LAST POST

Wow....this is blog post #42. This has been a looooong semester. Normally this is when people say “oh this is such a bittersweet moment” or “I am going to miss this.” Great for them. For me though I am thinking, “hallefreakinluiah! Freedom!” So anyways…back to the whole blog thing, even though these posts were kind of annoying to do so often I felt like they made me a better writer. Why? Well let me tell you. Since I was writing 3 times a week it made it so that I was constantly writing.  Between writing in my journal, publishing blog posts and writing papers for other classes I was writing at least once every day. I noticed that as the semester has gone on writing papers has become easier for me because I am used to it. Sitting down and just typing on my laptop is not that big of a deal. The more you do it the more comfortable you are with it and the less scary it becomes. I also quite enjoyed reading my classmates blogs because it was fun to see what they had to say on certain topics and what was going on in their lives at the time.  

High School vs. College

What are some of the differences between high school and college? 

Oh PHS...good old ghetto Provo High School. Man I miss that place! Things back in high school were so much easier than college things in college are.  In high school you could finish your homework in class, college...no way. In high school you could study for a test the night before and do awesome, in college after hours of preparation you do not so awesome. In high school you could hang out with your friends AND get adequate sleep, in college if you want to have a social life then either your school work or your sleeping suffers. Boo. In high school when you walked through the hallways between classes you recognized basically everyone you saw, even if you didn’t totally know who they were, in college you're lucky if you see two people you know between classes all day…plus there is not really hallways here to walk through from class to class. In high school all your teachers knew you by name, whereas in college you are just a number in some classes. So basically I miss high school. But I have learned and grown so much from my first year at college than I have the first 17 years of my life pretty sure.

DANCE

What would you say is your passion in life?

Well this is an easy one. DANCE!  I have been dancing since I was 3 years old in all types of styles: Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Ballroom, African, Modern, Folkdance, and Tap, but my favorite of all time is HIP HOP hands down. There is just something about the beat in the music and the hard hitting moods that just gets me. I am currently in the BYU Hip Hop Club and love every minute of it. I am also a part of a team at my studio called JIVE-I’ve been dancing there for 12 years, and teaching for 2. I used to teach at Westridge Elementary and but now I am at Lakeview Elementary. I also recently got hired as a private dance instructor at another studio a couple weeks ago. So basically dance is my life…and I love it. I wouldn’t have it any other way. But seriously when I hear music my body can’t help but dance! Dance is what relieves me of stress and worries and is something that can always make me feel better. When I dance it’s such an awesome experience! I wish I could explain it but I can’t. All I know is that I couldn’t survive without dance.

Amy Adams playing ME

What actor would you hire to play you in your movie biography, and why?

I would hire Amy Adams to play me because she is awesome! Basically she looks like me…well kinda. She has got the whole red hair thing going for her and of course the actor playing me has to have red hair since I have red hair. But I also think would choose her because her smile is similar to my own, as well as her laugh-kind of loud but not so loud that it is obnoxious.  She does not have freckles like me, or green eyes...but I know that with some make up and contact lenses that would be cleared right up. I also am just very impressed with Amy Adams overall. I feel like she is an attractive, amusing, humorous, outgoing character that is enjoyable to watch. Some of the movies that I have absolutely loved her in are: Leap Year, Enchanted, and Julie and Julia. Because she has done such a wonderful job in previous films I know that she would do a great job playing me in my biography movie. But we all know that this would probably never happen….but if it did….she would be my gal!! 

Longboarding

What is something you’ve accomplished?

Something that I have accomplished is learning how to long board two weeks ago!! This was something I always admired that people could do because to me it was the coolest thing you could do! You could do alone, you could do it with friends, and you could ride to the grocery store, down the canyon or just around the neighborhood. I never pictured myself even putting my feet on a longboard because it was always classified in my head under…. “The things I will never be able to do because either I am so scared or don’t think I can do it”. But I can do anything I put my mind to. I am not going to let myself get in the way of myself anymore! I am going to be open to new things, try new things, experiment, get out of my comfort zone, etc. Because who knows….maybe I’ll actually enjoy it-like I did when I learned how to long board! I borrowed my brothers and taught myself how to ride it as soon as my feet touched the board. Now I’m addicted and I love longboarding. I’m not super great at it but I just can’t get enough of it (: 

Totaled 4-wheeler

What was the scariest moment of your life?

I am going to twist this question a little bit into what my most recent scary was.

On Saturday I went 4-wheeling with a group of friends. We took a side by side and two 4-wheelers. Came back with a side by side, one 4-wheeler, and one totaled 4-wheeler.  Here’s what happened. We had been riding around about 45 minutes when one of my friends wanted to tackle a big steep hill with his new 4-wheeler he had gotten recently. He made it to the top, however when he started to turn around the 4-wheeler started to tip. He jumped off but it rolled over him once and then it kept rolling a good 100 yards. At the bottom of the hill lay his absolutely crushed 4-wheeler, at the top of the hill lay my friend in shock with tears rolling down his face.  It was a miracle he was not hurt and I don’t know what I would have done if he had. It’s hard to get that moment of the 4-wheeler rolling down the hill out of my head. It just keeps playing itself over and over, and I hate it. I am soooo glad he is okay! But….I think I am going to take a little break from riding 4-wheelers.  

Journaler

Do you keep a journal? Why?

I used to be a journaler. I would write every day without fail all the details of my life. Ya….that lasted about 3 years and then I went to college. There was not much time for a journal anymore. So I decided to start doing something else…well more like continue on with something I have always done. Ever since I was little I was a pack rat. I would keep anything and everything! A few years ago I decided to start scrapbooking all of the stuff I had been keeping. I have four books full of all of the stuff I have kept over the years. Here are some of the things that make it into my scrapbook. Movie tickets, pictures, cards, concert tickets, brochures, stickers, wrist bands, notes, fortunes, name tags, business cards, wrappers, appointment reminder cards, tags, handouts, flyers, etc. I really love doing this because it is definitely more fun to look back on these books than it is to read about it. It is a visual journal (: I hope that I continue to do this throughout my life because it will be exciting to share with my future family and friends.  

10 Weird Things about Me

1: Everything in my life is color coordinated. From my closet, to my dishes, to my school stuff, to the decorations on my wall, it’s just what I do.

