I LOVE NYC

A while back Tess and I decided we were going to go on a trip to New York City!  Well, mainly I decided and Tessa hesitantly followed…but she followed, and that's what's important!  So, in December we had enough money from scrimping and saving and slaving away at the plasma center and we announced our big trip!  Dad didn't think we were serious. Mom was a little nervous.  Our brothers wondered why in the heck we would want to go to New York City of all places.  Our sisters were excited for us, slightly worried, and a lot jealous.  We opened the invitation up to all, but we didn't have any sure takers.  Taffy was kind enough to lend us her services as an awesome travel agent and she found us some cheap plane tickets and a hotel for a great price at a great location!  Through all the planning she caught the bug and decided to come along for the first couple of days.  We're so glad she did!  So, here's the rundown of our trip :)

Wednesday April 23rd: 

We left Cokeville around 7:15 to meet Taffy in Evanston and we headed down to the airport for our 11:59 pm flight.  The flight got cancelled, we had to rebook for a 5 am flight and we slept (or didn't sleep) in the airport.  

Thursday April 24th:

Because of some complications at the ticket counter we were running a little late, so we ran to the gate, but despite our efforts, we barely missed our flight… And yes, this candid photo is one of pure devastation.  

But, things always seem to work out and they rebooked us with a direct flight to JFK leaving at 8:30.  Thank you, sweet ticket lady!

When we got there we checked into our hotel, Hotel Carter.  This little gem of a hotel was half a block from Times Square.  The location couldn't have been better!  It was a little dumpy, but the price and location made it totally worth it!  And let's be honest, all we did in there was sleep and shower, so we didn't need anything too fancy.

Then, that night we just walked around Times Square and tried to get a little bit more familiar with our surroundings.   

Friday April 25th:

We picked up our New York Passes (a must have if you plan on doing touristy things in NYC) and headed off!  The first thing on our list was biking in Central Park.  It was amazing!  We laughed and talked and just had a ball!

Next, the Empire State Building.  We did the audio tour and learned so much about NYC.  I seriously felt like I was in the movies way up there!

Then we did the New York Skyride.  Seriously people, don't waste your time.  It's supposed to be a simulation of hang gliding over the city, but it was really horrible.  I had to close my eyes halfway through because I was so motion sick.  It took me about an hour to recover.  

That evening we went on a twilight river tour around the south end of Manhattan.  It was so much fun! The views were surreal!  

Saturday April 26th:

Our morning started out with a beautiful run in Central Park.  We really loved that place. 

Then we cleaned up and headed to Discovery Times Square where the Body Worlds exhibit was on display.  It made me a little queasy, but it was still pretty interesting.  Taffy and Tessa loved it and took their time in there exploring every detail of the human body while I chilled outside.

Then they humored me and we went to a couple museums.  First stop was the Museum of Natural History.  Then we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  I loved it!  I got to see the original of one of my favorite paintings, Washington Crossing the Delaware.

We also got to see some really cool Egyptian stuff that dated back to about 2000 BC.  

Next was my long awaited trip to the Brooklyn Bridge.  I finally got to walk it, in the rain no less, and it was everything I always dreamed of :)

That night we went out to eat at a place called Stardust Diner.  It was so fun!  They entertain you while you eat some good ol' fashioned diner food.  We loved every second of it!

After dinner we headed to Madam Tussaud's Wax museum where we snapped some shots with our favorite celebrities.  It was more fun than any of us expected!

The last stop of the night was Cold Stone where we ended up enjoying ice cream 4 times throughout the week :)

Sunday April 27th:

First thing in the morning we took the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.  The Spirit was so strong at both places and I learned so much about how important the birth of our country was, and how important immigration was from the audio tours. 

Brooklyn from the ferry

 The Registry room at Ellis Island

When we got back we went to the 9/11 Memorial.  This was the site in NYC I was most excited to see.  The attack on the Twin Towers changed my life, and I loved learning about the details of the events that occurred that day.  So many people volunteered and helped out in a time of crisis.  Americans came together to help out in a time of terror and even though I was just a young 3rd grader, that was the first time I remember feeling proud to be an American.  Going to the memorial and the tribute museum have just made me prouder.  I love America.  

