christmas ornament swap

So...I've been a slacker.

Well, mainly, I went on vacation and didn't post this beforehand....and, if you know me well, you know I'm quite the procrastinator.

So a while back I joined an ornament swap group thinking it'd be a super fun idea.  Erica from Good Job Momma got me, and can I just say how awesome she is???

I love the ornament she made me.  She used super cute paper on every side of the ornament {the sides and back are different too!}  She even included other personal touches inside the package, knowing my love for Diet Coke!  {Thanks so much for my ornament...I can tell a lot of thought was put into it!}

Merry Christmas!

Don't Worry. Be Happy.

Sometimes people post on Facebook just the thing I need to read...and today it happened twice.

“So often we get caught up in the illusion that there is something just beyond our reach that would bring us happiness, a better family situation, a better financial situation, or the end of a challenging trial. The older we get, the more we look back and realize that external circumstances don't really matter or determine our happiness. We do matter. We determine our happiness. You and I are ultimately in charge of our own happiness.” - Dieter F. Uchtdorf

and 

It's a bad day. Not a bad life.

I won't lie.  Today has been a rough day.  Not sure why....just a lot of little things adding up.  And I'm not sure how it goes for everybody, but I know that when I'm having a bad day, it's so much easier to see my flaws and all the inadequacies in my life.  And that was just making life worse.

But what's nice about life is that a day can only last so long.  After twenty four hours, a new one is given to us.  So no matter how bad it may be, it can't last longer than that.  For me, sleep helps a lot of things.  So I'm kind of excited to go to sleep tonight and leave today behind.

Semi-related side note:

As I was flipping through pages on iTunes,  I found this gem.

Fun Fact For Ya {triple-F-Y}:  This song totally reminds me of family road trips to Boise.  We had a cassette tape I feel like we always listened to.  And I'm pretty sure this was the first song.  I only remember a handful of other songs on it....and even though the road trips felt long, this tape is a good memory :)

attitude of gratitude {days 9-19}

I'm super behind with this project...but here's the next section anyway.  {click here for part 1}

9 - friends - I'm grateful for all my friends, no matter the length of the friendship.  They have gotten me through the good and the bad times and have shaped much of who I have become.  They teach me things I never knew about myself.  They keep my thoroughly entertained.  I love them.

10 - indoor plumbing - Who honestly wants to squat over a hole in the backyard?  Or run outside to an outhouse?  Especially in the middle of winter.  No thank you.  Whoever invented toilet paper?  Genius.  Also, never having to share bath water with siblings?  Awesomeness.  I like showers.

11 - government and military - I am so blessed to live in a place where I am free to choose what to do with my life, have guaranteed rights and liberties, and the opportunity to have a say in how our country is run (aka the right to vote).  I grateful for those who sacrifice their time, and even their life, to serve this country and its citizens to protect their freedoms.

12 - cell phones - I complain about how much I hate my phone often-- how slow it is, functions it doesn't have, and just how crappy it is in general.  But really, it does so much for me.  I take pictures on it more than I do with my real camera.  It helps me to keep in touch with family and friends through phone calls, texting, and social media apps.  It prevents me from getting completely lost with navigation and answers stupid questions with Google.

13 - ducks {and geese} - Ducks are pretty much the greatest animal on the planet.  They are definitely in my top three favorite animals.  For some reason, they make me unexplainably happy.  I haven't been infatuated with them as much this school year, but I still think they're pretty awesome.

14 - zumba - So if you know me, like, at all, you know growing up I was not athletic at all.  I hated sports.  I hated gym.  Being athletic was NOT my forte.  Then, one of the summers after high school, I decided to give AquaZumba a shot.  My mom and her friends (who are pretty much my second and third moms) were doing it...so if middle-aged moms could do it, a nineteen year old could, right?  Right!  I fell in love.  The next fall I signed up for a normal Zumba class for school and the love has continued.  Who knew exercising could be fun?

15 - shameless self-photos - If somebody was to look through the pictures on my phone, they would probably tell me the amount of pictures I take of myself is obscene.  Honestly, I just get bored....so this occasionally provides a form of entertainment.

clothes AND shameless self-portraits....embarrassing eh?

