True Blue!

warning... this post has the potential to be very loooooooong.

I love BYU!!! even though I dread going back to a life of tests and neverending homework in the fall and am going to miss Aspen Grove terribly, I can't help but get excited. There are so many wonderful and amazing things about going to school at BYU, and I have met so many fantastic people that I just can't help but miss it when I am away. so here are some of my memories from BYU and what I love about it.

we have epic parties during finals week... when we aren't studying.

and yes, sometimes I actually study.

you have an FHE group that feels like family. (if you are lucky!)

you get to celebrate Christmas twice a year.

I love my ward.

hanging out with old roommates and reminiscing about crazy times freshman year is a blast!

running + school spirit!

True Blue.

random photo shoots on photo booth when you are sick of studying.

roommate dinners... lots of laughs and delicious food! (I miss cooking a ton up here and can't wait to cook again!)

midnight taco bell runs... delicious and nutritious. (NOT!)

roommate pranks. classic.



Divine Comedy. I love their shows!

dressing up crazy for dances

Freshman year, there was a flaming mustache outside the MOA. made me smile everyday.

fun ward outings. I miss these boys a lot... can't they just get home from their missions already?

In other news... I learned my first real dance this weekend in honor of National Dance Day. watch this video (even though I am hiding in the back!)

I'm proud of myself, so you should be too

Things I did today:

-exercised
-ate in my calorie range
-turned down the offer to go to Dairy Queen at night

It doesn't sound like much. but it's pretty hard up here so I am proud of myself :)

Weddings? I love weddings!

my cousin got married on Friday. I still can't believe it, but I am way happy for him and it was such a fun day. Those that could not go into the temple got there around 9:30 to see them walk out.

beautiful.


siblings :) and yes I am aware that it looks like I broke my foot.

After taking millions of pictures and having the cameraman stick the camera in your face to make the wedding video, we headed off to Salt Lake for the wedding brunch. It was delicious and we had a great time trying not to laugh as the waiters placed our napkins on our laps for us and had to bring us bread basket after basket because we were so hungry. We also hit our glasses numerous times with our forks to see some great kisses by the new bride and groom.

After that, we had about an hour to relax before we had to set up for the reception. We were all there for about five hours to set up, help out, and take down. It was a blast. I was able to sneak away to take some pictures in the photo booth (best idea ever... there will be one at my reception!) and to see them cut the cake and dance. they are so cute together.

'It was a wonderful weekend, and I am loving having my family in town... Seven Peaks, lots of hugs, Sunday dinner tonight, and a pioneer day bbq tomorrow! Could life get any better?

best parts of the week and lots of pictures

Wow, so much awesome stuff happened that I don't even know where to begin. basically, the fun began on Wednesday night. I drove down to visit my family and got to have a delicious home cooked meal! so exciting. then, I made the long drive back up to the grove for the Christmas in July party. we all came to to staff lodge in our pajamas and we read the Polar Express together! (props to my roommate Kelli for reading it to everyone. and learning to pronounce nougat in the process.)

We then rode the Polar Express to the dining hall, where the fun began. starting with family pictures. single partner picture (all of our program counselor partners are engaged or seriously dating... lame.)

roomie picture!!! (aka trailer trash)

second year staff members!

we then had the traditional gift exchange (I got five dollars worth of candy... perfect for my dieting resolutions) and then proceeded to eat sugar until we were sick, chat, and laugh. It was a wonderful night.

This is Cici. She took a liking to me this week and was hanging out with me all the time. During frontier night, she gave me the free stuff she got. and she looked for me every meal. It was pretty much the cutest thing ever.

The children from this week with us on the fire truck. Though we had a lot of difficult children this week, they were so cute. One of the girls asked George to marry her because "no princes would be left by the time she wanted to get married." and I got a lot of flowers from my children.

this is what happens when you let your kids paint your face.

epic mudfight!

After the ice blocking on Tuesday night, we decided to try something crazy.

well, crazy for a few Mormon college students working at a summer camp with children. the volleyball courts were piles of mud due to all the rain we had been getting, so we dived into the mud. and then I started a mud fight. It was so much fun. It helped my summer feel more like an actual summer and less like a full time job with some fun on the side.

post mud fight picture

pretty soon I will have another post up about the rest of Christmas in July, and probably my cousin's wedding!

time is going by so fast

my family gets here in 3 days! It will be wonderful to see them again. can't wait for Lagoon, Seven Peaks, and most of all my COUSIN'S WEDDING! now that is crazy. they are going to be so cute together. I mean, they already are. and I LOVE her dress!

the next best thing about this week... Christmas in July! I can't wait for Christmas carols and the devotional, ice blocking and hot cocoa, and the gift exchange/pajama party and especially riding the Polar Express! Here's some of the staff members decorating the Snowshoe lobby.


There will be a better and longer blog post coming soon, and by coming soon I mean when I feel creative again or when I have something exciting to write about!

conquering fears

This is what I did today. after an hour or so of mowing lawns in the hot sun. (though that is NOT me in the picture)


I was scared out of my mind. like shaking scared. but I DID IT! and I am really proud of myself. so you should be too. you climb up a log with little foot holes in it and then you climb up the most ridiculous rock wall ever that is super hard. and then you walk across a bunch of wires--one to walk on and the other to hold onto. and then you have to rappel yourself off the platform. it's probably the worst part. I think I sat up there for like 20 minutes just getting up the courage to do it. I did not even do it the real way... I just sat on the edge of the platform and scooted off. but I did it. instead of camping out there, which I considered.


and I definitely did not look that fearless. and I had a death grip on the rope. Also, a big shout out to all the ropes course people and to Lexi for talking me through everything! It was a great experience, and it really challenged me.

p.s. expect a couple more blog posts tonight if I have the time... I am kinda in a blogging mood.

swimming is hard.

This week, I am aiming to swim a mile. so far I have done 11 laps and I was tired during them! This is pretty much what I felt like, especially when the lifeguard was probably laughing at my poor attempt at what I call a stroke.


For the rest of the days, we are going to try and swim for 30 minutes and not just swim 11 laps.

Just swimming 11 laps has given me a whole new appreciation for my best friend, Cortney Jordan. She is a swimmer for California Lutheran University and she trains hard. I don't know how she can swim so much, especially during the school year. I mean, she has even won a gold medal at the Paralympics!




She is pretty much the coolest person I know, and I miss her a lot! If only she was here to teach me how to swim better!