Time Flies when you're..at College

Today we are already halfway through October! Where has time gone? That's right. It was dedicated to school. Class, studying, tests, papers. It's been a loaded month! It's been good though.

Just 31 days, 12 hours, and 4 minutes til I will be in Washington!! But who's counting..? I don't think I have ever been this excited to go home since my first year of Girls Camp: I was 12 years old, it was a week in the woods in Washington which means nothing but rain all week, in a big canvas tent, with no showers or bathrooms, and all meals were cooked over a fire. I love camping..can't you tell? But seriously camping is really fun when I am with my family or friends.

Last weekend I attended General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I loved it. So much good insight and advice that is so applicable to our everyday life. Watch it here. We (as in Hannah, Eric Jensen{My sister-in-law's little brother}, and some of Hannah's roomies/friends) got to go to the Saturday afternoon session in the Conference Center in Salt Lake. It was a blast! After Conference we (me, Hannah and Eric) enjoyed some classy McD's and some quality shopping, including searching for the right wedding ring at Tiffany's at the City Creek Mall across the street from the temple..

Me, Eric, Hannah outside the Conference Center. 2012

This Saturday was Hannah's Birthday.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY HANNAH! Oh the many things I love about my pallendrome-named sister! She is smart, intelligent, gorgeous, thoughtful, wouldn't hurt a soul, she's an athlete, and she is a great friend.

Me, Hannah, Daivid, and Baby Hailey. Spring 2000

 When Hannah sees something she needs to improve on, she works at it til it is perfected. What an inspiration! When we were younger, even though she LOVED sports with our 5 older brothers, she would still find time to play dolls and Barbies with me and she would even let me be all the girls and she would be Ken(:

Hannah and I before Mormon Prom 2011

My Junior year in High School, Hannah and I both had our licenses, but she played sports and I didn't so I would often take the shared car home. One day it was my job to bring her my mom's suburban so she could drive her XC team to team dinner and she invited me to tag along! This is when I realized how much her team looked up to and respected her..with good reason!! She wasn't loud and crazy with endorfins (sp?) after a long run, but oh boy did she know how to have a good time(: And she cared enough to invite her annoying little sister to join the fun. She really is such an awesome girl and has so much goin for her.

4th of July 2012

I can't wait to see where life takes her! And I am soo excited to live with her starting in January and get to know her better. She is so awesome.

 Young Hannah 1995 (or '96?)

I love you lots Hannah! and hope you had a very Happy Birthday. Thanks for being such a good role model for me. AND such a great friend, even though we don't always see eye to eye.. <3

Back to college life..Just got an 80% on my Nutrition100 exam numba 2!!! this is quite the exciting improvement from the last test (got a 68 on that one...shhh don't tell my mama!) thanks to some study help from my crazy-smart siblings. I owe them big time!

Just one more test and a paper to write for this week! Semester is roughly half over..time to bear down and get good grades..

Here comes Fall

Today was really hard for me. It was the first real day of fall this year. I am in a strange place [not for the first time ever, but for the first time this season.] with strange people and not with my family. And it didn't help that I was really tired this morning...(even though I slept for like 10 HOURS!)..

 Alpine Circle with the Family.

Once I was ready for the day I walked outside into the cool, crisp, autumn air. I looked up and couldn't help but notice the BEAUTIFUL fall colors in the mountains and surrounding me. The aroma of the trees and the remnant smells and chills of a cold fall night enveloped me. All I wanted (and still want to do) is to turn around and go back home. But only to be reminded that that home is not really my home. It is here in Provo..NOT Washington. Not with my awesome, loving family but with complete strangers everywhere I look. I can't wait to go home and build Pumpkin Pie with my beautiful, amazing mother and light cinnamon candles and watch the bright orange and yellow, crisp Maple leaves flutter to the ground covering all 10 acres of my property.

 I just want to go watch a football game where I actually can realistically have faith that MY team is going to win! Where I actually know the boys on the team and they aren't too cool to even make eye contact with ANYONE!! Unfortunately BYU STINKS at football and everyone on the team are stuck up and cocky. so I have to keep dreaming..

I actually MISS high school. Sometimes I regret coming to BYU this past winter because I missed out in some really cool relationships I could have made stronger...but what is done is done! Sooo no more talk of regrets there!!! 

I miss the biting cold of 20 minute breaks after first period where there was nothing better than to sip hot cocoa and huddle outside to bear the cold.

BUT I continued walking to class because I know this is where I need to be in my life right now. I am so blessed to be able to come to such a great university with sooo many great people. Plus I was going to be late to class so I had to hustle. (:

Alpine Circle with the Family..kinda really blurry.

This past weekend was such a great kick off for falllll. Started out with a Frozen yogurt run and movie night with Big Brother. We were on round 2 of LOTR..2 down 1 to go!! (LOTR=Lord Of The Rings). Big Brother's roomy Bradshaw was there as well..funny kid. After that I came home to study and went to bed. Saturday was VERY lax. Studied for the dreadful nutrition test (don't even get me started...) 

....And then went on a DATE!! Woohoo!! First one of the semester(: I went with a boy..let's call him Henry. From Ohio. My friend..Robert.. from Idaho came in the group with a girl from his writing class. We played TENNIS!! It was soo fun! We also have started a tradition of playing Ping Pong after ward prayer every Sunday in the Budge Lobby so of course they (but mostly just Robert) get to walk me home afterwards. Good times and plenty more to come I am sure!

Sunday we went to Hilary's for a family dinner with all us Utah residents. Then us single kids left Hendricks' and went on an awesome family drive up Alpine Circle past Aspen Grove. Words cannot describe its beauty! So many beautiful colors and trees and hills and I was with my family..well like 3/11 of them. Oh how I miss the rest of them alll! But the drive got me thinkin real deep thoughts..like how I can't wait to get married and have kids that I can make Pumpkin Pie for and carve pumpkins with and make fun Halloween costumes and light cinnamon candles so I can instill in them a sense of how lovely Autumn time is [can you tell I am obsessed with Pumpkin Pie and Cinnamon Candles??]. And I thought of a few other things too..

Time to hit the books!..or the bed..