reasons my mom is awesome

she makes food i like, or she tells me to cook because she likes what i make better.

she says she will come save me if the power goes out while i am in the shower.

she keeps me in line, telling me, "rebekah, we do not say 'Shut Up' to our boyfriends!"

she makes the best carrot cake in utah. and trust me, i've tried a lot of carrot cake. none can compare to my moms.

she lets me be different from my family. she doesn't expect me to be like everyone else.

she taught me to love reading.

she trusts me to make my own decisions, and supports me in those decisions.

she puts up with my Scottish temper.

yeah, she is pretty amazing.
Happy Mother's Day Mom!

beka did what?!

on saturday in a craze- induced by homemade oreos and too much sleep- i signed up for a half marathon . . . that's on THANKSGIVING.

i know that i give the illusion that i'm this buff, hardcore, legit runner. but secretly i've been really bad at working out slash running this semester. so this half marathon may or may not be the death of me. despite my trepidation and underpreparedness i am excited! i'm going to be running it with two africa besties- Abby and Kaylen! they are both way more legit than i am but it's ok. i just run for the fun of it! you can bet that these next three weeks i'll be spending much more time running and working out. i'm excited to work towards this goal! it's going to be a great way to keep my motivation up as the weather gets colder. i hope that it goes through to the Christmas season too.

in other news: my friend Sam came down for the weekend. Sam has been living in NYC for the past year and a half. now if that's not living the dream, i don't know what is! anyways she is going on a mission in 17 days and so it was only mandatory that she come down and see me before she left. it was a blast! we got soup at Zupas, watched John Tucker Must Die, and went to a Spudnut party with some old friends. **spudnut: a delicious homemade doughnut made with potatoes.

typical of our relationship

ps. any good tips on styling my short hair? i'm at a loss people.

hyvää syntymäpäivää

that means happy birthday in finnish. crazy right? well, i hope someone is singing that to my brother today because it's his birthday! funny story- he celebrated three birthdays while on his mission because he went into the mtc while he was still 18. it's also spencer's golden birthday today- twenty one on the 21st! therefore this calls for an extra special celebration. 

it has been really great to get to know spencer more as he has grown on his mission in finland. he has learned how to be a better leader. he has been able to work with people from around the world and teach them the gospel. he has learned the power of prayer. he has become a more patient person. he has a firm testimony of the gospel. 

spencer has been given challenges and has faced them with faith. he has overcome disappointment and rejection. it is weird to think that the last time i saw him he was a fresh out of high school and now he is a going to be a returned missionary!  

guys, this boy is my best friend. maybe it's because people always thought we were twins when we were little. or maybe its because we have always managed to have fun with each other- even when i spread his underwear all over his room when his friend was over. maybe it's because we have pretty similar personalities. whatever the reason, he is awesome. i have missed him these last two years! i am so terribly proud of the mission he has served. i am thankful for his example and his testimony. thank you for being my brother spencer! i can't wait to see you in two days! be excited for adventures this year :)

the abster

today is the birthday of one of my very best friends in the whole world. the instant i met abby at training for HELP International i knew we would be friends. and since today is her 21 birthday let me share with you why i think she is so awesome.

on her birthday last year

- Abby is truly compassionate. she wants to help people and is very willing to give love to everyone. she is one of the main reasons i want to be a nurse.

in Namatala with some babies

- Abby is not judgmental. she is really good at looking at a person's heart and not what they look like on the outside. she helped me look past that many times in Uganda.

- Abby is a missionary. she loves the Gospel and shares her testimony through word and example.

on Esther's baptism day

- Abby is a hard worker. she helped me with so many of my projects in Uganda when no one else would! i am so thankful for her help with the leadership classes and hospital teaching.

- Abby likes to have fun! we had so many adventures in Uganda mainly because of her fun attitude. she helped me to see that every day is an adventure.

- Abby is willing to take risks. she was the first of the new volunteers to eat ants! she really immersed herself in the Ugandan culture and loved every part of it (except maybe posho and matooke).

riding a boda boda with our favorite driver- Habeeb

- Abby is completely honest with me. this is one of my favorite parts of our friendship- we are totally honest with each other. we had to go through some disagreements to get to be totally honest, but now it is wonderful. she is the one friend that i can trust 100%. 

