Weird or not, we're family!

Most of my family doesn't like Christmas music...on Chrismas Eve, the sibs and I listened to techno.

We all showed off our impressive burping skills...at Christmas dinner.. {except Mom of course}

I hand feed our cats turkey for the holidays {which could contribute to them looking like this..}

My older brother showed up late to Christmas dinner because he was busy wrapping presents, cleaning, and baking dessert. {how domestic of him}


My parents have no idea who Josh Groban and Michael Buble are

My dad doesn't believe in Christmas lights because it's "A waste of energy. Too much money" {say that in a Japanese accent}

We get really really really into board games

We open all of our gifts on Christmas Eve. When we were little, we would "go to sleep," wait for the loud Ho ho ho! and then run downstairs

On Christmas Eve, rather than watching It's a Wonderful Life or Elf, we watched Cowboys & Aliens

My dad played Angry Birds the other day for the first time. He now calls it "Kill Pig"

Our family has baby-like tendencies sometimes. Whenever we drive somewhere, usually everyone but the driver falls asleep

It's been a great break and a great holiday! I love my family :)

{plus Alex. He's our exchange student this year}

Not quite a poem but...

The little surprise poem by Cill and Jarly on "my" last post was quite a hilarious surprise. But yes, it is true. Yesterday Jessica got married and was a beautiful bride. It was a crazy beautiful busy wonderful emotional day. The wedding was at the temple first thing in the morning and Jess arrived looking beautiful. After the ceremony was over, she came out in her dress and greeted the rest of her family. It was a typical misty chilly Seattle day but there was a definite energy in our small group of people.

Picture of just the immediate family.

I got to be a bridesmaid with her two sisters Nicole and Alyssa.

These girls are our neighbors at our apartment in Provo. They drove from various parts of
Washington (they're home for Christmas) to come to Jessica's wedding reception.
They are so fun and cute!

The winter themed reception was held at the church and so many people came! There was a hot chocolate bar and lots and lots of treats. Sparkly white trees and Christmas trees lined the walls and Christmas lights created a glowing ceiling. The centerpieces were large vases with candles and Christmas ornaments in them {I unfortunately didn't get pictures of all of this}. They did an amazing job!

Beautiful roommates {and poets ahem}: Carly and Jill
PS. Those shoes were 4 inch platform heels and I was crazy
enough to wear them all day.

Friends from high school who came to wish Jess congrats on her big special day :)

It was such a special day and I'm so glad I was able to be a part of it. Friends and family all helped so much to pull this wedding together and it was amazing to see how willing people were to lend a hand. A part of me wishes I could have just sat and talked with people, but I loved the craziness. I loved being in charge of decorating their car. I liked that people trusted me to take care of certain things. I thought it was hilarious that Kyle's (the husband) best friend caught the garter and I caught the bouquet. But one of my favorite parts of the night were the few minutes I was given with Jessica while she changed and got ready to leave.  I don't even really remember what we talked about but I'll cherish that. I'm so happy for them both and wish them the best :)

A Pretty Powerful Prophetic Poem of Love Loss and Lust

We're not all that great at this rhyming deal

 But we wanted to share a ditty we created

 In hopes that you will let out a squeal

 Despite the loss of our roommate belated

We've kicked a member of 129 out

 And hence, our crew has gotten smaller

 Beyonce knew what she was talking about

 Now 'all the single ladies' holla!

While they are now on their honeymoon (shabing!)

 We five will stay forever strong

 For the meantime our finger with stay free of bling

 Liz...  you might not have long

Just so you know, you're registered

 At Target, Macy's and REI

 Don't worry we've got it covered

 Colors and flowers and pictures OH MY!!

Ok, ok its not your turn yet

 The thought of the loss of you is quite eel-y

 Plus, its a toss-up between you and Nat on the bet

 And we were just kidding... but really.

You will never guess who we are heehehehehe

Love, Cill and Jarly

Christmas Break...

COME FASTER!

Doesn't this look great? Nothing like a bit of Jane Austen and monsters.

I'm so stoked to read something and enjoy it.

