don't mind me, just missing summer

 in case you don't live in Utah, let me inform you of the fact that we have over a foot of snow on the ground and it won't STOP SNOWING. I've scraped my car windshield so many times it's not even funny. i do love the winter, and i do love living in Utah because there is a constant change, and you never know what's coming next! but as of right now, i am having major withdrawals from THIS

the sunshine, the being tan, the running around in swimsuits, the bleach blonde hair, the HOT weather. and mainly, cousin time. we all know how much i seriously love my cousins, and seeing Briana is long overdue. ♥ missing her like crazy, but the amount of days until i see this babe are getting shorter and shorter!

oh how i can't WAIT to see her again!

it's been one of... those weeks. where you have a lot of good moments but also a lot of bad. not trying to add in the drama here but we all know what those are like. am i right?

happy last day of the worst month of the year!

and welcome February.  it could be a long month. but let's not get into that one.

a very special sunday

on Sunday, i received my Young Women, Personal Progress Medallion. {see, here} that pretty gold necklace that is hanging around my neck, is the medallion. and i now wear it every day.

i have been working to get this award since i was 12 years old, and i am so thrilled to be able to say i have finally received it! after dozens and dozens of hours of work put towards this achievement, i have truly come to realize my full potential in life with my unique gifts and talents i was given. i have also strengthened both my testimony of the LDS church and my faith in Jesus Christ. the feeling i felt knowing i had finally done all 10 hour projects, and every single value experience, was honestly very overwhelming. {to read more about what i believe, see here}

the best part about finally finishing my Personal Progress, was that Malia got to finish with me. we were able to receive our awards together! i love Mia, and i was so happy when we both were getting close to the end, and able to finish together. such a special moment for both of us, as well as our parents.

gold for me, silver for her

mom wanted to take a couple pictures inside too, of course

so if you have done Personal Progress you will know what i am talking about, but here is what i chose to do for my 10 hour projects

Faith:   harvested a garden
Divine Nature:   making family dinners   
Individual Worth:   blogging // journal writing consistently.
Knowledge:   making a denim quilt 
Choice &Accountability:    making a t-shirt quilt 
Good Works:   making 4 recipe books 
Integrity:    participating on student council 
Virtue:   read the Book of Mormon


i sure do love this Gospel. so grateful to be a part of it, and able to participate in the Personal Progress program! what a relief to know i am finished :) SO MUCH WORK put into it, and it just feels GREAT to be able to say...

i. am. DONE.

the puffy skiing marshmallow

i left and came back! without even telling you. how rude of me. 

we had youth conference for my ward up at Aspen Grove this year! we did this 2 years ago, {see HERE} and we loved it so much we decided to do it again! Friday night we had dinner + a fireside + game // treat night. and Saturday we went cross country skiing + service project + a testimony meeting!

so, cross country skiing was quite the adventure. i was hesitant because i didn't have a very good coat, but after a few runs i got wicked hot anyways! we fell a lot, got all bruised up, but going down those massive hills having those things strapped on my feet gave me such a rush! 

i don't know why i don't go skiing more often, i mean i obviously would attract allllll the boys up on the slopes with this very attractive look of looking like a massive marshmallow. am i right?

i'm pretty sure i was meant to be a skiing lady. but then when you see my 'skills'.... you think otherswise! it was also a great testimony builder to have such an amazing fireside + testimony meeting. how wonderful this gospel is. i love it so very much!

such a fun little get-a-way with my ward young women + young men! some of my all time favorite people :)

i have more to share about this weekend! i promise i'll be back soon :)

10 things

1)  i started my CNA program at MATC this past week. i actually really love it! which suprises me because i have heard from other people that it wasn't their 'fav.' but i love all things medical and i am already learning a whole bunch. it's pretty exciting, because when this is over, i'll be able to have a really good job as a certified nurses assistant!
2)  it's basketball season! and it's the last i'll ever have. as a high school student that is. basketball games every Tuesday + Friday baby! gotta love going with my favorite girls ♥

3)  my new motto, as of lately.