16 - clothes - Granted, a small percentage of the population could probably walk around without clothes and nobody would complain...but for the majority clothing is a good great thing.  Clothes cover up some of the scars, flaws, and imperfections I don't wish to share with the world.  It allows me to express myself.  I definitely am not a pro at throwing outfits together, but knowing how I used to dress, I can say I am significantly better at it.

17 - Aggie Athletics - I don't care if you have a card proclaiming you are a "True Aggie" because you kissed somebody on the A at midnight the night of a full moon.  You are NOT a True Aggie if you do not support Aggie sports.  Last Saturday some of my roommates and I sat in the Spectrum for over six hours watching the football and basketball games.  The football game was crazy.  I'll admit, I got worried.  I lost hope even. The last half we weren't doing so hot, so how could we win?  Whelp, we went into overtime, and guess what?  The Aggies pulled through, won, and now are ranked #25.  Basketball did not disappoint either.  I love screaming and cheering on my Aggies.

18 - parents who love each other - It's often easy to take something like this for granted.  It's just life to me.  But then life sinks in and I see friends whose parents are divorced.  Or have friends say they think their parents should divorce.  As a kid, I know I played out the scenario of "which parent would you live with if they got divorced?" in my head (did other people do that too? or was I just a weird kid?), but ultimately, I knew I would never have to choose.  Ever.  I was certain.  I always knew my parents loved each other.  I still do.  And I hope that one day, I'll be able to have a forever marriage like theirs.

19 - creativity - My creativity lacks a lot of times.  But I'm thankful for those who are creative...and even more thankful for those who share their creativity on the internet.  Because, then it allows others, such as my only-semi-creative-self, to get ideas and do awesome things.  Pinterest has allowed for new crafts ideas galore.  Every once in a while, I do create something with my own imagination, but, by golly, others have such nifty ideas!

major decisions

Over the summer I finally decided what I want to do with my life.

Okay.  False.  I still have no idea what I want to do with life...but I at least was able to come to a decision as to what major to declare.  It was something I had struggled with for a long time.  All growing up, junior high and high school counselors would look at my grades and say, "You can be anything you want to be!" "With grades like those, you will succeed in any direction you choose to take!"

Well...as an indecisive person that was not news I loved hearing.  I did like hearing I was "smart," but I hated the lack of direction.  I liked and disliked everything at the same time.  I didn't really have a passion for any particular subject that screamed to me, "Go this way!  Pick me!"

So once I got to college I remained undeclared.  I took a variety of classes- psychology, chemistry, Spanish, English, computer science, sociology, and so much more.  There was only one area that I noticed a pattern in the classes I took.  I kept taking classes from the FCHD (family, consumer, and human development) department.  I loved those classes.  I still do.  Classes about families, marriages, development of the human body, finances...they were all my favorites.  I considered taking a similar route to these courses and become a FCSE (family and consumer science education) major.  I thought it could be super cool to be a junior high or high school teacher and teach the "fun" classes like foods, sewing, and interior design...and even the "not fun" ones like financial literacy.  I found something I liked.  It should be simple enough to declare my major, right?

Wrong.  Something about it just never felt "right" to declare.  I didn't know how to use it to help me in the workforce, except becoming a teacher.  I can see all the applicable ways in my personal life...but professionally I felt very limited.  It confused and frustrated me.  I couldn't seem to find anything that I felt okay about pursuing.

And as more and more time passed me by, the more it stressed me out and worried me.  The topic was a pretty sensitive one at the time.  Any time anyone would bring the subject of my major up (and was either really close to me personally...or just really pressed it)  I would always end up with tears in my eyes.  Thoughts would always come: "Why can't I figure out what I want to do with my life?"  "Why can everyone else come to a decision, but I can't?"  "Why does this not feel 'right' for me...yet it's 'right' for bunches of other people?"  "I'm just wasting my time in school.  I should just drop out.  Except that would be stupid.  My parents would kill me...and I wouldn't be doing anything better with my time."  "What's wrong with me?"

This summer my mom pointed out to me what's been sitting in front of my face for the longest time.  Seriously.  The.  Longest. Time.  It's something I've spent a good chunk {aka 6 years} of my life doing.

"You love your job.  Why don't you declare something that relates?"