- Abby is awesome because she trusts me with all her black mail photos.... don't worry Abs i'm not going to put any on here :)

science fair. longest. day. ever.

- Abby is a good friend because she is always there for me if i need her. she is willing to listen to me and help me with my problems. she is the type of friend that will come over late at night if i need a shoulder to cry on. or she will come along with me if i need a wing woman. 

- Abby is athletic and motivates me to be a better runner and to work out more. she would do circuits with me almost every night in Uganda! it was great!

at the Source of the Nile

Abby, you are the greatest. i really see you as a sister from another mister. thank you for being my wonderful friend for the past year. i love you so much and i hope your birthday is amazing! may your 21st year bring you peace and blessings! love ya girl, bex.

christmas 2011

hyrum

yesterday was my little brother's birthday. he is 18! yeah it's totally crazy. my mom wrote in my "Baby Journal" that when we found out that hyrum was a boy, i cried and said boys were dumb and i just wanted a little sister (a little ironic since i spent all my time with spencer). well hyrum, although i didn't want you to be a boy, and Sarah and i may have dressed you up as a girl more than once, i am super glad you are my little brother!  you may have heard me brag about hyrum before (and i must admit that bragging about my siblings is one of my favorite past times) but please humor me as i tell you a few things you may not know about him.

hyrum is verrrrry driven. as i said here, he decided when he was like 8 that he wanted to play Rachmoninoff's 5th piano concerto. that goal has not only been accomplished but his love for piano and music has driven him to practice, sometimes up to 6 hours a day, and audition for the music school at BYU. ok so about 80 people audition for the music school every year and about 12 people get in. so the competition is fierce! and guess what??? he got in!!!! so he will be here at BYU next year studying piano- oh and he wants to double major in either physics or engineering. i mean can we just say crazy? but awesome. hyrum isn't just driven in music, but in every part of life. i guess you could say he is a perfectionist, but he really just wants to do his best. he studies so hard in all his school classes. one sunday night he told me he needed to get to bed early so that he could get up at 3 and study! now i want to get good grades and everything, but i really value my sleep ha ha. granted hyrum probably does better than i did in high school (i.e. getting fives on all his AP tests) and will probably do better than i do in college. he is an example to me of studying and working hard to get the results you want!

hyrum is fun! despite being very serious of school, music, and other stuff, he has a great sense of humor. i love going home and hanging out with him because we have so much fun. one sunday we sat in his room and he did the entire teach me how to Jimmer rap (of course i joined in on the chorus because that is all i know). or the night of my birthday we stayed up until 1 am watching SNL skits- especially my favorite "the surprise." hyrum loves to laugh and he loves to make other people laugh. if there is anyone in our family who does April Fool's jokes, it's Hyrum. he likes to have fun too. he is always one to make a roadtrip more fun, or to get the brothers to go outside and play a game of football or basketball. i am so stoked he will be here at the Y this fall and i hope we get to hang out a lot!

Happy Birthday Hyrum! i know there are like a bajillion girls who wished you a happy birthday, but really i am the most important of them all :) love you brother!

the best older brother

today is my older brother's birthday. i usually don't have much time to write a really awesome birthday post for this awesome brother. and i feel bad about that because he is awesome! so i am going to try to do him justice today.

my entire life i have been trying to be more like Adam. i wanted to play the violin because he played the violin. i became interested in (reading Popular Science and science fiction books) because Adam loved science. i would do everything he did. he was the ring leader. the hero. i like hiking because Adam forced our family into the first overnight hike up our mountain. when i was being teased by my siblings, he let me come in his room and do my homework. and when he felt like it, he would also tease me. i wanted to go to BYU because Adam went here. i wanted to be smart and do well in school because Adam is brilliant.

i'm older now. i realize i am my own person. but i still look up to Adam. he is still one of my heroes. i was so lucky to be at BYU with him for 3 years. as a freshman i looked up to him and saw him grow through very difficult trial. as a sophomore we became closer. he brought me ice cream one time when i was having a bad day. he talked to me about dating, and i learned what a spiritual decision marriage is. junior year he had the best wife in the world. they helped nurse me through a tough break-up and bring me back into the dating world. he let me come watch the Jimmermania with him. he let me eat dinner with them. he drove me to the store. he would come give me blessings and listen to my worries about life. he even called me while i was in Africa!

