Resolutions

 So, resolutions are typically the bane of my existence.  I would always set great ones, do well for about two months, and then totally bomb it!  The problem was, when one seemed to start to go downhill, all of them seemed to do the same.  As soon as I messed up once, I felt like I had failed already because I wrote in my goal "everyday," or "every month," ect.  This was pretty discouraging for me because I tend to consider myself a fairly driven person.  I'm not one who gives up easily, but these dang New Years resolutions were kicking my rear!  So, I stopped making them all together.  Instead of resolutions I made "commitments" to myself.  These were not written, they were just things I told myself I was going to do, and I always did pretty well.  It was definitely a much less stressful way for me to go.  But now, about 5 years later, I'm giving this resolution thing another go!  This year it's going to be different.  

Now, before you all start laughing, let me tell you what I've decided to do.  So I was talking to my mom on the phone on Sunday and she was telling me about her Relief Society lesson.  She said that the teacher talked about a new kind of resolution.  Here's what you do: Pick a word that you want to describe you in the coming year.  Some that I've thought of are kind, listener, service, happy, optimistic, friendly, outgoing, and charity.  I've narrowed it down to one.  By the end of the year, I hope that this word is part of the definition of who I am.  Each morning when I wake up, I'm going to think of this word.  I'm going to try to pattern my life after what this word means by my thoughts and actions each day.  If I don't do so well one day, guess what, it's not over!  I just need to wake up and do better the next day.  I'm excited to try this new way of making a "resolution."  Instead of feeling like I have to schedule all of my new resolutions in, I'm just going to try to incorporate it into the everyday tasks of my life.  So, for any of you who struggle with resolutions, maybe this is the solution for you as well :)  

I thought this was pretty good:

Oh, and:

Happy New Years Everybody!!

A New Adventure!!

No, I'm not leaving the country (yet), but I am a ski instructor for Sundance!  

You guys, I LOVE it!  A lot of you already know, but I figured since I picked up my second pay check today it's getting pretty official.  I've been super busy doing trainings and everything for it, but now I'm going to start getting busy teaching lessons! I'm so excited!  I've taught 5 lessons so far, and they were all so fun!  Yes, some of them were challenging, both mentally and physically, but fun nonetheless.  The people I work for and with are great!  It's just so refreshing to be around them.  My favorite part about the job though is probably being outside.  I don't care if it's cold as long as I'm up on the mountain.  I love it so much!  So, if you're ever down in the Provo area, come hit up Sundance :)

Holly G. ("G" now stands for girl)

So, one of my best friends of my entire life got married today!!  She got married in the San Diego,  CA temple.  I mean, look at this place:

Who wouldn't want to get married there?!?!

The only downer is that I couldn't make it.  I'm in the midst of finals…

Even though I couldn't make it, I was thinking about her and Ryan ALL day!  So, for those of you who don't know what a great person Holly is, I figured I'd enlighten you.  

Holly is the most loyal friend.  I know I can always count on her. 

Holly is a super hard worker.  We have worked together the past 2 summers at the cemetery and it has been SO great!!

Holly is so easy to get along with.  We have spent tons of time together and she just has this great personality that makes it so easy to be around her.  

Holly is so happy!  She knows how to see the bright side of every situation.

Holly is so much fun! Every time we are together we laugh our heads off!  Seriously though, those Grandy's are funny people!

Holly is so thoughtful.  She always texts me at just the right time and it always brightens my day.

Holly has a strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We have had so many good talks about the church and gospel topics, and I always come away feeling refreshed from her insights.  

Holly is so beautiful, inside and out!  I mean, just look at her!?  She is one of the most gorgeous people I know, and from the list above, it's obvious that her beauty isn't just on the outside.  

Thanks for being such a great friend Holly!!  Ryan is a lucky guy!!  I can't wait to see you and hug the now Mrs. Ryan Voges.  Love ya girl!!

Oh, and here is a screen shot of the text she sent me moments after she met Ryan for the first time.  It's a precious story.  Love at first sight :)

(I know, my response is super shallow, but I thought she was kidding?! haha)

Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert

This morning Mary and I went to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert.  It was so great!  First we were able to watch the Christmas special of Music and the Spoken Word.  Then we were treated with the concert.  We got tickets because our roommate Eden was a dancer for the concert.  She did so great!  The Choir invited two guests to join them, Deborah Voigt (opera performer) and John Rhys-Davies (Gimli from Lord of the Rings).  They were both phenomenal!  My favorite part of the whole concert was probably the telling of the dream of A Christmas Carol.  John Rhys-Davies narrated, and they had special effects, and it was just so great!  Isn't the Conference Center breathtaking?!

