I stand all amazed.

I went home today, for the first time in what seems like forever--and luckily for me, it was our ward's primary program. 

Don't get me wrong, I love every Sunday. But there's something so special about the primary program I can't even handle it. 

My three-year-old sister Mary was the first talk, and to say that she blew me away would be an understatement. Not many kids her age can memorize a three minute talk, and give it as well as she did. 

One of the last parts of her talk had her saying, "I know..." and I don't think I've ever been so profoundly impacted by a child's testimony. Miss Mary knows that her Heavenly Father loves her, and she's not afraid to share her testimony...and I love that. 

Then in Relief Society, we talked about how our words influence those around us--mainly our children--and how important it is to be kind. It reminded me of this quote:

I think that sometimes, it's easy to forget how wonderful people can be. We get hung up on the snarky comments, the gossip, and the belittlement that happens--and forget entirely about the compliments, service, and kindness that the people around us share. 

That reminded me of this quote [welcome to my brain. Moving at a million miles a second, in seven thousand different directions].

I have never seen my Heavenly Father, but I do know Him--because of the people around me and the things they do. 

I see Him in the way Mary read me a book before I took a nap today. 

I see Him in the way Braxton will drive around with me for hours trying to calm me down and alleviate stress. 

I see Him in the way Hillary is always ready and willing to help, listen, and give her all. 

I see Him in the way Jon goes out of his way to make sure I'm okay. 

I see Him in the way my mom still texts me every time I drove home from Kaysville to make sure I made it to Logan safe. 

I see Him in the way Rachelle has dinner with my great-grandparents every week.

I see Him in the way people like the Smith's, Brimley's, Frodsham's, Fife's, and so many others have-maybe unknowingly-stepped in to fill the void left by family members. 

I see Him in the way Carrie and Clint come to Logan and visit with their boys when Clint has to work up here. 

I see Him in the way Bronson and Emily know exactly what I need to hear, even after 6+ months of not seeing each other. 

I've never seen my Heavenly Father, but He is familiar to me; and like Mary, I know he loves me. 

I'm blessed to be surrounded by so many good people--people who help me forget that not-so-good things that happen, and who truly amaze me on a regular basis. 

To say that I'm an incredibly lucky girl would be an understatement.

Escape from reality.

With two of the original roommates out on their missions, the remaining four of us decided there was nothing else to do but escape our lives and responsibility for the week. St. George was the best way to forget about the chaos of our lives for a second, and it was an excellent way to catch up with my best friends. 

I'd never been to Tuacahn before, and Kenzie got a ridiculously good deal on tickets to Thoroughly Modern Millie. I loved musicals before, but I decided that there's no better way to experience than nestled in the red rock of Southern Utah. That ampitheater is beautiful. And the musical itself made me want to live in the 20's more than I've ever wanted to before. 

We also learned a very valuable lesson...don't let the adorable old lady attempt to get a picture of you jumping into the pool. 

Obviously, we spent a majority of our time laying out by the pool. It was nice to finally let my skin see the sun, after being in polos and at work every other day this summer. [And I didn't get a sunburn. #winner.]

This picture is really only here to show you how excited we were to not be in the cave anymore, not have jobs to worry about, and be in air conditioning--well that, and how stoked Lauren was to share a bed with me for four nights. I may or may not talk in my sleep. And she might have woken up with me taking over the whole bed and with my arms around her once or twice. I like my sleep, okay?? Also, it's almost physically impossible for us to take a decent picture together. This is about as good as it gets. 

This basically sums up our whole adventure. A whole lot of time together, no makeup, top knots, swimsuits, enough shopping to fulfill my wardrobe wishes, and hotel beds. 

I guess you could say I consider myself very lucky to have had some of the best roommates imaginable. These girls keep me sane--and that's not always an easy job. They understand when I flip out in the middle of traffic, and don't judge when we decide to sleep through the hotel breakfast. They get the fact that I'll watch Friends at any hour of the day, and laugh at my weird jokes. 

I'm so glad I can call these ladies my best friends, and can't wait to see where this year takes us. 

I wish you all 5's, girls. :) 

It's still weird.

It's been a year since I graduated from high school. A whole stinking year. 

