monte l. bean museum

today is my last day at the mlbean. it's crazy. i've worked here for about a year and a half and it's been the best job i've had while in college. the people who work here have become like family to me. although i am sad to be leaving the museum, where i am so comfortable and where life is chill, i know it is time to move on. in case you didn't know, the bean museum is expanding! so today is our last day open before we close and construction begins. i'm not bitter that i'm losing my job, because logically it was time to get a job more appropriate for my future career.
i got a CNA job this week- such a blessing! i really didn't expect to get the job and i am excited to be working at this facility. i'll be working as a part time CNA at Orem Rehab and Nursing. hopefully after i've worked there for a little while i can get a job at the hospital (because that's where i want to be in nursing).  secretly i'm super nervous to be working as a CNA. there is a lot of responsibility for your residents, long and hard shifts, and expectations for good time management.  i'm praying that i will do well!
on thursday we had a final gift shop "meeting" which was more like a party. everyone brought food and a white elephant, and we had a potluck and gift exchange. so fun! i'm fully convinced that i got the best white elephant.

gift shop employees and Jennifer

awkward posing going on but whatever

as i go through my last shift at the Gift Shop i wanted to do a little tribute to my time here. a few facts about what it's like to work at the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum Gift Shop.

Top 3 Questions Asked:
1. Do I need/Can I get a parking permit?
2. Where are the bathrooms?
3. Can I get a scavenger hunt?

in celebration of my last day i decided to do something crazy! i am deathly afraid of spiders, just like Ron Weasley. but we have this tarantula here at the museum and i decided i would hold it and work on overcoming that fear. i was literally shaking! so. freaking. scared. guysss. i can't handle spiders! but i did it and i am so proud of myself!

guys i held a spider! i was freaking out

i'm pretty sure i look so scared in this picture

it's a weird feeling to be signing out of the Bean Museum for the last time ever. i don't even know when i'll be back here! this is beka, saying good bye from the mlBean for the last time.


xo, beka

thought on tuesday

*waking up at 6:30 to go vote makes you feel very patriotic, until the mid-morning/afternoon slump hits. then you just want to sleep. utah friends, did you vote? i think you should!

*the ladies at the polling booth asked my mom if this was my first time voting. i laughed inside, because my age is like the #1 question i get. i voted in the last presidential election folks. i'm gettin' old!

*kid skipped past my desk singing "if your finger's in your nose, take it out." so this is what they're teaching kids these days.

*speaking of teaching, working at a children's museum has instilled a great respect in me for moms and teachers a like. i mean sometimes i just want to strangle the little monkeys. (sometimes i want to strangle the parents.) you have to have a lot of patient to be with kids all day long!

proud American

coconut lime banana bread c/o somers

*i loathe public restrooms. loathe. there is nothing more awkward than knowing that someone is sitting a few feet away, in complete silence, listening to you tinkle. maybe that's tmi. i'd way rather go in the privacy of my own apartment.

*my coworker Somers is a magician when it comes to food. today she brought to work coconut lime banana bread. and get this, she just made it up! who does that? also, we started really planning our vegas trip- in two and a half weeks!

*i got a job interview at a rehab center in orem!!! please please please bless i get it- and that i have a good shift. and they let me have time off.

*i officially hate my hair straight. did i just say that out loud? yes, i did. i'm washing it tonight and never straightening it again.

*sierra invited me to the soel blogger meet up tonight and i got work off early so we're going! so. freaking. excited. slash i'm nervous because i'll be coming off an 8.5 hour work day.... not exactly my freshest look. but mostly i'm excited to finally "officially" meet sierra (even though we once met when i went to this, i am not sure if that counts).  who else is going to be there?

*i still can't listen to Call Me Maybe :(

*so there's this kinda cute boy at my work and we say hi every day. anyways. . . too bad this job ends on saturday and he is a pretty quiet fellow. update: we just talked for like five minutes. i mean get my number already buddy!

*i'm making peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies tonight. aka manna from heaven. i've also been craving pizza lately.

Sarah and a family we met in the Nauvoo Pageant in '08

spencer and some of his mission besties

*i was going to announce today that i'm going on a hiatus from dating. a sabbatical,  you could say. but i just don't know. i read this awesome post about leaning into discomfort and now i think that maybe i should keep "playing the game" as horrible as it is sometimes. because running away isn't going to change anything. and facing your fears (getting rejected, hurt, etc.) will only make me stronger. thoughts?


*supes excited to go home tonight and watch law & order: svu.  thanks lauren for the recommendation!

