It's Been Awhile...

I feel like I have been seriously slacking!!! In my defense though life has been just a tad bit crazy. I had finals, packing, cleaning checks, Utah misadventures (more on that in a bit) Christmas shopping, Christmas and then Family Reunion to sort through, so as much as I love writing and blogging and making a record of my life, this blog kinda fell by the wayside... sorry... :) However I've repented of my ways and I intend to keep up with blogging better this next semester. Hey New Years is coming up so I think I sense one of my New Years Resolutions!!!!!

Anyway, if I tried to tell you everything that's happened to me since I last wrote, this would be a very long post. I can already tell this is going to be lengthy, so I will try to just include the important things and keep everything straight and to the point.

So Utah Misadventures, let's start there!

It all began when I tried to get home for Christmas. I got done with finals early and was excited to fly home Thursday afternoon instead of waiting till Saturday like most of the other college kids I knew. I boarded the Salt Lake express early Thursday morning after packing and cleaning the night before and then slept through the long four hour ride to the airport. However when I got there I was dismayed and slightly horrified to discover that all the flights had been cancelled.

But that wasn't so bad right? I mean delayed or cancelled didn't mean I was stranded in Utah. I figured the airline would just wait for the bad weather to pass and then pick up were they had left off and I'd be home just a little later than anticipated.

 But I was wrong! (It's been known to happen from time to time)

The Salt Lake City airport was shut down and the soonest flight I could probably get on was Monday.

...Wait a Second!!! Monday!?!?!? I was planning on flying home Thursday and now I couldn't even get out of Utah for FIVE MORE DAYS!!!

I was heartbroken (to put it mildly) and yes I'll even admit that I might have teared up a little bit! I'm a home sick 18 year old girl so of  course I was going to cry.

So there I was, stranded with my two bags, a backpack and a cell phone. Thankfully all was not lost because I was able to hitch a ride with my friend Christy, stay the night at her grandparents house and then catch a train in the morning to my cousins house. My dad was also able to get online and get me  a sooner flight, so instead of Monday I was scheduled to fly out on Saturday. Things were really looking up! Sure I wanted to be home and sure I didn't really have any clean clothes since I had only packed my dirty laundry, and sure, maybe I didn't have toothpaste or a hairbrush since I was planning on being home where hairbrushes and toothpaste just magically appear in the bathroom drawers, but at least I wasn't sleeping in the airport and at least I would only have to deal with no clothes for three days instead of five.

Friday Morning I woke up and took the Front Runner train all by myself to my cousins house. That was an adventure just by itself simply because I couldn't figure out how to read the train schedule and then I witnessed an arrest on the train. I'm not even kidding. And then I even kinda got a debriefing about the whole thing because I happened to be on one of the elevators with two of the police officers while they were talking about what happened. I just kinda stood awkwardly in between them not saying anything while we rode down from the train platform.  Fun Right!?! :)

My Aunt and Uncle were kind enough to take me in for a night and make me feel very welcome. We even drove to Salt Lake to Temple Square simply because I'd never seen Temple Square at Christmas. We walked around, looking at all the beautiful lights and admiring the various nativities. I just love Christmas. Oh and then we met a Youtube celebrity Stuart Edge! He does prank videos and card tricks and has a ton of viewers! So that was pretty cool! We even took a picture as proof! :)

I got up the next morning, boarded my flight without incident and then headed home to good old Washington! Mom picked me up at the airport which was wonderful because I haven't seen her in 3 months! And then Christmas was able to commence! 

We went caroling, made cookies had advent, read the Christmas story, had dance parties and then opened up presents Christmas morning. 

The other really awesome thing about Christmas is that the missionaries get to call so we got to hear from my Brother Jake who is in Samoa and then Skyped with my sister Jessica who is in Alabama. 

Then we packed that night, and flew to Southern California the next day. 

Whew!!! It's been just a crazy crazy past few weeks. 

Oh and here's a video I made of my crazy Utah adventure and family time! :) 

~Keep Smiling~ :)

The Lampost

The Lampost: 

A Historical Fiction Novel 

(Which basically means it's based off actual events that  have been slightly dramatized because, let's be honest,  who would actually read historical novels if they weren't dramatized?!?) 

Starring:

The Beautiful Toni

And...

The Lovely Anise

Once Upon a time there was a lamp post, reminiscent of the one in the Narnia movie (you know, the one with the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe... :)

Toni: "Hey! A lampost!!!! Can we do the Narnia thing? I call being Mr. Tumnus!!!"

Toni: "NO ANISE!!!!! I called Being Mr. Tumnus!!! GET DOWN!!!! MY LAMPOST!!!!"