Freaky how fast time flies without you realizing it. 

I posted this picture on my instagram account for my #tbt post of the week, and it made me think about how much has happened in the last 12 months. 

-I ran my third Ragnar relay (and my fourth happens in 21 days. I've already resigned myself to the fact that I'm dying on the trail). 

-I turned 18, and celebrated my birthday with 12 of my favorite people over a weekend in Park City.

 -I moved up to school with five of the best friends I've ever had...and have now sent one on a mission, one leaving in just under 70 days, one home to go to a different school, and found an apartment for the three of us left. 

 -I started hanging out with these boys again, and have watched my best friends leave on their missions (four months down today!). 

-I made USU's A-Team, changed my major twice, and survived a whole year of college on my own. 

It's weird to look back over a year and see how much has changed and how much I've accomplished in what seems like such a small amount of time. 

Girls my age are getting married, some of the boys have been gone almost a whole year, and I haven't seen some of the kids I grew up with in months. 

High school was great--for the most part--but I'm loving this whole "real world" thing. That doesn't mean it's necessarily all fun and games, but college definitely has it's perks; and I love every single minute of it. 

That said...here's a list of things I want to do by the time I'm 20 (which is about a year from now). 

What are some things you'd add/want to do? 

Reason for being.

Watch this before you read any farther. 

Monday morning, I moved into my apartment for the summer...not fully realizing what I was getting myself into. 

Last time I moved into an apartment I had my best friend with me, and four other girls moving in with us that I knew from school, EFY, and Girls' State. We were in a building with tons of kids I knew from high school, and everyone was moving in the same time.

This time I moved in to an apartment with 10 girls I've never met, three days before anyone else, and all my friends were at home in Kaysville or Farmington. 

Monday night, I was so bored and lonely I could barely handle it. I read my whole book for Connections, wrote three missionary letters, and organized my already clean closet. I woke up Tuesday morning to go to work, went on a run, and then went back into work at nine p.m. I got home and couldn't help but wonder what all my friends were doing. 

I was in a huge house, with two girls I'd never met, and was missing my family and best friends more than ever. 

I checked Facebook on my phone (because I had no idea what the wifi password was, and it was 1 am), and watched this video that my uncle made, and honestly it was just what I needed to hear. 

While we're growing up, we make our friends the most important part of our lives. We're dependent on them for everything--how to dress, what to do on the weekends, and what to say. 

I was no different; my best friends were my world. 

Then they started leaving on missions. Now I'm sending letters to Michigan, Paris, Honduras, Ghana, and Washington. Some of them moved home for the summer, or for good. Some of them have gotten married. 

I found myself fending for myself more than I'd like (I hate quiet, and I hate being alone. I'm definitely a people person). 

I also found that I didn't mind it. As much as I hate being by myself, I've learned that my friends and family--while incredibly important to me, and a very large part of who I am--aren't the reason that I exist. 

Like Andy says in that video, we shouldn't define ourselves by who we hang out with, or the things we have. Who we are is based on what we do. 

With that in mind, I decided that it's my job to be the best "me" possible. 

Whether that's by being the best A-Teamer I can be, studying English better than any other Aggie, or doing everything I can to get to cosmetology school someday....it's up to me. 

Ultimately, it comes down to how I can answer my Grandma's question of "Are you being good?" 

Am I living to up to my utmost potential, and accomplishing everything I can?
Or am I simply existing? 

In an earlier post, I said we're only given one shot at college--and it was our job to make it the best experience possible. The same goes for our lives; we've got one shot to prove we did what we wanted. Why waste a second of it just existing? 

Live. 

The perfect beginning.

Do you remember daydreaming as a little kid about being in college? All the fun you'd have, the friends you'd make, and finally living on your own? I think I did it probably every second for a majority of my life. 

But even as independent and spontaneous as I am, I've learned that being a grownup isn't all fun. We do have to work, try hard, and things are tough sometimes--but this year has been, in a word, unbelievable. 

I've been in college for a whole year now--and I've learned a lot. 