I thought about it.  And it was obvious....and I had been completely oblivious to it the whole time.

With the help of my mom, I decided Human Resources would be an awesome fit for my life.  My job already entailed some aspects of it, and the other ones seemed like stuff I'd be able to handle.

Step 1:  Call Utah State's Advising Center and set up an appointment.  Knowing I didn't have the pre-requisites done, I made it with an "undeclared, business" adviser.

Step 2:  Drive to Logan with Eryka.  Park.  Go to the TSC and meet with said adviser.

Step 3:  Walk into her office.  Right off the bat she says, "So, the note about your appointment says you're interested in majoring in Human Resources.  We actually stopped offering that major for bachelor's degrees" and listed multiple reasons why.  "Here are other business degrees you could major in, and then have HR as your minor.  Oh.  And really you don't want to be meeting with me, you want to set up an appointment to meet with a business adviser and officially declare a major."  Me:  "What?  I don't have the pre-reqs done."  Adviser: "If your GPA is above *this level* (3.95 maybe?)  you can declare earlier.  You have a 3.96."  Yada yada yada...I leave her office.

Step 4:  Find Eryka.  Say "Sorry...I'm not done yet.  UGH."  And hurry my behind over to the business building.  We wander for a minute until we can find their advisement office.  I patiently stand in front of the counter while Office Lady is on the phone...and wait and wait.  Until somebody else notices me and asks how she can help me.  "Oh.  You want to talk to Paige.  She's out of town until next week."  Totally not music to my ears.  "But, here...I can declare your major for you."

So...I'm getting a BS in BA.  I wish that stood for a B.S. degree in Bad A**-ery...but unfortunately it doesn't.  Here's to a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration.  Totally not as cool.

Step 5:  Go eat lunch with Eryka and Elise.  Then check out Violet Hill Boutique's new digs in the mall.  You wouldn't think this is such a necessary step...but it is.

The next week I made another appointment to talk to a *real* adviser and got my life sorted out.  I didn't feel like she helped me a whole lot...but it's still good to talk to someone who knows what they're talking about.  I thought we'd get my schedule all hammered out in her office and officially registered for classes.  Instead, she just said "here ya go" with a list of stuff, answered a few questions, but ultimately, didn't do a whole lot that I wouldn't be able to figure out on my own.

I still have no idea what I'm going to do with my degree, but I know it'll be useful in the long run.  All I know is that, at least for now, it feels "right" and that I actually feel like I'm working toward something.  I also know that I'm not 100% obligated to hold fast to this.  I'm still allowed to change my mind.  I don't have to have all the answers now...but I'm glad I at least have some of them :)

sombreros, gangnam style, and a cardboard cat

So, minus the fact I've been sick, this weekend has been pretty stellar.

Highlights include:

• Scoring a super comfy, super cute hoodie for practically half price
• Olive Garden {salad and breadsticks?!  mmm..and pasta :) super delish}
• Aggie basketball....and even better because we won! {there were some moments the score was WAY too close for comfort}
• Hanging out with these cool kids

photo stolen from Alyse

So...we pretty much had a mobile dance party.  We all dressed up {too bad you can't see the back of my jacket...it's a party of its own}.  Basically Sombrero Man {Blake} would knock on an apartment's door, make up some story which involved plugging his boombox into their wall, and start dancing.  {apparently people's initial reactions are pretty funny.}  We'd all pour into the apartment and party it up!  Some people would just stare at us...but others would hop up and dance too.  As we made our way from apartment to apartment our group doubled {at least!}  Most additions were just in normal clothes....but about halfway through we had the silly Old Farm gorilla join in!

I'm pretty sure I made myself sicker by screaming for my Aggies and dancing around all Saturday night....but I would do it again in a heartbeat!  I love my neighbors and the crazy shenanigans they think up :)

thankful thursday: days 1-8

so....i thought i would jump on the bandwagon and join in being grateful for something everyday of november.  i know i should remember to be grateful for these things everyday...and i try.  i love the month of november and hearing everybody express their lists too.  anyway...in no particular order...here we go!