{trying to} let go

i had planned today to write a really wonderful post about letting go and moving on. but i'm really not ready to do it. i would be writing about what i want to happen, but my heart wouldn't be in it. so i've decided not to write about happiness and moving on. that would just be hypocritical.

i'm doing pretty good right now. mostly because my coworker brought me a slice of pepperoni, sausage, bacon pizza. and we all know that pizza = happiness. i'm pretty sure it's impossible to eat pizza and be sad at the same time. but maybe it is. speaking of food, last night i made this Ready to Eat chocolate chip cookie dough recipe. it's not that i don't want to eat raw eggs (i have been eating raw cookie dough since i could walk and i've been just fine), but i didn't want to have to make a whole batch of cookie dough that only i would eat, and this recipe makes a single serving. i doubled it so i got some for today. booyah. i used whole wheat flour instead of white, and i used water instead of milk.
ok! enough talk of food, down to my feelings and junk (mostly because people seem to comment slash read more when i write philosophical, emotionally driven posts. . . apparently my day to day life is not exciting.)

it's easy to talk about the unimportant stuff. like pizza, chocolate chip cookie dough, cute stuff you found in Pinterest, or your favorite summertime activity. it's hard, for me, to talk about stuff like being hurt, feeling confused, moving on, and being impatient. mostly because it's my fault that i'm not moving on. people i talk to have the expression of "giiiirl, get over yourself. we all get hurt. now move on. we are all sick of hearing about how you loved and lost." i feel like people think i should be back on the dating bandwagon- confidant, spunky, and flirtatious. i hear people saying things like "it will work out when it's the right one" or "it's only going to hurt until it is the right guy." and sometimes i want to throw this back in their face because i know that if it was a trial of theirs that they had a really hard time understanding, they wouldn't want me (an outside, inexperienced observer) telling them how to think, feel and do.

and the thing is, i know that they are right. in the deepest part of my heart, i know that one day i will have all my dreams come true. "God is eagerly waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as he always has. But he can't if you don't pray, and he can't if you don't dream. In short, he can't if you don't believe" (Jeffrey R. Holland.)

but it's not as simple as that. a part of me wants to scorn men. forgo being the endlessly rejected girl, to being the brazen breaker of men's hearts. be so fabulous that every one wants me or wants to be me. making all those heart breakers of the past regret their decision to let me go. toying with men everywhere but crushing their hopes of dating me.

are you laughing? i am, a little. i'm not that girl. i'm not a scorner or a heart breaker. i'm a people pleaser. the girl who wants to change the world. the girl who hates to see people in pain. i'm a dreamer. and a fighter. and then i realized, that who i am is the part of me that will never change, no matter how many times i get hurt or how many times i have to start over.

i don't know when i will be able to let go. it's not so easy as it seems. i want closure. i want resolution. i want my questions answered. i want to know if there is still a chance. i hate seeing relationships (of any kind) die because i am unfailingly loyal and i am not a quitter. but maybe it's time to cut my losses, recognize that i chose someone who was not right for me, and quit. not because i did something wrong. or even that he did something wrong. but because it wasn't right.   

i hope i can let go soon. the pain (and the eating of sweets) is really starting to pay a toll. it is emotionally draining. all the cute sayings and pictures on pinterest make letting go seem so easy. but it's not! it's maddening. scary. and sad. 

how can i let go? how can i refill my days with happiness and laughter? how can i take the peace i receive each morning through prayer and scripture study, and carry it with me throughout the day? how can i recognize the good parts of the relationship and not focus on the ending? how can i look to the past without bitterness? how can i forgive him but not forget?

*please bless that my weekend provides some relief from all these questions*

awe hail

i thought of the title to this post around 1 pm today when a museum patron informed me it was hailing. it was then that i also decided that today was going to be a loooong day. and i would probably eat cookies for dinner- providing i have the energy to make them once i get home. unlikely.
it's day two of reading days and guys, i'm freaking exhausted. i know there are people out there who think "reading days"= "vacation/sleep-in/party-all-night days." i actually study. weird. i know.
i am in the middle (nearing the end) of a 6 hour shift. normally this wouldn't be so bad. but when you take spring break and add the thousands of Happy Valley families who didn't go to Disneyland with the rest of UV's inhabitants, you get complete insanity at the Bean Museum. i am extremely jealous of the educators and secretaries who can hide in their offices away from the utter madness. chances of me being admitted to an insane asylum are at about 78.3%
and-- i have a migraine.
the thought of going home to even more studying makes me want to crawl under this desk and die. i just keep telling myself: one more week and you will be free. and then one more semester and you are done-skee! . . . until nursing school. . . and then 2 years of MPA program. if you get in. and thus ends the pep talk.
i'm scheduled to work 23 hours a week at the museum during spring semester. happy and sad about that. happy that i have a job already. sad that i would like to be working more like 50 hours a week. happy that the museum is a pretty chill job. sad that i might go crazy because i have to stay in the gift shop pretty much at all times. happy because job=money. sad because i don't want to be in utah. yeah that's pretty much it.