Adam is amazing! i wish he still lived in Provo but i am grateful for Skype so that i can still talk to him. i hope that he knows how amazing he is and that he has such a fun filled birthday!

thanks for letting me steal this from facebook

love you Adam!

my main man

guys, i know some of you are offended that i deleted my j biebs tribute post. you see, after i wrote it i realized that i was my main man's fictional character birthday. yes, it is, in fact, Ron Weasley's birthday today.
i have one motto in life

and why not? this kid is amazing. i know that he isn't the best looking. he pretty much looks like an awkward mess 95% of the time. but that other 5% makes up for it all. also, he is hilarious! sure, the kid is kinda dumb, but that's ok. i'll roll with it. because he's got a heart of gold. have you seen the way he looks at Hermione?

OH. MY. GOSH. i die. their love story is real. and yet so romantic. and heart wrenching. the kid snogs with Lavender. i mean, Lavender???? and yet, he always comes back to Hermione.
the thing i just love about Ron is that he doesn't assume to be better than he is. he is the best friend of the most famous person in all of the wizarding world, yet he is content with being just Ron. most of the time. sometime's he gets jealous, but he is unfailingly loyal. often he comes out of Harry's battles just as battered and bruised as Harry. He is ready to put his life on the line to save his family, the girl he loves, and the truth.
sure, he started off a little quirky and dorky.

but he grows up. and i love every sarcastic, awkward, rebellious word he says.

Happy Birthday Ron. No offense justin, but this man is a little lot more important than you. i mean, we grew up together.

not the best picture but i love the words

p.s. did i mention i'm a sucker for gingers?

passion and piano keys

recently i've been thinking about passion. what am i passionate about? what makes me really excited? what do i love doing? i am sure there are multiple answers to these questions. but this weekend i was reminded of one of my greatest passions- helping other's dreams come true.

my little brother Hyrum is awesome. seriously. on my birthday we found out that he had been accepted to Brigham Young University's Piano Performance Program! i literally screamed. it is so difficult to get into the School of Music here and i am so proud that out of 80 who auditioned, hyrum was one of 12 to be accepted.
when hyrum was about 8 or 9, we sat together in Abravanel Hall watching a young man play Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2-- an extremely difficult piece of music. that day hyrum said to us, "someday i'm going to play that concerto with an orchestra." this weekend, i am proud to say, he fulfilled that dream.

as i sat and watched him play, although i had heard the piece many times, it was new and exciting to me. he played with passion and fire. he loved every second of it. before i knew it, the concerto was over and we were on our feet, ecstatic with applause. it was the best performance i had ever heard him make. i impatiently waited through two more pieces until the concert was over. i couldn't wait to hug my brother. as we hugged i felt his emotions. they were flowing over. i don't cry easy, but seeing my brother close to tears, from happiness, was overwhelming and i had to check myself to hold back the tears that threatened to push their way out.
people, do what you love! i was judged and despised last week because my goals did not include an MD or a six figure salary. but really, that is not what matters. be practical (we can't all run away to the beach and have all the money in the world), but don't limit yourself. if you have a dream then go out and get it. there are great places you can go. you can do anything! don't forget to allow yourself to dream, to do the things you love, and always live with passion.
in other news: it was the weekend of insanity.
friday evening after the concert.
- stake activity at seven peaks. soup and bread sticks. dancing. ice skating.
- baby mama with erin, jessie, john and matt. "i want to reward you with five minutes of uninterrupted eye contact."
- hot chocolate from 7-11 at 1:30 am.

saturday.
-sleeping in until 10. woops.
- getting africa pictures from sarah.
- unwanted batch of brownies.
- michelle's senior recital.
- get rejected #1.
- failed attempt at Tucanos. going to Beto's (aka Rancherito's) instead. i want to have a heart attack.
- filling out the fafsa threatens to ruin my mood.
- retail therapy with Shaunzi. 2 for 1 boots at forever 21. score. God loves me.
- grocery shopping without your list= jell-O and skittles.
- physics 108 paper
- visiting heather. girl talk. Connie and Carla. popcorn. old Christmas candy.
- hyrum goes to the ER. sprained ankle. at least it's not his hand.
- laundry at 11:30 pm.