I've learned that I'm a wizard at baking, but cupcakes and cookies only do so much for a starving college student. I sincerely appreciate vegetables now. My mom laughs when I come home, because I will load the biggest bowl we have with salad and eat probably three servings. I could probably eat a bag of snap peas in a sitting, and I know probably a million and a half ways to serve a chicken breast that's been grilled on a George Foreman. I'm ten times more grateful for my job, because I eat whole meals there; and I'm a thousand times more grateful for my mom's food when I come home. For the times I'm not at work though, I've learned that peanut butter cupcakes and chocolate chip applesauce cookies go a long way in bribing people into dinner. 

I've learned that sometimes, the job of your dreams turns out to be your worst nightmare. A month into my first JComm class, (Journalism Communications, or Japanese Communications if you ask Bronson and Jackson) I realized that journalism was NOT what I wanted to be doing. I loved every second--or almost every second--I spent working on a broadcast and newspaper staff in high school, but professionally, it wasn't for me. One of my favorite sayings says something like, "Find something you love to do, and you'll never work a day in your life." I absolutely hated my journalism classes, and I would have rather dropped out of school than take another. This semester, I'm taking two English classes, and I'm registered for three more next fall. I absolutely love every second of them, and I actually look forward to doing the readings and homework. College has taught me that even if you've spent years of doing one thing, don't be surprised when it doesn't seem to work. It's OK to change your mind. Just find something you love.

I've learned that college really does change everything. I used to think I'd be so excited to go back to high school football games, and when we went to Viewmont's prom our junior year, we even talked about going back this year. Yeah....NO. Don't get me wrong I loved high school, for the most part at least, but that time has passed. And I finally understand what people mean when they say "I wouldn't relive those days for anything in the world."

I've learned that you should give everything a try. I can't think of a single time I regret doing something that I originally questioned. Try EVERYTHING. Whether it's camping on the Quad, intramural volleyball, or a time out game during an Aggie Basketball game...DO IT. You're only going to regret the things you don't do.
Most importantly though, I've learned about myself. That's what these few years are for, to find out who you're really supposed to be and what you have to do to get there. So take chances.  Stay up til three a.m. every night for a week and make memories. Take classes you never thought you would. Fall in love with someone. Jump in First Dam. Sleep on the Quad. Wait in line for six hours for a football game. Stay in the library for sixteen million hours. Talk to that really cute kid you pass every morning. Whatever it is, just do it. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, because we only have one chance to make this experience the best it can be. The most important thing I learned, though? "Be in love with your life, every minute of it." 

As we move out this week, and everyone we've met heads out on missions, gets married, changes schools, or just goes home for the summer, it's hard not to think about how much is going to change and how much I'm going to miss. 

I'm going to miss midnight McDonald's runs, orange chicken dates, 2 am prank wars, and all night long conversations with the 106 boys. Those boys give new meaning to the term "love/hate relationship" and as much as it drives me crazy when they knock on the door at 1:30 in the morning, I know I'll miss it when they're not living next door anymore.
I'm going to miss Cookie Wednesdays, First Floor socials, and Sunday dinners in 103.
I'm going to miss my first single's ward, running to ward prayer, and visits from the bishopric during finals week.

I'm going to miss bagel dates, Lundstrom study parties, and Taco Tuesday with my favorite people.
I'm going to miss our endless pile of dishes, our perpetually disastrous bathroom counters, our crowded fridge, and my closet that doesn't fit a quarter of my wardrobe.

I've made a million and a half memories these last nine months, and I'm going to miss this apartment more than I think any of us realize right now. We're all off to a thousand places, headed on and up in the things we're doing...but I can't think of a better place to be, or better people to be going with.

So here's to our freshman year, for being the perfect beginning to the rest of our lives. 

The final countdown.

It's Monday. Which means that I'm sitting on the couch, compulsively refreshing my email waiting for word from my best friends. 

It also means that I have ample time to be reviewing facts for the sample tour I have to give...today could be an adventure. 

Instead, it's time for a highlight reel of the last few days. 

Massage train in 102: because there's really no better way to spend a Wednesday night. 

Relay for Life: Utah State Edition. Cancer sucks, so of course we'll walk dozens of laps around the fieldhouse track. 

All this sunshine makes a girl ridiculously happy. As does being done with a Relief Society lesson. So the four of us that were left had to document the spring colors.

