The Hancocks

A Quick One

2012-02-09T17:14:00.001-08:00

I really should be studying for my test since I want to take it early tomorrow morning and then go with my visiting teacher to buy dark chocolate pomegranate seeds at Costco .... SOOOO here it is: I got into a pharmacy school! Yay! I got into my back up school, which is really nice because now I know, either way, I will be able to get a pharmacy degree and my whole undergraduate experience won't have been a waste! I also got a call from my #1 school today, and was offered an interview! I will be interviewing there on February 24th, the day after Owen's birthday! Yikes!

Anyway, just thought you should know, and also here is a cool link that shows on lds.org where the apostles have been lately and what they have been teaching. Awesome!

D. Melanogaster

2012-02-03T08:53:00.000-08:00

Do you see a relationship between all of these words?

Wingless
Engrailed
Hunchback
Bicoid
Torpedo
Gurken
Pipe
Nudel
Toll
Cactus
Nanos
Spätzel
Sonic Hedgehog
Armadillo
Krüppel
Knirps
Giant
Tailless
Buttonhead
Empty Spiracles
Hairy
Sloppy-paired
Fused
Gooseberry
Pangolin
Huckebein

If you don't, then good for you -- you are a normal person who probably has a life. However, for me, they are all names of genes that affect segmentation patterns in Drosophila, and I have to memorize their functions by tomorrow. Yeah, they are things that determine how fruit flies develop. I know, you are so jealous of me right now.

source

Mhm. That's a fruit fly embryo. Now you know. Have a good weekend.

Cupcakes are Cute

2012-01-31T10:19:00.001-08:00

Here are some cupcakes I made last Friday. I gotta admit, they turned out pretty adorable. They tasted good too, which is always a plus. I used Bakerella's buttercream frosting recipe, and oh my, was it buttery and delicious! I know it's a little early for Valentine's day, but I couldn't help decorating them in pink since I got these cute sprinkles at Target -- 5 kinds for $1! Amazing!

Busy Busy Bees

2012-01-27T10:03:00.000-08:00

Hey All! Sorry I haven't posted much lately, I've just been super busy working on my new project!

EatBYU.com!

It's a collection of our thoughts and opinions about all of the best (and worst) places to eat near BYU. You know how much I love talking about what I think, and I sure have a lot of opinions about food! You should check it out and let me know what you think!

Things I've Learned from the Bachelor

2012-01-24T08:42:00.000-08:00

You may mock me for watching this show, and honestly, I don't blame you. But this show has been somewhat educational, and here are the things I've learned:

from abc.com

You should always wear a swimsuit underneath your clothes because you never know when a hot tub or deep sea cave will show up, and you better be prepared.
You can be totally sweet to your man and a complete jerk/airhead to everyone else, and he will never know....
Watching ridiculous girl shows is infinitely better when you watch it with 8 other girls who aren't mocking you the entire time.
Crazy Utah weather will never behave, not even for the Bachelor
If you beg for attention and reassurance that you're hot, but you aren't a model, then you will get sent home. If you beg for attention and reassurance that you're hot, and you ARE a model, you will get a rose.
If you don't immediately gush on your first date about all of your previous loves and tragedies, the conversation will automatically get labeled as awkward. But not all hope is lost -- just talk about how you are bad at communication, and everything will be okay.
Ratty and long caveman hair is totally in. Also, Owen is good to keep all his Justin Bieber jackets for now because they're totally in too.
If you are on TV, everyone will judge you ever time you say anything. So watch yourself, sista.

We're Off To....

2012-01-19T10:35:00.000-08:00

Okay, I can't keep the secret much longer...especially since it's not really a secret anymore and most of you already know our exciting news!

No, I'm not pregnant. This is always everyone's first assumption, so I thought I should clear that up right away.

But the first week in December, Owen and I went to his work Qualtrics' Christmas party. It's always a fun evening, and it is crazy that this is already our third Christmas party together at Qualtrics! Some years they do lots of giveaways of small prizes, some years they give everyone a few prizes, but this year, they announced that they were going to give away SIX cruises to randomly drawn employees. There are over 200 employees at Qualtrics now, so the odds were pretty slim...but OWEN'S NAME WAS DRAWN! I was in shock! Then I got super excited. Then I was in shock again. And now I'm really excited again.

Some people have never heard of golden birthdays, and some people just think they are weird, but let me just say right now that I am totally a believer! My birthday is on the 21st, and I turned 21 this year, so it's my golden year!

We're going to be leaving on April 23rd...hopping on a flight to...

MIAMI!

We'll hop on our cruise ship (we're going Royal Caribbean), and then sail off to...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS!

After a day in Nassau, we will get back on board and sail to...

COCOCAY, BAHAMAS! (a private island owned by Royal Caribbean)

After CocoCay, we'll cruise on over to...

KEY WEST, FL!

Then we'll board our ship again and head back to Miami to complete our week of island paradises. I gotta say, I'm pretty darn excited. I can't believe that we get to go on this awesome vacation for free -- and cruises are great because all the food and everything is already provided for you! So, now I have some questions for all of you -- do you have any tips for cruises? I've never been east of Utah (sad, I know), so this is going to be a big leap! Any tips for long flights? Have any of you been to Key West, Miami, or Nassau and know of some can't-miss locations? Let us know!

My "Four-Day" Weekend

2012-01-17T09:06:00.000-08:00

Since I don't have class on Fridays this semester, and yesterday was MLK day, I technically had a four-day weekend. But unfortunately, Owen has to work three of those four days, so it wasn't really all that exciting :( But at least I was super productive -- yay. Friday I went on campus and ran trials for my research project until my brain was completely numb (6 hours of staring at fish...awesome). Then I went and took my weight lifting exam - the only exam in the whole class that I need to get 75% or higher in order to pass the class. And it was open book. And I guessed on most of the questions, because heck, if I somehow didn't pass it, I could just take it again! I took a grand total of 15 minutes and got 100% - good thing I didn't study! Then Saturday I did some shopping, and we went and saw Beauty and the Beast in 3D! Normally I sort of hate 3D movies, but since Beauty and the Beast is my favorite movie of all time, we had to go see it.

It was quite fun to see this movie that I've watched a million times before on the big screen, and I noticed lots of details I've never seen before. Definitely recommend it! But make sure to take a nap before or after because if you're anything like me, watching 3D movies makes me totally tired. Then I made some kick-butt guacamole and churro popcorn and we played a little Cranium with Tim & Megan -- not a good game to play after your brain's been wiped by 3D movie watching!

Then Monday Owen went off to work again and I was home alone again...boringggg. I planned to do more research but I forgot to copy over the videos to my computer so oops. Instead Monday was filled with laundry, making these cherry jam tarts for my super nice neighbors & our Bachelor-watching group, going to Target, pretending to study, going to the gym, and reorganizing our house. We also went to Owen's family's house for FHE and talked about the importance of reading the Book of Mormon, and then at 8 I went over to Sarah's house and watched my weekly guilty pleasure -- the Bachelor! I think mostly we all watch it just because it's fun to discuss and you don't have to really pay that much attention to get what's going on haha. We definitely already have our favorites (both Kacies) and our favorites to hate on (that horrible model girl, the weird personal trainer girl), and can't wait to see what other drama this season will hold!

This Better Not Be You

2012-01-11T09:43:00.001-08:00

PokPok

2012-01-10T19:44:00.000-08:00

After a busy and rigorous day of shopping at Washington Square mall over Christmas break, our family decided that we deserve some delicious sustenance. We had heard rave reviews about this little Asian food place in Portland called Pok Pok (the goal of the restaurant is to serve food similar to that you would find from street vendors in various Asian countries), and a close friend even claimed that they had "the best wings of all time." Since you all know about my obsession with hot wings, we obviously had to go there. It took us a little longer than expected to find the hole-in-the-wall place (here a tip for anyone visiting Portland: Always plan an extra hour to get lost in this city of crazy roads!) and our transit involved driving slowly by buildings and trying to pick up free wi-fi so we could look at a map on Owen's iPad...yeah...Anyway, we eventually found it, and I'd say those wings were pretty much worth it!

Devynne's Muh Sateh: pork loin skewers -- they were served with toast!

Owen got the roasted game hen special...definitely something new!

Mom's shredded pork (can't find the name of it...) which was pretty good. They were out of the baby back ribs! Sad :(

And The Wings. I was a little surprised at the price because it seemed kind of pricy for six wings, but they mean the whole wing. So really it was a great deal and they were pretty delicious! I don't know if they deserve the title of best ever yet, but they're definitely in the top 5. I ordered spicy and Quinn got the regular -- I couldn't really tell the difference and like spicy food a lot, so I'd probably go with the spicy again! Definitely recommend it -- but print out a map before you go! Mostly I just like the restaurant's name...and all kinds of delicious wings :)

Pretty

2012-01-10T08:14:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you've seen it around the web lately, but I just thought this article was too good not to share with you all. After watching the Bachelor last night, I couldn't help thinking how true this article is. Let me know what you think!

The Death of Pretty

By Pat Archibald

December 21, 2011

This post is intended as a lament of sorts, a lament for something in the culture that is dying and may never been seen again.

Pretty, pretty is dying.

People will define pretty differently. For the purposes of this piece, I define pretty as a mutually enriching balanced combination of beauty and projected innocence.

Once upon a time, women wanted to project an innocence. I am not idealizing another age and I have no illusions about the virtues of our grandparents, concupiscence being what it is. But some things were different in the back then. First and foremost, many beautiful women, whatever the state of their souls, still wished to project a public innocence and virtue. And that combination of beauty and innocence is what I define as pretty.

By nature, generally when men see this combination in women it brings out their better qualities, their best in fact. That special combination of beauty and innocence, the pretty inspires men to protect and defend it.

Young women today do not seem to aspire to pretty, they prefer to be regarded as hot. Hotness is something altogether different. When women want to be hot instead of pretty, they must view themselves in a certain way and consequently men view them differently as well.

As I said, pretty inspires men’s nobler instincts to protect and defend. Pretty is cherished. Hotness, on the other hand, is a commodity. Its value is temporary and must be used. It is a consumable.

Nowhere is this pretty deficit more obvious than in our “stars,” the people we elevate as the “ideal.” The stars of the fifties surely suffered from the same sin as do stars of today. Stars of the fifties weren’t ideal but they pursued a public ideal different from today.

The merits of hotness over pretty is easy enough to understand, they made an entire musical about it. Who can forget how pretty Olivia Newton John was at the beginning of Grease.

Beautiful and innocent. But her desire to be desired leads her to throw away all that is valuable in herself in the vain hopes of getting the attention of a boy. In the process, she destroys her innocence and thus destroys the pretty. What we are left with is hotness.

Hotness is a consumable. A consumable that consumes as it is consumed but brings no warmth.

Most girls don’t want to be pretty anymore even if they understand what it is. It is ironic that 40 years of women’s liberation has succeeded only in turning women into a commodity. Something to be used up and thrown out.

Of course men play a role in this as well, but women should know better and they once did. Once upon a time you would hear girls talk about kind of women men date and the kind they marry. You don’t hear things like that anymore.

But here is the real truth. Most men prefer pretty over hot. Even back in 6th grade I hated the “hot” Olivia Newton John and felt sorry for her that she had to debase herself in such a way. Still do.

Our problem is that society doesn’t value innocence anymore, real or imagined. Nobody aspires to innocence anymore. Nobody wants to be thought of as innocent, the good girl. They want to be hot, not pretty.

I still hope that pretty comes back, although I think it not likely any time soon. For every Taylor Swift, there are a hundred Megan Foxs, or Lindsay Lohans, or Miley Cyruses etc.

Girls, please, bring back the pretty.