Since it was the last showing of the concert, they had a special ending.  The choir sang God Be With You 'til We Meet Again to the guests and they were both really emotional.  I think that it's so great to bring these renowned performers into our Latter-Day Saint family for a few days.  I have no doubt they felt the spirit.  This was a great way to get me in the Christmas spirit, and the drive down with Mary was so fun!  We could talk for days!

 If you're interested in watching it, PBS shows the concert a year from now.  So, the Christmas Concert that is airing this month is from 2012, which I'm sure was fabulous as well!  I think I'll be trying to swing tickets for this in the future.  Merry Christmas everybody!! 

Una Broma

I just finished my Spanish final and so I thought I'd post a video in celebration :)  It's all in spanish and there's no subtitles, but even if you don't know spanish, I think the video and the kids faces are pretty explanatory.  I hope you like it as much as I did!

First Class--Last Class

We went to our first class this semester together

And our last class this semester together

Having a sister here is the best!!!  Happy studying all :)

Calm

Looking back at the past week and a half I have been so blessed to feel calm.  When I step back, I really don't have that crazy of a life.  It's busy, but busy is good, and I know most of you would LOVE to be in my shoes as a college student.  It's a great life!  Anyways, I've had a couple of situations the past week that I've been able to feel calm about when it seems I should have been nervous. 

First, when I returned to school on Monday night I had to face the realization that I hadn't looked at anything that was going on the coming week.  When I finally sat down and took a peek at how the week was going to be I found out I had a LOT to accomplish.  All week I was able to be calm and just do one thing at a time.  I know the Lord was helping me remain calm so that I could get everything done.  

Then, I was driving home from skiing at Sundance on Saturday.  It had been snowing ALL day and I didn't get out of there until about 3:45.  I have a front wheel drive car and I was driving down a steep, windy, snowy canyon road.  I was fishtailing everywhere!  No matter what I did, I could not get my car to go slow enough.  This whole time I felt so calm.  I thought my hands would be gripping the steering wheel, my body leaned forward, and that I would be freaking out!  Even when I ended up stopping completely sideways across the road stopping traffic in both directions I was able to remain calm, get back in my lane and keep on.  I know that I was being watched over that day not only in safety, but in sanity.  

Finally, there's finals.  I feel like so many people around me are stressing out over finals.  I can not tell you how glad I am that I'm not?!  It's not cause I feel super prepared either, cause I'm definitely not.  Right now I'm just thankful that finals are one of the biggest worries on my mind.  There are so many people out there who have so much on their plate and so many matters that have much greater effects on their lives than final exams.  Now, I'll definitely be relieved when they're over, but for now I'm just glad I get to take them!

I know stress is a real thing and so many people deal with some bad anxiety.  I count being able to be calm as a blessing.  It's just another way the Lord lets me know He loves me. :) 

Some Comic Relief

So my friend Rachel posted this on her Facebook and I just have to share!  This is totally me!!  I was laughing out loud, and I don't even know Seinfeld!?  

21 Signs You've Given Up on the Semester

Livi's Logic #2

I need to keep this in mind.  Instead of always thinking about myself, I need to think about others.  God sent me here to help others.

My Thankful Post

I've had a lot of thoughts in my head the past few weeks, and a lot of things I should have written down, but I haven't.  November went so fast and I found myself so uplifted and inspired by all of the everyday Thankful posts.  I didn't tackle that 30-day feat, but I was planning on doing at least one!  There are so many things I am thankful for, and even though it's late--today I am going to focus on one: my body.

While I hope you gain something from this post, it's mainly for me.  I'm not starving for compliments.  I'm not promising a change.  What I am doing is telling how I feel.Maybe I'm a loner in feeling this way, but I feel like most women are too worried about how they look. How we look is superficial, but no matter how many times I try to convince myself it doesn't matter, it just does!  How I look matters to me.  The problem is that I feel like I don't have a ton of control over what my face looks like or how much money I have to spend on clothes and accessories--which all makes a big difference on our overall appearance.  One thing I do feel like I have some control over is my body.  I know I don't have total control over it, God does.  I'm just so thankful he's blessed me with a good one.  I rarely get sick, and I can do any physical activity that I want to do. What more could I want, right?!  Well, let me let you in on my secrets…