sunday.
- Mark's farewell. cold chapel= freezing me. luncheon after. best. salad. ever. (lettuce, bleu cheese, candied walnuts, yellow peppers, and craisins.)
- get rejected #2
- watch 17 Miracles on youtube. roommate's boyfriend laughs at me.
- make homemade oreos.
- letter writing.
- get asked on a date. dance for joy.
- brownie delivery.
- oreo birthday party. cute boy is there. i'm trying to play it cool. what does that even mean?
- finish filling out scholarship application. please give me money so i can graduate!
- finally finish Harry Potter 4 with jake. it's about freakin' time.

phew it was a cray cray weekend! i didn't take as many pictures as i wanted to but that's because i was spending time making memories :) i like having busy weekends, except when i wake up on monday and realize how much studying i have to do. hooray.


what was your favorite part of the weekend?

cubs*

if you had told me a year ago that i would love this girl and consider her one of my best friends my reaction would have been "who is this girl?" i had met aubrey once, briefly, at a get together for the team that i would be travelling to africa with, but we hadn't really talked. and frankly, i thought she was way too pretty to be friends with someone as "plain-looking" as myself.
i was wrong. by the second week into my life in africa we were best friends.

maybe it was the cray cray dance parties.

or the time when i guarded the hut bathroom and found leaves for Aubs to use as toilet paper.

or the countless times we spoke without speaking at the nightly meetings that seemed like they lasted for hours.


or volunteering at Mbale Regional. laughing over our ridiculous outifts. holding her hand so she would be ok when we watched surgery. and crying together when we witnessed a dying baby struggle for life.

or maybe it was the "team crepes" from Chat n Chino.

or talking for hours in a crowded taxi. about everything. literally.

or the notes we wrote to each other. her encouragement and love kept me going even when i felt like i was all alone.

or  sharing boda bodas- going everywhere.

or maybe it was laughing together at the antics of the kids at Impact Primary School. and wondering together how we could ever leave this place.

or the crazy late night parties.

or the times when we were both so grumpy, but we pretended to be happy.

or the time we rafted down the nile as "team moses."

or maybe it's

     her optimistic attitude
     her love for everyone around her
     her ability to see people through Christ's eyes
     her desire to do good in the world
     her loyal friendship
     her enthusiasm for life
     her testimony of the Gospel
     her party loving personality
     her talent of making people laugh no matter the situation

i am so grateful aubrey and i are friends! there were times in africa when i had no idea why i was there, but i did know that i had been sent there to meet people- and one of them was aubrey. she has changed my life for the better. she is one of the few people who really knows me. she encourages me to follow my dreams. she i always there to listen to my sad/crazy/funny stories.

kids, this girl is amazing. (boys you would be lucky to date this girl because she is one of the best i know. did i mention she is gorgeous?)

well, today is her birthday and this is kind of a long birthday tribute i know (hopefully no one gets jealous). but aubs has been on my mind as of late and i am just thrilled to be called her friend!

Happy Birthday Cubs!!

*the nickname "cubs" originates from texting because when you text "Aubs" your phone will autocorrect it to "Cubs."

these two

today we celebrate the birth of two amazing women. [i feel weird calling them girls because they are both soon to be mothers. cray cray.] both have had a huge impact on my life and i am thankful they were born. i just want to say my 5 favorite things about each of them.

Heather Morgan Stephenson

freshman year. say what?

1. she gives great advice on any subject- but especially life, dating, boys and faith.

2. she stays actively involved in my life (and in the lives of the other 4 girls we lived with). we know she cares.

3. she throws amazing parties for any occasion- baby gender announcement, bridal shower, fiesta, birthday, etc. 

4. she has a deep love for the Gospel. she is an example of faith, patience, and optimism to everyone.

5. she is always up for a good time.

Naomi Olson Burton

at the temple April 2011

1. people used to think we were twins (this is only one of my favorite things because when you are little you always want your BFF to be your twin and i would be honored to be her twin because she is awesome!)

2. she is smart, well read, musical, and artistic- pretty much the opposite of scientific me.

