Good news, blog-reading world.
I am going to the MICHAEL BUBLE concert tomorrow!
I love Michael Buble PASSIONATELY and my awesome mother gave me two tickets for my 20th birthday! So cool, right? I know :). It's his "Crazy Love" tour. My favorite song from this CD is "Haven't Met You Yet". Go ahead, click the link and watch the music video. I also love his rendition of "Georgia on my Mind" and "Cry Me a River." Awesome, huh? Tomorrow night is the concert- 8 pm at the E Center in West Valley, Utah. I can't wait! And I'm so excited for another adventure with Kelsi!
Second great thing that happened today- I have been assigned to BYU Football for fall semester as the Student Athletic Trainer! HOORAY! It's a very time intensive assignment but it will be so worth it. Working with an NCAA Division 1 Elite football team? So. Cool.
Third great thing about today? I showed up to my clinical education class to find a whole breakfast set up. Krispy Kreme donuts, Costco muffins, and Einstein Bagels- all compliments of the BYU Athletic Department. Reason? National Athletic Training month. They had big signs, thanking all of the athletic trainers and students for their work. Once again- coolest major ever.
Reason 26: Andrew
I have the two coolest brothers on the entire planet. Seriously- they are the best. Today I will recognize Andrew since I was privileged enough to hang out with him this weekend.
Interesting Facts About Andrew
1. He is Junior Class President
2. He is head Technical Director at DHHS
3. He is a Science Olympiad Team Member
4. He is an AMAZING Actor (The Music Man, High School Musical, Bye Bye Birdie, Our Town, Wizard of Oz, Once on this Island, among countless others.)
5. Freakishly smart- lots of AP classes, AP Calculus as a junior
6. Musical- he played in the band, loves Broadway musicals, and can plunk out any tune on the piano.
7. Friendly- People like this kid. Seriously. It's pretty cool.
8. Spiritual- He reads his scriptures everyday, is an honorable priesthood holder, and chooses church over the Packers when they are on at the same time.
9. He is a great brother. Hannah, Aaron, and I love him to death.
10. He can eat his weight in food. Doubled.
11. He is passionate about theater. That is SO cool.
12. He knows everything about Disney. Seriously- challenge him. He will destroy you.
13. He loves to play pranks. Like that one day my senior year of high school when I thought my car was stolen but he had really just convinced a seminary teacher to move it to the baseball field.
14. He is a tease. He loves to tease everyone. I'm a little afraid about what he'll be wearing at my wedding.
15. He has a huge heart. I've never met anyone who could love so deeply.
16. He doesn't ever let his Cerebral Palsy hold him back.
17. He has the best smile.
18. He has these big, beautiful, brown, puppy dog eyes that coerce you into anything.
19. He can't spell to save his life.
20. Throw that kid in a buffet and he could last all day, eating nonstop.
21. This weekend at Olive Garden he ate 4 stuffed mushrooms, a salad, 2 breadsticks, 2 Dr. Peppers, Parmesan crusted tilapia, Vegetables, Angel Hair Pasta, and Chocolate fudge-filled torte with strawberries. And he probably could've eaten more.
22. Disneyworld is his second home.
23. He loves everything about Tower of Terror- Except for maybe the actual ride.
24. He makes people cry when he speaks in church or other places. And he thinks it's funny.
25. He is terrible at hide-and-seek. He can't stop laughing long enough.
26. He once ran the 200 meter race at a track meet.
27. He's been featured in many news stories- Television and print.
28. He is a history buff and would be an awesome history teacher.
29. I think he's colorblind because his clothes never match unless my mom or I correct him.
30. He loves life- truly and genuinely loves life. More so than any person I've ever met.
Interesting Facts About Andrew
1. He is Junior Class President
2. He is head Technical Director at DHHS
3. He is a Science Olympiad Team Member
4. He is an AMAZING Actor (The Music Man, High School Musical, Bye Bye Birdie, Our Town, Wizard of Oz, Once on this Island, among countless others.)
5. Freakishly smart- lots of AP classes, AP Calculus as a junior
6. Musical- he played in the band, loves Broadway musicals, and can plunk out any tune on the piano.
7. Friendly- People like this kid. Seriously. It's pretty cool.
8. Spiritual- He reads his scriptures everyday, is an honorable priesthood holder, and chooses church over the Packers when they are on at the same time.
9. He is a great brother. Hannah, Aaron, and I love him to death.
10. He can eat his weight in food. Doubled.
11. He is passionate about theater. That is SO cool.
12. He knows everything about Disney. Seriously- challenge him. He will destroy you.
13. He loves to play pranks. Like that one day my senior year of high school when I thought my car was stolen but he had really just convinced a seminary teacher to move it to the baseball field.
14. He is a tease. He loves to tease everyone. I'm a little afraid about what he'll be wearing at my wedding.
15. He has a huge heart. I've never met anyone who could love so deeply.
16. He doesn't ever let his Cerebral Palsy hold him back.
17. He has the best smile.
18. He has these big, beautiful, brown, puppy dog eyes that coerce you into anything.
19. He can't spell to save his life.
20. Throw that kid in a buffet and he could last all day, eating nonstop.
21. This weekend at Olive Garden he ate 4 stuffed mushrooms, a salad, 2 breadsticks, 2 Dr. Peppers, Parmesan crusted tilapia, Vegetables, Angel Hair Pasta, and Chocolate fudge-filled torte with strawberries. And he probably could've eaten more.