2: I hate using metal utensils! Always have. The only time I will ever eat with metal utensils is at restaurants and when I’m eating ice cream.

3: Sometimes I catch myself thinking in a British accent. I don’t know how. I don’t know why. It just comes to me.

4: I have a habit of sucking on the end of my pens! Take a look at them and you will see bite marks on every single one of them.

5: I really like mixing cereals together. The most I have ever had in one bowl is 5! It was pretty good.

6: When I was in high school I hated using pens because you couldn’t erase and they would leak through the page, etc. But now I hate using pencils because they aren’t very dark, and they smear.

7: I hate eating bread crust and pizza crust. But I love white bread crust…weird

8: I never wear matching socks. One because I’m lazy and don’t want to take the time to look for the other one, and two because it’s more fun that way. My grandma even agrees with me.

9: I love being home alone.  I love how quiet it is. I love how clean it stays. I love that I can stay up as late as I want with all the lights in the house on. I love that I can eat whatever, whenever I want and definitely where I want! But my favorite thing of all time is sleeping in my parent’s bed!

10: I name vehicles. ATVs, trailers, cars, boats, side by sides, etc. But my friends do too so I don’t stick out too much there.

Boys vs Girls

Do you think it is possible for a boy and a girl to be best friends? Why or why not?

Growing up I loved Barbie’s, Polly Pockets and the color pink…and then I turned 7 and grew out of it. Since then I have always hung out with boys and done boys things. I would go play basketball with the boys, go to scout camps when my dad was the leader, yard work with the boys, etc. Girl stuff just never appealed to me ever. In 7^th, 8^th and 9^th grade I played football with all the boys in my ward, every day after school, on the grass in front of the church. My group of friends all throughout high school were Conner, Landon, Caleb, Christian, Alex, Trevin and then Analisha-the other girl. I have always gotten along better with boys, I don’t know if that’s because I have two little brothers or if that’s just me. So my best friends are all boys and I wouldn’t have it any other way. It was a real challenge for me to move to the dorms because there were GIRLS! EVERYWHERE! Geez…they get so excited about the littlest things. Seriously. But it’s whatever. I’m cool with it as long as I don’t have to hear it (: 

Slow to anger

Name one thing about your life you would like to improve this year.

In my psychology class we talked about a quote by President Hinckley, “ I plead with you to control your tempers, to put a smile upon your faces, which will erase anger; speak out with words of love and peace, appreciation, and respect. If you will do this, your lives will be without regret. Your marriages and family relationships will be preserved. You will be much happier. You will do greater good. You will feel a sense of peace that will be wonderful.” This is something I would like to improve on over the course of this year. I want to be slow to anger. By giving people the benefit of the doubt and simply putting a smile on my face; I know I will be happier. In this same class my professor mentioned that when we become masters of controlling out anger, we will eventually not have anger anymore. What a great blessing this would be in all of our lives. I am going to work for it but I know that I will need heavenly help because I cannot do it alone.  Thank goodness for the power of prayer.

Scripture Journal

 D&C 54:10

            “And again, be patient in tribulation until I come; and, behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, and they who have sought me early shall find rest to their souls. Even so. Amen.”

            It is hard to be patient, whether it is standing in line at the grocery store, waiting for a new CD to come out or dealing with people who like to go slower than the speed limit. Patience is a virtue and one that we can all work towards becoming better at.  In trials and devastations we face throughout our lives they are there because we live in a telestial world where bad things can happen to good people. The Lord knows this and asks us to be patient, because He would not give us something we couldn’t handle.

Last semester I was hoping that homework, life, work and everything else would stop for 24 hours and let me sleep in late, stay in my PJs all day, watch Netflix, read a favorite book, and eat in bed. Unfortunately this did not happen during fall semester, but over Christmas break it did. It was awesome the first couple of days and then I realized that I was the happiest when I was with around other people, when I was serving others, and when I was productive. Having a lazy day pays off immediately, but hard work pays off in the future. I loved this scripture when it said “they who have sought me early shall find rest to their souls”. We may not get to have those lazy days when we physically rest from everything, but I know that when we are searching and have faith in Christ, He will bring rest to our souls.

Issues Paper

For my issues paper I am writing it on sex education. I have learned a lot since writing this paper. Like how to find reliable sources, how to research, that it is okay to ask for help, and that I can write a 9 page paper even if it first it seems impossible  Below is the first paragraph of my paper. Enjoy. 

Artasia Bobo is a girl from Mississippi who got pregnant when she was 12 years old. She recalls that she never received much, if any sex education and wishes she had. "What I went through is nothing any girl would want to go through, it changed my life. I love my daughter, but if I could go back in time, my life would be a whole lot different" (Coz, Emily Le, 2012). Imagine for a moment that Artasia was your little girl, and think of all the hardships she is facing physically, emotionally and socially. Don't you wish she had received sex education and learned of the consequences and dangers related with premarital sex? Throughout this paper my main topic will be addressing why sex education is so important and why abstinence is always the best option. 

Missions

      Wow! All of my friends are soon to be leaving on their missions, and even more are turning their papers in the next few months-including myself! It is crazy how fast it came to this. Whenever I saw boys in my home ward leave on their mission they looked so old and grown up, and now that it's almost my turn...I can't believe how young I feel! I don't feel as old as I thought I would when I got to this point in my life.
       I am sort of dreading the day when each of my friends leave to the MTC, but I need to be grateful that I have so many friends who are willing to serve the Lord. It will be hard to say goodbye but I know that a mission is the best place where they can be and it will be so beneficial for them. They are going to come back stronger people and I am so excited for them.
       My roommate opened her mission call last night and she is going to Brazil Santos Mission (right on the coast line!) She leaves August 7th and she will be speaking Portuguese. She is already in love with her mission and is so fanatic about the whole thing. I hope that I can be as ready for my mission call and as happy about it as she was for hers.  

Lead foot syndrome

What is your pet peeve? Why?

Okay so I will answer this question but in doing so I am straight up admitting a huge weakness of mine.  Let me tell you about this weakness before my peeve. I have the worst road rage, like ever. I am very impatient and I want to get to places fast and I want to get there now. I have driving down to a science. I know where all the policeman are, I know what areas to slow down in, I know where I can get away with speeding, I know short cuts, I know what lanes are the quickest, and I know how fast is too fast (aka when you can get a ticket). You may be thinking that if I would just give myself more time to get places than I could reduce my stress on the road…but that’s not it. I give myself plenty of time…I just have this thing called: Impatient lead foot syndrome. 