3. she is really good at making up songs on the spot (Cake Song '98)

4. even when we live thousands of miles apart i know she still cares about me.

5. the hundreds of MASCH's we did from the ages of 14-17 

if you want to read last year's birthday shout out to Heather and Naomi, go here.

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!

mishun-air-eez

let's be real.
i love that my two siblings are on missions, but i am terribly excited for when they come home. this video makes me cry a little. i'm probably going to be the one in the airport who jumps up and down and sprints to hug my brother first. [mom, you are gonna have to out run me- start training now.] my missionary siblings are simply amazing. i learn so much from their example and their testimony. i don't really feel worthy to be called their sister! they are truly do the Lord's work and i am proud of their sacrifice and their worthiness to be part of the Lord's Army.

dear spencer,
i cannot wait to have my best friend home! i realized i never did a birthday post for you this year. i was in africa. . .  sorry about that. so this is kind of a tribute to you. i Facebook stalk you pretty much every day. i'm probably the only one who looks through all your pictures and writes on your wall but hey thats ok with me!
did i ever tell you that you are amazing? i love you and i miss you. i don't think i tell our family that enough, but it's the truth.
 remember how we used to play George Washington and Lion King? remember when people thought we were twins? and we would usually just pretend that we were! remember jumping on the trampoline all those summer nights? and how you would sometimes go running with me because you are just that nice? remember how i told you all these people you should be friends with and you didn't believe they were cool and then you became friends with them?? i loved that.
i loved being your style advisor and your relationship counselor. i loved helping you ask girls to dances and hearing [from pretty much everyone who knew you] how amazing and wonderful you were. you should probably know that i brag about you to everyone i meet.
the day you left i went in your room and cried for a little bit. then i stole a hat and a hoodie. don't worry you can have them back ha ha.
can we be best friends again when you get home? i'm gonna make muffins on your first day of college and take pictures of everything! we will go to all the football games and cheer until our voices are gone. i'll make sure you only go out with the really cute, good girls. and you will beat up any guy who is a jerk to me. we can go running together and i will come to all your hockey games. i'll help you figure out the whole "college" thing and you will help me stay sane during my last semester at byu. we will hike Timp and go camping. we will go to dances and dress up all crazy. it's going to be a blast.
are you excited? i sure am. see you in seven months Elder!
love ya,
Rebekah

angels 2011

before i do a post about all the great and amazing things i did this year, i want to dedicate this post to the people in my life that i see as angels this year. i started 2011 off as a very emotionally hurt girl, unlikely to trust many people. throughout the year i had to learn to trust again, and i had to conquer some demons that i had tried to shut away my whole life. there are just a few people who showed up in my life-- literally out of the blue in some cases-- and helped me get to where i am today. (don't get offended or puffed up in pride because of your "ranking" it's not really important.)

honorable mention
- Daniel Ostler: this kid became my friend almost accidentally, but not totally. he became one of the few guys i would talk to last winter because i knew he wouldn't judge me and would always give good advice. he helped me laugh at myself and see the good in the world always. whenever i hang out with him i have a great time. plus we both share a love of real good things- funny movies and tv shows, byu sports, costa vida, and froyo (jk daniel really likes ice cream better).










3rd place

- Kendra Clark: when i got home from Africa i felt mega lost. all my freshman roommates were married, planning double dates without me, and living their own lives. the best day ever was when kendra messaged me asking if i wanted to sit by her at the football game. after that we became friends! (i mean we already were, but not really.) we had a yoga class together and only lived like two blocks apart! we pretty much have done everything together this semester. i am truly grateful for her friendship because i probably would have become a major recluse.


2nd place
- Sarah B, Aubrey O, Abby R, and Whitney R: going to Uganda was a scary and yet wonderful thing. while there i saw things and dealt with things that most people my age probably don't deal with. i also faced inner struggles. there were times i wanted to go home. but these four girls carried me when i felt i could go no further. there was the time i was sitting on the cold bathroom floor sobbing (because it was the only place i could go and be alone), and whitney came in, handed me her phone, and told me to call my family- on her minutes.  there was the time when i just really needed to talk to someone and so abby, aubrey and rachel listened, and understood. there were the countless sweet notes of love and encouragement that aubrey would put on my bed. there were the drives when sarah would let me listen to her ipod. or the times she gave me advice- and was completely honest about it. there was the time i thought about going home and abby came and just held me until it was better. there were the drives to and from jinja where aubs and i would talk about everything under the sun. there were our trips to chat n chino for "team crepes." there were the times abby and i would work out and get horribly sweaty, but it felt good. there was the time sarah and i were on a boda that tipped over and i could not stop laughing despite aching bones and mud all down my dress. there were the times in the surgical ward where aubs and i held hands as we watched surgery done and yes, even people dying. there were the embarrassing photos (a myriad) of abby and i. there was so much. they still make my life better today! love you girls!