22. Disneyworld is his second home.
23. He loves everything about Tower of Terror- Except for maybe the actual ride.
24. He makes people cry when he speaks in church or other places. And he thinks it's funny.
25. He is terrible at hide-and-seek. He can't stop laughing long enough.
26. He once ran the 200 meter race at a track meet.
27. He's been featured in many news stories- Television and print.
28. He is a history buff and would be an awesome history teacher.
29. I think he's colorblind because his clothes never match unless my mom or I correct him.
30. He loves life- truly and genuinely loves life. More so than any person I've ever met.
"Oklahoma!" 2008
Disneyworld 2008
Green Bay 2006
Junior Prom 2009
Hannah's Baptism 2009
Disneyland 2009
Science Olympiad 2010
(If you take a self-portrait, it'll end up on my blog)
I love this kid. Andrew is a top reason that life is good :) Love you, bro.
Reason 25: Holi Festival of Colors
"In India, Holi announces the arrival of spring and the passing of winter. The festival breathes an atmosphere of social merriment. People bury their hatchets with a warm embrace and throw their worries to the wind. Every nook and corner presents a colorful sight. Young and old alike are covered with colors (red, green, yellow, blue, black and silver). People in small groups are seen singing, dancing and throwing colors on each other."
This was so much fun. Lots of pictures tonight. I was ecstatic that Jason was able to come for this!
This was so much fun. Lots of pictures tonight. I was ecstatic that Jason was able to come for this!
Jason at the Lotus (Hindu) Temple of the Utah Krishnas. LOTS of people.
The chalk throwing begins! My camera was in a ziploc baggie.
We were pretty messy :)
Skyler and Jocelyn
Joe, Lindsey, Hanna, and Maren
Me and Maren
Our whole group- Danni, Lucas, Skyler, Jocelyn, Spencer, Kelsi, me, Jason,
Joe, Hanna, Lindsey, and Maren.
And naturally a cloud of pink chalk flew in front of us.
Me and Linz. Lindsey looked like an Avatar!
After spraying air to get the chalk remnants off.
My eye. I thought it looked much greener than normal.
My eyes looked weird.
So yes- that was the Holi Festival of Colors 2010. It was an absolute blast!
Reason 24: Rice Cookers
Jason is here :)
It's been two weeks since I last saw him. And I couldn't have been happier when he walked through the door. We were on our way to look at mens wedding rings when he pulled out a large, square gift from the back seat of the car. He told me it was the first gift for our home. Cute, huh? So I opened it slowly and... it was a RICE COOKER! I was so stoked. Only 24 hours prior I was complaining about cooking rice on the stove and I had told Jason more than once that we HAVE to put a rice cooker on the registry. Not anymore! Hooray!
The ring shopping went pretty well- Jason has found what he likes. Now the trick is to find the store with the cheapest form of that ring. After shopping we used up a gift card at Red Lobster. Lobster pizza, clams, scallops, crab stuffed mushrooms, and a gooey chocolate lava cookie. Following this was a visit with his family and the movie "Failure to Launch." Great night :)
So why did I choose a rice cooker as Reason 24 that life is good?
1- It was our first wedding present
2- It was extremely thoughtful of Jake to get that for me and let me use it now.
3- I hate cooking rice on the stove.
It's been two weeks since I last saw him. And I couldn't have been happier when he walked through the door. We were on our way to look at mens wedding rings when he pulled out a large, square gift from the back seat of the car. He told me it was the first gift for our home. Cute, huh? So I opened it slowly and... it was a RICE COOKER! I was so stoked. Only 24 hours prior I was complaining about cooking rice on the stove and I had told Jason more than once that we HAVE to put a rice cooker on the registry. Not anymore! Hooray!
The ring shopping went pretty well- Jason has found what he likes. Now the trick is to find the store with the cheapest form of that ring. After shopping we used up a gift card at Red Lobster. Lobster pizza, clams, scallops, crab stuffed mushrooms, and a gooey chocolate lava cookie. Following this was a visit with his family and the movie "Failure to Launch." Great night :)
So why did I choose a rice cooker as Reason 24 that life is good?
1- It was our first wedding present
2- It was extremely thoughtful of Jake to get that for me and let me use it now.
3- I hate cooking rice on the stove.
Reason 23: Easy Days
As much as I enjoy cramming my schedule until it explodes, Thursday always comes at the perfect time.
Schedule?
Sleep til 8:30
Clinical Class at 10:00
Physics at 12:30
Anatomy at 4:00
Medical Issues Lecture Series at 7:10
To a normal person this schedule seems awful. But when I don't have to go to UVU I can get a LOT more homework done. So all those big breaks are actually greatly appreciated.
Today I also went to the groundbreaking for the track at UVU. That was pretty cool. It was really awesome to see that a generous donor could fund a NCAA D-I track almost entirely on his own. And he really made a big difference to the university by doing so. I thoroughly enjoyed the ceremony. And then I proceeded to curl up on the couch and watch tv instead of braving the wind to get to my anatomy lecture. That made an easy day even better :)
Schedule?
Sleep til 8:30
Clinical Class at 10:00
Physics at 12:30
Anatomy at 4:00
Medical Issues Lecture Series at 7:10
To a normal person this schedule seems awful. But when I don't have to go to UVU I can get a LOT more homework done. So all those big breaks are actually greatly appreciated.