But until then...happy studying for finals!



happies

My Happy List:

1. Deciding on a major and a minor that I'm suuuper excited for. It's not official yet but I'm going to be an Asian Studies major and International Development minor. For now. 
2. Today being Friday so there are only 4 more days of classes
3. My teacher asking if she could use my research paper as an example to future students. {hmm....well I suppose so...}
4. Baggy sweaters so I don't have to suck in all day long? Or have people notice a food baby? Count me in. 
5. Going on a spur of the moment date with a hilarious guy on a Thursday night.
6. Having a friend tell me that our friendship is complete because I sent her an epic youtube video. 
7. Making up words {ahem, possibly the title of this post}
8. Going home in less than 2 weeks!
9.  Skipping class to go eat pizza with the best. {p.s. that pizza was so worth missing a boring history class}
10. Having a game plan--> I have my life planned out for the next two years.
11. Laughing so hard and for so long that it hurts to get out of bed the next day. 
12. Having a decorated apartment for Christmas. 
13. Apartment neighbors who let me steal their clothes... :}
14. Feeling guilty about blogging in the library when I should be doing homework... and then seeing that the girl next to me is on Pinterest. 
15. Hats, boots, scarves, legwarmers, and gloves. Tis the season! 
16. Random bonding moments with complete strangers
17. The perfect crunch that came from the ginormous leaf I stepped on the other day. 
18. Being hyper with other hyper people. Try it sometime. Someone might end up dancing like they're a preying mantis on crack. Just saying.
19. Being able to go to church all by myself but not feeling alone at all. 
20. Feeling like I'm ready to dominate my finals so I can hurry and get outta town! {I don't know what the first part feels like but when it happens, I'll let you know}

Priorities...ha.

Why yes, I do have about 1,485 hours of homework left.  

Props to Jess for capturing my glam college life.

Cheers to upcoming finals.

The calm before the storm..

These past couple of days have been sooo relaxing. Probably a little too relaxing... I'm getting all geared up for Christmas break instead of finals...ha.
Wednesday we didn't have school and I had big plans to get alllll  of my homework done before Thanksgiving {needless to say, I didn't get anything productive done}. Thursday was my favorite Turkey Day! Carly's sister came and picked us up bright and early so we could help her cook. Once we got there, the turkey was put in the oven and the other good stuff was started, too.

I ate way too much as always and entered a food coma afterwards. We put on a couple of movies and enjoyed the afternoon. Overall the day was super delicious and lazy.

{an awkward picture but the only one we got together on T Day ha}

Friday and Saturday were spent shopping, cleaning, napping, attempting homework, and watching movies. Sounds nice, right? yes. But it's not going to happen again for another 2 1/2 weeks until finals are over and I'm home. So bring on the homework and stress because I'm ready to wrap this semester up like a Christmas present.

Today and forever

{and every day}

It's that time of year again-- my favorite holiday! A time of family and friends, cool weather, colorful leaves, a fireplace if I didn't live in a college apartment, hot chocolate, and most of all...eating! I have so much to be thankful for this year. So many wonderful things have happened and my life is richly blessed. Here's why:

1. Even though I don't get to spend Thanksgiving with them this year again, my family is so great. I love them so much and can't thank them enough for their support.
2. I'm thankful for my family away from home-- My roommates, friends, and my ward. I have people here who care about me.
3. I'm so thankful to have a temple so near. I'm actually going there today!
4. This one might be surprising but I'm thankful for school. I'm glad my mind can handle {most of} the information my teachers give me and that I'm learning to expand my horizons.
5.  I'm grateful that there is a Higher Power who knows what I need even if I don't.
6. I'm thankful for those who see my potential and see me doing great things even when I can't even figure my major out.
7. I have a warm bed and a shower ten feet away. Running water, a working heater, and warm clothes also make life so much easier.
8. I'm thankful for money. I don't have a lot of it but I have enough to get by...and go to college.
9. I'm thankful for my calling (responsibility in the church). I get to hang out with two awesome people that I might not have gotten to know otherwise.   
10. Tomorrow I'm thankful I get to spend the day with Carly and her family and eat good food. Food baby here we come!