Portland Air Tram

2012-01-09T17:32:00.000-08:00

For Quinn's birthday, we took him down to Portland to ride the aerial tram at OHSU. Yes it's commonly used for patients or med students going between OHSU and the hospital at the waterfront, but you can ride it for fun too! It's like a mini Disneyland right in our neighborhood (kind of)! We were a little sad that it was raining instead of sunny and beautiful, but hey, it's December in the PNW, so what were we expecting?

Ooooh freeways! How fun!

At the top w/ the birthday boy -- he's so old!!!!!!!

The air tram returns!

I hope those people didn't think I was too creepy...

I call this "Portland through the Rain" You can see the city...through the rain. Oh yeah.

And don't worry, he got a birthday cake too -- except Quinn doesn't like cake so Devynne made him a pretty sweet ice cream cake with a blonde brownie base that was a little hard to cut but SUPER delicious! She makes the best homemade hot fudge! And no, Quinn wasn't turning 2, he's turning 11 so we were being frugal...

TimTam Slam

2012-01-07T15:27:00.000-08:00

P. Diddy the next famous Mormon?

2012-01-05T08:38:00.000-08:00

Who knew that P.Diddy (or his twitter publicist) is so in tune with the General Authorities? Pretty awesome. Click here for the real link for proof!

Are You Resolute?

2012-01-04T10:39:00.000-08:00

Do you make New Years Resolutions?

I used to be an absolute die-hard about these bad boys, and would make a list of 15-25 resolutions I swore I would work on throughout the year. Some were successful, many were not. But there is something in my inner being that loves to make goals and set plans. So I can't decide this year. Right now I'm kind of turned off making a list of goals, but I'll probably end up doing to by tomorrow anyway. We'll see.

But one thing we definitely are going to work on trying to eat better and exercise more regularly. This always seems to be something to work on, but we have a deadline of April 23rd where we better be looking good so there is a lot more motivation this time! (more information on that deadline coming soon...)

We're starting out the year with a sort of cleanse to try to rid our bodies of all the horrible toxins and sugars and everything we've exposed it to these last couple of weeks (we're looking at you Cheetos, Martinellis, and Reese's). I wanted to do something effective but not something super scary/weird/dangerous, so Owen and I are going vegan for a week.

So far, it's been...hungry. But you can do anything for a week, right? Right. Last night I made a spicy quinoa-black bean-avocado-pineapple salad thing, and tonight we're doing something with brown rice. Not quite sure what it will be, but I'm going to try. I think we'll be able to make it for the week, but I've decided that people who do vegan for their whole life must be super dedicated, and a little crazy. Most of the vegan recipes I find online have a million impossibly weird ingredients (Xantham gum? Chickpea flour?? Wheatberry?) and take a million times longer to cook than normal food. I guess that's why it's healthy or something. I don't think I could be vegan for life because anything that is spelled "Cheez" just kind of freaks me out...Plus breakfast is super hard! Is there anything to eat when vegan besides oatmeal in the mornings? Any suggestions would be very appreciated. Wish us luck!

2012...What?

2012-01-04T10:02:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that it is a new year already! It seems like 2011 just started yesterday. But I have to admit -- it's been a pretty great start to the year! I can't believe the weather here in Utah - the high today is 47 degrees and sunny, and tomorrow is supposed to get up to 50!

We flew back in yesterday to sunny skies and NO SNOW! A New Years Miracle. Today is the first day of classes, and not only have I only purchased one of my textbooks, but today I forgot to bring pants! Yeah it was pretty hilarious. I have weight training first thing on M & W, so I was wearing my gym clothes and had packed my normal clothes in my backpack...but I totally forgot pants! And shoes...Yeah, this morning was interesting. At least I don't have my next class until noon so I was able to bike home and ahem...get dressed.

First day of class doesn't get much better than that!

Views of Christmas Break

2011-12-28T10:44:00.000-08:00

Here's a little peek at what we've been up to here in Washington this past week!

1. My hipster little bro trying on my new glasses -- totally think it works for him!
2. Beaches taquitos -- the best
3. Lyv and I prepping food for my holiday party!
4. The cutest display of chopped vegetables you've ever seen
5. It wouldn't be Christmas if we hadn't set off the fire alarm...twice...
6. Quinn & Owen outside Christmas morning in the rain in their pajamas, playing with his new remote control car
7. Owen & da boys showing off their muscles while playing some games
8. Just your typical day in the Barret kitchen
9. Better watch out, or someone will end up with a knife through their head!
10. Singing round the piano, a Barret tradition
11. Mom harassing Owen about making the website
12. Devynne's Christmas dessert - Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake
13 & 14. Lyvia and I working on some holiday crafts
15. My final result!
16. Our homemade JDawgs, grilled in the cold outdoors by the boys (fortunately no rain...)
17 & 18. Some snapshots from my holiday party!

hair hair hair

2011-12-13T18:02:00.000-08:00

It is simply impossible to study with the invention of the Internet. Impossible. So what have I been doing instead? Yeah, trying on celebrity hairstyles. With this website designed to waste time when I should be memorizing drug mechanisms. I'm actually getting my hair cut on Friday, so this may not be completely pointless, plus it is actually really funny. Here are some options that I am considering for my haircut on Friday, let me know which is your favorite!

Alexa Chung bangs

pretty crazy, right? and funny. almost as funny as trying on glasses...

Dianna Agron haircut

turned brown of course

reese witherspoon bangs

weird

lea michele bangs

ahh... no....

emma watson #1

and now I look like a little boy

emma watson #2

okay, this has got to stop

I think this blog is turning more into a "let's show embarrassing photos of myself" kind of blog, but oh well. I think it's funny. Hopefully you aren't feeling too awkward by now...

free AND christmas?! i'm in.

2011-12-13T10:41:00.000-08:00

Welp, one final down and only three-ish (really one-ish) more to go! Took my pathophysiology final last night where I had to know over 300 diseases, and managed to do fairly decent, so yay! Now I just have to memorize 176 drugs for Thursday, and we'll be in business.

Since I am currently in the anti-studying mode, and think that you all should be too, I have something to share with you!

Because who doesn't love free Christmas music! All you have to do is go to this website, and you can download the whole album for free! Or you can just listen to it online if you want. I've already downloaded Vol. 1 and 2 onto my Kindle, so now Owen can be happy that we have other Christmas music besides the She & Him Christmas album to listen to in the car (though I would be satisfied with just that album for a long long time!)

Holiday Wish List 2011

2011-12-12T13:23:00.000-08:00

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

How can anyone expect me to study when Christmas is JUST RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER?! It is truly a mystery. So what do I do instead? Make a holiday wish list of things that are ridiculously expensive and I will never get anyway. But hey, dream online shopping is fun, okay? Plus everyone I know is likely already done with their Christmas shopping, so we should be fine :)

Studyin Time

2011-12-12T11:22:00.000-08:00

Yes it's finals week and since I didn't really study on the reading days (seriously BYU, you have to stop calling Saturdays "reading days") I'm hitting the books today. My mother asked if we pulled out the big snacks like we did last year, and I had to laugh and tell her that we were going a little healthier this year (thankfully). Here's this semester's fuel to get me going through this torturous week:

From left: Dark Chocolate Pomegranate seeds (from Costco, SO delicious and satisfying), Roasted Pine Nut Hummus (hummus = love), TONS of satsumas (because we bought at 25 lb box...this is all that's left! Go us!), Baby Lips chapstick (my finals gift, to myself), Funfetti pink frosting (cuz let's get real, I'm not thaaat healthy. And yes, I like it straight from the can), Multi-grain wheat Club crackers (I like 'em better than the original! And with the hummus of course).

So there you have it! Hopefully this year I will be able to focus more with the lack of stomach ache, so wish me luck!

Go Team Qualtrics

2011-12-09T20:13:00.001-08:00

Believe it or not, this was the least embarrassing of our photos...

world

2011-12-07T10:04:00.001-08:00

via

Saw this lovely illustration on Pinterest. Doesn't it make you just want to go to all of these places?

It's probably because it's the week before finals but I'm feeling like I need to GO somewhere! Owen and I are thinking about planning a trip after we both walk in April, but are having serious trouble agreeing on where to go! There are just too many interesting places around the world!

Finals Next Week? Pshhhh....

2011-12-06T21:15:00.001-08:00

Things I'm doing besides studying right now:

1. Being glad I'm not studying
2. Watching all the song and dance sequences of The Newsies
3. Blogging about the SA-Weeeet gingerbread house we made last night!

the cast of characters

devynne hard at work

me secretly eating all the candy

the disaster mess after the beautiful creation

Some More Mormon Monday

2011-12-05T10:48:00.001-08:00

A favorite scripture passage from our couple study last night:

7 For a small moment have I ^aforsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee.

8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting ^akindness will I have ^bmercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.

3 Nephi 22:7-8

We read like 8 chapters last night in order to get back on schedule for finishing up before the end of the year!

Funny

2011-12-05T10:42:00.001-08:00

from this site

I once heard someone say (I think it was someone from this family) that the goal of Pinterest is to simultaneously encourage women to bake delicious desserts and become anorexic at the same time. While I often feel like that is true, this photo I spotted on Pinterest today was too funny not to share!

Tis the Season

2011-12-05T10:23:00.001-08:00

Who cares that it is the last week of classes and that I should be studying for finals? Not me! We've had our first actual ground covering of snow and my mind has hopped aboard the Polar Express. Cheesy, I know. But you know what, many things about the holidays are cheesy. And I love it.

To start off our cheesy holidays celebrations, we went to Christmas Around the World on Saturday. Owen and I have gone to this the past three years and I love it every year (despite the fact that most of the dances are disproportionately from Northern Europe). This years they totally added many more dances from other cultures which was great, including Israel, Africa (yeah somehow the whole continent was lumped into one dance, but at least it was included!) and my perennial favorite- India. This year the India dance was totally Bollywood style and it was pretty fun. Somehow the World Dance department has turned down our offers for Balinese dance workshops, but one year my friend, you shall see...

the folk dance people LOOOOVE the ukraine dances. photo from byu.

Then last night, we had the chance to watch the First Presidency Christmas Devotional (on tv, yeah definitely the coolest part of being in Utah). I loved hearing the wonderful sweet Christmas music of the choir and feeling the love that the leaders of our church have for us. Here was my favorite tweet from LDSNewsroom during the devotional:

“When we keep the spirit of Christmas, we keep the spirit of Christ, for the #Christmas spirit is the Christ spirit.” Pres. Monson

And these new videos from the church are lovely! Definitely going to be using them for FHE tonight!

An Explanation

2011-11-30T11:24:00.001-08:00

So obviously I haven't been blogging very much lately, and there is a good reason why. I've realized that the more I blog, the less I write in my journal! It's awful. For me, it's usually one or the other, unless I'm in a good journal writing habit. And I have thought about options like printing out posts from my blog into a book, and I'll probably still do that, but obviously I don't put everything about my life here on the blog. Basically anything personal is a no-go because then my mom calls me up and says "Why did you put that on your blog!!?!" so basically I'm trying to catch up with my life on paper, and then I'll get back here :)

Mormon Monday - Love

2011-11-21T13:51:00.001-08:00

This has cycled the blogging world a lot already, but I think it's always a nice reminder :)

Weekend Report

2011-11-20T20:05:00.001-08:00

Last weekend we went to a murder mystery dinner and the football game. Somehow I didn't really blog about them probably because I was a little put out by both of them. The murder mystery dinner probably would have been more fun except all of the other couples at our table were over the age of 40 -- not something I was really anticipating since its a BYU event. Also we knew the guy who was acting out the president so I totally didn't believe that he was a murderer (well, he wasn't the murderer anyway, but you know what I mean). Then the football game last weekend against the UI Vandals was soooooo snoozy boring and SOOO freezing cold! At least Owen let us get hot chocolate and we had super sweet seats for the game, which was cool.