I love to exercise.  I'm so thankful for a strong, able body that is able to go as hard as I push it.  I know that exercising makes me happy, and it makes me feel good about myself.  My hang-up is my motivation to work out.  As much as I try to convince myself differently, the main reason I work-out is so I can look better.  I know it's for the wrong reasons, and I tell myself that it's to be healthy, but this reality just keeps surfacing.  In the mean time, I'll keep on working out and hopefully someday I'll be able to convince myself that it's just to be healthy and happy.  For now, they're just nice bonuses :)

I love to eat.  I'm so thankful that I am not a picky eater and that I have plenty of food to eat.  Once again, there's a slight problem: the amount of food I eat.  I want to eat just about everything in my sight!  Now, if I had the metabolism of a super-model this wouldn't be that big of a problem, but it seems that for every ounce I eat I gain a pound!  So, maybe that's an exaggeration, but seriously, I'm pretty sure I have the worst metabolism.  If any of you have metabolism boosting advice, feel free to enlighten me!

Finally, I love my body.  Now that you've heard my personal-image "woes" you're probably thinking I'm a liar.  While I have these conceptions about myself, I am thankful for them.  Because I feel the way I do about my body, I set good goals for myself, I know how to push myself, and I'm working on a little self-control.  Hopefully someday I'll just be able to be happy with my body, but for now I'm thankful for it.

This post is pretty scatter-brained (which is how my life has felt that past few weeks), but I just needed to document how I've been feeling lately about my body.  I hope that this will help at least one person not be so hard on herself.  If you feel this way, you're not alone.  If not, maybe it will help one of my future daughters to be able to know they're not the only person who's felt this way.  Oh, and Happy December Everybody!!

Veteran's Day

Happy Veteran's Day!  

One of my favorite days in elementary school was Veteran's Day.  Each year we would put on a program that the town would come to in honor of our local Veterans. I always loved the songs we learned and I was singing some of them today.  These programs were the start of my appreciation for Veterans. 

I have been interested in American wars for a long time.  My grandpa Herman Teichert was serving his mission over in Germany when WWII broke out.  I have written a few research papers about the war breaking out in Germany and I've been able to use his journal as a primary source. It's so interesting and I've learned so much! My grandpa Oberg was in the military during WWII.  He worked on planes up on the Aleutian Chain.  Every winter when he comes to our house he's reclined in the LazyBoy about 2 feet from the TV watching the History channel.  I love catching some of the action and learning about the war that he was a part of.  Isn't he handsome!

(Thanks Uncle Dave!)

Even though I don't have a ton of military ties, I am still so proud of them!  I have a couple cousins who are currently serving our country and I am so thankful for them and the sacrifice that they make and their families make to keep our country free.  I am so thankful for Veterans everywhere and the courage they had and continue to have as they put their lives on the line so that I can enjoy the freedoms that I do.  I love America.  

Livi's Logic #1

So I've got a bucket (okay, just a small folder on my desktop...) full of quotes that I love and really believe in.  So I'm going to start inserting them randomly as "Livi's Logic."  Hopefully they'll inspire you, uplift you, make you think, or just straight up make ya laugh!  Anyways, here's numero uno :)

  

Half-way

Last night I was discussing with my roommates how strange it is that we PAY money to put ourselves through the things that come with being enrolled as a full time college student: 

-stress

-sleep deprivation

-homework

-deadlines

-the list could go on, but I have more homework to do :) 

  Everyone always says that college is SO fun.  Tell me one fun thing about that list above. 

I have come to realize--THANKFULLY-- that the fun part of college isn't necessarily school (although I really do love my classes).  The fun partS are:

-living with friends

-fun late nights

-finding food

-becoming your own person

-learning new things

-meeting people

-becoming self-reliant

-intramurals

-visitors

-and this list could go on and on as well :)

So, really, college isn't that bad!  A wise brother once told me, "Don't let school get in your way of your education."  I believe it!  I'm learning a heck of a lot more down here than what they're teaching me in the classroom.  

People, don't give up!  All you BYU kids, we're officially half-way!  Keep it up!  All you other kids, you're farther than half-way, so you really better not give up!  Happy college days :)

The Internet

What are you doing with the internet?

Isn't he great?!