i want:
- a plane ticket to oregon/disneyland (yes, i know there is no airport at Disneyland, so obviously i would hire out a helicoptor)/london/uganda
- dark chocolate
- a quart of BYU Creamery Cookies n Cream ice cream
- all A's on my finals
- a chef to make me a delicious meal when i get home from school/work
- sleep!
- harry potter marathon
- the beach
- the perfect summer wardrobe
- food in any form, but preferably something unhealthy (ie. JCW's, Panda Express, or Cafe Rio)
- or a BIG bowl of Lucky Charms (i'm talking about a giant sized bowl)
- the ability to apparate (walking home looks too daunting)
- mint chocolate chip ice cream with goldfish crackers
- sleep next to a lake
- a shot of dr. pepper

yeah.... that's kind of it. ps people i like what you think (unless it's mean in which case if you comment and i hate it then i will release the troll that i've been hiding in the dungeon). also, if i got paid on commission at the Bean, i would be making bank today.

ps. i used to be the girl who hung out with tons of guys and they would come over and bring me ice cream and we would just chill. but since i decided that i'm worth more than "hanging out" (ie. when i realized i graduate in 8 months and am not even close to putting a ring on it) i seem to have lost my guy friends. this is bad mostly when i just need ice cream/chocolate/costa vida and don't want to spend money on it. i expect daniel to pay me back for this slacking when he gets back from russia next week.

general conference blues

pretty much everyone i know (yes, even my friends in Uganda) are watching General Conference right now. and what am i doing? i'm at work. i have the live stream going, but without speakers on my computer all i can do is watch and try to read lips. i am really so sad that i am missing the first session of Conference! I have never missed a session and all i want to be doing right now is listening to the Prophet's voice! Gah! watching it without the sound is making it worse because dear Elder Packer is speaking and I have no idea what he is saying! torture i tell you, pure torture. if you are not watching conference today, then do it! it is the best way you could spend your Saturday!

to keep myself a little updated on what's being said i'm following #ldsconf on twitter. i like modern technology and i love Conference!

dear life {wednesday edition}

dear swedish fish, you saved my life today. it's true. candy saves lives. [and i don't even care about the non-existent 21 day no junk food challenge.]

dear elementary school children, i don't really dislike your invasion of the Bean. it just makes me stressed because you are so full of life. it makes it all worth it, though, when you are cute and say nice things like "excuse me" or "thank you."

dear spring, welcome back. i missed you [even though there wasn't even an official "winter" this year]. i hope you stay for a while.

dear christopher daniel stephenson, welcome to the world! i cannot wait to meet you. seriously. i want to see you right now. i am making your mom a chocolate cake in celebration of your birth. i hope you like chocolate. just so you know, your parents are the best. you are so lucky to have a mom who loves you, will nurture you and teach you everything you need to know. she is a great listener too. you are also lucky to have a dad who loves you, is a worthy priesthood holder, and who will help you become a righteous man. happy day of birthday (yesterday) christopher!

dear readers, i promise with all my heart that the big post is coming. pray that it comes tonight.

dear byu men's basketball team, i feel the need to publicly apologize that i did not watch the game last night. you see i don't have a tv and i knew no studying would occur if i watched it at the elms.i will be paying avid attention to all your games from here on out. let's take it to the top baby!

dear craig, i like how you introduce all the reptiles saying "this is my friend __________." we all know you hate the reptiles here at the Bean.

dear music 202, i never want to go sit in the jfsb for 2 hours. it kinda stinks. i mean i would rather study physics. and that's saying a lot.

dear weekend, please come faster.

leap day

i have nothing to write about.
my goals for this week (that i wrote about in this post) are going well.

- i have yet to start the challenge (tomorrow!) but i'm getting all the junk food i can before. i went to Sammy's with erin last night for 2 for 1 tuesdays. i forgot how much i lurv Sammy's pie shakes. seriously. the best. and because that wasn't enough (and there was no where to sit in Sammy's) we went to the Malt Shoppe for fries. i felt like i got my junk food intake for the month! on a healthy note, i'm finding yummy, healthy meal (thanks pinterest) that i want to make during the challenge. i also am looking for healthy snack ideas. any favorites you have?
- no television has been watched. i did watch some Mormon Messages last night while eating dinner, but i don't really think that counts. i am a lot more productive and i hope i am understanding my schoolwork better because i'm not distracted by tv.
- i have successfully gone to bed by 11 every night. i feel so much more rested in the morning and getting up at 7 is not a chore.
- i have worked out every day this week. i only got in 20 minutes this morning and i know i won't have time the rest of the day, but a little is better than nothing right?

