Goodbyes

Goodbyes are hard for me, they always have been. I am not good with them and I am not sure I ever will be. Which is why I am writing this post. My cousin Tyler recently went on his mission, with any missionary this was hard for me. Annie Tyler and I have been best friends since before we can remember. We did as much as we could together when we were all in one state. Everything from baptism to Glamour girlz. We even tried three way calls when we would miss each other. All in all he has been one of my best friends. I was able to attend High School with him and it was nice to know that he would be there for me unconditionally. He was in the choirs with me and it always made my day so much better when I saw him walk through those doors because I knew that no matter what we would be there for each other. He gave an amazing farewell talk that brought me to tears. It is hard to realize that he wont just be a phone call away anymore. At the same time I know that he needs this mission and they need him. He is going to grow and learn so much that I wouldn't want him to be anywhere else. I know he knows that the Church is true and he is going to go out and change peoples lives. I am so proud of him. All of these things are what make the goodbye easier. So here is to you Ty-man. I know you're going to do great things and Annie and I will be right here waiting for you to return!

New Beginnings

Yesterday held a couple of firsts for me, first day of school and first day at a new job. I love firsts because it is a time you get to start new. You can forget everything that has happened last year and move on, you can grow in a new place and know that you are going to have new experiences. You can learn from the mistakes you have made and move on. With this new school year I have set many new goals that I know I can achieve if I put my mind to it. This new job is a place that I can grow and that is exactly what I would like to do. I have a lot of things coming up in my life that will require decisions that I know will change the course of my life.  The greatest part about college is that you are there to make your own decisions and learn and grow from them. I am finding more and more about myself every single day. I got to go on an awesome vacation with my sister Kristy and her family. It was so great being able to spend time with them and grow closer to my nieces. There were moments where I wasn't sure if I would ever stop laughing. Definitely a trip to remember. We got to go to Disneyland and it makes all the lines worth it to see a kid meet one of her favorite characters. It would be like any of us going and meeting a celebrity. Seriously one of the coolest things ever.

Even I was excited as I turned the corner and there stood Minnie and Mickey and Donald and Daisy. Even though I know it is just people in costumes for a split second I had forgotten and the nostalgia of childhood came flushing back to me. My niece Eliza loved these matching glasses that we had it was fun to watch her get such a kick out of them. Definitely one of the best trips I have ever been on, I don't think I will be able to ever thank Chris and Kristy enough for letting me join them.

So along with a new school year comes along the challenge/excitement of new roommates. I will admit that I was nervous when I heard that we would be getting 3 new roommates and we only really knew one of them. But yet again I got lucky and so far my roommates have been phenomenal. It is an interesting group of people and I think it will balance out pretty well. We went to a movie in the park last night for FHE and I think it was the first time all 6 of my roommates were at an FHE (thanks to my new job I was able to go.)

It was a night of adventure and getting to know each other. I have a feeling this is going to be a really good year! 

Take Me Away

This passed week has been out of the ordinary, it has been filled with a lot of thinking and wondering. I have thought long about what I could write in the post and maybe I just need to write it out to get it out of my system. It is time for something new. I have been stuck in Utah and sometimes I feel like this isn't where I need to be. I want to experience somewhere else something else. I want to go out and meet new people in a place where they don't know me at all. I want to start somewhere new where I can be whoever I want to be without who I used to be coming up. I want to see the world. Even if that means moving somewhere that I don't know anyone. Or visiting a place on a different continent to do something worth while for my world. I see all these people going out and having once in a lifetime experiences growing on their own. I know I have other things to do like school and work but sometimes I feel that those things are just the little parts of life. I want to be able to see the world and the beauty it consists of. I want to travel to places that I have only read about. I don't want to be one of those people that only live in one area their whole lives. So I am going to start looking. Looking for opportunities to take me places that I want to go. Now don't get me wrong, Utah is a beautiful place to live and I do love it here. But I have a soul that longs to wonder, and seek adventure. I feel that if I ignore these impulses I will loose this spirit of adventure and I may never get it back. I don't want to grow old and look back on life and think, I wish I would have traveled more when I was young. I don't want to have any regrets. So here is to change. Here's to grasping every possible opportunity and seeking for chances. Here's to doing what I know will make me happy in a time when everything seems to be working against me.

Session #1 :) Laughing unconditionally.