Whether you decide to participate in Socktober or not, do something good on the internet this month :)

All Kinds of Kinds

Friday morning Tess and I were about to walk into her apartment building when the National Anthem started playing on campus.  Without really thinking we both turned to where we knew the flag was and held our hands over our hearts and started to sing.  While we were singing I started getting choked up.  Right now our country seems a little crazy with all the crime, political rifts, immortality, corrupt people, and the hottest topic of late: the government shutdown.  Despite all of these things, I can't help but feel proud to be an American.  Even with all of these problems, it's still the best place in the world to live.  It makes me so sad when I hear people bashing our country or saying awful things about our leaders.  I know I don't have the answers or the confidence to do any better.  I always want to ask those who are making the biggest deal out of everything if they have the knowledge to do better?  Maybe they do, I don't know.  All I know is that our leaders are human.  They make mistakes, so do we, but I believe that most of them are doing what they think will be best for our country.  At least I hope they are.  So, I've decided the greatest contribution I can make is to pray for them.  I pray for the leaders of our nation to be guided by the Sprit.  I know prayer works.  My prayers may not affect the leaders of the nation, but I know they affect me and bring me peace when I hear troubling news.  I know that we'll be alright.  

I was reminded of a video that made me think of America.  We have so many different people from so many different backgrounds, doing so many different things.  I love Miranda Lambert, and she has a song All Kinds of Kinds.  I think it describes America very well and how it wouldn't be as great as it is if there weren't "all kinds of kinds."  Now the key (at least in my opinion) is to find it in us to love "all kinds of kinds." Our country will be a better place if we can all just be a little kinder.  

General Conference

Every year when General Conference comes around I'm so excited--excited to have an excuse not to work all day on Saturday, stay in my pajamas all day Sunday, and eat a bunch of food!  This year it's a little different.  I'm excited to hear the living prophet and apostles speak to us.  Yes, US.  The things they say are going to be counsel for all of us living in this day and age, facing the trials we are facing today.  

So, you might wonder, why the change in reason for my excitement?  It's because of a class I'm taking at the Y.  It's a Living Prophets class taught by Lloyd Newell, the voice of Music and the Spoken Word which airs every Sunday morning on radio stations around the world.  He has gotten me so excited to listen to the counsel of God's messengers called to direct us today!  Here are some of my favorite quotes we have gone over to help us prepare for General Conference.  

"Our times are turbulent and difficult.  We see wars internationally and distress domestically.  Neighbors all around us face personal heartaches and family sorrows....all face opposition and travail, and only the rod of iron- the declared word of God- can bring them safely through.  We all need that rod.  We all need that word."  -Elder Jeffery R. Holland.

"The main purpose of general conference, the main purpose of this conference, is to sound the voice of warning.  You who hear and are warned must warn your neighbors.  If we fail to warn our neighbors, we all may be lost."  -President N. Eldon Tanner

People.  It's important.

I don't know what counsel will be given in the next two days, but I know that I don't want to miss it.  I mean, 2 years ago in October they announce the temple in Star Valley.  The FIRST temple in Wyoming!  I was so pumped!  Then last October they announced a change in mission age.  What a wonderful announcement!  I'm going to be honest though, I've been praying that there are no announcements that big this October.  I don't know if I can take another one?!

But here's a little video to get you excited for Conference :)  And you can watch it Saturday and Sunday in any language by clicking HERE.  

Midterms are HERE

Here as in right now!  I have 4 midterms in the next 22 hours.  

8:30 pm - HIST 202

8:00 am - D&C

11:15 am Spanish Oral Exam

5:00 pm Spanish Written Exam

This is about how I feel right now.

It's a crazy time, but it's a good time. Tomorrow at this time will be complete bliss :) Just think of all the knowledge going into my brain!

The sun was bright...

...but we were at Kneader's! 

Mom and Dad came down to visit this weekend and it was such a good time!  It was mom's birthday Friday, and it was so great to be able to spend some time with her on her day!  She's so great!  She's the best mom ever!  Dad came to the football game, but sat by himself, because for some reason, standing in the middle of a couple thousand BYU students didn't sound that fun to him... So Tess and I sat with some friends.  They played Middle Tennessee and won!  It was a fun, cold time!

I ate GOOD this weekend!  Mom brought down a bag of cookies, cinnamon rolls, and 2 loaves of zucchini bread!  Don't worry, I'm sharing with my roommates :)  They also took us to the Creamery for dinner, Kneader's for breakfast, and Cafe Rio for dinner again!  I hadn't eaten out yet since I'd been down here, so it was kinda nice!  Needless to say, I didn't eat a single thing out of my fridge/cupboard all weekend!  Thanks so much Mom and Dad!  

Saturday morning we went on a bike ride out to Utah Lake via the Provo River Trail.  It was a great time!  If any of you are in the Provo area, or ever come down, I would definitely recommend a bike ride or run on the trail.  It's great!

I did mom's hair, as in highlighted it, which is always fun for me!  We also ran a few errands and went to the Relief Society Broadcast.  It was so much fun to just spend time with Tess and my parents!

