My Bad...

Hello everyone!
My apologies for my lack of posts in the last forever. Life and school are busy...or weren't busy enough so I had nothing to write about!
So here is a catch up of the last little bit of my life.
Also I didn't proof read this..#lazygirlforlife...just don't judge.

This, my friends, is what happens when you turn off the lights during the Relief Society lesson...during 1:00 church..on fast Sunday. 

I mentioned going to "The Howl" in my last post, but that was a few days before Halloween. On Halloween, I had choir practice and we decided to have a party afterward. We were required to dress up, but I didn't really want to get into my corset again. So instead I stole Chelsey's costume and went as a raven. Below are my favorite costumes.

Can you tell who he is?? He totally dressed up as Roz from Monster's Inc.! Best. Costume. Ever.

Poor phone quality picture..but he's definitely dressed up as the boy from E.T. and has E.T. in that basket. 

This is Kjarinda and Dayton, the Vice President and President of choir! Kjarinda's costume is okay...but Dayton is definitely dressed as Dumbledora the Explorer. So gotcha.

Nick was dressed as Flynn Rider. Not the best costume...but let's be real. He's pretty attractive.

Aaaand this one is maybe my favorite. This is Jonathan...dressed as a Volcano. WHATUP! I'm definitely doing this for my children one day. 

This is a cat. Somebody dressed up as Mufasa and brought this cat as Simba. I was excited to say the least.

Then Halloween ended and life when on.

Chelsey is an art major and drew this bomb picture of me!

We're really domestic in Bullen 214. Here we have two boxes of PastaRoni, a box of Mac n' Cheese, and some bowtie pasta. We're really branching out.

Hannah's mom was so kind to send us some Christmas decorations! Since we got out of school so early, we set up for Christmas pretty soon after Halloween and it was the best EVER.

Aggie Basketball games have been an absolute FAVORITE this fall semester. I love my b-ball boys!

Thanksgiving break was crazy! I came home a day early and got to see some friends.

And then headed out to North Carolina on Thanksgiving Day to spend some time with the Grimm fam for Thanksgiving and Savvy's baptism. It was absolutely beautiful! I wish my stay had been longer because I loved being with the fam in such a fun location.

And then it was finally December!! When I came home from Thanksgiving break, I only had one more week of classes and then it was finals. The first week included holiday outfits and my Christmas Concert with Latter-Day Voices. Plus we got our LDV shirts!

I really have the best roommates ever. They came to my concert even though it was a freezing, snowy, Saturday night. Plus we have so much fun together. We're actually pretty awesome.

And then it was finals week. Which pretty much meant that we all sat around our apartment eating junk food.

I did well on all my finals and am now in the safety of my own home! I don't remember getting this old...it's all so strange. But it's life and it's mine. So in the words of Miranda Sings:

Because we all need a little more Cher in our lives. 

So there you have it! Oh. And here's a picture of my neighbor dressed like Santa. Merry Christmas!

Halloween Weekend

This week was SUPER hard. Fall break was last week and nothing could compare to the awesomeness of that...
Real life was just dumb and crazy and all that jazz. BUT this weekend made up for everything that was sad and awful about the week.
Friday night, someone in Latter-Day Voices invited the choir over to his house to have a fun night full of games and popcorn and ice cream. All week I was complaining that I didn't have any friends in the choir and that I was never invited to hang out with them. I didn't want to go at first, but I figured I definitely wasn't going to make friends by not going. So I went.
At first it was a little awkward. There were a lot of people there (and we all know how much I LOVE big groups) and I came late, so I didn't really know what was going on. But then there was ice cream, so that automatically made things better. Once it settled down, we got to playing some games with a smaller group of people and it was SO much fun. Pretty much we played every type of Twister known to man..except the normal kind. We played a few other group games and it was just so fun! They were the kind of games that force you to be yourself and get to know each other. I felt a lot better after that night.

This little beauty is called Swedish Twister...it's intense.

Saturday morning, my roommates and I went to the cutest little diner called Herm's Inn. We went for some breakfast to celebrate Sarah and Chelsey's birthdays. We were supposed to go to dinner before Fall Break, but our schedules were all super crazy so we did breakfast yesterday instead. It was DELICIOUS. I got a cinnamon swirl pancake that was literally bigger than my face. I ate about half of it and decided I was done, but then Hannah and I decided that we didn't want to take it home, so we totally dominated and finished it. It was disgusting. But so good. 