Today I also went to the groundbreaking for the track at UVU. That was pretty cool. It was really awesome to see that a generous donor could fund a NCAA D-I track almost entirely on his own. And he really made a big difference to the university by doing so. I thoroughly enjoyed the ceremony. And then I proceeded to curl up on the couch and watch tv instead of braving the wind to get to my anatomy lecture. That made an easy day even better :)
Reason 22: Living in the Moment
Today I am grateful that I've been able to keep my head in the moment. I always can tell you how many days until my wedding, but given the opportunity I would not rush through these next 86 days. This is pretty rare for me- I always have seemed to base my excitement on the NEXT big event- high school graduation, college, Christmas break, summer, starting the athletic training program, getting a new athletic training assignment- and most of all I spent a LOT of time living for the future, waiting for Jason to come home. I am extremely similar to my almost father-in-law in this way. And he has spent a lot of time reminding me that living in the moment is more important than waiting for the next adventure. So if he happens to read this- thanks for all your words. They clicked at the perfect time :)
So here is a list of reasons why I wouldn't want to get to June 19th any faster than it will come:
1. As burned out as I am for the semester, I love my classes. I love the schedule I've developed and I've really proven to myself that I can get out of bed every morning to study and do homework and return to campus after UVU to finish.
2. I am already getting a little sentimental about leaving UVU track. I really like the athletes, the athletic trainer, and the atmosphere. It's always a big change to switch assignments and I am really enjoying this one.
3. I am super excited for my two bridal showers. Like- really excited.
4. I love registering for items with Jason. It's fun to scan all the stuff, brainstorm, make lists, compare brands.. all that good stuff. Target and Bed, Bath, and Beyond are becoming frequently viewed websites.
5. I love planning the reception. I try to restrict planning to Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday so I can focus on school which also really helps me stay focused. But it is SO FUN to plan. Especially with my awesome mom and grandma. And my grandpa. Seriously- they are the best.
6. I love BEING engaged. I love it when people ask about it, about Jason, about plans. You know that even complete strangers are TRULY excited for you. It's pretty sweet.
7. I love the excuse to listen to endless love songs. Got to have a perfect playlist at the reception, right?
8. I am so, so, so, so, SOOOO excited for engagement pictures (April 22) and bridals (June). Pictures are so fun.
This is becoming a really wordy post so I will wrap it up. But basically- I have figured out how to live in the moment and I am honestly happier then ever. I appreciate things like the warm weather, conversation with friends, chance encounters (love you Brooke!), good music, good smells, and most importantly- my relationship with Jason. It's not getting drowned out or sucked away or replaced by tablecloth colors, pasta salad dilemmas, or flower arrangement decisions.
Live in the moment. Seriously. It makes life so good :)
So here is a list of reasons why I wouldn't want to get to June 19th any faster than it will come:
1. As burned out as I am for the semester, I love my classes. I love the schedule I've developed and I've really proven to myself that I can get out of bed every morning to study and do homework and return to campus after UVU to finish.
2. I am already getting a little sentimental about leaving UVU track. I really like the athletes, the athletic trainer, and the atmosphere. It's always a big change to switch assignments and I am really enjoying this one.
3. I am super excited for my two bridal showers. Like- really excited.
4. I love registering for items with Jason. It's fun to scan all the stuff, brainstorm, make lists, compare brands.. all that good stuff. Target and Bed, Bath, and Beyond are becoming frequently viewed websites.
5. I love planning the reception. I try to restrict planning to Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday so I can focus on school which also really helps me stay focused. But it is SO FUN to plan. Especially with my awesome mom and grandma. And my grandpa. Seriously- they are the best.
6. I love BEING engaged. I love it when people ask about it, about Jason, about plans. You know that even complete strangers are TRULY excited for you. It's pretty sweet.
7. I love the excuse to listen to endless love songs. Got to have a perfect playlist at the reception, right?
8. I am so, so, so, so, SOOOO excited for engagement pictures (April 22) and bridals (June). Pictures are so fun.
This is becoming a really wordy post so I will wrap it up. But basically- I have figured out how to live in the moment and I am honestly happier then ever. I appreciate things like the warm weather, conversation with friends, chance encounters (love you Brooke!), good music, good smells, and most importantly- my relationship with Jason. It's not getting drowned out or sucked away or replaced by tablecloth colors, pasta salad dilemmas, or flower arrangement decisions.
Live in the moment. Seriously. It makes life so good :)
Underneath a waterfall in the Subway at Zion National Park in July 2008.
Thanks for all the memories, babe. I can't wait to make more.
Reason 21: 10
The number 10. Today this number was DEFINATELY the highlight of my day and reminded me that life is good even when it is filled with lots of homework.
Human Anatomy is a notorious class on campus. Every semester approximately 800 students at BYU enroll in this INSANE class. This includes two hours of lecture each week and two hours of cadaver lab. Lecture isn't too bad, but the lab portion of the class takes a lot of work. Each week you learn approximately 100 terms in the lab. Then the next week you are quizzed on only ten of the terms. They are pinned on the cadavers so you must really understand what is going on since each body is different. The goal? To get 10 out of 10 on the quiz. This includes correct spelling.
I spent a religious 6-8 hours in the open cadaver labs studying when the topic was bones, muscles, brain, and special senses. But soon the veins, arteries, digestive, respiratory, urinary and reproductive systems hit and I was a little less willing. And by a little less I mean that my 6-8 hours dissolved into a mere 45 minutes right before my lab. And today I hadn't even looked at the terms until 6:45 am for my 8:00 am lab. In the words of Bon Jovi, I was living on a prayer.
