Virus...

So I haven't blogged in a while... There is a reason for that...

I GOT A VIRUS!

Yes... I could have used my family computer.

But it would not be the same...

I love blogging while sitting on my bed...

Moral of this story... VIRUSES SUCK!

Writing soon...

Thank you for being patient!

What a weekend!

This weekend was pretty great!

My best friend returned home from his mission a little over two weeks ago! YAY!

We went as a ward up to Temple Square to see the lights.

Boy oh boy was it beautiful!

BUT... it was terribly cold!

I suggest that if you are going to visit Temple Square, bring two big coats!

I had three layers and was still cold...

I also was able to spend time with my family at our Christmas Party.

I attended the BYU vs. Oregon basketball game (BYU won).

I went ice skating for free...

You may all be thinking... did you fall?

Yep I did! :]]

I am not the biggest fan of ice skating to begin with...

Long story short: I went on a date ice skating.

He pushed me...

I fell...

I bruised my knee...

Couldn't walk for over two weeks...

Missed a huge track meet that I was supposed to compete in...

He spread rumors behind my back...

We never went out on a date again...

The End.

Here I am icing my knee while eating a blow pop.

Be careful when you ice skate!

It's not as easy as it looks!

(That wasn't my whole weekend, but all I wanted to highlight at this time)

Visit again soon!

Rewarding...

I had to take a Chemistry test today (yep, waited until the last day to take it).

I waltzed into the testing center, paid my $3.00 last day fee, and then was directed to a room.

As I enter room 3 I scope out where I want to sit (Where your seat is located plays a big factor on how you do on your test).

I chose the second seat from the front that was located directly in front of a huge window.

Out this window were the beautiful mountains! (see picture below)

Throughout my test I would take a few minutes just to gaze at the mountains, and think.

Once I took my test I rushed off to work.

On my way home from work I received a text from a friend to look at the sunset.

While driving I glanced in my rear view mirror...

It was STUNNING!

If I was not drive I would have tried to capture its beauty.

After these two instances I realized...

Sometimes I get so caught up in the craziness in life I forget to acknowledge the beauty that is around.

When life is crazy, take a few minutes to notice whats around you. 

Life is full of beautiful things. 

If we do not take the time to stop and admire the beauty, we will miss it.

Risk Being A Fool...

LIFE = RISK

I have spent the last two hours planning what I was going to teach tomorrow in class.

The topic/power process I am teaching is "Risk Being A Fool..."

Life is all about taking risks. 

As I reminisce on my life I am glad I took the risks I did...

I am glad in high school I took the risk...

to try out for the soccer team...

 

to tryout for Student Council...

What I looked like during my skit...

Embarrasing...

If I would not have taken the risk I would have NEVER made it on Student Council

 to run track...

I am glad I took the risk to...

Attend College...

Apply for the UV Mentor Program...

Apply for Institute Council...

By taking these risks I have experienced some of my greatest SUCCESSES in life...

I have also experienced some of my HARDEST STRUGGLES ...

 

But because of the risks I took I was able to OVERCOME my struggles...

and CELEBRATE my successes...

 

I became stronger, and I learned so much!

I have created lasting friendships...

So far I have no regrets in life... because I took risks!

Click on this link to help motivate you to take MORE risks.

What Happens In Vegas...

You know the saying... "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas?"..

Well... I am breaking that right now ;]

This past week was my fall break from school. I decided to take a trip to Vegas with my mom and dad. 

We arrived in Vegas on Thursday at noon. We were staying at the Venetian...

We spent the first part of the day at the Outlets (who doesn't love the Outlets right? This is where I got my WICKED SWEET shoes... see picture below )

While we were at the Outlets I had MAJOR shoppers block (Get it? like writers block haha)

Normally I shop til I drop. But not that day... Everything I looked at was chaotic. 

There were a ton of really cute clothes but I just was not liking any of them.

That evening when we got our car from valet the windows were down and it smelt like cigarettes! 

It was awful!!

After the receiving our smelly car we drove to the MGM Grand Hotel where we attended the show KA by Cirque Du Soleil.

It was interesting... The effects were incredible, but the story was quite hard to follow...

They did not say anything except for at the beginning of the show (which was only two sentences worth). 

Some parts drew on... Some parts were really incredible.
I have mixed feelings about this show.. If someone were to ask me my opinion on if they should see it or not, I'd probably say no... I fee like there are better shows to see in Vegas, but I am glad I saw it.