Heather's Wedding, June 2010

1 - my mama llama.  .she's pretty much the bee's knees.  she's patient and loving.  she helps me realize the obvious when i don't see it right in front of my face {like my major}.  she reminds me not to worry about things.  she's pretty.  she makes super good food.  and she's not selfish with it either.  she'll not only share with me, she'll take dinner to friends, neighbors, and relatives.  she visits her parents pretty much every day as of lately.  she's super crafty--like she's done pretty much every category imaginable...except knitting.  i've never seen her knit...but jewelry, painting, wood crafts, quilting, crocheting, etc...you name it, she's done it.  even though she's *super old* {not really mom.  you're just not 21} she's one of my best friends.  and she has cool friends.  {wanna know something funny?  i spent almost every tuesday night during the summer going to water zumba with my mom and her friends...sometimes even foregoing plans with my own friends.  ha!}  and so much more.  i pretty much want to be her when i grow up.  or even just half of her...because that would still let me be pretty rad. i love her.

San Francisco, March 2011

2 - pops.  okay i never call him that to his face.  my dad.  he's a super cool dude.  he can fix pretty much anything.  and if he can't, he knows someone who can. he's super smart.  i swear he can answer pretty much any question.  except "what do you want for your birthday?"  he sucks at that one.  he's tells corny "dad jokes."  he makes me laugh {*walks into my room with his arms in the sleeves of a utah state hoodie* "hey kel. wanna see something cool?" "sure dad."  *proceeds to finish putting the hoodie on* "i can put this hoodie on without taking off my glasses!" "isn't that normal??"  *apparently not...*} i'm grateful to have a worthy priesthood-holding father.  and that he takes care of my car.  and takes me out to dinner. and so much more.  when i was little i always thought it was weird when i heard stories of little girls saying they want to marry their dads.  now i get it.  i wanna marry someone like my dad too.  i love him.

Source: shelikespurple.com via Kelly on Pinterest

3 - diet coke.  a gift from the gods.  well...that's if i believed in more than one.  so i guess it's just the greatest thing ever.  pretty sure i'm ready to be a middle-aged mormon mom by the amounts i consume.

Source: burlapanddenim.com via Eryka on Pinterest

4 - my religion.  yep.  i'm a mormon.  the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints.  sometimes i like to deviate off the path of life...not too far...just like a footstep or two or three...but ultimately i know what makes me happy.  and the beauty of it is, i'm not expected to be perfect, i just need to strive to be.

5 - old navy.  i don't even want to add up how much i've spent there in the past year...or even just the past three months.  i bought four sweaters there yesterday since it was the last day of super cash.  so i pretty much got one for free...but i got the super cash from spending lots already.  oops.  i swear they used to have ugly clothes growing up....but that has totally changed.

Source: 1.bp.blogspot.com via Julia on Pinterest

6 - school.  as much i love to complain and say how much i hate it....i really love it.  growing up, school was how i felt good about myself...mainly because i was good at it.  i was the smart kid.  granted, that's not the super cool thing to be...but i never seemed to get too much crap for it, except from my siblings.  sometimes, now, i don't feel so smart...but i'll save that post for a different day.  because i did so well in high school, i now have a scholarship to pay for me to pursue a college degree.  i love that, even though the major i declared is completely different than anything i've ever studied, i'm still doing well.  i would have never thought of myself as one to go into business...yet it feels so right.  there are projects where i have to stretch myself and what i feel i am capable of...but overall, i seem to have been successful :)

7 - boys who hold the door open.  in church on sunday in my home ward, one lady was talking about how kids my age don't know how to date, and lack of door-holding was one of the things used as an example.  i try to remember to say thank you...although i know i'm not perfect in remembering.  and i know it is a concern for dating.  i've been on some dates where the boy does not get the door...but i've been on quite a few where the boy does.  dear boys....girls do notice.  and it does improve my opinion of you.