This morning was exactly what I needed {I decided to go to a different ward today so that gave me a couple extra hours}. I took my time getting ready for church and I still had 3 hours to myself. So I took the opportunity to enjoy the quiet time. My pandora station was set to piano but everything else was quiet. I sat at my desk and wrote. I wrote in my journal, letters to missionaries, and cards to friends. There is something so fulfilling about writing down thoughts...which could be why I enjoy blogging. Life has been a little crazy lately and I haven't been setting aside time for personal writing. I'm trying to make that a goal because it brings me peace.

So whenever life gets busy, take a moment to breathe. Take a moment to write down what you're feeling. Embrace whatever life hands you and write it down. You'll appreciate it later on.

Dear boy with a cold who has sat behind me for the past 3 days,

I'm well aware that our desks are very close together. But if you cough and sneeze all over my neck again tomorrow, so help me there will be a bag of cough drops and a can of chicken noodle soup thrown toward your head. So for both our sakes, get well soon. Peace and blessings.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth

Reasons why today was great:

1. When I woke up this morning, the sun was shining through the blinds promising a sunny day and no need for a coat 

2. My roommate Hillary let me wear her brand new scarf {such a sweet girl}

3. A friend surprised me with a bag of the Dove chocolates with the cute sayings on the inside of the wrapper

4. It's Monday which means it's a fresh start to a new week. 

5. I got to sleep in

6. Thanksgiving is a week and a couple days away 

7. There is currently an awesome fort in my living room thanks to Carly

8. I grew a spine {for once...crazy, I know} and made a hard choice. I'm going to stick with it and I'm satisfied with that. 

9. I have amazing roommates who will listen to me go on and on for days about the same topic. 

10. A not-wanting-to-be-written history paper has been pushed back and is due in a week and half. 

11. I go home in a month and 2 days to see my family!

12. This guy named Kyle ridiculously lucky to be marrying my best friend in a little over a month. And I'm so happy for them

13. I realized that I haven't forgotten how to make friends and that I actually know quite a few people in my apartment complex {yayy I'm not going to become a hermit!}
14. Saw people stringing Christmas lights on the trees on campus today
15. When I was walking home, the sky was gorgeous with its purples and yellows

 But most of all, I have no idea where my life is going to go or how I'm going to end up but I'm ok with that. I'm not scared {as much} anymore. Life will always work out. 

That's all for today. Happy Monday everyone!

A chunk of happiness amidst a very not so happy day.

{Chipotle burrito from Jess}.

Hope everyone had a better day than I did!

 

Halloween...ish

In my excitement for Thanksgiving, I totally overlooked Halloween {which isn't too surprising since I'm not doing anything really exciting...}

The one on the right is just plain awkward. It's half it's-Halloween-so-I-can-look-creepy and half man-I-wish-I-was-a-model. Oh well. But seriously, there's gotta be something in the water because I feel like I have become so much more awkward than I ever used to be. How did this happen?!

Unfortunate mishaps:
-Waving at someone who you know but they don't see you. Or hear you. Or pretend that they don't know you. Happens all the time these days.
-Thinking that someone is talking to you when they're actually talking to someone behind you.
-Realizing that you wore your shirt backwards allll day long.
-Saying something that sounded great in your head but in reality, no one else thinks so.
-Not knowing whether what someone is wearing is a Halloween costume or not...
-Doing the pee dance during class because you have to go so bad but don't want to get up and crawl over people, backpacks, and laptops.
-^Then getting odd looks from the people around you.
-Asking someone where they're from 2 minutes after they tell you..
-Drool of any kind. But especially the kind where it just drips out right before you take a bite of food. And then you nonchalantly play it off and pretend like it didn't happen.
-Anything about a wedgie. You know how it goes.

And here's the big, bad, awful one.
So to start the story, I'm a germophobe. So when I go to the bathroom in public, I put toilet paper on the seat. No big deal right? Well after doing my business, I washed my hands and left. I proceeded to walk across campus to my next class. I sat down to study for a bit before it started. Out of habit, I reached behind me to pull my shirt down. {insert look of mortification} I realized that I had walked across campus with toilet paper hanging out of my pants. Woohoo! Go Liz! 

At least it makes a great story.