This first session of swimming lessons definitely had its ups and downs. It started off with my first class that all had super similar names. Jayden Braxton and Brayden, talk about a tongue twister! Some of the highlights of the session were the following quotes, "I CAN'T DO IT! MY LUNGS ARE BROKEN!" "What do you mean your lungs are broken?" "I mean I forgot to put toothpaste on my toothbrush this morning and now my lungs are broken!"-Zander Level 3. Another good one "TEACHER TEACHER I HAVE 2 GOOD NEWSES! First we are going to Disneyland and second we are all adopted!!" haha Caleb Level P2. Today though we had some pretty good ones that included "My mom is pregnant. But its a really long and gross story!"- Zoey Level 3. "My belly button is my girlfriend!"- Austin P2 and "Oh man I made bubbles with my bum again!"-Braxton Level 1. All in all it has been a really good session. One of the best parts of it though was the chance I had to teach a 35 year old man named Fernando who has had a stroke and is now mentally and physically handicapped. He had such a sweet way about him you couldn't help but be happy. He couldn't do much but he used to swim competitively so he knows all the strokes. To help him my aide (Ian) and I would put a noodle under his belly and work with him on each stroke. The hard part was that he did not have the ability to move his left arm. This is different than anything I have ever done but definitely the most rewarding. I could actually see these lessons making a difference in this mans life and I felt like I was actually helping. He always had such a positive attitude even when he knows that he used to be able to do everything just like everyone else. There was one day in particular when he was really really happy and I asked him why he was laughing his answer is something I will never forget. He stopped and looked at me and in his slurred way of speaking said, "I laugh for joy because at times it feels like that is the only thing I can do. I can laugh unconditionally." It really put my life in perspective to see this man whose life had changed completely and now he has to rely completely on his mother but he still knows that all he has to do is laugh and things don't seem as bad anymore. He is someone that has made an impact on my life even though so far I have only gotten to work with him for 2 weeks. So that was a very serious post for this blog that sometimes seems not so serious but I felt like I needed to put it down some where that I can look back on on those days when it feels like I can not do anything else but laugh for joy.

The Beginnings of the Summer Bucket List!
Beat Super Mario for the N64- Complete
Catch a baby duck- Complete
Buy a car
Go to lagoon
Skinny Dip- Complete
Sky Dive
Go to the Abandoned Jail-complete
Stand outside while it pours rain-Complete
Hike to a Waterfall
Go to a concert-Complete
Light fireworks-Complete
Learn to surf in the Ocean
Visit the beach
Learn to slalom-Complete
Gain at least 15 new friends-Complete
Swim in Utah Lake- Complete
Have a MASSIVE bonfire- Complete
Go to a Bees game
Go to a ReAl game-Complete
Do something that legitimately scares me
Get a really good tan-Complete
Pull an All-nighter
Watch all 6 Star Wars
Volunteer at the nursing home
Go on a picnic
Visit the temple
Read a whole book in one day-Complete
Sleep outside-Complete

Sorry it has been so long since my last post.. for those 5 of you that actually read this ha! Summer has officially started which makes me way happy! I've started on my playlist for Lake Powell and I'll tell you this one is a keeper! It already has 156 hand picked songs which is roughly around 9 hours. I have started working on my summer tan and it is coming along quite nicely! I have spent the passed couple of weekends at home just laughing it up. Some of my favorite quotes from the trip include "Alyssa! Don't turn so fast I'm going to have a wrenched elbow and my curve ball will be off!"- Said by Dad on the way to the solar eclipse party. Another one of my favorite moments is when we got into the car to go up to the Hunts to see the Eclipse and I look over to see my dad with two pairs of sunglasses on looking out the window just to hear him say "OH GOSH THAT DOESN'T WORK!" ha. I have started my guarding at the Lindon pool and let me tell you it is something else. Today there was a party for the Elementary School which meant 600 kids with about 10 adults. It was complete chaos. There was one time where this little girl came up to me with a panicked look on her face and she said "You have to stop the lazy river RIGHT NOW!" when I asked her why said replied "BECAUSE I LOST MY GOGGLES IN THERE!!!" The poor little girl didn't understand why I couldn't stop the lazy river for her to find her goggles. Good news though she did end up finding them. This new pool makes me miss good old Alta Canyon but it is fun meeting new people. Some random things that are making me happy include, the summer music, the sunshine, the tan lines,  5:30am shifts, warm nights, family, whistles, toms, sonic's happy hour, and the most random thing is the color of my tanned legs against the blue of the pool. I know that may seem weird but there is something about those two colors that seem to make all my cares go away. The best season of the year is upon us! This weekend I get to go boating for the first time and I am more than ecstatic! Maybe I will be able to get rid of this lovely tank top tan line ha. This post may not be as funny as the others but it explains the reasons I am happy :) and I really truly am happy! Best summer wishes to everyone! Also last little thing, one of my new supervisors at the Lindon pool looks just like King Peter from Narnia. I have the hardest time not calling him Son of Adam or saying things to him like FOR ASLAN! You know that kind of stuff :)