            My pet peeve is slow drivers. I cannot stand them one bit. If anyone is driving 2 mph under the speed limit…then they just made it onto my list-which is not a good place to be. I get super irritated with people and I can’t help it! I wish I could control this problem of mine and become a more patient chill driver….but I’ve given up on that and I have accepted my problem.

No Money Service

Describe three ways you can serve others today without spending any money.

1: Help my roommate by taking out our trash and recycling bin.

2: Go to work and sincerely ask my co-workers how they are. Be engaged in their lives and do the listening, not the talking.

3: Give out at least five compliments.

Actual Experience:

1:  My roommate is very good at filling up our recycling bin and then letting it overflow. I wish she would take it out because she never does but I decided that it wasn’t that big of a deal and if it could help her out even a little bit than it was worth taking the time to do.  

2: I did not completely fulfill this one but I got pretty close. I talked to ¾ of the girls I work with and I really enjoyed conversing with them. They are awesome girls and I know that when someone asks me how I’m doing it always makes me feel better. I want to make other people feel the way I do, so I am going to start doing this whenever I see them.

3: I thought this one would be super easy to do but I kinda forgot which is okay because I did give out 4 compliments anyways (: From now on I am going to try to give out five compliments a day. When you look for good things, you find good things.

Everything Counts

What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten?

The best advice I’ve ever received was from my dad a couple of years ago and since then it’s been one of my most valuable assets. Here it is, “Everything counts.” So simple…yet so powerful! Now this advice did not come from me asking my dad a question, I just randomly noticed one day that my dad tended to say those two words to me a lot! Especially whenever I was complaining or said, “Oh man that was such a waste of my time!” I never understood fully what he meant until he explained it to me one day.

Everything counts. Everything we do in life adds to our experience and knowledge and helps us in some way. Nothing is waste of our time because we can learn something from everything no matter what the situation is.

Now whenever I think “that was such a waste of my time”  I stop and think back to what my dad said and I realize that even though I might not have benefited a whole lot from what I just participated in, I did get a something out of it. Sometimes you just have to look for the good in order to see it. So whenever you are frustrated or upset that you feel like you wasted your time…just think, everything counts. 

Oahu

What is the greatest vacation you have taken and why?
The answer would definitely be Oahu, Hawaii!
        I loved this place for several reasons, but to start it was because I was with my awesome family. No matter where we go the memories and adventures we are have are incredible! I love my family and I value every moment I get to spend with them.
       Another reason I loved Oahu was because of how beautiful it was. The palm trees, mountains, greenery, flowers, plants, beaches, oceans, waterfalls,etc truly made that island paradise. God loves us so much that he put us on this incredibly beautiful earth where we have the opportunity to enjoy what he created for us. I know that only God could have made something so perfect and wonderful.
       I loved doing baptisms for the dead in the Laie Temple! It was incredible to see that no matter where you go in the world the gospel is the same everywhere. This was a great lesson for me to learn because it taught me that this gospel is constant and true.
       I could go on and on about this vacation but these are my top 3 reasons for loving that island.
         

That one time I met a celebrity...

Have you ever met a famous person?

Yes I have! David Archuleta (: The first time I saw him was on American Idol and ever since then I have been one of his number one fans! I have every song, every cd, pictures all over the door, etc. I have been to four of his concerts: American Idol tour, Stadium of Fire, Tabernacle Choir and the Other Side of Down (when he announced that he was going on a mission).

One day I heard from this girl named Jayme that he was at Deseret Book in Orem, UT that day signing books, t shirts, cds, etc! I about lost it I was so excited. Me and my friend went and wow that was the longest two hours of my life! The wait was absolutely totally worth it. I will admit that when I caught a glimpse of him through some of the bookshelves I about starting to cry…I may have even shed a few tears. When it was finally our turn we got to shake his hand, take a picture with him and he signed three things I brought with me (Cd, book and a magazine). It was such a fun experience to meet him and I will never forget it! 

Getting my License

     When it came time for me to get my permit I was so excited and so read to get out on the road! I never felt little growing up, but as I’ve watched my two younger brothers I always think “Wow was I that small when I did that too?" So it is getting around that time when my little brother is starting to get his permit just like I was a couple years ago. Again I find myself asking, "Wow was I that small when I did that too?"   

       Anyways it all started with reading the dreadful required permit book. All I remember is that it was long, boring and that you had to park 15 feet away from a fire hydrant. Who even does that?

The next thing was going to the DMV to take the driving permit test. If you failed you had to come back another day and try again. Luckily I passed the first time and got an official white papered permit with an awkward picture of myself on it.

      After you had a permit you were required to take a Driver’s Ed course. I did mine during the month of June every day from 6:30-8am. I am a crazy person. At the same time as this class you did something called “Simulators” which lasted about a week. You sat in a dark room behind a fake wheel, fake pedals and a fake seat belt and you drove, if you can call it that. You learned how to use your blinker, use the brakes and gas, watch out for pedestrians, follow the speed limit, etc. You had to pass a certain amount of these to complete this requirement. I only failed one…and that was because I might’ve fallen asleep at the wheel. But you gotta give me break because it was early and when they turned the lights off I had no control over my eyelids.  

     Next was what we called “Range” and it lasted two weeks. You got into a car with an adult in the passenger seat and two other students in the back. You drove around on in a random parking lot with weird lines all over the place. This is where they teach you how to parallel park, diagonally park, make a U turn, make a left turn, make a right turn, etc. I was never very good at the whole parallel park thing and the adult might’ve said that I had a lead foot, but hey I passed!

    After Range you had to get 40 hours of driving time on the road with a parent. This part was pretty easy, as well as pretty scary. I give a lot of credit to my dad for this one because ever since I was a kid he always let me drive the car when we would take trips down to Moab and go jeeping. He also let me drive all the way down and back from St. George one weekend. Bless his heart.

   Driving is awesome. I love it. Follow the rules and you’re good to go.