But on the bright side, WalMart is a great place to hit up on Halloween.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Fall

Fall is so gorgeous. I've always liked this time of the year but it's kind of nice to be able to actually enjoy the leaves instead of them being blown away in a windstorm/rainstorm within weeks {Enumclaw, ahem}

We've had mulling spices on our stove for a couple weeks as well as Jessica's ah-mazing candles {Cinnabon and pumpkin mmm}. We also have Halloween decorations courtesy of Jess' mom, which is super fun. The trees in Provo have changed color and the air is crisp during the day. We have pumpkins on our front porch and we went to a corn maze. I've also been watching Halloween movies to add to the mood {I'm still not sure what I think of Alfred Hitchcock}.  I don't want to wear any other shoes but boots and I want to snuggle with any kind of scarf.

 But now that my birthday has come and gone and fall is slowly turning into winter, I've got my eye on Thanksgiving! Sadly, I'm not going home but I'm stoked to spend it with my roommate Carly and her family. Good food, friends, and no school? Count me in.

P.S. This is how I feel about winter coming...

thuper duper exthited.

Change is in the air

Change

It's the only constant thing in life

Well a lot has been happening in this apartment lately. But the most important one is that Jessica is engaged! I'm so excited for her and Kyle and the start of their new life together. They are so happy and in love. The majority of what I'm feeling is excitement and happiness for them. But if I am to be completely honest, there are also some serious mixed emotions.

Jess and I have been really close friends since sophomore year in high school. We have become even closer after coming to college and living with eachother. We've been through quite a bit. I consider her to be my other half, partner in crime, [insert another cliche name for a best friend].

But now she's gone and decided to get herself hitched and leave me.

This was bound to happen sometime. And I know it's supposed to be this way. But if I'm going to be completely honest again, it hurts wee bit. Not in a malicious why-are-you-doing-this-to-me kind of way but more of like a I-can't-believe-you're-leaving-meeeeeee-what-am-I-going-to-do kind of way. But I'm a big girl; I know I will be fine. Eventually. Jess sent me this the other day and it made me feel a little better {even if it was cheesy}.

So even though I get a little weepy sometimes just thinking about this big new change, I keep telling myself that this is the way things are supposed to be and that everything will work out. Although, I am a teensy bit nervous about my new roommate {and I'm willing to bet that she won't have as many cute clothes as Jess..} Goodbye to our pillowtalk, late night runs to 7/11 for Ben&Jerry's, coming home and going over our days together, insane laugh attacks, sleepovers, and our memorable quote book. And not only am I losing my roommate, I'm losing the wonderful Bath and Body Works soap she bought, the entire spice cupboard, the yummy smelling wallflowers, and the big tan belt that matches almost everything. {Buuuuut on the bright side, I get her foam mattress pad muahaha}.

I've never been a huge fan of change but I'm getting to the point where I can accept it. And to try to make this less of a pity party post, I'm going to give a shout out to one thing that isn't changing--I'm rooming with Carly again next semester! I'm so grateful that we are. I love that girl :) Our other roommate, Hillary, is also engaged so we might be getting two new roommates. Holy moly. But in the meantime, I'm going to enjoy all the talk of photography, dresses, centerpieces, invitations, colors, and rings. Happy Weekend! Enjoy the last bits of Fall {if it hasn't left already..}



There is so much that I don't know. I don't know what will happen tomorrow, I don't know what will happen next week,  I don't know my major, I don't know when I'll get married, I don't know a lot about the Gospel, I don't know what trials will come my way.

I just don't know.

Yes, I'll know some things eventually but I've realized that there are some things that I won't ever know. And you know, I'm kind of okay with that. Don't get me wrong, not knowing what will happen can be scary. One of my friends got into a car accident the other day and that has really put things into perspective. This life is a gift and it made me think: How well have I been using my gift? What have I done to help people? When was the last time I told my family that I loved them?

Sadly, I don't think I've done a lot of good. I've been so wrapped up in me me me. My homework, my plans for the weekend, my to-do list. College is important and a very high priority right now but I haven't really been taking advantage of this time in my life right now. I've been so caught up in where I'll end up rather than enjoying the ride of "right now."

I have so much to be grateful for. I'm glad to be alive, I'm extremely grateful my friend is alive, I love being able to study at a university where other people share the same beliefs, and I'm grateful for myself. My body is capable of so much and my mind is stretched on a daily basis.

