Something To Help Me Out

So this college thing can be pretty daunting if I think about it too much. There is a lot of pressure I put on myself to do well. So I figured something inspirational would help me out a little bit. Plus, it's from Disney; you can never go wrong with Disney.

I have often dreamed

Of a far off place

Where a hero's welcome

Would be waiting for me

Where the crowds will cheer

When they see my face

And a voice keeps saying

This is where I'm meant to be

I'll be there someday

I can go the distance

I will find my way

If I can be strong

I know ev'ry mile

Will be worth my while

When I go the distance

I'll be right where I belong

Down an unknown road

To embrace my fate

Though the road may wander

It will lead me to you

And a thousand years

Would be worth the wait

It may take a lifetime

But somehow I'll see it through

And I won't look back

I can go the distance

And I'll stay on track

No I won't accept defeat

It's an uphill slope

But I won't lose hope

Till I go the distance

And my journey is complete

But to look beyond the glory is the hardest part

For a hero's strength is measured by his heart

Like a shooting star

I can go the distance

I will search the world

I will face its harms

I don't care how far

I can go the distance

Till I find my hero's welcome

Waiting in your arms...

I will search the world

I will face its harms

Till I find my hero's welcome

Waiting in your arms...

So far

Wow.  It has been such a crazy week.  I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun in my life! 

So, here’s the story.  It all started Wednesday morning when I moved out.  Nothing too exciting happened there – I set up some of my stuff and then I had to go to work.   After I came back, my roommates and I decided to go meet our neighbors, and we met about 3/4 of our ward.  It was so cool because we had everyone perform a talent while we were walking around.  We met some guitar players, drummers, free-style rappers, singers, artist, etc.  It was so awesome!  It was a great way to get to know everyone.

Thursday – NSO Basically we sat out in the sun for about 4 hours.  I have a really bad sunburn on my neck!  It still hurts… anyway, it was good though, we met lots more people.  Then we decided to have a big party in our apartment.  That was also fun!  We played lots of games, and we were out until 3 AM (don’t worry – it’s BYU and we’re all sticking to the Honor Code.)

Friday – I went to a meeting for my Major, and I had to get one more book (totally added last minute to my list BTW) from the Bookstore.  We hung out with our new ward friends.  Then some of us decided to go to a hypnotist show.  Oh my gosh, it was HILARIOUS!  When we got back, we sat on our porch and talked until 3:30 AM.

Saturday – we didn’t really do anything until the dance.  It was kind of lame because no one was dancing, but my roommate and I fixed that by (nicely) ditching our group and going to dance with the one’s who were dancing.  Went to bed at 2 AM.

Sunday (today) – we all slept in, but we were still so tired!  Church started at 12:20.  It was good to meet the Bishopric.  I think our ward is going to have so much fun together, I’m really excited.

So yeah, that was a summary of my weekend.  I’m going to go to bed, because I need to get up early for class tomorrow.  Wish me luck!  Goodnight and Sweet Dreams! 

PS  I’m so bad!  I haven’t taken any pictures this whole weekend!  But my roommate Ashleigh as taken a TON so maybe I can steal some from her – we’ll see!

Good to Live By

              Hug Harder

                                       Laugh Louder

   Smile Bigger

     Love Longer

Dear Mom and Dad

So, as you can imagine, procrastinating cleaning my room for so long has given me some extra time to think. Mostly I’ve been thinking about BYU and moving out. It’s going to be really weird to not have you there with me. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you guys, but I guess I’m going to find out soon.

Anyway, I’m writing this because I owe it to you.  You’ve put up with me for this long; it’s the least I can do.  It’s basically going to be a whole list of things, so sit tight.