4)  the Parenthood finale was last night {i watched it with my parents} and we are all pretty sad our Tuesday night TV show is gone. anyways, we need a new show! i am starting Gossip Girl {no... not with my parents... HA!} but i love watching shows with my parents too! my mom wants to start Downton Abbey. i've heard it's pretty good so we'll see!
5)  while we're talking family, i've been spending a lot of time with mine lately. which is good, cause i love them OH so much

6)  i must say i am nervous for the day i walk in the door and there is a white envelope from BYU. it could be any day now and definitely will be before Feb1. i have pretty high hopes of wanting to make it in, but no matter the results, God has a plan for me and i know everything happens for a reason. pretty anxious over here
7)  my mouth is still pretty dang sore from surgery. i thought i would be nice and healed by now but it's Wednesday and i still have to be on lots of meds! hoping for the best because if they think i am having surgery again they are definitely mistaken
8)  i still haven't seen Les Mis. i feel like i am LIVING UNDER A ROCK
9)  the amount of senioritis that is inside of me right now is slowly {very... slowly...} degrading. i am finally starting to realize that this REALLY is my last chance at high school. this is the last January i will ever have as a senior. there are only so many more lunches with my friends, late night study parties, cramming for tests together, sluffing when we know we shouldn't, dance parties in the parking lots, crazy crazy games together, and even being in class. i always have such high levels of 'get me out of this school' while i am actually in class {and starving. and bored. and tired.} but when i really look at it, i am slowly having a very good attitude about this last semester i have. mostly because i know i will miss high school. a wholleeeeee lot.
10)  and on that note, i'm going to the gym. for the one day i have off of work AND no homework. hallelujah :)


happy wednesday!

i have some seriously good news to share... coming soon!

a little update

 so today i got mouth surgery again. i got my first done {for my fake teeth} last April, when i got my wisdom teeth out! {see HERE} i have to complete 3 surgeries, and after having this one done today, i only have one left!

--- the first one, was a bone graft. i got some bone put in up in my gums where the teeth would be. when i had the first surgery i also got my wisdom teeth out. which was nice because if they are going to knock me out, may as well do both :)
--- the second one, {the one i had done this morning} was putting in some metal rods that will eventually hold the teeth in!
--- the third one, is the actual putting in OF the teeth! which will be in May. hopefully

i've been a little sore today, but not nearly as bad compared to last April {when i had my first surgery done.} i'm recovering a lot faster! it hurts to put in my retainer a little, which isn't good since i kindaaaa need those teeth in to feel... normal. but i'm just glad i am recovering quickly!

and there is the novel i am sure you all wanted to read about oral surgeries and my nasty little mouth!
*this post was brought to you by me in a snow hat. BEFORE i had a fat face from surgery ;)

Cali for preference :: china town

 we couldn't let a single day go to waste while we were in California, so on Sunday we visited china town. the little shops were all so cute! there were about 15 shops lining the street and we walked in and out of shops picking up little souvenirs. little Buddha's, rings, and Chinese coins

 

i actually thought there is only a china town in NYC, but i guess there is 2 in California! pretty cool to visit my very first one! and not only did we enjoy the shops, but we spent $30 on all you can eat sushi! yes, it was the sabbath, but we had to eat. and all you can eat sushi for our only meal that day was absolutely delicious!

monday morning our flight was at 7:45, so we thought. we left the house at 6, the airport was an hour away. unfortunately we missed our flight since it was at 7:28. the sad thing was, we HAD to make it back to school. it was the last day of the semester and we all had assignments to turn in + tests to take. 

we talked to the flight attendant about getting on another flight, and to our luck, ALL flights were full for monday. she managed to squeeze 3 of us on, and Branson would go standby. the flight was at 10:15 but delayed to 11:30. we sat in the airport playing card games + eating the last of our snacks until 10:30 rolled around and they announced "the 4770 flight to SLC for 11:30 has been canceled."

the took a taxi to Orange County, and by this point, it was way fun :) stranded in an airport, what are those teachers going to do about that? we made it on the 1:30 flight and we were super happy to get home by then! quite the day in the airport :)

i like being spontaneous, but sometimes i am not very good at it. let's just say this is one of the most spontaneous things i have ever done and i had the time of my life! it was quite the adventure!

