Because She Told Me To

So this is the final week that I am required to write a blog post. Maybe, just maybe, I will continue this after this is all over. It really depends on how crazy life gets next semester. Anyways, I was talking to my little sis the other day, and I asked her what I should write my final post about. Of course, she said herself. But you know what? I'm doing it! She deserves a shout out :)

Sarah, Sarah, quite contrarah. She's the best. I have a certain relationship with all of my siblings. But I think there's something special about OUR sister-ness. Most likely because we were the last two kids. We are the babies of the family together! And since I'm the big sis, I also get the rights to be super protective--which I am for sure. When I hear of anything wrong that happens due to someone else's fault, I automatically feel some hatred towards that person. When she's sad or having a hard time, I always try to make her laugh. I think one of the greatest things is how she makes me feel funny. I will admit, I
am a dork sometimes, but I can always count on Sarah to laugh with me :)

I know these past two years have been really hard for my little sis, and I hate that I haven't been able to be there with her. I'm starting to cry just thinking about this! My family moved to a new state after Sarah's sophomore year of high school. So she had to start over with everything. It has been hard, but she has made some great friends and grown so much. Obviously, some days and weeks are harder for her, especially now that she's in her senior year and keeping her fingers crossed about getting into her college of choice. I wish I could just give her a big hug and take care of her like I did when I was still at home.

Needless to say, I'm so excited to go home for Christmas! We get to spend a full two weeks together: laughing, talking, being stupid, and doing whatever we feel like. It will be great. Love ya, Sarah! See ya soon, sis.

thattallgirl:)

Have You Seen My Calculator?

You're probably wondering what the heck my title is about. Let me tell you.

So Wednesday of this past week, I was on campus working on a paper. I was minding my own business and totally in the zone. This guy walks up and asks, "Hey, did you happen to see a calculator here when you sat down?" I proceeded to look around and told him, "No, sorry!" I thought he would walk away like a normal person, but he continued to talk to me. We talked for a little while, mainly the "getting to know you" topics. Then he stopped and said, "Can I ask you a question? What would you say if I asked you on a date?" WHAT?! So random. I said yes, of course. Then he got my number. Wow. This guy has guts.

Well, today, I'm going ice skating with him and some friends. That should be interesting. I hate ice skating! HA. I guess we shall see. There has to be a reason he came up and talked to me randomly that day. Asking for a calculator...what kind of pick-up line is that anyway? Silly boys.

thattallgirl:)

#FirstWorldProblems

I could easily do the cliche "What I'm Thankful For" post this week, but I'm not. The title of this post is a common phrase among the young people of America. We complain about something and realize how ridiculous it is. For example, when I came home from my grandma's house yesterday, I was trying to fit the food she gave me in the fridge. I barely got it all in. What a bummer having too much food! That is a true #firstworldproblem. This morning I went grocery shopping even though I clearly have enough food. The food I do have is mainly dinner stuff, so I HAD to go get items for lunches. Sheesh. I should never complain about hunger ever again.

I will say one thing I'm grateful for: how wonderful my life is. I am surrounded by wonderful people who love me and want the best for me. I never go hungry, unclothed, or homeless. I have the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life, and the knowledge that I will be with my family forever! What more could I possibly need?

Happy Holidays y'all.

thattallgirl:)

Walking on Sunshine

Regardless of the cold and wet weather outside, I am so happy today. It wasn't always this way. The day started off as any normal busy Saturday: grocery shopping, HOMEWORK, and other odds and ends I have to take care of. I was mentally preparing myself to study the rest of the morning and early afternoon for my Stats 121 test I had to take today. I went to the library on campus and studied for a few hours. The time came for me to take my test, and I still didn't fell ready. Unfortunately, I had no choice in the matter. I have an interview on Monday during the only other time I could take this test. So I walked into the testing center, grabbed a snack, got my test, sat down, and took the test.

After finishing, I felt okay about the test. As I descended the stairs to view my score, I braced myself for getting a C on the scantron portion. I got to the TV screen showing test scores and looked for my ID number. As I look at my score, what do I see? The word "fantastic"? Oh my word. I got a 97 percent!!!! Say what?! I quickly left that testing center unable to wipe the smile off my face. Needless to say, I'm pretty stoked about it. As the Imagine Dragons song says, I am indeed "on top of the world"!

thattallgirl:)

For the Beauty of the Earth

This week's post is kind of on the random side. It's also about weather, which is usually a topic for awkward small talk. I think this was brought about because we had our first snowfall of the season! Exciting, but also depressing. Exciting because it makes it feel even more like Christmas, but depressing because cold weather in Utah lasts till almost April.

The point of this post is to talk about how I have learned to appreciate the beauty of this earth more and more while living in Utah. During the summer I had the chance to go hiking, camping, kayaking, and other random adventures. While doing these things I was surrounded by the gorgeous mountains, trees, and everything nature! It was breathtaking. Then fall happened with all its vibrant colors and crunchy leaves. Now it's winter and I can't wait to enjoy the snow-covered mountains.

thattallgirl:)

Bring on the Holidays!