We walked around the financial district a little more and then went to a Jewish Heritage Museum that was very interesting as well.  

Then we headed uptown and saw the temple and went to the Art Students League of New York where my great grandma Minerva Teichert attended art school.  We were pretty pumped about being there.  

Monday April 28th:

Taffy headed back to Wyoming really early.  We LOVED having her with us!  I'm so glad we have such a great relationship with her even though we're so far apart in age.  We had so much fun together!  After she left, it was just the two of us in the big city!  A little intimidating, but we did pretty darn good, if I do say so myself :)

Our morning started with a beautiful run along the East River.  Isn't Tess a babe?!

Then we went and walked around Little Italy, Chinatown, and Soho and did a little shopping.

Later in the day we headed up to the Bronx and Yankees Stadium. We couldn't go inside, but it was still really cool to see it! 

We got off the subway at Rockefeller Plaza and had fun walking around there for a bit.  

We did some more shopping and just walked around Times Square and enjoyed being in the big city.  

Tuesday April 29th:

First thing in the morning we made a quick stop by Madison Square Garden.

Then we headed to the High Line.  We LOVED this!  They restored a section of the old high line railroad system that ran in Manhattan and turned it into a garden/walkway.  The views were great, the gardens were beautiful, and we just loved it.  I snapped this gorgeous pic of Tess while we were there.  

Then we headed up to the Temple.  The city is so busy and crazy, and you walk through the doors and it is so calm and peaceful.  It was so refreshing.  We performed baptisms for the dead and it was such a great experience.  The Church is true people. 

That night was the big finale: WICKED!!  We were so excited, and it definitely did not disappoint!  Those people are so talented and the story line was great!  We left speechless.  We've been talking about it and singing to the soundtrack ever since.  

Wednesday April 30th:

This was our last day and we had to check out of our hotel at 11:00, so we decided to just take a good run in Central Park.  Well, it was pouring rain!  We did it anyways and loved every second!  We were soaked to the bone.  

Then we came back to our hotel to shower and clean up, but there was no water that morning at our hotel because of a fire hydrant that was gushing water out in the street…  So, we cleaned up as best we could, checked out of our hotel, hauled our luggage to the bus stop in the rain, and said our last goodbyes to the city.  

We sure loved you New York City!  Don't worry, I'll be back :)

(If you made it to the end of this, you're a champ!  But seriously, sorry it was SO long!)

Endings.

One of my least favorite things are endings.  Right now I'm facing some of them, and it's kinda killing me.  I'm not good at them.  I've know this ending was going to be coming for quite some time now, so I've been trying to prepare myself for it.  One of the things that helped me was this quote by Buddha.  

So, obviously this isn't the end of my life or anything, but I think this can apply to us all the time.  I'm trying to love all the things I'm doing as well as all of those around me.  I'm trying to live without stress.  I'm trying to not get mad or frustrated about the things that I'm having to let go.  Thanks for the advice, Buddha.  

I also was able to receive some comfort and advice from General Conference.  I didn't remember hearing this quote, but Mary told me it reminded her of me.  It's perfect!  

This is the ending of my time in Provo for a while, but it's not the end of the friendships I've made with people, the memories I've shared, or the lessons I've learned.  So, instead of looking at this time as an ending, I'm going to look at it as a BEGINNING.  Doesn't that sound so much better?!

Another great talk that gave me a new perspective on this change was a talk by Bishop Gary E. Stevenson.  He asked us: 

I got thinkin', and I realized that my summer is just like four minutes of my life.  It's going to go by so fast and I AM going to make the most of it.  I'm going to do good things with those four minutes.  It's going to be great!  

So, enough about sad endings.  I'm just going to look forward to the new beginnings :)

#QUESTIVAL

All of my Instagram friends that want to defined me because of all my posts the other day, I have an explanation!  I was participating in an adventure called Questival and it was awesome!  

So, what is Questival? 

Questival was an adventure event organized to launch the company Cotopaxi.  Teams were made up of 2-4 people.  You could have an all boy team, all girl team, or co-ed team.  Every team was given the same list of tasks (there were over 100).  Each task was a different amount of points.  Each team had 24 hours to earn as many points as they could.  Included in these 24 hours was 6 mandatory hours of sleep.  The quest started on Friday at 6 pm and went until Saturday at 6 pm.   