i love food. i love free stuff. i love today. because i get free lunch and free dinner. free lunch via the tucano's birthday club. free dinner via a blind date (which i am quite excited for).  i hope the free treat at institute tomorrow is something healthy that i can eat. if not, i might die. i hope my mom buys me a block on monterey jack cheese because i need some cheese in my life.

i painted my nails last night. not too springy, but not too wintery. i know if i paint my nails too springy i will expect the weather to be warm and then i will be disappointed. as you can see, it is far from warm here in provo. anywhooo, i love the color! erin, my nail polish supplier, i owe you my gratitude.

i'm starting to stress a teensy bit about getting a job/internship for summer. i really need to make bank this summer and i would love to do something i enjoy. the Bean is closing beginning in june-ish (for a big remodel) so i will be officially out of a job. any ideas?

i am out of sandwich bags. this is going to present a problem when i need to pack a lunch tomorrow. kind souls willing to take me to smiths???

wow i feel like i asked a lot of ya'll in this post. so help a sister out will ya?

ps. it's leap day. i'm leaping with joy that february is over. it wasn't my most exciting month...

afro hair

today is a much better hump than last's weeks hump day. 

last night, i showered and, while i watch devotional, i did this to my hair. my goal was to have sexy beach waves.

this morning i took it out and. . .  AFRO!

rewind to 3rd grade anyone?

secretly, i love it.

i've always [for the last year or so] wanted nice naturally curly hair, and i love the pow statement these curls are giving me! 

i do feel the need for colorful leggings, big sweaters, bright lipstick, and some MJ or Pat Benatar.

there seems to be a major misunderstanding about our "infinite solar powered flashlights." they do need light to run, but when placed in the light they charge (much like a battery or a cell phone charges when you plug it in), and hold that charge, so that they can be used, when it is dark. [i thought this was common knowledge. it's not.] if you don't believe me, learn more about them here. 

there was an internet blackout today? did you participate? i don't even really know what that means, but i know it's because of SOPA.

everytime i think i just ate such a huge breakfast that there is no way i will be hungry before 2 or 3 [when i get home from work] i find my stomach growling away while i desperately try to assuage the hunger with water or a piece of gum.

most exciting part of today will be buying Spencer's contract at the Elms for next fall. 

can we say YAY!!!!!?

thoughts on tuesday

being at work makes me think. and since i work every day this week, expect a lot of random thoughts. just go with it. i do have a planned post which i will write tonight hopefully, but for now, please bear with my random work thoughts.

- it's really difficult to eat a delicious pb&j sandwich without smacking and making a mess. but i'm doing it.

- [nerd alert!] never thought i'd say it but physics is therapeutic. i just love circuits and currents and numbers!

- even when my coworkers are incompetent i am kind to them and don't want them to cry. [secretly i thought i might murder one of them, but relax, i didn't]

- i have a major crush on disneyland. everytime i see a picture of someone there i get butterflies and maybe even a little jealous that they are there and i am not. it's starting to be a problem.

- when it's 27 degrees outside, wearing leggings under your pants is not such a bad idea.

- i want to find a really good eyeliner. the stuff i'm using was a buck, but it's just not cutting it for me. any suggestions? what eyeliner do you love?

- and, speaking of makeup, do you use bronzer or highlighter? how do you make your skin glow even in the dead of winter?

- finally, thank you Jasmine for the tutorial on how to draw a running stick figure. you are THE BEST :)

- ps. i'm signing a contract for my brother tomorrow and i am beyond excited!!!!!!!!!!!!! eek.

mlk day

if i had a dollar for every time someone called the bean museum asking if we were open today, i would be one rich girl.

i really want to make this sweater. so much that i might be willing to splurge and buy the needed supplies. what do you think?

i read this talk this morning and loved it. i was reminded that i need to be patient in waiting for the Lord's answers and timing. and that i need to be aware of those who "wait" on me.

i realized this morning that i still get scared of dating and letting my heart become open to liking someone. i am going to be fearless and not let hesitancy hold me back!

secretly i just want to cook something gourmet and then watch Gilmore Girls. but, after work i will be devoting my afternoon to functional anatomy. 

isn't my brother just so stinkin' cute? i will be keeping him off limits for at least six months after he has been home.

at some Finnish Castle. i love how excited he is to be by a huge cannon!