1st place

- Sam Vellinga: one night last year (2010) i was cleaning my room, getting ready to go home after a horribly long and rough semester, when Sam showed up at the door. i didn't really know Sam that well. she was in my RS presidency and i though she was very friendly and very pretty. but she knew i had just been through a really hard break-up and that i loved froyo. so she brought me some lovin from earthfruits! and from her heart. i didn't want to talk- didn't want to socialize. but she stayed and we talked. we didn't really talk about my break-up. we talked about Taylor Swift, and frozen yogurt, and working out. in january we weren't in the same RS anymore, but Sam became my angel. i would like to say that we were there for each other, but i'm not sure if that is true. Sam and I went shopping together, worked out together (best. workout buddy. ever.), got froyo on the hard days, studied together, and took roadtrips to kaysville on the weekends. sam is the best kind of angel because she has never asked for anything in return. she is always looking for ways she can help me and make my day brighter. she can always make me laugh and is always on my side. in the spring we would go on scooter rides (she had 2 old razors... the best) around provo. we made up names for the atrocious valentine's day activity. i was mercedes and she was porsche. (don't worry, our bishopbric helped us with the names.) now that she lives in NYC we skype regularly and she continues to help me with my various problems and also is convincing me to move the the Big Apple. i'm convinced! this girl is awesome. she sent me a I [heart] NY t shirt for christmas- which i have been wanting since i was like 12. she is so great. sam, come home to utah sometime soon because i want to hang out with you- and watch JTMD, Cloudy with a Chance, eat yogurt from Yogo Togo, and talk about everything under the sun. Love you girl!

to my favorite sister

i know it's a little ironic that you are my favorite- and yet, my only, sister- but you are still my fav! i know that we have not always gotten along and that we are different in many ways, but i just want to tell you i love you and that we are more alike that we probably realize.

today is your 24th birthday. that means we are both getting old. (i'm still 2 years younger though and i know it.) i love that you are always ready to have a fun time and you are cool with being a little "childlike" sometimes.

i love that you take the time to get to know our little brothers on a personal level, and that you share your testimony with them and help them develop their own testimonies.

i love that you are not afraid to keep your standards high and do what you know is right even when people make fun of you for it. i love that you are always a missionary, even when you weren't a full-time missionary like you are now. i love that you are willing to give 18 months of your life to preach the gospel to the people in Ohio. i love that you are close to the spirit and you help me when i am feeling confused about my life.

i love that we can stay up late talking or playing a card game and we just have fun the whole time. i love that you love disney princesses. i love that you are honest with me. i love how you get excited about things. i love that you always do the Pie Making party for Thanksgiving. i love that you arrange the presents under the tree so they will look nice (even though we all know that you sneak your presents on the bottom so that you can open them last). i love that you were always willing to play Barbies, Little House on the Prairie, American Dolls, pioneers, Playmobiles, etc. etc. with me. I love that when i didn't have any friends to go to the dance with, you let me be in your group. i love that you always brought me back cool things from the places you went (i don't know what's cool in Cleveland, but I want something ha ha).

 i love that you try to make me a better person, even though sometimes i am super stubborn, i hope some of it has rubbed off. i love you sister! I hope you had a great birthday and that you have a safe flight to Ohio tomorrow!

weekend rewind

this weekend was awesome! definitely one of the best i have had in a long while. after studying my behind off all week, this weekend was a blessed break. as i was super stressed about my paper(s) i went down to my normal spot in the library- first floor, the "cave." no cell phone service. usually not very many people. i sat down at a cubby and found this nice little note from a fellow student.

 thank you, that made my day soooo much better!