Anise:" But I happen to quite like it up here!"

Toni: "Do I look like I'm joking here?!?"

Toni: "You can be Lucy if you really want to, but you have to go stand over there!"

And they all lived Happily Ever After

The End! 

~Keep Smiling~ :)

Christmas Letter

So, it's been awhile.... Yes I realize that, but with finals coming up and a million and a half other things going on, it's been just a little hard to find time to sit down and write about our crazy fun lives! But I am still alive, just in case you were worried, and I even found time to write up our roommate Christmas letter. 

Merry Christmas!

This semester has been full of fun, friends, ice cream, running, dates, roomie lunches, late night boy talk... oh and some studying... Library exploits begin with the best of intentions but usually turn into people watching or flirting. We’ve laughed, we’ve cried and with a bunch of crazy schedules, sometimes it’s difficult to find all six of us crazy girls. More often then not, locating our roommates turns into the Rexburg edition of “Where is Waldo.”

Where is Vanessa? Vanessa is the romantic of the bunch. With her love of disney, coupled with an adoration for Mr. Darcy, she can definitely be found figuring out her happily ever after as she reads Jane Austen classics or watches disney movies. She is currently working on getting into the nursing program so we find her studying and dutifully completing her schoolwork. If she isn’t in our apartment or at school, we need only venture out a few steps into the cold Rexburg wind to find her happily sitting and socializing with our next door neighbors. Though there are places Vanessa usually frequents, she has, on occasion, gone off grid (which freaked Hannah and Alina out one Friday morning when they discovered that she was nowhere to be found. Though it turned out she was simply taking a test at the testing center, Alina and Hannah endured a few hours of anticipation and uncertainty! Alls well that ends well! :)  Vanessa adds excitement and fun to the apartment with her electric laugh and bright smile. 

Where is Anise? Anise is the hippy. Follow the sound of Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd straight to her authentic record player. If Anise could be anywhere, it would be the beach, but since Idaho is just a little bit landlocked, she has to settle for seashells and jars of sand to keep from missing the Cayman Islands and California too much. This semester we’ve grown accustomed to the excitement she brings to our apartment, for life with Anise just wouldn’t be complete without backflip competitions, late night guitar jam sessions, her hippy fashion sense, crazy dancing, and her blunt sense of humor. Anise is a biology major so you just might catch her studying in between her numerous social escapades. 

Where is Kacee? Kacee is the spunky one. In between her time spent as a clinician aid at the student health center and studying to get into the nursing program, you might find Kacee firing nerf guns at unsuspecting roommates, dancing like crazy, chauffeuring her roommates to and fro (she’s the only one with a car, so she patiently puts up with the Walmart runs and Cocoa Bean ventures) or running laps at the I-center. This October, Kacee drove  all us girls to Utah for General Conference and opened up her house to us for a weekend. Kacee has an infectious laugh, and can often be found cheering up her roommates with her jokes and adorable smile (And if you’ve checked the library, the student health center, the crossroads and still can’t locate her, you might try looking in Hannah and Alina’s room, for she can often be found sitting in Alina’s bed, pretending to be Hannah’s roommate :) 

Where is Toni? Toni is the realist. Like Kacee she has joined the rest of the working world and spends many of her Saturdays working for Student Food Services at the Crossroads. Toni also has family nearby and so we are graced with frequent visits from her triplet brother Troy. To find Toni, follow the sound of music! Toni has the best dance moves of all her roomies, which basically means she can actually dance while the rest of us just... try... :) Toni also has the best hair, which is not only gorgeous, but doesn’t ever shed (which her roommates greatly appreciate) As an English major, Toni frequents the library often and has a habit of running into the most attractive boys, a talent that we like to call “black magic!” Toni is an avid movie watcher and graces us all with her knowledge and movie critique. 

Where is Alina? Alina sometimes wonders how in the world she ended up with such amazing roommates at such an amazing school! To find Alina look in the Snow (that’s the music building! :) The majority of her time is spent practicing voice, singing opera, writing songs, playing guitar and listening to classical music for such is the life of a music major.  Alina also can be found in the kitchen baking delectable concoctions, running laps in the I-center with Kacee (to work off those delectable concoctions), faithfully attending country swing dancing every Wednesday (still working off those delectable concoctions), taking naps in random places on campus to catch up on sleep, or socializing... when she probably should be studying. If none of those places work, you might try looking for face cards and skittles, for she recently discovered a love for skittles poker. 