Taffy and Tony came down Saturday afternoon as well, saw our places, and then we met back up with them to go to the BYU Women's Volleyball game vs. Pacific.  It was so great to see them as well!  Thanks for coming down!  

Life's pretty darn good down here in Provo!

Giving is the Best Communication

My roommate, Rachel, showed me this video last night and I almost cried.  

If we can give just a little everyday, we will be blessed.  I know this. 

Really?!

Okay guys, so I typed into google search (aka the best invention ever!) Spanish Buddy because BYU has a program where a native Spanish speaker can help me with my Spanish and I can help them with English.  Let me tell ya, I need all the help I can get!  So, as I'm scrolling trying to find it I come across a headline that says "provo/orem men seeking women classifieds - craigslist"  Really people!!  I about died laughing!  So, naturally I had to click on it, and I'm still laughing!  Some of my favorites are: 

Looking for a SERIOUS!!  younger girlfriend!

Any liberal lds women?

vain seeking vain

big girl w. huge butt

R U A Loving Devoted Woman who Follows Jesus Christ?

Shy, Nerdy, or not Popular?

Seriously, the list goes on and on!  I just think it's so hilarious!  Who are these creeps anyways?! 

A Different School

Today I started an intro to Special Education class.  When I walked through the door at 2:00 I had no idea what I was getting into.  

We did normal first day things like syllabus, learning suite and a kajillion questions.  Then the teacher told us to take out our Book of Mormons.  Many iPhones were grabbed, computers, and other smart devices, but I was lucky enough to have my scriptures with me from my D&C class this morning (there's just something about that hard copy...).  She asked us to turn to 3 Nephi 17: 5-11.  I always thought that Jesus called the children first when he can the America's but it was the sick, the blind, the halt, and the leprous.  Those who tend to be the most Christlike (in my opinion).  Then he called the children.  We then watched this video showing the miracles Christ preformed. 

I can't describe the feeling that was in that room, but I know I was holding back the tears.  I feel so privileged to have the opportunity to gain an education to become an elementary teacher.  I feel blessed that I get to receive that education here, at BYU.  There are so many great schools out there that I would love, that could teach me how to be an awesome teacher and give me amazing experiences!  But in how many universities could I open my scriptures, read a passage out loud, and then watch a video about Christ to set the stage and the purpose of the class.  That is one thing I love about BYU.  It's different.

Winners!

We won!  And we were pretty dang dedicated fans if I do say so myself.  

Let me let ya know what happened.

So, Mary and I set out to the Levell Edwards Stadium around 3:30-3:45 so we could get decent seats (at least 3 rows from the top!) for the 5:00 football game.  When we left our house it was sunny, we were sweating.  Then about 3 blocks from the stadium Mary told me to look behind me.  What I saw was a huge, dark, menacing cloud.  Before we finished walking those 3 blocks, the wind was blowing like crazy, rain was flying around along with sticks and leaves.  It was crazy!  So we hurried to get inside, and I missed catching Tess who was supposed to meet us there.  We sat there under the stadium staying pretty dry.  It was great.  Tess eventually found us (I still feel kinda bad) and we stayed there until about 10 minutes before kick-off.  Kick-off didn't end up happening until 7:00!  But, we had decent seats and a great game!  What more could some college students ask for?!  Well, maybe a win, which we got!  It was especially exciting because it was against Texas.  Texas Longhorns everybody!  Now I'm not saying we're the best team ever or anything, but I thought we played pretty darn good, if I do say so myself.  It was great!  We got back to our place around 11:00.  Do the math.  That's 7.5 hours on our feet people!  And you know what?  It was worth it :)

What a view!

ROC

This is happening tomorrow.

And Luckily I have this!!

(BYU all-sports pass)

It's going to be the best end to the best week!

Mt. Timp

So I'm back at college everybody!  Last night one of my new roommates (all of them are new), Paige, asked me if I wanted to go hike Timp with her and her boyfriend and some other friends.  Of course I said yes!  I've been wanting to do this for over two years now!  So, we got up bright and early and left our house at 6 this morning to head to the trail head.  When we got there it was a little cloudy and cool, to be expected at 7 am.  It rained on us a little the first few miles, nothing too crazy.  Then we started to get close to a lake that is about a mile from the top and a fog rolled in and the temperature dropped.  It was crazy!  So, we made it to this little shack thing where we ate lunch.  That's when the cold set in!  There I was trying to eat some food in a damp t-shirt and shorts and even though the shelter helped, it didn't block out the cold from blowing in!  Anyways, there was a paramedic person up there and he strongly advised us to turn around and go back down the mountain.  So, we did.  I didn't make it all the way up to the top, but I imagine the view would have been about like it was where we were at.  