The next day we decided to walk the strip to Miracle Mile (Miracle mile is a mall that has tons of shops and is a mile long. Guess who did not have shoppers block that day?! ME! :]])...

If you have ever been on the strip you know there are people trying to pass out cards of pornography.

As we were walking there were two couples in front of us...

One couple was pick up all those hand outs. The mans wife was handing them to him and saying, "We are looking for the one that ends in 'I', like Suki or Candi"

I could not believe what I was hearing! haha

That evening we went out to dinner with some relatives in Henderson. 

Then we decided to hit the hay (because we were getting up at 5 to drive home).

We had only been asleep for about an hour or two before our lovely neighbors woke us up.

They were being EXTREMELY loud.

They were drunk as can be, talking at the top of their lungs.

After a minute or two they ended up getting in a fight or some type of argument.

Las Vegas is one of the most filthy places on this earth, but is fun to go to some times. 

To say the least we did not get much sleep for the drive home the next morning.

I love seeing the different types of people and the random places you see them at.

THE FEW PEOPLE OF LAS VEGAS:

My Cheesy Smile, I know! She was playing in the Venetian Lobby!

There were SO many people dressed up. These are two of the many Elvis Impersonators!

She reminded me of a female Michael Jackson, with the hat and big shades!

These "metal" statues. I would have taken a better picture but he FREAKED out!

Random guy stretching! He was taking up half the side walk with some of his stretches!

I wish I would have taken more pictures, but its hard to be sneaky about it! 

I am not a pro creeper... so I struggled at getting pictures of people!

One last story: After we had checked out we were waiting for our car to come back from valet. 

Two chicks walk out of the hotel lobby. They look HAMMERED!

One Gal's dress was like a t-shirt (that's how short it was).

As they were walking by they were talking about how much money they had made!

uh... (I assumed that they were hookers, but I did not need to hear that!)AWKWARD!

Even though Vegas is a dirty place, there are some really great things to see and experience.
Ex. M&M Factory
Coca Cola Factory
Miracle Mile
The city lights!
They EXTRAVAGANT Hotels etc.

A Smile...

"Smile... Its the second best thing you can do with your lips!"

Today I realized what smiling can really do...

So many times my WORST  days have been made better by a SMILE...

Sometimes I catch myself reminiscing about things in the past that bring the BIGGEST smile to my face.

I wonder what people are thinking when I go from no smile, to the biggest smile ever and I am just walking down the hall... ( I am kind of weird)

To me I think people look best when they smile. :]]

When we arrived in St. George my mom and I were starving!

So of course we find a Cafe Rio (when there is no Costa Vida is around;] )...

As we were standing in line the guy in front of us was being a freaking JERK...

He wasn't happy, he was grumpy and rude.

When it came our turn to order we started off by smiling and smiled throughout our order.

You could see a complete change in the employee's face.

They were happier and super nice!

They hooked us up on our food!! (seriously... I got basically two salads on one. It was overflowing).

The things I like best about smiles are...

There are so many different smiles!

Some people have really big full smiles.

Others show all their teeth,

and some don't show any of their teeth...

Some people have cute dimples,

Others have full cheeks.

The thing I love about smiles, is that they are all unique.

They are all different! :]]

Here are somethings that have made me SMILE in the past few weeks:

Attending Responsible Citizen Retreat with some of my favorite people!

Getting some stellar shades! 

Attending a Real Salt Lake game with my Best Friend!

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” 

-- Leo F. Buscaglia

Untitled...

I have been thinking a lot about life and how precious it truly is...

Today in one of my classes we watched part of  "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch which is what had me thinking about how precious life is... (Incredible video/book if you have not seen or read it I suggest you do)

I have been thinking about how every person has been put in my life for a reason. I thank the Lord every day for the wonderful people I have been blessed with to have in life.

All growing up I have tried to always remember to tell the people that mean the most that I love them. Even if it was a five minute phone call I would always tell them I loved them. The reason I did this was because I never knew when I would see them again. It has always been something really important to me.

Not only am I grateful for the wonderful people in my life...

I am so grateful for the gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

I honestly do not know what I would do if I did not have it in my life.

I know that when trials are thrown our way or  when we lose someone close to us in life. If we turn to the Lord he will comfort us and help us over come these trials we might be facing. I am a strong believer in the power of prayer and how he really does listen and answer our prayers. Even if they are not answered immediately I know that he will answer them. I know that the Lord knows everyone individually and loves us.

