Catch My Breath

Man, I feel like I've just got a lot to catch up on! I'll just write things in order here and try not to write a book in the process.

Deuces Rexburg.

Saddest thing of my life...I said good-bye to BYU-Idaho and all the family I've found there over the past two years. The memories made there are priceless to me, the friendships formed are precious, and the lessons learned are invaluable. See you in 2 years :)

Photo cred to Lauren Burns! I LOVE this :)

So glad this girl is the complete

opposite of what I was expecting! Coley became 

a best friend to me and I'm so thankful for 

the chance I had to get to know her this semester!!

This one is just too much to handle. Lauren

is my best friend! Practically the 6th

sister I've always wanted ;) I love her bunches

and already miss her like crazy!!

Say Hello.

Good-byes aren't all bad because they usually involve saying hello! That's exactly what happened for me. As you probably know, my family has been living in Guatemala for the past couple of months. Leaving Rexburg meant joining them on their crazy adventure here in Guatemala City! I've only been here for a week, but they've kept me busy and exhausted. Here's a recap!

 We spent a day taking a boat to the different

towns boarding Lake Atitlan (aka Waters of Mormon)

Hiked up an active volcano. It's as fun and

exhausting as it sounds! That dog is a random

that followed us...

Hit up the Galvez house for Christmas Eve!

At midnight the entire city lights up with 

fireworks!! I tried to capture the epicness

of it and failed...you just had to be there.

Catch ya on the flip side, 2013.

This year has been great, but honestly it's all kind of a blur! Where did the year go??! Seriously, this year has been filled with opportunities and learning experiences I never imagined. Big things:

1. I got a niece and she's the cutest thing ever

2. Finished my 2nd year at BYU-I

3. My family moved to Guatemala (that's still crazy)

4. I moved to Guatemala...still extra crazy

5. Started my mission papers-I'll be heading out this summer!

Life is a highway

Can I just start off by saying that I have only nineteen days left of my fourth semester of college!?! NINETEEN DAYS! That blows my mind and invokes a whole bunch of emotions that are too much to handle. Life goes by way too fast.

This past week I was able to enjoy my highly anticipated Thanksgiving break! I can't even begin to explain how ready I was for some time away from Rexburg and people in general. It was only three days (come on!) but it was tons of fun with some great friends :)

Seriously, even without the usual family fun and traditions, a lot of memories were made and I love the way it all played out!

 The whole trip was supposed to be pretty uneventful, but the universe had other plans. We hadn't even left Rexburg when Coley hit my car! The cars are fine and everyone is safe, so it was just really funny :D

As you can see, the drive up to Logan was GORGEOUS! Endless jam sessions, red bull, and any other crap food we could find added up to make a great time with this girl :) Shout out to you, Lauren Burns, because you're awesome and I love you!!

Friday night came along and we got to go see the lights in Temple Square. It was BEAUTIFUL! It was a great reminder of what this Christmas season is all about.  

Of course, no roommate road trip is complete without a few selfies. Me and Lauren tried to take a couple in front of the Idaho sign, but that was obviously an epic failure ;)

• Black Friday shopping
• breakfast at 9pm
• jamming to the same 10 songs for hours
• hide and seek for the first time in too long
• makeovers with the Pratt girls
• Katy Perry shirts more valuable than gold
• laughing so hard that breathing doesn't happen
• Christmas lights so beautiful, I cried

* Also, shout out to the Pratt family for hosting Lauren and I for what was probably an annoyingly long time for you ;) I loved just being around your family and feeling the love there. You guys are the closest thing to family that I have out here, so thank you for letting me spend the holiday with you!


All this made for precious memories and a Thanksgiving holiday I will never forget!!

P.S. that Katy Perry shirt is the best purchase Lauren ever made ;)

Thanks Beyond Words

My heart is full of gratitude. 

Just to be clear, every once-in-a-while college gets rough. Tests, homework, and constant studying can get old real fast! This week was one of those where I was feeling pretty ready for a break. Amidst all that there are things that are constant and beautiful. There are blessings that are always there, but are often taken for granted. 

So in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I'm going to recognize a few of those things that I am immensely grateful for right now. Here goes nothing!  


1. escuela
I feel like I talk about my school a lot, but it's an awesome place! It is such a blessing to attend a university where the Spirit can be felt every single day. I'm talking there are pictures of the Savior in every classroom, a prayer before the beginning of every lecture (and sometimes after), and people looking at you funny if you DON'T pray over your food in the cafeteria. That's cool stuff :)

(photo cred to Coley Norton! Stole this from you...)

  
2. the temple
I was thinking about it and I have always lived near a temple. That's a HUGE blessing! It's an escape from concerns of the world and a place where peace can always be felt. Nothing brightens my day more than walking to class and seeing the temple the entire way up.

3. missionary work

This past week Coley (my roommate) and I went out teaching with the missionaries. We taught two families that came from pretty different backgrounds and circumstances, but the experience was the same in each home. The Spirit was undeniably felt and my heart leaped when I saw their faces light up as they learned about the gospel of Jesus Christ. I can't wait until I get the chance to share the gospel everyday!! I am seriously counting down the days until I can turn in my papers (100 days)! 

4. friends that are too cool

They make me laugh until I cry and when I cry, they make me laugh. Enough said. 

5. my ridiculously awesome family

I don't think much needs to be said here! They're just really cool people. They're not perfect, but they are the closest thing I've found :)

because they're adorable

and we look pretty good together

they're sassy goofs

and again, they're adorable :)

Thank you to everyone who has taught me:

Just the beginning

 So I've never actually done this before-blog, I mean. But a few days ago I realized that I want to keep track of the craziness(or even lack of)that is my life. So here it goes!

School.

Right now I'm living it up in the happenin' town of Rexburg, Idaho (population: our school). This is my fourth semester attending BYU-Idaho and I absolutely LOVE IT!!!! No matter what I say any other day, I really do :)

I am a premed student working on an undergrad degree in Biology. Life is currently stressful, busy, and WAY too much fun (I think I'm doing something right). Last week in premed society (a club for wannabe doctors) we did sutures on pigs feet. As of right now, a career in plastic surgery is not looking very promising...

Family.

My parents and my 8 younger siblings are currently serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are based in Guatemala City, Guatemala and will be working all around Central America for the next few months. Moral of the story: they're 3,000 miles away and I miss them a TON!!

My first niece, Molly Marie, 
was born a week ago and I absolutely ADORE her!! I haven't actually met her, but she's pretty much the cutest thing I've not seen. I'm counting down the days (137) until I can hold her :)






Friends.

This startup post wouldn't be complete if I didn't mention the insanely amazing people I live with while I'm in school. They are seriously a huge blessing and some of the best friends I've ever had!! Love you guys! (ps. I'm crappy at taking pictures, but I'll work on it)

Life.

This was a pretty lame post, but I'll work on being more interesting for the people who read this (aka my parents). I'm just excited for this opportunity to seriously think about all the things and people Heavenly Father has put in my life. My world really is what He gives.