I'm sitting here typing, listening to two of my favorite musicals that I just put on my computer: The Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables. LOVE!
But let's be real. Boy bands are back and they are better than ever. My new love is One Direction. A British, Scottish group. Can it get any better than that? Yes, they could be cuter and a little bit older. But otherwise, no, it can't get any better haha!
I was laughing with one of my friends because we used to like NSYNC and Backstreet Boys in like 2nd grade and now we're in college and we still like boy bands. I think it just reminds us of our childhood :)
Anyways, they sing adorable, clean, catchy tunes and they are definitely a hit!
I am OBSESSED with Pinterest. It's such a big time waster, but there are always new, awesome ideas on there. And usually I'm pretty practical about the things that I re-pin. Meaning that I am going to use everything eventually haha! I look forward to it all: decorating my future home, making delicious recipes, traveling the world, planning an unforgettable wedding, great ideas for my classroom, and so much more. It's fabulous!!!
It's summer and I hear a call for creativity. Seriously, there are so many cute, artsy people out there and I want to be one of them! I watch unique, well done videos, see amazing photography, and the most adorable things are happening all around me. So I decided I will partake in these and make something creative out of my life. Enough sitting around, doing nothing, dreaming about what I want to do...the possibilities are endless :)
In the meantime, I will be doing important things like working A LOT, taking an online class, and hopefully taking some time to work on a piano piece by Chopin.
Looks like I have a lot ahead of me and it will be FUN!!!
I was going to do this post about a month ago, but never got around to it and after having two of my friends get the opportunity to go to this magical place, I was definitely having withdrawals.
I was lucky enough to go to Disneyworld twice while I was in high school through music and those are memories I will never forget. I've only been to Disneyland once and I was little so I don't really remember, but I hope I get to go back soon!
I think it's safe to say that I love anything Disney related. And really, who doesn't? There is so much magic and happiness associated with it and it truly is the happiest place on earth. I don't think it's possible to have a frown on your face while being there or even thinking about being there haha!
One of the main reasons why I love it so much is because I've always believed that I've lived a fairy tale life. I've been the princess in this family and I've perfectly content with that :)
Although Cinderella is my favorite, I love all the princesses. I love the adventure, I love castles, I love fireworks, I love how good always overcomes evil, I love the imagination, I love the rides, I love getting autographs from the characters, I love the shows, I love the happiness it brings, I love all the songs, I love the surprises, and I love how you always go there with those you love.
My dream would be to work as a Disney Princess someday. That would make my life to actually be a princess and to interact with people, both young and old, who understand the magic of Disney. Maybe Snow White or Belle? :)
Walt Disney is such an incredible man. He had a vision and he put in into action. I'm sure he never knew the far reaching effects his dream would have. It's amazing how big the Disney name is and all the dreams that have come true because of his work. He's such a great example of hard work and imagination and truly following your dreams. I love it!
SUCH good memories! Disney will always have a special place in my heart and my children will definitely be growing up on Disney movies, just like I did!
Yes, I've only been home for 4 days and I've already finished a novel. Being able to read whatever I wanted was something I was definitely looking forward to as I returned home and the first one I chose did not disappoint!
Edenbrooke is one of the most delightful books I have read in a long time. I absolutely loved everything about it! It is comparable to Pride and Prejudice but in my opinion, a lot easier to understand. It has the most exciting plot that has you turning pages as it grows in suspense. I also love the main characters! I think a book can mean so much more to you as you connect with it and can see parts of yourself in it. I've always thought I belonged in this time period where everything was so proper and you could sit around all day and do nothing with the ones you love, where you could read books, enjoy nature, attend balls, wear beautiful dresses, have a maid, live in a large estate, and be called upon by dashing gentleman. Especially a gentleman like Philip, he is perfect!
I highly recommend this book and am actually quite sad that it had to end.
I feel so behind, but it's definitely been quite the adjustment coming home. Part of me already misses living in my Provo bubble and being on my own, but I know that it will be a great summer and very relaxing to not have to worry about school!
Things I've been told since coming home:
-Mary, we have rules
-We still have school so you can't be too loud or go to bed too late
-You need to clean up your room and put your suitcases away
-How come you don't get in trouble for anything?
Yes, it's been an adventure, that's for sure. It really does feel nice to be back in the 253. There's been beautiful weather and I've already done some fun things!
I went to a tennis match, a soccer game, Broadway Revue rehearsal (learned some legit African for The Circle of Life), saw the The Lucky One (Zac Efron is definitely my celebrity crush!), and went to my home ward only to get recruited to play the piano as soon as I walked in the door haha! I've already eaten way too much ice cream, checked out some job options, and tried to catch up on some sleep!!!
