Stairs

Someday when I have a house with stairs, I hope they are white with dark wood like this

Today

I am feeling so happy. Nothing can stop me. Actually I have been feeling like this for a little while, but it is especially so today. I woke up and it was pouring rain outside and it had snowed, but that didn't really matter. All I had to say was, "This is the last time I have to get up at 7 and walk to school in any form of precipitation." I had a 3 hour final today in my sewing class, but it went okay because I knew that no matter what happened, I would do pretty well on it and I would never have to go to 3 hour lab ever again! And then Raimo and I practiced (no thoughts of never having to do that again of course, but it went ok). Then a Singers recording, then one last editing assignment (boy am I through with those analysis homeworks!) and one more class in half an hour. The last class I will ever go to at BYU!

It is sort of surreal when I think about it. I am not even sad! I think I have really had a full experience here--I have squashed every possible extracurricular class into my schedule and been going full-steam from dawn to dusk most days. It was great while it lasted, but I am also very excited for a new chapter. I never thought I'd be ready to leave BYU. Part of this might be due to the fact that I haven't taken any time off school since the summer of 2008! I went right through last year-- and it took a toll. I am excited to do things around the apartment, eat at McDonalds less and cook a little bit, spend some time OUTSIDE during daylight--I think I've been inside for like 2 years now. I'm not sure what work I'll be doing. I've looked into a few editing things, but none of them seems like a great fit. I'm not in a rush quite yet. I will start a more serious hunt the week after finals :)

Raimo and I had a great weekend together- still had lots of work and stuff, but we partied too. I planned our Friday night date. We went to Five Guys for burgers, then to Borders to do Raimo's favorite thing=sit and read comic books in their comfy chairs (I read a chic novel that I plan to go back and finish another night), then we went home and made cookies and watched Fame the movie. It was a nice night. We ended up reading for like 2 hours of our date. I have not felt like reading for the last few years of college. I even have some books on my shelf at home that I didn't really want to pick up while in school, but I'm going to really enjoy them this summer!

Have I mentioned excitement for summer? haha

We have a big trip coming up in June and July. We are going to party like rockstars. I have really not had time to think about it, but now that I am, I thinking it's really going to be cool. I'm looking forward to doing weekend trips, just working and dancing at the good old RB.

One of my favorite things right now is my Gloria Estefan mix on Pandora. I love the 90's.

I had a dream last night that I gave birth to twins. I took them home in ziplock baggies because they were so tiny (what?) and then I spent the rest of the dream struggling to carry everything. The babies were suddenly bigger and I just didn't have enough arms. Why do my dreams always have to be so stressful? And I couldn't think of names for them. It was just bothering me throughout the dream. I was sad when I woke up and had no cute twinners!

I wish I was here right now...

Can you guess where this is??

Life today

I need to post some pictures soon--we have a ton from dancesport.

I have a ton of things to do in the next two weeks. I don't feel like doing them right now. Like finishing biology. So I'm not.

I got major whiplash in my neck from dance--I woke up at 6 am this morning and couldn't move my neck for the pain!! I still can't move my head to the right at all--I've never gotten it this bad. It's really slowed down my day... so annoying.

I have my last choir concert this weekend. Last one of my life. I'm sooo sad. There may be other choirs, but there is nothing like a BYU choir. And there is nothing like BYU Singers. Rehearsal everyday is pretty amazing. If there is anything I will miss after graduation, it will be that particular dose of music every day.

I'm excited for summer and for having some time--just plain old time.

Cabaret

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiFf3c13glo

Lately I have been feeling in the dumps. For no good reason. I guess I have reasons, but they are not very good. Anyway, I had a little wake up call on Sunday (like I usually do at church) and realized that God always has an answer, or at least something comforting for me. Reading the Ensign, I just felt like the articles were really meant for me, even though the topics were varied and not directly related to me. And can you believe the fireside last night was all about something I'd been thinking about? On Friday I was just bemoaning the lack of real friendships in my life right now. Of course I have my husband and my family, but every close friendship I've had with girlies in my life has kind of faded or bluntly ended. I have a million friendships with people that just don't seem to get past, "Hi, how are you?" Seriously, I am asked that question at least ten times a day at school, dance, choir, church, and work. And those people are all people I care about, but there isn't one of them that I could imagine just calling them up to chat. Am I missing my high school phone-talking days? haha. Maybe. I have not had any real girl talk in a while!!!
SO I didn't go to the fireside actually (I was watching the Oscars and Sandra Bullock and Cameron Diaz and Miley Cyrus dresses were some fav's), but when I opened up the Daily Universe, there was the recap for me. Plain as day. Friendship. It gave some insight and ideas. I especially liked that he talked about eliminating some of that virtual reality we depend on for friendship. Haha um the Oscars? and the bachelor and Tenley and Gia have been some of my really good friends this semester! Anyway, I was just reminded that the gospel is all about joy--it really gives you answers to even the most trivial of my concerns.
On a more exciting note, I am getting a hair cut today. It has been about 5 months. yikes. And tomorrow I get nails for the big ballroom comp. this weekend. I am still pretty nervous about it!