Where is Hannah? Hannah is the most mature of the group (though we must not confuse maturity with uptightness, for she also knows how to have a good time) To find Hannah, follow the dulcet tones of Frank Sinatra, and he will lead you straight to the kitchen to find Hannah in an apron playing the part of a perfect fifties house wife. Frank’s not the only man in her life though, for she also has a great love for Louis Armstrong and can pull off quite a convincing Louis impersonation. If Louis and Frank don’t lead you straight to her, you might try you luck looking for empty bottles of cheerwine, one of her favorite drinks. In between music and schoolwork Hannah can be found fulfilling her calling as relief society first counselor, giving date advice to her roommates, participating in Kacee’s nerf gun wars and joining the various random dance parties we roommates have. And now the real question: Where will Hannah end up, for she is putting in her papers and will soon be receiving her call to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  If anything notable happens, we will keep you posted.

Thank you all so much for the positive influence you have been on our lives. We truly appreciate the love and kindness we have been shown during our first semester here at BYU-I 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Love, 

Vannny, Anise, Kacee, Toni, Alina, and Hannah

Weekend in Wyoming

So I didn't get to go home for Thanksgiving, instead it seems that home came to me :) My extended family (so lots of cousins, aunts, uncles plus one set of awesome grandparents) and I chilled (literally, since it was kinda snowy) in Wyoming and had a lot of food and a lot of fun :)

~Keep Smiling~ :)

Lesson Learned

This post is one I should have written like a week ago. Sorry I'm a bit delayed but I have a good excuse!!!

...okay, I have no excuse. Simply the long and short of it is I was a little embarrassed to write this so I put it off! To help you understand exactly why I had my reservations, allow me to tell you a story:

Once upon a time, not so long ago (like two Wednesdays ago) in a beautiful and snow covered kingdom called Rexburg, a young peasant girl was asked by her dear friend to sign up for a service fair and help small children get into the Christmas spirit by running games, wearing red and green and cutting out paper snowflakes. This young girl, for the sake of the story we'll call her Ali... anyway, Ali willingly signed up for this event, excited to do service in whatever way she could. But Friday night came around and Ali received a an invitation from a peasant boy, requesting her presence at a dance instruction class happening at the exact same time as the festival for the small children. 

At first, Ali kindly refused the invitation, as she did not want to disappoint the small children and thought it important to keep her commitments. But then the thought of learning how to do lifts and stunts in a dancing class continued to weigh on her, she simply could not get the idea out her head! She succumbed to her selfishness, canceled her festival shift and begged the young peasant boy to attend the dance class with her. 

The boy picked her up and the two walked to the class, chatting and laughing all the way, Ali supressing all thoughts of disappointed children from her mind. The class began and Ali rather enjoyed being flipped, thrown in the air and performing all manner of exciting stunts that she had never thought possible before. 

But then the unthinkable happened! In the midst of learning a flip, the peasant boy flipped Ali over his back, his hands slipped from hers and she landed with a resounding thud on her back (right in the exact same spot on which she had surgery 6 years previous) Her life flashed before her eyes and she thought herself dying or paralyzed. Naturally Ali was just a tad dramatic, and no such damage had been done, but the pain was excruciating and continued to be so for the next week or so. Ali laid in shame and agony upon her couch instead of going out and socializing that Saturday night and considered herself truly punished for her sins. 

Okay, so in case you haven't guessed already, Ali is me! I was stupid, skipped out on service and reaped the consequences of a sore back for the next week. And man, did I ever deserve it!!! 

And the even funnier thing is I had to teach a lesson in Relief Society on the importance of service that Sunday! Boy was I bashful!!! :) 

So consider yourselves dully warned! Do not ever miss an opportunity to serve someone because you could very well end up in pain!

~Keep Smiling~ :) 

Dear Mom

I know I talk to you a few times a week, sometimes daily, but I think you deserve a good old fashioned letter. Unfortunately sending a letter requires stamps, and while it's true that I do have stamps, I'm saving those for Jess and Jake because I don't get to talk to them on the phone like I get to talk to you. :) So here's my letter to you, via the internet, and I guess you'll just get this when you next check my blog! :)

So how are you? How have you been? Probably busy, since that's how your life always is. I am doing good, but then again you probably know that already since we just barely talked last night. I want you to know that I am being a good kid... for the most part... :) I can't be entirely perfect all the time, I mean I am a little bit of a crazy college student (crazy in a perfectly G-rated way though, don't worry! The sketchiest thing we've done is play spin the bottle but even that wasn't sketchy because we kissed on the cheek! :) Occasionally I skip class, but it's not like a habit or anything and I only skip science because my professor doesn't take attendance and I already learned all the stuff in Chemistry 2 years ago :)

Actually, the real reason that I'm writing you this letter via the internet is because you just can't send a video in an envelope! Well... I guess you could burn it on a disk and then send the disk, but this is just so much easier. See, I made you a video, a video especially for you and I want you to watch it, so I thought I'd catch your attention by writing you a blog post. (I'm a little needy, even though I'm two states away, I still require your attention! :)

Remember when I'd come home from school everyday, set down my backpack and say "GUESS WHAT!!?!?!?" because I had some piece of news or information that I wanted to tell you? Well, this is me, setting down my metaphorical backpack and shouting out to you across the internet: "GUESS WHAT MOM?!?!?" I can totally envision you looking up from your computer, offering that patient smile and saying "What Alina?" because I guess  being a mom means listening to your kids rattle off information about their day, even if they are away at college.