And I was successful. On my final anatomy lab quiz of the semester I got the coveted 10 points. The digestive and respiratory systems could not outsmart me with their difficult words like plicae cirulares or epiploic appendages. Yeah. I won. Life is so good because sometimes you just need a little luck to boost your spirits :)
15 more class days left, finals are over in one month, 87 days until I marry the love of my life.
Life is SO good!
Human Anatomy is a notorious class on campus. Every semester approximately 800 students at BYU enroll in this INSANE class. This includes two hours of lecture each week and two hours of cadaver lab. Lecture isn't too bad, but the lab portion of the class takes a lot of work. Each week you learn approximately 100 terms in the lab. Then the next week you are quizzed on only ten of the terms. They are pinned on the cadavers so you must really understand what is going on since each body is different. The goal? To get 10 out of 10 on the quiz. This includes correct spelling.
I spent a religious 6-8 hours in the open cadaver labs studying when the topic was bones, muscles, brain, and special senses. But soon the veins, arteries, digestive, respiratory, urinary and reproductive systems hit and I was a little less willing. And by a little less I mean that my 6-8 hours dissolved into a mere 45 minutes right before my lab. And today I hadn't even looked at the terms until 6:45 am for my 8:00 am lab. In the words of Bon Jovi, I was living on a prayer.
And I was successful. On my final anatomy lab quiz of the semester I got the coveted 10 points. The digestive and respiratory systems could not outsmart me with their difficult words like plicae cirulares or epiploic appendages. Yeah. I won. Life is so good because sometimes you just need a little luck to boost your spirits :)
15 more class days left, finals are over in one month, 87 days until I marry the love of my life.
Life is SO good!
Reason 20: Ankles
Ankles keep athletic trainers in business. And I had a seriously cool experience with one today.
As the track student athletic trainer at UVU, we see about 98% chronic injuries. This-- is a tragedy. Of course it'd be better if no one got injured, but acute injuries are so much more fun to evaluate and treat. I am SO SICK of shin splits, stress fractures, and IT Band tendonitis. And then- lo and behold- AN ANKLE INJURY! It was a thrower who was playing basketball. I got to do the evaluation.
Anterior drawer- positive.
Talar tilt- negative.
Manual muscle- positive.
Kleigers- VERY positive.
My diagnosis? Grade 1+ ankle sprain- partial tear of the anterior talofibular ligament.
The doctor happened to be there and I gave her my report- she agreed. By now I am guess that zero people reading this (out of my vast, sturdy readership) even care. But it was SO, SO cool! This is what you work for, wait for, train for... and to get to evaluate the most studied joint in the body and know exactly what was wrong? SO COOL. After my diagnosis I was able to talk to the athlete about their injury and treatment plan. It was a very fulfilling day.
To cap off an awesome day of athletic training, we had two wrestlers come in that were involved in a collision. We had a chin and a cheek that needed stitches. The doctor is so awesome and let us watch and help out- explaining as she went along the kind of stitches she was using and how she learned it.
So today I am grateful for ankles. And lacerations. And athletic training. I have the coolest major EVER.
As the track student athletic trainer at UVU, we see about 98% chronic injuries. This-- is a tragedy. Of course it'd be better if no one got injured, but acute injuries are so much more fun to evaluate and treat. I am SO SICK of shin splits, stress fractures, and IT Band tendonitis. And then- lo and behold- AN ANKLE INJURY! It was a thrower who was playing basketball. I got to do the evaluation.
Anterior drawer- positive.
Talar tilt- negative.
Manual muscle- positive.
Kleigers- VERY positive.
My diagnosis? Grade 1+ ankle sprain- partial tear of the anterior talofibular ligament.
The doctor happened to be there and I gave her my report- she agreed. By now I am guess that zero people reading this (out of my vast, sturdy readership) even care. But it was SO, SO cool! This is what you work for, wait for, train for... and to get to evaluate the most studied joint in the body and know exactly what was wrong? SO COOL. After my diagnosis I was able to talk to the athlete about their injury and treatment plan. It was a very fulfilling day.
To cap off an awesome day of athletic training, we had two wrestlers come in that were involved in a collision. We had a chin and a cheek that needed stitches. The doctor is so awesome and let us watch and help out- explaining as she went along the kind of stitches she was using and how she learned it.
So today I am grateful for ankles. And lacerations. And athletic training. I have the coolest major EVER.
Reason 19: Family Visits :)
Reason 19 that life is good?
My family came from St. George to visit me.
Even more spectacular is that my little Hannah is NINE YEARS OLD!
Our weekend was supposed to include snowshoeing but due to the lack of snow, such events were cancelled. We did have a hard fought game of bowling- mom destroyed all of us! Also a trip to the BYU bookstore, dinner at the pizza buffet, a little wedding shopping, lots of wedding planning, hot tubbing, watched the BYU basketball game, a birthday party for Hannah, chocolate chip pancakes, "The Princess and the Frog," and a game of Cranium.
My family came from St. George to visit me.
Even more spectacular is that my little Hannah is NINE YEARS OLD!