can we talk about how much i dislike rude customers/museum patrons? i know the word patronizing contains the words patron, but it is really unnecessary to sigh, treat me like i am 12, or not say thank you when i have been courteously helping you, despite your brusqueness? it's even worse when your coworkers treat you like you are 5. . .

did you hear that John Huntsman Jr. dropped out of the GOP race? i feel pretty good about that. what do you think?

today is this girl's birthday. we have been friends for 4 years [which is quite a feat when you think about it] and i love her so much! she is so faithful and optimistic and such an example to me. chan- let's roadtrip it to logan soon ok?

at my birthday party 2011

i got some cheetah print ear muffs as a white elephant gift. i think it's time to break them out. be excited.

i truly despise the mentality of "entertain me please" that so many museum patrons seem to have. this is a museum people- you are supposed to entertain yourself by looking around at the animals, reading about them on the plaque, and maybe watching one of our videos. 

i posted on both my other blogs this morning too. check them out here and here.

lastly, are you a follower? you should be! i would sure love that. 
thanks for dropping by!

christmas break part 1

remember this list that i made for the break? don't worry i'm hard at work trying to accomplish those things. here's what i've accomplished so far. . .
MOTAB christmas concert - pictures to follow the break [they are on Kendra's camera]

saw this car on the freeway. love it.

SLC Temple Square date- Josh was an awesome date. we went to costa and then to Temple square. it was so fun! we still wonder why they had a japanese nativity in which sumo wrestlers visited baby Jesus. who knew?

joshy and me at the temple

finished Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone [almost done with HP2]- loved it! i read it in like one day! unbeknownst to me mumsy has the entire HP series under her bed [is she ashamed of them? we don't know], so i didn't have to go to the library.

love this.

Christmas Caroling- last night we braved the bitter cold [ok we drove. mumsy said she would die if we had to walk] and shared Christmas cheer with a couple of our neighbors. we may have been a little (or a lot) out of tune, but it was still fun!
Go to the Temple- my brothers go to the temple every Thursday morning, so this morning at 4:45 i rolled out of bed [literally] to go with them. I do love the temple, but [in my opinion] there were too many noisy high schoolers there and the reverent spirit was gone. but its ok. the temple workers were adorb as usual. i'm gonna be one when i grow up :)
Write missionary friends- I wrote Bre [because I can e-mail her which makes it easy]. I now have two more to write to [in addition to the normal list], but they are just in the MTC so it will be dearelder for them!
Work!- i have been working a lot. at least 4 hours every day this week. it's actually been very nice to have something to do and to be earning money over the break. the only downside is driving to provo every day. i probably should have just stayed at my apartment this week since i work so much.  i love being back at the Bean. there are awesome people who work here and we have an awesome Christmas display right now! come and visit if you'd like.

Other highlights of the break thus far include
Mzungu Christmas Bash- a party with my Africa peeps. pretty much the funnest ever. you don't really need to plan anything when these people get together because we are the definition of fun! we had food, white elephant gifts [i gave a "Uganda Survival Kit" and received a stamp], and reminisced about uganda. it was so great to see everyone who i haven't seen in a while!

jenner, me and abby. don't worry about how white jenner and me are

best. white. elephant. ever.

the crew! notice how whit looks like a model?

Ward Christmas Party- the good ol' GC 1 threw their annual awesome Christmas breakfast last saturday. i make a point every year to be home for this event because 1. Santa comes riding on a big fire truck [i'm pretty sure most the kids in my ward grew up thinking santa drove a fire truck not a sleigh]; 2. they serve Shirley's orange rolls which are to die for; and 3. i get to see my amazing ward family!  this year was especially great because i got to see two friends who got home from their missions recently and we chatted it up.

snowman pancake. yum.

Costa Vida- i know people say cafe rio is better, but i have a deep loyalty for costa. deal with it. i went to lunch with Daniel at Costa today because he owed me it for my birthday [secretly i'm pretty sure he has already gotten me my birthday costa, but i never say no to an offer for free costa].  i got a sweet pork salad and daniel got a chicken burrito. he is hilarious. he also gave me a key chain from mexico [i guess he went there this summer] as a sort of christmas gift. i am in love with it!

already put my keys on it. love.

