One Semester Down, Only Seven More to Go!

Wow - it has indeed been a very long time since I last blogged. But with a new semester comes a chance to start new again! I quite like the beginning of semesters actually. I can make of the next few months whatever I want to. So let's see...what have I been up to? Well maybe I should start way back where my last blog left off...last November.

This was Nichelle beating me up after taking her yellow belt
test for jiu jitsu. She's a real ninja now...

The most important thing that month happened during the third week of the month...yes, you guessed it - RIVALRY WEEK. Wow. It was so amazing to be here on campus as a student. I still sometimes find myself in the dazed freshman stage, hardly believing that this is all real. Afterall, BYU is what my focus has been on my whole life - it's what I've always wanted to do with my life. Now the future seems so open, so uncertain. Anyway, back to rivalry week. I think that pictures are all that will suffice at a time like this. Words just can't explain...

YAY! Rivalry Week! Nichelle and I
may or may not have matched all week...
Look we are friends!
The fans storming the field after the game...there's no better feeling.

I tried to offer comfort to my very sad ute friend.

Sigh...good times. That game was one of the funnest games I have been to at Lavell Edward's Stadium. Moving quickly along to December. As December drew near I was torn between my excitement for Christmas break and my anxiety for finals week. The fear of the unknown was what really got me. As it turns out, however, the anxiety was worse than the actual event. Finals week turned out to be not too bad. My roommates and I pulled mattresses into our living room and had a week-long sleepover. My days were composed of studying, playing with roommates, studying, eating, sleeping, studying, and taking tests. Sure the studying and taking tests thing wasn't my favorite, but overall not too bad of a week.

Christmas break...Christmas break was amazing. Two weeks with absolutely no obligations, expectations, or stress. Of course by the end I was ready to go back to my life at college, but it was great while it lasted. I loved being with my family again and seeing friends I haven't seen for a while.

Richard, Courtney, Nichelle, and Me skiing over the break...

Nichelle and I on the ski lift.

Spending a day with Mary and Em and Steph was the highlight of my break. It felt so...right to be back with them. I had almost forgotten how much fun it was to have all four of us in the same place just having fun. I've been so lucky to have such amazing friends come into my life. Being with them again made me realize how much they really meant to me and how much I really did miss them. It was so cool. It also reminded me of how easy it is for me to laugh when we are together. It doesn't seem to matter what we are doing - it just makes me happy to be with them again.

It did surprised me how much I really missed being here at BYU. I realized that in just one semester BYU really has become a home for me. I love the people I've met, the friendships I've gained, and the memories I've already made. It made me grateful for the circumstances that allowed me to come here. I know it's where I'm supposed to be and I'm ready to make the most of my time here. I can't believe I really have one semester of college behind me - I'm officially a college student now.

With winter semester comes another exciting stage in my life - attending BYU basketball games, sitting in the student section, as a real live student. This is Nichelle and Courtney and me at one of Nichelle's first college basketball games...


So far this semester has been going well. Some think I'm crazy when they hear that my schedule involves Math 343, CS 124, CS 235, and Physics 121 all in the same semester. But I am loving it. I'm starting to get more specific in my studies and it's awesome. No English or geography or history or art classes to get in the way! Don't worry though - I still am well rounded. One of my favorite classes is my self defense class that I'm taking with Nichelle. Now I know how to defend against her... :) Maybe someday I'll decide on a major....But for now I'm just trying to make the most of here and now.

In Loving Memory....

Wow, much has happened since my last blog. Where do I start? First of all, I no longer have a job. I decided to quit because, well, let's just say that Foundations Insurance was not the best option for me in this point in my life. I find myself with much more free time, and yet I still don't get everything done. Go figure. It's kind of invigorating really to not have to be tied to that place. But hopefully I'll have a job for next semester.