Our weekend was supposed to include snowshoeing but due to the lack of snow, such events were cancelled. We did have a hard fought game of bowling- mom destroyed all of us! Also a trip to the BYU bookstore, dinner at the pizza buffet, a little wedding shopping, lots of wedding planning, hot tubbing, watched the BYU basketball game, a birthday party for Hannah, chocolate chip pancakes, "The Princess and the Frog," and a game of Cranium.
At the bowling alley.
"The camera LOVES me!"
Aaron had quite the form! He got second place.
He obviously learned from our mother. Go mom!
My cute family :)
Aaron was sucking on lemons. Haha.
Look at this cute cake! I was SOOO excited!
Happy 9th birthday Hannah girl!
Life is so good :)
Reason 18: The Princess and the Frog
Have you seen "The Princess and the Frog"?
See it. It is so good. I actually found a movie that competes with "Aladdin" as top Disney movie ever. "Finding Nemo" and "Monsters, Inc" are close seconds. "Princess and the Frog" is amazing though- I just can't even describe how much I love it. I love the jazz music, I love the idea about finding out what you really need in life, I love the idea of goals and dreams and never giving up, I love the love story. Naturally. I ALWAYS love the love stories. I'm kind of a sucker for those. Favorite quote?
Princess Tiana: You just kissed yourself a princess!
Prince Naveen: And I'm about to do it again!
Nothing special out of context but I promise if you watch the movie it'll make you so happy.
And... congrats to my amazing little brother Andrew for his success at region drama. In his words.. "Region was amazing! I made this kid sob in my monologue. I got straight superiors on my monologue and I am going to state. DHHS's one act is going to state and I won best Cameo Performance out of all the plays." Cool little brother? I think so :)
See it. It is so good. I actually found a movie that competes with "Aladdin" as top Disney movie ever. "Finding Nemo" and "Monsters, Inc" are close seconds. "Princess and the Frog" is amazing though- I just can't even describe how much I love it. I love the jazz music, I love the idea about finding out what you really need in life, I love the idea of goals and dreams and never giving up, I love the love story. Naturally. I ALWAYS love the love stories. I'm kind of a sucker for those. Favorite quote?
Princess Tiana: You just kissed yourself a princess!
Prince Naveen: And I'm about to do it again!
Nothing special out of context but I promise if you watch the movie it'll make you so happy.
And... congrats to my amazing little brother Andrew for his success at region drama. In his words.. "Region was amazing! I made this kid sob in my monologue. I got straight superiors on my monologue and I am going to state. DHHS's one act is going to state and I won best Cameo Performance out of all the plays." Cool little brother? I think so :)
Reason 17: Reasons to Celebrate
Have you ever thought about what life would be like if you had no reason to celebrate? Or what if celebratory occasions were restricted to Easter and Christmas only? That would be no fun. So tonight I would like to point out that having a reason to celebrate is a reason that life is good.
Yesterday was St. Patrick's Day. I actually forgot to wear green for the first part of the day, but I had an unfortunate run-in with some melted butter that compelled me to change my shirt. But my clothing is besides the point. My roommates and I have this tradition of green pancakes on St. Patrick's day. I found myself looking forward to that the whole entire day yesterday. I legitimately think that is the only reason I survived physics lab.
Jocelyn and Hanna making green pancakes :)
We were clearly impatient and had to maximize the use of our stove to make these pancakes. We added chocolate chips to the pancakes this year. Good choice cause they were delicious.
The first attempt at a timed picture. I have a spatula growing out of my head.
Brownstone #4 :)
We are so cute. This picture was actually quite difficult to take. Last night made me ever so slightly sentimental about leaving these girls after this semester-- they've been a lot of fun to have as roommates. Don't get me wrong- I don't like the idea of roommates and girls living together. Ugh. BUT the beauty in that is that they would all agree. And our mutual agreement of not liking living with girls, sharing a room, trudging through compilations of disgusting hair, hearing everyones alarms in the morning, having no fridge space, blowing out fuses with blow dryers, and stealing each others food is quite possibly what brings us together.
And that is a reason to celebrate.
"We may not remember the tests that we failed, but we'll never forget the people we were with on the nights we didn't study."
Reason 16: Spring Break!
Happy Spring Break!
Well, kind of. As many people know, BYU does not actually have spring break. It's one of those "Do you want one cookie now or two cookies later?" approaches. Everyone else takes spring break, we finish classes on April 13. I prefer this approach but it can get a little bit hard to have the endurance to keep going.
Thankfully I am the student athletic trainer at Utah Valley University and the DO have a spring break! Plus I took my last test this morning so I am officially on vacation until next Monday. Hallelujah! Can you say WEDDING PLANNING AWESOMENESS?
**Bridesmaid dresses- Jason's awesome grandma is going to make the dresses for our sisters and my cousin Julia. They are going to be tea length dresses- sunflower yellow, black sash, cap sleeves. I am so excited! This will be perfect. It was too hard to find the same dress for an 18 year old, a tall 9 year old, and a small 7 year old. But this is perfect!
**Invitations- I love vellum. I have always wanted vellum-something invites. I am also a big fan of simple so the picture collage invitations are not my style. I think we are going to choose our very favorite engagement picture (we are taking those on April 22 in Las Vegas) and create a vellum overlay with the invitation printed on it. Simple- yes. But why should the invitations be any different then my ring, wedding dress, veil, reception site, and the temple ceremony? So yeah- I'm pretty excited!