8 - randomly finding twenty bucks!  so today i had to open my backpack to retrieve something i normally don't ever need to get....like ever.  and i noticed a bill folded up in a pocket....and was pretty stoked to see it was a twenty instead of a five like i originally thought :)

bam.  november.  one of the greatest months of the year.

yesterday's ramblings

yesterday i began writing a post {which is now sitting in my drafts, unpublished}
it was full of whining. FULL of it.
how so many aspects of my life haven't been going the way i want them to this week.
how life has been SO full of stress -- places to be, projects to accomplish, things i do/do not want to do, etc.
and i was just tired.

so i took a time out from life.
my friends and i decided to give spinning a try.

i admit.  i was preparing myself to hate it.  absolutely LOATHE it.
and there were moments i did.  but surprisingly enough, i found moments where i was not only tolerating it, but ENJOYING it.  weird.
but i got kind of bored too.  so maybe not my first choice of exercise...but i would definitely be okay doing it again.

and then it was time for my group paper meeting.  boy.  i hate canada right now.

and then i got an invite to hang out and take another mental break, which it sounds like we both really needed.  sometimes hot chocolate, funny people, and movies can really cure things...

because today i feel okay :)

happiness is...

happiness is....

• pretty autumn trees and leaves dotting the earth

• holding hands with a cute boy
• pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
• Diet Coke.  especially if it's giant.

• clean bedrooms
• spending time with family
• new music
• Chick-Fil-A

• awesome coworkers
• amusement parks
• finally completing an outfit how i imagined it
• peacocks at dinner

• playing with my sister's puppies
• an unexpected letter from a missionary
• hot chocolate on a chilly day

happiness is life.

dear boys #2

seriously this is only #2?  i must write so many of these in my head.  anyway...

dear best friend,

it was good hearing your voice yesterday.

it's been awhile.

<3, me

dear boy,

ha.  you like me.
weird.

sincerely, baffled

dear mish,

i know you're doing great things,

but my mailbox is hungry.

love, kel

dear frank,
thanks for letting me rock your accounting test.
it made me feel pretty great.  and i think you're pretty great.
sincerely, the student who smokes pot {aka uses a calculator}

dear asian roommate,

you made me unwillingly swear to do something by shoving a Bible to my face?

and took my laughter as agreement?

you're crazy.  but you make me laugh, so therefore i love you.

sincerely, maybe i actually have to do it now...

dear bedroom,

you're clean?!  how is this possible?

i'm glad we could get reacquainted.

you look quite nice and clean up rather well.

sincerely, now my roommate won't hate me.

dear toenail,
why do we even have you in the first place?
seriously though.
anyway, i don't think it's appropriate for you to be chillin' in a not-attached-to-my-toe manner.
not cool.
sincerely, that really hurt/never-volunteer-to-clean-the-church-with-your-parents-again

172 people

172 people = the number of students in my Managing Organizations and People class.
172 people = the amount of people I get to teach next Wednesday.

I'm intimidated.  This is one of my first business classes, yet it's upper division.  I feel like I don't know much.  I feel inadequate.  Plus, I am not a fan of speaking in front of huge groups.  Or at least not a fan of being responsible for them learning the material.

I'm the girl who is quiet.  The girl who likes to hide in the back of the class.  The girl who wants to be anonymous.

Sitting in that class, when groups were presenting what they were doing for their fundraisers, I just sat and watched how ridiculous some of them sounded with their schmoozing and sucking up.  Some were great presenters, but others felt like skeezy car dealers.

via

And as I'm preparing my part of the presentation {because thankfully I don't have to do it completely alone}, I am realizing that although it's not on my list of favorite things to do, or what I would ever voluntarily choose to do at this point in my life, I am still capable of doing it.  I have been at my job for the past six years, and during that time period, I have had experiences I can relate to the material I am teaching.  I'm just irritated I can't find the clip of The Office I want haha.

But seriously.  I *am* grateful for my job.  I actually have enjoyed it {and it's why I've decided to choose the business route for school}.  Even though there have been stressful days there, I am now able to use them as examples.  Here's to hoping Andrew and I can fill our 30-40 minutes and actually be understood :)

today i met the devil

Today I met the devil.

His name is Ryan.  Did you know that?

He is smooth talking and oh-so-persuasive.  Somehow he convinces you to do things you know really aren't that great for your well-being and makes the perks of "now" seem quite appealing.

Now, being the devil, I would assume he'd be quite busy.  How does he have time for a second job?  I'm not sure.  But, he works at Old Navy.

I won't lie.  I'm in love with Old Navy's Rockstar Jeans.

Old Navy

They have every color of the rainbow pretty much.  I needed some new black ones because my old ones just weren't cutting it, and, when they're on sale for $19 a pair, why should I pay full price?

