Raw

I've been crappy at blogging lately, but I've been rocking at emailing Tessa on her mission!  I figured I'd just copy and paste part of the letter I wrote to her.  It's a little more raw than my blogs normally are, more personable.  Life's so great :)  

  Tami came on Friday and it was so fun having her!  I just love her!  We had so much fun shopping and talking all evening Friday.  We went to dinner at Zupas and then to Cold Stone where we met up with Mary and Ryan.  When we got home we talked with Ashlee and her sister-in-law for quite a while and talked about how we wish we were as good as you at turning awkward situations onto the other people around you!  Haha!  Every time you get in an awkward situation, you are so good at getting out of it!  Example A: Your birth control shot and Toomer and Thompson.  Example B: When you farted on that date.  I literally have NO examples of getting myself out of humiliating situations.  I normally just make it worse.  haha! Anyways, we were talking and laughing our heads off!  I seriously haven't laughed that hard in quite some time!  Then Tam and I came into my room and talked for far too long!  I slept on the floor and her in my bed.  I love that us sisters all have such awesome relationships.  Seriously.  Taffy is 12 years older than me and Tami 10, and they both have come and had sleepovers with me this semester.  I'm so lucky to have my sisters as my best friends.  

  We shopped all day again Saturday.  It was so fun to shop with her because all I ever shop for is clothes, and I have done NONE of that this semester. (I'm so poor!)  We shopped for all of this fun home decor stuff and storage and home improvement stuff!  So fun!  I just dreamed of how I'm going to decorate my log cabin some day ;)  We left Provo around 3:00 and parted ways.  I went to Taffy's and she went home. 

 I went to Taf's to babysit her kids Sunday.  Her and Tone are in New Zealand and Mom was in charge of the kids.  Well Mom needed to go to Mya's blessing, so I went to get the kids up and dressed and to church and then took them to Angela's.  There's a reason why we have children one at a time.  Zero to 5 overnight probably isn't the best way.  haha!  They were really good though!  We had a little birthday party for Mariah (she turns 8 tomorrow?!)  It was fun and the kids were just so cute!  They were excited to see me, which always makes ya feel good ya know?  Us adults need to love more like kids do.  

  Anyways, I sure love ya Tess!  Sorry there's not much about school, but I figure it would be super boring to you.  My brain is going a million miles an hour about a million things right now though.  Boys, school, future teaching plans, January plans, my next trip, how I'm going to have $5 after I pay rent next month, ya know, all the things :)  I do know that my Savior loves me though.  He wants me to be happy, and he's trying to help me continue to love life!  I'm not sure what He's got up His sleeve on this next one, but it's gotta be good, I'm sure!  In Relief Society today it just really hit me that I need to just rely on him.  I'm just so dang independent that it's killing me to not feel good about what I WANT to do and that I actually NEED to do something else.  I'm going with it though Tess.  I'm taking a leap of faith!  Look out world!  Thanks for always walking by Faith.  Thanks for serving a mission.  I am just so proud of you!  You are definitely toppy on my list of awesome/best people and I feel so blessed that I get to be so close with someone as great as you!  Love you Sis!  Can't wait to hear from you!  Have the best week!!  

Love, Livi :)  

A Year Ago Today

So right now Facebook does this awesome thing where they remind you what happened on this day a year ago, or two, or seven years ago.  It's really fun, and you have the option to share it.  I don't think I've ever shared one, but today one put me in tears.  

This picture was taken the week Tessa started her mission papers. I hadn't completely come to terms with the idea, although I knew that that's what she was supposed to do.  I was determined to be supportive and help her in any way I could.  We spent this whole day together, just the two of us up in the mountains.  We hardly crossed paths with anyone, and I wouldn't have had it any other way.  We just talked and talked as we enjoyed being out in God's beautiful creations.  I just wished the day would never end.

 So, you can imagine what happened when I opened my Facebook this morning (which I rarely do before I leave the house).  I immediately started bawling.  All those emotions from that day came back.  A year ago I honestly had no idea how hard it was going to be for me to have Tessa gone. I knew it would be hard, but wow!  She was my workout partner, my grocery buddy, my conversation at dinner, my confidant, my best friend.  It's definitely been another adjustment to be at school without her.  Obviously I'm doing it, and it really is going well, it's just different.  And I miss her a lot.  

Spring Fun!

This spring has been one for the books!  Since I've been home I've been able to do some really fun things!  Some of my favorites include (in no particular order): 

Branding with the Cornia's

Spending a day with Tami in Idaho Falls

Helping the Child's with sheep

Recovering Kelly's truck seats

(The coolest cloud over Deseret on the way home)

State track with my dad and the Micheli clan

(State Champs!)

Visiting my friends in Provo

Helping Taffy fix up their playhouse

Branding with Nate's

Walks with friends

Docking sheep with Child's

(Lunch Break)

Fires with friends

Working out with Kalbie (she's a fabulous workout partner!)

Getting the cemetery ready for Memorial Day

Sulli's graduation

Becoming an aunt again

Moab with Kalbie

Having all my sisters and their kids come for a day

Skyping Tessa on Mother's Day

Walks with my mom

Taking over the bread business again

As you can see, it's been pretty stellar.  I feel so blessed that I get to do such a wide variety of things with my days :)

A Weekend at College

When Tess and I were little, our older sisters were nice enough to come and let us spend a weekend, or even a week sometimes, with them at college.  We thought it was so cool and fun!  Since Tess and I have been living together we've been thinking about how fun it would be to have Mylie and Mariah come and stay with us since they don't have older sisters at college to go and stay with.  So, being the awesome aunts that we are ;) we had them come down and stay the weekend.  