**School- I also got my class schedule done for fall. Jason's as well. But I have to wait on my athletic training assignment to finalize my schedule. Hopefully I find out soon!
**Flowers- Costco rocks. 150 long stem sunflowers for $130. HECK YES! I am so excited. I am trying to figure out what I want to do for my bridal bouquet. My favorite ones that I've seen on Google images are JUST sunflowers. Should I just do that? Maybe I'll give Sarah, Hannah, and Julia (my bridesmaids) a bouquet with sunflowers are white gerber daisies- set it a part a little bit.
**Wedding favors- I think we are going to do little jars of honey. It totally matches our colors and it's different.
Anyways- weddings are so fun to plan. It gives you an excuse to workout a lot, watch endless hours of TLC, and spend lots of time online. Thank heavens I have spring break from athletic training. I am having quite the focusing issue. Especially with this sparkly ring on my finger :)
Well, kind of. As many people know, BYU does not actually have spring break. It's one of those "Do you want one cookie now or two cookies later?" approaches. Everyone else takes spring break, we finish classes on April 13. I prefer this approach but it can get a little bit hard to have the endurance to keep going.
Thankfully I am the student athletic trainer at Utah Valley University and the DO have a spring break! Plus I took my last test this morning so I am officially on vacation until next Monday. Hallelujah! Can you say WEDDING PLANNING AWESOMENESS?
**Bridesmaid dresses- Jason's awesome grandma is going to make the dresses for our sisters and my cousin Julia. They are going to be tea length dresses- sunflower yellow, black sash, cap sleeves. I am so excited! This will be perfect. It was too hard to find the same dress for an 18 year old, a tall 9 year old, and a small 7 year old. But this is perfect!
**Invitations- I love vellum. I have always wanted vellum-something invites. I am also a big fan of simple so the picture collage invitations are not my style. I think we are going to choose our very favorite engagement picture (we are taking those on April 22 in Las Vegas) and create a vellum overlay with the invitation printed on it. Simple- yes. But why should the invitations be any different then my ring, wedding dress, veil, reception site, and the temple ceremony? So yeah- I'm pretty excited!
**School- I also got my class schedule done for fall. Jason's as well. But I have to wait on my athletic training assignment to finalize my schedule. Hopefully I find out soon!
**Flowers- Costco rocks. 150 long stem sunflowers for $130. HECK YES! I am so excited. I am trying to figure out what I want to do for my bridal bouquet. My favorite ones that I've seen on Google images are JUST sunflowers. Should I just do that? Maybe I'll give Sarah, Hannah, and Julia (my bridesmaids) a bouquet with sunflowers are white gerber daisies- set it a part a little bit.
**Wedding favors- I think we are going to do little jars of honey. It totally matches our colors and it's different.
Anyways- weddings are so fun to plan. It gives you an excuse to workout a lot, watch endless hours of TLC, and spend lots of time online. Thank heavens I have spring break from athletic training. I am having quite the focusing issue. Especially with this sparkly ring on my finger :)
"To love another person is to see the face of God." -Victor Hugo
"Love - the irresistable desire to be desired." - Mark Twain
"Marriage is the only war in which you sleep with the enemy." (Hahahaha!)
"Compromise: An amiable arrangement between husband and wife whereby they agree to let her have her own way."
Reason 15: The Knot
I have a new favorite website.
It's called The Knot. It is a wedding website that is so crammed full of stuff you can barely pull yourself away from it. They have every wedding topic imaginable on this website. You can search stuff by season, style, color, theme, type, length, price... it's so cool. My favorite thing is to click on the "Yellow Weddings" section (since our colors are black, white, and yellow) and look at how super creative people are.
It's called The Knot. It is a wedding website that is so crammed full of stuff you can barely pull yourself away from it. They have every wedding topic imaginable on this website. You can search stuff by season, style, color, theme, type, length, price... it's so cool. My favorite thing is to click on the "Yellow Weddings" section (since our colors are black, white, and yellow) and look at how super creative people are.
Look at this cake I found. So cool, right? Replace those flowers with some baby sunflowers and we've got a wedding cake!
So if you are ever looking for a fun website, try The Knot because it will seriously make you so happy.
Until you fail your test the next day...
but that's the nature of being engaged, right?
:-)
Reason 14: Saturday
The day of Saturday is a heaven-sent gift.
Today I slept in, went to the physics tutorial lab, studied for my rehab test, and took a nap. Then I ended up sitting at a gas station in west Provo with two of my roommates, waiting for the St. George shuttle to show up and and deliver my wallet (naturally I had left it in the Burton's car). The shuttle was delayed due to another snow storm (Boo) so we went to Autozone to buy a left headlight for my car. I pulled "helpless college girl" card and got the cashier to change my headlight. I never would've figured that out- especially in the dark and the snow. We then decided to go to Pizza Factory- each ordering a half plate of pasta, small salad bar, and breadtwist. SO GOOD. Then grocery shopping. It SOUNDS like we have no lives but I promise we do- all of us are in long distance relationships so we just have to entertain ourselves a lot of the time :).
It was just an awesome night. Lots of talk about love, weddings, and life. Rounding out the evening was "A Walk to Remember" and "Finding Nemo." I think we are boycotting the time change. I also think we are all incredibly burned out. Only 22 more days of class. Ughhhh. But on a happier note- 97 days til I get to marry Jake. Life is great, eh?
And this quote is for Jocelyn, one of my faithful readers (haha).