How did I get roped into this?

My roommates Heather and Kimmy came downstairs Monday or Tuesday and told me about it and asked if I wanted to do it.  Of course I said yes!  This was right up my alley!!  

What is Cotopaxi?

Cotopaxi is an outdoor gear company like Patagonia or The North Face.  They're pretty special though, because a lot of their proceeds go to helping children around the world in locations like Peru and Tanzania.  They are doing a lot of really good things for a lot of kids.  So, they had a genius idea to get the word out about their brand and their cause.  

Did we win?

No.  But we had a BLAST doing it!  I don't know how we compare to other teams, but we scored 228 points, and I'm pretty proud of that.  The teams that did win get to go on an awesome humanitarian trip.  The trip locations are Machu Pichu, Angkot Wat, and Kilimanjaro.  Pretty legit.  

Why all the Instagram posts?

We had to document ever quest with a picture and four hashtags: #questival #gearforgood (Cotopaxi's slogan) #shrimpshackshooters (our team name) and #q12 (or whatever the task number was).  So, every picture taken by the 450 teams was uploaded onto Instagram and hashtagged with Cotopaxi's stuff!  They were definitely trending.  Genius social media marketing!!  Luckily, my teammate Heather also had an Instagram, so you didn't have to see ALL of the posts.  Thanks for putting up with me.  You can start following me again now :)

Why are there backpacks in all of the photos?

They gave us these backpacks when we registered.  (Registration was $15 per person, but the backpacks are a $30 value, so we felt like winners)  Then, each photo we took had to have each team member's backpack to prove that they were there and not off doing some other task.  Once again, genius idea, and can I just say, I LOVE these packs!  They have these sporty ones, more basic ones, as well as backpacker deluxe ones! Go check 'em out at cotopaxi.com.  

What quests did you do?

It would take me a really long time to list all of the tasks, so I'll just throw in a few of them.  

We rollerbladed for 30 minutes.  Kimmy and Heather are PROS!  This was the first time I've been since I was like 10. I only had one biff, with minor injuries. 

We enjoyed a sunset, and it was gorgeous!

Kimmy swung on a rope swing into the Provo River (in the dark no less).  She's so brave!

We hiked to the Y in spandex pants by the light of the moon. 

We hiked to Stewart Falls in the middle of the night.  This hike was super snowy, crazy, and so much fun!! 

We had eggs, tinfoil dinners, and s'mores for breakfast over a fire we built, after we slept for 3 hours under the stars.  

I slept in a public place (a park) while Kimmy slept in a hammock nearby and Heather slept in the car.  This was our second 3 hour segment.  Each were worth different amounts of points.  I've never felt so homeless in my life.  

We hiked the G in Pleasant Grove and did some yoga in nature while we were at it.  

We hiked to the U. 

We hiked Ensign Peak.  What an awesome view!

Finally, our last quest was to take a picture in front of a water fountain at Thanksgiving Point.  This was the location of the finish line.   

After it was all over, we got a picture with some Llamas.  

Would I do it again?

Absolutely!  It was so much fun!  The worst part about it was having to sleep the second set of 3 hours.  I loved every adventure and every task.  I included mostly pictures of us hiking (which we did a LOT of), but we did a lot of other fun things like:

Yodeling in a public place

Planking in a public place for the length of an Instavideo

Riding the elevator in the SLC City Library

Eating a street taco with no hands

Sending a postcard to a Veteran

and many, many more!  

This was such a fun experience and I'm so glad I got to do it with Kimmy and Heather.  They are such awesome girls, and I'm so glad I got to know them better.  We were within 10 feet of each other for 24 hours straight, and I was smiling the whole time :)  They are great!  I definitely hope they do it again!  If they do, I'll try to help spread the word so that all of you can join in on the fun as well :)  

#QUESTIVAL

Sundance

It's hard to believe that four months have gone by, but it's true.  The ski season is over at Sundance, and oh was a season it's been!  I absolutely LOVED being a ski instructor up there this year!  I learned so much--about skiing, and more importantly, about myself.  I had the opportunity to meet so many great people who came up for lessons.  Those kids just made my day!  I had so many great lessons and great experiences that taught me so much!  Each day was an adventure.  