Yes, that was the view right out side the opening in the shelter.  Complete fog!  You couldn't see very far at all!  Needless to say, it was a great time!  I'll always remember my first attempt at Mt. Timpanogos :)

Plus, this year is going to be awesome!  Just look who my room roommate is :)  

No, I'm Not a Mom...

...but I'm still super excited about these!

That's right, freezer meals.  I know I don't have a new baby, or a bunch of little kids running around, but as a busy college student I don't know how I'd survive without quick dinners!  When I was heading to school my freshman year I was super poor and I didn't know how in the world I was going to feed myself.  So, my mom, being the smart, thrifty lady that she is, suggested we just make a bunch of freezer meals, and then I wouldn't have to buy near as many groceries.  Boy was she right!  I get delicious food that I don't have to spend time making or spend money on.  I think it's a pretty great deal!    So, last night Tess, Mom, and I made a bunch of freezer meals for us to take to school with us.  We already have some down in the freezer.  This year Tess and I will save time and money because of these, and I'm almost as excited as a mom about it :)

Well Said Mr. Kutcher, Well Said

So I've always had prophets and apostles to give me guidance and advice as a teenager (besides family and friends), but lots of kids don't have that.  I feel like Mr. Kutcher said it perfectly.  Thank you very much.  

The Randomness of Monday

Monday was a long day at work, but probably one of the best days of work all summer!  Here are some of the random photos that we took that day. 

First, this Gigantic bird nest was on our lawn.  We thought and talked about how long it would take a bird to build something that huge and how smart they must be and how sad they must have been when their home fell to the ground.  

Second, the Oscar Meyer Wiener mobile!!  I sprinted to get a good shot of this, and it still isn't that great, so look hard!! haha  We took a trip down memory lane to when we were awesome and in 4th grade and our class made up a dance to the Oscar Meyer song and won our music program $10,000.  We also got a tour of the bus that day, and took a picture with the mobile.  Yea, we were pretty awesome :)

Lastly, Holly should be a professional iPhone photographer, because she snapped this gorgeous shot!  It's not even edited!  The views from the cemetery can be quite beautiful.  I mean, if this doesn't make you want to live in the country, I don't know what will?!  The only sad part is that this storm didn't even bring our valley any rain...

As you can see, the cemetery is an eventful place to be. We rarely snap pictures, so it's kind of monumental that we snapped 3 in one day.  So, there's a little taste of our day :)   

Ashbee

Ashbee is fun, kind, smart, athletic, and gorgeous!  These are just a few of her traits.  Most of them I can't quite find words for.  Ashbee is one of my best friends!  I don't know what I would have done without her this last year at school!  It was so great to have her to talk to.  She knew about my life before college, and she could just relate with me so well!  

We've been friends since elementary school and Madi, Ashbee, Tessa, and I did SO much together!  We went school shopping together every year, had end of the school year sleepovers, and multiple sleepovers throughout the school year.  She was a great teammate, cheerleader, and friend.  I always knew I could count on Ashbee! 

When she came to BYU I was so excited!  I didn't know how much we'd see each other since we weren't living together, but we set a goal the first semester to go to the temple every week.  We set aside  Thursday afternoons to go to the temple and then lunch together.  It was so great!  This goal made sure we saw each other at least once a week, and I know those weekly visits to the temple and with Ashbee helped me out so much!  

Second semester we decided to work out together every morning.  We attended some super fun, super hard aerobics classes every morning at 6 am.  I always knew she'd be there.  We kept attending the temple every week as well.  We spent a lot of weekends and evenings together the second semester as well.  

This Friday, August 2nd, Ashbee married one of the best guys I know, Brady Thompson.  I am so excited for them!   It was a gorgeous day, and I was lucky enough to be a bridesmaid! 

It was so fun to watch them fall in love and to get the details from Ashbee along the way :)  I'm so excited for them, but I'm also a little sad for me...this means she's leaving BYU and heading to Laramie.  I'm pretty sure I'll cry when I finally come to grips with the situation. 

So Ashbee, thanks for being there for me.  You're a great friend, a hard worker, an awesome teammate,  reliable, honest, and you've got a good head on your shoulders.  The list could go on and on!  Most of all, thanks for always being willing to share your testimony when I needed it!  I love you girl!

