Meeting with the President

As a student leader I was invited to a meeting they hold every semester with the president of the University. Last semester was my first opportunity in such a meeting and being a part of service activities again this semester I was able to go again and hear him speak to us, converse with us, and answer absolutely any questions we had. He is truly a man of God. One question that I especially like that a friend of mine asked to him was what to do when we have choices put in front of us that are all the "best" out of choosing from the good, better, or best? President Clark answered with a scripture that I read recently in my own study that I loved. It is in Doctrine and Covenants 80:3 (If you are unfamiliar with Doctrine and Covenants I invite you to visit mormon.org to learn more (: ) It says, "...whether to the north or to the south, to the east or to the west, it mattereth not, for ye cannot go amiss." I love that! If we have a few "best" choices to choose from then choose the one or multiple that you feel like doing. If they are all the best then they will all strengthen what you are doing. If you feel the spirit tell you otherwise on choosing one then follow that prompting from the spirit.
This is just one of the many gems in the meeting. Truly a remarkable experience and one that I will often look back to. President Clark has many insights but one answer he gave to every question without fail was to seek guidance from the Spirit. He says it is the only way that this university has succeeded.I encourage all of you as well to seek the guidance from the spirit in whatever you may do through prayer, study and pondering. He will give us one of these three answers, a positive, negative, or nothing and if it is nothing listen more intently as you go forward with a personal decision and the Lord will guide you to what is right.

Busy, Busy, Busy

I had imagined this semester so much differently than it has been. I thought I would have 14 credits, be a part of service activities, and have a fun social life. Wrong. Completely wrong. Instead I have taken on 16 credits, a job as a math tutor, service activities coordinator, and as of yesterday I am now a student ambassador. I have made wonderful friends from all of these wonderful activities and classes and really have had a blast! I am in the elementary classrooms learning first hand how to be a teacher, I get to play the recorder for homework and do fun science experiments for kids. I have the opportunity to practice/ learn new math and how to teach it. (Not easy... and I am NOT a math person. I really have surprised myself though.) I love being a part of service activities and this semester am so excited to have the best managers who are amazing at what they do! I am excited for the activities they are planning. I am also excited to get into student ambassadors. I am not sure what it is or what I will be doing but I am sure it will be great (: Along with these great activities and classes I still have the opportunities to meet new friends. My ward just happens to be the best (:
I may not have planned on all of these things going on but I know each of these are what the Lord wants me to learn from, be a part of, and help others. I am excited to see how the rest of the semester and year plays out but I do know that it will be what is needed (:

What!? Only One More Year!?

That's right! I cannot believe it myself but it has been a year already since my best friend has set off on a great service to the people of Guadalajara, Mexico on a mission. It has been an amazing year hearing of the many experiences he is having and how much he is growing. I had the most wonderful opportunity spending the year mark with his family. They are absolutely amazing! I had time to really get to know his mom and dad and loved playing with his little sisters (: They are quite adorable!

Also for the year mark his mom insisted that we send him a picture of two of his favorite things... Can you guess what they are??

This last year was a great learning experience and growing experience for myself. Despite what many may think, I do not sit around all day just waiting for the next to come. I have been growing so much in the gospel as well and going to school and being a part of activities on campus. I look forward to this new year as an opportunity not a hill to get over. I love you sweetheart and can I tell you it is so good to say I will see you this next year (:

Can't Tell Me Nothing!

I may not have any sisters but man can roommates show you what it is like! This Fall I feel like I have been so blessed with some of the best roommates.  I came with one of my good friends this semester and never imagined making 4 more really great friends. This semester we have gone through some really funny, sincere, and maybe every once in a while it was a bit tense (VERY RARE!) Some of the experiences to highlight would be singing along to "Can't Tell me Nothing", "Gangnam Style" and  singing the clean up barney song together.

We had the greatest quote wall ever with the our shared man Josh Groban posted. "There's something about Josh Groban..." It was the best when those random people would come over and read our wall and just question our sanity. Yea we are pretty crazy... "Parkour that crap!"

We had fun movie nights watching scary movies, plenty of Disney movies, and a good share of musicals. We had laugh attacks all hours of the night, homework parties, and fun door decorating contests.

We also had those life altering moments with a proposal and mission call opening (: Congrats to those two!