I haven't really decided on what steps I'm going to take to help me appreciate my life in the "right now" but it's going to happen. Life is precious. That's all for now :)

Part 2

{I thought about cramming everything in my mind into one post but that would've ended up being a novel sooo I'm posting twice. In one day. WHOA.}

After listening to Conference, I felt like I could conquer to world and basically handle anything. There was so much on overcoming trials, having faith, and scripture reading, which were all things I really needed to hear. I'm not even sure if there was a specific talk on this but I left with the distinct feeling that I need to trust Heavenly Father. Completely. A couple weeks ago I was just having a really hard time knowing what I should do. After stewing in indecision for a while, I realized that I don't have all of the answers and never will. So I've decided that if I'm making the best choices that I can and being the best person I can be, then things will work out. I've learned that I need to trust in a higher power and to not rely on myself for everything. I've learned this but I'm still working on the application part. It's coming though.

I've also realized how blessed I am. I have an amazing family that loves me and sends me goodies in the mail, great friends, and fantastic roommates. One of my roommates, Hillary, is engaged and I'm so excited for her! She's getting married in December so we might have a new roommate next semester. But I'm so glad I've gotten to know her. She's so funny and silly. She makes me laugh on a daily basis. I'm so happy to be living with Jessica and Carly as well. I know that I can go to them if I need anything. It can be from needing advice or a hug to wanting to run to 7/11 for Ben&Jerry's Half Baked {I'm addicted..}

Look at how beautiful they are :) {Plus Jilly of course!}



Jessica: This girl is amazing. I can't even begin to express how much she's impressed me this year. She's my other half, my partner in crime, my cousin, and one of my best friends. We've had so many great conversations, runs to Redbox, and "what do I wear?!" moments. I'm glad we're roommates and that we've gotten closer. And...I love her closet.

Carly: She is one of the best listeners I have ever met. I've had some of the best conversations with her during the year I've known her. She's got some of the best one-liners I've ever heard. I'm so happy we're living together and I'm excited for everything that is to come.

I'm so lucky.

Man, I love college.

Especially BYU.

This will be the 3rd time I've started this post and I keep having to change it because new things keep happening! But to back up...

Yes, I'm alive!

 Life has gotten in the way of my blogging and I would apologize, but nothing too drastic has happened. And yet, new and exciting things have been going on.

Last weekend was General Conference and oh, how amazing that was. I watched the Saturday sessions in the apartment with the roomies and friends but on Saturday night, a group of us girls headed up to Midway to Carly's grandparents' house to watch conference there. It was so amazing to get away from school and normal life. Fall colors were just beginning to show and I got a couple pictures from the walk we went on between sessions. Being out in nature was so peaceful. It was great to be able to just walk around with these girls, appreciate God's creations, and talk about conference. I was so grateful for that weekend.

School is going really well. The semester is chugging along and the homework load is just getting bigger and bigger. But one really amazing thing that I love about this semester classes--World Civ and Asian Humanities overlap so I get to learn somethings twice, which is nice for my brain. My Doctrine and Covenants class and Joseph Smith and the Restoration class overlap too so I get another double whammy. Jazz is incredibly hard but I can feel myself get stronger with every class so that's nice. Japanese is same old same old but the workload is slightly heavier than previous classes. Last week I had 5 midterms and my poor brain was dying. Luckily, this week was a tad bit easier but I had to catch up on all of the homework I put off to study for my tests. But now it's the weekend and it's also my birthday! I got a couple things in the mail and I was so excited to open them :)

{I took this picture with my foot..hehe}

A chocolate cake mix from Sho. Soo excited to make it!

Today is my birthday but since it's on a Sunday, I celebrated it yesterday. I went to Chipotle with one of my best friends, and then we went to Thanksgiving Point and wandered through stores, and then we went to the BYU vs. San Jose football game! The game was freezing cold but we won so it made it worth it. Here are some snapshots from the day :)

Heaven wrapped in foil. What a beaut.

Who I spent my "birthday" with :)

Foooooootball

Cosmo doin his thing

We won!!

It's been a great weekend :) Now I'm 19  years old and of course much, much more mature than when I was 18. I'm another year closer to not being a teenager woohoo! But anyways, happy Fall! (Or if you're in Utah...happy Winter!)