Short Hair! Ahhh!

I chopped over half my hair off yesterday! I was an emotional wreck that night. John was so entirely patient with me as I cried for a half hour in his car while we drove to a concert he was playing at. He knew exactly how to lift me up in gentle sweet ways. As he drove me he said a prayer for me and then played Where Can I Turn For Peace?. I cried and cried. Not the pretty type of crying either. Nope, It was the UGLY type filled with mascara running down my face and loud gasping noises from my sobs. I don't think I was really crying about my hair. Well, maybe a little. I had a rough day working at my call center job which stressed me out a ton! Luckily, I put my two weeks in so I won't have to worry about it for much longer. I was also feeling super hormonal and I had a really bad headache at work, which I know was caused by stress. By the end of the night, I was feeling wonderful and happy again thanks to John and the prayer he offered on my behalf.  I feel incredibly blessed to have people that uplift me on days when I completely lose it. Thank you John for cheering me up and loving me even when I have days where I cry over things of no major consequence.

John looks so washed out in this photo. He is an angel! Hooray! (Also, this picture was taken today when I wasn't in such an emotional disarray.) 

Catch Up

I haven't really been good at blogging lately so I have decided to give you an update on my life. I know, I know, I always promise to be better at blogging but alas I haven't been any better.  Erin's last two posts have inspired me to post something today and hopefully more in the future? I won't make any promises on when the next post will be though.  So here are so new things that have happened since the last time I blogged:

Top 5 New Things in my Life:
1. Colored Hair: I recently did a semi-permanent dye on my hair. I LOVE the color but I have too much hair for a normal application of hair dye. Right now I have some splotchy patches of hair that are not colored. I have another box of hair dye, I just need to get around to coloring it again.

My darker hair and a fantastic orange sweater I found for less than $3.00. 

2. Glasses: Yep, I have had to get glasses. I have had the worst migraines lately and I am trying to figure out the cause of them. Excedrin does wonders for me but it only masks the symptoms so I can temporarily feel better. I had my eyes checked and sure enough I have needed glasses. I am wearing them for the first time today! Some of the other things that might be triggering my migraines are sugar, TMJ, low-pressure weather, and stress. I sure do hope the glasses will help a little with this. It is amazing how many small things I have been missing out on before wearing these glasses!

New Glasses! I bought two pairs..a brown pair and a black one. 

3. Study Abroad:  I am going on a study abroad this summer to study art history in Italy! The program is a 4 weeks and then I will be doing some independent traveling to Switzerland, Paris and London after with some of the other students for about 10 days after the program ends.  68 more days until I leave!
Not like I am counting the days till then...

Cinque Terre, Italy (I will be staying a weekend here! AHH!)

4. Working a Lot for Study Abroad: I have been working at my regular job at school and I went back to my bakery job to help fund my trip. I also work four hours at a call center on Saturday's. EEK! Luckily, I am only taking one class right now or I would probably be going insane right now.

5. Boyfriend: I don't post a lot on here about my relationship status because, well, it has been pretty complicated the last couple years. With a long term relationship tragically ending about a year and a half ago, dating has been an interesting journey that I wasn't planning on ever having to take again.  I did date a guy last summer for a couple months and I was very grateful for that relationship. He treated me really well and was intellectually stimulating. We broke up before school started. I was pretty upset for a while but I am now grateful that he broke up with me for many reasons. I have gone on dates here and there since then. About a two months ago, I went on a date with one of my friends John who works as a freelance pianist. I was excited to go to Cafe Rio with him but honestly I was thinking it was just a friend date and nothing more than that. I was wrong. He is charming, genuine, loving, funny, and also extremely handsome, bonus! We went on a second date a couple weeks later and then shortly after that we decided to date exclusively. It has been an interesting journey dating him and I would have to say I have been happier than I have been in a really long time.  I usually am pretty happy anyways but he has brought a lot more joy in my life that I never knew I was missing. 

John and I at BYU's concerto night. 

Fall Pictures

Happy October Everyone!

 It is a magical time of the year with the leaves changing and the weather getting nice a brisk. This is the time of year for corn mazes, hot chocolate, pumpkins, sweaters and boots. What is not to love? 

I am about midway through a photography class and I thought I would share a couple of the photo's I have taken. I am planning on making a trip up to the mountains today to go and take some more photo's. 

Produce Stand , Provo, Utah

Produce Stand, Provo, Utah

My Roommates Jessica and Lauren, Provo Temple, Provo, Utah

Hari Krishna Temple, Spanish Fork, Utah

Hari Krishna Temple, Spanish Fork, Utah

Provo Library, Provo, Utah

Summer To Do List

Since the first official day of summer is only a few days away I thought I would share my summer to do list.  I started dating a pretty amazing guy and we came up with this list of things to do together. I have a small notebook that I carry around with me that I keep all of the ideas in.  