Places

       Places I have been: Boston, New York, Washington D.C., Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, San Fran, Idaho, Las Vegas, Washington, San Diego, Los Angeles, St. George, Moab, all the State parks in Utah, and Hawaii. So I am definitely not deprived of traveling...I just have never left the United States! 

       If you could travel anywhere in the world…where would you go? There is no way I can choose just one place, so I am going to list a few of the places I would LOVE to go and why.

-New Zealand. It is one of the most beautiful places on earth. I love looking at pictures of the mountains and oceans, and I want to see it all in person! Not to mention that Lord of the Rings was filmed there (:

-Scotland. Is super pretty and would be incredible to see, as well as hear the accents of the people.

-Sweden/Canary Islands. These two places mainly because this is where my dad and mom served their missions. They both loved their missions and loved where they served.  I would really like to see what their life was like during those 18-24 months.

-Jamaica/Caribbean. Wow these places are gorgeous. The ocean and the trees and the weather are just perfect. Living there would be like being on vacation every day!

-Egypt. Pyramids. Mummies. Sphinx. The end.

-China. Watching Mulan just makes me want to visit this place! To see the amazing architecture and the Great Wall of China and the crazy tightly spaced cities. I mean come on….this is where everything is made! I want to see this place!

-England. This place is so beautiful, especially the country side! Just like out of Pride and Prejudice (: To be able to see London with the red telephone booths and double decker buses would be such an amazing experience.

Canada. Niagra Falls! And to see what the big deal was about Hockey!

My Most Memorable Moment

What is your most memorable moment? 

       My brother has a lung disease called Cystic Fibrosis. Because he has this disease he is a part of a program called: The Make a Wish Foundation. This company makes kids dreams and wishes come true. Whether it's going to Disneyland, or Hawaii, or spending the day with a celebrity, or becoming a firefighter for a day, or getting a makeover for your room. 

       My brother's wish was to meet the basketball player Rajon Rondo who plays for the Boston Celtics. His wish came true. The Make a Wish Foundation flew our family out to Boston, Massachusetts February of 2011. Not only did my brother meet Rajon Rondo, but he also got to meet the rest of the team! There was a group of about 10 kids who had a similar wish to that of my brother; they all wanted to meet someone from the Celtics. None of the other kids had Cystic Fibrosis but they were all struggling with something in their lives whether it was leukemia, autism or a heart disease. Some of the boys and girls wanted to meet Paul Pierce, others Ray Allen and other Kevin Garnet. Where this took place where the Celtics work out and have practice. All of the kids got to talk with the players, shake their hands, get a bunch of gear signed, etc. My brother was lucky enough to play one on one with Rajon Rondo on the court. 

       I will never forget that week when my family got to go to Boston and make my brother's wish come true. When my brother got back from meeting Rajon Rondo he was absolutely stunned and so happy. I have treasured this moment always because it helped me learned that there is hope in this world no matter how much turmoil. There are good solid people out there that believe in helping and serving others. The basketball team was absolutely amazing with the kids and I will forever be a Celtics fan because of this experience. 

Bucket List

Bucket List: 
Well this is officially my first written down bucket list. I mean I have ideas in my head about what I want to do before I die...but I never put those ideas on paper.  

-Eat a box of Krispy Kream doughnuts all by myself
-Eat a whole container of ice cream all by myself
-Be in a bike race that is 100 miles
-Graduate from college
-Get married in the temple
-Run a 5K....maybe!
-Watch all 7 Harry Potter movies in 48 hours
-Buy floss that says 100yds and then go to a football field and see if it really is that long
-Travel out of the country! Get a passport!
-Go to Hawaii....again (: 
-Go to Disneyworld
-Go on a mission
-Have a family, and be the best mom EVA!
-Learn how to sew
-Learn how to cook
-Become a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant)
-Learn a few songs on the piano
-Pursue my passion and turn it into a career
-See fireflies
-Horseback riding
-Eiffel Tower
-Swim with dolphins
-Learn how to skip rocks
-Sleep in a hammock
-See the northern lights
-Be a vegetarian/vegan for 2 weeks
-Go on a cruise
-Visit a volcano
-Hike the narrows
-Go to New Zealand, 
-Go to Scotland
-Got to Holland
-Got to Jamaica
-See Chichen Itza in Mexico
-Visit the Great Wall of Chine
-See Niagra Falls in person
-See the pyramids in Egypt
-Hold a baby monkey

Called to Serve

       Ever since the October 2012 General Conference there has been an exciting feeling in the air due to the mission age change. WOW! Boys from 19 to 18, and girls from 21 to 19. I know this was an answer to many Latter Day Saints prayers including my own. I was filled with so many questions on where I was going in the next year...another semester of college? work? study abroad? etc. When President Monson got up and spoke of this change, none of my questions mattered anymore because I was GOING on a mission! 

       It has been so exciting the past few months because a lot of my friends have left on their missions, are filling out their mission papers, or recently got their mission call! It is insane and I L-O-V-E it! The Lord knows exactly where his children should serve, and exactly where they will feel comfortable. My cousin got called to Mozambique and of all the people that I know who could live in a hut, and eat bugs, my cousin is the first person I would choose. The Lord knows each of us personally and knows where the perfect place is for us. I am extremely excited to turn my papers in at the end of May! I can't wait to open my big white envelope and see where the Lord is going to have me serve for 18 months!

Olympics

If you could participate in an Olympic event, which one would you choose and why? 

For the Summer Olympics I would want to compete in BADMINTON. That would be so fun! Back at home we have a badminton net across our backyard, but you see our backyard is a looooong rectangle so the net was touching the house and the fence. This however made the event that much harder because if you did not hit the birdie straight, or if you did not compensate your swing with the wind...then your birdie went on the roof or over the fence with two dogs who have a passion for chewing things up. I am the champion at hitting the birdies over the fence, but with practice I would get better! This would be a fun event to compete in because it is something I have always enjoyed doing growing up and  it would remind me of the good old days.

For the Winter Olympics I would hands down compete in FIGURE SKATING. This is probably an answer a lot of girls would pick, but why not? It is an amazing talent-it is dancing on ice. I have always admired both the boys and the girls with their confidence on the ice.  You have to be very open to trying new things and not being afraid to fall. If you fall, just get back up and try again. This is a beautiful sport and even though I have no talent on the ice, if i did...this is where it would go. 

