Back to normal.

My brother and I have an ice cream addiction. So every time I come home, we inevitably end up making a midnight In-n-Out run for shakes. [Chocolate for me, neopolitan for him.] And then, he steals my phone while we take the "long way" home, really just the frontage road, and snap chats and texts my best friend. And they take the opportunity to abuse me to the best of their ability. It's great...and by great, I mean it's not. Good thing I love 'em.

We're back in Logan! And we're better than ever. I can't even begin to explain how much I missed these girls, even if we do stay up way too late talking and act like we're three. But, you have to admit, we rock the footie pajamas and bathrobes like nobody's business. I'm glad we're back...but I miss everyone back home. Braden and Luke. Bronson and Jackson. Emily and Hailee and Sadie. Sad day. But I'm proud of them, and know that they'll be the best missionaries in the whole world.

I really don't know what to say about this picture, other than the fact that Emi draws on her food. She's a keeper.

Sometimes I bring free pie home, and we inhale it faster than I can get everybody out of bed to eat. Triple berry definitely wins the award for our favorite, and the peanut butter is one we can pass on.

In other news, my family is going to Vegas right now. Without me. So while they're having a party in the 63 degree weather, I'll be going to school and working in the freezing cold. College kid problems? 

BUT. I get to meet the rest of the A-Team tonight! And I'm super excited. 

And then it's time for the welcome back social, complete with a showing of Pitch Perfect and food. College is still wonderful, my friends. 

Let's review.

It's officially 2013, kiddos! 2012 is over, and man, was it quite the year. I'm apologizing in advance for the length of this post, but deal with it. I had a good year, and I'm going to share some of my favorite parts. [Also, it's all jumbled and out of order, but my life is as crazy as this post. It's fitting.]

1. I did a triathlon! Ryan, Brittany and I made a relay team for a sprint triathlon in Bountiful this summer, and it was a blast. After all, the family that tri's together stays together, right folks?

 2. I may have made a million new friends, but I'll keep these ones around too. We started sending off all our missionary friends, and I couldn't be more proud of them or grateful for their examples and testimonies. Paris, Detroit, Hong Kong, Honduras, Guam, Ghana, England, Dallas, and Canada are some of the luckiest places on earth, because they get my best friends for the next two years. See ya in two [or 18 months] friends.

 3. I spent a weekend in Park City with my best friends, and I got to see some of the art I learned about in AP Art History. [That class was another highlight, as was being done with AP tests forever.] There's no better way to celebrate an 18th birthday than having a giant sleepover at the Park City Marriott and shopping, swimming, and exploring for three straight days. It was grand.

 4. I MET GO RADIO. And I got to see them in concert, twice. Jason Lancaster signed my phone, I got one of his guitar picks...and Emi got Alex's sweat towel. We're devoted fans.

 5. I finally got together with my dream man. Zac and I have been in contact since HSM, and we finally decided to make our relationship public. Okay fine, not really. But we did discover how entertaining photoshop was--along with baby morph websites--and keep ourselves entertained for hours on end. Besides, Zac and I would make a lovely couple.

 6. I finished my third Ragnar, and discovered that the third time truly is the charm. Some may call us crazy for paying money to spend 48 hours in a cramped, sweaty, stinky car and run over 15 miles, but I wouldn't trade this weekend for anything in the world. It's physically, mentally and emotionally demanding and draining...but it's so worth it. It hurts so good?

 7. Graduated seminary! Spent the year on seminary council for Davis, and finally got my diploma [it was a little rough...senioritis took its toll early on.] and I got to graduate with my best friend, and most of the kids that I've grown up. We were halfway there!

 8. Attended my last dance of high school with my best friends. Got ready together, just like we had for every dance in the last three years, and celebrated at Zupa's, like we always do. Danced until we were sore, and said goodbye to everyone we'd spent the last three years with.

9. FINALLY walked across that stage, and got our diplomas. Said goodbye to public schooling, and hello to futures in various parts of the world. I couldn't be more grateful to have these two girls by my side for the majority of my life, and I'm so glad they're my best friends. We survived high school, and that's all that really matters. 

 10. Last, but certainly not least, I met these five girls. Lauren, Emi, Kenzie, Adrienne and Kelsey are the best roommates, sisters, friends, and homework buddies that a girl could ever ask for. Call me cheesy, but I know that we were put together for a reason, and I'm so glad we did. I'm excited to spend this next semester with them, because they were the best part of 2012, and they're already my favorite part of 2013.

 Overall, 2012 was full of change, growing up, and learning far more than I ever thought I would. I made some new friends, and brought back some of the old friends; learned how to survive on my own; and realized how lucky I really am. I have an amazing family, incredible friends, and an extraordinary life.

2013, you can go ahead and bring it on. 

Make it count.

Let's see...this break has been quite uneventful. Not. Almost got fired on Thursday. Then again on Friday. And almost quit all those days and then some. But luckily, I'm a lucky girl and I think I may have it all figured out. So no worries, I'll be serving pie until the end of time.
So I've been home even more this break, and it's been wonderful. Christmas night, we [my mom, dad, Brittany, Melanie, Dan, Sheron, Branden, Carrie, Clint, Owen, and Maddy] went to a late showing of Les Miserables. And I cried like a baby. Seriously folks, if you haven't seen it yet? DO IT. It's incredible. Well worth the time and money. So ignore the quality of the picture and believe me when I say the excitement could not be contained--neither could the tears.

Then I went to Morgan's house on Wednesday night, and for the first time in a long time, it felt like it used to. We played Murderer in the Dark like we were in junior high again, and then took thirty minutes to get home because the roads were so bad. Thursday I went up to work again, and then last night?
I got to be with my best friend again. Emily and I are a disaster without each other, and a mess when we're together. So we went ice skating with her brother Tim, Bronson, Jon, and Jackson for a YSA activity. We're both awful, in case you were wondering.

After far too many farewells in one day, I can safely tell you that the future of this church is in good hands. I'm so proud of my friends that are serving missions, and even though I'm going to miss them all like crazy, there's nowhere else I'd have them be. 

It's New Year's Eve tomorrow....and we're going to make 2012 go out with a bang.