Merry Madagascar/Home Alone 3- Tuesday night i went down to Provo to daniel's apartment where they were watching Home Alone 3. it' surprising, i know, but i've never seen it! it was pretty funny not gonna lie. i love it when the bad guys are really just stupid. it makes me feel good about the world. like i could out smart a bad guy. after Home Alone 3 daniel and i watched Merry Madagascar. now, if you know me at all, you know that i lurv Madagascar. so a christmas movie starring King Julian only made my christmas even better. favorite quote from the movie was King Julian:" He can't take me off the naughty list! I am the naughty list!" daniel was pretty good company too, i guess ;)
Plato's Closet- have you been to this store? if you haven't then i suggest you get your behind over there stat. i got a pair of grey skinny cargo pants, a plaid Hollister button down, a floral print tank, and some silvery shoes for less than $30! muchos gracias. [i also got some knee high socks at F21. apparently i'm short or something because they are more like thigh high on me. whatevs.]
Cleaning out our fridge- the only time my family's refrigerator gets cleaned out is when i'm at home, so it wouldn't be a break without mumsy asking me to do it. here is what i observed from the latest cleaning: 1. pretty sure the reason i'm the one asked to clean it is because mumsy knows that no one else in our family can stomach the sights or smells coming from some of those containers. even i was struggling at some points. 2. my family eats a lot of chili, puts the leftovers in containers, and then never eats in again. the result?loads of moldy chili. 3. my family also has a habit of putting leftovers in containers that are much too large for the volume of leftovers being stored. therefore taking up more space than needed. 4. when a bottle of ranch, ketchup, etc. is almost empty someone opens a new bottle, but then the old bottle fails to be finished off and lies forgotten in our fridge. i can't cure any of these problems of the Arnesen fridge, but hey, i can clean it out when i'm at home!
Babysitting- i babysat my cousin Shawn's little girl last saturday for a couple hours. her name is Kalia and she is adorbs! it was pretty much the easiest babysitting job ever since Kalia slept for about 2 hours and i read Harry Potter. i told Shawn not to pay me [i mean i like babies and so its good for me to satisfy my baby hunger by babysitting] but he did anyways.

what a doll

that's my break so far! tonight is the annual "Story Night" starring the reading voice of my one and only mumsy. we will probably all be asleep by 9. but it'll be great. i just love sleeping on the floor. ha. not. can't wait to see what the next few days have in store! 3 days people! i'll update again after Christmas props. unless i do a very special Christmas post. . .  which is likely.

very important side note: daniel is going to Russia next week (the 28th) for an internship which will last until April. before he went to california this summer i got him a road trip survival kit featuring some of his favorite candies. i want to make him a Russia survival kit before he leaves. any suggestions???

i am finding it a little ironic that this

is getting way more publicity,

than this

it's "funny" that big news in the US involves a wedding in another country and not devastation occurring in our own borders.

please pray for the people hit by these tornadoes

thank goodness

after being such a negative nancy yesterday i've decided to make today's post positive. (and then maybe people will comment! ps. andrea thanks for the comment :) you are great.) after all, even if my life is full of discouragement, who says i can't look on the sunny side? the Lord does send his tender mercies every day and there is always something to be thankful for!

THANK GOODNESS. . .

- my mom bought me two cute skirts this weekend! one black and one coral. for the record- coral is totally in this spring! i'm wearing the coral one today and feel cute, despite my "ballet" bun on top of my head.

- it actually seemed like spring today! i soaked up the sun on my poor, pale legs.

- my mom brought my exactly what i was craving yesterday. in fact the only things i felt like eating. saltine crackers (she even got low fat). v8 splash (which by the way i have not opened because they "beka-proofed" it. lame). peanut butter. i spread the PB on the crackers and topped them with craisins. yum.

- it was the last day of classes today!!! one year left of college (um that freaks me out).

- my brother was willing to drive me to the store twice in three days. obviously he is the best. i'm going to die next year when they are thousands of miles away in Austin and i'm left to my lonesome self in Provo.

- having my HELP trip completely paid off! I ended up having to fork out about $2300 of my own money (scary, because if I don't get a scholarship for next year, then it's no school for me), but worth it!

- i leave this forsaken valley in 21 days! ok i don't really hate Utah Valley that much, but my hate for cold weather outweighs everything else. it's supposed to snow- again. i'm also excited to leave behind school. oh yes, and boys.

- i get off work in approximately 18 minutes. this 4 hour shift has seemed like an eternity.

- Panda Express is donating 20% of their proceeds today to charity. too bad i need to save money and therefore will not be partaking of said Panda Express.

- I can choose faith over doubt. i choose faith 100% of the time- at least I try.


Ok that's all the good-ness I can think of. If I write anything else it will start to get sarcastic, bitter, sad. So, happy Wednesday! It's hump day and in a week and a half I'll be home free!

monday's musings

"musings" is such a nice word. it makes me think of the Muses (from Greek mythology). sometimes i wish i were a muse. preferably the muse of genetics.

pretty much every single male on BYU campus (except- hopefully- the freshmen) have a reaction to President Monson's and Elder Scott's talks this past weekend. i am slightly amused. and slightly worried. (ps.  general conference weekend post will soon follow.)

i like 3 hours shifts at work. 

i also enjoy this picture because....