Love @ First Sight??

Do I believe in love at first sight? That is a good question. That is also a HARD question. Well when someone says love at first sight, it’s the movie moment where you see some gorgeous human being and you just know that you are going to be with them forever and you instantly love them. I personally have never experienced this feeling. When I see some beautiful boy I have more of a sick, achy, nauseous feeling rather than the wonderful exciting sensation of butterflies in my stomach. I do not believe in love at first sight. I think it’s a nice idea, but it is also a ridiculous idea. Sure you can have an instant crush on someone, or think someone is attractive…but LOVE?? No way José! Love is such a strong, powerful, penetrating feeling that comes from spending time with one another, laughing together, going through embarrassing moments together, etc etc! Love at first sight may happen in movies, but my life is not a movie-and I’m glad it’s not. I love my life just how it is. I would not change anything about it. Even the mistakes I have made in the past have led me to where I am now. I like where I am, and I have learned so much from my mistakes. But….love at third sight, now that’s another story!

Valentine's Day

It seems that a lot of people seem to count down to Valentine’s Day. Some plan on having a romantic date, BUT most people plan on being miserable that day. The miserable people who I am talking about are those who throw a “girl’s/guy’s night” aka: the self-pity party. Reflecting on their non-existent love life feeling bad for themselves. But it doesn't seem like they are doing this because they try to laugh it off and say, “Who needs relationships?” Or… “Relationships aren’t worth the trouble.” When inside REALLY they are thinking, “Am I not good enough for someone?” “Why doesn't anyone want me to be their Valentine?” People! Get over it! Valentine’s Day is NOT specifically for two people who are in love to have a perfectly romantic date. It’s about LOVE. Love doesn’t have to be mushy gushy. It can be serving a roommate, smiling at other people, calling up your parents and telling them you love them, sending a text to your friends letting them know that you care about them.  

You can still celebrate Valentine’s Day even if you don’t have a special someone. Make it a day of kindness and nice words. Make it a day of service and giving. Make it a day of selflessness instead of focusing on what you do or do not have. Be grateful for what you have and know that it’s just a holiday. No pressure. 

Magic Wand

Okay so for my writing class we have something called a special project. It is a project we work on weekly all throughout the semester and at the end, we present it to the class. My project is writing in my journal by picking out a slip of paper from a glass jar I filled with questions and topics. I am going to start posting some of these random entries on my blog. Two birds, one stone.  

The question I pulled today was: What would you do if you found a magic wand? Well obviously I would go to Hogwarts and get trained as an official witch. I need my credentials if I'm going to help the wizarding world against Voldemort. Okay but seriously, I would probably use my wand all the time in the following...

-Peel oranges 

-have my laptop type whatever I say aloud

-make my bed in the morning

-braid my hair

-get rid of split ends

-turn pages in my book while I read 

-do my makeup

-make PB&Js 

-make my backpack lighter

-make my shoes tie themselves

-paint my nails

-make inanimate objects alive

-make the trash take out itself

-making dishes constantly clean, unable to get dirty

-do laundry

……stuff like that.

Some people may say that they want to wish away their sorrows or be able to fly or slow down or speed up time. But we can’t mess around with how things naturally go. That would be like saying you wish that North America and Australia could switch spots but keep their original name…it’s just something you don’t mess with.

Living in the shadow of a fictional character

So as you may know I have curly red hair. I got it from my grandma on my dad's side of the family. In the past I will admit that during middle school I was embarrassed of my hair color. Sometimes I just wanted to blend in with everyone else and not stick out with my head of flaming hair. I got over that stage when I started high school. I was on Dance company...the first year there were 3 of us. The next year...there were 2 and the last year there were 4 red heads!! Dance company was known that year for having a high density of red heads...we even got our own dance in the end of year concert! Anyways...as I came to college I have loved my hair because I decided I was blessed to have part of my grandma with me all the time. BUT...when that Disney movie Brave came out...that's all I ever hear anymore. "Oh you're the girl from Brave!" "You are like the princess from that one Disney movie." "Did you know you look like Merida from Brave?" And of course all of these people were so nice to even come up to me in the first place and say that they liked my hair...but I'm living in the shadow of a fictional Scottish character who likes to shoot bow and arrows. If we are going to get technical, I was born first and so if anything I don't look like the girl from Brave, but she looks like mua!

Quote Day

I don't really feel like writing today....so...I'm just going to post some of my favorite quotes. 

-Go confidently in the direction of your dreams, live the life you've imagined!
-Turn can'ts into cans and your dreams into plans.
-Dance as though no one is watching.
-Believe.
-Don't think about what you're missing.
-Experiences like these can teach and toughen, or weaken and destroy.
-No matter how good you get, you can always get better, and that's the exciting part. 
-Learn to accept "good enough".
-Encourage WILD ideas.
-Be excited and interested on everyday ordinary things.
-The journey to perfection is started by taking that first imperfect step forward.
-When I do good I feel good; when I do bad I feel bad.
-God has a lot more to give than the world does. 
-Happiness can be found in even the darkest of times, but only to those who remember to turn on the light.
-I can accept failure, but I can't accept not trying.
-Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.
-I think of a hero as someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom.
-Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.

That's all folks...

What in the crap is the purpose of all this hair on our body?!

So I’m just going to put this out there….I’m a weirdo. Let me tell you why…

I was sitting at my desk and I was supposed to be doing homework, but instead I was staring at the hairs on my arm. I thought, “What in the crap is the purpose of all this hair on our body?!” I mean it’s seriously EVERYWHERE (Legs, face, stomach, arms!) So I googled it. Yes…I googled what the purpose of hair was. So if you are interested in why, continue reading.

-Hair on our head: protects our scalp from getting sunburned, and it looks good.

-Hair above our eyes (Eyebrows): to keep sweat and fallen particles away from our eyes.

-Hair on our eye (Eyelashes): catch small particles so that they don’t get into our eyes.

-Hair in our nose: catches particles such as dust and small bugs from entering our lungs.  

-Hair in our ears: filters and traps foreign objects (bugs) and keeps infections out.

-Hair on our arms, legs and torso: keep us warm, sort of like an insulator.

-Hair in our pits: traps bacteria and “lessens friction”.