Then this weekend we went to a high school play on Friday night. This is not routine for us, but my voice lesson teacher was directing the Children of Eden production at Mt. View High School so it counted for one of my assignments. I was actually pleasantly surprised -- it was one of the best high school productions I've ever seen and it was pretty dang funny. Owen was a little offended by how not-so-doctrinally-sound it was, but I like that they dared through some controversial (not that it was anything obscene) stuff in there. Very fun. Then Saturday I tried to study but just couldn't do it, so we drove up to Salt Lake a little early for my former roommate Jenna's wedding reception, hoping we could stop at the new H&M clothing store up there. Of course I forgot to think, and we spent all our time at GATEWAY mall looking around for it (and freezing) when actually it's at Fashion Place Mall in Murray. Oops. But the reception was great, we had crepes and I caught a picture of them on fire which was fun. I'm so happy for Jenna, she is probably one of the nicest roommates I ever had and I hope that he is a great guy because he is super lucky! Then we made it to H&M on the drive home and had some fun shopping around there. It's not really that different than Forever 21 except that there were WAY more people there and they have a much better selection of men's clothing, which was nice for Owen. Beware though, the men's clothes run super small. But if you go upstairs, the line for the register and dressing rooms is way shorter, so there's a plus. Aaaand we didn't go to the football game even though it was the last of the season because we knew it would be a total blow-out and we would probably die of pneumonia. Good choice I think.

Welp, that's a lot of writing, but it pretty much sums it up! Excited for only two more days this week -- yay!

Qualtrics = The Best

2011-11-17T09:44:00.001-08:00

It's official, my husband has the coolest job ever. Last year, when Qualtrics went into Code Yellow (aka danger zone before Code Red and the company explodes), they worked extra hard and fixed all the problems before anything major happened, and we got an iPad. I would never buy an iPad of course because I feel like they are mostly used to play games and are crazy expensive, but it's nice to have. A couple weeks ago, Qualtrics experience Code Yellow again, and then yesterday, Owen came home with a Kindle Fire! What the what! And he was so excited to give it to me, he had even programmed it to say Chelsey's Kindle and put my favorite apps on it and everything. I've always kind of thought the idea of a Kindle was cool, and now since we have Amazon Prime, I can check out books for free on it and watch all sorts of movies and stuff! I haven't really figured it out much yet, except for the fact that we got Bejeweled for free on it -- yay! So please don't think we are super rich and spend all our money on crazy electronics, Owen just has a super awesome job! Go team Qualtrics!

Nine More Days...

2011-11-16T12:17:00.001-08:00

... means nine more things I'm grateful for!

please don't judge me for the poor image quality on this, I took it on my computer during my office hours

9. A husband who encourages me to buy yellow tights, and then thinks they are the cutest thing ever.

8. The Internet. Even though it distracts me...a lot...I like it. And like seeing new things and being connected with the big world out there.

7. Google Maps -- I would be sooooo lost all the time without this!

6. Bobby pins

5. Spearmint Chapstick

4. The fact I don't have to go to my Torture Class of Doom tonight -- yeah baby!

3. The fact that instead I'm going up to the University of Utah pharmacy school to tour and meet with some students!

2. Another fact -- I finally mailed off the last of my pharmacy school application business yesterday -- DONE! (for realz this time)

1. Different cultures and different places around the world. Someday I hope to experience many of them!

source

Also, I just love everything about this girl's look. From Paris, of course.

One Thing I Miss

2011-11-15T10:38:00.001-08:00

Don't get me wrong, being married is the best. Trust me, I love it and would recommend it to everyone.

But there is one thing I miss.

Looking at wedding inspiration!

I loved my wedding and all of the detail and organization that went in to it -- I wouldn't change a thing. But isn't it fun to look at other wedding decor and ideas? I was wasting time on Pinterest today and came across something I just couldn't miss -- a Harry Potter inspired wedding. And here was the best part -- it was actually not tacky at all, rather adorable and so fun! Here are some photos:

Another one, just for fun -- a Water for Elephants theme:

Too cute, right? Anyone want me to plan their wedding any time soon?

All images via greenweddingshoes.com

10 Days!

2011-11-15T09:03:00.001-08:00

Only ten more days until Thanksgiving -- WOOHOO! I can't wait! I seriously need a break, mostly just to catch up on everything! I can't believe I've gone this whole month without falling into the cliché of blogging about things I am grateful for -- what am I thinking? Well it's time to catch up on this seasonal gratitude, so since there are 10 more days until Thanksgiving, I'm going to share with you 10 things I am grateful for!

10. The lunches my husband makes for me

9. Debit cards and online banking

8. Christmas music! Especially Michael Bublé's new album (except for his rant on Kim K - unnecessary)

7. Boots!

6. Lovely fall leaves

5. $5 movies at Target -- we got Hitch last night, love that movie!

4. This unseasonably warm weather -- thank you!!!!

3. It's already Tuesday

2. Gmail chat

1. The smell of waffle cones

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found on pinterest

Poor Guy

2011-11-14T10:59:00.001-08:00

Have you ever had one of those days where you wake up 35 minutes late and then pour spoiled milk on your cereal but since you're such a zombie you don't realize it until like 7 bites in and then you want to throw up and die but you're still really hungry and then you don't realize until you get to school that your outfit is super ugly and unflattering? Yeah, today's one of those days.

But today, you know who I'm thinking about? Jeeves.

source

Yeah, from askjeeves.com. Whatever happened to that guy? I kind of miss him. I totally asked him real questions, every time. Ask.com just doesn't have the same human appeal, and plus the website is ugly now. I think that was the real day that Google won, when they got rid of Jeeves.

Mormon Mondays -- OT

2011-11-14T08:22:00.001-08:00

So today for Mormon Monday, I want to share with you some thoughts I have been having lately about the blessings of the scriptures in our lives.

babies are cute and funny but cry and poo a lot. via pinterest.

Saturday afternoon, I went to my very first baby shower. Some of you may be thinking, holy cow aren't you too young to know people who are having babies!! And others of you may be surprised I haven't been to 15 yet. Anyway, being in my current ward and seeing all of these new families around me lately has really got me thinking. Mostly about how I am SCARED OUT OF MY MIND and feel like I have no idea how to be a parent or to be in charge of my own little family unit. This is a natural feeling for someone who is a mere 21 like myself of course, but I feel like I wouldn't even know how to prepare or if I would ever feel ready for having a family.

I've really been working on my personal scripture study, and for some reason when I was trying to decide what I wanted to focus on, I had this odd urge to study the Old Testament. I thought this was quite strange considering all I remember from the Old Testament year of seminary was that it was really long boring except for the really weird stories about talking donkeys and stuff about the temples. But I just couldn't get my mind off of it, so that's where I started -- good old Genesis. Now, I'm only on Chapter 30, but there's been something that I keep thinking about every time I read this. If I feel this frightened of being a new parent (SOMEDAY -- no, I am not pregnant), can you imagine what Adam and Eve felt like being the first new parents, ever? There were no "What to Expect When You're Expecting" books and no guides to parenthood. They didn't even have their own parents or grandparents to give them any helpful tips! Plus, we all know how one of their very first kids turned out, but how were they supposed to know any better? It's just interesting reading these first few books of the Bible about the beginning of our earth, and just seeing how they were trying to figure everything out. I mean, poor Esau right? But throughout this whole experience, as our very first forefathers were trying to understand how to make families work and how to worship the Lord and how to just survive, our Heavenly Father was there for them the whole way. He was constantly giving guidance and support whenever they remembered to ask. Even the most clueless (not that it was their fault) parents of all time were able to enjoy having blessed generations of posterity through faith and obedience.

Anyway, kind of random. But I also have to share with you this verse I read today --

Genesis 30:1 -- "And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel^aenvied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die."

Sheesh! Talk about baby hungry! Don't worry Mom, I'm nowhere close to that yet :)

White Noise

2011-11-10T10:51:00.001-08:00

source

Have any of you ever used white noise before? It seems like a new weird popular thing to me, like juice fasts or something, except that it was also used for babies? It also reminded me of that movie, Josie and the Pussycats, where they sneak in subliminal messages into commercials and music and stuff.

But I was sitting in my lab one day where one of my fellow lab mates was playing a super annoying PopStar computer game, with the music on full blast mind you, and I decided to give it a try. It was a miracle -- it totally drowned out all other sound and wasn't distracting like the Christmas music I usually listen to!

I used the free website, SimplyNoise, and it is full of all these claims to provide clearer focus and improved memory, etc. I don't know about those things, but I do know that it is good for blocking out other distracting noises for me. Owen thinks that the stuff is super annoying, but I guess it depends on your personality.

So, what's your opinion on white noise? Do you have a certain type/source that your prefer? Do you like nature sounds or something else better? Will white noise cause me to mysteriously make impulse purchases and become a huge Justin Bieber fan or something?

Yes.

2011-11-09T17:56:00.001-08:00

from the Harold B Lee Library

A Question

2011-11-09T11:29:00.000-08:00

source

So, now that Halloween is over, we all know that it is Christmas shopping time! I've been working on putting together some gift idea lists and shopping around (mostly the internetz). But there are some people on my gift list who are just super hard to shop for. Have you ever had someone like that? I feel like I'm easy to shop for -- I love lots of things! Anything Disney, orange, or Psych or clothes related, and you're doing pretty good. But I hate trying to guess for someone who is hard to shop for, and then getting something they will never use.

So here's my question -- what do you think of asking someone if they would like a gift? I think I have a great gift idea for someone, but I don't want to spend money on it and give it to them if they are just going to not use it or think it is a terrible idea. Is it lame to ask them and then ruin the surprise? Or is it better to know ahead of time so you can think of something else to get them?

My opinion? If someone is going to get something big for me (and since I'm poor, big means like more than $40), I would totally want them to check with me first if they were unsure. Of course I would prefer them to pick up on my not-so-subtle hints, but you can't always get what you want. It's so much less awkward than accepting a gift you don't really like and then having to return it and avoid the subject in the future. And for the surprise factor, I'm greedy -- they can get me something big that's not a surprise, and then a small thing that is a surprise :)

What do you think?

Lucky 2014

2011-11-09T11:18:00.000-08:00

Why do all the cool things always happen after I leave?

Here are the mockups of the new Widstoe building that will be built on the southeast corner of campus -- yes, that building where I've been known to spend more than 9 hours in a row. Too bad it's not going to be completed until 2014 ... maybe I should go to grad school at BYU after all? It's such a beautiful building, and I definitely think all the science people deserve it! There is a lot of hard work and sweet research that is going to go down in that new building. I just hope that my kids will get into BYU so I can check it out!

A Tardy Mormon Monday

2011-11-08T19:39:00.000-08:00

Ah man, how is it already Tuesday?? Don't think I forgot about Mormon Monday, here are some thoughts I've been reading about this week about the influence of music on our faith:

via flikr

“TheArts and the Spirit of the Lord,” Elder Boyd K. Packer:

If you have the ability and the desire, seek a career or employ yourtalent as an avocation or cultivate it as a hobby. But in all waysbless others with it. Set a standard of excellence. Employ it in thesecular sense to every worthy advantage, but never use it profanely.Never express your gift unworthily. Increase our spiritual heritagein music, in art, in literature, in dance, in drama. When we havedone it our activities will be a standard to the world. And ourworship and devotion will remain as unique from the world as theChurch is different from the world. Let the use of your gift be anexpression of your devotion to Him who has given it to you.

First Presidency in 1970:

Through music, man’sability to express himself extends beyond the limits of the spokenlanguage in both subtlety and power. Music can be used to exalt andinspire or to carry messages of degradation and destruction.

