Condi

I had the opportunity to go to a forum at BYU this past Thursday with a very special guest: Condoleezza Rice. I was SO impressed and she was nothing short of inspiring. I'm so glad that I went and she made me really think about where I am going in my life and what I want to be doing. Here are a few notes that I wrote down during her speech:

"Today's headlines and history's judgements are rarely the same. We need to make history's judgement the right one."

"It doesn't matter where you came from, it matters where you are going."

"We as a nation are held together by that promise of being able to achieve despite humble circumstances."

"The essence of being human is integrating your knowledge of what is with your belief of what might be."

"With education comes responsibility."

"When you find your passion, worlds open up to you that you never thought possible."

"When you overcome something that's hard, you know you can overcome life's challenges. So do something that is hard for you."

"Keep your optimism. If we, who have every opportunity at our fingertips can't be optimistic, then who can be? As educated people, we have a responsibility to be optimistic."

"You can't control your circumstances, you can control your response."

"Thing that seem impossible in retrospect seem inevitable."

She said so many good things and I am truly grateful for people like her that are living the American dream and giving the rest of us hope. Thank you Dr. Rice for coming to BYU!

New Blog!!

Drum roll please.....

The wait is over- I have officially started my new fashion blog. Read it, Enjoy it, Comment on it, and Follow it! Here's the link:

www.ifyoulookgood.blogspot.com

Don't worry- I will still be updating this blog as well! I enjoy all of your comments, so let me know what you think!

Resolutions

Well it's a new year and I have a few resolutions, some of which I can actually share with the blogging world!

1. I want to eat breakfast every single day. I've never been very good at eating breakfast, even though they say that it's the most important meal of the day. So I'm thinking I'm going to give it a shot. I ate breakfast this morning, and I can already tell a difference!

2. Keep a planner- I've never been good at keeping a planner either. I often find myself double booking myself or forgetting about assignment or meetings, and hopefully with a planner this won't happen.

3. Start and keep up my new fashion blog- I'll probably be posting once a week, probably on Wednesdays. (Hey! Tomorrow is Wednesday!)

4. Go to bed by midnight on school nights. I'm often known for staying up extremely late and sleeping in late as well. And I'm ready to break this habit! I've been going strong for the past few nights, so now for the rest of the year!

5. Study in the library every day- this way I can keep up with my academics in an environment with not as many distractions as I have at home.

Well I have a few more that those ones, but I'd say that is a good start- pictures from Christmas break will be up soon!

Merry Christmas!

Well it's Christmas Eve. Another year is about to come to a close. December is always a very reflective month for me. I turn another year older, Christmas is celebrated, and the end of the year comes around. 2010 has been one of the best years of my life, I really do have to say. I've learned a lot about myself and have had the opportunity to do a lot of great things. I am a little reluctant to even let the year end- not that I even really have a choice! I've had such a great year and a part of me thinks that a new year means it all must come to an end. And a lot of things will change in 2011. I'm a little nervous about some of them, but I know I will make it through. 2010 definitely taught me that. I can do hard things- and I can do them well!

I've been blessed with so many wonderful people in my life that I met this year alone. And everyone has enhanced my life greatly. Angela, Emma, Elise, Emily, Shelly, Janna, Tasha, Auralee, Levi, Tay Tay, Evan, James, Kjerstin, Chris, Bryce, John M., Jonathan, Joel, Jacob and Pam- you guys have changed my life for the better and I know I'll never forget the impact you have made. If I didn't mention you and you are reading this, that either means I met you before 2010, or I'm just an idiot and forgot to write you down, but that doesn't mean I'm not grateful for you! I love you all and here's to another year of friendship!