So as you can see hair is pretty awesome! The only place that hair is absent is on the soles of our feet, the palms of our hands and our lips. Interesting…

Ellie Goulding

I have grown going to multiple concerts every year. It’s something my family has always done and I am so privileged and blessed to be so cultured in the “field” of music. Last night I went to my 14^th concert! Ellie Goulding! The concert was held in the Saltair up in Magna, Utah and wow was it amazing! The warm up band was St. Lucia. I had never heard of them before, but they were awesome! They had such good songs, with amazing beats and fun lyrics to sing along to. At about 10pm was when Ellie finally came on stage! She was absolutely incredible. Her voice sounded exactly like it did on her CDs, her stage presence was so professional, she was involved with the crowd, and you could tell that she was a very down to earth person.

Even though there is usually drinking, smoking, crazy nutso people and drunks at concerts….I love the atmosphere and the environment. I love the loudness of the music. I love that everybody is jumping, dancing, singing along and laughing. And I love how happy I feel at concerts. Last night I made sure to live in the moment and remember the people I was with, and the music and what a great time we had together because you only live once! YOLO!

Career Fair

            A few days ago I was privileged to attend the Career Fair here at BYU. It was something I was looking forward to because I had never been to one before. It was not what I expected either. There were at least a hundred different booths all around the WILK ballroom, and each booth was a different company. For example some that I saw were Target, OrthoPro, Girls Scouts of Utah, Aspen Grove Family Camp, Hertz, Novell, Air Force ROTC and many more!

I went around to several different booths asking the hosts questions about their company. The one I asked the most was, “What makes you hire someone? Is there a certain characteristic you look for?”  In my head I thought I already knew the answer. I thought they were going to say: dedication, efficiency, responsibility, communication skills, etc. However, that was not the case. Most of the companies said that they look to see if that person has a passion for that job. Without passion, a job is just a job and it’s no fun. They want their employees to enjoy going to work and be engaged in what they are doing. The other skills will fall into place because of their passion.

I have been thinking about this a lot lately. I am not the best at communicating with people, I get shy and sometimes it is hard to open up to people I have not met before. This has be a worry for me because I was afraid from my lack of outgoingness I would never get a real job.  What I heard about passion though helped me feel a lot better. Let me explain why. I love to dance, and I love to teach dance, and because I love to do it and be in the studio, I AM good at being with people, and I open up very easily to the dancers and their parents. In another situation I don’t if I would be like that, but because I have a passion for dance, the other important skills fall into place. I am glad that I went to the Career Fair, because it taught me this valuable lesson. 

Angel

       Today I went out to lunch with my friend Michelle. When we were standing in line to buy our food, I pulled out my ID card because that is where my money is. I gave the cashier my card as I was checking out and then me and Michelle went to go find a place to sit. As we were finishing up our meal, I realized I could not find my ID card! I looked in every pocket of my jeans, my coat, my backpack, I retraced my steps and was looking all over the floor for it. As I was looking I said a quick little prayer in my mind that I would be able to find my ID card. With no luck I decided to go ask the cashier if someone had possibly turned in a lost ID card. She said no one had and so I sadly walked out of the cafe and Michelle said, "Are you sure you wanna leave? We can keep looking because you don't want to have to buy another ID card." And as she said this I had a flicker of a thought come into my head that my ID card would turn up and not to worry about it. So we left to go to our next class and right before class started I went to go use the restroom. As I was taking my backpack off to put it on the little hook on the back of the stall door, my ID card fell onto the tiled bathroom floor. I stood there for at least ten seconds in complete shock, trying to register what just happened. How on earth did it just fall? And second...where did it fall from?? I had looked everywhere for it earlier and it wasn't there! It was almost as if someone had placed it in between my backpack and my coat as I was walking to my class. And I honestly believe that an angel put it there, a guardian angel looking out for me and helping me with little things such as a lost ID card. Today I was apart of a little miracle and I am so grateful that I have the power of prayer in my life.  

The Human Body

       The human body is amazing. After taking physiology, anatomy, sports med, psychology and nutrition I am awe struck at how perfectly everything works inside our bodies. The processes are so complex that only God could make something so perfect and intricate. Things like: digesting food, sending pain signals from neuron to neuron, our bodies fighting against bacteria and infection, our heart pumping, our sympathetic nervous system providing adrenaline, etc. 
       Something I struggle with is that I get frustrated that my body is imperfect and that sometimes it hurts. Aches and pains, cramps, the flu, cavities, broken bones, stomach aches, headaches, allergies, etc. I want my body to be perfect but I am starting to understand that while we are living on earth our body isn't supposed to be perfect. We are supposed to learn through our body and gain knowledge through it that we would not have gained any other way. I am so grateful to have a body! It is a gift from God and I want to treat it the best way that I know how and show God how grateful I am for this body. Here are some things I want to work on to help show my gratitude: eating a nutritious, well balanced diet, exercising daily (not just in dance but finding new ways to get my heart beat up), serving others, smiling at people, being productive, etc. I know that God created each and every one of our bodies and that he is happy when we take care of ourselves. 

Happy Birthday Mom!

       This is a shout out to my mom. Today is Wednesday, January 23, 2013 and it is my mom's birthday! I am so grateful to have her in my life. She does so much for me and I just hope that when I become a mom one day that I can be as amazing to my kids as she has been to me. Here are some reasons why I love her:
1: She is pretty inside and out.
2: She has a testimony of this gospel and is willing to share spiritual experiences with us.
3: No matter how bad her day was she always looks happy to see me when I come home.
4: She notices the little things I do.
5: She is mindful of events happening in my life and checks up on me often.
6: She always thinks of others before herself.
7: She is such an example to me of having charity.
8: She is humble in all that she does.
9: Her hugs always seem to fix problems I am worrying about in my life.
10: I make mistakes, but she loves me no matter what and helps me be better.
11: She has a lot of will power and motivation.
12: She is one of the most stylish people I know (:
13: She taught me through her actions that family always comes first.
14: She is a busy person with lots on her schedule but she always finds time to talk to me.
15: Good, efficient, hard worker!
16: Taught me that I need to help clean up until everything is done and put away no matter the event.
17: She has taught me things about the home: laundry, washing dishes, ironing shirts, folding bath towels, dusting pictures, cleaning baseboards, etc.
18: She is a color coordinating girl just like me (:
19: She's the best mom in the whole world.
20: She's my best friend.
       Thanks for all you do! I love you to the moon and back mom!