 annnnnnddd i love my best friends :)

Cali for preference :: Disneyland

it was pretty spontaneous, this California trip. we planned it in 1 week. we were sitting down as friends doing homework on a Thursday night {me, Kaylee, Tyler and Branson}, and decided even though we really didn't want to go to preference, {because hardly anyone was going...} we should at least do something. Kaylee's mom works for the Disney store, and Branson's mom works for Jet Blue Airlines, + his sister lives in Cali. BAM. Cali it was. 

234553 phone calls + texts later and we had no flight. flying for Jet Blue means standby, and we didn't think we would all 4 make it on and didn't want to risk the test. we settled for driving, and found out there was a HUGE storm coming in the exact day we would need to leave. another dozen phone calls, and Kaylee's aunt got us $100 tickets to Long Beach, CA round trip! an answer to our prayers... literally.

the night we found out we for SURE had tickets, was the best night ever. who knew all of our parents would let us go to California for 3 days all alone? we were SCREAMING! so exciting :)

Branson and Tyler, being the gentleman that they are, even got Kaylee and i cute little corsages. i mean really, look how cute

we left Friday night at 6:00 for the airport. guys, this was my first flight in 10 years. TEN YEARS. 

 people take airplanes for granted, and it honestly was one of my favorite parts of the whole trip!! ask anyone on that plane, i was freakkkkinggg out. 

 *please note the MASSIVE bag of muddie buddies. our plane treat i made*

*please also note this incredible picture from the plane. how could you not LOVE FLYING?*

we made it to Long Beach, CA at 10:00 Cali time. Branson's sister Brooke picked us up from the airport with her fiance, Brandon. they were kind enough to take us to Santa Monica Pier that night! straight from the movies everyone 

Saturday morning bright and early, 8:00 {we got there right when it opened!} we packed our backpack of snacks, and headed for Disneyland! 

{since my mom wasn't there to do so, i played Disney mom. i had a backpack FULL of snacks, waterbottles, sweatshirts, gum, sunglasses, granola bars, and more and more snacks. Kaylee played a role in that too.} we called Branson and Tyler our kids that day as we made them run through the parks, with no breaks except for the lines. it was a love-hate relationship that day ;) just kidding, we all LOVED every minute

it was bitter sweet to be there without my family. i love Disneyland. but the part that always makes it the most special and magical for me is being with my family there. i sure missed them as i walked down Mainstreet USA. 

BUT, being on this vacation in Disneyland with some of my best friends, with no parents, was one of the greatest and FUNNEST things i have ever done! we had no rules. nobody telling us which ride we had to go on next, or whether or not we could buy that $8 ice cream bar. one of the best trips i have ever been on!

our first ride was Space Mountain. there were NO lines in Disneyland that day. although it felt really warm {high 50's} to us {compared to the negative degrees of Utah} it was 'cold' for the people in Cali, so it really made the lines die down; which was super nice for us! especially the mornings and evenings, such an empty park!

the boys were hungry every 5 minutes, which is why we were really grateful for the snacks. they also got those hugeeeeee $10 turkey legs though. i mean i know i don't really like meat, but common, those things just look nasty. but they sure loved them!

at about 2:00 we headed over to California Adventure!

 

 

 we had dinner at a very nice restaurant with cute little Christmas lights and made it special for our 'Preference dinner.' it was at a new Italian restaurant and they seriously had the best food!

 after dinner, we watched the World of Color + the firework show. tear breakers right there...

Disneyland is the HAPPIEST place on earth! it was the best day ever!!:) i loved being there iwth my best friends and especially Kaylee. wearing matching ears, matching sweatshirts, and running through Disneyland with our dates together, is something i will never forget :) 

definitely one of my favorite 'date dances' ;) and even though we didn't go to the 'dance,' we par-cored ALL through the park and danced at any moment we got while running to rides. that counts, right? :)

ps: i re decorated my blog. {as you can see.} something i hardly ever do... a much needed change!