Music,dance, and performance have a unique way of impacting individuals. Amessage that sounds only mediocre in words can be inspiring when setto music or acted out in a meaningful way. The Lord has blessed manymembers of the church with the ability to express feelings andemotion through the performing arts, and those members have theunique opportunity and responsibility to share their testimonythrough these talents. When expressed righteously and with thespirit, music and other performing arts can be used to upliftLatter-day Saints and spread the gospel.

My testimony ofChrist as my Savior, Joseph Smith as the prophet who divinelyrestored the church, and of the truthfulness of this gospel has beenmore greatly influenced by music than by the spoken word. In spokenmessages, sometimes doctrinal messages can come across as harsh orreprimanding. Messages through music however are always uplifting,and can teach us doctrinal truths in an inspirational and sacredmanner. Indescribable spiritual impressions are often encouraged bymusic and other performances, and these types of experiences canrichly increase our faith.

Study Study Blahhhhh

2011-11-08T11:01:00.000-08:00

The real question is, should I be applying to pharmacy school if I am SO BORED WITH STUDYING?!?!?! Nobody knows. I really ought to be studying for pathophysiology since I have a midterm this week and, oh yeah, ANOTHER ONE NEXT WEEK! What the..? Anyway, I'm not studying, but am instead thinking of next semester when (hopefully) I'll have so much free time. I can't wait! One of my goals is going to be to read some more books for FUN! All the books I read are so not fun, I deserve a break. Plus it helps with my vocabulary, and I heard sometimes they ask about that kind of thing in grad school interviews, so I don't want to say that the last book I read was "Uhhh...ummm...my pharmacology textbook??" Lame-o potato. Here are some books on my to-read list:

Heard so many good things about it, and now it's a movie. Gotta read it.

Love this funny lady, plus the cover is too weird - I gotta read it

Recently have started following her on Twitter, and she's hilarious. Must see what book is all about.

Spotted this on GoodReads, the concept sounded interesting...

I keep hearing about this one, should see what all the hype is about

Another interesting-sounding book found via GoodReads

What are some of your favorite books? Do you have any you'd like to recommend? Normally I find that most of my favorite books are categorized under "Young Adult," so I'm thinking that it's about time to start reading some more adult books. And no, not that kind of adult books...

A Gamelany Weekend

2011-11-07T17:05:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was filled with LOUD instruments, popping eardrums, offering bowls, and good pizza. I had my three gamelans concerts for the semester on Thursday and Saturday (2 on Sat), and they went so well! On Thursday we played up in Salt Lake at Kingsbury Hall for the WorlDance performance. I learned there how surprisingly easy it is to sneak into Kingsbury hall...Anyway, after the show, Owen and I went to The Pie Pizzeria, since it was a 38 second drive away (according to Google Maps, and yes, we walked), and we really can't pass up such delicious pizza. We ordered a ridiculously large Buffalo Chicken pizza, which we will be enjoying for lunch every day this week.

Then on Saturday, I had a "kiddie" matinee concert at 11, which was really fun because we got to play games with some of the kids and teach them how to use the instruments. We had a guessing game for the onomatopoetic sounds associated with the instruments, and one of the little girls was so funny. She was like "It was so easy, the answers were in order on the screen!" Oops! Then 5 minutes before I had to leave for my evening concert, I taught Owen how to use the manual mode of my camera so he could get some shots without flash. And here are his results -- not bad for a first timer!

Me (the girl with face turned) rocking it on the gong. They gave me the mini mallet for the evening concert so I wasn't as insanely loud as I normally like to be for Belangajur, but it was still pretty awesome.

Gamelan requires very intense focus. And thus weird faces.

I found where Owen was in the audience! Yay!

Capung Gantung -- a lively funeral piece :)

And the end!

Confirmation

2011-11-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

I know that I don't really understand chess, and am even worse when it comes to playing chess on the computer, but seriously -- can someone explain this to me??? (I'm the white team)

What?!?!

This just proves my theory that it is literally impossible to beat the computer, no matter what.

We Thank Thee

2011-11-02T11:14:00.000-07:00

...for a prophet! Yay!

I love going to BYU. Yesterday we were lucky enough to get a visit and message from our dear prophet, President Thomas S. Monson. I love being able to hear the words of our church leaders, and yesterday was no exception. His love for us was tangible in the room, and I was comforted by his encouraging words.

“Remember who you are. You are a son or daughter of our Heavenly Father. … Live in such a way that you are an example of the believers and a true light to the world. … May this be your blessing as you nurture your testimony and as you follow the example set for you and for all of us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the true light which lighteth every man and woman that cometh into the world.”

The one problem though about hearing the words of our prophet at BYU is the competition for a seat! Man, it was crazy! Since I have gamelan at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesdays, Owen selflessly waited outside of the Marriott Center in line -- in the rain! What a wonderful husband. Then he switched off with Devynne because he had class at 9:30, and we were let in at 9:30. Devynne said it was a crazy rush down the Marriott stairs to get the best seat, but we still were able to make it in the middle section, row 18 -- awesome! We were saving a seat for Owen since his class technically went until 10:45, but people were starting to get antsy and pushy. So this was my solution:

Sorry it's a crummy picture taken on my phone, and then I took a picture of it on my computer, but hopefully you get the idea. I put my backpack on the chair we were saving for Owen and I put my coat over the backpack so it looked like a person. It was hilarious! And no one bugged me about saving a seat anymore! Awesome.

Plus, Pres. Monson brought in The Lion King, which always makes everything better!

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Mormon Mondays -- Temples!

2011-10-31T14:36:00.000-07:00

So this one is going to be a long one, but since Owen and I gave talks in church on the subject of temples, I thought I would share with you some of the messages I collected on the topic.

london, england temple

Today, we can find many temples allacross the world. The Prambanan temple in Central Java, the famed TajMahal and Lotus temples of India, and the Wat Rong Khun temple ofThailand. All of these beautiful structures share a common purpose –to serve as house of worship for religious followers. As members ofthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we also have manytemples throughout the world. Today I would like to focus on fivereasons why we, as Latter-Day Saints, have temples.

1. It is a commandment from God

“From the days of the Old Testament,the Lord has commanded His people to build temples-sacred structureswhere He could teach, guide, and bless them.” The Lord commandedthe Israelites to build a portable temple to travel with them whilein the wilderness – the tabernacle. Exodus 25:8-9 “And let themmake me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to allthat I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and thepattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.”Other temples found in the Old Testament include the Temple ofSolomon and the Temple of Zerubbabel, where the righteous went toperform sacred ordinances.

When Christ was on the earth, the onlyremaining temple was the temple of Herod. Christ was often found inthis temple teaching and learning during his ministry. We first hearof this in JST Luke 2:46 “And it came to pass, that after threedays they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of theteachers, and they were hearing him, and asking himquestions.”

After Christ's ministry, there were notemples on the earth until the church was restored here in the latterdays. When the saints were living in Kirtland, the Lord commanded theSaints to build a temple. In D&C 95:8, 11, the Lord says “Igave unto you a commandment that you should build a house, in thewhich house I design to endow those who I have chosen with power fromon high...It is my will that you should build a house. If you keep mycommandments you shall have power to build it.”

“Throughout history, the Lord hascommanded His people to build temples. Temples are literally housesof the Lord. They are holy places of worship where individuals makesacred promises with God.”

2. To make covenants

In the temple, we perform ordinancesthat will allow us to live in the presence of God.

“Through the power of [the]priesthood . . . , husband and wife may be sealed, or married foreternity; children may be sealed to their parents for eternity; thusthe family is made eternal.”

—Joseph Fielding Smith

Boyd K. Packer, Ensign, February 1995

“In the temples, members of theChurch who make themselves eligible can participate in the mostexalted of the redeeming ordinances that have been revealed tomankind.”

And I will give unto thee the keys ofthe kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shallbe bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall beloosed in heaven.

—Matthew 16:19

“The only place on earth where we canreceive the fulness of the blessings of the priesthood is in the holytemple. That is the only place where, through holy ordinances, we canreceive that which will qualify us for exaltation in the celestialkingdom.” – Harold B. Lee

3. Serve the dead

Church members in Nauvoo found greatcomfort in baptisms for the dead and the promise of eternal families.One of these members was a sister named Sally Randall. When her14-year-old son George died, she sent the sad news to family members.Soon thereafter, she learned about baptism for the dead. Again shewrote to her relatives, this time with newfound peace and assurance:

“[George’s] father has beenbaptized for him and what a glorious thing it is that we believe andreceive the fulness of the gospel as it is preached now and can bebaptized for all of our dead friends and save them as far back as wecan get any knowledge of them. I want you [to] write me the givennames of all of our connections that are dead as far back asgrandfather’s and grandmother’s at any rate. I intend to do whatI can to save my friends. … I expect you will think this is strangedoctrine but you will find it to be true.”

The Prophet Joseph Smith declared: “Thegreatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us is toseek after our dead. … :What is the object of [the coming ofElijah]? or how is it to be fulfilled? The keys are to be delivered,the spirit of Elijah is to come, the Gospel to be established, theSaints of God gathered, Zion built up, and the Saints to come up assaviors on Mount Zion [see Obadiah 1:21].

“But how are they to become saviorson Mount Zion? By building their temples … and going forth andreceiving all the ordinances … in behalf of all their progenitorswho are dead … ; and herein is the chain that binds the hearts ofthe fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, whichfulfills the mission of Elijah”

D&C 128: 15 – And now, my dearly beloved brethren and sisters,let me assure you that these are principles in relation to the deadand the living that cannot be lightly passed over, as pertaining toour salvation. For their salvation is necessary and essential to oursalvation, as Paul says concerning the fathers—that they without uscannot be made perfect—neither can we without our dead be madeperfect.

4. To learn and gain broaderperspective

Boyd K. Packer: “Sometimes our mindsare so beset with problems, and there are so many things clamoringfor attention at once that we just cannot think clearly and seeclearly. At the temple the dust of distraction seems to settle out,the fog and the haze seem to lift, and we can ‘see’ things thatwe were not able to see before and find a way through our troublesthat we had not previously known.

“The Lord will bless us as we attendto the sacred ordinance work of the temples. Blessings there will notbe limited to our temple service. We will be blessed in all of ouraffairs”

5. To be closer to our HeavenlyFather

“I think there is no place in theworld where I feel closer to the Lord than in one of His holytemples.”

—President Thomas S. Monson

Old Testament temple – Exodus40:34-45 “Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, andthe glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not ableto enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abodethereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.”

Conclusion:

ElderOaks at the October 8^thgroundbreaking of the Payson, Utah temple said: “This templewill be His house. Here will be exercised the ordinances of His holypriesthood. This is His work, His plan. This is His Church. Theultimate purpose of this temple is the exaltation of the children ofGod.”

A Few Halloween Thoughts

2011-10-31T13:59:00.000-07:00

I gotta admit it, I'm totally not dressing up today for Halloween. I know, I know, killjoy. But after doing my hair and makeup like that two nights in a row plus catching ANOTHER nasty yucky cold this weekend, I've decided that I'll be quite content with just handing out candy tonight in my princess Belle shirt and calling it good. At least we have sweet decorations.

That's right. Not bad for our first year of decor, eh? All I have to say is that I'm glad that we were able to make it through all of our Halloween weekend events without losing a single dish or costume part -- a record for us! We did win the "Spiciest Chili" award at our Ward Chili Cook-Off, though Owen and I didn't really think it was that spicy and we're convinced that we weren't picked for the Best Overall since I was on the judging committee and it wouldn't be fair. At least the one that did win this year was actually quite good, not soup like last year (weird). We also shockingly didn't win the best costume award, but it's probably because we won a chili award. Man, are we cocky or what? Someday we will win all the awards and we will finally be satisfied. Bwahahahaha.

I am just happy this holiday is finally here because Owen's rule is: No Christmas music until after Halloween. And guess what? TOMORROW = CHRISTMAS MUSIC! YAY!!!!!!!!!

