I'm a sap

Matt Wertz's song "Feels So Right" is kicking off my 'songs of the summer' playlist. If the video doesn't work, you can get to it here.

A Clean Slate

Spring term just started up last week and things have been really busy. I have two classes for my major (Comms 300 and Comms 321), work at the library, a possible internship with the Red Cross, my service calling I'm working to do more with in my ward and tons of other little things running through my mind.

I'm very grateful for this change of pace in my life and the opportunity that I have to start fresh and be reinvigorated with my classes. I don't know what it it's been, but lately, I feel like something is lacking.

For the first time since I first came to BYU, I don't have a leadership position on campus. I miss BYUSA a lot. I really have been changed by the time I was able to spend in that office and the people I was able to interact with. It's really strange for me to not have a responsibility on campus; however, I still feel like focusing on public relations is what I'm supposed to be doing. Part of me feels like I've opened the next chapter to my life- and that's both completely exciting and utterly terrifying.

With the added time I'm reinvesting myself in my classes- that is, after all, what I'm here for- and trying to figure out where exactly that hole in me is.

Last night there was a CES Fireside with the Primary General President, Rosemary M. Wixom. You can find the broadcast for yourself here. Sister Wixom posed the question, "How can our surrounding landscape help us come to our Redeemer?" and offered four further questions to ponder on:

1. How can I come to know the Spirit of the Holy Ghost?
2. How will I come to know the Book of Mormon is true?
3. How will I come to know the personal plan Heavenly Father has for me?
4. How will I come to know the Father and his Son?

In reflecting on her words, there was one quote that really hit me.

"You are on this Earth and have merely forgotten what you once knew."

I think that this is part of my hole. I can improve in so many areas of my life but I feel like starting back at the basics with who I really am is going to really help.

Mom & Joe's wedding

I have been waiting for these pictures for FOREVER! My mom and Joe were married back on September 17th at Red Butte Gardens in Salt Lake. The photographer Bry Cox just finished their album and blogged about it here. You can also watch the movie slideshow of the day here.

It really was the perfect day for the two of them.

One of my favorite parts of the day was when my mom did a special recognition for each of the kids. Part of my duties was to keep every thing on schedule- and did I know that schedule! When she broke from what was on the outline, I was super surprised. My mom stood and thanked Emmie for all of her help with the dress and fashion advice. She then thanked Dillon for helping out more around the house and for all the help that he gave her. Then, she had me come up to her. As I was walking she thanked me for being DJ and giving her all my music (we can really thank Tanner for that one). Once I reached her, she presented me with her bouquet and explained that she really looked forward to the day when I would find someone that made me as happy as Joe makes her.

That will always stand out as my favorite part of the day.

We have a big family dinner tonight with everyone - Mom, Joe, Dillon, Emmie, my Dad and me. This will be the first time that we've ever done something like this; I'm crossing my fingers that everything goes smoothly.

I'd rather...

I should be studying for finals and enduring to the end but I'm having a really really really hard time staying on task. So of course the best thing to do would be to blog. It's been on my list this whole semester but it keeps getting pushed off. No MAS!

Here are some other things I would rather be doing right now:
dancing in the RB
watching HSM
hiking Y mountain
editing this blog to make it prettier and more interactive
making a music video with my sister
baking quadruple threat cookies
shopping with birthday money
camping under the stars in my mummy bag
eating dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets
getting started at the Red Cross (Note to self: I need a car)
learning more about what Christ did during his last week
updating the Date Idea Book
exploring the spiral jetty
swimming backstroke in an outdoor pool
reading public relations blogs... or just generally blog stalking friends
write missionary friends that haven't heard from me in about 8 months... (SORRY!)
filming a spoof of this
journaling what's gone on in my life the last two weeks
compiling a good bye mix cd for Ann
boating in the sunshine and getting my freckles back
figuring out pintrest
snuggling up to come cocoa in my onesie on our wonderful couches
host an outdoor dinner with white twinkle lights strung up above our heads

Good things that happened today- I got to talk to my Grandma for about half an hour after work today. I miss her. I miss my family. I am so excited for our family reunion in July. Also, I am the recipient of a half tuition scholarship next fall and winter. I received a similar scholarship this year and didn't think I'd be able to get it again. It's a huge blessing. I was very excited to open that email. The financial office is usually asking me for money; this was a very nice change.

I like it when it's springtime-y outside. This afternoon was very pretty.

Today I looked like this ---->

[back to studying.]

bulgogi - Korean BBQ

I've been wanting to try to make this dish for awhile now. I ended up combining five different recipes and the result was heavenly.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb beef top sirloin, thinly sliced

3 tbsp white sugar

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

4 green onions, chopped (with white part)

6 oz can pineapple juice

5 cloves garlic, pressed

a few shakes of sesame seeds

1 yellow onion, chopped

honey, drizzle

Directions:

1. Begin to freeze beef in freezer for about an hour to get it firmer. Remove and slice into thin strips.

2. Place beef in large bowl. Add white sugar. Incorporate the two.

3. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, green onions, pineapple juice, garlic, sesame seeds, yellow onion and honey. Mix well.

4. Cover and marinate in fridge for at least three hours.

5. Warm large skillet to high and grease bottom with cooking oil. Add mixture in thirds. Brown meat and caramelize onions.

