what i love about fall

where has time gone? life is so crazy and then one day i realized it was october and that i was a major slacker in blogging. let's be real, on my list of priorities, blogging is near the bottom. i am working super hard at school and my new job is keeping me really busy too. i have lots to do for my calling as well. but i am just loving life! i feel so blessed right now that it is almost overwhelming! i am so grateful! but now that it's october and fall is officially here, i wanted to share with you some of my favorite things about fall (my second favorite season).

*hot chocolate season starts- i had salted caramel hot chocolate Thursday and it was divine! i love trying lots of different flavors. there is something about having a warm cup of hot chocolate wrapped in your hands that is just wonderful.

*boots, scarves, jackets and cardigans! it's so much easier shopping for fall clothes because i don't have to worry about it being immodest ha ha.

*football season- i live for my BYU games on the weekend. and we stomped on the Aggies last night which makes me super happy.

rachel, hyrum, me and spencer at BYU vs. Hawaii

* halloween- i know halloween is creepy and involved massive amounts of candy, but i love it. i love getting dressed up and going to all the parties. i love scary movies and corn mazes. i love it all. (except candy corn.) i want to have an awesome halloween costume this year! and my friend Natalie is having a Harry Potter themed halloween party. so psyched!

*pumpkin everything. carving pumpkins. pumpkin pancakes. pumpkin pie. pumpkin bread. pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. pumpkin shakes. roasted pumpkin seeds. pumpkin curry. and of course the pumpkin smoothie from Jamba Juice. if you have never tried it then go get it now. seriously. it will change your life.

*driving Alpine Loop. i have driven up provo canyon every fall for the past three years and it is beautiful! it is wonderful to get away and view some of God's most glorious work! i hope i get to go soon this year.

*turning on the heater. now i have a real excuse to be cold and turn off the a/c. when you think anything below 72 degrees is freezing, you look forward to the time when you don't feel guilty about turning off the a/c.

*finally, General Conference! [i mean i have to put this in because it's today, right?] but i do love me some general conference. i love listening to the Prophet and Apostles and receiving much needed counsel and guidance in my life. if you want to watch or listen today and tomorrow click here.

weekend rewind

this last weekend was fantastic.

but let's rewind to thursday. [i like to think that my weekend really starts on thursday because i don't have class that day. it's brilliant.]

i was sick tuesday, wednesday and thursday. but i had a date thursday night. i was excited but not happy that i was sick. going a date when you are sick is laaaame. however the date was the perfect "sick date"! not to mention it was great company. we went to zupas [secretly i was hoping we would go there because there is no comfort food like zupas] and then yogurtland. if you live in orem/provo area and have not been to yogurtland then i highly suggest that you drop everything and go there- tonight. my favorite yogurt flavors (so far) are oatmeal cookie dough, pistachio, and lemon blackberry mint. yum. we took our froyo to rock canyon park and just talked. plus, my date was nice enough to give me much needed cold medicine. thursday night was the first night i had really slept all week. hooray!
date night= success.

friday night was football again Utah State. please, my aggie friends, allow me to be loyal to my school. k thanks. i think a lot of usu fans think that there is this huge rivalry between us and them. there isn't. we have lost to them one time in the last 11 years. and yes, although i am aware that friday's game was close, byu football is known for their fabulous come-backs. so, although i wanted to win and i was more than thrilled at the miraculous win, its not nearly as ecstatic as i would have been if we had beat u of u. ok, back to the game. i hung out with kendra. it was pretty awesome. we got foam fingers and screamed a lot. at separate time in the game i: cried, almost had an aneurysm, shook like a leaf from anticipation, and yelled my voice hoarse. my favorite part was yelling "riley! riley! riley!" [bronco- i think it's time we let riley start. what d'ya say?] after the most epic win of the season i went out and watched Megamind with some really fabulous people.
game day+movie night= epic.

saturday i was at home for GC [General Conference]. general conference weekend is always awesome. i am thrilled beyond belief for the temple in DR Congo! that is so close to Uganda and i think it will make it a lot easier for members in Uganda to attend. yay! all my mbale branch friends will be much closer to the blessings of the temple! in between sessions i went to a student council reunion. not everyone was able to make it but it was so fun to catch up with Chan, Josh, Michelle [and hubby Justin], Heather [plus bf, Justin], Chelsey, Kayci, and Jen. pretty much everyone is all grown up! crazy. saturday night, during Priesthood session, mumsy, sarah and i went to Draper, to have a girls night with the Olsons. the view where they live is gorgeous so we had to stop and take a few pics. i forgot to take my camera off landscape setting so some of them are blurry. my bad. at Olson's we had peach pie and watched the movie "17 Miracles." i was skeptical about this since its not really a "girls night" type movie. but it was actually really good! it made me want to go back to martin's cove! [good thing my home stake is going there for youth conference next year and i hope i can go with.] we got home around 11 but that didn't stop Sarah and i from staying up until 3 am. we were talking- about everything. hey, if she is gonna be gone for 18 months, i gotta get all the talking in before she is gone!
gc+stu co reunion+girls night= fun fun fun.

sunday was another blessed day of conference. the weather was glorious so after the last session i convinced joseph and ben to go on a short walk. we took mikka too. it was beautiful! i went home [to provo] that night which is the only down side of the great weekend. sitting in my apartment editing pictures is not exactly an exciting way to end the weekend. but that's ok.
blessed day of rest= relaxing.

the first weekend was awesome. i hope that the second weekend is even better!

the first

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!