Indiana Jones's Worst Nightmare

2011-10-30T10:45:00.000-07:00

"Snakes! Why does it always have to be snakes?"

Halloween 2011: Perseus & Medusa

Ideas

2011-10-27T16:53:00.000-07:00

borrowed from Sterling Style blog

Ramblin'

2011-10-26T13:48:00.000-07:00

I am feeling kind of disjointed and uninspired in my thoughts today, so please forgive me for the lack of cohesiveness in my writing today...

Now that it is 40 degrees outside, can it please be Christmas already?
I think I am sad I won't be taking a dance class again next semester. This one has been so much fun! I thought about taking Into to Jazz but it's only offered when I already have class
I finally finished my ORCA grant application yesterday. Next goal -- PharmCas! I am so close to finishing it, I just need to get it over with.
Instead of teaching a review session for the PDBIO 120 class I TA for, I made an online podcast sort of thing. I used this screen capture program and recorded my voice explaining some slides. I must admit, it was pretty hilarious, and if I had myself as a TA, I would be cracking up and totally making fun of me.
I am so excited for my gamelan concerts next week -- I can't believe that it is already here!
I think next year I should go as Chester the Cheetah (as in the Cheetoh guy) for Halloween. But I just don't know how Owen could dress as something similar...maybe Tony the Tiger?
This week has been pretty awesome. Wanna know why? No choral conducting homework. Yeah baby.
I would never be a Smurf for Halloween. I am so sick of those little blue guys showing up everywhere.
Wish I had TV so I could watch Psych tonight :(
I could go for some hot wings right now

this is how i feel right now. wish i had hobbes here to make things more exciting...

Amphora

2011-10-25T11:50:00.000-07:00

Yeah man, vase shapes are cool. I hope you all like my pretty illustration of different Greek pot types, I was quite proud of them. Devynne and I have a Greek and Roman midterm coming up which is going to kick off my next two weeks of INSANITY! Yeah, it's going to be nuts -- I've got my three gamelan concerts next week, a pre-pharmacy club midterm, 3 homework projects due, two midterms, and more stuff I probably can't even remember. But the good news is that I registered for classes last night, and my schedule next semester (for my last and final time at BYU...sad...) is going to totally rock!

Yep, you saw that right -- no classes on Friday. Whaaat? I'm so excited. Also excited to take both weight lifting AND yoga...and COOKING! I won't even have to pack a lunch on Tuesdays, this is going to be great!

Though I am still totally ticked that BYU insists on having students register for classes at midnight. Ugh. What a pain. And what about the whole curfew/honor code thing? Seems a little messed up to me.

And did you watch The Sing-Off last night? What an emotional and wonderful piece Vocal Point delivered! I'm proud that they represent our school :)

Mormon Monday

2011-10-24T10:43:00.000-07:00

As an effort to be more consistent with my bloggin, I think I am going to start a new thing -- Mormon Mondays! Every Monday I will try to share something I've learned throughout the week or a message of faith that I feel like will be good to share! So, here we go!

Today I feel like talking about something that was mentioned in our Relief Society yesterday. We were lucky to have Sister Staples from the General Relief Society board come visit our Relief Society, and have her share a message with us. One thing she talked about was the new book that all Relief Society sisters should have (or will soon!) received lately -- Daughters in My Kingdom

Sister Staples took a few minutes to share with us some details about how this book was created. She pointed out that the size of the book is unique -- it is the same size as international scriptures, so that if there are sisters who are riding the bus and carrying this book to study, they can carry their scriptures and this book in one hand while holding on to the bus pole with her other. The corners of the book are rounded, and it took three months to get in a special machine for this to happen. Also, the book lays open flat on it's own, so you have it open and reference your scriptures at the same time. The title pages of each chapter in the book have a fabric-like quality because fabric is something that is familiar across the world. I feel so special to belong to a church that treats its female members with such respect and honor. I have loved reading this book and learning from the examples of sisters in the church who have been such excellent examples of faith and charity. If you want to take a peek, you can read the whole thing online by clicking here. I especially love Chapters 3, 7 and 10!

Hope you have a great Monday!

Cupcake Schmupcake

2011-10-22T07:44:00.000-07:00

Would you pay $2.50 for one of these?

How about this?

Cuz we did. To celebrate me being done with my terrible choral conducting midterm, we went to The Sweet Tooth Fairy and got the two cupcakes shown above -- pumpkin chocolate chip and raspberry lemonade.

I decided that these were ridiculously overpriced considering they are just a cupcake, and figured I could make my own that are just as cute! So the one picture below is from a batch I made for a Qualtrics thing last night -- not too bad for my first time piping frosting eh? Especially considering my piping method used a plastic Ziploc bag...So it's official, I'm totally over the buying cupcakes thing, and also I should open my own dang cupcake shop if they are making that kind of profit! Mine were even filled with frosting...mmm...

Though I do have to admit that the little plastic individual carrying cases they gave us for each cupcake were pretty darn cute.

Lost & Found Swag

2011-10-21T15:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Owen asked me if I knew what swag was. Yeah baby I do, and it's right here:

Here's the "swag" we managed to get at the BYU Lost and Found Sale this year...

(from left to right)

1st row: 2 Camelbak water bottles (one with a filter), a pair of swimming flippers that just happen to fit perfectly, a BYU soccer ball
2nd row: solar scientific calculator, purple headphones, glasses case, a manly scarf, the cutest wipe case I've ever seen (and NO, I am NOT pregnant, I just thought it was too cute to pass up for the future), Harry Potter Books 2, 3, and 7
3rd row: pink gingham umbrella, Christmas decor, metallic flats (my size again!), black earmuffs, glass serving dish, Jesus the Christ in Portuguese, a church childrens book, mock tortoise shell Ray-Bans, set of 4 Magic Tree House books

Not pictured: another set of headphones, a swim cap, a bow tie for Owen, other stuff I probably forgot, and a few secret Christmas presents...

All for the grand price of...................$29.72!

Yeah, that's right. All of that for under thirty bucks. What an awesome sale. I love the BYU Lost and Found Sale; I wish it was every month! Now, you gotta go into this thing with a strategy -- having a group of people is best because then you can split up and just share the list of what you want. Grabbing as much as you can carry is a good way to go, you can always put stuff back. And don't forget to look under the tables! People are shoving stuff all over the place, so lots of good things can end up on the floor! And I don't think we'll be doing the auction again next year -- auctions are just too stressful for me! All in all, I definitely think it was a success, and you can bet we'll be returning here every year that we are living in Utah! Or surrounding states...

Nerdy Flashcards

2011-10-21T08:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, this totally rocks.

Learn your ABCs the awesome way with this wonderful set of flashcards from Etsy seller, Electricboogaloo.

Awesome Thing Thursday

2011-10-20T17:36:00.000-07:00

So I was going on Yahoo to check my "junk" email, and got distracted (as usual) by this article. What an awesome idea!

I've never been like the biggest Bon Jovi fan, but I think this is a really great idea for a restaurant! If you have loads of money of course...But I love the idea of self-reliance that is behind it, how it encourages some work along with receiving a meal, and how people can make donations based on how much they can afford since there are no menu prices. If we are ever on the East Coast, I would love to visit this place! Plus the food is actually healthy and gourmet!

Also, I survived my torture midterm -- yay!

Best Thing of the Day

2011-10-19T14:10:00.000-07:00

http://www.drawastickman.com/

Go to this website, right now.

Hermione Fan

2011-10-19T11:19:00.000-07:00

Every Wednesday, I try to distract myself with pretty and happy things during the day in a futile attempt to distract myself from the impending torturous Choral Conducting class I have at 5. And since today it my midterm for this devilish class, I already have a cupcake trip and Percy Jackson book reading planned for this evening, and I've been spending an extra amount of time browsing the web with wanderlust and sincere desire to be anywhere besides Provo, Utah right now. I've been particularly interested in moving to England, like right now, and along with my British obsession is an obsession for the lovely Miss Emma Watson. Dang, that girl can pull off any look! I'm usually not too obsessed with celebrities (aside from Blair Waldorf of course), but I'm becoming a bigger and bigger fan of this girl!

And I especially love her official website, www.emmawatson.com, where she posted this adorable picture of her first day of school at Oxford this year -- too cute!

I'm totally excited for her upcoming movies, My Week with Marilyn and The Perks of Being a Wallflower -- I can't wait to see her in a non Harry Potter role (though we all know how much I love Harry Potter...)

Pumpkin Possibilities

2011-10-19T10:41:00.000-07:00

Owen and I are going to a pumpkin painting party this year through Qualtrics. I've never painted a pumpkin before but since they're providing the supplies, I figure we might as well give it a try! I probably will miss the gloopy insides of the pumpkin, but it will be nice to have a little more control of what I want it to look like. These were some images I found of painted pumpkins via Pinterest, what do you think? I definitely like the spiderweb one on top, and I'm kind of partial to the candy corn pumpkins as well. Plus they would be totally hard to mess up!

Mom Weekend

2011-10-17T15:38:00.000-07:00

This weekend, we had an early Parents Weekend and my mom came down to visit! It was a super crazy and super awesome weekend full of lots of food, awkward photos, and apparently thumbs up...? Anyway, here are some pictures so you can feel like you were right there with us!

Thursday night we went to the Red Iguana for dinner. We were so full we didn't dare take any pictures because we could hardly move and would probably explode. The Tacos don Ramon were just as greasy and perfect as I remembered...mmmmmm...

Friday morning Mom came with us to our Greek and Roman class where our teacher was GONE (boo) and we had our super boring TA teach us instead. Snooooooze. Then I took Mom of a tour of all my cool places on campus.

First we went to the gamelan room and I showed off our sweet instruments

Then I took her to my research lab and showed off my cool tank that I built for my cute little fishies. Couldn't convince her (or myself) to go into the tarantula room...scary!!

For lunch on Friday, we went to JDAWGS!!! I can't get over how good they are, and this is coming from the #1 Hotdog Hater. We even bought a bottle of the famed Special Sauce, but then Mom realized she can't take more than 3 fl. oz on the plane...oops! We also went to the Awful Waffle and got some crepes and waffles for dessert. I got the "European Specaloos" spread on my crepe which supposedly can only be found in Europe, but I've got some news for you people -- they sell it at Winco but it's really called biscoff spread. And we bought some.

First awkward thumbs-up of the trip.

Then we went on a hike! Tried to work off some of those calories....yeah....Anyway, we went on the Buffalo Peak trail, which apparently no one else has heard of. Not really a surprise because the trailhead wasn't marked and we only found it because Owen looked at a picture and saw that the trail started with a little crack between a fence. We drove up practically the whole mountain (which was really scary in our not-so-dependable car and there were lots of rocks) and then hiked up the rest to the top of the peak! Go Mom for conquering her fear of heights and getting to the top with us! It was awesome! And really quiet since there was no one else around, which was pretty cool.

Yay we made it! Lots of pretty fall leaves on the hike!

It was also sunset when we were hiking, which was pretty to see.

And Mom made us kiss in front of the sunset so she could try to get a cool picture. Let's just say I'm glad we never have to take engagement pictures again...

Then we went to Brick Oven for dinner after our hike. Had to go to this classic BYU establishment and get their homemade rootbeer...mmm...I obviously was very interested in how cheesy everything was.

Cheeeeeeeeeeeseeeeeeeeeeeee........

And behold, the Sasquatch. Yes, this is a secret menu item at Brick Oven and it is the bomb.com. Seriously so good. Remember how they have a recipe where they heat up two cookies and put ice cream on it? Well this has two oven-heated cookies with a BROWNIE IN THE MIDDLE. Yeah baby. And you have to ask it with a smirk and a wink.