Weekend

Monday, shmunday. Had the morning off work today, but I had to get up anyway to study for a sewing midterm. Darn! Then ended up finishing the midterm by 11:30 and didn't have class till 1 ! Darn again! Could have slept in a little bit later! But I guess it was good I had plenty of time for the test. Today is so busy. In fact, the whole week will be so busy with tons of practice before nationals. I can hardly believe it's next week already. Wow it comes fast.

We had the most random weekend. Raimo and I never stay up past midnight, but on Friday we stayed up till 2 watching Mad Men (I was at work till 1), and on Saturday we stayed up in Salt Lake till 12:30 hanging out with Alister after my choir concert. We got to bed so late! And so yesterday we had to get up at 7:50 am, so we took a nap after church. For FOUR AND A HALF hours!! (probably a record for me) so we weren't tired for bed till about 1 am again. It's a bad cycle! Must go to bed by 11:30, or I get SO messed up. I'm feeling really sluggish today.

PS we had to get up at 7:50 yesterday because ward choir was meeting to practice before sacrament. I am ward choir director, and our performance of How Great Thou Art went quite well, if I do say so myself.

Countdown time!!!

Yay this makes life happy:

-2 weeks till Nationals
-6 weeks till I'm done with Biology
-8 more weeks of school
-9 more weeks till graduation
-9 weeks till endless summer!!!

Happiness is...

a completed, polished resume! I've been working on an application for over five hours now!!! It's practically a job in itself! I hope it pays off--I'm really excited about this one! (Please disregard lack of enthusiasm in last post--I really don't want a brainless job. I want a job that keeps me going every day and that makes me feel like I'm making a contribution to the world!)

SO I tried a Hershey's kiss with cherry flavoring tonight. Pretty much to die for. YUM! Thank you, Louise. I've been thinking a lot during my job-hunting about my current job. It has really been so good to me. I probably couldn't have found a more perfect place for me to be for the last two years-- I really hope my luck continues! It is a place full of really great, really sincere people, and I have also learned a lot of valuable skills here. Actually, I've learned a lot about just life "on the job"--how to interact with people, how to work at something till you get it, how to work to exceed expectations, how to find ways to make your job/systems better, how to improve your work through your attitude, etc.

Some of my favorite memories here have been chatting with friends on late night shifts, enjoying the excitement that came with the flood in the old office, the excitement of the windows in the new office, laughing at some of the funny requests from our callers, going to retreats and parties where we did silly activities and get-to-know-you games, and making international calls (cuz who doesn't like making those??) I'm really sad it is coming to an end this semester.

So here's to all you work friends out there. I know some of you read this and just don't comment! Ha! Leave me a comment with some hugs.

K thanks. Bye

This has not been the best week so far, but I think it's going to get better starting Thursday. We have so many things that need paying off right now, but we're still spending. And, like 10 checks we wrote a long time ago were cashed. I hate that. Such bad check etiquette. We can't seem to get caught up. I wish I could work more than 20 hours a week. I've been doing some job hunting--they say you need to start a year before you graduate. Oops. At least I still have three months. And really, I would just like a nice, brainless job. I don't want all the commitment of anything more right now. Any nice brainless jobs out there? I'm just tired.

It's ballroom season. I have finally mastered the art of becoming orange. It isn't that easy actually. I'm nervous about competing, but it's what we dance for, so we have to do it. I currently have three dance partners, which means I practice three hours a day. What was I thinking. I think this will be my last dancesport. I'm ready for a change of scene, of pace, of activity. Raimo is not ready for any changes. Lucky for him he still has more school so there will probably be no change. Ugh!

We have had a really dry winter this year--I'm glad about that because it means less walking to school in the snow. But I am afraid we will have to make up for it in April or something. Utah likes to pull those on you. Just wait. Graduation day I will have an inch of snow on my cap. Thing is, I'm pretty sure it's one of the only days I wouldn't even care. Unless I get new heels of course.

Oh, and we got the new bigscreen. It is pretty much bigger than our apartment. It is blowing our minds to have volume control again. So nice. Suddenly our friends want to come over. Hmmm