So Mom, I can't figure out how to imbed this video into my blog. For some reason the computer isn't working! :) So just click here and it'll take you straight there :)

~Keep Smiling~ :) 

Rest In Peace

He was a beautiful and kind friend. Always there when I needed him, always willing and ready go wherever I wanted, and always eager to make memories. He didn't ever ask anything of me, he just gave. He gave and gave and gave until his little life gave out. And even then, when his life was gone he was still able to give me the last few memories we shared together. He made friends easily. All my roommates loved him. Their faces lit up when he was around, they were unable to contain their joy, the smiles simply spread across their face when he was in the room. 

He lived a good life. A short one, but a good one. He was kind to all. He brought out the best in people. And when he wasn't able to capture our best selves, he was forgiving. He simply erased those awful images of us from his memory and allowed us to start afresh and new. 

So today, I think about him and hope that his remains make it safely to Washington, where he shall find his final resting place. That he shall rest in peace and not pieces, and that his beautiful spirit will be remembered and not fade with time. I hope that the memories we shared together will live on long after I am gone, and that no one will be able to forget out picture perfect relationship. 

Goodbye Camera, it's been a good two months. You were a true and faithful friend. I'm just sorry it all had to end like this.

I couldn't find a better picture of you, so ignore the shampoo and Conditioner please in the portrait. :) 

Time of Death: Sometime last week... I think it was Friday Night

Cause: Unknown, you just died in my arms with no explanation! (and yes I did check the batteries and the charger plug but nothing could revive you.)

Keep Smiling Everyone...

it's what he would have wanted....

:)

You know you are a college student at BYU-I when....

1: Putting groceries away in the freezer is like a game of Tetris. 

2: On the first date, boys will ask what temple you want to get married in

(this has happened to me. True story! :) 

3: Ice cream becomes a main food group 

Currently we have 8 half gallons of ice cream in our freezer, but more on that later. We'll revisit our ice cream obsession at another time. :)

4:The best conversations happen at 3 in the morning when you have a 7:47 class the next day

5:Being Domestic is attractive. In fact, the more time spent in an apron the better!

6: Pick up Lines are "mormonified" 

(that's not a real word... I know :) Let me give you a few examples:

-Is your name virtue? Because you've been garnishing my thoughts unceasingly.

- Wanna hold the priesthood?  (boy holds out hand to initiate interdigitation...again that's not really a real word.. :)

-I need the Liahona because I keep getting lost in your eyes.

-You're so beautiful, Nephi would take the time to engrave you on the gold plates!

7: When you tell boys you are planning on going on a mission you get two very different reactions:

Pre-mission boy: "Really!? That is so cool!!! When can you put in your papers?!? :)"

Returned Missionary Boy: "Are you sure about that...?"

My roommate found a shirt that says: "Sorry Mister, I'm a Sister"... so true :) 

8: Capris and Shorts are a SIN!!!!! 

(Though it's winter now...so anyone in capris or shorts is a serious rebel, because even if I wanted to be rebellious I would not be rebellious at the expense of my legs! It snowed last night for heaven sakes!!! :) 

This made me think of something, so I'm going to sidetrack real quick.... sorry :) 

 I saw a sign on campus the other day that was advertising the importance of the honor code. It was a picture of people in pants with the caption "#I honor it" (For those of you who don't know, one of the cool things about BYU-I is the honor code which holds us to a higher standard of dress and action. So we are not allowed to wear capris or shorts, just pants and skirts) I definitely am all for following the honor code, but I felt a more appropriate caption would be: "#it's winter"... I mean why would you wear shorts in the snow!?

9: EVERYONE and their second cousin either:

-sings

-plays guitar

-plays piano 

or plays some other instrument (but piano and guitar are the most popular)

You think I'm exaggerating? I'm not! Seriously, the non musical are definitely the minority

10: You realize that you are exactly where you need to be. 

Basically you get the whole package here at BYU-I! 

