What a day!

Today-- even though I'm tired, and even though I know that I'm going to have to wake up exceedingly early tomorrow, was such a good day! It all started a little frantically. My alarm went off and I decided to lay in bed for a while. Well, a while turned into an hour and a half, and my class was in 35 minutes. But thanks to my parents insistence that I am beautiful without makeup, I showered, did my hair, and got to class on time! (Thank you, thank you!) I managed to not fall asleep in class then I came home and made the broccoli cheese soup I've been craving. I cleaned up the messy, messy kitchen then went off to the next 3 hours of class... those 3 hours are usually a little rough, but I managed to keep myself awake! Oh, also, before I went to class I decided to look up a lady from my mission on facebook on a whim. She was not only a member, but she was on, so my friend request was immediately accepted and I got to talk to her! It was amazing, that even though I haven't talked to her in a year that how much I still loved her and her family. Then on my way home from class I saw the new sister missionaries that are here on campus! I LOVE SISTER MISSIONARIES! I told them to call me whenever :) I hope they call! I have their number too :) So after I got home from classes I decided to go get a haircut which is a little shorter than i was planning (I've gotten used to having it long), but it's really cute! Then I came home and we played monopoly and i lost terribly, and now I'm just relaxing, realizing that I ought to be in bed because my 7am class is going to come quickly! But even at the end of the day... I feel so blessed. It's been a few days that I've felt this way despite the other stuff that's happened, it's all good.

Blessed

Today I had an amazing epiphany. I've felt... lost in my life. I suppose probably in a semi-normal mid-twenties kind of way. I don't feel like an adult, but I don't feel like a child or even a teenager. So I've felt lost, and there have even been times when I've felt like God doesn't answer my prayers. Today, in the clarity and serenity of the temple I had this great thought. Even though I don't really know where I am right now, or the direction that my life is headed in the next few years... God does! When Adam hid from God in the garden of eden because he was naked, God didn't ask Adam where he'd been because he didn't know- of course He knew! He asked so that Adam could see where he was in relationship to God. Now, I imagine later, out of the garden, that Adam and Eve were pretty lonely and maybe discouraged at times, wishing for the good old days in the Garden. They followed the commandments that they had received thus far, and waited for the Lord to send more instructions. When the angel came, I can imagine Adam's relief. So for now, I'll keep doing what I've been told to do for now. And I'll remember that the Lord knows where I am, even when I don't.

The Making of a Best Friend

I thought that my days of math were behind me. Never again would I take a test primarily dealing with numbers and graphs. But, I was wrong. Today, panic began to set in as I was studying for my Hearing Science Class. The entire first chapter is all on MATH. Now, I was, in the distant past, good at math, I took calc in high school but entered into a course of study in the Social Sciences, thinking I'd bid math a fond farewell. Not so. So, in my panic, I thought of the first person I knew who was good at math-- my friend E (now, for Rachel my sister, who's reading this; I did think of you, but I wanted an excuse to talk to him-- also he got 100% on his calculus tests, smart guy). So I texted him and asked if he knew anything about Logs. (the main topic of my concern.) E replied asking if I needed help and telling me that he'd be at my house in 20 minutes, I was looking for a quick crash course, but it was really not as hard as I, in my panic, had presumed it to be. We quickly went over logs (me remembering, and feeling a little dumb for making him come all the way to my house for something I could have done on my own), then we just talked and ate popcorn. I love this kid. In the pure, non-romantic, Christlike love. I feel like I can be myself around him, I don't have to pretend to be perfect, or put on a face, and I don't feel like he's judging me. We talked about the mission, and people and situations. We talked about the Spirit, and faith, and hope and answers to prayers. Trust. I would trust my life with this guy. I probably shouldn't call him a 'kid' but I would. If I ever needed anything really important, I could go to him, and probably would, before my home teachers or my bishop. I think that I can look to him as an example in a lot of ways. And I'm sorry, I know this doesn't make sense, this post midnight (when he had to leave) babble, and tomorrow may not be much better (since I have a 7 am class), but I'm thankful. What a stellar person for the Lord to send me. I see him and I love him, like a brother. And honestly, it's probably because he loved me first, and showed me. Ok, I'm done...

Utili-kilts...

(Written yesterday on an airplane with 2 hours of sleep- that's my excuse)

So I’m on a flight heading back to Utah and I’m about in tears. Chances are that it has to do with a combination of my eating like crap for the past two weeks, sleeping for just 2 hours last night, and hating Utah. I try to forget how much I love Seattle while I’m in Provo. When flying out of the SLC Airport, I saw a shot glass and a flask that said ‘eat drink and be merry, for tomorrow you may be in Utah.’ Though I don’t drink, I think this was a rather appropriate sentiment. Two weeks ago we flew into Seattle and got off of the flight and were greeted by a man standing there in a ‘utili-kilt.’ (Ok, we weren’t really greeted by him, but he was standing right outside our gate.) I do love a good utili-kilt. Actually, it’s not that I think they are attractive, or whatever, just that I appreciate living in a place where it is normal to see a man wearing a skirt - albeit a very manly skirt. I love the freedom to be me, the fact that people know me there. I miss that in Utah. When I was at home last year, I could be me, but now I’m in Provo, I was talking to a friend and he said ‘we are among the most beautiful and accomplished Mormon population.’ Unfortunately being among those kind of people seems to make me feel like the least of them. I’ve got a full 12 months left in Utah. 4 months now. 8 months next school year then graduation and I’m getting out of there. I am so blessed to have sisters. Having them in Utah makes life bearable. I have a place to escape to.