There were also those moments of helping each other out at hard times and supporting in other activities.

The only picture of all of us together.... and our FHE brothers...

Over all we became best friends. I miss them like crazy and when I do see or talk to them they can tell you I get very excited (: I love you guys <3 Hopefully 4 of the 6 will be back together next fall.

4 Boys and the 2 Girls

I have put this post off for too long now... As of 3 weeks ago or so my blog name became inaccurate. I have my first sister in law and can't tell you how much I love her and how much my family loves her. Congrats to the newly weds and best wishes to them (:

Their wedding was absolutely beautiful! A picture perfect moment when they came out of the San Diego Temple and even that evening at the reception. The scenery was beautiful, the bride was beautiful, and I must say I loved the bridesmaid dresses ;) It was pure joy on the couples faces and it was nice to see my brother so happy. I love you Brandon <3

Now skip ahead a few weeks and I am back up to school with some great friends of mine and now my brother and his wife. They have been so helpful and so fun to hang out with. Who ever said single people and married couples can't be friends?? Well they are awesome! I am excited to spend more time with them and get to know my new sister too.

I am also excited to even take a class with my brother. With the same last name and the ring on his finger I can't imagine what the other students will think for the first few minutes. I am not married just to clarify (: ha ha. We will see what this new semester brings and I am excited for all the memories about to be made. I love you Brandon and Alyssa <3 Good luck to you!

I am Really Happy (:

A year ago today.... I was is Philadelphia, and New York City on a church history trip walking around and seeing just a few sights with so little time. I was also with my best friend and now my sweetheart (: Just 10 days before, I met him at the SLC airport in front of the baggage claim #2. He talked to me that night on the bus and asked me to sit next to him on day 2. I did and the whole day we laughed and we talked and we played games and made jokes. I liked him then... After that we were history. Together all the time and just great friends. 2 days before New York we were in Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland. He took me aside and told me he liked me and I told him I liked him. It was awkward after that.... For about 2 or 3 hours we avoided each other because we knew nothing could happen on this trip. Yea... That didn't last long at all! We became so close the next couple days and he even held my hand around Washington D.C. (: But we were still not sure what we were doing. On the bus leaving New York we decided we were officially a couple (: It sounds like a corny story but it is our story....

After a whole year we have been through so much together. We survived a long distance relationship for 5 months with a few visits to see each other. Now we are in an extreme long distance relationship with him gone on his mission to Mexico. Yes I am waiting for him. Yes I have heard all the advice and I know what I am doing. We talked about it a lot before he left about what I was going to do and all the what if situations. I have decided myself that it is what I want to do and what I feel is right. We have made it a full year together (: He makes me feel like a princess, he treats me with respect, we love each other, he is my best friend. If anything it has been one of my most memorable years in my 19 years of life (: Good luck to you C! I pray for you every day and night and always have a prayer in my heart. I want you to do your absolute best by being obedient and always having the companion of the spirit. I always want you to be happy and to smile (: Whatever happens you have the Lord and a wonderful family who I know you love so much and who I have come to love so much and you have me. I love you sweetheart (: And to all of you I am really happy (:

Church History

Last year I had the incredible opportunity to go on a 19 day church history tour through 22 states covering both church history and American history on a bus with about 56 other people who I love dearly to this day. We went everywhere... from Salt Lake to Missouri to visit the Amish to D.C. to New York and plenty of other places all the way back to Salt Lake. Every moment was memorable.
I got to visit some of those places again just this week, this time with my family. We did not go across 22 states but specifically to New York where we spent time in the city and now in Palmyra New York. We visited the city on our tour too and kept annoying my family with "O and we did this here!" and "I remember the history of that! It is....." But I loved every second! Now that we are up in church history heaven I think my family is keeping there distance from me... We have been to the Hill Cumorah, Sacred Grove, and the log home of Joseph Smith and the one that Alvin had started for the family. Not only did I make it to the church history sites here but also spent time at the park where we hung out on the tour... Yep even the small places were overly exciting to me (:
I loved learning about the history of so many places on that trip and feeling the spirit everywhere I went. I grew from my experiences there and now being at those same places and feeling that incredible spirit again I am reminded even more of the lessons I learned and the memories I made. I can't help but smile and every place I recognize and I apologize now to my family for all the random comments... But I love the people I was with and the history!