When I am faced with a trial (s) in life not only do I turn to the Lord, but I remember this poem:

There is never a day so dreary,
but god can make it bright.
And unto the soul that trusts him,
he giveth songs in the night.
There is never a path so hidden,
but god can lead the way.
If we seek for the spirits guidance,
and patiently wait and pray.

There is never a cross so heavy,
but the nail-scarred hands are there.
Outstretched in tender compassion,
the burden to help us bear.

There is never a life so darkened.
So hopeless and unblessed.
But maybe filled with the light of god.
And enter his promised rest.
There is never a sin or sorrow,
there is never a care or loss.
But that we may bring to jesus .
And leave at the foot of the cross

-- Anonymous 

I wrote this post for those who maybe going through a rough time. I wrote this post to express my love for the gospel and to testify how it has changed my life.

Dream as if you'll live forever.  Live as if you'll die today.  ~James Dean

Are You A Responsible Citizen...

"When you help, you see life as weak, when you fix, you see life as broken. When you serve, you see life as whole. " -- Rachel Naomi Remen

These past few days I have had the opportunity to attend the Utah Campus Compact Responsible Citizen Retreat located at Snowbird Ski Resort.

I have learned so many great things that I will take away and try to apply to my service in the future. 

One evening we had a panel of people from different organizations. They came to talk about what they do and what to look for when looking for ways to volunteer/serve.

One thing said, that I thought was very interesting was we need to educate ourselves on what/where we want to serve. If we do not educate ourselves we can cause more trouble than doing good. One lady stated, "Never send goods, send money to non-profit organizations. Sending goods messes up with their lively hood." I thought what that lady said was extremely interesting and I did not ever think that what we send could possibly be detrimental to their way of living. When mentioning educating ourselves they talked about finding what the people you are serving need, that way you can help and eliminate the possibility of messing with their way of life.

I am really passionate about service. I love serving people and look for new opportunities to serve. I am so grateful I had the opportunity to Right now I am currently work with the UV Mentor Program in planning 'Make A Difference Day'. Make A Difference Day is a day dedicated to service. We have planned 5 - 7 different service sites where people can come volunteer to serve for that day. Each service site has a site leader. A site leader is the person who contacted that service site and got it set up. The site leader will be over that service site for that day. At my site, we will be helping make the entrance into our city more beautiful. We are planning on laying sod and removing weeds and brush in order to accomplish this. This day is a great day where so many people can get involved and make a difference!

"Those who think they can make a difference, and those who don't are both correct." 

I challenge you to find ways to serve and make a difference! (Located below are some website you can refer to find ways to volunteer)

volunteer.utah.gov

interaction.org

"Your impact can be substantial tomorrow!"

Tell Me...

He Is We just put out a new demo a few weeks ago,

AND

I'm COMPLETELY obsessed! (Not like I wasn't already obsessed before)

You should definitely listen to it.

It's called "Tell Me" - He Is We

This song has so much meaning and basically is showing how I feel... (Lyrics located below)

"Tell Me"

Stand in the mirror, and
Try to imagine forever
What does it look like,
Facing my greatest endeavor?

Suddenly closing my eyes
Hands up for the very first time;
I’m closing my eyes

Tell me, “Don’t give up!”
Tell me, “There’s someone out there!”
Give me a pure love
Give me a forever that we both can share

Show me it’s okay
Show me it’s all right
That I’m far from crazy
For living by faith and not by sight

Ohh

Will he be proud of
All the things I’ve done
And my mistakes

Things that I regret
Wishing that I could forget
My heartbreaks

Suddenly closing my eyes
Hands up for the very first time;
I’m closing my eyes

Tell me, “Don’t give up!”
Tell me, “There’s someone out there!”
Give me a pure love
Give me a forever that we both can share

Show me it’s okay
Show me it’s all right
That I’m far from crazy
For living by faith and not by sight

Eyes can only see so far
Tired of wishing on all these stars
So I close my eyes and pray
Nothing comes to mind
so I let my heart say:

Tell me don’t give up
Tell me there’s someone out there
Give me a pure love
Give me a forever that we both can share

Show me it’s okay
Show me it’s all right
That I’m far from crazy
For living by faith and not by sight

Tell me, “Don’t give up!”
Tell me, “There’s someone out there!”
Give me a pure love
Give me a forever that we both can share

Show me it’s okay
Show me it’s all right
That I’m far from crazy
For living by faith and not by sight

Give me a love-
Give me a love-
Give me a pure love

Give me a love-
Give me a love-
A pure love.