It's hard to pick, but here are three of my favorite experiences:

One day I had a group of four boys, three eight year olds and a six year old.  The six year old could tell he wasn't doing as well as the others.  I was giving him most of my attention to ensure that it would be a good experience for him.  As we were skiing I asked him if he was having a good time.  Slightly frustrated he said, "Yes, because everyday I get to choose if I'm going to have a good day or a bad day, and I'm choosing to have a good day!"  What great parents that kid must have?!  

I taught so many determined kids.  I had a little 5-year-old girl over President's Day weekend who became my little buddy.  She did so well!  She was always happy and willing to try whatever I asked her.  Her parents were great, and I was so sad when they left.  I didn't know I could grow to love someone so quickly.  What a great experience!  Then, on my second to last weekend, a little girl came up to me and asked if I was Olivia.  She then told me that she was Caroline's neighbor back East and that Caroline says hi!  Seriously made my day!  

The season was winding down and there weren't too many lessons anymore.  I taught in the morning Saturday and figured I'd get the afternoon off.  That's always kind of nice.  So, I was standing at line up when I got called over to do a lesson.  My supervisor told me that the student had some learning disabilities as well as a few physical disabilities.  He was ten years old and about as big as me.  Needless to say, I did NOT want to teach the lesson.  I taught the lesson, and I think it ended up being the highlight of my season.  This boy was so determined!  I worked so hard with him, picking him up each time he fell (literally), staying positive, and convincing him that he could do it!  When I started the lesson his mom told me that she'd be happy if he lasted an hour of the two and a half hour lesson.  We made it the whole two and a half hours and he wanted to do more!  I was so proud of him!  When I got into my car, I collapsed.  My adrenaline was gone and I was exhausted, but I had just had an amazing experience, one I will never forget.  

More important than all of my lesson experiences is the friendships I made with the people I worked with.  There were so many great people up there!  Each day I went up, I was so excited to see them!  They always made me feel so good about life.  So many of them made a huge impact on my life and I'm so glad to call them my friends :)  I can't wait 'til I can see them all again!  Sundance was good to me.  I think I'll go back.  

The "Three Musketeers"  Oh how I love these girls!! 

  Last day!!  Ski/Snowboard crossover. What a fun day with some fun people!

Livi's Logic #6

Some pretty sound advice.  If you don't like what's happening with your life, change it.  We're all in charge of our own happiness :)  

Little Skiers :)

I got to go home the weekend of the 22nd and teach my niece and two of my nephews how to ski.  We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day, and they did so great!!  It was their first time ever, and we did six runs!  I was so proud of them!  They were so happy and so fun to be with.  Here's me and my little skiers :)

Not only was I able to be with these kids all day, but almost all of my family came home!  We had a fun ski day together

a sister's walk

a delicious lasagna dinner

celebrated Tillie's birthday with some Angel Food cake

and got to spend some time loving on this little cutie :)

Isn't he perfect?!

As you can see, it was a great weekend!  I love my family and I love the great relationships that we have with one another.  The whole weekend was full of laughter, hugs, food, and fun.  I feel so blessed to have the family that I do.  I thank my Heavenly Father for them every day.  

First Day of Spring

I absolutely LOVE this time of year down here in Provo!  Here's what I did on the first day of Spring :)

Zumba

Spanish

Gymnastics

Attended a guest lecture about social competency in elementary students--very interesting

Made myself a taco and ate it

Taught a four-year-old how to ski

Made a quick stop at Lo-Lo's for ice cream for a roommate party tonight :)

Filled my car with gas

Went to the temple with some peeps from my ward where I took this pic:

(I love flowers SOOO much!)

Finished my Spanish homework

Wrote a blog
Plus, I've been GLUED to  my ESPN app all day because I made a bracket, and let me tell ya, I'm stinkin' it up right about now...

Nothing extraordinary, but seriously, what a great way to kick off spring!

A Little Bit of Perfection...