Good Education

Fun Friends

Spiritual Experience (on a daily basis)

Excellent Professors

A sense of belonging 

and a place to

 ~Keep Smiling~ :) 

Dating 101-Initial Contact

You know how the whole solar system would totally go haywire without gravity? Well in dating there are certain laws, like the law of gravitational pull, that keep things balanced and exactly the way they need to be. I can't say I'm an expert on this or anything, but I have picked up a thing or two in my years of experience... :)

Today we are going to start with the basics: 

Initial Contact 

Rule 1: Never be creepy

If you think someone is attractive from across the room DO NOT:

-Stare at them

-Begin to name your future children

- Proceed to tell them the names of your future children

-Propose to them

Rule 2: Be Confident

Wether you decide to go up to them or wait for them to come to you, you must be confident in yourself and your decision. Wishy Washiness is not very flattering on most people. Usually if you want to talk to them, the best thing to do is to initiate conversation yourself that way you ensure it happens.

Rule 3: Smile

A smile is a good look on everyone, but don't be too smiley. A good rule of thumb: if you feel like you're forcing a smile, you probably look like you're forcing a smile so just relax :) 

Rule 4: Connecting during Conversation is Key

Keeping them engaged while conversing is the most important thing you can do. If you are boring or unable to carry a conversation, it doesn't matter how cute you look or how much time you spent on your hair. Finding a topic to talk about really begins with being observant, noticing something about them that you can point out and ask questions about. Maybe they are wearing a Seattle Seahawks Hat, so are they a football fan? Are they from Seattle? What do they think about the fact that it rains all the time? Notice how three questions generated simple from an article of clothing. 

Rule 5: Remember the difference between a Conversation and an Interrogation

While it's true that asking questions is the best way to get someone to open up and talk, you don't want to just ask questions. Again, this is part of connecting to them. If you are able to comment, share a short related anecdote or thought about what they say, they will get to know you as you get to know them, and you want them to get to know you! Don't rapid fire questions at them, because they may begin to feel like they are in the middle of a police investigation. If you are a police officer, remember to separate business and fun. You may be super good at grilling suspects, but remember the person you are interested in probably isn't a felon. :) Be fun, and funny. If you make them laugh, you've scored major bonus points. :) 

Rule 6: Getting their number takes initiative 

If you enjoyed them and would like to continue to pursue a friendship or relationship, the only way to d o that is to get contact information. If you don't have their information, you probably won't ever speak again. (Sad but true) So if you want their number there are two different approaches. Subtle and less then subtle.

Subtle: When people are in the middle of socializing they can forget about getting contact info. It happens all the time, so your job is to remind them that they want to get your number. To do this you simply give them a visual aid, your cell phone. Pull it out, check the time, play with it as you talk to them, maybe drop it. Bring brief attention to it so that they realize it's there. You can even make a subtle reference to your phone, commenting on how old it is, how you dropped it and cracked the screen. Finding a way to slide such a comment into the conversation isn't all that difficult but make sure it's not so obviously random. 

Less Then Subtle: Just straight up ask for their number. This takes a little more courage but it demonstrates confidence. And in the event of rejection, if the person doesn't want to give you their number then no harm done, you just saved yourself time and energy. You can go focus on someone else. 

~Keep Smiling~ :) 

Driving through Life

Sometimes I think best in metaphors. I like to analyze and see the meaning behind things (it's probably the aftereffects of my AP Lit class! :) So on Sunday, I was sitting in Sacrament Meeting and one of the girls got up to bear her testimony and she said it was important to "turn our will over to God" For some reason this statement set fireworks off in my brain and the analytical side of Alina began to jot down the following ideas in her journal:

We need to give our will to God and become more humble in order to receive revelation. The word "will" could also be "wheel", we need to literally give up the steering wheel of the metaphorical vehicle that takes us through life and ask God to take the drivers seat and take us to where he wants us to go. Giving up the steering wheel is NOT complacency. Some think that turning your life over to God is blind. foolish, complacent and the easy way out. It is not blind, it is eye opening. For who better to follow then the individual who can see all and knows all. It is not foolish, it is wise for who better to drive you around then the person who knows perfectly where to go and knows the layout of this world because he created it. It is not complacent it is courageous. Sitting in the passenger seat of the car is no easy task. You better believe that he's going to stop along the way, get out, open the passenger door and instruct you to uplift another, bear a burden, do a service, or guide one of his precious children closer to him. These stops will be frequent, and can become monotonous. There will be times when you will be tempted to hijack the car, times when you desire to get off the straight and dusty road and drive away to some exotic and exciting location. There may be times when you will hijack the car and act up that desire to leave the work of the Lord to accomplish your own worldly ambitions. However, understand that as you fulfill the work of the Lord, he will work alongside you but when you leave the work of the Lord you will be alone. The satisfaction found in worldly endeavors if fleeting while the joy found while working alongside the Lord is fulfilling. So get out of the drivers seat, hand over the wheel and and let God steer you through life so that you may become all that you can be.