We also made cinnamon pie this weekend. If you are awesome and have seen the Dual Spires episode of Psych, then you know what I am talking about. And let me tell you, Shawn and Gus were not exaggerating it's deliciousness.

Saturday morning we went to the BYU Lost and Found Sale. No pictures because you aren't allowed to bring any bags in, but let me tell you, we totally scored. More details to come on this awesomeness soon.

Lunch = Tucanos (and more thumbs up). I really have no idea how we survived all of the food this weekend.

We had to exercise after, and also show off Owen's new bowtie that we got for 1.25 at the Lost and Found Sale.

Saturday night we went to ComedySportz. Owen was the only one who had been there before, so we were all surprised by what a great time we had! Definitely better than Humor U, and we loved the one guy who could sing super well!

Then things started getting a little crazy...

"What am I doing holding this dye?!?!?"

Notice anything different?

Thanks for a great weekend Mom and we can't wait to see you again! Though I may need all the way until Christmas time to make up for all the food we ate..........

Buffalo Baby

2011-10-17T11:13:00.000-07:00

I don't know what the deal is, but lately I've been obsessed with everything relating to wings/buffalo sauce. We visited Wingers for my first time and I love the spicy hot flavor clashing against the warm chicken. I can't get enough. We made a buffalo chicken pizza the other night (after being inspired by Brick Oven's Thursday night special) and I think it was my favorite pizza of all time! Here are a few buffalo chicken ideas to get your Monday morning off to a spicy start!

Baked Buffalo Chicken Bites

Buffalo Chicken Potato Casserole

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Our was similar; we mixed the chicken in the sauce, used ranch as a base, added feta and pineapple, because we love pineapple on pizza! It was delicious!

Buffalo Roasted Cauliflower

Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good buffalo sauce? We just used the regular Frank's sauce because I recognized the label and figured it was probably decent. Do you have one that you absolutely love?

Too Much Too Little

2011-10-15T17:41:00.000-07:00

Too much food in the past couple of days = too little writing.

Mom's in town this weekend and we've had to take her to all the best places to eat, which really has led to a lot of Tums consumption and laying around...

And to not so much blogging

But don't worry, I'll steal her camera before she leaves and download all the pictures (mostly of food of course) and fill you all in soon!

Chapped Lips

2011-10-12T12:37:00.000-07:00

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Dear BYU Vending,

Ever since I went to a bowling place where they had socks in a vending machine, I have realized the versatility of these machines that we once thought were just for snacks. I know you've tried to broaden your horizon and add "healthy" things like granola bars and apples that get bruised when the drop to the bottom of the machine, but I'm thinking that it's time to think outside the box here. Below is my list of suggestions of things to add to vending machines on BYU campus:

1. Chapstick

2. Dental floss

3. Ibuprofen

4. Mini staplers/tape

5. Jamba Juice

6. Actual utensils

7. Cell phone chargers

These are things that, from my experience, when you need them, you really need them. No time to walk all the way up to the Wilk, I need my chapstick now! I truly believe that this would not only increase revenue, but also the general happiness of students here at BYU.

Sincerely,

Designer....Dolls

2011-10-12T11:07:00.000-07:00

"holy crap you love that"

This was the response I got from Owen today when I sent him a link to these lovely Disney Princess Designer Doll Collection. And holy crap, he is right! They are so lovely and sadly, so expensive. You've got to read the press release about them -- it sounds like it is going to be absolutely insane if you try to buy one! But maybe in a year or something they will come back in stock and someday when I am rich and have money to spend on pointless things I can get all 10. They are just so pretty and chic! The interpretation of Belle's dress is absolutely lovely, I die over Cinderella's carriage handbag (can you buy this anywhere please!), and I love how pretty Mulan is since usually she's normally pictured as being super hard-core (which is definitely awesome too). Below is a sketch of all of the dolls since I can't find pictures of the real ones yet, but I can't wait to see how they all turn out!

Happy Kitchen

2011-10-10T11:14:00.000-07:00

A pretty kitchen is a happy kitchen. And a happy kitchen is a delicious kitchen. This weekend we went to the mall planning to get Owen a winter coat at one of the Columbus Day sales (don't worry, we still have school today), but none of the stores seemed to realize that it is clearly winter already (hello last week's snow) and somehow we came home with this beauty instead. Green Apple Kitchenaid mixer, oh how I love you. We made homemade pizza dough and it was SO EASY! I love walking in to my kitchen and seeing this cheery wonderful thing sitting on the counter, I wish I could use it for everything! Maybe I will. From here on out, only baked goods for every meal. How does that sound? I think tonight we are going to be making pretzels for FHE using this baby. Awesome!

some advice?

2011-10-06T13:43:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Remember that time when I smashed my glasses all crazy by accidentally sitting on them when my computer's power cord almost started a fire? Also, remember how it was 80 degrees two days ago and now it's snowing? Well, that's beside the point, but I thought I should bring it up...CRAZY UTAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, back to the glasses. So I've been thinking that I kind of want to get a new pair of glasses that actually look horizontal on my face and don't give me a crazy headache, but I also don't want to spend a gazillion dollars and don't have eye coverage. But then yesterday I was reading a fav blog and found a website that has a pretty good deal on glasses and you put in your own prescription info (which is good because I think mine might be expired...) and free quick shipping!

Welcome into my life, Spex Club! This website has lots of fun styles that are all $88 and you can even try them online virtually! Very fun to do while I am sitting in my class TAing :) So, I'm thinking you all should give me an opinion on which style you like best!

1. The Apprentice

2. The Avery (thought I'd share a funny picture of me trying them on....or maybe a few.....)

3. The Parker

4. The Jesse

Are you getting sick of this, because I'm totally not!

5. The Hobbs

6. The Andy (hahahahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahahhaha)

7. The Dane

So, what do you think? You should totally try this on yourself, it's so fun! Just go to Spexclub.com :)

BYU's Own

2011-10-05T12:31:00.000-07:00

Have you guys heard of The Sing-Off on NBC? Well if you are a BYU student and you haven't -- shame! Our very own Vocal Point is performing on this singing competition show, and they are doing great! I have loved all of their performances so far this season (as have the judges), including the Justin Bieber song that they did, which was hilarious.

Here is a video of one of their songs from Monday night. I wish it was a type of show where you could vote for you favorite groups so I could vote a million times for them, but alas, the fate of our wonderful Vocal Point boys is in the hands of the judges. Who, by the way, totally rock. This is definitely my favorite group of judges from any show! Ben Folds, Sara Bareilles, and Shawn Stockman (Boyz II Men). They are a great balance, super musically talented, and fun. Though I think they could give some harsher comments to some groups, sometimes they are just a little too nice. Anyway. Check it out!

It's Raining

2011-10-05T12:06:00.000-07:00

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It's raining outside. The first actual rain of the year if you ask me, since it's happening during the day and there aren't any thunderstorms. Oh how the rain makes me miss Washington! I don't know why everyone complains about rain, it is so cozy and romantic and keeps everything fresh. Have you ever tried kissing in the rain? Owen and I did once -- it was pretty wet. But also fun :) I recommend trying it at least once, and don't go all sissy with an umbrella like the people above. I just picked this picture because it was the least sensual one on Google Images....Happy Rainy Wednesday! Say a little prayer for me that I'll make it through my torture choral conducting class....

Fall ... Finally!

2011-10-03T18:16:00.000-07:00

Now that we have weather this week that dips below 80 degrees, I feel like I can finally say that it is fall! Yay for autumn! Here are some of my favorite looks/styles for fall that I thought I would share with your all :)

1. Sweater long socks to wear under boots! (via Pinterest)
2. Pleated skirts that are actually long (via Modcloth)
3. Tribal print tops -- if only I could find one Owen doesn't laugh at when I try it on.... (via Modcloth)
4. Chunky sweater. And burnt orange? Even better (via Banana Republic)
5. Chevron everything (via Target)
6. Red coats! Trench coats! Coats coats coats! (via Target)
7. Hunter boots. I thinks this may be my new favorite color of them too... (via Zappos)
8. Polka dots! This is a little spring-y of course, but I just thought it was so cute (via Modcloth)
9. Army green nail polish (via Chanel)

Hope you all are having a wonderful Monday and have some extra time to spare to do some online shopping!

Favorite Weekend

2011-10-02T20:27:00.000-07:00

The past two days have been General Conference -- my favorite weekend of the year! I love being able to hear the word of our church leaders, and I feel so blessed to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. If you're interested in seeing what all this awesomeness is all about, you can check it out at lds.org! In between sessions Owen and I went up and walked around the Provo temple for a little bit. We are so lucky to have a house of the Lord so close to us where we can participate in making and keeping sacred covenants and can learn more about our divine nature. I am so excited that we will be getting another temple here in Provo, what a blessed time we live in!

Off the Bandwagon

2011-09-26T18:42:00.000-07:00

Reasons why I need to get off the "Mondays are Lame" bandwagon:

The new Pandora website is super cool! I know this may seem lame to get excited about, but with all of the other changes on Facebook and BYU's website that are super confusing and seem soooo unnecessary, it's nice to see a change that actually looks like an improvement.
Since I'm weird, I haven't brought any tissues over to the living room where I'm "doing homework" so every time I need to blow my nose, I have to get up and walk to the bathroom. This counts as exercise, right?
None of the members of my Pathophysiology study group had taken the exam yet, so we cancelled and I got to go home an hour early!
No roommates = no need to wear pants all the time around the house
Nyquil. Thank goodness for it. I am so looking forward to 9:00 when I can swallow a cup of that and get zonked out for the rest of the night. Now that I'm married, going to bed at 9 is totally acceptable, right?
I switched out our fake candle in the living room to the "Hot Wassail" scent. Hello fall in my living room, thank you very much.
Every paper I've written for school so far this semester has taken me less than an hour. With Facebook/Pinterest/Twitter open at the same time. Not bad.
Husband is home now! And he brought me pizza. What a great guy.
The term "checkerboard chick" Go Hairspray.
If I did break my toe, at least I'll no longer be a wimp who's never broken a bone before. So that's good.

On the Bandwagon

2011-09-26T17:23:00.000-07:00

Reasons why today I'll be jumping on the "Mondays are the worst" bandwagon:

Woke up with the sorest throat, which somehow throughout the day has progressed into "leaky faucet nose." And it's barely into the first week of fall!
My potentially broken toe that happened today during dance class. As if learning contemporary dance isn't awkward enough, try doing it with a potentially broken toe that causes you to walk funny but you don't want to seem like a wimp so you keep going anyway. And then you have your husband come pick you up in the car from campus.
Said husband also has to work late tonight on something to do with bugs and fixing them. Which is sad because that means he's not here to kill at the dumb bugs that keep flying around out house! And because I will miss him.
Had my third voice lesson today and STILL HAVE NOT SANG A SINGLE NOTE! All that stress and agony over the weekend for nothing........grrrrrrrr.........
Trying to eat a super awesome dinner of pita chips and hummus and all that's left is little itsy bitsy pita crumbs.
Gossip Girl season premiere tonight and guess who doesn't have the CW? Me (well, any type of TV) or my sister.
Forgot my power cord today and realized what a useless drone I am without my precious machine. I didn't even bring paper with me onto campus. Good grief.

Boo hoo for me. Hope you Mondays is filled with lots more sunshine and rainbows than mine.

To Ruin Your Diet This Weekend

2011-09-24T09:52:00.000-07:00

1, 2, 3, 4

And to make me feel better while studying for pathophysiology. And about going to Yogurtland last night (it is the best. esp the blackberry lemon mint flavor!!!). Yogurt's not that bad for you, right?

A Sign

2011-09-23T16:34:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been only about a thousand years since I've posted but it turns out that this school thing somehow takes up a ton of time. Not sure how I forgot about that but these days there is very little that I do besides studying altered cell biology, choral conducting, or pretending to sing. Anyway, I know it is like wayyyyy after the fact, but Owen and I went to That Game last weekend.