Let's Be Awesome

I know, I know, you're all probably about to pass out...2 blogs in 2 days for Livi!  It's summer.  That's my only excuse.  Anyways, I've really been filled with ideas, but I just haven't written them down.  So now I'm going to write down what has been on my mind a lot this summer: Second chances.  

It's not very often you get second chances, but I've been given a HUGE second chance this summer, a second chance at LIFE!  I fell asleep at the wheel and totaled my dad's car the day I got home from college, April 25th.  So, I've now had over 3 extra months to live!  What a blessed person I am!  I've thought a lot about how blessed I am to still be alive--let alone able to walk and talk and enjoy life, especially the first few weeks after the wreck.  Then last week coming home from my roommate's mission farewell I passed by a fresh car accident.  People were there on the scene, but no ambulances or cops yet.  I saw a person out laying on the ground with people around him trying to help.  I burst into tears!  How easily could that have been me just a few short months ago?!  I walked out of mine!  I began to think again of how I was doing at my "second chance."  

Here's a little picture of the car.  People have been asking to see, and I figure I need at least one picture in this post because there haven't been any in a while, and I'm probably boring you all to death!  Miracles happen people!

Anyways, as I was saying... A million failures came to mind.  I thought of how lately I've been being a crappy aunt.  It seems like every time the kids come over I have to work.  They want me to play with them, and I'm always "too tired."  Lame.  I know.  Then, I thought about being a crappy daughter!  My dad asked me to help index the other night and I immediately replied, " I can't I have to read for my class and continued to sit in the chair reading while my parents indexed.  Once again, wow!  Then, every time I see Tess it seems like the first thing I ask her is, "Did you shut off Jackie and Stan's waters?!"  I mean seriously, I'm sure it'd be nice if I at least said hello once in a while or asked her how her life was?!  

I then remembered a blog post I read back during the school year--Thank you Heavenly Father for intervening while I was wallowing in self-pity!  It was called "Drops of Awesome."  I'm sure some of you have read it, and it is SO good!  So, I decided I was going to find drops of awesome in my life, and this week I have been doing just that!  There's no better time to start changing than now!  So, this week, some of my "drops of awesome" include: 

Going to my family reunion for the WHOLE time!  

Being brave and belting the song Sisters with Tessa at the talent show.     

Jumping on the tramp with the sprinkler with Taffy's kids.

Sleeping on the tramp with them, and some other cool aunt stuff.

Listening to Tessa talk to me about her knee.

Finally worked out with my mom again.

Was on time for church so my Dad was happy :)

Thanking Tessa for all of the work she does on the yards we take care of.  

People, I know you all do all sorts of awesome things everyday!  Remember the good things you do, and you'll find that the mistakes you make won't bring you down as much and they'll happen less frequently.  So, let's all be awesome :)

Tetherball

Today Tess and I took Taffy and Tony's kids to the elementary school park.  They got new equipment (which is obviously WAY lamer than when we were in school!).  We were talking about this as we were walking down the sidewalk and when we got to the end, lo and behold there was a tetherball standard! Redemption for replacing our equipment!  We were pumped!  So, we set poor little Brady down in the grass (don't worry, he didn't cry!) and started to play.  Once upon a time we had a tetherball standard in our yard, and we both remember being pretty professional at it, so naturally we thought we were going to be awesome.  Boy were we wrong! I threw it over to start us out and, because I'm so great at tetherball :), Tess missed it.  So it was coming back at me and I got ready to hit it back to her, and I totally missed!  It came back around again, untouched, and once again, I missed.  By now, we were laughing our heads off!  Still, we thought we would get better, that our professional skills would return.  Needless to say, we went through 3 games of laughing our heads of at our lack of coordination. About halfway through game 2 I said to Tess, "I feel like mom playing basketball!"  So, while this post would be SO much better if there was a video of us playing, just remember watching my mom playing basketball...but worse!  Who knew being bad at something could be so funny?!  

Life

I was walking to move water at a lawn I take care of, and I looked up at the sunset.  It was perfect.  I love summer, I love sunsets, I love perfect days.  There's so much to be grateful for.  Today I have been reminded how precious life is.  Don't wait to be happy.  Treasure every moment.  Strengthen your relationships with people.  Live your life to the fullest.  Appreciate the little things, cause we only get one chance here. 

--Advice from a 20 year old...take it for what it's worth.    

Pinterest of the Past

Some friends brought over some books that they thought this Teichert household might use.  So, Tess and I decided to take a look at them.  These books are 5 books in the Do-It-Yourself Encyclopedia from the 70's.  While we were flipping through the pages, getting tips on hinges, insulation, and sweet decorating ideas, Tess decided this was the "pinterest of the past."  Take a look :)

 I can only imagine: "I made all of the bedding, drapes, and ottomans myself :) A lot of time, but totally worth it!!  Quilter's dream room." 