friday:
friday and saturday seemed like one big long day. but a really awesome! my english lit class was cancelled so i was done at noon! i took kendra to the skyroom for a birthday lunch. i'm pretty sure i was more excited about this than she was because we took the day off (of our 21 day challenge) and so that meant i could have the desserts there! lunch was good. but we ate way too much! when you don't eat junk food, you start eating much less. i felt pretty full and sick after we were done. it was crazy. it was like we were training for thanksgiving.

after consuming massive amounts of food

side note: KENDRA'S BIRTHDAY WAS ON FRIDAY!!! she is 22! woot! i'm waiting for her assessment to see if it is better than 21. i just need to make a little shout out about this girl. she is awesome. i didn't think that we would become this good of friends, because we weren't really freshman year. but i am so grateful for her friendship! she is always willing to hang out with me and she gives me great advice about relationships. she is always up to do something fun and random- like 21 junk food challenges, getting pizza, or going to see Cowboys and Aliens at midnight (even though she thought it was dumb). She gives me rides places which i hugely appreciate. she is super creative and comes up with great ideas (ie. the goldfish costume). she likes to cook just as much as me, and guess what? we are going to make homemade ravioli! possible date idea- we will probably invite boys too. i am really so grateful for kendra and i hope she had a wonderful birthday!!!

after lunch, i went home and died for a couple hours. i just had to let everything digest. later, Kendra and i ran errands-- mostly to the mall to get her a birthday outfit. i must say that she got a stinkin cute outfit! i also found some gems of clothing. while at american eagle one of the workers said, "i love your outfit! it's so j. crew!" best. compliment. ever. my shirt was from DI, pants from old navy, boots from target girls section. ha! win! then we ran (literally) to costco and maceys to get stuff for fondue and a cake.
i got home and made the cake in 5 minutes. then i went over to Heather's baby announcing party. pretty sure i was the only single girl there. psh. oh well. heather knows how to throw a party! she made tons of food and had a cute cake to reveal the gender. i guessed boy (i had guessed that like two months ago) and well, i was right! go me!!!
after Heather's party i ran home, frosted the cake, and went over the Kendra's. it was snowing!! first snow of the year!  kendra's party was fun. we had a lot of food and about 27 people came.

kendra's cake

there are definitely more than 22 candles on that

after everyone left, we watched Patch Adams with Kendra's cousin and his friend. the movie was a pretty serious one, but such a good movie! i quite enjoyed it :) then after they left, Kendra and i stayed up until like 4 just talking! i know. we are insane. i slept over and didn't wake up until 9 (which is late for me).

saturday: after sleeping in uncharacteristically late (i didn't actually get out of bed until 10), i got ready quick and then went up to campus for some hard core studying. at one i went to earthfruits yogurt with Hannah and Emily. i didn't take any pictures but it was delightful as usual. these two girls saved my life last fall semester when there was so much drama in my dating life. i also had a free yogurt thanks to my "tribe" membership. sweetness! when i finally got home from studying (around 4), Kendra texted me wanting to have a tea party. what a fabulous idea! the tea party turned into tea+pizza. we had a half off coupon to blackjack pizza so we ventured down there and got the Mediterranean chicken pizza. it was really quite good- feta cheese, peppers, olives, chicken, and no marinara sauce, all on a thin crust. yum. we ate the whole thing (don't judge).
after dinner we bundled up for the game- our last football game as byu students! :( i really wanted to be there for kickoff because they were honoring the seniors and i happen to (sort of) know one of them- Fangupo. he was my brothers mission companion- he thinks my brother is the bees knees which is pretty accurate. however we missed it, even though we ran like half the way there! when you are wearing 5 layers of clothes, running makes you super hot! i had 8th row seats which provided an awesome view!

now get ready for some really good lookin' pictures of me and kenj.

everyone looks really white next to jose

we be lookin' good!

kissing the cougar!

the game went super late and we sure killed new mexico state! i got a little teary eyed as we sang the fight song at the end of the game. i better come back next fall with spencer and hyrum! i can't say good bye to byu football quite yet!

ps. has anyone else noticed that on pinterest there are a few pins that say "healthy is the new skinny" while prominently displaying a stick thin girl???? i find this odd and ironic...