This was probably our favorite part -- if you can't tell because that guy's dumb head was in the way of all of my pictures, this is a gigantic flag that the army guys unrolled out on the field while the national anthem was playing. It was sweet! And huge! And they didn't let it touch the ground once! Very impressive.

At this point in the game, we were a little discouraged, but there was still some hope and cheering. Go Cougars!

At this point in the game, we were wondering if we really should have bought a sports pass this season or saved the money to go to Bali or something instead.

And at this point in the game we were languishing in our seats, eyes wet and hearts broken.

I've decided to interpret this event as a sign that I should apply to the University of Utah for pharmacy school.

Happy Birthday Sista!

2011-09-16T16:32:00.000-07:00

I really hope that you are enjoying the crazy hair, matching outfits, and goofball faces in this picture.

Happy birthday to my little sis, Lyvia! I can't believe you're 15 already -- too old! Slow down! At least I have a year to get over the whole you're-in-high-school thing before the D word comes into the picture. Dating. Not that other D word. I don't even know what you're talking about. Anyway, just want to wish you the happiest 15th ever and let you know I can't wait to come home and and have you make me homemade pizza!

Truth & Tolerance

2011-09-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

This Sunday, we got the chance to attend a CES Fireside where Brother and Sister Oaks spoke. I was so glad that I finally didn't forget to go to a fireside! They are always so uplifting and wonderful, and I love having so many chances here at BYU to hear directly from the voice of the Lord's servants. We are so lucky! The fireside was great -- Sister Oaks was super fun and endearing, and Brother Oaks was very thought-provoking. A wonderful balance. Here are some notes from the messages that I wanted to share!

Sister Oaks:

How you spend your time every day determines who you will become

Note to self: Less time on Pinterest, more time studying scriptures!!!!

We are not saved in isolation. Instead of just worrying about saving ourselves, we are under covenant to act on truth to help those around us.

Note to self: Stop being so worried about myself! Focus on sharing knowledge of the truth of the gospel with others so they can be happy too!

The Lord is always preparing us for greater happiness
Our greatest responsibility is to become the best disciple we can.

Note to self: What am I doing every day to focus on becoming a better disciple? Study more, serve more, facebook less

Elder Oaks:

I loved Elder Oaks' message on the twin towers of truth and tolerance. I think this is an issue that many latter-day saints have questions about, and that many people outside of our faith question us on as well. How can you balance a firm belief in absolute truth with a tolerance of those who have different ideas and attitudes. One thing he made very clear in his message was this:

There is absolute right and wrong

He discussed how many people in today's society believe in relative morality, and that truth depends on the believer. However, he made it very clear that it is absolute truth that: 1) God exists and 2) His commandments explain what is right and wrong.

Then he went on to talk about tolerance. I loved the quote that he gave (and of course I can't remember it exactly) where he said that we will need more than just acceptance for peace in this world. Simply accepting that others have different beliefs than us is not enough - we need to learn how to understand and respect different ideas. He discussed three principles that we must always stand up for:

1. All persons are brothers and sisters under God, taught to love and do good unto one another (despite varying religions)

2. The gospel of Christ teaches us we must live with differences. I loved this point, because how often was Christ found preaching amongst society's typical "outcasts"--the publicans, the sinners, the adulterers. Christ was the perfect example of tolerance. He always sought to embrace those who were different than Him, but never supported immoral behavior.

3. We do not abandon our covenants. There is no middle ground! We are not required to tolerate wrong behavior.

He then went on to describe how tolerance requires and action or behavior to be defined -- there is no one straight answer on what we should tolerate and what we need to stand up for. Confrontation depends on how much the offensive behavior involves us personally, and we must always have kindness in communication but firmness in truth.

Help!

2011-09-12T14:08:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

I hope you are having a great Monday and that you were able to get some extra sleep this weekend. That is usually my goal for weekends.

Anyway, I had my very first voice lesson today -- yikes! It was exciting to talk about everything I'm going to learn this semester, and I can't wait to get started. For my next lesson next week, I have to pick three songs that I want to learn. And I want YOUR help! Owen made me a sweet Qualtrics poll where you can vote on which songs I should pick to learn from my anthology book. I need on classical song and one mix/belter song, so you can vote for more than one option.

Let me know what you think!

labor day trip

2011-09-10T13:12:00.000-07:00

Guess what weird thing I touched this Labor Day???

Mmhmm, that's right. A sting ray.

It was so bizarre. It felt like jello or a squish soggy mushroom top.

Owen was a lot braver than me and played with a couple of them. I really only did it for the photo op.

The stingrays were at the sole aquarium in Utah, which strangely looked like a grocery store from the outside. But it was surprisingly cool, and they had fun things like PENGUINS (I love I love!), a super scary anaconda, see-through fish, poison dart frogs, ugly Utah fish, a bullfrog, seahorses, Nemo fish, and more!

Owen totally had Bruce the Shark under control.

Scary fish wishes you a happy weekend

An Actual House

2011-09-09T13:21:00.000-07:00

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So I realized the other day that since our house is now above ground, we might actually get trick-or-treaters! I am so excited! In fact, I am so excited, that I am thinking that maybe I should decorate my house this year? We're not going to be around for Christmas this year so we probably won't do much during the winter, but we'll definitely be here for Halloween, and I would love to be that creepy house on the street that all the kids are scared to go to! Or maybe I want to take an approach similar to the photo above that is just full of fall awesomeness. I wonder if our neighbors Ashley and Jordan would be up for decorating our duplex to the max? Any ideas on fun Halloween decor?

I Am Not Dead Yet

2011-09-09T12:33:00.000-07:00

You probably think I am dead now or something because I haven't blogged in forever, but alas, I am not dead yet! (Spamalot, anyone?) I thought the first week of classes was crazy, but don't worry, this week was crazy too! This week was Pre-Pharmacy Club week for me -- we had the annoying Involvapalooza that I was guilted in to doing and then our first club meeting as well! Though it was super hot during the club fair, and I forgot to print out handouts to get everyone's email, and I was a super stress freak all week, it is over! Yay! And now I can get back to more important things like blogging and looking at food blogs and stuff like that. Blogs. Anyway. sorry that there are no pictures again today. I'm technically on the clock TAing for MMBIO 222 right now and talking on the phone and my camera is at home, so I am full of excuses. But I promise to blog about all the super fun things that we did on Labor Day instead of doing homework or cleaning our house. Maybe today. Who knows. It took us until yesterday to clean up our fort, so you can see how things have been a little nut-so. PLUS we had an organization activity for RS on Tuesday that I think made me more stressed out than before because I realized how much I have to do this semester! 5 midterms in one class, 4 midterms in another, 4 required concert attendances, and more...yikes! But if there is one thing that I have learned now that I am a senior at BYU (still can't believe it...) is that I can do hard things! This semester may be crazy and I may get less sleep than I would ideally like, but I can do it!

And now, a little ridiculousness for your day:

stayin' in

2011-09-03T11:33:00.000-07:00

Man, what a week. Owen and I had all sorts of grandiose plans for last night, but when we got home, we realized how exhausted we both were and decided to stay in for the night. We tried to go to the soccer game, but Owen left his sports pass at home and apparently by the time we got there it was standing room only, so we decided to give up on that little notion. Instead, we did what all good married couples do when they're staying in for the night - make a pie and build a fort.

This is the best pie ever. Chocolate chip cookie pie. So rich. So heavenly. So bad for you probably. But so good too. Bake it immediately please. But on the other hand, maybe you shouldn't because you'll never go back to normal pies or cookies again... (here's the recipe in case you're interested!)

Like my sign? I tried to emulate my faves Calvin & Hobbes in the design. I hope you all are enjoying my lovely skull and crossbones and spelling.

Clever design, no? Making a fort was a lot easier in my dorm room with the three squares inches of space. Now that we actually have a living room where people can walk through without bumping in to each other it is a little harder, but I think we made it work quite nicely. Also, I hope you're checking out that sweet quilt inside that my aunt made -- it's awesome!

Speaking of Calvin and Hobbes, Owen is reading the new book we bought right now. I have never heard anyone laugh out loud so much, I should record this, it's hilarious. I wish that Bill Watterson would right more comics...oh please oh please oh please oh please!

reality - feather edition

2011-09-02T08:33:00.000-07:00

Hello Fellow BYU Students!

I know it is the beginning of the year and you are super loaded with lots of homework and everything already, but I hope you can spare a little time for a mini lesson I would like to teach you all. I promise it will be super quick, and much more useful than anything you'll learn in American Heritage or Physics 105.

Allow me to introduce....a REAL feather!

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Yes, birds have these. They are usually neutral tones so that the creature is able to blend into its environment and not get completely destroyed by predators. They are usually wider at the top, and then tapered down to allow the bird to fly. Because feathers are meant to help birds fly.

Now, let's see Exhibit B: Things that are NOT feathers

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And certainly nothing on this head:

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Perhaps it is just my science background, but can we really not see the difference here people?? I must admit, I am completely baffled by this new feather extension hair trend thing. When I first heard of it, I thought it might be cool. Since I have brown hair, I thought a soft, light brown feather clipped in with a natural color and natural blend might be kind of fun. But since I've seen them lately all over campus, I really think this trend has taken a nosedive in the WRONG direction. The ones I see everywhere are obnoxiously colored, and stick out like you got something stuck in your hair after you rolled out of bed this morning! Why?

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Maybe I am just a Negative Nancy, or maybe I'm too old now to know "what's cool," but to me, I feel like accessories should enhance your natural beauty and style, not make someone think, "What is that in her hair??" So if you are in love with this style and believe that it must be for you, I beg you, please go for a more natural, less neon look. Thank you.

Back to the Grind

2011-09-01T20:26:00.000-07:00

And, we're back in the game. Back to school. Back to clubs. Back to meetings every night. Back to ridiculous amounts of reading. Back to sucking up to teachers and forming study groups. Back to BYU.

It's stressful already, but good. I can tell this semester is not going to be a piece of cake, but since it's my second to last semester at BYU, I am going to try to enjoy it as much as I can! This semester, my goal is to seize all of the unique opportunities that BYU has and to try as many new things as possible. As I learned from the Bachelorette this past season, I'm going to try to live with NO REGRETS....hahah

I'm loving my Greek & Roman Mythology class, which I am taking with Devynne (the super pro at that stuff!) It is so fun to take this class which is completely unrelated to anything I am studying. Lots of people complain about GEs, but I think they have been some of the most wonderful classes I've taken here!

I'm continuing to do gamelan, and am trying to work on learning some of the harder instruments. In addition to playing in the gamelan, in order to get my music minor, I am taking choral conducting and voice lessons. Conducting is WAY more complicated than I thought it would be, and I learned I've been leading music incorrectly my whole life! But it is really fun, my teacher is weirdly entertaining (and a chemistry professor!), and I think I will learn a lot! I haven't had any voice lessons yet, but I think I can sense a theme this semester -- getting outside my comfort zone!

Speaking of comfort zone, I'm thinking about adding a contemporary dance class. Well, I actually added it last night, but the class is only MW, so I'm still not sure if I am going to keep it. I danced all growing up until we moved when I was a pre-teen, but dropped it when I started playing other sports and haven't really done anything with it since. But when I was studying in the RB outside the dance studio, I just got this strange urge to...dance! Maybe I am crazy. I can't decide.