Today is Saturday, and Saturday means work at 9:00am. Now I know that to most of you folks that isn't that early. But seeing as how I am a college student and weekends get cray cray and I always stay out way too late but that is part of being a college student so whater whater. Anyway, as I was sitting in my cubicle today pondering life I stumbled upon this lovely video that changed my life. Just like any other human being I began to do these exercises. Not even 35 seconds after I started doing them the girl that sits in front of me asked me if I was crying because I guess my breathing made it sound that way. So as you could imagine I got a lot of people asking what I was doing so I had to share this video. It was quite a hit. This weekend was actually rather eventful. My roommates have all gone home for the next week so I will be completely alone at my apartment for 10 days. So I have had to entertain myself and lets be honest that never really ends well. So Thursday is really when the fun happens I woke up not knowing what to do with the day so I went over to talk to Aub dog and we decided that we were going to steal Carsons hat. So we snuck into his apartment and I snatched it right off the wall. I texted him and told him that if he ever wants to see his hat again he has to surrended $123493581923. He didn't like that idea and he told me he was going to get me back and he is known to go overboard... So I'm a little scared.  I got home from work and I was waiting for Aubs and Fanny to call so naturally I locked the door put on a T-Shirt and a stolen baseball hat and started playing Mario Kart on the Nintendo 64. Ya I felt pretty awesome. Then Annie and Aubrey came over and we made a music video (will be posted lates) and watched a Mary Kate and Ashely movie. Legit. Then yesterday I was so freakin bored all day that I even tried to paint my nails.. epic fail. They look like my 2 year old niece did them. So then I decided to get ready for this freakin sweet concert Davie boy and I were going to go to. I forgot though that nails have to dry before you have to go to the bathroom so you thought they looked bad before.. now they were just a mess but I had no time to fix them so I put on some pants and ran out the door. David was a little hesitant on coming with me to the concert at the Velour because he isn't very hipster but my roommies ditched me and I really didn't wanna go alone so I dragged him along with me. IT WAS SOOOOO FREAKIN RAD!!! 

Cool groupie sign that I got to post on my front door 

 Brady Parks and The IndiAnns!

 Dave was SUPER EXCITED!

 I couldn't get him to smile..

 So then I stopped smiling and he decided to smile

 Ya that's right I got Jeff to look at me!

 Sweet Rock On Picture!

So some of you might recall the story I told of the guy whose computer I posted my number on.. Ya that was his band. I am a groupie and I am proud of it! Unfortunately he has gone to Texas for the whole summer. :( But that's ok because I still have all summer to play around WOOT WOOT!!! Anyway if any of you are looking for a fun Tuesday night activity call me up and we will go to open mic night at the Velour. It is rad town. Thats all for now signin out. Peace and Blessins Peace and Blessins.

All my life I had a bump on the back of my neck...

So you may be wondering why I decided to put this lovely video here. Well, here is a story that I am sure will at least make you crack a smile. While I was home last week my Mom told me that she was going to the doctor to get a bump on the back of her neck checked out. Naturally I was concerned but all I could think about was this scene from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and the possibility that my mother could in fact have her twin living on her neck. When I showed her this video I know that she secretly was worried about the same thing happening to her. Don't let her fool you she will try to deny it and say that she knew all along that it wasn't her twin but I know deep down she really thought it could have been. No worries though she got it checked out and this is the text that I received from her today, "No spinal chord or teeth just skin and hair. It's a cyst that will be removed on the 30th." I could tell she was disappointed for sure.
Next story, last night me and Aubrey Jo went to a real live hipster venue at the Velour. Seriously probably one of the most legit things I have ever done. Aubrey brought her disposable camera and looked super hipsteresque.  The people there were so friendly! I sneezed once and I kid you not at least 10 people said bless you. There was this older man that performed and he had on some sweet shades and all aubrey and I could think about was Neil Diamond. When I grow up it is my goal to be as cool as him. Now this may come as a shock to some of you but I have never been to something so hipster before and it showed, everyone else was in totally rad outfits and I stood out like a sore thumb. So that is on my to do list... get a more hipster wardrobe. Hopefully my mother approves. Aubrey and I are now official groupies and proud of it! So I can cross that off the bucket list! Tomorrow is the day where I celebrate my day of birth. Should be interesting, luckily my mother and I went shopping and I get to wear my new yellow skinny jeans. Mission new hipster wardrobe commenced!
That's all for today. Peace and blessings peace and blessings!

