Mexico Countdown

I can't believe that I am going to Mexico in 10 days! This is crazy! I am so excited, but really nervous at the same time. I hope everything goes well and that everyone who has committed will stay that way and not bail on me. Things to remember to get this weekend: 6 Spanish books, my passport (dad, please remember to get that out of the safe. Thanks), sleeping bag and mat. That sounds good, right? I hope I don't forget anything since I'm leaving next weekend! Ah! I will take tons of pictures (with my old crappy camera so my new one doesn't get stolen) and you will all get to relive the experience with me. Pull out the popcorn maker and kernels, it's going to be an interesting ride. :)

The Purpose of an Ear

Seriously? Why can't people JUST listen sometimes? Isn't it ok to be still and listen instead of always jumping in with advice and past experiences and wisdom, blah blah blah, etc?
To start off, I've decided not go to Alaska. Yes, I'm ok with the fact. I wouldn't have made the decision if I wasn't ok with it. So please, don't worry and trust the fact that I know what I'm doing and that it really is better this way. I've decided not to go for a few reasons. First of all, seeing as how my family is moving I want to spend as much time in my house while I can. I also want to be there to help them move. Secondly, I can make better money in Utah this summer than Alaska because I wouldn't have to pay airfare. And considering the fact that I can't go to USU unless I get a scholarship, working is my only other alternative anyway. Thirdly, I am tired of missing out on family and friend activities. I am sick of being left out because I live an hour and a half away from everyone. I want to be included again. This wouldn't be such a big deal to me if I didn't feel excluded here at Snow anyway. So I want to be home to have those feelings of love again. Fourth, I'm kind of frustrated with the lady in Alaska because I was the one always calling her and trying to make it work. I just didn't want to deal with it anymore. I would rather work for someone who respects me more than that. Fifth, I have a lot to figure out with school. Like whether or not I'll be coming back to Snow next semester. I only need 8 credits to graduate and I don't want to spend an entire semester on them. My options there are doing maymester, taking online classes or transferring to UVU for the summer and graduating there. Not only do I not have enough money to live away from home, I don't have enough to do a full semester. So with everything in mind and all the chaos happening around, Alaska was the last thing I wanted to stress about right now. Maybe it will work out next summer, we'll see. But I do promise this, I am 100% ok with not going to Alaska. I am content with the decision I made and I know that everything will be ok. So please, don't worry about me. I'm a big girl now.

V-Day

This is a picture of me and Jordan at a wedding reception from a couple weeks ago. I'm putting it up here so you can see how cute ... I mean "macho" he is. I like him. :D

So for those of you who don't know. I'm back together with Jordan. Surprised? Don't be. Some how I always knew it would work out. And as Annette said, "Why did you break up with him? He's super attractive." She's right and he is. Our Valentines Day experience was really good. He picked me up at 6:00 pm, we made dinner (chicken pillows and some really yummy salad. It was soo good) then we went to see Taken. I don't know how much I really enjoyed the movie, I haven't decided yet, but spending time with Jordan was amazing! Having a long distance relationship is really tough, especially because I feel like I don't ever get enough time with him. But this weekend I've spent a ton of time with him and it makes me really happy. The cutest thing that happened though, was the flowers he sent me while I was still at Snow. They are gorgeous!!! When I saw them on my kitchen table I freaked out. I was giggly and silly and I couldn't stop smiling. This is the first Valentines Day I've had a boyfriend and I had no idea what I was missing out on. Flowers! Yes! I still haven't given him his v-day present, a CD with songs on it that remind me of him, a picture of us, a duck and a chocolate cake (the last two are an inside joke). I need to get that to him... especially now that it is the 16th. I hope he's ok with the fact that it's late. I received another gift I was pretty stoked for. A sandwich "cookie" cutter with two dinosaurs in it so I can cut my PB and J sandwiches, just to liven life up a little. My neice, Cambrie, received the same thing so I guess that makes us twinners. Sweet! Anyway, Saturday was so so good and I'm really happy it worked out as well as it did. Now I need to go to bed so I can get up and get ready to go to the Draper Temple open house... with Jordan. :)

These are my flowers. Aren't they beautiful?

Speed Dating... Yeah, Awkward

Tonight was the infamous True Badger Night. Before the kissing festivities began, speed dating was provided to entertain as well as introduce people. At first it was fun, but by the end it got really old answering the same questions over and over and over and over again. Some guys got pretty creative, and I'm sure they're all really swell characters... but I just wasn't interested in any of them. Jordan called just before it all started and informed me that if any guys down here got my number he'd send his Italian hit man to break their legs. So to be funny I gave Jordan's number with my name attached to my friend from my courtship and marriage class. We'll see how Jordan likes being called by boys looking for me. Muwahahaha. Even though I won't do speed dating again for a really long time, it was a fun thing to try just once.