I can't believe I'm officially done with my freshman year of college. It went by WAY too fast but I loved every minute of it! I've lived in Utah for the past 10 months and seriously so much has happened! Here are a few highlights:
Stadium of Fire
my wonderful friends and roommates
The Rascal Flatts Concert
Football Games!
FUN DATES
12:01 Parties
Lots of Missionary Goodbyes
Tons of ward activities, and an abundance of new friends :)
It was definitely a year I will never forget and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be at BYU. It's an amazing place and this year, I have definitely become a new girl. I learned so much about myself, I grew closer to my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, I learned about history, and science, and other secular subjects. I learned how to live with people who might be different than you, I learned how to do what matters most, to prioritize your time, I learned how to communicate, and I made friendships that will last a lifetime, in addition to maintaining old friendships. I would say it was quite the success and I can't wait to go back next year! It may not always be easy, but I know it will always be worth it!
So here's to the summer and living it up! Working, enjoying the weather, getting tan, hanging out with friends and family, and reading lots and lots of books.
I'm pretty sure I've made it clear on this blog before that I DO NOT enjoy packing...not one bit. So it's definitely a struggle each and every time I have to do it. I even counted the minimum amounts of times that I'll move in and out in the future. It came up to a grand total of 9. That is way too much if you ask me!
I think it's safe to say that I was going crazy yesterday with all this packing and studying business. I mean really, you can only be in one place for so long.
Anyways, sometimes I just can't help but laugh at myself. The most ridiculous things happen on a daily basis!
1) Did you know that when you put 4 quarters into a vending machine and then press the coin return button, you get a gold dollar coin??! How cool is that? Best trick ever!
After Emily showed me that, I proceeded to us all my nickels and dimes to buy ice cream (they don't let you put pennies in the machine) I had the perfect amount of coins and the ice cream was totally worth it! Snickers...my favorite :)
2) We were sitting in the Wilk studying, I was reading a review paragraph and it was talking about something that I didn't remember reading. I was frustrated and said, "UGH!" right as a random guy walked by. I think he thought I was letting out my frustration because he was passing by because he gave me a really weird look. He kept walking, I apologized, and then he started laughing. EMBARASSING!
3) After we got home, we went to the Central Building to make some copies. As we were standing at the desk, I saw some hand sanitizer. Your hands can never be too clean, so I decided to use some. As I pressed down, it didn't squirt into my hand, but rather straight out at me and got all over my sweatshirt!
You might not find these stories that entertaining, or I might have not described them very well, but for some reason they were hilarious to me. I think it just goes to show how important it is to laugh at yourself and not take life too seriously. It really allows you to be more carefree and happy.
When you spend countless hours with someone, they begin to notice things about you...
Good thing I have such a great friend as Emily who is there for me 100% of the time. For instance:
I'm a little bit clumsy. Like seriously, I trip all the time. It's actually quite embarrassing. It doesn't matter what kind of shoes I'm wearing. And I would like to say that maybe that's why I like going barefoot so much, I don't trip. But that would be false. Yes, I even trip without any shoes on. I was telling my mom about the problem and Emily was sitting next to me. She said, "That's what I'm here for. My arm is always ready to catch you!" Isn't that just so nice of her? haha!
Another thing she has noticed is that I have some interesting reactions when I read texts. In fact, she has gotten to the point where she can usually guess who it's from! She said she was going to secretly video me sometime so I can see, because apparently it's pretty entertaining.
I think that's enough for today. You have officially gotten a glimpse of my crazy, embarrassing life that I love just oh so much. Have a happy tuesday!
Yes, after about a month and a half of waiting, we finally got to light our lanterns!!! It definitely made my life complete :)
During ward prayer, each member of the bishopric and their wives said a few words which was really nice. After, we walked across the street to the law school parking lot and we lit our lanterns. We also attracted a lot of interested by passers...cameras, parked cars, couples, people asking questions; it was quite the event. It was the last thing we did as a ward and it was SO much fun! I loved every minute of it. And it love our ward. Definitely one of the best decisions I've ever made since I came to college. Yay for a GREAT freshman year! I can't believe it's coming to an end.
Look at that cute girl!
Mine is the one on the right :) Emily grabbed me a purple one...my favorite color!
There were 150 of them!!!
My friends Kara and Emily. Definitely looks of awe haha!
Well...two down, three to go! It's been a good start and I already can't wait to be done haha!
Just a few random thoughts...