Today I slept in, went to the physics tutorial lab, studied for my rehab test, and took a nap. Then I ended up sitting at a gas station in west Provo with two of my roommates, waiting for the St. George shuttle to show up and and deliver my wallet (naturally I had left it in the Burton's car). The shuttle was delayed due to another snow storm (Boo) so we went to Autozone to buy a left headlight for my car. I pulled "helpless college girl" card and got the cashier to change my headlight. I never would've figured that out- especially in the dark and the snow. We then decided to go to Pizza Factory- each ordering a half plate of pasta, small salad bar, and breadtwist. SO GOOD. Then grocery shopping. It SOUNDS like we have no lives but I promise we do- all of us are in long distance relationships so we just have to entertain ourselves a lot of the time :).
It was just an awesome night. Lots of talk about love, weddings, and life. Rounding out the evening was "A Walk to Remember" and "Finding Nemo." I think we are boycotting the time change. I also think we are all incredibly burned out. Only 22 more days of class. Ughhhh. But on a happier note- 97 days til I get to marry Jake. Life is great, eh?
And this quote is for Jocelyn, one of my faithful readers (haha).
“If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.” -Woody Allen
Reason 13: Wedding Shoes
Guess what kind of shoes Jake and I are wearing to our wedding reception? Personalized Nike trail running shoes. Yeah- we are that awesome. I will probably be in mine outside of the temple, too.
These are Jake's shoes.
And these are mine.
Pretty cool, huh? These are our wedding colors. On both pairs of shoes the right tongue says "Burton" and the left tongue says "06.19.10" which is the date we get married. Sweet, huh? This just never ceases to make me happy :) Can't wait for our custom wedding shoes to come!
Reason 12: Snowboarding
I love snowboarding. I'm not very good at it considering I don't frequently go (although I wish I could). It's one of those sports that you can really play around with and make it your own. For instance- I ride goofy (right foot forward) but because of my ACL reconstruction and general left leg weakness, riding toe edge is very difficult and painful. So If I want to go left I have to ride regular, heel-edge. Basically I ride heel-edge the entire way down the mountain. Interesting and abnormal, I know. But for now it is how I will compensate.
It was a beautiful, warm day with fresh powder.
Reenacting the proposal. I couldn't help but laugh.
Cool slightly-action shot that makes me look kinda legit. Thanks James :)
Me and my love :)
Crashed. Bummer. Thomas is an awesome boarder :)
So after an amazing day of snowboarding, sledding, food, and games- I have been reminded that I am very excited to join the Burton family. Thanks for the trip guys :)
And to my family in warm San Diego- you suck. Haha :)
Reason 11: Spontaneous Adventures
Wednesdays post is obviously late. But as my fiance reminded me of his spring break plans, I became incredibly depressed at my boring, mundane schedule which involved classes, physics tutorial lab, anatomy cadaver lab, and UVU track athletic training student. He came up with this crazy idea to meet in Fillmore, leave my car, and spend Wednesday and Thursday night in this condo in Brian Head with him and his family. I had physics lab until 9 pm Wednesday night and had to be back for my 10 am class Friday morning. But guess what? I went. Best decision.
So Wednesday night I rushed home and threw all of my warm clothes into a suitcase, went to physics lab, then drove to Fillmore. Have I ever mentioned how absolutely good looking my fiance is? Yeah he is a stud. I was so excited to see him. We left my car in a motel parking lot and had a myriad of deep conversations as we drove through the snow to Brian Head, arriving around 1 am.
Jason tried skiing for the first time.
My ring looked amazing in the snow and sunshine :)
Sarah and Luke skiing. Luke was AMAZING.
Spontaneous adventures make life exciting. Don't turn them down because you can't get them back.
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." ~ Mark Twain
More pictures in post twelve. This trip definately deserves two posts :)
Reason 10: Running
I had a good run at the gym today. A nice mix of incline sprints and steady, even paces. Good runs are hard to come by with the osteoarthritis and chondromalacia in my left knee. But good, bad, or worse- running is worth it.
Running is definately one reason that life is good. It is the only pure exercise. It's natural. We were made, as human beings, to run. Whether we've developed that gift or not is one thing, but the truth is- our body was supposed to work this way as to allow us this basic, survival instinct. It is by no accident that our muscles know when to contract and different phases in our gait. An evolution from sand particles cannot give our hearts the ability to pump blood faster and more efficiently when we are aerobically exercising. It is no coincidence that running can cause you so much pain but still keep you coming back for more. Once you discover it, it is a drug.
"I always loved running...it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs." - Jesse Owens
Can you argue with Jesse Owens? I think not.
No blog about running would be complete without a quote from the great Steve Prefontaine.
"You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement." -Steve Prefontaine
There is a lot of truth to that.
Running is cool. Do it. Seriously- your life will be better.
Running is definately one reason that life is good. It is the only pure exercise. It's natural. We were made, as human beings, to run. Whether we've developed that gift or not is one thing, but the truth is- our body was supposed to work this way as to allow us this basic, survival instinct. It is by no accident that our muscles know when to contract and different phases in our gait. An evolution from sand particles cannot give our hearts the ability to pump blood faster and more efficiently when we are aerobically exercising. It is no coincidence that running can cause you so much pain but still keep you coming back for more. Once you discover it, it is a drug.
"I always loved running...it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs." - Jesse Owens
Can you argue with Jesse Owens? I think not.