After Spanish this morning I sat down to do homework in the JFSB in front of the large, east facing windows.  I had been doing homework for about 10 minutes when this was my view:

Oh how I love the sunrise.  It feels me with hope, joy, and love.  I am so blessed.

Livi's Logic #5

I love my parents.  The problem is that sometimes I take them for granted.  I saw this quote a couple of days ago and I decided I need to do a better job of making my time with my parents count.  

This weekend I was able to spend quite a bit of time with my parents.  I went to the state basketball tournament where my dad was coaching his high school girls' basketball team.  Tess and I stayed with my parents and had a grand ol' time!  His girls did so great and pulled out an upset in the semifinals to play in the championship game Saturday afternoon.  They played so well but ended up taking second.  I'm still so proud of them!  

Mom, Tessa, Violet, Sedona and I got to do some shopping and swimming and sit together at the games.   We had so much fun just being together and visiting about life.  It was so great!  My mom is just so loving.  I know she cares about me so much and I love being with her.  Nothing makes my day more perfect than a being with my mom.  She's the bookkeeper for the team, so she travels with them and my dad.  I thought it might end when Tess was graduated, but she still keeps going!  She loves going and watching the girls and supporting my dad.  

I had a lot of great moments this weekend, but my favorite one was with my dad.  It was pretty personal, so without going into too much detail, Dad basically told Tess and I how he knew we had worked so hard to be the best we could be and how bad he wanted us to accomplish our goals.  I almost cried.  My dad's not a one to dish out compliments or really tell us that he's proud of us.  I just always pretend he is :)  So, this moment had a big impact on me and I am so glad I was there to support him in his coaching.  He loves basketball, and he loves these girls.  They work hard and he was so proud of them this weekend. 

Summer's just around the corner, and I'm heading home!  I'm not going to lie, I'm a little nervous…  I feel like I'm heading into social Siberia.  I have great friends here and it seems like something is always going on!  When I head home there's going to be like no one my age!  I've been kinda bummed about this and wondering what I'm going to do.  Even Tessa is going to be gone!  I've never spent a summer home without at least 2 of my siblings home.  This week though, I decided it's going to be awesome!  I'm going to get some quality time with my parents.  I'm excited to spend some time with just us three.  Hopefully they don't get too sick of me bugging them about doing stuff with me…  I guess it'll keep 'em young :)  

Anyways, so all of you out there, love your parents.  They need us.  They need our friendship.  They need our love.  Just like we need theirs.  

Happy Birthday Uncle David!!

Today has been a special day.  My Uncle David had his first birthday in Heaven.  I haven't written about my experience with his passing yet because I've been having a hard time with it.  I just kept asking myself why it had to happen to him, why it had to happen to his family.  He passed away from complications due to lung cancer.  He always kept the Word of Wisdom to a "T," so it seemed so strange that his body would fail him in this way.  The only way I can make sense of it is that Heavenly Father needed him up there more than we needed him down here.  I can only imagine the marvelous work he is doing up there!  

Tonight Mary, Tessa, and I had a birthday part for him.  It was so great!  We made a cake, lit up the candles and sang our little hearts out.  When the candles were out and there was that birthday candle smell I was flooded with memories of birthdays around their table, David at the head.  He always made sure we sang the song quick and with gusto!  No song was ever finished without the follow up phrase: "What a windjammer!"  

The cake :)

A quick memory of cakes with Uncle David:  When Tess and I were in jr. high we were up at David and Sally's when he asked us if we'd ever made a cake.  Neither of us had… So he promised us that each time we made a cake we would get more good lookin'--that's why his wife was so pretty!  Obviously I haven't made enough cakes yet…haha!  I'm sure he was proud at how quick I whipped up this cake :)

This next picture is one of my favorites.  It was the first time we went to visit him at the hospital after his stroke.  I remember talking to him as he squeezed my hand.  As I was about to leave he brought my hand up to his lips.  I started bawling, but was filled with so much hope!  I knew he was going to recover and be back to his normal, happy self.  

