God Really Does Love Me!

You know how I know?  This sign was posted on the door to my class from 4-7 tonight.  

There's a lot of other things in my life that make me realize God loves me, this one just made me especially happy :)  

Also, my feet were neither cold nor wet today because of these new boots!

  

Mom came yesterday and she got them for me for my birthday.  I can't even tell you how grateful I am to have them.  It was so fun having mom here, even if it was for only a couple of hours.  We had fun shopping and talking.  I definitely needed some "mom" time.  It's like a mini vacation every time she comes down.  I love it!

One Man Les Miserables

I went and saw Les Mis on Saturday, and I really enjoyed it!  I am actually kind of embarrassed to say I knew absolutely nothing about it, but it's true.  I have to say I wasn't expecting it to be so dark.  I was always really grateful for the funny innkeepers to lighten the mood once in a while.  The sadness of the movie was just how those times were though.  I don't really have anything to base it off of, but I think they did a great job!  I really loved the music, and I really love this version of it.  I know it's 13 minutes, and that seems pretty daunting, but just start it and get a taste for it.  You don't have to finish it.  And yes, he really does sing all of the parts :)

7,305

That's how many days I have been alive. 20 years + 1 day.  Birthdays are always a little bitter-sweet for me.  Since I was little I've been kinda bummed about growing up.  The first time I remember crying about growing up was a couple of days before I finished 3rd grade.  I remember crying to my mom about how sad I was that this was the last week with Dad as my teacher, and that I was never going to get to have him as my teacher again!  I was so sad!  I think it was the first time I really realized that when things end you can't ever have them back.  Since then I've pretty much cried at every big growing up period in my life!

So, when I ended the days of being a teenager, I decided to be happy about this growing up day instead of sad, because there's nothing I can do to change it!  20 years seems like kinda a long time to me, but really it's not that old.  I still have a LOT of life in front of me.  I had a great day yesterday to celebrate my life!  I have so many great friends and such a great family that all helped to make my day special.

Plus guys, I have done some pretty awesome things in 20 years!  I have learned so many things and have had so many life changing experiences.  I just wouldn't be me if I didn't have every single one of those 7,305 days in my life.  I wouldn't have met all of the great people I have.  So, from now on, when I think about getting older, I'll think about all of the great experiences that lie ahead and all of the great ones that I have had.  These first 2 decades (2 decades people!) are going to be pretty hard to top, but I'm pretty sure I can do it :)  Here's to another amazing year!!

Final moments of being a teenager...

The last 24 hours of my teen life have been great!  At work this morning my crew leader brought in some Krispie Kremes (yum!) and my crew sang Happy Birthday to me since they won't see me tomorrow.  It was so great and heartwarming.  I am really loving my crew this semester.  

Then this afternoon I went skiing.  I went by myself and it was still great!  I'm taking a ski class this semester, so I bought a weekday season pass to Sundance.  (I'll post more on the classes a different day)

These are my sweet skis.  Love them!

When I got home, Jessie had a plate of cookies for me that she made.  So nice!  

Tonight I've been able to get some homework done, which has been super nice, so hopefully I won't have to do any tomorrow.  I'm a little bummed I didn't do anything too crazy on my last day as a teenager, but it honestly it was a good day for me.  

(Oh, and sorry about the bummer post last time, but I'm human.  Everything is good now.)  

Enjoy the Feeling

It's always best when these feelings come at the end of the day. Then you only have to enjoy it until you fall asleep :)  Definitely love this quote!  Such wisdom.

 Enjoy the Feeling

Occasionally a missionary told me in an interview, "I'm not doing very well.  I just seem to be depressed and discouraged."  Unless there was an unusual reason for these feelings, my answer was, "Well, I'm glad to hear that.  At least now we know that you're normal.  Enjoy the feeling-it probably won't last.  And the first sunny day will do wonders for it."

It helps a great deal if we realize that there is a certain healthy element in getting the blues occasionally. It is quite in order to schedule a good, discouraging, depressing day every now and again just for contrast.  

-Elder Boyd K. Packer

Surprise!!

Friday I came home with Ashbee and surprised my family!  It was kinda a surprise to me too since I just decided that morning to go. It's been a great weekend and I'm so glad I was able to come.

