playing catch-up

i realize that i have been MIA for the past few months. i may or may not have gotten so caught up in writing in my journal (typing it is the best thing that ever happened. thank you, comm 150 professor!) that i forget about my blog. not that life hasn't been superbly excited and riveting, i just haven't gotten around to it. this one is mostly for the books because all two of you that read this blog already know about my life. (i think i'm included in that count...)
i'll just hit the highlights. but, because this is a little like my journal, i'll hit ALL the highlights. mmk?

halloween with these lovelies! in case you were wondering, i have thee best roommate luck ever. dance parties (three of them...because we could only handle 20 minutes at any given place). and midnight madness, as usual.

Ali and i maybe spent a some of the night half way out our 4th story window? two smart cookies right here, ladies and gents. 

 we got real happy for this girl to FINALLY get home. because sometimes she thinks that the library on halloween is a good idea.

and proceeded to take the most attractive pictures.

i turned 20! whoop whoop! don't feel any older, or any wiser. but it was a wonderful night with Bronte. that darling, darling girl. she is the kind of roommate you dream about getting. the assume-we-won't-be-friends, she-is-far-too-gorgeous girl that you see the first day of the semester and then, somehow, one day you are out adventuring and trying to remember when you became best friends. you know the kind, right? well, that's her. so grateful for this lady!

please excuse our good looks. we we're just about to go on a "its my last night as a teenager" ride. which ended up out in Ashton to find the snow, sledding down the sand dunes on cookie sheets, and laying on our backs til we froze and looking at the stars. 

i put in my mission papers! terrifying? yes. so exciting? absolutely.

spent a day watching the cutest nieces and nephew while sisters+hubbies went to the temple with mom and dad. i love how my family is growing and will miss them like crazy while i'm gone.

and those two sure love being grandparents!

gingerbread houses mean Christmas is coming! and that i needed an easy activity for FHE. 

i did a whole ton of flower arranging. and loved. even though our apartment kinda looked like funeral home. sometimes.

maybe this semester was a little taxing?

chopped my hair off! from this....

to this! if i look slightly horrified at what i've just done, it's because i am.

I GOT MY MISSION CALL! because i am more than a little impatient, my parent drove to Pocatello and we opened it at Ruby Tuesday's. classy, right?

trying to juggle two phones. because, what can i say? i'm just so popular.

the shock of finding out that i am going to the Korea, Seoul mission. (30 days from...today.) and then nervous laughter for the next 5 minutes. literally.

these two dear friends had to wait 2 more weeks for their calls. my beautiful Becks is going to Warsaw, Poland and lovely Bront is headed to Fukuoka, Japan. serve all the missions!

all five of us. my parents were so fabulous to drive all the way there!

the waiter's idea of a great angle. and my raptor-claw fingers.

moved out of this apartment and last day of school. such a bitter sweet feeling to be leaving Rexburg!

got to be there when this sweet girl opened her call.  don't we look happy about this? also...no biggie that i'm as far away from her as i am from utah.

home for the holidays!

i got to spend a few nights with my sister's kids. i adore these babies and can't get enough of them! Taven doesn't like his picture taken, but apparently bear-bie loves it.

and this, my friends, is real life. right now.

i just love this video. 

and the kids at the end are hilarious.

"you sneaky mom!" 

happy halloween!

this is why i love skyping my sister. she is beautiful. and her kids are adorable. what could be better than spider-man showing off his muscles in celebration of  trick-or-treating tomorrow? and lovely Jannessa...with her trademark smile and leopard helmet. 

so just pretend that the pictures aren't blurry.

but its alright that they are. because that's how life goes. it gets messy. life isn't always sure and clean cut, as much as i wish it was. 

so thanks for reminding me of where i'm from and what i want. and that its ok to not have it all figured out. what else is family for?

i hate to spoil the ending, but everything is going to be fine.

nothing like a rainy day and hot cocoa to make you feel sappy

this is what happened today. 

Bronte was sick. so was i. it was rainy. see why this happend?

we thought it was a good excuse.

and one thing led to another...so soon walking down college ave was photography session.

this is what we found. in case you were wondering what is written on the window, it says "i still love you darlin! have a great day!" imagine our shock and delight when the door opened. and someone lived there. and we snatched this shot of a blurry bike in the stairwell. and got a little peek into the life of some adorable couple that lives right here in Rexburg...perhaps smudged around the edges but adorable none the less.

further imagine our delight when this is what the streets look like! in our very own town! welcome back. and the trees tried real hard to look as beautiful as they did in Utah. good form, Rexburg. i mean, that yellow! the puddles! they were even giving me lovely reflection shots! good day.

 

the whole day ended with a night of watching the debate and eating caramel apples turned into midnight madness at 7:00. don't you love these darling girls? i sure do.

 

because sometimes you just need one day of ignoring homework and soaking up some calm air that smells of rain. and let life just run right by for a day. then you pick yourself back up and start running with it tomorrow.

"now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy."

.:Guillaume Apollinaire:.