I know it's not super eloquent, but I feel like it's true, and that's the important thing.

~Keep Smiling~ :)

Successful Survey

What do you do on a Friday night when you don't have a date, there's no one to hang out with, most of your roommates are gone and it pretty much looks like it's going to be like that all weekend?

I'll tell you what you do! Hannah and I were bored out of our minds last Friday night so we did what any normal college girls would do, we decided to go pick up boys! But we couldn't just go hit on guys, we had to be smooth and cool and completely non creepy about it all. So we developed a carefully crafted survey, designed to find out if the boys were single, date worthy and available on Saturday night. The battle plan was to head over to Bountiful Place with this survey and get ourselves a date for Saturday night. But we never made it to Bountiful Place (that's an apartment complex full to the brim of fine and very attractive young men :) We got as far as the gas station. For when we pulled up to get gas, we noticed two very handsome fella's in a big red truck just across the parking lot. Hannah waved, I smiled and the boys came over. (Flirtatious waving works every time you guys! :) They asked us how we were doing, and we asked them to take the survey. It went something like this.

Me: Would you rather have oreo teeth or cheeto fingers for the rest of your life?

Them: I'm not sure, probably cheeto fingers because I could wear gloves

Me: Are you Single?

Them: Yes (a very resounding "yes" actually)

Me: What's your area code?

Them: (I'm not going to release their personal information, because that would be unprofessional)

Me: What is your major?

Them: (again, not releasing personal information :)

Me: What are the last seven digits of your phone number?

Them: Oh!!! (they caught on at this point) You are smooth!!! Soooo smooth man!!! Seriously?!?!?

Me: Yeah, I'm smooth! :)

Them: You just asked for our numbers!

Me: Yes I did!

Them: Okay (they proceeded to give me their numbers)

Me: What are you doing tomorrow night?

Them: I don't know? Depends on what you are doing tomorrow night. Our Saturday plans are up to you now! That's a lot of pressure!

Me: I think I can handle it :)

And then they drove away. So Hannah and I asked them on a date. And they said yes! :) And so we went on a basically blind date Saturday night... but that's another blog post. Can't do too much boy craziness in one night! :)

~Keep Smiling~ :)

Happy Birthday To You... 306 Style

Last Night we partied it up in 306. We had Food, G-rated spin the bottle (which basically meant cheek kissing only :) dancing, jam session and of course birthday cake and birthday songs for our beautiful birthday girl Vanessa! :)
~Keep Smiling~ :)

Car Karaoke

Today our FHE brother Ben had to go to Idaho Falls to pick up protein, so Hannah and I tagged along for the ride!

And I got my first taste of Chick-Fil-A!

Though in this picture my thumb is over the "C" 

so it looks like we got "Hick-Fil-A" and not

Chick-Fil-A. We are in Idaho, so perhaps

the name is kinda fitting.... Just kidding :) 

And then on the way back from IF (that's what everyone calls Idaho Falls)

We had a Karaoke jam session in the car. I totally LOVE Ben and Hannah!!!

~Keep Smiling~ :)

No Place Like Home

Tonight I donned a pair of ruby slippers

They weren't given to me by the Good Witch of the North

and thankfully they didn't come from the decomposing corpse

of the Wicked Witch of the East 

Actually they used to be silver, which technically fits L. Frank Baum's description of the magical slippers that carried Dorothy all the way from Munchkin Land to the Emerald City and then back to Kansas...but I was going for the more mainstream Judy Garland, Hollywood look. See most people don't know that The Wizard of Oz is actually a political statement about the events in the 1890's in which the silver slippers actually symbolize the desire of some to change the Gold Standard of currency to the Silver Standard. The Silver Shoes twinkling on the yellow brick or "golden" road could have been one of the most powerful messages in the 1940's film, however Hollywood found that ruby showed up better on screen and they didn't really care to push L. Frank Baums political agenda. 

So to make the long story short, because Hollywood has never been known for following the book, I had to color my silver shoes red for the sake of my Halloween outfit. Everyone's seen the film The Wizard of Oz but most people haven't read the book, so silver shoes on Dorothy Gale of Kansas would make absolutely no sense!

So Ruby it was and Ruby it is and now my silver shoes will forever be Ruby. Technically it's washable marker, but I have a feeling that the red isn't going to come off... though I could try...