1) Have you ever noticed that sometimes you just say the same things a lot? Like one word is just the perfect response to everything. Or you hang out with people and they get you started on saying certain things? Well, I've been saying the same phrases ALL the time, not sure if it's a good thing
The first one: I love ____ with all my heart
And the second: Whatever. Except we're not allowed to say that word in this century (reference from We Bought A Zoo. If you haven't seen it, go watch it now!)
2) I hung out with three of my best friends last night. They mean the world to me and I'm so grateful for them and all the memories we've made together. They are such great examples and I am so blessed to have them in my life.
3) This is kinda silly but I love peanut butter and honey sandwiches. But whenever I made one, I always had a problem. The honey would always get everywhere and it would fall out of the sandwich and get all over my hands...gross and sticky. So one day, Mikelle was making some for her kids and I told her about my dilemma. She gave me the secret...you have to spread the honey with a knife and then, problem solved! It seriously has made my life so much easier and sticky free! Thanks Mikelle!
4) I helped Kenzie register for her classes today. I cannot wait for her to be down here next year!!! And I can't wait to spend the whole summer with her in just 5 short days! :)
I thought this was really interesting. We watched this video in my history of creativity class today. Our teacher gave us the link to the website and this is what it said...
"Philip Lopate once said that the essay is “a search to find out what one thinks about something,” that an essayist is simply working out “some mental knot.”[1] I don’t know if I’ve come across a better definition for the genre and it was about two years ago that I started to think about working through that process in a medium other than the printed page. While there certainly exist many films or videos that are “essayistic,” I had never seen anyone approach the personal essay as film in any sort of formal or acknowledged way. And I thought it was time someone tried."
How cool that someone thought to write an essay through a video. And so amazing to think about each and every snowflake is different but when combined with all the other snowflakes, can truly create something beautiful. Just like people. We all have different talents, skills, and abilities. One person may not feel very significant but when we work together, we can do great things. And maybe like the guy in the video, we may only trust a few people but that's ok. I truly believe that you only need a few close relationships to be truly happy in life and get the most out of your interactions with others. How blessed we are to be put on this earth with so many great people, so many talents, and such beautiful nature that can be applied to life and is there for us to enjoy and appreciate.
From my creativity project I learned that being creative does not mean that you have to come up with something completely new. You can take the ideas of others and change them and use them in a new way. I love when I read blog posts or hear people say things that describe exactly how I think or feel because I can totally connect and understand what they're saying. And let's be honest, sometimes people can say things so eloquently and can express themselves way better than I ever could. So here are two blog posts that I've read recently that I completely love.
A couple weeks ago I got this fabulous Easter Basket from Emily's mom. So sweet and thoughtful! Thanks Marilyn :)
This past couple weeks in New Testament class we have been studying the last week of the Savior's life. I have learned so much more than I could have imagined and absolutely love the knowledge that I have. Jesus Christ is my Savior and He has become a friend to me as I have studied His life. Because of Him, I want to be a better person and follow His footsteps so that I can return and live with my Father in Heaven again.
"In some miraculous way, which we do not understand, in the garden of Gethsemane the Savior lived your life" - Merrill J. Bateman
"Christianity is founded on the greatest of all miracles, the resurrection of our Lord. If that be admitted, other miracles cease to be improbable." -Bible Dictionary
If Christ can break the bands of death, He can do anything. How blessed are we that He made that sacrifice for us and for the joy that it brings into our lives. The ability to repent, and change, and become perfect through Him. We are never alone and that is the greatest comfort. The resurrection is the single greatest event in the history of the world. However, Jesus Christ is not just a character in the history books. He lives, He loves us, and He is our friend, brother, and Savior.
I had the opportunity this Easter morning to go up to Salt Lake for a missionary farewell. Elder Benjamin Pearson will be leaving for the Barcelona Spain mission in 5 weeks. I got to know the Pearson family while they were serving their mission in my home ward. Their familly is such a great example to me and I enjoyed being able to spend time with Ben and becoming friends as we went to seminary, participated in orchestra, and were involved in sports. It's been fun to see him occasionally here at BYU and I'm so excited for the opportunity he has to serve. He did a phenomenal job this morning and bore such a strong testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I totally agree with one of his young men's leaders as he said, "That sounded like a homecoming, not a farewell" Ben has a lot of great things ahead of him and the people in Spain are so blessed to have him! It was a special day because not only it is Easter, but his whole family was able to be there and he was able to speak with his dad, who is now a member of the seventy. Elder Pearson spoke about four reasons why the atonement was necessary:
1. Jesus Christ saves us and allows us to return into the physical presence of God
2. It ends suffering
3. It brings about change
4. It allows for the new and everlasting covenant to happen
Such true, important doctrine spoken by a special witness of Christ was such a great experience. As we receive, retain, and renew our covenants, we are on the path to exaltation and that is a wonderful feeling. The atonement gives us a brightness of hope and spiritual power.