Now that the sappy shout outs are done- here are some highlights of the year (I'm kind of copying you, Elise :) )

1. Truffle Love Shuffle

2. Taking a picture a day

3. Scrapbook nights

4. San Fran trip

5. Going on a lot of walks

6. Spending time with Pooky before he left on his mission

7. Playing The Great Dalmuti until 6am... multiple times...

8. Arts and crafts time with Elise and Tay Tay

9. Going on tons of picnics this summer

10. Sleeping outside with Angela, Emily, and the occasional special guest, Kjerstin

11. Going to the rope swing in Mona and Big Burger

12. Touring Las Vegas with Angela and Dave- where we had the BEST slurpees ever!

13. Going to Hawaii

14. Throwing an EPIC Halloween party

15. Our circus party

16. Having the best FHE group ever!

17. My family coming out to visit for Spring Break

18. President's Day Jeopardy with costumes

19. The Blog Song by Evan and Tay Tay

20. Going down to my grandparent's farm with my friends and riding horses

21. The institue dance with Levi, Tay Tay, and Evan!

22. Hiking up a mountain in sandals to stargaze in the freezing cold

23. Riding the scooter with John!

24. Seeing Emma perform in a girl band!

25. Levi and Evan getting their toenails painted by adorable little girls

26. Going to the Backstreet Boys concert!!!

27. Having multiple secret admirers stop by

28. Volunteering at the MTC

29. I know I already said Hawaii, but the PCC deserves its own highlight! It was that good!!

30. Shopping in Park City with Auralee

31. Rekindling old friendships

32. Going to the dollar theater with Emma

33. Eating the best sandwich ever at Stellina Pasta

34. Surprising Moo for her birthday

35. Making a movie with Ethan

36. An amazing institute class with Bro. B. I know so much more about the Old and New Test!

37. Attempting the Cornbelly's maze multiple times and failing

38. Going to Portland for Thanksgiving

39. Staying at Evan's grandma's in Idaho on the way back because of the snowpocalypse

40. Making gingerbread houses for my birthday

41. Playing Just Dance on the wii

42. Writing Parker every week through emails

43. Coming home for Christmas earlier than normal

44. Eating Dad's delicious cooking

45. Having the best friends and family ever.

I think that's about it! Thanks for all the good times 2010! Hopefully 2011 will just be even better!

Suspense

For those of you awaiting the start of my new blog, and trust me, I know you are on the edge of your seats, don't worry, it's coming! (that sentence had a few more commas than I would have liked, but you get the point.) Anyway, I'm currently computerless because I recylced my old one and am awaiting the purchasing of a new one. I can assure you that once I get my new one, I will begin the fashion tips pronto. On another note- I went to Portland for the Thanksgiving weekend and it was incredible. Once again I don't have a computer, however, so I have not been able to upload any pictures and put them on the blog. I'm just borrowing my roommates computer right now to write this post. So pictures to come soon. Probably around the end of December/beginning of January. But just know that I haven't forgotten about my blogs and that my new computer will probably mean more blogging! So yay for that! I hope you all had great Thanksgivings and will have great Christmases in case I don't write before then. (It's highly possible). Well until next time!

Fashion- or something like it

So I would like to classify myself as a pretty fashionable person. Or at least I have the ability to know what is fashionable. Don't get me wrong, I just have those days that I want to bundle up in a hoodie and jeans, and so I do it. But in general, I like clothes. And trust me- I have a lot of them. This brings me to what I am really trying to say/ask. Should I start a new blog? Don't worry- I would still keep this one. I just think that I would enjoy having a blog that was strictly about clothes. It could offer tips on how to be more fashionable, where to find good deals, or just commentary on what the trends are currently. Plus I feel like the art of looking good and dressing appropriately has been lost. Don't people know that it's not ok to wear jeans to a wedding reception?? Do they have no shame? So in my new blog I would also want to discuss appropriate times and places to wear certain apparel. Yes, I know, I'm not the fashion God, and I don't have the say in what everyone wears (even though I wish I did sometimes) haha. It would more just be a place for people to come and read my opinions on fashion and share their own. Thoughts? And boys this doesn't exclude you- fashion is for all sexes! :) I'll let you know what I come up with for a new blog- and I'll post the link up if I decide to do it. In the mean time, let me know what you guys think of me doing a new blog!

Paul

Paul, as in the guy that wrote the latter half of the new testament, is one legit dude. Yes, I just called him a legit dude. Learning about him LITERALLY blows my mind on a daily basis. It's epic, man. (Shout out to E & S- you know who you are!) more thoughts on Paul coming soon. Brace yourselves.