Reflection

In the education program  they have us do a lot of reflecting. Thinking about what we are doing and why and then writing it down. One day in class we reflected about our year at college and this is what i wrote:

I can not believe i am almost finished with an entire year of college! Some days i even find myself shocked that i am actually walking around a college campus - that i am a big girl now. I have learned so much for myself. How to cook, to clean, to do laundry, when to pick my battles. Even to do homework and study without my mom having to nag and remind me about it or to do it. I have had to be completely responsible for my own self because no one else is. I have had to make decisions on my own which i struggle at, but i am working on it. I have had to learn how to communicate with others - which i also struggle at.  I have had to figure out what my own beliefs are, not what my mom and dad tell me is right or wrong. To get up and go to church, even if its by myself because that is where i want to be. I even finally figured out how to make it home - even though it took three different times of wrong turns ending up headed back to Utah or Pocatello or in Fort Hall but i made it! I found out just how important my family is to me and how much i really miss all of them. It makes me realize what i want in my future - but not too soon - im still having fun and learning how to be me on my own. I have found out who my true friends are and how important good friends and good examples in our lives really are. I have learned how to make new friends, which for me is big since i have a hard time opening up and not being shy. I have learned to be comfortable and confident in my own skin because i am truly a daughter of God and he loves me and wants me to be happy. I have it learned to find joy and happiness in the little things because life is too short to be unhappy. I have learned that holding grudges is stupid and to just get over things and blow them off and just laugh about it instead. I have learned how to have fun and to enjoy life. I have learned to enjoy alone time to think and to contemplate life, even enjoying the beauty of being outdoors. I have learned to appreciate my body and the abilities it has. Running and exercising does make me happy and i am thankful i am able to enjoy being in control of my body. When i am doing whats right i am happy and i would do anything to be happy! I know the gospel is true and without it i would be lost. Listening to your elders is important - they honestly do know what they are talking about! My parents become wiser and wiser as i grow older and i regret not listening to them sometimes. I have learned its ok to cry, it shows you care. Its also ok to laugh - its alot more fun then crying anyways! I have learned to love life! I want to take advantage of all the opportunities i have in life and i know this part of my life wont last forever. I have learned to be grateful for what i have instead of wish for what i don't have. Also people's other ideas aren't wrong - just different. We weren't all brought up exactly the same way and have different opinions about things that aren't necessarily wrong - just not the same as mine. This list can keep going on and on and will continue to keep growing. This i am thankful for because it shows me that i am learning and growing which is the whole reason we are here, to progress to become better!!

All these new experience have made me a better person. I wouldn't change being me for anything in the world. I am thankful for the ups and downs in life because they make me better. I know i am so far from perfect, i make mistakes every day. I know i can grow and get help to overcome my imperfections to someday become the person i want to be. As for now, i will continue to grow and to enjoy where i am at!! :]

Thank heavens for mothers and kleenexes

Saying good bye is probably one of the hardest and saddest things there is to do. I am already an emotional wreck about most everything in life but goodbyes are the worst.

The end of school was pretty stressful. Having to pack everything up and study and pass finals and do all the last minute things was really getting to me. I had two of my biggest finals the second to last day i was there. For the record all my hard studying payed off. I passed all my classes and even got straight As which made me super excited!! I got a 96% on my stats final to bring my grade up to an A so i was so happy and then to top it off i got an email saying I'm on the deans list so i was one happy girl!! Then the day of the big move out came and i had to take my Praxis exam to be able to apply to the program. (I passed by the way which i was so pumped about!!) We had to have everything cleaned spotless and moved out by Saturday at noon. Brin's mom came and cleaned for a few hours to help make it easier on us and take all her stuff home. Ky crammed all her stuff in her car (I still cant figure out how it all fit!) and surprised her family by coming home early! My mom got there at nine in the morning and cleaned while i was taking my Praxis exam and by three we had everything spotless and ready to move out. My mom is amazing. I know i would have been there for forever if my mom wouldn't have came to help me. Looking at my empty apartment made me feel pretty sad. A lot has happened in a years time, and i have grown and learned a ton. I will definitely miss Oakridge Apt. 1E and all the good times i had there and the people i made friends with.  My mom left to give me some time to say good bye but i had no idea how hard it would be.

Saying goodbye to Adam was probably one of the hardest things i have ever done. He was honestly my best friend, we did everything together and i will miss him tons. David, his roommate who is a big tough football player, even gave me a big hug and the tears started coming then. I think people thought i was going insane as they walked by because i was just bawling. Pulling out of the parking lot was so hard. I cried about half way home and was so thankful i had some Kleenexes in my car because i couldn't see the road very well. Half way home i realized that crying wasn't helping anything, just making it worse because i couldn't see and i had a killer headache. Mom and i stopped for a pop and some chocolate in Snowville because of course they make everything better. My mom hugged me and told me it was going to be ok. You know what it is ok. Nothing has really changed, i still have a best friend that i know i can talk to about anything and i wouldn't have it any other way. I am so proud of him for choosing to go on a mission and not going to lie, i love being home with my family. I love having a job that i work all day every day. It makes me appreciate what i have and what i have been given. I am thankful i am not bored all day because that would kill me. Don't get me wrong i miss all my friends like crazy.  Not seeing Kim and Karlie everyday is weird. These girls were my best friends and i miss them, but i still keep in contact with them and i know so many fun times will come next year with them that i am so excited for. My amazing roommate Kyler is getting married which i am so excited for her and a little sad that i wont get to live with her again but i know i will still get to see her and we will still be friends. I look up to her so much and am thankful for her friendship and for making my first year so great. Ill get to see the neighbors again and nothing has changed there, we are all still friends. I'm lucky that Brin and i get to be roommates again because she is one special girl. I have no clue what i would have done without her. I miss our late night Prison Break episode watching snuggled up in her bed, or being so terrified from watching some scary movies, and just our talks about everything. She was such a great friend to me and made my freshman year awesome! I have been able to get together with some friends i haven't seen in a while and they have already made my summer fantastic! I have missed Steph like crazy and it has been so good to catch up with her and just hang out. She is so much fun and i have missed her crazy bubbly personality who makes doing absolutely nothing so much fun! Sure excited for more fun times with her this summer!! Katie and Camille are so fun and i have loved spending time with them. They actually make going to singles ward bearable since im not a huge fan of singles ward, i would rather be with my family. My family is amazing. I am so happy and am just loving life being home. Ya its been an adjustment getting used to sharing with more people and having a curfew and my new roommates going to bed at ten instead of two and even working instead of taking naps but i wouldn't trade it for the world. Who knows how much longer i have with these crazy people. Its only a few years before Kyle is gone on a mission and then goes Brit and Ridge and Terin will be married and hopefully me too :] and we will all be busy starting our own families. I am just making the most of the time i have now because i love life!!