Before coming home, we stopped at Temple Square. I don't think I could ever get tired of going there. It is so beautiful! It is a gorgeous day and spring is definitely upon us. I always get such a strong confirmation that this is the true church and that we are so blessed to have it on the earth today each time I am there. It truly is amazing. Today there were beautiful flowers everywhere which are a reminder of new life and that just as our Savior rose again, we will too someday.
I then came back down to Provo and attended my own Sacrament Meeting where we had a wonderful musical program. There were two choir numbers, two special numbers one of which I accompanied for, and two speakers, the Elder's Quorum President and the Relief Society President, and a congregational hymn. I love singing about the Savior and the great spirit that it brings. The spirit testified to me today of the love that Heavenly Father has for each and every one of us and I am so grateful for the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ. I know that He lives and I am grateful for Easter and the opportunity it gives us to celebrate the life of our Savior and to remind us of the special covenants we have made and the pathway we must follow to return to our Heavenly Father. May we all remember that we are God's children and that as we follow the example of Jesus Christ, we will have everlasting joy.
It's been a long week but it's been so much fun! I think the best way to sum it up is that I love my family. And I'm most definitely looking forward to 12 days from now when I will be back in WA with my immediate family. We have had gorgeous weather the past couple weeks here in Provo (minus the completely shocking snow storm today) and I just can't get my mind off of summer. This semester has flown by and I'm excited for a break! The end of a semester is definitely a bittersweet kind of feeling. So excited to come home, but sad to say so many goodbyes.
Anyways...I have LOVED hanging out with Kenz this week and having her around and enjoying college life with me. This weekend we enjoyed conference and everything that it encompasses: great talks, a wonderful spirit, sleeping in, spending time with family, lounging around, and eating a lot of junk food. Monday was a pretty chill day, nothing too exciting and I still had to go to class, because unfortunately, I'm not on vacation.
Tuesday, we went to my New Testament class and then headed over to UVU where Kenz will be going to in the fall. I'm so excited that she's gonna be down here with me! She's going to be involved in leadership and has all the hook-ups. Thanks Mikelle! We spent the night and watched the kids while Matt and Mikelle went to Hunger Games...best movie ever!
such cute kiddos!
Wednesday, after class I happened to see Aunt Marci, Ben, and Sarah. Ben decided to come with me to Matt and Mikelle's along with my friend Bryan. We spent the whole day there playing games...30 down, Corn Hole, Uno, Ticket to Ride. It's so fun to be with family and enjoy time together and it was definitely a plus to have 70 degree weather!
Ooo...I also had Bryan and Emily take the Color Code Test. It's fun to see what color your friends and family are and kind of explains how you interact with them.
Here's the link: colorcode.com. Find out what color you are!
On Thursday, Kenz went to New Testament with me because Brother Smith is so awesome! Plus this week was the perfect time to come because we just finished the reading and got to learn about the Resurrection! Then we met our friend Ben Pearson in the Cougareat for lunch. It was fun to see him and catch up. And a little bit later Keza stopped by. I loved seeing all of my friends that I haven't been around in a while. It was pretty nice that day as well and we went to play tennis with Greta, Alan, and Bryan. Now tennis is not one of my strong suits, especially given the fact that the other 4 played in high school, but I did well when it really mattered so that was exciting haha! When they least expected it, I actually hit the ball and scored some points! We finished the night off by watching We Bought a Zoo with Ben and Bryan while enjoying some spring funfetti cookies!
After a long day of class, we headed up to the new City Creek Mall in Salt Lake with all the fam. It is such a nice mall and it was fun to look around. It's times like these when I wish I was rich because I pretty much wanted everything in J. Crew. Ben and Sarah went on a hunt for the most expensive shoe in Nordstrom. Wanna take a guess? $1700. Yup, insane! The mall is super pretty and full of fountains and a stream running through the middle with flowers and trees. Oh, and I finally broke down and did it. I got my ears pierced! I was scared out of my mind and I had quite the audience. Plus, it kind of stung a lot because the lady got the gun stuck but all is well and now I can accessorize with some cute earrings! Sadly, I had to say goodbye. BUT not for long because I'll be home in two weeks!!! And I'll get to enjoy being around family all the time. I'm especially looking forward to Sunday game nights at Grandma's!
Here you'll find all my favorite things and get to read about my adventures with friends, family, and my third graders. I'm Mary Abigail and I'm so happy you're here!
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