However I feel like it was a worthwhile investment. My shoes may never be the same color again, but it totally made my outfit and...well...who doesn't want a pair of ruby slippers? Embrace your inner Dorothy right?

It was my roommates idea actually to dress up like Lions, Tigers and Bears and Dorothy and since I have the right length hair do the best Judy Garland impression I got to be Dorothy! Actually a lie...I don't do a very good Judy Garland impression, I think Hannah does a better one but she and Anise decided to be dead people so as the understudy it was my duty to step up to the task and make our Wizard of Oz themed costumes work. Because a lion a tiger and a bear without Dorothy are just that...a lion a tiger and a bear! 

 Here's Toni as a tiger and Kacee getting on her lion costume!

And here's our happy group of Lions, Tigers, and Bears

OH MY!!!! (plus some dead people... and don't forget little Totto to!)

It was a great evening and we had a lot of fun! Though... now my roommates are mad at me for singing the Wizard of Oz soundtrack all night...but hey, I'm in character! You can't just be Dorothy and not sing Somewhere Over the Rainbow! I don't even really like that song, but you put on the dress, braid your hair and grab little Totto and you can't help but busting it out! It just happens!!!!

I tried just doing movie quotes, but I don't think that was much better.... 

~Keep Smiling~ :) 

I literally Scream... and not for ice cream

Just two words ladies and gentleman:

HAUNTED HOUSE!!!!!

That's what we did after FHE tonight! It was a little spontaneous and random, but super duper fun and very scary!

And the thing I loved about this haunted house was that it was actually very educational... if that's even possible! See instead of just plain old people dressed up like ghouls and goblins and ghosts, each room was a scene representing a different scary story, and most of these scary stories were of literary merit. We're talking about: 

• The Tale Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe
• Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson 
• Sweeney Todd (this actually is a play based off the literary classic The Demon Barber of Fleet Street by Christopher Bond)
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• Dracula by Bram Stoker
• The Hound of Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Connan Doyle

It was fun to go through and be able to recognize the different fictional characters and scream at the top of my lungs at the same time! :) 

Here's Vanessa, Me and Hannah right before we went in!

Then afterwards we went and got 99 cent hot chocolates to 

help us forget our fear and give us the warm fuzzies. :) 

These 99 cent hot chocolates are going on at Maverick the whole month of October, so head down and get one you guys! It's totally worth it! (plus you can get free mini marshmallows with it! :) 

Happy Halloween Everyone!!!

~Keep Screamin... and Smiling~ :) 

I Scream, You Scream We all Scream for Ice Cream!!!!!

Remember the Ice Cream Club? Well, slowly but surely, each of the girls in our apartment are succumbing to the temptation! Ice Cream is just too delicious to pass up! We find any excuse to buy it, even if it means one of us has to kiss a boy. Well Friday Night we had our second ice cream party. Friday night one more lady got to put a check mark next to her name.

Again, for privacy purposes, I refuse to disclose who was responsible for our celebration, but you can look at the pictures, use your powers of deduction and maybe, just maybe figure it out.

Could it be this Chick...

...or this one...

...maybe this gal...

...this one looks kinda sassy...

...this one looks surprised...

...and this one just looks scary...

...maybe it's not her best look... :)

~Keep Smiling~ :) 

Meet My Roomies

A picture is worth a thousand words, so how about a moving picture to introduce five of the most amazing girls I have ever met!!! :)

We had a little free time today so we decided to make a youtube channel! :) Check us out!!!! :)

here's the link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBAEXNXkoFg

Hair Today...Gone Tomorrow

Do you ever feel like doing something crazy? Do you ever just want to dive headfirst into something without thinking it through clearly, simply because if you thought through it clearly you'd change your mind? 

Well I wanted to do something crazy! I wanted to change something just for the fun of it. My roommate was going to get her haircut, so I decided to tag along and get a haircut just for fun. I was considering a pixie cut.... but I was talked out of that by all five of my roommates and the hairstylist who told me I'd cry if I cut my hair that short. So I didn't get a pixie cut... maybe next time... :) 

Here's my hair before: 

Here's Kacee before her haircut 

Kacee at the Salon

Me at the Salon

Kacee after the haircut

My hair after 

 Kacee's hair after:

We are BABES!!!! :) 

Guess how much hair I cut off!? A foot.... 12 inches you guys!!! :) We measured and it was a full 12 inches!!! Isn't that CRAZY!!!! I actually hung out with one of my guy friends after chopping it all off and he said it looks exactly the same.... but I guess that's boys for you. He didn't believe me when I told him I cut off a foot until I showed him the pictures. :) 

~Keep Smiling~ :) 

Spin Me Right Round Baby!

