Don't mistake me for your babushka

 

Look at what college is doing to me!

Check out those bags under my eyes and those wrinkles on my forehead.

Uh oh, talk about premature aging.

Next week I'll probably sprout a patch of gray hair and kids on campus will accidentally call me grandma.

 

Today was a long day.

 

But everything is so good.

SO stinking good.

 

 

 

 

 



I love summertime

I always feel a little ounce of melancholy when I realize that I have one more week of summer left.

I will miss a wallet that is currently full of quarters (hello, college laundromat).

I will miss driving with my mom to drop my siblings off at school. They really love it when I yell "remember who you are" out the window as they walk away.

I will miss being attacked by bats on our nightly walks.

I will miss the 110 degree weather (haha!)

I will miss seeing the St. George temple everytime I drive into town.

Basically, I will just miss home.

BUT.. I decided to be a die-hard fan yesterday and jam out to this...

and I think I started crying.

Honestly, I love being a BYU student, and I'm excited to go back.

Time for today's random fact:

Last week after having some blood work done, it was discovered that I probably have Celiac Disease. This means that I am now on a gluten-free diet.

Is it sad that when the nurse called to tell me what they found I immediately thought about the fact that I can't eat my mom's mint brownies anymore? Seriously, if you haven't ever had those brownies before then you must live a very sad life.

Happy last week of summer!

Also, watch this Mormon message. I loved it! It's so powerful.



Comeback Team

Aren't they awesome?

Goodbye, Obama, Biden and total delirium.

Hello, Romney, Ryan and sanity.



Happy happy happy

Tonight was my last Tuesday working at Pancho and Lefty's, a popular mexican restaurant here in St. George.

As I was walking past a certain table this fella (who, I'm not gonna lie, was a little tipsy) motioned me over to talk to him.

He said to me, "Girl, could you do something for me?"

"Okay."

"Could you just smile, please? Are you sad?"

"No, I'm actually really happy."

"Then smile."

I smiled, but in my head I was thinking that that son of a gun was probably delusional and I was certain that I had been smiling all along.

Yeah, I was probably wrong.

In the midst of daily routines and monotonous tasks, I think I oftentimes forget that I have an awful lot to smile about.

My mom made my favorite mint brownies last night.

My dad danced around to the Beatles on Saturday morning while he cooked pancakes.

I am a BYU student.

I have the greatest friends in all the world.

I was able to work a lot this summer.

All such sweet things that make me oh, so happy.

But most importantly, I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

I know that there is a living prophet.

I know that I can pray to my Heavenly Father and that He will hear me.

I know that Jesus Christ suffered for my sins-- He knows exactly what I experience everyday.

I know that families are forever, and I know that someday I can be married in the temple to begin my own eternal family.

I know that I can find strength, support and answers in the scriptures everyday.

And I know that the Father of us all knows my name and loves me on a deep, individual level.

I belong to the true Church of Jesus Christ.

What more could a girl need to be completely happy?

So thank you, sir, for reminding me to smile and for reminding me that I have so much to be happy about.



Don't mind me

There's been lots on my mind lately...

Since when does back-to-school shopping look like this?

Oh baby. 

I love missionaries.

Please do your best to disregard the fact that I look like a blind woman in this photo, but this kid is one of my very best friends, and he left for his mission today. I guess it's because I'm getting older, but the whole missionary leaving and coming home thing is really affecting me.

I'm such a lucky girl to have such stalwart young men as my friends.

Also, I think I'm changing my major to Human Development.

Journalism to Human Development?

Yeah, doesn't make sense to me either, but it sure feels right.

More about that later.

I'm crazy crazy crazy about this song! Seriously, I think I listen to it like twenty times a day.

The band originated in Provo. Yes, Provo! So... I feel like I have a connection? Okay, not really... but really. You're going to like this song. I promise.



Thoughts on a Sunday afternoon...

Life is pretty funny sometimes.

I usually have times when I think I know exactly what I want and exactly how things will work out.

Silly me.

Things change... all the time.

Majors change, relationships can change and we are always making mistakes.

But there is one person who is constant-- our Heavenly Father. And the wonderful thing is that He has a plan for each of us. I'm so grateful for the fact that He loves me enough to let me go through things that point me to a better path (as painful as it can be sometimes).

I also know that He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to live and die for me. Jesus understands my little heartaches. He has been through it all.

I know that through Him I can always be striving to become better. Trials and confusion are usually the exact things that remind us of how much better we can be and of how much closer we can be coming to Jesus.

I am so eternally grateful to a Savior that never, ever gives up on me. Seriously, I can be such a stubborn girl.. But He loves me despite of all of that.

What a blessing.

Also, have you heard this arrangement of Savior, Redeemer of My Soul?

I love it so much.



Amanda

Yesterday was my baby sister's 17th birthday.

It was a fun, fun day.

I even made some ghetto birthday decorations.

This sister of mine is a pearl of a girl.

Seriously, she has it all together; she is totally going places!

She is my only sister, but she is also my best friend.

I love her so much.

People always say that they have the best siblings in the world...

but sorry folks, mine are the greatest.