So I went in with a mission:  purchase black skinny jeans.  And then I thought to myself, "Self- they're practically half price!  That means I can get another pair and not feel bad, right?"  So I found myself with a hot pink pair as well.

After I had grabbed my jeans I found some shirts that were oh-so-adorable.  In the past I would have hated them.  I won't lie. Camp shirts and chambrays?  Not my thing.  But today, for some odd reason, I just had to have them. 

Old Navy

I really wish they had pictures of all my current loves that I bought, but alas they do not.  Now with two pairs of jeans and three shirts, I realized: "These things add up!"  I knew in my e-mail I had a discount that varied depending on how much I spent.  So I justified it and bought it all.

And Ryan, being the sneaky, cunning devil that he is, suggested I sign up for an Old Navy credit card.  He listed all the perks of signing up, and boy I've never heard potential debt sound so appealing.  I've never even had to consider cards when I go places- Kohls, Old Navy, American Eagle, etc.  For some reason I just always said no.  But today...today was different.  Today I said yes.  Why?  I still don't fully understand except I was already spending a lot of money and figured I should probably try to save some more.  {Don't worry Mom, I got denied.  I have no problem admitting that and honestly it's probably good I didn't get it.}

So the next time you're shopping, be sure to keep an eye out for the smooth talking devil....and be suspicious of guys named Ryan.

missing in action

so once upon a time i used to blog somewhat regularly.

and then it stopped and i went missing in action.

whelp.  here's an attempt to start it up again...but this is the only post for tonight.

in the mean time, enjoy this recipe that is my number one post.

better than sex (heath) cupcakes

These cupcakes are pretty dang delicious.  Anytime I say I'm making cupcakes people ask hopefully if I'm making Better Than Sex cupcakes.  They really aren't that hard.  I've heard of different methods to making them...but this is the one that works the best for me! {If anything is unclear, let me know and I'll try to clarify}

Ingredients:

• 1 chocolate cake mix (and the eggs, oil, and water it calls for)
• 1 bottle of carmel (I use Smuckers Caramel that looks like this)
• Cool Whip (8 oz I believe)
• 3 Heath bars (varies depending how much Heath you want)

First you make the cupcakes according to the directions on the box.  Simple, eh?

While still warm, poke three holes in each cupcake with the end of a wooden spoon.  Warm the carmel and spoon  into the holes.  Try to do this carefully or your cupcakes will become very sticky and messy to eat. {Note: I have noticed sometimes when I make these that the integrity of the cake is affected by the holes and the carmel combo...either be careful as you eat or go easy on the carmel so the bottom doesn't get too saturated}

Let them finish cooling.  I then let them chill in the fridge.  

Take your Heath bars and chop them into pieces.  A mixture of finely chopped and chunks is fine.  {The chunks are my favorite part.}  Don't eat too much of your Heath or else you won't have anything to put on top!

Once chilled, I spoon a dollop of Cool Whip onto each cupcake and use the spoon to make the peaks in the Cool Whip.  Sprinkle the Heath onto the Cool Whip.  I usually let them chill a little bit more just so everything gets nice and cold.  They are now ready to serve!   

Mmmm.  Delicious.  Now I'm craving them!

Dear Boys #1

dear cr8on,

you never fail to make me laugh
and i'm glad to see you're doing well.
good luck! i'll see you in two...and in the meantime i'll look forward to your letters :)

love, kelly


dear terrance,

i miss cuddling with you whilst watching movies.
you were soft, squishy, and would probably have razor sharp teeth if they were real

love, the pillow pet stealer


dear best friend,

can terrance and sexy rex have a play-date?

love, me


dear non-creeper,

i wish i could have said yes.  like really.
hopefully next time!

love, kelly


dear creepers,

please stay away.
i would sincerely appreciate it :)

love, me


dear one direction,

originally i refused to listen to you.
but then katie and janie changed my ways...and i actually like you.

love, me


dear elise,

you're not a boy, but you sure were fun to meet!

love, kelly

things will never be the same

During my last month in Logan, I thought to myself about how much I didn't want to leave.  One thought that often crossed my mind was "things are never going to be the same."  I don't know why I thought that so often, but I knew deep down it was true.