6. Remove from heat, turn off burner, serve and enjoy! Best if served with rice and mixed bell peppers (cook these with brown sugar for an extra zap of flavor).

This was amazing. I can't wait to make it again. Tell me what you think about it!

car accident

My friend Ryan was in a pretty bad roll over accident last week which fractured his back and broke his neck. He's going in for surgery this week; please keep him in your prayers.

Somebody to Love

BYU-I had some serious fun during finals. AWESOME.

So much depends on what you do today.

One of my favorite things to volunteer with here at BYU is New Student Orientation. For the past three years I've had the great opportunity to help out with six NSOs. Every time I get the email asking me if I'd like to be involved in the next one, I always have to say yes. There is a special spirit with BYU's newest students. I always feel like I'm discovering BYU for the first time as I sit in convocation, explore campus on the Cougar Walk, visit Education in Zion, and laugh at Tradition of Honor.

The time that I have here at BYU is special. I'll never have an experience quite like this again in my life. A NSO first for me- at this session I was paired with transfer students, and not just my typical 20-30 students, but 80. To make things a little more daunting, this was also the first time that I didn't have a partner.

I was humbled. Eighty brand new BYU students and I was going to be their first impression of campus. Some of them were international students ranging from Jamaica, Colombia, Australia, Mexico, and South Korea- I could possibly be one of their first impressions of what the United States was like. Even though I was scared, and at times didn't know quite know what to do, I knew that I could be a friend to these students. Coming away from my experience today, I have a more sincere love for my fellow students at this university. I have a great testimony that each student is at this institution for a reason. I'm going to be working harder this semester to treasure this experience and truly have a BYU Experience.

Below is my favorite BYU movie. I get goosebumps every time.

Here's to a new semester. Winter 2011, I'm ready for greatness.

Hold On

I can't sleep. Tomorrow I'll be helping out with New Student Orientation and I guess I'm just a little bit excited for the newest BYU students.

This song by Scott Alan is amazing; it's the perfect song for the New Year.

The Harry Potter Blizzocolypse BYU Dream

I had one of the strangest dreams of my life last night. Here what I remember:

I'm in the BYUSA office in the Wilk when all of a sudden a female administrator comes running into the office, frantically grabs Angela, and tells the packed office of volunteers to brace ourselves. It's then that I gain this super vision and can look all the way down the desk, past clubs, and out the stairwell's window to the outdoors and see there is a HUGE storm outside. I also then realize that the ground and building are buckling in undulations. People are being pitched in the air, screaming, the lights are flashing on and off, the wind/rain/thunder death-storm can be heard roaring through the office, people are grabbing on to things... mayhem. I run with a couple other (unfamiliar but recognizable in the dream) people and hide in a doorway/corner for safety but we still don't feel safe.

The building stops rocking to the extreme extent and the administrator, who has now turned into a sort of Bellatrix, tells us to leave through the front of the office. People start running out and in the mass, I go against the flow and leave out through a secret back hallway and down the stairs by Jamba. As I run out to the terrace, I realize the Center for Service is empty, as though it never existed. I see a couple people I know that are running up stairs (the Wilk has now combined with aspects of Hogwarts) to the theater on the top floor.

I take off after all these people, avoiding the administrator/Bellatrix. While passing the BYUSA office again, I see the window plastered with people that have been stupefied. I shudder and continue following the crowd as they race to the 20th floor's theater (which seems to be Alta's auditorium, just much more mystical). The auditorium is darkened and an hour and a half brainwash event is going on (like something from Lost). I realize I need to keep my eyes closed (maybe because the two leaders at the front have the eyes of Medusa/the basilisk?) Everyone else seems brainwashed by their eye powers instead of being turned to stone or struck dead.

I sit and listen to the presentation for a really long time, but after putting on my sunglasses, I can peek out and see people just standing up and leaving. The male and female brainwash leaders at the front don't seem to notice. I see a boy in the front wearing a red jersey, who looks much more like the Cedric Diggory from my imagination more than Edward Cullen, about to stand and make his own escape, and decide to leave with him. I make my way past all the people in my row and army crawl to the front where Cedric is. He bolts for the door and I run out with him. I yelled something victorious as I leapt through the doors.

On the other side, Cedric has already left and I know I just need to get out. I leave out the Jamba lot doors, accio my broomstick, hop on mid run and kick off into the air, just out of the grasp of some evil people that were trying to thwart me. I fly low to my house, which seems an awful lot like the apartments from Westside Story, and get indoors. My roommates all happen to be male. They are very happy that I'm home and tell me about this awesome event that's coming up. They've hung posters the size of the Jonas Brother's Stadium of Fire poster that hung on Lavell Edward's stadium from our building advertising a concert from Beethoven, Hitler, and other famous dead people.

It now clicks that they've been brainwashed too because these were the very people I'd heard about during the brainwashing presentation, but because I hadn't seen it, I was still myself. I got back on my broom, cut the zip ties that were holding up the two posters and accidentally caught the attention of two police officers/zombies from Thriller. They start chasing me, I go back to my roommates who have snapped out of the trance since I cut down the posters and we run to the nearby apartment complex that closely resembles a combo of the Avenues and the Riv.

Neither of these places offer a good place to hide from the swarming Thriller zombie police but luckily the multicultural student association was having an event here with a live bear. They perform a Native American dance and release the bear which distracts the TZP. I run out of the complex, everything is in flames...

and I wake up.