We went and visited him again after he was transferred to the rehab unit.  This visit we actually got him to laugh!  It was so exciting!  I told him a story that my dad had just told me about his football days at Ricks.  My dad's coaches had gone to one of Snow College's games and watched David play.  They were very impressed with David and brought my dad in to talk to him.  The coach asked my dad if he was as fast as David.  My dad replied: faster.  They asked if he was as big as David.  His reply: 10 pounds bigger.  The conversation went on and my dad was so thankful that his brother played so well because after that he became the punt returner.  This story now has a special place in my heart because I heard Uncle David laugh for the last time.  

As the semester went on and I was down here at school I called my mom everyday for an update on David.  Most of the time I was in tears.  It was tough on his family and my heart was breaking for them. I was having a hard time dealing with this reality and as I tried to put myself in their shoes I couldn't even imagine the heartbreak they were experiencing.  Sometimes things just don't work out the way we want them to, but the Lord is in charge and He knows what is best for us.  Healing definitely didn't happen overnight, and I am still receiving comfort each day.  It seems though whenever I think of him, a picture of him laughing pops into my head.  He was always the happiest guy and I imagine he's even happier now that he's back with our Father in Heaven.

Uncle David and his sweetheart.  What an amazing woman she is!  I can't think of a stronger, more loving and caring person.  

Aren't they perfect?!

I know that Uncle David wants us to be happy down here.  He wants us to love one another.  He wants us to find peace.  I know we can find that peace through our Savior, Jesus Christ.  He knows exactly how we are feeling.  He can comfort us and help us find peace if we will let Him.  So, Happy Birthday Uncle David!  I hope I made the right wish for you :)  I love you!  

Livi's Logic #4

Mother Teresa has been one of my heroes since 7th grade.  In English class we had to write an essay about one of our heroes.  This hero couldn't be a family member and had to be someone we could look up facts about on the internet.  I didn't really have any heroes at the time besides my family, so I asked my mom who would make a good hero.  She told me about quite a few people and the things that they had done, but Mother Teresa won.  The more information I found about her, the more I grew to love her.  She was an amazing lady.  She truly lived her life in the service of others.  This is one of my favorite quotes from her.  

Don't worry so much about what others think.  The Lord knows your heart.  And really, that's all that matters.  

Sometimes Dreams Don't Come True...

When I came to school here my freshman year I was pretty certain that I was going to be an Elementary Education major.  I went to all of the meetings and declared it my major.  One meeting at the end of my freshman year they told us that the department offered a study abroad program in New Zealand your last semester of practicum, or the semester right before you student teach.  I was sold!  

So, since then I have been saving my money, dreaming, and, conveniently enough, staying single :)  (you can't go on this study abroad married).  As my dream was getting closer, I was getting more and more excited!  I was so excited to go to New Zealand and experience a different culture, see how their school system works, and just have an adventure!  Then on Monday I got an email telling me that the study abroad for 2015 is cancelled.  I was devastated.  (I still kind of am…)  I cried a couple of tears while I read the message on my way from the JFSB to the Library.

I was pretty bummed and for a moment I even considered changing my major to Spanish?!  I told Tessa and my roommates when I saw them.  I couldn't get the courage up to call my mom and tell her though, cause I knew I would cry again.  It's just kinda hard when your dreams get crushed, ya know?  Then I went up to the ski hill and taught 5 kids grades 2nd-4th how to ski and everything was right again in the world.  I just love those kids and I decided I really do want to be an elementary education major!  It's okay if I can't go to New Zealand, that wasn't the reason I chose this major in the first place.  

Tuesday I finally mustered the courage to call my mom.  I still cried.  She helped me out though, and since then I've thought of a bunch of really great things I can do with a semester abroad that involve using/learning Spanish.  Really, the possibilities are endless and I haven't had time to look at all of them, but rest assured, I'll be doing something fun next fall :)  

I guess it was about time I received this little bump in my charmed life.  Looking back at it a couple of days later I know that it's going to be a blessing.  Everything is going to work out, and it'll probably be even better!  So, even though this post is kinda depressing, don't feel bummed for me.  (It's just so I don't have to re-tell this story every time someone asks me when I'm going to New Zealand) So, even though dreams don't always come true, sometimes they change, and sometimes the change is even better!    

21!!!