Within the same week that I quit my job, I also had an adventure with my car, or former car. I was driving home from work (actually the last day I did drive home from work) on I-15. I'd rather not go into lots of details, so let's just say that my car is no more. It was one of the scariest things I've ever done and I have no desire to ever relive it! I was shaking for a good hour afterward and I still just kind of want to cry when I think about it. But, alas, it IS just a car. Life will go on, even if it has to go on without the Altima. I think that one of the saddest parts was emailing Brian in Uruguay to tell him that the car he has grown to love he will never see again. This is how his email back went:

"It was one of those things...it was one of those relationships you knew was too good to last. I loved her like I have loved no one else, but, it was time to part. If thats the way things have to be, then....I will move on. I can still dream about her late at night, and still remember the good times we shared together. She will live on in my heart forever! "

Clearly he was heart broken. The Altima was more than just a car to him, and to me; it was a loyal friend always there when you need them. He is right though - we will just have to move on. I would post pictures, but they are kind of painful still, and they're on Courtney's camera. I'm still working on getting over my fear of driving, or even riding in cars, particularly the freeway. I avoid it as much as possible. And I think that I kind of scare Nichelle when I jump when the driver of the car I'm riding in applies the brakes.

Other than that, I've just been trying to make the most of my time here at BYU. Football games, late nights, homework, studying, midterms, labs, roommates, church callings...it's all part of the experience I guess. And I can't wait to see what the future holds for me!

And We're Back!

So I've been really bad about this whole blogging business. Sorry Em! I love you! But quite a bit has happened. First of all, I was finally able to pick up my glasses about two weeks ago. That was pretty exciting...or at least I keep telling myself that! I'm not sure that I'm a fan of wearing them yet, but I sure do love being able to see detail! This is me with my new glasses on. I'm with Chris and I'm not really fond of this picture, but you get the general idea.



That weekend I went to St. George with my family to see Cinderella at Tuachan. I loved it! And the actors even had faces! And they moved! And I could see them! It was all very exciting.

Speaking of exciting, we had a rather exciting Sunday a couple of weeks ago. The day was September thirtieth. The place was Wyview Park in Provo, Utah. The time was immediately following dinner. Nichelle was washing dishes when she inadvertently dropped one of our glasses. Luckily Chris's shoe broke the fall. However, moments later the same glass fell again. This time Nichelle tried to make a spectacular save. In her haste, she smashed the cup against the counter, sending shards of glass flying in all directions. Once everything settled down, we realized that she was wounded. Apparently in her attempt at heroics, a piece of glass pierced her finger. A short (or not so short) time later we found ourselves at the local IHC checking Nichelle in to see a doctor. The doctor looked at the cut then proceeded to give her three stitches. But don't worry; this story has a happy ending. Two weeks later the cut is nearly healed and the stitches removed. Although she did have issues with leaving the stitches alone while they were in...but that's another story altogether.

WARNING: THESE PICTURES ARE NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART! :)

It starts:



After:



All better! Sort of...



So, as you can see, we had quite the little adventure. Never a dull moment around here!

I have now taken my first college exam ever, two of them actually. Neither one of them went as well as hoped for, but hey, you do what you can. Life goes on and you just try to do better next time I guess. Other than that classes have been going rather well. I'm pretty sure I want to stick with computer science as my major. I seem to enjoy CS 142 so far, but only time will tell if that trend continues, especially since our first exam is this week. We'll see how that goes.

I've also tried to give blood three times in the past week and a half or so. The first two times we got there too late so they were turning people away. The third time we made it and I filled out all of the paperwork and did all of the other stuff, but alas, they told me my veins were too small and that I should drink more water before trying again. I think this means that I'm not meant to give blood. Three strikes and you're out! But really I think that I might go with Nichelle sometime to try again. She couldn't give blood either. She's tried four times and they've stuck her twice, but her veins are just too small so the blood doesn't come out fast enough. I'll just drown myself in water before I go. I think it's a good plan. I'm determined to make it work. Enough of this worrying about it all day then not being able to give business.

This is a random picture of me and my roommates. We didn't even plan the face; it just seemed to work out that way. I just like pictures so I thought I'd include this one.




That's about my life in a nutshell (it may or may not be a rather large nutshell!) for the past couple of weeks. Hope things are going well for all of you!