I love love.

It's Valentine's Day! Probably one of my favorite holidays in the whole world...I mean what girl doesn't love flowers and chocolate and the words "I love you"? No one sane, that's for sure. 

Valentine's Day isn't just about being in love, it's about love in general. 

My favorite kinds of love?
The way my mom makes my favorite food when I get home, or finishes my laundry for me. How she buys a carton of orange juice for me to take back up to school because she knows how much I love it. How she doesn't argue when I drive home from Logan just to pick up my snowboard and a few other things, and just tells me to make sure I drive safe. 

The way it feels to get a sincere compliment from complete stranger.

The way my dad sends me emails out of the blue that always say exactly what I need to hear. How he texts me before he goes to bed just to make sure I had a good day. How he spends hours making sure my car works okay, or doesn't laugh when Ryan and I head to In-n-Out at midnight....again. 

The way it feels when you listen to your favorite song, watch your favorite movie, or read your favorite book. 

The way Hailee drives from Bountiful to spend the night with Emi and I and stays up way too late talking to me, and making sure I'm alright. The way she listens to all my irrational fears, and then offers a rational alternative and sound advice. The way she gives me music suggestions not because she knows I love music, but because she knows how much I love the lyrics. 

The way it feels to find a scripture that answers the question you've had in your head all day. 

The way Bronson snowboards with me all day, and even though he could be with Jackson and Jared and Jon and Paige, he stays with me and doesn't laugh (too hard) when I spend most of the time on my face. How every May 5th for three years, I've had a bouquet of flowers delivered from him, because he knows it's a rough day and how much I love flowers. How he comes to ColdStone with me and Jon even though he hates ice cream. 

The way it feels to fill a whole page in your journal with your favorite memories. 

The way my little sisters yell my name when I come home, and how Mary begs to have a sleepover with me every single night. How they fight over who gets to run errands with me, and who gets to go through the bank drive thru and get suckers. 

The way it feels to get a hug from someone you've been missing. 

The way Jon looks out for me like a big brother. How he fixes my car (far too often), and takes me out for ice cream when I need a break. How he and Bryan take me to lunch with them. How he's letting me and Lauren dye his hair to cease our boredom. How he offers to drive me home and makes sure I get home safe wherever I go. 

The way it feels to get a really big tip on a long night at work. 

The way Emi can make me laugh at three in the morning with another off-the-wall comment. How she gets my love for unattainable movie stars and band members. How she's always up to shop with me or make me egg-drop soup. How she finishes my sentences and can choreograph a dance to Stronger spur of the moment. 

The way it feels to wrap up in your favorite blanket and watch TLC. 

The way my roommates and I have dance parties at 1 in the morning to Stronger and 22, and how much we rely on each other for everything. How they have a Dr. Pepper waiting for me at the end of a long day. How they listen to my stories and don't judge me when I start crying for no apparent reason. 

The way it feels to drive around in the middle of the night with your best friend. 

Love, in all forms, is wonderful. I love my friends. My family. The gospel. My life.

"Be in love with your life. Every minute of it." -Jack Kerouac

I am. 

Happy Valentine's Day from Snow 102 [and Dallin of course]! Have a lovely day! 

Strange things are happening.

Logan is awesome. Tonight, we got to go on an adventure up and down Main Street and get lots of free food and coupons. Chick-Fil-A gave out free sandwiches, and Emi just had to have her picture taken with the cow. (The pictures are out of order, just be prepared.) And then we got to go watch Candace play volleyball. And screamed like little girls from the front row. 

During our Taste of Logan tour, we went into Needham Jewelers and got these fabulous t-shirts. We then wore them to the whole game, and only 1308.120834 people said, "You're both single, so you should date." Then, when they realized there were three of us, things got weird. So we went back to our apartment to make peach smoothies with our free peaches--which turned out to be nectarines in reality--and burned out a blender in the process. So they took pictures with J-Biebs because they're single, and he wants to make them shine brighter than the snow. 

We modeled our shirts for the jewelry company as fantastically as we could and decided that we could no longer be single. So Josh and I played awkward third wheels while Emi and Mitch declared their love for each other. 