It was my birthday yesterday, and it was the best birthday of my life!  The whole weekend was so great!  Definitely better than I could have asked for.  

I'll just start with Saturday, the day leading up to my birthday.  I had Insanity and work nice and early, but I got to go and work on some of my personal skiing before the lift was open (another nice perk of being an instructor--instructor clinics). Then I had a fun lesson in the morning with two cute little 4-year olds who had never skied before.  They did great!  Then after I signed them out to their parents I turned around and my parents were there!  I was expecting them, but I was still so surprised to see them!  We visited outside in the warm sun while I ate my lunch.  They were able to meet some of my co-workers and bosses and it was just so fun to have them there and have them meet some of the people who are having such a huge impact for good on me.  Then my lovely boss let me off early to go with Mom and Dad.  So, we came back and went to the BYU Women's basketball game and then out to dinner at Texas Roadhouse!  It was my first time ever, and of course I got the ribs :)  Ribs are one of my favorite things, and these ones were especially delicious!  Then we went to Target where Mom and Dad "gave me" two super cute sweaters for my birthday.  Then we went to the Creamery and got some good ol' ice cream :)  I'm so blessed to have such a great family.  I love them so much and I'm so glad they chose to spend their day off down here with Tessa and I.  Thanks again Mom and Dad!  I love you guys!

My real birthday was Sunday, and boy was I spoiled!  I woke up to texts full of birthday wishes and they kept coming all day long!  My roommates cooked me breakfast.  French Toast even!  My favorite!  I seriously live with the best girls!  

Then church was great, and after two guy friends from my ward came over and sang 3 different renditions of Happy Birthday accompanied by an accordion.  It was so fun!  

Celinda and Jesse had Mary, Tess, and I over for birthday dinner, lasagna!  Once again, one of my favorite things! Then when we came back to the house the side door was locked!  I was trying to get in with my key, I pounded on the door, I even cussed a little (I think I said stupid…) and then Mary convinced me to just go through the front door.  When I went through the door the living room was FULL of my friends and they all yelled, Surprise!  I really was so surprised!  I had no idea that they had been planning this?!  I still don't know how they kept it so hush-hush… Then we had cake and candles, and played a game and it was so great!  Mary even made a chocolate roll?!  When we sat down to play the game I looked around and said, "Wow, I'm so lucky to have such awesome friends."  But really you guys, there were so many good people in one room, and I considered ALL of them my friends.  I love every one of them.  One of my friends took video of blowing the candles out.  I can't figure out how to upload it, but it was good!  

I don't know if awesome birthdays are precursors for an awesome year, but I think we're off to a pretty great start :)  I can't wait to see what the next 364 days have in store for me :)  Thanks everyone for making my day so great!  Thanks for all the phone calls, texts, voicemails, Facebook posts, and wishes in person.  You guys are great!  

Paige Montgomery

Another amazing girl has made an impact on my life.  She has been one of my roommates this past semester and I'm so glad I've had the privilege to life with her!  Paige is so great!  We've been the babies in the house, she's just a few months younger than me, and we've gotten a long so well!  This morning Paige left to Germany to do an internship.  She's going to be working for the Church over there, and I'm so excited for her and the awesome experiences she's going to have.  While I'm so excited for her, I'm sad for me--I'm going to miss her so bad!  I'm already having withdrawals!  Normally when I got home Paige and her now fiancé, JJ, would have been here, I would have talked with them for quite a while, smelled there delicious cooking, and then been offered something pumpkin and healthy that she made from a new recipe she was experimenting with.  She's just so great!  

So, one of my favorite memories with Paige was just a few hours after I arrived, she invited me to go with her, JJ, and some friends to hike Mt. Timpanogos.  I was so excited and so surprised that she'd invite me.  She barely knew me!  I could be some annoying weirdy for all she knew! (Maybe I am, but at least she's nice about it :)…) It was one of my favorite days, and I'm so glad I got to share it with Paige.  

Paige is a go-getter and is going to go so far in life.  She's a great friend and a great example. Love you Paige!  See you in a few months :) 

Livi's Logic #3

I know Heavenly Father loves me, and I know He loves all of you too.  

He is our comforter and our best friend.  

Turn to Him.