Realization

       Well today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. What a good day. Not only are we remembering the bravery of an incredible man...but we also have no school (:  
       Because of the three day weekend...I decided to spend it at my house.  It was so nice to sleep my own room and be in my own bed! So this morning was pretty chill....woke up around 8am, watched a show with my mom, ate breakfast with the rest of the family-which happened to be one of my dad's amazing green super drinks! Then around eleven we decided to go for a hike up rock canyon. Yes it was cold, very cold...but hiking up the trail actually kept you pretty warm. It was absolutely beautiful up there! The air was clear and fresh, there was snow on all of the trees and rocks-it looked like a huge white blanket. My brothers and I were having snowball fights and trying to push each other in the huge piles of snow! It was a blast being with my family-even my lab Lexie got to come!
       Ever since I left home for college I realized how awesome my family is. I am so grateful for them and I feel like the luckiest girl to be apart of something so wonderful. Happiness does not come from clothes, phones, cars or other material things, but  happiness comes from family and friends. The past few months I have been more appreciative of the people around me. I have truly been more happy and blessed when I did things with those I loved then when I sat myself in front of a computer or tv screen.

Cereal: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

       Cereal. This was my breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday last semester. Why? Well I'll give you a few reasons...it was fast, simple, easy to prepare, tasted good, there were healthy choices, no dishes (everything I used was disposable) and it was relatively inexpensive. 
        Let me tell you about how this worked. I have a desk in my room, and this is what became my kitchen table. I had my spoons in the drawer to my right above my sock drawer. (Yes I have a food drawer). The bowls were above my head on the book shelf. The cereal was in a compartment on the right that was apart of the desk itself. It was wonderful see, I had everything within my grasp. All I had to do was sit down, reach, lean over, open a drawer and wa la....! A meal ready to eat in 30 seconds. The only irritating part about this process was the milk. The milk was a whole 8 ft away from my desk in a baby refrigerator. So this part did require some physical activity. Bummer....but it seemed a little over the top to move the fridge either on top of or underneath my desk. So I just left it where it was. 
        Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner. Yes always cereal, all the time. And I loved it. But when I went home for Christmas break I did NOT have one bowl of cereal. As flings come and go....my cereal crush went away. Now I have a thing for sandwiches. 

Winter...

Cold. Frigid. Icy. Subzero. Arctic. Frozen. Emotionless. Frosty. Snowy. Slushy. Black Ice. Miserable. Layers. Slippery. Freezing. Bitter. Glacial. Polar. This 5 degree weather should be illegal. Winter is not exactly something I care about. You may be thinking well she only listed all the bad things of winter...well....hot chocolate you drink to unfreeze your insides. Sledding is fun until you realize your fingers don't work anymore because they are frozen. Snowboarding is fun until you fall on your rear or your face on the ice. Snowball fights are fun until the snow somehow manages to get inside your layers of clothing. Building a snowman is fun if you have a child, but currently I am childless. I am a grinch when it comes to the cold...Can we just shift the equator north a bit so it is closer to Utah?!?! I personally think that is a brilliant idea (: Or everyone I love and care about could just pack up and move to Hawaii (: Either one works for me. I am definitely looking forward to spring and summer! Shorts, t shirts, light jackets, tennis shoes and flip flops! No boots, gloves, hats, sweatshirts, scarves, earmuffs, coats, sweats, wool socks, etc. There is one thing about Winter that I like though: winter clothes are pretty cute (:

116 pages

       In my D&C class we recently talked about Martin Harris the lost 116 pages (the Book of Lehi). Martin asked Joseph Smith 3 different times if he could borrow the pages and take it home to show his family. The Lord told Joseph no the twice the third time Joseph asked the Lord said yes, but...Martin must make a covenant that he would only show the pages to FIVE people! If he did not follow this promise the pages would be lost. Sure enough Martin did not keep his promise and showed the pages to many many people. This is indeed how the pages were lost, because of disobedience  To this day we don't know who took them or where they are. But let me back up....
       When Nephi was recording the history of his people the Lord had him record exactly what his father Lehi had done. Nephi did not know why the Lord was having him do this, and the Lord never told him, but obediently Nephi did. Then when Mormon was abridging he noticed there was an extra record. The Lord commanded him to put it in with the rest of the books and Mormon like Nephi, knew not why, but he was obedient. So when Martin Harris lost the 116 pages...the Lord was NOT surprised. The Lord knew what was going to happen 2000+ years later, and he had planned ahead! "The works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated." (D&C 5:1). This is such a testimony to me that God knows each and every detail of my life. He knows exactly where I am going and how I am going to get there. When I put my trust in the Lord, I will not fall. It also strengthens my testimony that God is a merciful god. If the Lord can forgive Martin Harris for loosing the 116 pages...then he can forgive me when I make repeatable silly mistakes. I know that what I have learned in my D&C class is true and I know that God is in each and every one of our lives. 