"Love the pattern!  So easy to do!" 

 "Felted walls!!  Pin now, read later!"

"Transform any room!  Find your favorite fabric and use it as wallpaper."

"Cheap, Easy, Smart! Pegboard walls in my kitchen!  You can see everything, and it's all easy access.  Why didn't I think of this earlier?!?!"

So, I do not yet have a Pinterest account, but I'm sure I will have one someday--it really is so handy!  For not, I guess I'll just have to stick with the Do-It-Yourself Encyclopedias. Wish me luck!!

 

Under the Stars

I slept under the stars with these two babes last night.

We went camping, just the three of us, up Pine Creek.  We had some delicious tin foil dinners, Doritos, and too many s'mores to count. I also slept better than I have in a long time, not waking up once during the night, and sleeping until after 8 am.  We just laid our sleeping bags down on a tarp and slept.  It was great!  I need to sleep under the stars more often! It was such a fun time!  I just love these two.  We decided this might need to be a regular happening, so if you want to join, let us know :)  

Hello Eugene!

I have one word to describe the trip to Oregon: Love.  I seriously loved it!  Dad, Tess, and I headed on our adventure Tuesday morning (the 4th).  The drive there was great!  Got to see Kenz and Kyler :)  We also stopped and stayed the night in Prineville and got a nice little tour of the town.  

 Outside of Prineville, OR

 The Cascades

We passed through multiple towns I decided it'd probably be okay for me to teach school in someday.  They were all cute little towns.  My favorite was probably Sisters.  It was cute, pretty small, ski area pretty close, surrounded by beautiful mountains as well as green fields.  We hiked up to Sahalie Falls (about an hour outside Sisters), and it was gorgeous as well.  

Sahalie Falls

Our final destination was Eugene which was where the NCAA championship track meet was held. The track meet started everyday at 4, so we had all day to do stuff and it was great!    The bike trails there are sweet!-and Dad and I made good use of them.  I could bike 10 hours a day for a week and still not bike every trail!  The two highlights were probably finding a gorgeous rose garden and an open gate to Autzen Stadium! (Oregon Ducks football field)  I loved spending the time with Dad.  

Friday we took the 2 hour drive to the coast.  Well worth the trip!  It was so gorgeous.  I definitely need to go back.  

The track meet was amazing!  I love watching these athletes preform.  We sat right in front of the winner of the men's 100 hurdle champion, and the  men's 400 hurdle champion (2 different guys), so I felt kinda like I was sitting in VIP seating.  It was pretty exciting :)  We also got to watch Amber Henry run.  She's a friend from Mt. View and she took 3rd in the 3000 Meter Steeple Chase.  Almost 2 miles with 5 hurdles per lap, one with a water pit on the other side...yea, I'm pretty sure I would die.  She was amazing and it was so fun to watch her!  We sure loved every second of the meet and the stadium was great for spectators as well.  

 Amber racing

The adventurers :)

I'm pretty sure I would recommend Oregon as a vacation destination for all :)

"My Heart Will Go On"

Last week some of my siblings and I watched this again for the umpteenth time, and we laughed our heads off--as usual.  These are the boys in my class, and oh how I miss them!  Hope you enjoy it as much as we do :)

Summer Life

Summer life is pretty dang crazy for this girl!  I'm really loving it though!  Because I've been so terrible at blogging, a list will have to work as a way to update all of ya.

*Gone every single Saturday

*Workin my buns off with Holly G

*A Wedding (Friend)

*A Baby (another friend...so crazy!  I'm getting old!)

*Violet and Sedona visiting

*Swinging on the swings

*Mission farewell in Vegas

*Volleyball tournament

*Exercising (not enough though...)

*Friday Night Lights

*Tin foil dinners

*Tessa's graduation

*A little shopping

*Trying to do my online class

*Trying to be a better person (not going so well either)

*Plant sale

*New iPhone

*Bike Rides

*Eating yummy food (my mom's the best cook!)

*Ironman 3 

That list will have to suffice for now.  And here's two memes that pretty much fit me perfectly these first 5 weeks of summer :)

This was found by Vi, and she thought it fit me perfectly, and she was so right!  

The sad part is, I tend to rock the homeless one the most frequently...

And this is what Holly G and I talk about often up at work.

Someday, I will have abs and a booty...preferably before I get married :)