A Letter...

It has been years since I last heard from you...
I would sit here wondering how you are, and what you're up too.
Ever since you moved our relationship hasn't been the same.
Everyone kept saying you had changed, but I wasn't sure whether to believe it or not.

When I received this letter in the mail I thought I was dreaming.
Could it be true... you really have changed?
I sure hope so, I miss my best friend. :)

Families Are FOREVER!...

I cannot express how much I LOVE my family!

They are so important to me. 

I would not be who I am today if it weren't for them.

A few weeks ago we gathered together for family pictures...

AND for your information...

I have the BEST looking family!

Here are a few pictures from that day...

My family :]]

Entire Fam.

Grandparents with their Grandchildren

Family Joke: We're kinda a big deal...

 

My Grandparents are the CUTEST!

Might possibly be my favorite picture..

Grandpa with his Grandchildren... and my cousin's date (In the pink/purple)! ha!

The Beekeepers...

I LOVE my grandma SO much!

It was a great day full of memories that I will cherish forever!

I Guess I Wanted You more...

I've had a very fun week and yet a kind of heart broken week.

The hurt/sadness I thought was gone came back.

A few months ago I was in love with a man...

We were planning on getting married...

That relationship ended in sadness and heartache...

I came across this song off Lady Antebellum's new album today...

This song brought back a lot of feelings I thought were gone.

A few tears were shed...

And my heartache came back...

But this song describes exactly what I have been feeling.

 

 Wanted You More - Lady Antebellum

I kept waiting on a reason
And a call that never came
No, I never saw it coming
Something in you must have changed

All the words unspoken, promises broken
I cried for so long
Wasted too much time, should've seen the signs
Now I know just what went wrong

I guess I wanted you more
And looking back now, I'm sure
I wanted you more
I guess I wanted you more

All the nights we spent, just talking
Of the things we wanted out of life
Making plans and dreams together
Wish I'd seen, I was just too blind

My heart was open, exposed and hoping
For you to lay it on the line
In the end it seemed
There was no room for me
Still, I tried to change your mind

I guess I wanted you more
And looking back now, I'm sure
I wanted you more
I guess I wanted you more

Oh, I don't need you
I don't need you anymore

I guess I wanted you more
And looking back now, I'm sure
I wanted you more
I guess I wanted you more

I don't need you
I don't need you anymore 

You Can Tell a Little White One...

... But If It's Black You're Right Out! - Jor Jor

A Night on the floor...

 (We had two lanes, 8 people, and 1 big fan!)

My Lane: 

_______________________________________________________

BRUCHETTA!

She can bowl with the best! She knows all the best moves and will give you a run for your money!

So... Don't mess, don't mess with the best, cause the best don't mess.

Don't fool, don't fool with the cool, cause the cool don't fool.

Don't Mess (clap x2)

Don't Fool (clap x2)

Cause she's the best and she's cool!

_________________________________________

GERTRUDE!

She definitely takes the game seriously... She was a little heart broken after being 2 points away from breaking 100.

Don't worry... She is improving from her 25 point games!

Bowling is definitely not her forte... (stick to soccer)

_________________________________________

BRUTIS!

He is the buffest of them all...

rolling over 100 mph (over exaggerating... but super fast)

He is a tad rusty after 2 years in the DR playing baseball ;] ...

Take him bowling and he'll knock it out of the park (or alley).

_________________________________________

VOLDEMORT

 (Always needs to be a Voldemort in bowling)

WINNER!

Game 1: 153

Game 2: 129

Never underestimate the power of Voldemort. Harry may have been able to fend him off for 7 books... but when it comes to bowling he'll sure surprise you! He has some mad bowling skills...

Who knew? ha

_________________________________________

NUMBER ONE FAN: JOR-JOR :]]

Don't know quite what happened here...

_________________________________________

SPENCER...

Edward??

My heart beats for you ;]] haha

Gotta have a pic. with our biggest fan!

Classic Bruchetta move with the team!

Definitely a Favorite!

Classic Shoe Picture

The WHOLE gang!

AMAZING PEOPLE + INCREDIBLE BOWLING MAKES FOR ONE HECK OF A NIGHT !