College

College is a lot harder than I thought it would be! People always told me not to get too stressed about it because it was just the next step....! Well they missed the memo because it's more like a free fall. The classes are intense and every minute counts in class! I'm scared to even miss a class...I guess that could be counted as a good thing though. The homework is there...definitely there and is killer. It was a very hard transition for me to go from living at home, relying on my parents, having a chill fun life to....homework all the time, no parents, having to work 2 jobs to keep cash coming in to help pay for this education and no free time. And if there is it's spent with the fam, friends or catching up on sleep-if that's even possible. Lots of tears happened in my car to and from places. Because we all know how awkward it is to cry in front of your roommate...so I try to just avoid that at all costs. Only slipped up once-but that time I had a valid excuse. As I am starting this new semester I honestly do feel better because I know the impossible standards that the teachers are looking for and I know that no matter how many hours and hours of studying I do....getting a B on a test is the best I can do. It's hard not to compare yourself to the complete strangers around you. Sometimes I feel like a bug that was squished with a really heavy rock. Like I said above though...this semester will be better in that I will be able to handle the pressure better than I was able to last semester. Well...at least I'm hoping for this to happen. I wish I had been emotionally prepared for college and that someone would've set it to me straight what my life was going to be like for the next 4 years. I want to say that I will prepare my children for college so they know what they're getting into...but I don't want to scare them away and I wonder if they would learn more if they were just thrown out there. But as I finished writing that sentence being thrown out into the world is scary and a buffer would've been nice. There are a few nice things about college though that is okay to say the least: 
-you can kind of do whatever you want when time permits 
-your vocabulary improves because of the way the professors talk 
-you don't feel like a bug under a microscope-referring to reporting to the parents of the 5 W questions: Who, What, When, Where and Why. Now I'm not saying that is bad when parents do it (I will most definitely ask all of these and probably more when I myself become a parent) but it gets really obnoxious when you're the child. 
-you aren't in class as long as you were in high school...but the homework makes up for that, but still it's nice to only go to 3 hours of school a day! 
-the religion classes here are probably my favorite. I've learned so much because the scriptures are something I really care about! 
-lots and lots of freedom, but that goes hand in hand with lots and lots of responsibility. So I am learning a lot through the experiences I have. Most of which are slightly humiliating, stressful and frightful....but if I could change the past of deciding to come here to BYU....I wouldn't change anything. I am glad to be where I am even if it is kicking me in the tush! 
-This school is hard hard hard but it's a good school and if I can stick it out then I will be a different person when I finish.  Hopefully a better person. 
-I like being away from my family....well not really.... I only say that because moving out made me realize how much I really love them and that material items don't make you happy. I have been so blessed throughout my life to have nice things (clothes, car, shoes, accessories, etc) but when I came to college none of those things mattered, none of those things made me happy. I was miserable the first semester. It's hard to find happiness here....for me at least. That's one of my new years resolutions though...is to FIND happiness in PEOPLE not things! Even if the people here are super arrougant and annouing I am going to at least try....yes I will try to I don't know open up and try new things. But see that's where I get stuck. I tried soooo many new things the first month I was here trying to make friends and enjoy college life...but i discovered that I am kind of an independent hermit. I like being by myself and doing things alone, it gives me time to think out loud (aka: talking to myself)  I would  move back home though in a heartbeat because I now know the dorms are really not my thing. Too many hormones, too many screaming girls, too much fruity decorations everywhere, too much to handle with the whole community shower/bathroom thing. I mean seriously...how hard is it to flush a toilet?? 

 So all in all....my college experience has just kinda been lame. I miss high school. I miss my friends. I miss my house. I miss living with my two crazy loud brothers. I miss my mom always checking on me. I miss my dad's hugs. I miss my other life. But I can't go back so I've got to start looking forward and making the most of what I have.

Book Work

      Dear Students: Don't Let College Unplug Your Future. This was the chapter I was assigned to read and write on for one of my classes.  I really enjoyed reading this not only because of the information that was given, but because of how it was written. Gideon Burton was the author of this chapter and he pulled me in, let me tell you why....

       First: He wrote to his audience. He knew that the college students who would be reading his work would all be from different backgrounds and all have different thoughts and views on issues in the world today. Since he knew this beforehand I really think he tried to incorporate many ideas and solutions as well as being very specific.  

       Second: He was entertaining. The subject he spoke of was deep at times and definitely needed a few light parts to keep the reader going. Here is a little section of what he wrote: "Students, you digital natives shouldn't put on the thinking cap of those digital immigrants who think the internet is mostly a DANGER ZONE. Paleo-pathetic." I was able to relate to him because we shared some of the same thoughts.  

      Third: He was bold. Even though a lot of what he wrote about I didn't necessarily agree with, I respected and kept reading because I was able to understand and see his point of view because of his honestly and boldness. 

       As I write papers and essays throughout this semester, I hope that I can incorporate these principles and ideas into my writing to pull my reader in as well. 

My life in a medium sized nutshell...

       Lindsay Clegg. That's my name and has been for eighteen years now. I was born in the fall, in Walnut Creek, California. My dad was in school to be a podiatrist so after he finished up in California we moved to Michigan, and from there Utah. More specifically Provo, Utah, and have been here ever since. 
       I was always a child who didn't know what to do with the energy I had. In response to this, my mother put me into my first dance class when I was three years old. Since then I have not stopped dancing and I do not plan on stopping. I wonder sometimes if my mother ever thought I would dance as long as I have. Growing up I participated in a lot of different things: soccer, gymnastics, track, cheer, art classes, swimming, clubs and dance is the one thing that has always been constant. 
        I am currently dancing and teaching at a studio called JIVE. I have been there since we moved to Utah, which was when I was six years old. So twelve wonderfully spent years of my life have been at JIVE and I hope to continue to dance and teach there throughout my life. Teaching is such an amazing experience because you learn so much from the kids! I have been teaching for two years now and it has definitely challenged me and tested my patience. However, I love seeing the progression in each dancer as they master choreography and technique. Dance is my passion in life, and being able to share that with others and help teach dancers is what I live for. Dance is my stress reliever. Dance is where I forget about everything the second I step in the room. Dance is what makes me happy. Dance is what makes me smile on a rainy day. Dance is my life. 
        In high school I did many different things. I was captain of the cheer squad, and was apart of that team for two years. I was involved in the dance program for three years and was able to be VP for the dance company my junior year. I was the student president of HOSA (Health Occupation Students of America) for two years and was able to compete at a state level with that as well as organize and hold over six blood drives for my high school (Provo High). I had a really fun time in high school because of the environment, people, teachers, football/basketball games, and school dances. 
        A lot of people ask me why I went to BYU considering it is less than ten minutes away from where I live. Well I didn't originally want to go here. Growing up in the shadow of BYU and it's high expectations made me not want to come here and instead go somewhere far away. Both of my parents went to BYU and I felt like I had to or else I would disappoint them, so automatically that was another reason I did not want to come here. I also knew how extremely hard and vigorous the courses were and I wanted something that I knew I could handle, and that was not BYU for me. As I was applying for colleges knew that I would no in November of 2011 I did not even think of applying to BYU because I was afraid I would not be accepted because of my ACT score, and plus I was not interested. However I was convinced otherwise and when it came down to it, the Spirit told me to come here. So the answer I give people when they ask why I came here is "I have no clue." I hope that someday I will realize why it is that the Lord knew it would be best for me to come here. For now I am just here and trying to survive the craziness of freshman year.