Sunday drives are the best way to end a perfect day. They're even better when you're with your best friends, wrapped in our favorite blankets and hoodies, and sitting on a bench that looks over the whole valley. 

We've got two (maybe three) weekends left up here, and that realization hit hard last week. Words can't even begin to cover how lucky I am to have these girls as my best friends, and I can't think of five people I'd rather be living with. 

Come May, we'll all be headed in different directions. 

Kelsey leaves for her mission in Knoxville, Tennessee May 22nd. 

Emi's moving home to work in Salt Lake before heading to Vancouver, Canada on August 7th. 

Kenzie's transferring to Weber State for fall semester. 

Adrienne's moving home for the summer, before coming back up in the fall. 

Lauren and I are working in Logan all summer, and staying up here for the foreseeable future. 

Things are changing again, right as we're finally getting the hang of this college thing. Oh well. C'est la vie. 

I guess it's just blowing my mind that in two weeks, I can say I've successfully completed a full year of college. Time's flying--and I'm in love with that fact. 

Sounds like a memory.

This week will probably go down in history as the most flawless week in the history of the world. The sun has been shining every day, school has been actually making sense, and I've just decided that life is wonderful. In Institute the other day, our teacher put up a quote that said,

  color your tomorrows with the best of your yesterdays.

And I guess I liked it a lot. Because the things I remember about my yesterdays make all my tomorrows better. I hate when people say things like, "forget the past, you don't live there." Yes, it is good to move on. And being human, I've made a lot of really, really, really dumb decisions. But I've also made a lot of really, really, really good ones. And I don't want to forget any of the good choices I made. 

Like choosing to go to Utah State. 

And room with these girls. 

Or making these boys my best friends. 

Because between these kids and high school, I've had a pretty stellar existence. Some of my favorite memories revolve around these people, and I'm so glad I can call them my friends. 

Along those same lines...I love the ability our brains have to remember things when we catch a certain scent, or hear a song, or see a place. 

I love how the smell of Burberry London takes me back to the summer of my sophomore year and my first date. 

I love how listening to E.T. by Katy Perry makes me feel like I'm driving down Main Street in Farmington. 

I love how the smell of chlorine takes me back to babysitting Daniel and Will McKay at Cherry Hill or another late-night pool party at Bronson's. 

I love how driving past Cemetery Park reminds me of heart to hearts with all my friends and some of the best talks I've ever had.
I love how the taste of soy sauce makes me feel like I'm at Mandarin Friday and am digging through my purse for the "four dolla for you..."

I love how listening to Taylor Swift's Speak Now album sounds like I'm driving to a hockey game in Bountiful. 

I love how walking through Logan with the sun shining, and the sounds of spring starting to come out reminds me of how incredibly lucky I am to be where I am. 

Because with a view like this, there's a lot to be happy about. 

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. 

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. 

Give me a break.

In case you were wondering, finals week is just as bad as everyone says. Countless hours in the library, reading textbooks until you want to poke your eyes out, and eating very little food--if any--in between study sessions. And all of this for a test, that at most, lasts two hours. It's ridiculous, really.
But, I survived. Creative Arts? A joke of class, which means I should have expected that the final would be just as big of a joke. 20 multiple choice classes. Every single answer was A. Biology? Not even bad...besides, it didn't count on my GPA. [Which makes all my studying kind of pointless, but I was proud of my score.] JCOM wasn't bad either, and most of it was review. But it was stressful. And finally, Psychology this morning. Paige and I studied forever yesterday, and we'll find out shortly if it actually paid off.
It's been a long week. Because on top of finals, I had to work. And got my fifth flat tire of the last month. And had to say goodbye to way too many people.
So. After Paige and I got no sleep, took our last final, cleaned our apartments, said goodbye to Bronson and Jon, took my car in for new tires [Thanks Dad.:)]  and attempted to appeal her parking ticket, we decided we needed food. So we moped about until we went to lunch, and now I'm just waiting to go to work so that I can get out of here. I've never wanted to be home so bad in my whole life.
It's been a long 24 hours. And I'm ready for Christmas break.