First of all, HUGE shoutout to their awesome mom for bringing them all the way down and then coming all the way back down to pick them up!  So, she brought them down on Thursday and we went to McDonalds to eat so that the kids (she brought Brady and Lewis down with her too) could play at the playplace.  After she left we headed to do a couple of college things: grocery shop and get some ice cream at Coldstone with our BOGO coupons.  Then the little girls came home with Tessa and watched Elf while I went and hung out with friends for a bit. 

Friday was an eventful day!  We got up and ate some cereal for breakfast.  Then I headed to work and Tessa headed to take the girls ice skating.  The skating rink was closed so they decided to go bowling.  That was closed too!  So, being the awesome, spontaneous aunt that she is, Tess showed them some of the coolest things around campus and then brought them back to our place and did their nails.  

Then they came to our work lunch party where our boss Wayne fed us a Christmas dinner.  Turkey, ham, stuffing, the works!  So yummy!  After the lunch we headed back to the bowling alley, cause we knew it'd be open for sure!  We had a fun time bowling and then played some pingpong and visited the art museum while we were on campus.  

When 3:30 rolled around it was time to go and pick up Eden (a little girl I mentor for 4H) and head to the rec center for some swimming!  We had a fun time there as well, and it was fun to see the Spanish Fork lights when we took Eden home.  

On the way home we picked up a Little Ceasar's pizza and stuffed our faces quickly so Tessa could leave to a party with friends and we could head out for our next activity--ice skating!  We were all a little shaky at first, but we quickly got the hang of it!  We were bummed when our hour and a half was over and we got kicked off.  Those little girls were getting good!

On our way home we decided to stop at the Redbox where we picked up Mall Cop 2.  We made some popcorn and paper snowflakes and watched it.  Pretty funny movie. 

Saturday morning we slept in and woke up in time to head to our ward Christmas party/breakfast.  The whole ward sang Happy Birthday to Mylie and we just had a good time.  After breakfast we had to do some real college stuff.  Tessa had to go to a review for one of her finals coming up and the little girls and I headed to the bank.  After I got everything worked out at the bank we went to do some Christmas shopping.  We got some good deals and had a fun time!  When we got back we ate some left over pizza for lunch and headed back out the door!  Taffy met up with us at the BYU vs Utah Women's basketball game.  We had fun chatting and laughing, and the little girls rocked it during the "chicken dance."  

After the game was over (BYU won an exciting one!) Taffy and the girls headed home.  We LOVED having them here for our last weekend of college together.  They were so fun and were so good to go with the flow.  The past two days were actually nothing like our real college life (see previous post haha), but it was just fun to give them a glimpse of what it's like to live without parents and little people around.  They were champs at it!  

Tessa. My BFF Forever.

It's Tessa's birthday today.  She's seriously the best little sister anyone could ever ask for.  I can not imagine life without her.  Here are some of the reasons I love Tess.  

She always has an awesome attitude, even when times are tough.  

She likes to watch sports with me.  And she came to BYU.  

She has the coolest/weirdest talents.  

 She likes going to concerts with me.

She's always got me laughing out loud.

She has the best booty.

She's my favorite ski buddy. 

 She loves America, and she loves going fun places. 

She went on a million hikes with me and only complained once. 

She accomplishes any goal she puts her mind to.  

Really though--always laughing!

Our names just go together.

She loves hanging out with me and my parents.  

She lets me cut her hair. 

She's just so pretty.  

We have the same brain which often leads to us saying the same things and dressing the same.

 Again...

and again.  

I really don't know what I'm going to do without this girl being there for me basically every second this next year and a half.  I'm so happy for her though and her decision to serve a mission.  She is going to be such a great missionary.  She is going to bless so many lives.  I know that the message she is taking to the people of Argentina is true.  God loves us and has a plan for each of us, and right now His plan is for us to be apart.  I know this is starting to sound dramatic, but people!  She is my BEST FRIEND!  You don't just go without seeing your best friend for 18 months unless it's for a very worthy cause (a mission just so happens to be the only qualification...).  Anyways, happy birthday Tess.  You're the bomb.com.  

The Real Life

So, I've been doing a million fun things lately.  Anyone who follows my Instagram or who is friends with me on Facebook definitely knows that.  I went to...

Zions

Stewart Falls

BYU Sporting events

the ski mountain 

Laramie

1st grade for a month

home

birthday parties 

Moab

fires

Questival

the Bean Museum

California

and some other fun places!

While all of this was going on, so were some real life things.  I was taking 16 credits, working, exercising, and just being a human.  I worked hard, met some goals, and didn't quite reach others.  Some days were awesome, some days were normal, and some days were just plain crappy, BUT every single day had something wonderful.  Whether it was the clear blue sky on my way home from a frustrating day at work, or a killer morning hike up the Y with Rachel and Tess--each day had something good.  This semester I was the happiest I have ever been. It's amazing how when YOU choose to be happy, happiness surrounds you.  Now I've moved home for the summer and some days are tough.  The rain just keeps coming (we really need it, but it makes work a little worse...), but I've been lucky enough to get a great work partner, live with three of the coolest people, and spend every day in this great community.  So, here's to another one of the happiest summers of ever, and I'll try to do a better job at keeping you all posted.  Not just on the fabulous, adventurous days, but on the regular days as well :)