what i've been up to

let me share the happy things i have been up to lately:

mom and i went to LEGALLY BLONDE, the musical, at capitol theatre. simply amazing and inspiring.

attempting to eat only lactose and gluten free foods (no breads, milk, cheese, butter, basically anything good). i have found some yummy things amidst the dry, bland stuff they call food. 

• kinnikritters (delicious animal cookies. i think they are for children. but i feel 5.)
• chocolate chex (gluten free, not dairy free but a ok with me)
• rice cakes with almond butter....my staple breakfast food
• this amazing sandwich bread! my friend cate is also gluten intolerant and she made this from scratch. SOOO good. it tastes just like normal bread. try it!

training for my marathon. i have a love/hate relationship with running. i feel so empowered after but i dread those long runs. i was supposed to run 10 miles today. i biked 15 instead. not quite the same, but it was quality time with howard and i will take that over running any day.

i am now back to being my bubbly blonde self (thanks to my gorgeous friend cass)

all of my favorite tv shows are on right now!!! i am loving life. and i have discovered some new ones. oh to have all the time in the world to do nothing: 






• monday: gossip girl (amazing fashion, love stories galore, drama that i love to watch but don't want in my own life....basically my guilty pleasure)
• tuesday: lost (addicting. i crave this show. i feel like the characters are my friends. totally normal)
• thursday: grey's (once again, these people are my friends. i love the crazy new twists that occur. and i love the patient stories...i mean it is a medical show and therefore should have some neat surgery operations. thank you grey's for never letting me down!)
• tivo: parenthood (easily my new favorite show. it depicts real life family craziness, which is hilarious because i can totally relate! seriously though, i laugh throughout the whole show "dude, i have a son named jabar." HAHA love this)

MARCH MADNESS....i can't get enough of this! so many upsets. after tonights game with k state and kentucky losing, my bracket is shot. but how bout a shout out to all the underdogs? holler. and my team is still tearing it up out there. GO DUKE!!!

temple prep with mom. i cannot express my excitement to go to the temple. 4 days people. i don't feel old enough to do this. can someone please press pause to my life? it is going in double fast forward

school...but only 12 more days of classes (and a couple of tests) and i am DONE with BYU!!! can you say ELATED?!?! i sure can.

work. i live at work. it has been crazy stressful, to the point of me wanting to quit. i lined up several interviews at some places. BUT...this past week has been so much better. so i told myself i could stick it out for another couple of months. each hour counts for P.A. school. it'll pay off eventually...hopefully. if only money grew on my trees.

trying to find time to talk to Heavenly Father. i sometimes feel like i am talking to him on the phone but i keep saying "oh...can you hold on for a sec?" and then i forget He is on the line. i hate this. i want to talk to Him all day long, which is why i am so grateful for prayers that are said in the heart. i just want to sit outside in the sun, reading scriptures and preach my gospel and other uplifting books and pray....but alas, this is not the case. so im trying to do what the sacrament prayers talk about: remembering Him. i'll keep ya posted on how this goes.

calling my friends and extended family on the phone to stay connected. i have to charge my phone at least three times a day. ridiculous i know. i surface once a month for social outings. this will happen in about 2 weeks. get ready.

where i will be four months from now!

so i totally got my call. are ya ready?!?

i'm going to HAWAII (honolulu to be exact, as well as the laie visitor's center)!!!! i leave for the MTC on June 30.  an island was definitely on my list of where i would love to go. but let's be real...who ever thinks about being called to hawaii? not i. ah...a warm beautiful exotic island. let me share my happy thoughts:

1. the sun is shining every day! this means i won't get any kind of SAD (seasonal affective disorder...depressed because there is no sun and therefore no vitamin D). i will, at the very least, have a tan face (my selfish vain happy thought)

2. i am "encouraged" to wear bright, colorful clothing, including floral prints (woo! totally in style right now). i can wear sandals, which means NO pantyhose (double woo). 

3. i can stay blonde (my other selfish vain happy thought)! there are hair salons on the island. yay for p-day.

4. i don't have to pack a bag full of tampons, pads, pressed powder, eyeliner, deodorant. etc....hawaii is industrialized. i can buy these things there. YES!

5. there are palm trees EVERYWHERE!!! i can see the ocean!! 

6. hawaiians move slower. they are chill. they take their time, for what is the rush? 

7. i can eat FRUIT and FISH, two of my favorite things.

8. there are a lot of asians (at least some come to visit)!!! although asia is where i really wanted to go, i will get to see and talk to asians in hawaii!

9. i will meet people from all over the world, and as my mom put it, i will be able to plant seeds in people, who will hopefully go back to their homeland and pursue the missionaries there.

10. quite possibly, i will be able to wear real flowers in my hair. LOVE.

11. luaus, the haka, kalua pork, ukeleles, hawaiian floral print shirts...

12. i just might be able to learn how to hula dance! 

13. Heavenly Father totally wants and needs me in hawaii, which from researching and learning more about hawaii, seems to be one of the happiest places on earth, full of loving and joyful people. He knows  me and what i can handle, what i can offer, how i can touch people. this gets me SOOOO enthused!!

i have been looking at so many pictures of honolulu and laie. i don't know exactly where i will be, but every picture i have looked at has been BEAUTIFUL. take a peek!

honolulu

honolulu

laie temple

laie

laie

laie

Heavenly Father loves us beyond what we can comprehend. im so grateful for this amazing opportunity to go serve the people of hawaii, as well as all of the visitors that come to his beautiful place. i am grateful that Heavenly Father trusts that i will be able to touch the lives of others living and visiting here. 

in a nutshell, i love this gospel and i am excited to go share my testimony with others!