• Thank you for these last almost 19 years.  They’ve been incredible so far all thanks to you.
• Thanks for always feeding me and taking care of me.
• Thanks for all those years of laundry, dishes, bathroom cleanings, etc. you had to do.
• Thanks for letting me move into the basement so I wouldn’t have to share a tiny room with Gillian again.
• Thanks for teaching me good manners.
• Thanks for teaching me how to be respectful.
• Thanks for always helping me with homework.
• Thanks for giving me those No Doubt/Paramore tickets this past May – that was such a fun night.
• Thanks for trusting me – you have no idea how much I appreciate and value it.
• Thanks for the iPod that one Christmas.  The iPod wasn’t that big of a deal, but the gesture was.
• Thanks for always teaching me to put school first – I wouldn’t be where I am now if you hadn’t done so.
• Thanks for not saying anything when I sing along with my music when I’m doing the dishes.
• Thanks for teaching me patience.
• Thanks for being so involved in The Gospel.  You’re testimonies have increased mine.
• Thanks for giving me a curfew; it’s helped me steer clear of some sticky situations.
• Thanks for teaching me to be sensible and practical – it has come in handy a few times.
• Thanks for treating me like an adult (most of the time, anyway) these past few years – I’m glad to know you think of me that way.
• Thanks for teaching me responsibility.
• Thanks for letting me drive the truck during that time when I didn’t have a car.  And thanks for letting me drive it in bad weather, too.
• Thanks for taking me to Disneyland so many times.
• Thanks for surprising us that one time you took us to Disneyland.
• Thanks for telling me the truth about things I needed your opinion on.
• Thanks for teaching me the importance of being punctual.
• Thanks for believing in me.
• Thanks for letting me go out and have fun with friends late at night.
• Thanks for making me take that typing class in 8th grade that I really didn’t want to take.  It’s been very useful.
• Thanks for paying for that summer of volleyball even though it didn’t really lead anywhere.
• Thanks for letting me do Jr. Jazz all those years. It was good to be involved in something like that.
• Thanks for paying for some of my school clothes this year.  You know, you’re not really obligated to do that for me anymore, don’t you?
• Thanks for letting me have the chance to move out.  I know it would be cheaper to live at home, but thanks for understanding that I need the experience.
• Thanks for choosing to live in Lehi.  So many good things have come from living here :)
• Thanks for coming to all those Jr. Jazz games, volleyball games, softball games, clogging competitions and recitals, choir and band concerts, and things like Graduation.  It means a lot to know that you support me.
• Thanks for trying to teach me piano.  I’m sorry I wasn’t very eager to pursue it.
• Thanks for taking me to the emergency room when I needed medical attention.  Thanks for sitting and waiting for me to wake up from that time I dislocated my elbow and when I had the kidney stone and was doped up on morphine.
• Thanks for paying for all those expensive emergencies. (There weren’t THAT many, but there were enough.)
• Thanks for all those Christmas presents over the past 19 years.  Shopping for me must be hard.
• Thanks for agreeing to pay for some of college.  Without you I might not be going.
• Thanks for allowing me to become the individual I am today.  I like the fact that I’m my own person.
• Thanks for appreciating me.
• Thanks for loving me.

And that’s just off the top of my head.  There’s so much more that you’ve done for me that I haven’t even touched the surface of!  I’m so lucky to have you two in my life.  You are both the most selfless people I know. 

Just in case you were wondering, I think you did something right, because I turned out fairly normal. 

I love you so much!  I hope this helps you realize how grateful I am to you.  I know being a parent is probably a very thankless job, but I hope this makes up for some of that.

Beauty and the Beast

 

Beauty and the Beast

I always wondered where the story came from, and now I know.

I Can't Help It...

I'm obsessed. However, I'm grateful to know I'm not alone.

Jane Austen - you're brilliant.

Life.

Whew… This next week is going to be busy.  I’ve got the final for my class this week, and I have Monday off, so that means I’m going to be working five nights in a row.  I even have two midnight shifts I need to do.  Ugh.  Also, work is having inventory next week, so I need to go in next Sunday, and work nearly all day so we can complete everything on time.  Being a manager sucks sometimes, but I definitely can’t complain about the pay raise. 

On top of work and school, I’ve also started the process of cleaning out my room so that I can move out.  Well, most of my stuff is staying at home, but I still need to go through everything to see what I need to take.  It’s weird.  I’ve lived in this house for the past 13 years; it’s going to be really weird when I start to call another place home.  I don’t want to grow up!  (I guess it’s too late.)

Rambles at 2 AM

You know what? I've been coming across a lot of disappointment in my life lately. Not of my life, exactly (although goodness knows I'm not perfect), but of everyone's lives. So many thing have happened. What happened to my simple life?




You want to know what else? This makes me really eager to try to be better. I'm the one in a million that's going to make it. I've got my head on straight. I can see everything so clearly.

I know what I want, and I'm going to go get it. Don't you dare stop me.

Mundane.

Disturbingly dull. That's how I've been feeling lately. I've become so ordinary that I now just blend into the background. Now, I know myself pretty well; I don't consider myself to be the least bit mundane. Unenthusiastic at times, yes, but never uninteresting.

I wish people would stop judging me by my cover. I may be dusty, but I'd be a fantatic edition to all who wish for a little adventure in their lives. Open me up; see for yourself. I'm actually the farthest thing from ordinary.

In fact, I'm EXTRAordinary. Go ahead. See for yourself.