...today was the monday of all mondays. i looked at some test scores. not the best start to my day. my friends cheered me up a bit. and a letter from my amazing brother/best-friend did wonders for me. but when i went to talk my my professor concerning one said test i walked out in tears. frustrated at myself mostly. this in my favorite professor and he is so nice. i just wish i were smarter :(

ok no more sadness.

i leave for Uganda in exactly one month!!!!! i've got a list 3.2 feet long of all the things i've gotta do before i go. surviving finals is #1 obvs.

i sent off three missionary letters today. look at me go. 

i'm a little jealous of all my girlfriends going through the temple because they are going on missions. "a little" may be an understatement. i'm a lot jealous. i just need patience.

i went running today and it was awesomespice. remember how i have a 1/2 marathon in two weeks? yeah, i'm starting to train- now. heh. heh.

i love sitting in the gift shop listening to the comments people make about jimmer. especially when they are funny. basically i just love jimmer- still.

it is very possible that David Archuleta saved my life today. i know he's like the mormon j. biebs, but i love the boy.

7 days of classes left!!!!

i brought robin's eggs to work today and ate them. i just LOVE easter candy. jelly beans. chocolate bunnies. reeses eggs. yummy yum.

i love that i got an e-mail from my bishop today reminding me to fill out my march madness bracket 

i love that everywhere i go on campus i have to avoid the llama petting people (aka choose to give)

i love when i realize that every girl in my graduating class who knows me has always been on my side

i love when me and my brother eat half a box of cheese its

i love when i answer a question correctly in genetics because a) i'm usually to scared to talk in that class and b) i got the answer right!

i love when HELP loses the $470 dollars i took in last week (oh wait, i don't love that)

i love when people call me at the Bean and think i'm a travel agent and should plan their entire field trip for them (actually, i don't love that either)

i love when i get text coupons for EarthFruits Yogurt

i love this thought: do you ever wonder if all those other animals (lions, tigers, and bears) secretly laugh at us because we shave, cut, pluck off as much hair from our bodies leaving us looking a little weird. i mean, can you imagine a bear with no hair? it's like a naked mole rat, but worse!

i love when people come in the gift shop and tear it apart (love-hate relationship here because it gives me something to do but i am astounded by the laziness of people)

i love the taste of my fruit punch crystal light (zero sugar, huge taste)

i love that i don't have night classes tonight (because i have class until 9 on Wed. and Thurs.)

i love that i am more than halfway through my 5 hour shift


i love that Wofford's senior guard is named Jamar. Jamar's gonna get Jimmered.

and i LOVE getting comments telling me what you love :)

who'da thunk?

{warning: this post might be slightly bipolar/disordered}


if, six months ago, you had told me that today i would be single- and actually liking it- i would have either laughed hysterically or punched your eye out. honestly, i thought by now i'd be seriously dating/engaged. but- to say the least, i'm not. psh. whatever. i've gone through the devastating sadness, the fuming anger, bitterness, not caring, and forgiveness. i am over it.
so often here at BYU relationships are put in the fore light- in front of school and even church. [i mean, we have a relationships Sunday School class in my singles ward.] now, i'll be the first advocate of strong relationships. after all life isn't about how much money/fame/etc you have, but about family, friends, and love.  i believe that your best friends should be your family. that no friendship should ever be allowed to end. that people are way more important than your problems. BUT sometimes at this mormon-ville university, i feel like i have to get married- now. if, as a young women, you are not married by the ripe old age of 21, then you must go out and serve a mission. if you are 22, not married (or engaged) and not on a mission, i sometimes get the vibe of "well, excuse me Sister, what are you doing here? please take your ancient body and find a man or get a black name tag on." news flash: 22 is not that old!
when you focus so much on mating (i prefer this to marriage in this situation because there is difference between focusing on the ordinance of marriage and continually being on the prowl. also, i am taking a genetics class and we often talk about mating- flies and such.) you can't focus on what is really important- the Gospel, service to God and others, strengthening testimonies, getting an education, keeping our bodies fit, etc. obviously my friends who know me well enough are now thinking: "beka you are one of the most boy crazy girls i know. you are always checking guys out, talking to boys, going on dates, and, for heavens sake you have a Word document on your laptop entitled 'wedding!' so how can you profess to be an expert on waiting patiently for Prince Charming to come?" good question ralph. please allow me to answer. i have waited.[i mean, i waited for 2 stinkin years for something that didn't work out. ha. but thats in the past.] i'm still waiting actually. and i am not a patient person, not in many things. but in this thing, i am resigned determined to be patient. because i know that my Mr. Right will come along. and then, well it will be a whole new adventure.
for now, i am content with my adventure. i have learned so many things since October- hard, hard lessons. some of these lessons were a slap in the face lesson and others were more like a warm hug from a loving Father. i've learned about me, and i've become more of the person i want to be when i "grow up." yes, sometimes i feel a little sad that my friends all are getting married (but really not all). then i think to myself, woman, you are going to Africa. that usually makes the sadness run away. i've realized that there are so many good things around me.[for example- today was Oreo Wednesday at the Bean. i got some free oreos. and i felt great about that.] so many good people. so much to learn. so many blessings. so much love. am i grateful i went through a heart break? hmmm, to be totally honest- NO. but i am sincerely thankful for what i have gained.
so. . .  yes, my life is great. i am not bitter, but i am closing the subject of past "waiting and dating". my life is one big adventure and it's just about to get even more adventurous! if you are new to my new blog, welcome. please don't leave because this post is slightly off. i didn't mean for this to be bitter or judgmental in any way. i know marriage is the only way to attain exaltation, i think finding your eternal companion is a very serious matter. more on that later....i'm a completely  normal 21 year old female student. tonight (or tomorrow if i don't have time) i will be doing a little get to know Beka. so, peace out homies. i get off work in 17 minutes and then i'm off to the BYU Student-Alumni Etiquette Dinner, which i helped plan. hooray for free food!