Ya goodbyes are hard, but they happen and i have learned how to deal with them. Its not the last time im going to have to say goodbye, but next time i know what to do when it comes. Cry a few tears, hug my mom, use a Kleenex or two, eat some chocolate and be happy!! Life is too short not to be happy!! :] I love my life!!

The End!!

Year One of my wonderful College Experience is now finished!!

I have made fabulous new friends, that i will NEVER forget.

I have learned how to do countless new things i never thought i could do.

I have learned a lot about myself and many valuable life lessons.

College has treated me well!!

I'm a horrible blogger, i never keep up. I find other things to preoccupy my time!

I decided to put all of my last few months pictures and experiences into a random blog post real fast so i could remember all these things!! Sorry if its super scattered and a mess!!

These are just a few of my new amazing friends i have made this year. There girls are all going into el ed (well except Karlie, she just switched) so we have tons of classes together. Kim and i even scheduled all our classes the same so we were together all day every day. Man do i love and miss these girls!!

Karli, Kim, Me and Katie

Love her!! Kim is one of my very best friends! It all started in Math class last year just sitting by each other, then we started pouring our hearts out to each other about every random thing, to then becoming BFFs and scheduling all our classes together. She is a hoot and could honestly be my twin!!

 Easter at G & G Utahs house is always fun! I get to see this darling girl!!

 Hang out with all these crazy kids!!

 Oh dear, i have created a mini Mel, sure love her though!!

 Oh and i love and miss this wonderful lady every single day!! So happy to be home with her now!! :]

 We may get a little crazy with the silly string and confetti eggs after but thats sure a hoot!!

 Ridge and i didn't want to go home. Instead we decided to lay out and tan on grandmas driveway. Ha we are dorks!!

And of course you always have to find sweet hats when you go shopping!!

 Karlie, Kim and I went on a girls night to the Utah State dance recital. Those girls were amazing and it made me wish i could dance soooo bad!!

 After Kim and i decided we should spoil ourselves and enjoy a little Zeppes! They have the best Italian ice ever!!

We had classes ALL day on Tuesday and Thursdays. I would be on campus from 8:30 to 5:30 some days. We sometimes would go to the Hub and enjoy a nice fresh piece of toast in between classes!!

 Kim and i just enjoying the rain!!

 Adam became a pretty big part of my freshman second semester. He was my very best friend and a darling boyfriend too! We did a lot together. He was always game to take me to a chick flick or just spend time helping me study or doing my physics homework. We became addicted to modern family so we would watch one or two episodes a night and we actually finished season two the night before we left! He made me happy and we had a lot of fun together!!

Just a random night at walmart... I might have lost at our noodle fight thought!

 

Whats a girl to get her boyfriend thats soon leaving on his mission for his birthday?? I had no idea what to do but we had always talked about going to a jazz game together since Adam loves the Jazz. I tried to surprise him with tickets but he is very smart and figured it out. Oh well it was still so much fun! The tickets weren't the best ha but it was an overtime game with us winning. Definitely a great game to be at!!

Us in out Jazz gear all ready to go!!

 

 Eating before the game!!

 Good thing Adam can eat ANYTHING. We call him the garbage disposal because he eats so much. I had about four licks of m giant ice cream before i was done so he finished two huge ice creams!!

 Some random people came to our house playing a game. they wanted to trade us this pez for something else. Brin game them a purple belt and we got pez. we were pretty excited!!

 

Kim and i had to get our cow girl on before we left college!!

 Adam came home with me [i didn't get any pictures of us that weekend boo :( ] but i got to sleep with Terin. I got woken up by these two little hooligans so we had a little sleep over!!

 Finals came and Adam and i studied hard. I had a couple finals and then a big test on Friday i had to pass in order to apply to the el ed program which was kinda stressful! Thank heavens i passed!! Adam was a good sport and helped me study lots!! Thank heavens for him!! :]

 

And of course, you cant have your last day of class and not take a picture! Love these girls, what would i do without them!?

 

Cant believe i made it a whole year already! I still found myself walking around campus wondering if this is real life or if i'm in a dream! College life is wonderful. I grew so much, learned many new things, and made wonderful friends. I am so thankful for a perfect year! Thanks to all who made it the best freshman year of college ever!! Love you all!!