Friday The 13th

Unlucky?? Noooo!!! Friday the 13th as we all know is condemned for being unlucky, but my question is who decided that? The day started off with a lovely trip to Deseret Book with the momskis and Amy. We found lots of pictures of Jesus and Cayden and I had great bonding moments. On the way home Mommy and Amy wanted to stop at Old Navy so Cayden and I waited in the car and I taught him how to drive! Then I was talking with my dad and he got upset that I never post anything on his Facebook wall... He doesn't have a facebook.. But when I told him that he doesn't have a wall he then responded with "That's because I have a freakin' fortress!" Sometimes I wonder about that man. Then I returned to Orem only to get on the freeway and have my gas light come on. I stopped at a gas station to fill up when I realized I did not have my debit card with me. As you can imagine I pretty much shat myself because I didn't think I would make it home! But I had no other choice but to drive. Usually I hate being stuck behind semis because they go so slow but what I never realized is that you can pretty much coast the whole way without people getting mad at your speed as long as you are behind a semi. I was pulling off the exit after hardly pushing the gas the whole way home and all I could do is pray that it would make it to the apartment. LUCKY FOR ME, Friday the 13th doesn't affect me and I arrived home safely we started to watched "Saved By the Bell" for a good 2 hours. I really wish that is what High School was like.. for those of you who know the show, Screetch is my hero. Then something awesome happened! BUT FIRST a little background story. On Wednesday in my English class we were peer reviewing our rough drafts and a boy named Jeff asked me to look at his. He hadn't printed it off yet so it was still on his laptop. I somehow got the crazy idea to leave a post it note on his desktop with my number. I figured the worst that could happen is he wouldn't call or text so I typed up a cute little postie and posted it. Then I started actually reading his paper but I got so nervous that I went back and deleted it. Then I realized I was being a straight up pansie so I reposted it. When I told my mom this story she told me that I was being too forward and he wouldn't call.. but I was still feeling pretty confident.Yes, I became a woman that day. Anyway back to the other story... Long story short he texts me and we decide to go to see "The Hunger Games" ya that's right. Looks like being "forward" payed off. If you want details on the date you will have to talk to me personally... :) Anyway, moral of this post....? I showed Friday the 13th who is boss.

Lunch Today

So my good sweet Daddy takes me to lunch every week and we are usually accompanied by Davie boy. Todays lunch was at In-N-Out burger mmmm I love that place. There were a lot of people that were looking for tables to sit at as we sat there and chatted the afternoon away. I confessed to googling my father last night and he asked me what I thought of his "linked-in" page. Lets be honest, I didn't look at it. Then I told him about the rain yesterday's last night and he didn't believe me that it rained. It did. Not that that is interesting but if you are reading this you must be bored anyway. I love my Daddy and our weekly lunch trips :) its always nice to have good food. In case you are wondering, apparently if you give my mom peppermint she will start hyperventilating because it is too spicy. So if anyone wants a good show give her a good strong mint. Fair warning though she might try to tell you about how good breath is always a plus for the doorstep scene!
Lyrics that have been on my mind today, good old Rascal Flatts:
Fifth floor She’s up in her dorm Studyin’ for her midterms  
She’s had one of those weeks  
Where the world it seems is against her  
Right on cue a picture pops up on her laptop  
She can’t pick her cell phone up fast enough  
Sometimes you just need a little home  
Some “hey mom and dad what’s goin’ on? I’m just checkin’ in No there ain’t nothing wrong”  
Sometimes you just need a little home  
Well he’s tired, sits down in the sand  
Shoe box in his hand, half a world away  
And he smiles when he sees who it’s from 
 He lays down his gun, no he can’t wait  
Cards and letters and something sweet  
He takes a bite and reads 
how everybody sends their love, he tears up 
 Sometimes you just need a little home 
 A little let you know you’re not alone 
 To carry in your heart  
And keep your spirit strong  
Sometimes you just need a little home  
Sometimes I’d like to drive back through that little town
  Sometimes And get my feet back on the ground  
Sometimes you just need a little home  
A little hey you’ve been gone way too long  
Yeah way to long  
No matter how grown up you get 
 No matter how far you roam 
Sometimes you just need a little home  
Home sweet home  
Sometimes you just need a little home Hey “mom and dad, what’s goin’ on?”

Well Hello Sunshine!

I decided to try this whole blogging thing out since it seems to be the new thing to do. So I will start you all off with a wonderful story so that you are all intrigued and decide to follow along :). Many of you know my sweet brother David. He goes to BYU and we were both home two weekends ago for Sunday dinner and to catch up on some laundry FOR FREE!! As we are leaving I snagged a pair of binoculars for entertainment purposes. As we were making the drive back to Orem/Provo from Sandy we decided to pull some pranks on the people we were driving by on the freeway seeing as it was April Fools Day. So David would go the same speed as the car next to us so that I could make eye contact with them and reach down and grab the nocs and hold them up. As you could imagine we got some funny reactions to people seeing me looking at them through binoculars. Some of the best were the back seat that was filled with boys that could do nothing but laugh, the awkward couple that kept glancing over to see if what they were seeing really was real, and the old lady driving the van that probably looked almost as ridiculous as I did. This is my story from here on out. It is going to have good times and bad but I'll try to just post the funny ones because thats where entertainment comes from right?