As I lie here on my bed listening to Christmas music at the beginning of November, I feel I need to confess something: I LOVE Christmas. I mean, people generally have the same feelings towards Christmas, but I am obsessed. Hence, I started listening to Christmas music the day after Halloween. Yep, I'm one of those people. Here's my reasoning for it: Why only listen for only one month to some of the greatest music ever, if you can listen for TWO months. It's really a genius plan in my mind. I just love the holidays.

Classic Charlie Brown Christmas

I guess another huge part of my love for Christmas is that I finally so many excuses to blow off normal life and be with family. I love any excuse to get out of Provo or be with my family. This year I will have no immediate family in Utah to spend Thanksgiving with, and so I will be spending the holiday with some extended family congregating in Spanish Fork. It will be such a good time. I don't know why we love shoving our faces full of food, but we do it year after year and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Well this will not be the first post I do about the holidays, so prepare yourself. heehee

thattallgirl:)

Can It be Money-and-Treating??

Today I feel like ranting about Halloween, since it's tomorrow. As a kid I absolutely loved it. An excuse to play dress-up and get a TON of free candy?? Yes, please! It's every kid's dream. Now that I'm older, but not quite old enough for a family of my own, I discovered that I feel like I'm in a limbo of sorts.

Let me explain. I am too old to go trick-or-treating, but I have no kids to take trick-or-treating. Also, who wants to put time and money into dressing up as something I'm not? We literally walk around trying to be someone we're not. If you really think about the concept of Halloween, it's really dumb. Sorry to all those who think Halloween is the best holiday ever, but I think I'm entitled to my own opinion, right?

However, how cool would it be if instead of trick-or-treating, it was money-and-treating--specifically for college students that is! We get free money and treats. Probably the greatest idea ever. I'm sure Bill Gates or Warren Buffet could easily spare a couple thousand for some poor students. I don't think I even need to explain the treats part. Treats are essential to life, so we should always have them.

Anyways, sorry for the ranting...

thattallgirl:)

Like a Dream

As I promised last week, I'm gonna fill you in on my road trip to Colorado from last week. The fact that I showed up was supposed to be a complete surprise for my sister Ashley. She thought only Chelsea, another one of my sisters, was coming. However, she thought it was so weird that I wasn't planning on coming, so she kind of suspected something. It was still a surprise nonetheless. And yes, I tried to capture the actual event of me surprising her in this video. It didn't work out too well haha.

I think you get the gist of what happened though. It was a joyous reunion. We even made the cutest wreaths for all of our homes. Mine is a cute Christmas one--gotta have those holiday decorations! Probably one of my favorite parts about the trip was spending time with my niece Zoe. She is literally the cutest thing on this planet. Zoe has the greatest personality and is such a well-tempered baby. Here's a video of her climbing on me one morning while I was still waking up. The cutest. 

I was so sad to leave on that Sunday. The trip was waaaay too short. It was so nice to just relax, do whatever we wanted, and hang with some of my sisters. It would have been even better if our fourth sister, Sarah, was there. Then it would have been the perfect weekend. We can't have everything in life I guess. Overall, the road trip was much needed, and I'm so glad I went. 

thattallgirl:)

Random Act of Kindness

I was given an actual assignment for my blogging topic this week. I had to buy something for a random stranger and give it to him or her. This is kind of weird when you think back to growing up and how we were taught to not talk to strangers. Now I'm required to buy something for one? However, I was actually excited to do this. I've always wanted to perform a random act of kindness for someone. You always hear those stories of someone receiving a $100 bill or getting their groceries paid for. Obviously this wasn't as drastic, seeing as I'm a poor college student. However, I still enjoyed it just the same.

So I was at Smith's this evening. I had to pick up some stuff for a road trip I'm leaving on tomorrow (which will be my topic for next week's post). While I was there, I picked up some classic Starburst from the checkout lane. A simple task, but still out of the ordinary. As I was leaving the store, I was observing everyone around me. Who should I give it to? Who needs this? Is that kid even old enough for this candy? I left the store still holding my recently purchased Starburst. As I walked towards my car, I noticed a teenage employee collecting carts. It's a dark Wednesday night and she has to work. No fun. I approached this girl. She was a little unsure why I would need to talk to her, but she stopped walking either way. I explained how I have an assignment for school to buy something for a stranger. So I handed over the pack of Starburst and wished her a good night. 

I have no idea if that small act even had an affect on her, but I enjoyed doing it. I guess I should try to do things like that more often.

thattallgirl:)

My Day of Birth

Tomorrow is the day! The day I celebrate my day of birth, womb emancipation, MY day! I'm so excited to turn 21. I feel so old now. Even though I am hundreds of miles away from my family, my friends make up for it. My two best friends, Allie and Emily, always know what to do to make my birthday special. We have a tradition between the three of us that we do a "birthday weekend." Essentially an excuse for us to party for more than just one day :) This year, we went to dinner with all of my roommates and our friend Aimee to JCW's for some iconic burgers, fries, and shakes. You can never go wrong with that. Then we drove up Provo Canyon to a spot for a fire! What a blast. They invited a bunch of my friends, and we had a good time playing around, talking, and roasting Starbursts. A few of us went hot tubbing afterwards to try and rid of the campfire smell from ourselves. That smell never seems to leave...
Today, however, I am doing homework all day so I can relax and enjoy my actual day of birth tomorrow. Tomorrow night even more people are coming over for cake and virgin drinks! I mean, it's my 21st...I gotta do something! Needless to say, I'm excited for tomorrow and excited for what the next year of my life will bring.