I love new experiences and learning new things. Who knew that I would actually enjoy going bug hunting? The world is a beautiful place and there are so many things to go and do.   Why would we want to settle for the typical dinner and a movie date when there are so many other things to do? What is on your list of things you want to do this summer?

Summer To Do List:

-Geode Hunting

-Visit the Great Salt Lake

-Star Gazing

-BYU Planetarium

-Visit the Salt Lake Temple

-Timpanogas Cave

-Ikea

-Make Homemade Paper

-Gold Leafing

-Photography/Editing

-Croquet Game

-Egg Yolk painting

-Comedy Night (listen to Brian Reagan, and Bill Cosby)

-Geo Cashing

-BYU Bean Museum

-Donate Plasma

-Hiking

-Tracy Aviary

-Aquariium

-Group Camping Trip 

Here are some of the things we have done recently (some were not on our original list but were fun experiences none the less):

-Fossil Hunting (which turned into rock collecting because we didn't find any fossils)

-Visit the BYU Art Museum 

-Listen to a whole Sigur Ros album 

-Spray Paint Art

-Picnic at the Park

-Feeding Ducks at the Park

-Watching the Sunset (multiple times)-Go to some Yard Sales

-Visit the Planetarium in Salt Lake

-Bug Hunting

-Going to the USA vs. Honduras Soccer game

-Thanksgiving Point Dinosaur Museum

Duck Face

+Erin lets be better at posting on our blog? Okay? Okay.

 I miss all of the times that Erin and I used to spend together going on random adventures and doing crafts. What I miss the most though are the times where we would just sit and chat for hours. We used to talk at our apartments, at the park, and often times in the car parked somewhere. We would cry and laugh  (which usually ended in me crying from laughing so hard) and discuss our dreams. So in order to make up for the distance we try to talk as often as we can on the phone. Sometimes it seems as though we are right next to each other lounging around talking about our dearest dreams and adventures. We don't even need to be talking about anything of any importance but the simple act of talking with each other is a blessing. I can't wait until her and Ryan come to Utah next month!  

Oh and I forgot to mention that sometimes we send each other pictures to further explain what we are talking about..or sometimes just for a good laugh. Here are the pictures from our last phone conversation. 

My Duck Face: 

Which Erin Decided to turn into this:

And then this happened:

Erin's Duck Face: 

And then these. No explanation. 

Giving

How often do I see a beggar on the street and I strategically look away so I don't make eye contact with them?  If I don't look them in the eye I can pretend that they do not exist (horrible, I know) or that they won't see me (A second graders logic: If I can't see you, you can't see me). 

I don't have a lot to give because like most college students I am struggling to put gas in my car as it is. I feel guilty for not giving more. What I feel worse about is how I have been treating these people who I try to ignore. I may not have a couple bucks to give but I do have kindness that is free. 

It isn't hard at all to give someone a smile or a wave when you drive or walk by. I too often forget that these people are my brothers and sisters. They are children of God. If Christ were to be in my shoes he would not simply ignore the beggar even if he had empty pockets. He would reach out to them in kindness and show them charity. So I have a challenge for you starting this Christmas season. The next time you drive by someone with a sign look them in the eye and smile at them. 

Merry Christmas Everyone! 

Moving Out

Last week I started really feeling like I didn't belong at home anymore. I felt out of place and disconnected. It was not because do not love my family and want to spend time with them, I just didn't feel like that is where I needed to be.

I casually looked at some ads on KSL for apartments even though I was pretty doubtful I would find any good ones especially one in a complex I really wanted to move into. To my amazement, I found a girl selling her contract to the complex I was hoping to move into. She had never moved in because the day she was supposed to move in she got a job in Saratoga Springs and decided to live in Lehi instead. I called her up and it just so happens that I was hanging out with my friend who lived in her complex so I was able to go and look at the apartment. It felt so right. 

I went to the office to fill out an application and she said I can sign the contract as soon as I pay the deposit and first and last months rent with the total coming to $622. I honestly did not have the money but I knew with a calm assurance that it would be okay and somehow I would have the money. I told her I should be able to pay it on Tuesday (which would be the earliest I could move in if I paid the money), not knowing how I would come up with the money. Looking at my finances over and over again it looked like I wouldn't be able to. Just in the last couple weeks I have had to put $1,500 into my car in order for it to be safe to drive. I also have to pay more money to UVU because I dropped two of my classes that were paid in part by grant money. 

The next day my mom and I had a yard sale. We had a prayer together that we would be able to make the money necessary for me to move out. Miracle of Miracles we did! In big part because my mom was also very gracious and gave me her portion of the yard sale money. I am truly grateful that she is so giving. I know that it was a blessing to have been able to sell so much I also was able to sell my bed and bed frame which was a nice chunk of money. 

So...I am moving out!! I can move into the apartment on Tuesday.  I am so excited for this new chapter in my life but I am still a bit nervous being thrown into a single atmosphere again.  I know without a doubt that this is where the Lord wants me to be and because of that he will help me and bless me through anything I go through. 

So here is to a new beginning!