BUT. I get to be home in less than 12 hours. And I get sushi for dinner tomorrow. We're going to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Concert on Sunday. And it's almost Christmas. So even though life is stressful, and I should probably not talk to anyone today, I'm so grateful for what I have, for this semester up in Logan, and for the friends that I have. Friends that stay up studying with me, change my flat tires way too many times, wake me up for my final, and for friends that talk to me over Dr. Pepper and noodles, and sleep over so that I'm not alone in my apartment.


There was a shooting today in Connecticut, and 27 people--18 elementary school kids--died. So today? I'm counting my blessings that a flat tire and no sleep are my biggest trials. Hug your family a little harder, and be a little more grateful for the life that you have. Because we really have no idea what's coming next, and we are so lucky to be where we are with what we have.

Finals are over, I'm going home, and next semester shall be wonderful.
Until then? Merry Christmas from the Snitches of 102!

[Yes, we did devote a full hour of our lives to a photoshoot for this card. And yes, those are corduroy jumpers, turtlenecks, ugly sweaters, knee length tshirts, fishnets, and glitter bows. We're cute. Accept it.]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I made A-Team!!!!!

Which means that I get to spend the next few semesters and summers working with all the incoming freshman, heading up orientation, USU's SOAR program, and mentoring classes for the Connections class that's offered before school starts in August. 

Which means that I get to live in Logan this summer with Lauren, and possibly Kelsey. 

Which means that life is so dang good. 

That's the moral of the story. 

See you soon.

With No-Shave November officially over, we've been able to watch some of our friends remove their facial hair in stages....these would Max's "star-burns." I didn't get the handle-bar mustache that accompanied them the next day, but this should just serve as a pleasant reminder to all of you that not all facial hair is creepy...some of it's just plain weird. [But Max, I still adore you. :)]

I got a text on Tuesday from my mom just as I was getting out of yoga and all it said was, "Mary says this is her crying because she misses you." I called her later that day and this is about how our conversation went. 

"Hi Mar! I saw your picture."
"Ohhhh, yeah."

"Were you just so sad?" 

"You're just always gone, Ash! And I miss you. Can we have a sleepover?" 

I admire the innocence and pure love this little girl has...and I miss her more than anything else. I can't wait for Christmas Break. 

Kelsey is a winner, and she wore this lovely ensemble to the Ambassador [or Ambadassador, depending on who you ask] Christmas party. Opaque red tights, pleather red boots, a Christmas t-shirt, and a Christmas sweater, complete with jingle bells, all tied together with a tacky red bow in her hair. I absolutely adore this girl, and wouldn't ever wake up on Tuesday and Thursday mornings if it wasn't for her. Thanks, Kels. :) 

For our Relief Society activity this month, we had a steak dinner and made ornaments. We wanted to get a picture taken with all of us roommates and our ornaments, so we asked Morgan to do so...and this is what we got out of it. Four pictures of Morgan's face, and one decent picture of us snitches. We'll keep Burns around, I guess. 

Cute, aren't we? And Kelsey and I even made an ornament, and we're the least crafty of the six of us. [Yes, it may just be a clear ornament with a Wendy's coupon in it that we're going to smash like they do in a Jewish wedding ceremony as soon as we both finish our JCOM final, but don't judge us. We tried.]

And now, it's time to crackdown for finals week. So the six of us migrate to the library, and don't move for six hours. [Except for mental health breaks, where we run stairs and people watch until we have to study some more.] Which is exactly what we're about to do for the second time of many, as soon as we get our study food and pack our bags for nightly hibernation. The moral of the story is, I'm signing off until next week. [Except for the A-Team announcement tomorrow, which is giving me an ulcer the size of a small country.] Time to put the Dr. Pepper in an IV line, and stock up on Polar Ice gum, since that's the only thing that keeps me focused on the fact that I can't be snacking constantly. Yay finals week, and good luck to you kids doing the same. See ya never. :) 

You don't scare me.

Newsflash: Letters from missionary friends are day makers. Em and I got a letter all the way from Ghana on Tuesday, and it was definitely one of the best parts of the day. I can't believe my best friends are all headed out, or already out on their missions, and I couldn't be more proud. 