Ice Climbing

To start off with, these are the boots we wore to stab the ice.

The second hump on the camel. I didn't make it over.

Bellyflop Slab. That's mom at the top.


Closer up of mom.

And there is me at the top.

Me on Brittle Stiffies.


Mom on the Stiffies.

The scenery was so so pretty. I loved it.

For this month's climb we went to Maple Canyon in Sanpete county for some ice climbing. I was super stoked to go, but somewhat apprehensive because I've never done anything like it before. The hike in was long and a pain so I wasn't to keen on what the rest of the afternoon would be like. Fortunately, the actual climbing was 100x better than the hike. It was amazing! The first one we tried was called Camel Humps. We had no idea what we were doing, so neither mom or I made it to the top. But that's ok, because we conquered 6 others. The second one was Bellyflop Slab, a 170 ft. hill that burned calf muscles just for fun. Next we did my favorite, Brittle Stiffies. This climb was melting around us and we could see it shrinking right in front of our eyes. The contrast between the rock, moss and ice was striking and beautiful. As we climbed, we could see the water melting behind the ice, giving the whole climb a really neat effect. At the top we had to stick our hands in the flowing, melting water so our gloves got really wet. The most incredible thing happened though. My gloves, which were soaked on the outside were completely dry on the inside and my hands were still decently warm! I was amazed and immediately fell in love with the gloves. After Brittle Stiffies we did 3 training runs. They were called: Baby Steps, Cat Scratch and Bring It. To finish the day we went on one called White Devil, or Dragon or something. Essentially it was like climbing an icicle. A very large icicle, but an icicle all the same. Mom decided to try the hardest one to finish off the day. It was called Get Whacked and it was 150 ft. of vertical ice that makes even the most experienced climbers pump out. She did very well and I'm impressed with how far she got. This was such a fun experience, even though muscles I never knew I had hurt like nobodies business. I'm really glad mom and I were able to try a new skill and make new friends.

Mom was the first on the White Devil... Dragon... Tornado... thing.

And then I went.

Can you find the gorilla spitting into the frozen waterfall?

Mom got pretty far up and was doing so well... unfortunately, she left her tools in the ice.

I'm so glad that my family is part of the club. There is no way I would get to experience as many cool things as I have with out the involvement.

Happy Chinese New Year

To start off with, I realize that the Chinese New Year was really, like, 10 days ago. But that is beside the point because the Asian kids here in Ephraim celebrated it tonight. I wasn't planning on going, but my friend Richard speaks Chinese and convinced me to stay so I could be in a skit with him. It was pretty fun even though I couldn't understand a thing the Asian kids said. I learned how to use chopsticks (a fact of which I am proud)

yum

and I have a cute new tat. Ok, so it's paint and temporary, but it's still way cool. The symbols mean peace and love. The first one is "ping" and I can't remember how to say the others.

I also learned "tiger" (pronounced, tee-jer) meaning "stop", and "gama" meaning "what are you doing". That is not how they're spelled, but we'll just move past that. I can say a sentence too. "Mama mah meh". It means something like "mom scolded the horse". Yay for Chinese people!

Rally at the State Capitol

The crowd of ralliests

Rumors have been flying for months on the funding cuts many colleges and universities would receive. A couple weeks ago these rumors became fact, and the rally was organized. Over 500 students from Snow College, Utah State, and a few other schools stood on the front steps of the Capitol building with their signs of protest, listening to various, supporting speakers tell them things would be ok. Students had the opportunity to sit in the House and Senate chambers and listen to senators and representatives speak. They also had the chance to talk to local representatives. It was a really cool experience and I'm so glad I went. Snow College was going to receive a 19% cut, which would make us lose 25 faculty and staff members. This school is already small enough. Losing 25 instructors and staff could have been detrimental to many programs, reducing them to nothing. Higher education is important to the economy because it trains students to be useful, successful members of society. The more cuts we take, the less capable students will be. I'm so glad I was able to show my support and prove that this is an important issue in my life.

Another perk of my little jaunt to Salt Lake was the chance to meet new friends. I rode up with three other girls. Shalyse, Hannah and Heather. Even though we didn't know each other before we became really tight friends in the few hours we spent together. It was a lot of fun, and one of those things that every college student needs to experience at some point or other.

Shalyse, Hannah and Heather