Saturday night was the famous Halloween party at USU called "The Howl". I'd heard a lot of things about it, good and bad, and I wasn't sure I really wanted to go. But Chelsey and Hannah really wanted to go and Daisha, being more wise and experienced than us, explained what to do and what not to do. Plus I had a sick costume and had to show it off.

Chelsey went as a raven and I did her hair and makeup. She has the most legit hair EVER. I barely ratted this chunk of hair and put one spray of hairspray in it, and it stood straight up! What the??

I had an owl costume from doing a photo shoot with Michelle a few years ago and couldn't wait to wear it! I don't have a great picture of my makeup, but it looked pretty legit. And I bought some owl feathers and attached them to my eyelashes so that was pretty sick.

Birds of a feather

Me, Hannah, and Chelsey before we headed out.

The actual party was actually pretty lame. I'd heard from a lot of people that it was kind of sketchy and from some people that it was super awesome...but it wasn't really either. I definitely saw some...disgusting costumes but that was about it. There was a dance, but we didn't stay for long, some airbrush tattoos, a fortune teller, a photo booth, and some bands. But the lines were so long for everything that it wasn't really worth it. So we went home pretty early. BUT it was super fun to dress up anyway.
ANYWAY. This week is going to be busy, but good. I definitely feel ready for it though.
Cheers to a great weekend!

Don't Judge a Girl by her Groceries

It was never my intention to blog twice in one day...but the post I just posted was supposed to go up last night and...it obviously didn't. BUT today I had an experience and my mind went wild and here we are.

A few months ago, I asked a good friend of mine to share with me some of her tips and tricks for grocery shopping. Back home, I tended her children quite often and felt like I was pretty familiar with her kitchen. Every time I needed to feed the children, I could always reach into the fridge, pull out some things and have a healthy meal. And yet I could always find a treat. It seemed like the perfect balance and I wanted that for my life.
When I asked her for her advice, she laughed and said that she just sort of bought stuff and hoped that things worked out. When she was in college, she explained that she had come home from grocery shopping one day and was locked out of her apartment. She waited in a friend's apartment and she gawked at her groceries. In her bags were licorice, cookies, chocolate milk, all that fun stuff. "These are your groceries??" the friend asked.
"I just buy what sounds good!" was her response.
Today, I had a semi-similar experience. I just got home from fall break and just as I was driving into Cache Valley, my mom called me and explained that I had left the three bags I'd stuffed full of food at home. I frantically searched for someone in Orem who hadn't left yet. Thankfully I found a friend who could take them up. Now this girl is maybe the healthiest person I know. She's kind of perfect when it comes to that. Let's be honest. Always making her own food, no preservatives, fruits and veggies, pretty much the girl that everyone wishes they'd be like some day.
It wasn't until I picked up my groceries from her today that I got embarrassed. My bags were full of cake mixes, chocolate chips, Top Ramen, and a whole bunch of canned food. As I was driving away I started to laugh to myself and remembered my friend's experience.
Nobody should care what I eat! We label people enough, let's not add groceries to the list! I will gladly pronounce my grocery bag. Look in my pantry all you want-I have nothing to hide. But it shouldn't matter. You eat your food and I'll eat mine.
Don't judge a girl by her groceries. Even if you are what  you eat. ;)
Happy Monday!

Fall Break

Hello friends!
This weekend had been SO GOOD. Fall break started Thursday afternoon, so after all my classes (I didn't get out until 4) and driving college students all over Orem, I finally made it home. Home is such a wonderful place. I'd be lying if I told you that it wasn't kind of strange to not be sleeping in my own bed (I have nieces and nephews staying over. And my bed is cooler.) or to come home to a completely torn apart kitchen (which is starting to actually come together). But the physical state of this location is not what makes this home. It's the people, the relationships, and the blood ties that I have here that make this place somewhere special.
ANYWAY
Thursday I came home and was completely wiped out from the day. So I just chilled with Mom and Dad and the small children and went to bed.
Friday morning I went to the high school. Of all my possible options, that was probably the worst. But I really wanted to see a few people and I had hoped to make amends with a teacher...yeah. That worked..NOT. But I did get to see a few people. It was so great to realize that: 1) I had completely moved on and had no desire to stay in that school, and 2) That even though college people are still dumb and immature, they sure are better than high schoolers!
After the school, I went and toured Taylor Andrews Hair School. It was something I've been wanting to do for a long time so I'm really glad that I finally did it. I'm still toying with lots of different ideas for my future, but it was good to do some more research. The school was really nice. It's set up just like a salon so it's classy and high quality. It seemed like a great environment so if I do go to beauty school, it would definitely be at the top of my list. PLUS they gave me salon shampoo and conditioner as a thank you for coming in. And not just sample size, people! Like real bottles! It was maybe the best thing ever.
Later in the afternoon, I went on a date with my friend Nate. It was so fun to actually go on a date (seriously though. Guys suck.) But it was also great to just catch up with an old friend!
That evening, I ran to the grocery store for Mom and ran into my good old pal, Jonny Peay! I took him to Sadies my junior year. I look up to that kid in so many ways. He's pretty awesome.

THEN, I went to my cousin's wedding reception. It was at the Springville Art Museum and it was ADORABLE. Seriously. Please bless that I get married someday and have a cute wedding. 

After that, I went and saw Romeo and Juliet with my BFF Haley. Love her. Miss her. Go see that movie. It is ridiculously beautiful. I have read, performed, and seen the play many times and have always hated it. Until now. I feel like if Shakespeare were on the Earth today, that is exactly how he would have wanted to have his show performed. It was breath taking. 

Saturday I chilled for most of the day. There are lots of sick little children at my house and so we all kind of took a personal day. 

That night, I spent time with my good friend Rian, who leaves in a week and half for LA to serve a full time mission. I love Rian so much. She has been such a good friend to me and we are similar in so many ways. We have been through SO much together and I really am going to miss her. But I know that there are so many other people who need to benefit from her light and knowledge of the gospel as much as I have. 

It was hard to leave today. I had to leave super early because I am singing at a Fireside tonight. But I'm sure the blessings will come. 

It was such a great thing to come home and have people recognize how much happier I was. I forgot that I was in such a slump when I left and I forgot how much I truly love life up here. 

Anyway. Life is good. God is good. Have a good week!

Hey friends and family!
Sorry I haven't blogged in awhile. This past few weeks have been pretty hard. I've been trying to figure a lot of things out. I don't know if I want to be an elementary school teacher anymore or if I want to go on a mission, etc. There is a lot running through my head. I was hoping that I would get some super great revelation during conference, but that didn't happen.
All of this was stressing me out and making me super angry and stressed until last night when I realized that at this time last year, I was going through the exact same thing. Almost a year ago, I was super stressed out about what school I wanted to apply to and where I wanted to go. I was struggling with friends (same deal now) and I was pretty upset at the world. BUT I made it through! Eventually I figured things out. I forget that life is a cycle and I forget that the Lord knows what he's doing so I just need to shut up and be a whole lot more patient.
Fall has hit Logan and I love it. It's beautiful and cold and lovely. I'd love to receive letters so if you want my address, let me know ;). And if you want to visit me...I'll pretty much always be here so....come on by!
Love you all! Thanks for your love and support!

Colds and rainy days.

Here's just a little post before I head to my next class. 

Last week, on Wednesday, I got a super nasty cold and am just now returning to a state of normality. During the worst part of my sickness (Friday and Saturday) I attended a choir retreat for the Institute Choir. The retreat was so great, but I was so sick and wished I'd been able to contribute more. I came home from the retreat on Saturay afternoon and slept the rest of the day. I felt much better after that. :)

Monday I had another test (my first one was last Wednesday and I totally aced it) and didn't do as well as I'd hoped. But as long as I pass the class, I feel fine.

This week has been cold and rainy. Which is wonderful because it is hands-down my favorite kind of weather, but not so awesome because I didn't think it would cool down until later and I left all my jackets at home. Smooth move, Em. But it's been good. 

On Wednesday I did my first observation for my Elementary Education class and that was fun. I felt really adorable that day so here's an awkward picture of me looking hot: 

Yesterday was a t-shirt and jeans kind of day. When I came home, I jumped into my sweats and curled up with my snuggie and some netflix. I also went to choir and learned so much about the Savior and the Atonement. It was an amazing night. Came home and watched "A Walk to Remember" with my roommate and cried and all that fun jazz.

I am thankful for this weekend. This afternoon I'm going to the temple (btw, the Logan Temple is officially my favorite. Hands down.) and tomorrow I'm watching Saturday morning cartoons and going shopping.

Life is hard and wonderful all at the same time. I love you all! Thanks for your love and support. Until next time!

-Emily

Another week down

I would be lying if I said this week was easy. It was a really fun week, but I was just a little emotional and bitter a lot of the time. But I am definitely feeling better today and am ready for a new start next week.

This week was Homecoming week, so there were tons of super fun events going on all week. Monday was the Chalk Dance. Chelsey and I just stayed long enough to get some chalk poured on us. That dance was CRAZY! People up here get pretty...interesting at dances. So we left pretty quickly. It was fun to be all colored up though! I had purple boogers for a few days, but it was worth it. :)

Also on Monday night, Chris and I had a bubble blowing party! I was doing my dishes and we started to have some fun with the soap.

I definitely won. My bubbles were HUGE! But he came in close second. He definitely won the award for the most creative bubble blowing techniques.

Tuesday was cloudy, and had hints of rain in the distance ;) I was a little grumpy that day, so didn't mind putting on a hoodie and jeans and just chilling for the day. The highlight of my day was probably walking by this statue outside of the education building and seeing tacos placed in their hands. MADE MY DAY. Though it may be graffiti, it was still pretty funny.

Wednesday was rainy and I was SO happy. Except rain up here is more like...mist. We've had a few minutes of good down pour..but nothing phenomenal. But I took this ridiculously amazing picture! CHECK IT.

Wednesday night was also Mr. USU which was SO funny! I thrived off of it. Best ever. 

Thursday...was...another rainy day...I don't think I really did anything. I had choir (but I have that every day) and I just sort of chilled. 

Friday night, my roommates and I went to a restaurant called Angie's and attempted to do what they call "cleaning the sink". Basically they give you a sink..of ice cream and deliciousness and you have to finish it in one sitting. We walked in with high hopes...and walked out with shattered ones. Next time we'll bring more people. :)

 

Then it was the Homecoming dance (and we stayed for about 20 minutes) and then TRUE AGGIE NIGHT! It was a blast to be there! It was a little chilly and people were making out and having fun. That sounds bad...but it was a blast. 

Saturday was the Homecoming game! We totally crushed Weber State. 70-7! We only stayed for the first half though because it started raining. 

We decided to come home, order some pizza, and play one intense game of Truth or Dare. It was SO much fun! We definitely bonded last night and I think we have a pretty great group of friends. 

From left to right: Chris Remy, Ben Holt, Chelsey Patten, Alex Sletten, Me, Sarah Hinton

And of course, my BABE roommates. Still love these girls SO much. Somebody marry us, because we're all kind of single right now. 

#collegelife

This life is crazy!
If I said I didn't have time to blog, I would be lying...time? Yes. Motivation? No.
These first two weeks have been AMAZING. After the first week of moving in, I started to get nervous. I'd been here for a week, I was halfway through my first week of school, and I realized that I wasn't going home. The vacation was officially over. I realized that my roommates weren't just some fun people I got to meet for a few days, but rather, they were to be my new sisters. I realized that school wasn't just a bunch of cool workshops, but it was actually real work. It kind of hit me all at once. I cried, called my mom, wanted to go home, and then went to bed. The next day was much better. :)

Two days later, I auditioned for the Institute choir, Latter-Day Voices. I got in, and everything school wise that I was worried about, fell into place. The Lord is so aware of my needs.

I went home for Labor Day weekend to re-coup, pick up a few things that I forgot, and settle in for the long haul. Going home was so good for me to realize that I actually do love it up here. I was ready to come to this new home of mine.
When I got home, I was surprised to find that the ADORABLE Olsen family had broken into my apartment on their way home from Idaho and decorated my room. It was pretty much the best feeling ever to see little bits of encouragement all over. Thanks you guys!! ((PS. The poster might just stay up all semester..))

