Happy Halloweenie and Then Some

Last night we had our ward Halloween party and it was also Fran's birthday. I'm a little sad to say it wasn't the liveliest shindig we've ever been to, but we still made the most of it. Afterwards we invited people over to have cake and open presents for Fran's 21st birthday.

After the party we posed in the hallway in our costumes. I was a 1940's swing girl and I even made my corsage out of silk flowers. Alyssa was Belle from "Beauty and the Beast" and she even had a book she was carrying around. Erin was a cat and I lover her little tail because it would curl up in back. Fran was a kissing booth and she was giving out chocolate kisses. Theressa was a Firefighter, and even though it was made for an eight year old boy it was so cute on her.

We went to our FHE brother's apartment and took a "family" photo. Some of them were bums and didn't dress up, but Ryan (back, left) was Dwight from the "The Office" and he did a great job. Jared (back, in yellow hat) was Bob the Builder and he had a toy drill from D.I. (the best part was it still had the price tag on it). Drew (front, left) was G.I. Joe and Brad (back, red sweatshirt) had on kid's plastic armor and we were just glad he dressed up.
Theressa, Erin and I were just hanging out. I love rooming with them because they are so much fun and we get along. It's so nice to have someone to relate to and we're all so easy going.
Since it was Fran's birthday we had to decorate accordingly. We covered the living room with crepe paper and blew up some pink balloons. Theressa and I went to the dollar store the night before and bought her 21 things in her favorite color. Most of the stuff we found was useless but we still got a good laugh out of it. And I have to put in a plug that Fran got her mission call to Australia, Melbourne West! We're so happy for her and know she'll be a great missionary.

Happenings in the Burg

For one of our FHE's we organized a photo scavenger hunt around Rexburg. We broke up into teams and had to document ten different things we were doing or places we went to. In my team were my roommates Erin and Theressa and our FHE brother Ryan. I think we might have scared him a few times, but he was still a good sport. It was a lot of fun and when we came back to the apartment we took turns looking at the pictures.
We had to pose by a semi truck and we just happened to find one in front of McDonald's. You can kind of see the Fries, which was basically why we picked this one.

We had to pose next to one of our favorite statues on campus so we picked this one on front of the Austin building. I don't know if it was our favorite, but it makes for a great photo op.

Ok, so technically this one shouldn't count because it was supposed to be at a fast food counter, but we went to Sonic and they only have the drive thru's. We thought it still worked pretty well.

Yellowstone and Buffalo Bill

Thursday I went with my American Humanities class to Yellowstone and then to Cody, Wyoming to see the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. In class we'd been discussing what painter Thomas Moran and photographer William Henry Jackson must have seen the first time they came to Yellowstone in 1871. The trip was great because we went to parts of Yellowstone I'd never gone to before, or at least I don't remember, and it was perfect weather the whole day.

This is a view of part of the Grand Canyon from Artist's Point.

This is a view of Lowe Falls from Artist's Point. We were supposed to go down to the falls but the road was closed.

We did get to go down by one of the falls, but this is nearly as big as the Lower Falls. We got to stand right above them.

Outside the Buffalo Bill museum in Cody there was this statue of Buffalo Bill. I ended up not taking any pictures inside the museum, mostly because I was afraid my flash would go off and I would get in trouble. The museum had five exhibits and all were amazing.

On our way back through Yellowstone, we stopped at one area that had boiling paint pots and this geyser. It was the perfect time of day.


Before the sun went down I able to catch the light off of the springs.

Fell Off the Face of the Earth

No, I didn't die. I'm just back in my little corner of the world in Rexburg, Idaho. I'm now about three weeks into my junior year and I love being back. There's such a good atmosphere here it almost makes the winters bearable. I haven't posted in a while because either I have too much going on or I feel like there's nothing interesting to say, but I'm back. Maybe it will be a little easier now that I'm settled. Although, I don't anticipate a lot of down time with 18 credits, but at least I'm living with Erin again and that's always good.
Classes are good. I'm taking three English classes, two Humanities, and D&C. Most people think I'm crazy when I tell them I love my grammar class, but I do! I'm just an English nerd at heart. I also love being a Humanities minor because we get to discuss classic works of art and occasionally see them in person. This week I went with my American Humanities class to Yellowstone and the Buffalo Bill museum in Cody, WY. It was so much fun,
This week I also did something for the first time: I donated blood. One of my roommates' boyfriend works for the Red Cross and we decided to go as an apartment and donate. I wasn't really nervous and thankfully I don't get queasy at the sight of blood. Although, I must have looked a little sickly because when the woman was taking my blood she asked me if I was OK like five times. It's just the anticipation that kills you. Anyway, being back at school just feels like home away from home.

