursdays are my super long school days.  In each of my classes I was feeling pretty frustrated today.  My first class has a teacher who is originally from South Korea so he is pretty difficult to understand, but other than that it wasn't too bad.  I think that class will end up being okay.

My second class was okay.  I didn't love it, but didn't necessarily hate it.  I realized I wasn't in the greatest of moods though, so before my next class I stopped by the TSC to buy one last book that had been out of stock until now and a muffin to take to my next class.

And then I had my human development across the lifespan class.  It is taught by a 28 year old.  I'm not too thrilled with her.  She didn't seem to know what she was talking about.  She always read directly from the slides...and then when people asked her questions she usually didn't know the answer and would often make up some excuse for not knowing.  Luckily for those asking the questions, other students knew the answers usually - either from other classes or just life experiences.  And she wasn't helpful concerning materials she required for her class.  Like any questions about iClickers she appeared clueless.  And I also dislike she requires a custom USU book...and then tells us that it's no different than the normal book except for some biographies or something...ugh.  Either way I'm staying in the class considering I already opened my book and used the access code inside it since the class is impossible to take without access to her special website since she doesn't use USU's blackboard OR canvas.  Ridiculous...

And then I go to Career and Life Planning.  And while waiting in the hall I'm talking to Ky.  And she can tell I'm not okay.  But I just say I don't want to talk about it yet so she makes me promise to talk to her after class.  This class was good.  While I sat through it I thought it was pretty boring....but with hindsight it helped me realize something.  We were throwing a ball around the class and had to state our passion.  And I realized my second class of the day isn't my passion.  Elementary school students deserve to have teachers who have teaching/children/whatever as their passion.  That's not mine.  Even though it was only the second day of class, the more time I spent in class and looking over all the materials, the more I realized it wasn't what I would be happy with. However, my computer science and MIS class seem promising.  Intro to ElEd was also a huge time commitment.  It wasn't just attending class.  There were 15 hours of additional field work (observations, service hours, etc.) and long papers and lots of readings.  If I'm not passionate about it...and couldn't really care...and just getting frustrated/stressed/whatever....why keep the class?  So I dropped it.  I feel good about it.  I don't regret it. And I don't think I will.

After class I went over to Kylee's.  She fed me and Janie because she's rad like that.  And then she made me talk.  Except instead of talking I started crying.  I was just so frustrated (I hadn't come to the dropping the class decision yet...and stuff).  I was frustrated with everything to do with school.  Sick of foreign teachers (Professor South Korea and Lab Instructor India...).  Sick of teachers who knew nothing (Miss 28 Year Old).  Apathetic about some classes.  And I was frustrated with crying.  Because along with school there were other things I was frustrated with but felt stupid admitting so I didn't and then the whole unknown frustrations where you just cry.

But it meant a lot to have friends who could tell something wasn't right and cared enough to make me talk to them.

So the other day I was asked what I wanted for my birthday.  And I'm clueless.  Because the only things I want aren't material things.  And I don't know how/if they could even be given.  So...um...good luck.

But the second half of the day seemed to be looking up somewhat.  I have friends who care.  I got a letter from a missionary who I miss.  I decided to drop that class.  I played high-stakes bingo.  I came close to winning twice.  But, I didn't.  But I'm cool with that.