Back on the drinking line—This morning I Dad woke me up at 10 to 7. Some guy tried to blow up another plane so they’ve tightened security a bit (I even got patted down), so we had to be at the airport early. Anyway. I went to bed at probably 4:10 so I got like 2 ½ hours of sleep last night. I think that’s what a hangover feels like. I also ate a ton of crap last night—making me feel even sicker. Once on the ground in SL,UT (hahaha) I’m done w/ sugar and flour (again). Rachel and I decided that if we were going to feel this crappy we might as well start drinking—ok, maybe not.

Matchmaker, matchmaker make me a match!

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single [girl of a certain age] must be in want of a [husband].. However little known the feelings or views of such a girl may be on her first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that she is considered as the sole focus of all her friends matchmaking attemptsu

• So... in the past couple of weeks it seems that EVERYONE and their cousin wants to set me up. First, it was my sister who gave my phone number to a guy from her old single's ward along with a picture of me (he never called, but I am not really offended, seeing as that is a tad awkward).
• The second matchmaking attempt was my old friend J. We ran into eachother at the beginning of the semester and have been stalking each other ever since. (ie: running into each other at random places and times). We've hung out a few times and our wards met in the same building and so I saw him regularly. The last Sunday of the semester (he's doing a study abroad in Jerusalem next semester) he comes up to me and says 'I want to set you up with my roommate.' He proceeds to take me into the 'chapel' room and point his roommate out to me. So... I told him that he could give him my number or whatever. I haven't heard... but I also haven't been in Provo for 2 weeks.
• The final was rather unexpected. Today I went out with one of my best friends from summer, A. I realized, after going to the ward's FHE that She and T. are the only reasons that I survived the 8 months that I spent here. Her brother, B. (who goes to Utah State and is my age and has a girlfriend) came with us and as we left and were going to the mall, we were talking about the ward and how... special it is. Her brother said that the guys were 'interesting' and the girls were 'trying too hard'. He said there were only a few girls there that he would even think of dating. Sure there were some hot ones, but that's not a good enough reason to date them. After talking to each other for a while A. said 'you should go on a date while you're in town (ie: me and her little brother). He was not opposed to the idea, then remembered that he had a girlfriend (who is going on a mission). Later were were at happy hour (oh, how I've missed Seattle!) and he said that I was one of the girls at FHE that he would consider dating, he said that I was pretty logical (for a girl) and seemed content with myself (not overly concerned with pushing myself on people) and that I was attractive. He also told me that he thought I looked good (A. and I were talking about my weight loss since going back to school). Honestly, he lives in Logan and has a girlfriend. I'm not expecting anything, but it was flattering. He wasn't sucking up, he didn't want anything from me. He was just straightforward and honest. It was utterly refreshing. It could have been so awkward that A. wanted to hook us up, but he was so chill. Is it weird to check out your friend's little brothers? I suppose not, A is about a year older than I am, B. is probably 6 months younger. Whatever.

Matchmaker, Matchmaker,
Make me a match,
Find me a find,
catch me a catch
Matchmaker, Matchmaker
Look through your book,
And make me a perfect match

Matchmaker, Matchmaker,
I'll bring the veil,
You bring the groom,
Slender and pale.
Bring me a ring for I'm longing to be,
The envy of all I see.

For Papa,
Make him a scholar.

For mama,
Make him rich as a king.

For me, well,
I wouldn't holler
If he were as handsome as anything.

Matchmaker, Matchmaker,
Make me a match,
Find me a find,
Catch me a catch,
Night after night in the dark I'm alone
So find me match,
Of my own.

Home Cooking!

Today I was just in need of some good home cooking. It was cold outside and I'm slowly realizing that this semester is coming to an end. Some of me is happy about this (no more anatomy lab!) and some of me is sad (I was really starting to like the people in my anatomy lab/ some of the boys I got to hangout with that with a more major intensive class schedule this next semester I won't see any more). (Alas, the boy that I've decided to start having a crush on is in my major (one of the 3 unmarried ones) and we'll have at least 2 classes together next semester.) Anyway, I'm off subject. The important thing is that I haven't felt well the last few weeks and my attempts at culinary endeavors have been weak. So today I decided to make a pot roast. I knew that the best kind were the kind with onion soup mix (and I had bought some of that) also I decided that Cream-of-Mushroom was never a bad thing. So I looked for recipes. Found one that looked decent and started chopping. I'm sharing now because it was AMAZING!

1: Take a Roast (you pick what kind) as big as you want it and season it with salt and pepper. Then brown it in a sauce pan with some oil.

2: spray your baking dish with pam and plop the roast in it. Then add veggies all around it. I did carrots and onions and celery, you could also do potatoes or other root veggies, I suppose.

3: Sprinkle the dry onion soup mix over the roast/veggies

4: Take 1-2 cans of cream of mushroom soup (depending on the size of your roast) and mix it with 3/4 can of water for each can of soup. After you mix it dump it on your roast.

5: Cover with Foil

6: Bake at 325* for 2 hours (well I baked mine for 2 hours and it was just under 2 lbs, but It would have been ok a little less done... maybe bake for an hour each pound? Maybe you should look up cooking times for whatever size roast you have :))

7: Let the roast rest for a little while and make mashed potatoes. Then slice it and put it back in the gravy in the pan (it's YUMMY). Serve over rice, mashed potatoes or even baked spuds.

8: This is a no fail roast... it's Amazing!

Domestic Goddessness here I come! (Now if only I had a man who would appreciate it!)

Jewlrey Give away :)

So I saw the chance to win free jewelry on a friend's blog... and since I'm always up for free jewelry I thought it couldn't hurt. Go check out this blog and you too can enter to win :)

http://ardesigns.blogspot.com