Olympic Fever

For the past week I can't seem to look away from the TV screen. Every night I get sucked into the Beijing Olympic Games and am amazed at the power and abilities of all the athletes competing. Most of the time I marvel at swimmers like Michael Phelps who continually shatters Olympic records and is now the most awarded athlete in Olympic history. I was also thrilled and thoroughly amazed by Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson when they won Gold and Silver at the All-Around Gymnastics competition. So many people participating show so much strength and endurance it's no wonder we place such an emphasis on the Olympics and what a spectacle they truly are.

Something else that is refreshing to see is a sportsmanship that prevails at the Games. Although every nation is reaching for the same goal, they all seem to embrace each other, no matter the outcome or the setbacks. The prowess of Michael Phelps at these Games is certainly something for the recordbooks (winning a race by .01 sec.) but something that is truly impressive is how he handles himself in the public eye. He, like much of the US Team is going for the gold, but that are also truly representing the USA in a respectful and honorable light. I hope the rest of the Games continue this way and seeing the accomplishments of the USA Team would only be icing on the cake.

Time Flying By

The summer has already flown by, as I knew it would, but that didn't mean we couldn't squeeze in some fun. My summer has mostly been filled with work, or at least as much as I could get, but I also managed to sneak away with the family to Utah for Travis's wedding and also to Washington for a family trip and Open House.

In Utah, the whole family was able to come for the wedding, which is something that is becoming harder and harder to do as everybody's lives are changing. Nonetheless, it was a great time to have everyone there.Travis and Christie coming out of the Temple after their wedding.

Me on baby duty at the Temple. I even got Grant to fall asleep in my arms.

In Washington, it almost felt like coming home, but it just wasn't quite the same. It all seemed so familiar, but has changed so much too. Mom, Dad, James and myself stayed at an old friend's house which also gave us a chance to spend some time in our old haunts. We spent a day in Seattle, hitting our favorite places and even ended the day in Issaquah for some great food at Shanghai Garden. It was a fun trip because we also saw a lot of familiar faces at Travis and Christie's Open House which we had at another old friend's, the Anderson's.

James and me on the Seattle Waterfront.

Part of the family with the Thompson's at Snoqualmie Falls.

Also on our trip to Washington, we stopped off for a few days on the coast at Ocean Shores for a family reunion. It was nice to see everyone again and we had great weather at the beach. There was even a sand castle building contest of sorts.

Uncle Craig's sand creation. It was even better than some in the competition.

James and some of the cousins in the ocean. Although it was a sunny day the water was still freezing.

Lazy Days of Summer

I've started counting down the days until I return to school in Rexburg. Although I love having the opportunity to come home once in a while, I find that as soon as I am settled, I'm already missing the great atmosphere at school. Some scoff when I say I absolutely love going to school in a place like Rexburg, Idaho, but I always adamantly reply that I wouldn't dream of going to school anywhere else. Although, I will consent, the weather is not one of the advantages of going to school there.

So in the mean time, I'm sweltering under the heat in Maricopa, AZ. We've already survived several days over 110 degrees and I pray we don't see many more. Of course you find ways to cope: stay inside as much as possible, every building is air conditioned and drink a lot of water. The worst is going to your car after it's been parked outside for several hours. Nonetheless, you learn to deal with it. Being the youngest child and the last out of the house, I'm also one of the few who returns home in the summer. So it's been just me and my parents, which at times is very quiet and can even be lonely for me. I fill some of my time working in a daycare inside a grocery store. Apparently, it's an odd concept for many people to grasp, but the kids sure love it. Now I'm only getting more and more anxious to return to my home away from home.

An Informal Introduction

For as long as I can remember, I have had two passions in my life: books and movies. Although my taste in either may have changed over the years my dedication to them has never faltered. Now in college, I have realized I want to marry the two and write screenplays. This is my dream job.

Aside from movies and books, I love to listen to music and nary a day goes by that I don't listen to at least a few favorites. Nothing is more relaxing than familiar music playing in an even familiar setting. I also love my family and spending time with them. As the youngest of five kids, I savor the time I am able to spend with my siblings and their families. I love going to college in Idaho, even though it's freezing there. The school and the people are great and I miss it everytime I come home. I hope to use this space as a medium to get some thoughts to paper so to speak and maybe vent once in a while. This is a chance to let people see my little corner of the world with all its quirks and then some.