I love Rexburg. It's a pretty place with a bunch of Mormons and basically everything is in walking distance. Here in Rexburg we have a Walmart, a Cocoa Bean (which I'm sure will get a whole blog post at a later date, simply because I love that place sooooo much), a milkshake shop (actually multiple milkshake shops), a bowling alley and a Taco Bus.... But, as much as I love it here, there is only so much you can do in a town that is situated in the middle of nowhere and is only 9.8 square miles. It's a well known fact that Rexburg, on it's own, would be pretty boring. (No offense... :)

But actually, that's where the real fun comes in. See if you're going to be a college student in a place like Rexburg, where a trip to Walmart is considered "getting out of the house" and a date could be meeting someone for lunch in the Student Cafeteria (which I have done actually), you have to get creative!

Our last great venture was Kacee's idea. She saw it on a blog somewhere and decided that she wanted to try it. The even better thing about this idea was that it required minimum planning and very limited equipment. For this activity ladies and gentleman you need:

• A large circular dryer- we have plenty of these in our laundry room so it was no problem!
• Man power- we tried this with women power and it worked out okay, but man power is much better

Basically what you do, is one person gets in the dryer while another person (preferably a man... see this is where the man power comes in) spins the dryer so you go around in circles. 

It was a blast!!! First we only had Anise, Kacee and me to do the spinning but then Toni's brother Troy and his friend Brad stopped by and we asked them for help. To make things even better, Troy actually got in the dryer and took it for a spin or two. 

I'm telling you, the next time you're a poor college student with a bit of free time on your hands, find a dryer and make it a date night! 

Oh and if a video isn't enough, here's a couple pictures of our venture :) 

~Keep Smiling~ :)

A Day Of Rest

I woke up this morning all stuffed up and congested! Honestly I think I'm getting an abb workout from how much I've been coughing! See, my roommate Hannah was hanging around her friend Chad, who happened to be ill, and then she got sick and, being the lovely roommate that she is, felt a need to share it with me to! (Thanks Chad... :)

So there we were, Hannah and I sick and coughing up a storm, and that's when we decided to literally make our Sunday a day of rest! Resting in our beds that is!

I slept in till 11 and then woke up to Kacee bringing Hannah and me chicken noodle soup with toast. I have the BEST roommates ever!!!!! And then our Home Teachers came over and gave me a blessing, which was just what I needed! I am so grateful for Gods love and his power here on earth. I am so grateful for the priesthood!

Then, our relief society president came over with Rice Chicken soup for Hannah and me, which tasted amazing! After that, my mom called which made me feel 10 times better :) Even though I'm away from home, it's so nice to feel like I have people who care about me. I feel like no matter where I am, the church is always true, Gods love is always real and the priesthood works!

A big Thank You to everyone who has done something for me today, I truly appreciate it.

~You've kept me smiling~ :)

Friday Flashback

Last night we had a blast to the past! Anise and Toni went through everyones clothes and dressed us up like hippies! That means long hair, middle parts, headbands, loose clothes and world peace!

Note the Side Part 

Me and Kacee

All Six of us! PEACE everyone!!!!!

And then to make things even better, we went to a bonfire

Me and Hannah

Me, Kacee and Toni

And then Anise and I sat in the back of a truck and jammed by fire light

How hippy is that?!?! 

Peace and Love Everyone! :) 

~Keep Smiling~ :)

The Mexican Restaurant Window

This weekend while we were up at conference, a friend of mine (well more of an acquaintance really) happened to be in Salt Lake at the same time. His name... well for the sake of the story we'll call him.... Chance.... Anyway, so Chance has a Ukrainian roommate (trust me, this is vital to the story, it's not just a random fun fact) and this Ukrainian roommate offered to take over driving for a little bit, since Chance had been doing so much.

It was Saturday, and these two young men decided to stop for a snack or breakfast at a nearby Mexican restaurant (maybe they were craving breakfast burritos... I don't have all the facts... :) And so the Ukrainian roommate did what any normal person would do and pulled into the Mexican Restaurant parking lot (for he was driving Chance's car at the time)

But! All was not as it should be! For the Ukrainian roommate, accustomed to driving Ukrainian cars (or at least I think this is why this happened) forgot which pedal was the gas and which was the break, so pulled straight through the parking lot and into the Mexican Restaurant window.

So if you're down in Salt Lake area and come across a shattered Mexican Restaurant window that looks like it might have been plowed through by a truck... I know the guys responsible!

Just as a disclaimer, no one was hurt, the car was fine and I'd go as far as to say no harm done! (Except for the shattered window... but that's nothing a little super glue won't fix right? :)

~Keep Smiling~ :)