No blog about running would be complete without a quote from the great Steve Prefontaine.
"You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement." -Steve Prefontaine
There is a lot of truth to that.
Running is cool. Do it. Seriously- your life will be better.
Reason 9: Sweatpants
Random, I know. But I adore sweatpants. I especially love the sweatpants with the elastic around the ankles so you can pull them down over your feet. They are also very warm and have quite possibly kept me alive in these cold Provo winters.
Wedding, wedding, wedding. After Saturdays fantastic wedding events, I just can't get my wedding out of my head long enough to focus on-- well, anything. Today's topic? Bridesmaid dresses, colors, custom designed Nike's, reception favors, and invitations. So. Much. To. Do. And only 102 days, 13 hours, 48 minutes, and 23 seconds to do it in. 22... 21... 20... 19. You get the picture. Time is absolutely flying and I feel like there is so much to be done and decided. And planning is WAY more fun than school... so guess which one I typically choose? Sunflower and white gerber daisy bridal bouquets or the superior mesenteric artery and how much lead mass it takes to overcome the buoyancy force of a wood block floating in a river? Yep- I'm struggling.
So basically- I love sweatpants. And weddings. And planning my wedding while wearing sweatpants. Life is so good ♥
Wedding, wedding, wedding. After Saturdays fantastic wedding events, I just can't get my wedding out of my head long enough to focus on-- well, anything. Today's topic? Bridesmaid dresses, colors, custom designed Nike's, reception favors, and invitations. So. Much. To. Do. And only 102 days, 13 hours, 48 minutes, and 23 seconds to do it in. 22... 21... 20... 19. You get the picture. Time is absolutely flying and I feel like there is so much to be done and decided. And planning is WAY more fun than school... so guess which one I typically choose? Sunflower and white gerber daisy bridal bouquets or the superior mesenteric artery and how much lead mass it takes to overcome the buoyancy force of a wood block floating in a river? Yep- I'm struggling.
So basically- I love sweatpants. And weddings. And planning my wedding while wearing sweatpants. Life is so good ♥
For your viewing pleasure.
This is our first date in October 2006.
I asked him to Sadie Hawkins.
So glad he stuck around ♥
Reason 8: Hannah
Having made multiple posts today to catch up from my near internet-less weekend, I considered the whole three days and what stood out the most. And my sister is definately one of those things. Hannah is 11 years younger than me. That's kind of a bummer because I moved out when she was still so young. But we always have a stellar time together and this weekend was awesome!
Friday: Hannah came wedding dress shopping with me and was an AMAZING photographer! She made sure I had pictures of every element of all the dresses. She also tried on some veils and high heels which was really fun. After shopping, we went to my fiancé's house and ate a yummy cookie and ice cream desserts and played some games.
Saturday: Hannah was back at Bridal Elegance, pointing out to my grandpa why she did and did not like every dress. She waited anxiously for me to get done at the temple and accompanied me, my mom, and my friends BACK to Bridal Elegance for the third and final time. I ended up getting her second favorite dress- I think her first favorite was more of her personality instead of mine. It was a ball gown cut with a large, full skirt, long train, and a lot of crystal beading. She can pick that one up in about 15 years :). Luckily, she approved of the dress I picked out. I honestly don't think I would've gotten it if she didn't like it. Pretty powerful 8 year old! She then went shopping with us, helped decorate for Danae's reception, ran errands with me, hung out with me at the reception, helped decorate Danae and Nate's car, and even helped clean up. Woah.
Sunday: We took it easy today. We got on the computer with Aaron and looked up Disney songs to listen to and sing with. That was pretty fun :)
I love this little girl with all my heart. God blessed me with a beautiful sister and I am so grateful each and every day for her. She's an incredible athlete, dancer, and singer. She is always happy and LOVES making others happy. I love her pictures she draws for me, the hot pads she's made, posters... I love it all. So for you Hannah- YOU are one of my top reasons that life is amazing!
Friday: Hannah came wedding dress shopping with me and was an AMAZING photographer! She made sure I had pictures of every element of all the dresses. She also tried on some veils and high heels which was really fun. After shopping, we went to my fiancé's house and ate a yummy cookie and ice cream desserts and played some games.
Saturday: Hannah was back at Bridal Elegance, pointing out to my grandpa why she did and did not like every dress. She waited anxiously for me to get done at the temple and accompanied me, my mom, and my friends BACK to Bridal Elegance for the third and final time. I ended up getting her second favorite dress- I think her first favorite was more of her personality instead of mine. It was a ball gown cut with a large, full skirt, long train, and a lot of crystal beading. She can pick that one up in about 15 years :). Luckily, she approved of the dress I picked out. I honestly don't think I would've gotten it if she didn't like it. Pretty powerful 8 year old! She then went shopping with us, helped decorate for Danae's reception, ran errands with me, hung out with me at the reception, helped decorate Danae and Nate's car, and even helped clean up. Woah.
Sunday: We took it easy today. We got on the computer with Aaron and looked up Disney songs to listen to and sing with. That was pretty fun :)
I love this little girl with all my heart. God blessed me with a beautiful sister and I am so grateful each and every day for her. She's an incredible athlete, dancer, and singer. She is always happy and LOVES making others happy. I love her pictures she draws for me, the hot pads she's made, posters... I love it all. So for you Hannah- YOU are one of my top reasons that life is amazing!
"A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost." -Marion C. Garretty
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