Braxton and I wen to visit the D-TV kiddos yesterday, and it made me realize just how much I don't miss high school. Yes, college is exhausting. The classes are harder, the tests are a bigger deal, and life is way more stressful on your own. But it's so much fun, and so much better than high school. Even after all the time we put into that newspaper and those broadcasts, I'm glad it's their job now and not mine. :) 

The real reason I went home yesterday is because my best friend was opening her mission call. Watching Hailee's face as she read her call and seeing her reaction was one of the sweetest things I've ever witnessed. Hailee's headed to Paris, France on February 20th. The same place her dad served just over 20 years ago. I have no doubt in my mind that she will be an incredible missionary, and her testimony will bless so many of the French people. 18 months is a long time to go without my best friend, and I think it's stressing us all out a lot more than we expected. But I'm so excited for her, and I know that this is where she's supposed to be. 

In other news, Bryan Tew is great. We sat in the hall last night and took all sorts of hideous pictures. [Perfect practice for the ugliest snap-chat contest that Taylor and Dallin and I had later.] We're cute.

So kids. The church is true. Missionary work is incredible, and I'm so grateful for friends who are making missions and sharing this gospel a priority in their lives--and so thankful for a best friend like Hailee. 

Coming full circle.

Other than the fact that I'm so dead tired from last week that I can't even see straight, life is absolutely wonderful. I got to watch Kelsey and Dallin feed each other treats while the rest of my roommates were on an adventure (I'm telling you people, that right there is love. It was like a wedding reception cake eating fest on steroids. Because it was in 102. Surrounded by Halloween lights. And a homemade banana bar instead of wedding cake. They're a match made at USU.)

Saturday night was the [in]famous Howl up here, and these kiddos went all out. There's Emi the Flapper, Kyle Mafia Man, Kelsey's a 50's chick, and Taylor....he's the Sexy Saxophone man. Wearing MY leather jacket and MY leather boots. It's fine. Lauren's friends came up too, and Laur, Marley, Mckenzie, Adrienne, Lauren, Brock, Kyler and Hunter went to a corn maze while Hailee and I stayed back at the apartment and played with cats. [No folks, I'm not kidding.]

Hailee and I also had to run a couple errands for my great grandma and grandpa. My great grandpa Dave has been in the hospital for a couple weeks with multiple blood clots, and my great grandma has refused to leave him. So while they've been at the University Hospital in Salt Lake, their house has been untouched for a little while. I went to pick up their mail, check the house, and all that stuff for my aunts so that my grandma could rest a little easier, and dropped it all off at the hospital Sunday morning. Now, you have to understand how much I hate hospitals. They've always made me feel kind of anxious, and I've just never been a fan. I was a little stressed about making it to the hospital by myself, since I don't drive in Salt Lake like ever, and I'm slightly directionally challenged. But. I made it. 

I parked, grabbed the stuff, and made it all the way to the front desk without freaking out. But as I got up to the elevators, I had the strangest flashback of the last time I was at a hospital. It was the week before my grandma passed away, and we went knowing that this was the last time we'd get to see her. Getting into the elevator on Sunday, I couldn't get that out of my head. By the time I got to the 6th floor, dropped the stuff off, and was headed back down, I was in tears and shaking so bad I couldn't push the buttons for the parking elevator. I got back to my car and just cried for a minute--because I was scared. Because I miss my grandma so much it physically hurts sometimes. And I cried because I was so glad I wasn't one of the people who had lost someone and had no knowledge of what comes after this life. As I was sitting in my car, I got this message from my uncle Kip. [I hope he's okay that I screenshot-ed this, but I needed to save it.] Sometimes, its the little reminders in life that remind us that people everywhere care about us, and that our Heavenly Father is always looking out for us and knows every part of our hearts.

I'm sure Kip and Ginny don't realize how much I needed this simple reminder right at that very second--or as my grandma would call it, that tender mercy. I'm so grateful for my eternal family, for the fact that they are spiritually in-tune enough that they can help without realizing it, and for the knowledge I have that I will be able to be with them forever. Because that's the best kind of family, the forever and ever kind. 

After a busy weekend, full of parties, farewells, errands, and all sorts of stuff. It's all we can do to stay awake through the most pointless class offered at USU. Props to Jon for capturing Paige and Brianna out cold to prove to the world that David Wall can quite literally bore us all to death. Happy Monday, kids. :)