As the school year was ending, I knew some really great things were coming to an end.  No more watching silly TV shows or random movies on Netflix with my best friends.  Midnight trips to eat McDonald's hamburgers in Petsmart's parking lot and talking about life were over.  Walking 50 steps or less and being in my best friend's living room was no longer going to be a reality.

And I knew the happiest school year of my life was soon to be over.  Fall semester, overall, was good.  Especially comparing it to my freshman year, it was wonderful.  And then, somehow, spring semester was even better.  And I became worried that nothing would be able to top this school year.

But then I realized, I don't need to be comparing the years to each other.   Sure, there are going to be some experiences that are greater than others, but I won't be appreciating the greatness of the moment if I'm trying to compare it to something else that's completely different.

And I've already learned that things are going to be much different than I even imagined last April.  And although they're some major changes, most sound like they'll be good in the long run.  And for the ones I'm unsure about...well...I can only hope for the best.

two years

May 27, 2010.  It was a Thursday and I was in California for my high school choir trip.  That trip probably contains my happiest memories of my high school existence.

It was also the day I lost my best friend.

Thankfully, my parents are geniuses and threatened to kill my siblings if they told me before I got home (it was day 1 and I wouldn't be back until Monday).

{Is it bad that I'm already mentally done with the idea of writing?}

Anyway, Oscar was my best friend.  He got me through *a lot.*  People best friends are great...but sometimes I still would rather pick Oscar over humans if I could.

He was dependable.  I always knew he would be there.  I never had to worry about him ditching me for a boyfriend or other friends.  I liked being able to tell him anything and knowing he wouldn't/couldn't judge me.  Or at least if he was, I couldn't tell. I never had to worry he would repeat what I told him.  Honestly, just his little-fat-brown-lump-of-a-log presence was comforting.  And there's so much more, but as I said...I'm kind of mentally done for the day.

Thankfully when God took away one best friend, He gave another one in return.  He may not be as perfect as the first, but I still think he's pretty great :)

Two years ago on our choir trip
Still one of my favorite pictures :)

insomnia

The best time to write a blog post is at 2:30 in the morning, right?  As anyone can tell, I haven't had much of a care to write to the blog as often as I used to.  And honestly, that's mainly because my life is really not that exciting.  I'm not engaged or married like a gaggle of girls my age.  And I have nothing against them...most of the time I don't mind seeing people in love.  It's good to see people happy :)  But I'm not dating anyone either, and hell, now that I've moved home, I'm not even hanging out with anybody.  And, I don't know...I guess I don't feel like sharing *all* my thoughts with the entire world.  But, most are okay to share...just boring haha.

Words don't flow as easily as they used to...or maybe I'm just too much of a perfectionist.  It's different when you write knowing other people will read it versus just writing for yourself...except I'm half-writing that way anyway considering I'm just rambling random things.

Anyway, here's life as of late:

• I moved home a week ago today....weird.  It feels like it's been two.
• I don't know how I'm going to handle four months here.
• I miss Logan.  Maybe not as much as the first three days of being home.  Or maybe just differently.  It doesn't make much sense to cry about it {anymore...}.  But I miss it.  And mainly people.  And it makes me sad knowing things are never going to be the same again.  But hopefully that just means greater things are in store.  They better be.
• Sophomore year definitely trumps freshman year.  It was like night and day.
  