Other classes are good too...all science-y of course. Pathophysiology is a pain because its 4 credits and lots of work, pharmacology IS SUPER COOL which is good news if I think I want to go into pharmacy, and my advanced molecular biology lab is...lab-y. I don't know. Everyone else in that class is a MMBIO major so they all already work in a molecular bio lab and know everything but that's okay. I totally isolated my genomic DNA from my saliva today -- cool!

summer's over

2011-08-31T10:23:00.000-07:00

I've been avoiding Blogger because I am so embarrassed about how I haven't blogged in...well...forever. And I knew that once I blogged about our end of the summer trip, it means that summer really is over. Boo! I can't believe how quickly it has gone by! But now that we are on the third day of school, I guess I better get over myself and face the facts and get back to blogging!

Anyway, here are some snapshots from our vacation. I was so grateful for the chance to spend the week with my family! I love spending time with them, and it was a great break before school starts full of lots of speed walking, picture taking, and good car food! My family is the best and I can't wait to see them again at Christmas!

Absent

2011-08-18T18:42:00.000-07:00

Hey, sorry to all of three of you who follow my blog regularly that I've been out of the loop lately, but getting any sort of bokeh shot is surprisingly difficult if you don't have a Christmas tree. So for now I am going to share with you this video Owen found instead. Owen told me he secretly wishes he could do all that stuff. I am secretly glad he can't because we would probably have higher medical bills.

a happy 1st

2011-08-15T13:03:00.000-07:00

Celebrating our first anniversary together this weekend was so fun! I am so glad that we were married in the summer so we can always party for our anniversary instead of having to worry about school or other things. We headed up to Salt Lake City for the weekend for a little get-away trip, and we had a blast. We didn't manage to make it to a lot of the things we had planned to do, but I guess that will give us an excuse to return again soon!

Of course, most of the pictures I managed to take were of the food. Go figure.

We decided that on Friday night we wanted to try the Red Iguana. I have heard so much about this place, and have watched it on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, and we both LOVE Mexican food, so we knew we had to try it.

Look at that cutie as we pick out our meals! (He has the menu upside down...silly)

Our server was SO nice and friendly! He brought us out a little sample plate with each of the different kinds of mole (mole-ay) that they make at this restaurant -- there were 8 kinds! There was a mole negro (rich dark taste), mole verde (much more mild, chile flavor), mole amarillo (yellow, sweet), almond mole (our fave), mango mole (the special of the day, not shown), and more. They were all so flavorful! It was incredible! It is insane how many different things go in to making each of these special sauces, and they had such a unique and delicious taste.

Owen decided to order the Puntas de Filete a la Nortena, which had sirloin strips sautéed with bacon, jalepenos, other peppers and more, all served on top of the almond mole. It was kind of like a fajita but oh-so-much more delicious! Talk about a flavorful sensation! It was incredible!

I decided to order the special of the day, which was mango enchiladas. The mango mole was a great mix of sweet and spicy, and they filled me up so much! It had carnitas (pork) inside, and even though they seemed very simple, they were heavenly! I've never liked carnitas as much as I did with those enchiladas!

We also decided to splurge seeing as it was our anniversary and get some wonderful beverages--I got a virgin peach margarita (it was like a delicious frozen peach dessert!) and Owen got the most delicious horchata I have ever had in my whole life. I am now inspired to figure out their recipe, it was amazing. Plus, free refills--that's what I'm talking about!

Here was the view from our hotel room at night. Even though it probably would have been a cooler view on the north side of the hotel, it was still really fun being on the top floor and looking out over the city. Plus, who doesn't love to take slow exposure shots at night, right??

The next morning we woke up and went to the Salt Lake temple. Three weekends in a row -- woo! It was so fun to go the temple on our anniversary and see all of the other couples getting married, and to remember back to our special day and the promises we made to each other and to the Lord last year. I feel so blessed to have been married in the temple and there was no better way to remember it than to take another trip there!

Unfortunately, the temple took a lot longer than we were planning on, and we didn't get out until around 2 p.m.! Sadly this meant that we missed the farmers market at Pioneer Park which we had been planning to visit, and it also meant that we were starrrrrving! So we decided to go to lunch, and since we loved it so much, we decided to go to the Red Iguana AGAIN! Why not? It was so good! We decided to walk there to hopefully burn off some calories from our wonderful Mexican feast the night before, but there was construction in the way, so instead of being a straight shot from the temple like it should have been, we had to walk all the way around the city to get there through some kind of shady neighborhoods, which was kind of scary since I had both my camera and computer with me!

These tacos are the best thing in my life. Owen ordered them, and I was so jealous of his meal. They are the famed Tacos don Ramon, and they are too amazing to describe. All I'm saying is, you gotta try them. As soon as you can.

I got the Enchiladas Suizas, which are one of their more popular items, and paired it with a wonderful Jarritos beverage, because Mexican food seriously tastes so much better with Jarritos on the side.

I was so hungry that I forgot to take the shot before I started eating! This came with SO much mole sauce, which was delicious! You definitely don't need to order the beans & rice on the side because this is sooooo filling! These enchiladas were stuffed with shredded chicken and avocado slices, with the mole poblana on top. Mmmmmmmmm....

After finishing our meal, Owen decided to run back to the car on his own while I waited at the restaurant with our bag full of the two expensive things we own, since he swore he saw some questionable looking guys following us after we passed the liquor store. We may have been freaking out or overreacting, but better safe than sorry!!! We went to the Salt Lake Public Library after lunch to enjoy the AC while it was SOOOO hot outside. Plus I've always heard that it has some crazy cool architecture, and I wanted to see it for myself!

Unfortunately it closed at 6, so we didn't get to stay there very long, but Owen got to read some Captain America comics and I got my pictures, so I supposed that's about all we can ask for.

Plus they had the coolest bike rack there that I have ever seen!

We did some shopping around the Gateway mall after leaving the library, drooled over the Mad Men collection at Banana Republic (I would seriously love to own every piece of that collection), laughed at all the ridiculous prices at Anthropologie (while I secretly wanted to buy everything in that store as well), tasted some unique olive oils and balsamic vinegars, and played in the water fountain. I wanted to check out Les Madeleines, because supposedly they are one of the few shops in SLC that makes macarons, but they had closed at 4! Ridiculous! Around 8, we headed down to West Valley to go to our drive-in movie! Apparently this is the only drive-in theater left in the state of Utah, and we've always wanted to go to one. Unfortunately, the only movies that were playing that a) weren't rated R, b) we hadn't seen yet, and c) weren't going to make me vomit (umm Smurfs), was the double feature of Planet of the Apes and Cowboys vs Aliens. Both of these movies were seriously dumb (Planet of the Apes was shockingly boring and predictable, while the aliens in Cowboys vs Aliens were AWFUL), but it was fun to experience movies in this way!

Plus it was cool because when you got out of your car, you could see all of the other movies playing around you as well! I hope they don't close this place down because I would love to go there again if there were movie I actually was interested in watching and if we parked next to someone who wasn't smoking the whole time (we had to keep our windows closed, it was seriously gross).

And this is the only picture I got of us together. From the whole trip. And we are in the car. Go figure. Oh well, at least we have lots of wonderful memories and had a great experience together! And we can plan on getting lots and lots more pictures together soon!

we're outta here!

2011-08-12T13:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday everyone! No, I do not have the next photo challenge ready for you all yet sadly, but I am hoping that I will get a chance to catch a sweet bokeh shot this weekend as we head up to Salt Lake City for our first anniversary! We plan to spend the weekend up there away from our house where we have to make our bed and to the dishes :) On the agenda we've got relaxing, hitting up the pool, going to the temple (again, we loved it!), the Red Iguana, a cute little shop that sells macarons, the Pioneer Place farmers market, a drive-in movie, and spending the rest of the time just enjoying being with each other with nothing else to worry about! Hope you have a fun, enjoyable, and relaxing weekend!

I am so excited to celebrate our first anniversary! Being with Owen this past year has been incredible, and I cannot wait for all of the adventures we have in store for us in our marriage. Thank you for an amazing year Owen - I love you!

Day 16 -- Mason Jars

2011-08-10T19:21:00.000-07:00

Yeah yeah yeah. I get in the habit of blogging a bunch, and then stop. Please don't think that I am quitting out on you now, but I have two very good reasons why I have not been blogging lately:

1. It came. Yes. The new computer. But I am not permitted to go into any detail here because my mother is convinced that someone will find my blog, stalk me, and then steal my computer. And I like my computer a lot. So I do not want it stolen.

2. I have been working again. Uggh, I know, right? Swim lessons are back on, and they are actually kind of fun this session, so it's not too bad. I have also been doing a heck of a lot of research lately, since I found out that my IACUC application was due on the 10th, and I thought it wasn't due until the 20th, but we managed to get it in on time and I complete all 5 hours of safety training (snooze fest galore) and I will be able to start my research as soon as we get our fish back from Panama. Yay!

I know this shot isn't exactly the most artistically dynamic or correct, but I felt like it looked quite summery so I wanted to include it! So, these mason jars are the result of my random Pinterest perusing and the ridiculous amount of odds and ends in my craft box and my love of hot glue guns and buttons. If you were wondering why there are clear strings glued on the top, it is because they were originally intended to be hung from the tree in our backyard. I wanted to take a picture of them from the tree of course, but I waited until wayyy too late at night, so this was all I got. I apologize, but you get the idea.

Day 15 - Someone You Love

2011-08-08T13:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know, I know. I accidentally mixed up days 14 and 15 and then I totally skipped blogging this weekend. But it was a busy weekend, I promise. A weekend full of outdoor concerts (free!), frozen yogurt, temple trips, farmers markets, picture taking, target runs, Captain America, church, sleeping, and getting a heat rash. Very exciting and busy, as you can see. PLUS we just realized that our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY IS ON SATURDAY! Holy bananas! How did that come so quickly???

In any case, on to the photo of the day!

Yeah, I bet you knew THAT one was coming. Yay for our one year anniversary coming up--it seriously feels like we were married yesterday, and every day is made so much better with this guy by my side. No, not the one in the tie-dye shirt, it's that hot blond guy in the grey striped v-neck.

Here are some other photos from our adventures at our first of the Rooftop Concert Series. It was a very fun venue, and I loved that it was free! The atmosphere was quite enjoyable, and we couldn't have asked for better weather that evening. If only the music performers weren't so depressing! They had some downer lyrics in pretty much every single one of their songs, but I guys that's what the kids like these days?

the crowd before the show. by the end of the night, this rooftop was packed!

this little group who was part of the pre-show was actually our favorite performance! they are called the mollies and had some fun, quirky tunes.

miss sayde price. man, she was sure a downer. and sadly you cannot see the other side of her head, which is completely shaved off. i wonder what the growing-back process will be like for that?

and the main performer of the night, mr. joshua james. he was also pretty depressing, and swore in some of his songs/while addressing the crowd! we couldn't believe it! call me prude, but if you are going to perform in front of a group who is mostly LDS and many who have brought their kids, clean up your mouth son.

he had a thing about raising his arms up funny whenever the photographer was going to take a picture of him. it was hilarious.

All in all, it was a fun experience, but I think I might listen to the music of the next performing group ahead of time so I know what I am getting myself into!

Day 14- Action Shot

2011-08-05T14:57:00.000-07:00

So for today's action shot, I asked da boyz (Owen + Tim) if they could do some tricks off the diving board for me last night before my aqua aerobics class. I hope that you are admiring the ridiculously hilarious wetsuits that Tim brought for them to wear to my class. I was telling one of my students that I am pretty sure that Owen just comes to the class to make everyone laugh and distract me while I'm trying to teach.

Anyway, here's what they came up with. Owen was pretty funny while attempting to do a flip since he totally belly flopped twice in a row after over-rotating. Poor guy. Looked good for the shots though!

Also, speaking of diving, we took the plunge and bought me a new computer. After four years and a few power cord debacles, it's really happening. We haven't gotten it yet, so I'm going to keep it's identity a surprise for a little while longer, but all I can say is that we are pretty darn excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!