i promise the birthday celebrations did not stop yesterday. in fact yesterday was the day i turned the big 2-1. i simply have not had time to post about it. real posts [with pictures] involves a lot of work. first, i have to edit the photos (and since i documented my entire day yesterday, i have a just a few). next, i write up a witty post- which, for me, is quite an undertaking. then i have to upload photos (depending on how fast/slow my internet is, this can take a while) and arrange them on the post how i would like them. i'm still getting used to the "new" layout of post editing on blogger (i'm a little behind the time). so don't worry, i will continue to post about the worldwide week-long celebration. . . when my life is not consumed with Genetics. (side note: i am posting this now at work where I have limited time and resources to make a post cool.) 

what can you look forward to hearing about?

my birthday- February 16, 2011

the Peter Pan dance (yeah that was last weekend)

thursday february 17

my Mocktail Party

. . . and probably other important events

while you are waiting (since I know you are all on the edge of your seats to find out what I am doing in my life) feast your eyes on this medical miracle or donate some money to a good cause (put my name- Rebekah Arnesen- and Uganda in the comment line).



did you also notice how plain my blog is at the moment??? you are about to see the biggest blog makeover of my blogging career. i have been planning this since January and now i'm finally getting around to it. so, bear with me as i make this blog more "me". possible new name, new background, pages (About Me, Beliefs, etc.), and other wonders! could i ask for your help in one thing? i loooove getting comments- seriously if you have one coherent thought whilst reading a post on my blog send it my way! ya'll are the best.

no seriously. you are.

a day late on the day of love

this post is a day late, i know. but my Valentine's Day provided no time for romance. Besides, I was too excited about celebrating my birthday- all week long. yesterday was a nice day. i didn't feel sorry for myself, nor was i overcome with love for a special someone. it was just your normal day, except with a lot of candy and hearts included. the best/ most creative Valentine's gift that I saw all day was in the girl's bathroom of the SWKT.

"you were handcrafted by a Master who has never erred. He loves you. Smile, beautiful!"

This was the first Valentine's in. . . forever [my whole life] where I wasn't wishing for a boyfriend/fiancée/husband/lover. I know that love will me found in my life and I am so excited for that day to come. {you really don't even know}. Today I am a little bummed that there were no flowers, no fun/romantic date, no surprises. But yesterday, I was perfectly content. 

deja vu to 3rd grade

i sat at my desk, watching 30 elementary school children ransacked the gift shop. i turned around in my twirly chair, and saw 70 more of the goblins inquisitive kids running around- looking at the black widow ("is it alive??" tap tap tap), exclaiming over the elephant, doing scavenger hunts ("don't do the expert one"). suddenly i realized. . . hey, i think i've been here before. yes folks, once upon a time i was an impressionable, shy, but maybe annoying and inquisitive elementary school student. i watched the little kiddies and wondered what they would be like when they were [almost] 21. as an adult will they be the same? i hope that in some ways they will be. ha in so many others, i hope they grow up. but don't forget about elementary school. those are gems you should treasure.

beans

today at work a lady came up to me and asked where all the beans were

.

.

.

.

and she was dead serious.

i think she felt a little stupid after i told her we have no beans, but we are named after Monte L. Bean. obviously someone was pulling her leg. but hey, i got a good laugh out of it.

come visit the Bean! i work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons :)