happiest Christmas

I am so grateful for the thoughtful gifts, services, and words that I was able to share, witness, or experience this Christmas season. I hope they will simply continue through the year. 

I am so blessed with the friends and family I have. 
Many are far away this Christmas & I hope they know just how much they're missed. 

Merry Christmas everyone! 

bailey louise. 

christmas in the dorms

well it's Christmas time, and we are fully committed.

Along with that, it's also finals time, but I busted out 3 finals today leaving me with one tomorrow and then I will be done with my first college semester! So I feel completely justified in blogging right now. (:

 The day started off something like this...

& then I got back from finals are cleaned up my room and just admired our Christmas decorations. Remember how I said we were fully committed? Yeah, let me show you just how committed we are. 

 ^our fridge looks like this^ 

 ^my cute bedspread is even (semi) Christmas-y! Along with the stocking, tree branch, and Christmas card hanging on my wall^

 ^My roomie took care of our window^

 ^ & all 6 of us pitched in on the living-room window^

 ^ We hung lights EVERYWHERE (well as far as they would reach at least) even the star has lights in it! ^

 ^ in the window! Just finishing up more decorating^

 ^WE LOVE CHRISTMAS^

I hope you're having a delightful holiday season, just as I am! 

p.s. This is what it feels like to be done with 6/7 finals!! 

^YESSSSS^

gratefulness exposed.

Well, here it is -- the almost cliché Thanksgiving post. But it’s not cliché – because it’s Thanksgiving, and it’s such an opportune time to contemplate on how grateful we all are.

Too often in this modern world we live in instead of expressing the things we are thankful for, we express our problems, concerns, and complaints. Although these all have a place, dwelling on the positive more will help us to dwell on those other things less.

Here’s my most recent example. When I started college I didn’t really love it. I’m pretty sure there were times when I didn’t even like it. Which wasn’t good. I kept focusing on all the things I didn’t like & all the things that weren’t quite up to my expectation. Then something changed. I couldn’t tell you when that change happened exactly, but I can tell you what changed. I started to be grateful for my lovely friends, and more specifically my fabulous roomie, Miss Harris. Once I started to focus on the things & people I loved I suddenly had a better attitude and began to love college. (& I still do now)

So anyway, the point of this verging-on-really-long-post: the holidays can be really crazy with a lot of downs, but there are always many ups. Even little ones such as—I’m grateful sticky notes were invented. & I challenge you to sit down, and take some personal time to write or type the things you are most grateful for down. It can take 2 minutes or 2 hours, it’s all up to you. & then share them. Tell the people you’re grateful for that you are, tell God what you’re thankful for, and hey next time you want to post or tweet something negative, share something you’re grateful for. Here are a few things I’m grateful for:

I’m grateful for my family. I’m grateful for my bf.* I’m grateful for the temple. I’m grateful for the church. I’m grateful for the mountains. I’m grateful for hiking. I’m grateful for music. I’m grateful for photographs. I’m grateful for unrelated family. I’m grateful for my school. I’m grateful for clothes. I’m grateful for travel. I’m grateful for words. I’m grateful for food I can eat. I’m grateful for sticky notes with sweet and funny notes on them. I’m grateful for fun. I’m grateful for laughter. I’m grateful for missionaries. I’m grateful for technology. I’m grateful for the chances to leave technology behind. I’m grateful for the sun. I’m grateful for rain. I’m grateful for snow. I’m grateful for friends of every kind. I’m grateful for the priesthood. I’m grateful for the ocean waves I can currently hear out my window. I’m grateful for lists. & so so so many more things. But for your sake, I’ll leave it at that.

*(bestest friend)

unconditional

In my seemingly never-ending search for a major to pursue, I've learned two things about myself relating to my future. 

1. I want the opportunity (even the obligation) to travel, everywhere.

     2. I want to help people. I don't think I'm going to change the      world and solve all the problems, but I want to help individuals,                 everywhere.

& I don't think it's fair for us to pick and choose who needs help, because everyone (in one way or another) could use a little help -- even if that help is just another friend to talk to, or someone who believes in them. 

I love finding just little tiny ways to help those around me. & I love watching other people do the same. My roommates are great examples of this. Whether it's taking the garbage out, washing all the dishes, making someones bed, a nice note, fixing a printer, or just being concerned for each other and willing to chat. Try it -- it truly becomes somewhat of a game. It's fun. Just try to serve other people if you see the opportunity without "stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy." 

little words

sometimes i'm scrolling down pinterest (actually all the time..) and I find some words that I just love.

these quotes have been intriguing me for sometime now.

maybe I'll expand someday,

maybe not, 

but I think they're quite beautiful  

happy Sunday.

today is just a happy sunday, kinda day. 

one of those days filled with wonderful people and meaningful words.

I love Sundays because they are just a day to rest the mind from the worldly things that don't really matter in the eternal perspective.

It's a day I often use to just sort out my mind & refocus. 

Sometimes I just wish we could have 3 Sundays a week! 
(but without the millions of meetings..)

anyway, I hope I wasn't the only one that had a happy Sunday -- and I hope that I wasn't the only one who had a chance to refocus. 

Really. When you're stressed, and overwhelmed, just take time to really think about what is most important to you, what you believe in, and pursue it. Don't waste your time worrying about things that don't need to be worried about. 

Happy Sunday everybody.

 (:

what I didn't expect

I have this roommate, that up until sometime near the end of August I'd never met before. 

& I'll tell you one thing, the stress of having no idea who this girl was was very real this summer. 

So many days I sat wondering, will we get along? Will we like each other? Will we fight? Will we talk about things? Will we drive each other up a wall?

What I didn't expect was that we would have nothing,(& I mean nothing) in common & yet still get along. Not only get along, but even become best friends. 

The crazy thing is, I just always thought, "I have my friends already. I don't need another. I don't think I'll make a best friend in college.."

But then something crazy happened. 

that crazy something is called my roommate.  

What I didn't expect was:

we don't like each other's music, at all

we don't like the same food

we don't like the same sports (mostly)

we don't dress the same

we don't study the same

we don't like the same books

we don't agree on many topics

but when it really comes down to it, we are so much the same. 

We spend our weekends together, we talk for hours every night, we laugh about the silly things we've experienced at college, we go grocery shopping weekly together, and it makes everyday so much fun. 

What I didn't expect was that I would make another best friend in college, & I can't imagine not being friends. 

 ^I know it's past halloween, but these are still great ^

^ So classic ^

^ temple trip ^

college is

//nobody wanting to do the dishes

//hair all over the apartment
   (bathroom, bedroom, bed, couch, carpet, clothes, table, dishes, shower, kitchen floor, gagging yet?)

//reading every textbook for every class
  (and generally falling asleep in the process)

//blisters (& soon enough--calluses)covering your feet 

//staying up until all hour of the night chatting with your roommate just because you like to 

//waking up in the morning and threatening said roommate for keeping you up because you are so tired

//literally pinching yourself to stay awake in class

//having Family Home Evening with your peers

//being blown away by how much your professors seem to know

//a new excitement and passion for learning

//pressure and stress to chose a major, yet too many options to decide from

//free (not gluten free) food at every event

//free t-shirts at every other event

//loving your roommates

//wanting to get away from your roommates

//doing things just because you want to be able say you did it

//being sick of cooking for yourself

//realizing you have to cook for yourself forever

//getting distracted on pinterest & maybe blogs...yes definitely those. 

//& overall a crazy non-replicable experience that I wouldn't trade for anything right now..  (well almost anything). 

^ BYU vs. Utah game ^

^ like i said, doing things to say we did, giant blue foam slip n' slide -- never again. ^

happy birthday.

Happy Birthday to my best friend. See you in 15 months Elder (:

p.s. thanks Aubrey for these taking all these picture, I just love them! 

goals.

you know those days, the days when you just want to take on the world? Those days when you just get a little peak into how much you are worth, just a little sliver, & you want to live up to every drop of that worth. I had one of those days this week and I decided to make some life goals:

1. become fluent in Spanish

2. help others, everywhere.

3. raise a family in the gospel

4. love more

5. judge less

6. find joy in every single darn step of this ridiculously lovely & sometimes excruciatingly painful journey

7. make friends around the world

& also decide on a major and minor... (:

But something big I realized, why wait to start? Why not start now! Your goals are not just going to fall into your lap -- that is why we make them. They are going to take effort, desire, motivation, and some blessings. But if they are what you really desire, and what the Lord desires for you, you can achieve them. 

& by the way, Happy October everyone (:

 (bedroom window view & my succulents)

the dreaded testing center.

Alright, so let's get something straight. 
The testing center is, in fact, a horrendous place.

Now I'm not one to stress too much about a test, I've always been a generally good test-taker, but today was an exception.

First off, I didn't really feel prepared for this test, but I didn't feel like any amount of more studying would help. Plus, I just wanted to have it off my mind. So I went ahead and took it today.

In front of the testing center seems to be the PDA central of campus as well as the most gloomy, miserable place on campus. It's an odd combination to be sure.

As I approach the testing center today I see a couple kissing. Not just a kiss, but the drawn out, 
"good luck" 
*kiss*
*kiss*
*kiss*
"good luck to you"
*kiss*
*kiss*
*kiss*
*kiss*
*kiss*
*kiss*
*kiss* x5

EWWW.
Okay, kissing is fine. But there's a time and a place for it, and right in front of the testing center is not that time or place. 

Then I go inside and sit down to try and fit in just a little bit more studying. There were some people in the center of the room talking really loudly, I can't even remember what they were talking about, but it was aggravating. 

The moment of truth comes as I walk up the stairs to check in and pick up my test and there are about 500 bajillion people in line. 

Fantastic.

So I go ahead and get in line and as we move along it becomes very apparent to me that we are all a little too close for comfort. I'm not sure if it was because I could feel the girl behind me breath down my back, or if it was because I could smell the boy in front of me as I think he may have been passing gas. I try my best to hold my breath.

I listen to people have awkward conversations about how their "aunt's best friend's brother's girlfriend's uncle lives in the same place that you're going on your mission to!" 
       
Then all of the sudden I recognize the sound of music, who's listening to music? Oh nobody, there's just a boy playing the Ukulele while waiting in line. 

Why? Well what else would you do in the testing center line?

I pull out my phone in an attempt to entertain myself, and not focus on the bizarreness around me. After a few texts to and from my roommate and a failed attempt at using the internet I give up.

Finally I'm at the front of the line with my test entering the testing central. Desks stretch from one end to the other, each one filled with a body. 
Hmm..this is awkward. Where to sit?

Then a brilliant idea hits me! There's a music room upstairs. I walk up there and as I enter the smaller room I can literally feel the humidity change. The stench of B.O. and dirty feet is practically suffocating. 

Resisting the natural urge I have to turn around and sprint the other direction in search of breathable air, I sit down and begin taking my test. I think we're listening to the Anne of Green Gables soundtrack. Interesting choice.

I finish up my test of application questions that really don't seem to apply and concepts I swear I've never heard to the song they must play when Anne's 'mom' dies. 

After all of this I figure I probably failed this one. 

I go to get my instant score, where everyone pretends that that one person on the screen with a 97% is actually them, and it turns out my teacher isn't releasing our scores until the end of the week. 

Awesome.

As I walk out of the testing center forcing myself to just relax a student walks by me on his phone. His conversation literally went like this (in a raspy voice), "Yeah I'm pretty sick....well I've done a lot of research on the internet and from all the symptoms and signs as far as I can tell it's either strep or mono.."

AHH!! 
Caution, avoid this guy! 

So I maneuvered my way away from him and headed back to my apartment to take, what I considered, a well deserved 20 minute nap before starting the next round of homework and studying.

Thank Heavens I don't have to go back there for another week and a half. 



(comments, followers, and sharing is appreciated)

the best date ever.

This weekend I had the chance to spend a few hours of my afternoon with the cutest, sweetest, and most thoughtful 12 year old boy in the entire world. 

We went to the Provo temple & it ended up being closed for the General Relief Society Meeting! Huge bummer. But don't worry Zach, we have lots of time to reschedule. (:

 My lovely roommate McKall came with us. (:

Afterward Zach convinced me we had to give the creamery some customers. First time I've purchased ice cream from BYU since becoming a student!

(it was quite bright!)

loud&live.

Last night McKall and I went to the Velour and saw SWIMM and The New Electric Sound! 

Two funky & yet fantastic bands.

It was SO good.

I seriously just LOVE live&loud music. 

Honestly, I love the consuming feeling it has. It’s as if you suddenly don’t exist, and the crowd doesn’t exist, it’s just your soul feeling this overwhelming sense of rhythm and excitement and I love it. 

I love the feeling of just completely losing myself in music.

At the same time, I absolutely love piano and instrumental music. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not listening to the Lord of the Ring’s soundtrack – ever. 

But the Piano Guys Pandora station, it’s prime. 

Love it. 

SWIMM

The New Electric Sound

Scott Vance

(feel free to comment, like, & follow!)

great things to come.

Sometimes life is just plain difficult. 

& no, I'm not referring to staking out for the football game all day and having your team lose. 

but sometimes life is just plain wonderful. 

I wonder if we all just focused on the positive, the wonderful, the unique, and the beautiful if we would, as a population, be happier, kinder, and more at peace with ourselves and others. 

When filled with anxiety, fear, and frustration, this is the kind of emotion I crave: peace and joy. 

So let's all try to focus on those positives a little more today, tomorrow, the next day, the next day, and the next until all of the sudden (without even thinking about it) we are doing it every day. 

Let's all just try to say a prayer of thanks every morning. 

"Men (and women) are that they might have joy" 

Heavenly Father didn't send us to this Earth to flounder and fail, He sent us to learn, grow, and prosper. But it is critical to remember that floundering and failing are part of the process. We are human! We are too hard on ourselves. The world is too hard on us. We make mistakes, we can't be perfect overnight, we can't do things all on our own. 

Thank Heavens for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

mismatching.

sometimes I don't quite feel like I fit in

like I don't really belong where I am

but I no longer belong where I'm from

and I'm not quite sure where I am going

so I just try to fit in

I know I'm not supposed to change myself

to fit in with others

maybe I want to change myself

to stand out against others

maybe I just don't know

but I must not forget what things make me unique and what makes me special

this, I've learned, is easier said than done

my roommate is not from Mars!

a few thoughts on this new adventure of college life!

First things first. My roommate is not from MARS. She is a very nice girl named McKall who I get along with quite well. I will admit I had a horrible dream that all of my roommates were insane, BYU was held on mars in a space station, the air was not breathable, and I did not have my own bed. 

BUT! Good news! not only is my roommate not insane, but also the air here is perfectly breathable and the school is not held in a space station. Hallelujah.

As for the loads of homework rumor, it's not a rumor. I have never read so much from a textbook (or should I say 5 textbooks) in my life. But we all make the best of it and so far it's been alright.

Also, that monsoon last night?! (; Lemme tell ya. McKall, Kierra (my other roommate), and I went to the BYU football game at 3 pm to ensure ourselves some good seats. All of the sudden the oceans began pouring from the sky along with incredible wind and we were forced to leave our seats and take cover. 30 minutes later we walked back in, snagged ourselves some even better seats and waited for the game (now 20 minutes late) to begin. We were informed that the game would in fact not begin for another hour or two, so we headed back to our apartment, bundled up, had soup and peppermint tea and went back to the game. Guess who ended up with horrible seats then.Us. 

Fortunately for Kierra and I, we ended up sitting by my dad the second half from the second row right on the 25 yard line. You could say it made the game much more exciting. 

the peace of the gospel.

    You know that person that teases you in just the right way that it annoys you? And they are well aware that it annoys you. But the only reason it does is because they know you, and therefore they know how to push all the right buttons to thoroughly aggravate you.
    There is someone who knows us each very well, he's one of our brothers and he knows just exactly how to get under our skin. He knows how to hurt us and what hurts us. He knows how much we think we can handle, and pushes us right past that. His name is Satan. He is not our friend.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ however provides us with a relief from Satan's constant attack. As our relief society teacher said today "There is peace to be had no matter what is going on in the world: the big final stressing you out, the heart breaking events at home, or the boy who just won't give you the time of day." and as my bishop said, "You may feel anxiety; that will go away. You are in the right place, you are where you are supposed to be." 

Jesus Christ knows us. He knows exactly how we feel, because he's felt it. Literally. The gospel does provide peace. 

Don't give into Satan. Recognize his influences. 
Follow and invite the light of Christ into your life.