• I dyed my hair after moving home.  My grandma has made sure to tell me how awful it looks and "why would you do such a thing?"  What I don't understand is, back in the day, she used to dye her hair even darker than mine, or so I hear.  Anyway, it's darker than I expected...but it's not bad and no one else seems to mind it haha.  I love old people and their honesty though :)
• Wednesday and Thursday I got super sunburned.  As I told the Facebook and Instagram worlds...I may be brunette, but I have skin that burns like a ginger.  My legs are still on fire...but at least my body doesn't seem to be in shock anymore :)
• 7 and half hours of painting posts and picnic tables is not really my idea of fun, especially when you're schedule for 5.  But hey, it's money!  That's where day 1's sunburn came from.  Day 2 came from being outside all day with Steph, Bailey, and the bunny {I swear that thing is her new child...it goes EVERYWHERE with her}
• The people I miss the most are still in Logan.  Thank heavens for technology.
• Bountiful's a lonely place.  Hopefully I'll figure out how to change that.
• Grades turned out okay.  Okay...better than okay.  I freak out over nothing, like all the time.  I still don't understand how I pulled off an A- in Spanish when I really can't speak the language...
• I got a phone call telling me I've officially been put into the apartment I want.  Yay!
• Since moving home I don't sleep as well.  I either can't fall asleep...or can't stay asleep.  Which probably explains why I'm up past three.
• My eyesight is horrible.  I've been too lazy to find my glasses...although I'm pretty sure they're in a tote within a foot or two...but anyway that's not the point of this bullet.  The point is to say my laptop is on my stomach and if I cover my left eye, I can't read a thing.  
• During Finals Week I was obsessed with The Cab and Andy Grammer.  Still kind of am...but now I have real radio in addition to Spotify.
• And here are some new lovelies I've discovered recently:
• Beware.  This next one has a little bit of language.  Don't say I didn't warn you.

• Isn't this so pretty?

Anywho...I guess this is enough rambling for tonight.  I'd apologize for not being completely happy, optimistic, and cheerful...but that's a stupid reason to apologize for haha.  I'd rather just be honest.

Anyway...nighty night!  Or good morning?

what i've been up to - life dump

Honestly, I don't know what I've been up to lately.

I remember once upon a time I was going to post about my spring break adventures.  And then I never did. 

So let's back track to March.

Creighton, Kevin, and I got sushi.  Delish.

 And we went on an epic zoo adventure.

And I went out to three movies that week:  This Means War, Chronicle, and The Lorax.  I had heard mixed things about the Lorax, but I loved it.  And we {Angie, Kevin, Creighton, and I} went up to North Salt Lake and just ended up staring at the city.  I love city lights :)  The rest of the week was made up of yoga, Killer Bunnies, and a slurpee run with a talk on the Boulevard.

The next week consisted of Humans vs Zombies.  After half-heartedly signing up, I ended up having a lot of fun.  It looks like the stupidest game...but if you allow yourself, you will have good time! :)

Some of the roommates and I decided to go to Festival of Colors.  We'll let pictures do the talking.

That same weekend we saw the Hunger Games.  Love, love, LOVE that movie :)

One day I decided to have a "Make Kelly Happy Day" and did so by dressing up adorably.  Then instead of going to class as I had planned, I decided to ditch.  I ended up spending two hours going to the bank and finding flowers and a vase.  Honestly all the flowers sucked.  That is, until I found tulips at Maceys.  Tulips are pretty.  I kind of have a thing for them.

Probably this whole past month I've been under a ton of stress.  Or maybe anxiety.  Either way, it was no bueno.  I would wake up each morning feeling so sick.  Sometimes I just let the big things...and even more so, the little things...take a toll on me.  

On one of the bad days Kevin surprised me with flowers.  They're super pretty :)

Thankfully I'm feeling a lot better lately.  I think much of the stress has subsided, although I know priesthood blessings and a trip to the temple were helpful too.

I've seen and fed plenty of ducks lately too!!!!

Oh and I have not seen my cute duck couple in Logan since I have seen them in Bountiful...I think they must have gotten lost.

We also went on a...not-hike up Logan Canyon.  It was more of a walk.  We went back later that night and had a fire with s'mores

Odds and ends:

considering I thought I was going to fail that test...I think an 89 is super awesome :)

Oh and I found out that my English essay was one of the top in my class.  I get extra credit because of it and Thursday I'll get some award at our assembly/ceremony/whatever it is of all the English 2010 classes at that time.  It felt pretty awesome being told that my essay was one of the top just because I know what went into writing it.  There was a lot of effort behind it...and even more heart.

Tonight I went to Kevin's choir concert:

I listened most of the time!  I lost focus in the middle though...

And this is my attempt at a sneaky photo of the cute old couple next to me.  It was a fail though.  But I decided I want to grow up and be like them.  They were cute and holding hands and just being adorable.

Sorry it's kind of a picture dump and awful writing...but sometimes...okay a lot of times that's just what happens.  It feels nice being as caught up as I'm going to get...although I've missed a lot of details, but that's okay with me.