I got to see these cute kids:

The main reason I came home was to spend some time with my grandparents who are down from Alaska.

We ended the night Saturday with a dance party!  Dad's not in this picture, but let me tell ya, he's got the moves!!!

A mission call and a ball game

Brooke got her mission call!!  She's going to the Belgium/Netherlands mission.  She'll be speaking Dutch.  As sad as I am that I'm not going to see her for 18 months, I'm so excited for her!  She's going to be an awesome missionary.  The people there are just going to love her fun personality, and her strong testimony and love for the gospel with change many lives.  

(Forgive how awkward I'm standing in this...)

After the mission call, I headed to the BYU vs. St. Mary's men's basketball game.  Oh the ups and downs!  The whole second half was so exciting with many lead changes and it came right down to the wire!  We were tied at 67 with about 20 seconds to go in the game, and BYU had the ball.  Tyler Haws ended up making a shot with 2.5 on the clock.  We were freaking out, cause we just thought we'd won.  Well, then St. Mary's in-bounds the ball, the kid takes like 2 or 3 dribbles, and puts up a prayer just inside half court and swishes it!?!?  I could not believe it!  Talk about ultimate high to ultimate low!  Oh so sad!  On the bright side I got to watch the game with these two lovely ladies.  Lindsey, Ashbee and I have done quite a bit together the past week, and it's been a dang fun time!  

Birthday Girl

Jessie is 20 today.  She's my room-roommate this year, and we have had so much fun!  I've learned so much from her and I'm so impressed with the kind of a person she is!  She is so nice to everyone, she's on the ball, she is so smart, and she has the cutest style.  She's opened my eyes to art and media and  music and lots of other awesome things that I knew like nothing about.  This is probably my last semester living with her, and it makes me sad.  No matter where life takes me though, I'll always remember Jessie on January 15th (probably lots of other days too...), and I'll think, "This is a big day.  It should be a national holiday or something."  Happy Birthday Jess!!

Some Visitors

Look who came to Provo!

It was so fun to spend the afternoon/evening with them.  Cafe Rio dinner with them and a bunch of friends, and then games and a movie at Andrew's.  I sure love when family comes down :)

Tenor

Tomorrow my cousin Tenor is leaving on his mission.  We've grown up together our whole lives, and have lots of good memories.  He's going to be a great missionary!  I am so proud of him!  He is such a great kid.  I am always amazed at his ability to talk to anyone and everyone.  Not only does he talk to them, but they all become his friends!  I know he has a strong testimony, and I'm so excited for the people of North Carolina to have their lives touched by him.

Tenor has been on my mind a lot lately--his whole family really, but especially him.  A little over a month ago his dad, my Uncle David, was diagnosed with cancer, and it's not good.  As much as I try and push it out, the thought keeps coming back, "What if this is the last time Tenor see's his dad in this life?"  It brings me to tears every time.  Their family has so much faith, and there are so many people praying for my Uncle David.  I got to talk with David over the break, and I am just amazed at his strength and trust in the Lord.  He's such a great man.

Through this turn of events I have gained even more respect and admiration for Tenor.  I am so amazed at his faith in the Lord and his desire to serve a mission.  He's making a lot of sacrifices to go, and I'm so proud of him. Get ready NC, Elder Teichert's coming! :)

So Domesticated

This week I sewed this skirt.  I'm pretty excited about it!

I'd been wanting a wool skirt for quite a while now.  I got this wool fabric and a pattern for Christmas, and it was fun for me to work with my mom on this project.  There were definitely some rough patches (including an "almost" breakdown), but with my mom's help and some inspiration from my lovely Aunt Susie, I love how it turned out.  

One of my favorite parts is the modest slit.  

(It's a little wrinkled from sitting on it in church all day, but you get the idea) 

The slit gives you room to move, but the fabric underneath it makes it modest :)  It was nice getting back in touch with my more "domesticated side" and spending some time with my mom.  What a great way to spend part of Christmas break.  

Baby, It's So Cold Outside

This is what our thermometer read this morning. 

 It's pretty stinkin' cold here.  It's not that it's never been this cold here before, I actually remember it being quite a bit colder, like uh, -40!  -26 still hurts though.  I don't think my body will ever like below zero temps.  Wish me luck, I have to go out in it in about an hour.