This last week was so much better. The school work load is getting heavier day by day and I'm handling it okay for now. ((I might regret saying that when midterms roll around)) This school is literally the perfect fit for me though. I love everything about the environment, the people, the classes. It's amazing!

The choir has helped a TON too. It feels so good to be surrounded by so many good people. Plus we get to sing religious music all the time, so I feel like I'm just praising the Lord for 50 minutes everyday. It's already strengthened my testimony so much. I've made new friends, and am doing well in there.

This weekend, 2 of my roommates went home, so the rest of us made a delicious fruit and pancake breakfast. I LOVE my roommates. Even though only 3 of us are pictured, we all get along so well and have so much fun. Really, I couldn't have picked a funner group of girls. Get on our level.

After a delish breakfast, Sarah, our neighbor Ben, and I, all headed down to Brigham City for their Peach Days. Turns out..they don't actually sell peaches down there..what? So after getting some free popcorn from the "Brigham City Main Street Church" and talking to some really old ladies, we headed down the road a ways in search for a peach stand. We were not disappointed and found PLENTY. 2 bushels of peaches later, we headed home. We had so much fun!

Good picture for Ben, bad for Sarah and me..

Good picture for Sarah and Me, bad picture for Ben.

Life is good, folks! I'll try to keep you more updated...but life is pretty average right now!

There it is.

Okay, here comes the first of MANY embarrassing college stories. Ohh man! This is rough!
SO. Today was Sunday and of course, that meant church. I got SO lucky that all of my roommates are LDS and wanted to go to church too! When does that even happen?
We headed to church and members of the Stake Presidency spoke to us and things were all fine and great. Then we split off into wards and I have...you know...8 boys in my ward? Yeah...not getting married this year.
Then the bishop asks if there was anybody that had their entire room at church. My roommates and I, of course, raise our hands. So then a counselor comes over and asks us if we would lead Ward Prayer tonight. We agree and he explains what we need to do. He says, "So, someone will play piano, someone will lead music, someone will give a spiritual thought and someone will sing or something." Shoot. Of course, when singing comes up, everyone looks at me.
But gotcha! I brought NO music with me except a little tiny Hymn book and I don't know anyone who can play the piano or anything. So I spend the entire afternoon moping around my apartment wondering what in the world I am going to do.
Finally, I pick a song, and then I find a nice boy down the hall who said he would play it for me. Score.
We practice, life is great.
Ward prayer starts and the counselor comes up to us, SHOCKED that I'm singing. Hello??? Did you not just tell us we needed to do that? Whatever. I tried to get out of it, didn't work. So the situation is already a little embarrassing.
Things go along fine until it's time for me to sing my song. I introduced it first, so it went like this, "So..I guess we weren't supposed to have a talent or something...but I prepared it and there's no going back now. I chose to sing "Where Can I Turn For Peace" because, you know things are getting really stressful and we're starting high school tomorrow and it's...." I pause here because everyone is snickering. Finally someone says, "Are we starting high school tomorrow?" I turn BRIGHT RED and exclaim, "OH MY GOSH THAT IS SO EMBARRASSING! Oh this is rough! I promise I'm out of high school, everyone! I moved on, I swear!" More laughter. More embarrassment. So I just sing my song and quickly leave.

Oh I can't even tell you how hilarious it even was! Only would that happen to me! Oh man.

So yes. I just told my entire ward that I'm nervous to start high school tomorrow. SHOOT.

It's a good thing I have no one to impress.

The Smiles and the Streets That I Love

GOOD MORNING BALTIMORE!!

Or Logan. That too.
You guys. I love it up here. This is the place.
Last night was this lovely even called "Taste of Logan". We walked up and down Main Street and all the shops gave us free stuff! I got a peach, an apple, top ramen, a unicorn poster, some soda, Creamies, COLD STONE, stickers, pens, and of course, french fries. It was kind of amazing.

Today is Saturday...and I'm feeling a little homesick. Trust me, I love it here, but sometimes you miss the people who got you this far. I'm just ready for school to start so I can be a little more involved in things. This whole college thing feels so surreal still. I don't feel like I'm old enough yet!

I'm making new friends, but I really miss my old ones. 

Such is life. Keep on keepin on!