All Grown Up

For some reason, the past few weeks of school have felt like I've been forced to grow up. Not that I am any more grown up than I was before, but I feel like I've had to make more mature decisions. Yesterday I was encouraged to visit the Career Fair at BYU to talk to companies about getting an internship for next summer. I'm gonna be honest here: doing an internship terrifies me! I'm only (almost) twenty-one and I already have to go work in the big bad world! WHAT?! It doesn't seem real. I remember my older brother Brandon did one when I was still in grade school, but he was married and had two kids already! But what do you do? I know it will be such a great experience whatever I end up doing. I can't decide if I want to stay in Utah, go do one back home in St. Louis, or go somewhere totally random! The companies that seemed the most promising at the Career Fair have internships located in Utah, so from that perspective, I guess I'm staying here. But I'm not gonna let myself freak out today, I'm going to yet another BYU football game tonight! We are playing Utah State so it should be a good one.

Meanwhile, enjoy my favorite Miranda Sings video. She's great.

thattallgirl:)

An Incredible Person

Over the summer, my Grandpa Lewis passed away. He is one of the greatest men I know, and he is and was loved by everyone, especially his wife, Grandma Lewis. Recently, I have enjoyed the multiple opportunities to visit my grandma. She conveniently lives about twenty minutes away from me, so it makes for an easy drive. Grandma Lewis is such an incredible human being. Even though she lost her best friend and husband not too long ago, she is still a rock. She still warmly welcomes me in, every visit, with the same wonderful smile that

A classic picture (me, Grandma, my cousin Craig)

I love. Even through hard times, her ability to serve everyone is amazing. My mom told me a few weeks ago, at the two-month mark of my grandpa's passing, that my grandma made cinnamon rolls for countless people in the neighborhood to keep herself busy so as not to think of herself. Needless to say, I couldn't hold back the tears. My grandma is one of my greatest examples. She never ceases to love, serve, or reach out to those in need. She truly is a woman of God and an example of Christ-like love. Thanks, Grandma, for being such an incredible person and touching countless lives.

thattallgirl:)

Provo Life

So here in the city of Provo, Utah, we sometimes like to do exciting things. Today was the one of those special days. A BYU football home game took place this afternoon. It was the best! The only issue was that it felt like a million degrees outside. Needless to say, the crowd looked more like Middle Easterners with shirts on their heads than anything else. It definitely made for an exciting game, even if I came out of it with a sunburnt head, face, eyes, and lips. Quite painful actually. The intensity of the actual game made up for it all, though! Filled with penalties, beautiful touchdowns, screaming fans, and the good company of friends, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I've always been more of a basketball fan, but occasionally a football game is exciting enough for the full 4-5 hours. Today was that day. Anyways, I think I'm gonna end this blogpost before you all fall asleep. This was a pretty dull post. Hopefully it will be better next time!

thattallgirl:)

Always Something to Be Thankful for

Now that I am back into the full swing of school, work, my calling in my ward, and other things I'm involved in, I am so busy. Most days I feel like I'm drowning. It's hard to stay on top of everything, especially when my only time to do homework is at night since I work all day. Working twenty hours a week is a lot harder than you would think. However, I am not blogging to complain or whine about my life. In my room I have a quote that says, "There is always something to be thankful for." So here I am, expressing gratitude for a couple of things in my life.

First off, my family. They are so wonderful! I would be nothing without my family. No matter what I do, they will always be there and will always love me. How great is that?! Not only that, but I consider all of them my best friends. I can easily say that I have a special relationship with every person in my family. Since goodbyes are so hard with my family, I think it's safe to say we love each other.

Next is the Gospel. I am a Mormon and forever will be! Being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is WHO I AM. I know who I am, where I'm going, and where I've been. What a comfort that is. I know that through all my trials and hardships, my Savior and my Heavenly Father are always there. They help me go that extra mile. I am nothing without Them.

Obviously I am grateful for countless more things in my life, but I think these are easily the most important to me. I am so glad I have the life I do. Even though I go through hard things and life seems impossible sometimes, I will ALWAYS make it through.

thattallgirl:)

Return to the Blogging World

Well I never thought I would say this, but I'm officially back into the blogging world. I'm only here because I have to. It's actually one of my assignments for my MCom 320 class at BYU--the BEST university known to man. I love this place. I just finished my first week of school of my third year! I cannot believe it. I'm getting so old. I'm no longer one of the young people on campus. I'm also officially in the Marriott School of Management studying Marketing! How cool is that?! One of my life goals and dreams has come true. All of my hard work thus far has finally paid off. But it also means that now it's all business...no pun intended :)

So get excited everyone! You once again get to hear about the details of my life: the people I love, my passions, random stories, and anything else I feel like writing about. It's good to be back.

thattallgirl :)