Emi's mom warned her to stay away from RM's...and we're both armed with pepper spray, so when he pulled a move she struck. [Not really, this was just the photo of the day for Kelly.]

And last but not least, Shelby (my A-Team mentor for Connections) made us Aggie cookies for our last full day of Connections. So much free food today, and I loved every second of it. Tomorrow, we get to meet David Baron, the author of The Beast in the Garden. Then, Connections is over (THREE HOURS EARLY!) And we get a whole day to recuperate before real school starts on Monday. 

College is fun. And stadium seating in the family rooms of Old Farm? Definitely cool. 

It's not that serious.

BIRTHDAY. I'm 18. Which means I can sign my own release forms and vote and stuff. Yay. Also, it means I have to do grown up stuff, like work 12 hours on my birthday. But it's okay...waitress lesson 208: If your coworkers sing Happy Birthday to you right as the dinner rush comes in, people tip way better. Just keep that in mind. Also, it doesn't hurt if you're outrageously happy because you just ate a massive slice of chocolate cake. In other words, I'm alright with work. We--meaning Emi, Kyle, Hailee, Morgan and Max--watched the Dark Knight that night as well, in preparation for...

a private screening of the Dark Knight Rises. Where of course, we had to be the psycho teenagers..adults?...that we are, and dress up. Well, Kyle did. Complete with fake scars, a velvet purple blazer, and green hair paint. The looks we got were priceless. If you're not planning on seeing that movie, I would highly recommend that you change your mind quickly. It was incredible. The Dark Knight was, well, dark, but this one was just downright awesome. A little jumpy, and definitely intense. I'm pretty sure I have an ulcer from the last 30 minutes. So worth it though. The ending will keep you thinking for basically ever, especially after you realize that Batman is a trilogy, and this is the end. So. GOOD. AND! I got a Macbook Air. Best half purchase I ever made. Thanks Mom and Dad for pitching in. :) 

On a completely unrelated note, my friend Alayna Brian is getting married tomorrow. I've looked up to Laynie since we went to youth conference at Snow College when I was barely 14. She's basically one of the most wonderful people I've ever met, and I want a love like her and Brian's someday. They epitomize the phrase "a match made in heaven." So, Miss Laynie. Thank you for being such an incredible example to me as I grew up, and for letting me tag along with you through various girls' camps and youth conferences. Someday, I hope to be able to perform Ingrid on the ukelele around the campfire like you can, and have as fantastic of a wardrobe as you do. Also, I'm fairly certain I'll never forget the lessons you gave us in kissing...strawberry bubblicious and rock stars, anyone? You're incredible, my friend, and I wish nothing but the very best for you and Brian as you start your life together. Congrats, lovebirds. 

This will always be home.

Sundays are usually long to me for some reason, but today? I've never been more content. The "bike gang" invaded our driveway and we showed our beach cruisers off to the culdesac. We visited Stella, and saw the coolest--and only--collection of owl figurines I've ever seen. And to top it all off, we had upwards of 20 people in the "social circle" in our front yard until 10:30. Your neighbors may be fun and all, but mine are something else entirely. I've got multiple sets of parents, and uncountable siblings. And I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
Two years ago, we moved from our house on 1250 into the culdesac next door, just a few months after my grandma passed away. Big changes were a huge part of life that year, and leaving a house that I'd grown up in was really weird, especially since we now live less than 500 yards from it. To top it all off, the next summer we moved my grandpa and aunt out of the house that my mom grew up in. I drove past it last night to watch fireworks, and that was weird. It made my heart hurt--and I know I say that all the time--to remember everything that happened there and how much of my life revolved around that place. But situations change and things happen. We all move on.
Not many people can say they've lived in multiple houses in the same neighborhood, but we're just one of a few in our ward that can. We're stuck here, for good. This is the neighborhood I'll bring my kids home to someday, and these are the people I will always say influenced me the very most. I may be moving away in a month, but that won't change much. We all come back in one way or another, and I know I will.  And no matter where I go, I know that this place? It will always be home.