did you know

that the bishop can just call up anyone he likes to spontaneously give a mini talk off the cuff? and it happens when you end early in sacrament when the speakers don't fill up all their time?

well they do.

and i didn't know that.

i didn't know that was a game that could be played.

but by golly i was forced to play.

and luckily it turned out pretty well.

apparently it happens all the time to missionaries but since i haven't gone on a mission - surprise!

after i heard my name be called i honestly was so surprised and shocked i didn't hear what the bishop said afterward.

my brain kept stuttering "he said my name. i have to go up there. he said my name. but i didn't hear what i am suppose to do. he said my name. balkjdfioaufdajfksajdf;akjsdf;lasjdf. brain melt down."

my roomies luckily heard the instructions - to tell something that has added to my testimony this week. well as i looked back on my week the only things that popped up were about new events involving boys. aaahhh

luckily as a little comic relief the ward laughed while i was walking up and shook my finger at the bishop (just to tease) as i made my way up to the pulpit. i started by saying "i am fast talker, and speed up when i am nervous. so buckle up!"

then words came out and it was over.

but for the rest of the day the whole kept saying "i saw your face when he said your name! IT WAS PRICELESS!"

then proceed to try and recreate it which didn't not end in my favor might i add.

pump it

in case you have been wondering if i have listening to this new rockin album nonstop?

well wonder no longer.

"use your heart as a weapon and it hurts like heaven"

mrs. katie rogers

well my best friend has a new name.

mrs. katie rogers.

she was so gorgeous and they looked so happy together.

it was the perfect day- the weather was beautiful and so was the couple.

it's hard to describe how it feels to have a best friend married.

it is bitter-sweet, exciting, happy, nostalgic - huh so many emotions.

i was so grateful that she let me be her maid of honor and be apart of her special day.

mr. & mrs. rogers

carlsbad crew girls support

friends of the happy couple

our signature "WOW" pose

all the girlies

the drive up to her reception

getting ready for the reception in the bride's room

chillin in the bridesmaid room

she is kinda special... haha

they are the cutest couple!

bride + maid of honor = best friends

pretty cake

the groom's cake- it is of his favorite frisbee park

diet coke break in the bride's bathroom

my favorite grooms man

congrats katie bugs, i am so happy for you.

spencer is the luckiest man ever.

i love you more that i could ever say!

xoxoxo love- pleasant mixture of sour and sweet

baby driver

last week while driving home from church Tahna and I saw Scott on his dirt bike driving home as well.

we proceeded to honk and wave at him and suddenly a brilliant idea popped into my head.

i had a vision of me on that bike with scott driving up the canyon to see the fall colors.

what better seat to appreciate the leaves turning than on the back of a bike?

after a little pleading, convincing and batting of eyelashes he agreed.

score!

it was the perfect weather and i have never seen so many bright colors.

i am serious when i say there were neon orange trees.

i had the best time, it just made me so happy.

what a wonderful fall afternoon.

thanks again scott!

conference weekend

for conference weekend

(which was long ago but school has kept me so swamped i will be forever behind on updates this semseter)

Bryanna invited me to go with some of her UVU friends.

David, Harmon and Reo were super fun and it was a blast.

i love Conference, the whole weekend is like a holiday.

i know i look forward to it just like i do for Christmas

we went to Saturday morning session and for the rest of the day the boys made fun of loud i gasped at the Paris and Provo Temple news.

i just didn't understand why no one else was freaking out like i was,

and such great news deserved a big reaction.

we ended the morning with lunch at Hires.

it was delicious and a Salt Lake classic

stressful

this is what anatomy lab midterms do to me:

it makes me shut myself alone in my office for hours at a time studying.

it makes me cry.

it makes me mad.

it makes me think how cool and complicated the body is.

it makes me hate latin and greek.

it makes me wear t-shirts on campus (instead of my normal blouses with cardigans)

but worse of all

it makes me use the Vicky Bellnap stress position:

this only comes out in dire situations and when it does you know it's bad.

weird

ya know what is weird about being older?

things like your friends getting engaged is no big deal anymore,

people younger than you are already married,

getting pregnant is the new shocker,

and now that you have dated RMS, you can keep running into them.

the best and worst thing about premies is that they leave.

yeah it stinks but it is so much worse that RMs never do.

RMs don't come with an eject button.

it is kinda nice that you have that back up plan where the boy disappears and you get to have your life all to yourself.

now with RMs they can pop up where ever at anytime

like on a date with another boy...

and then it gets worse when they get married. so you walk around campus and see an old crush across from brigham square and think "attention! there is -----..... he is engaged now...huh"

cringe

since when did i begin to have dated that boys who are now engaged.

age alert!

OR

you end up sitting by an old crush's wife (yes. wife.) in class.

you know exactly who she is because you are a total fb stalker but you have to pretend like you have no clue who she is. but you have indeed looked at all their wedding pictures.

then at the end of class she asks what your name was (because is a cute and totally nice person and shared class materials with you)

when you say your first name, she immediately fills in your last name and says "oh you know by husband because of ------"

and in your head you think "does she know that i once thought her then-non-married husband was cute?" AWKWARD.

but she did know who i was.

looks like we both are holders of personal information about people we barely know.

welcome to the fb generation.

baby girl

i just love baby anne.

mainly because my mom treats us both the same.

when anne gets something so do i, and vise versa.

we are both the babies of the family- anne is the baby over all and i will always be the baby to my mom.

case in point-

she bought us matching shoes

i think that is pretty darn cute.

this semester so far

so this semester has been wild.

life is on high speed throttle with no other option but full steam ahead.

i have never had a semester so busy.

i can't even stop to catch my breath, my icalendar is exploding with events and to-do lists.

but i am loving it.

luckily i am loving all the things that are keeping me busy.

i could have a bad attitude about anatomy and how stressful it is but i have taken on the mindset that anatomy is a fun and mind-blowing cool game.

and it is a special opportunity that a lot of students don't experience.

i would never be learning and having these amazing experiences unless my major told me to take anatomy. i would be too scared to voluntary take this class- i didn't know how i would handle the work load and the cadaver lab.

but i have learned that i actually really enjoy it.

i still have moments where i feel reserved/hesitant in open lab but i can touch, explore, learn and appreciate.

it is also super special to take this class because many universities are having undergrads be taught via computer instead of off a cadaver.

but best of all we get to incorporate the gospel into our lessons.

it is beautiful.

i mean i am learning about myself and why i chose to come earth

- because having a body is so important and sacred.

anatomy has also taught me how to relax and take it day by day.

usually i am a week ahead in homework in all my classes but with how anatomy is structured, that just isn't possible.

so i have become one of those students i thought i would never be.

aka study for a test that you are taking 2 or 1 days before instead of the whole week leading up.

i am found out that i don't have to be so anal about grades, of course i will want to keep up my track record but...

i am human and not a robot.

i can give myself some slack.

and surprisingly my grades are still pretty good.

i can loosen my grip on control and still do well.

i just work as hard as i can, do the best i can and still push myself (within reason)

and i know that everything will be ok.

it will work out.

so i don't need to melt down or bubble over with stress.

i am also working this school year-

it has been such a luxury that i never had work and school at the same time.

BUT i could not pass up this opportunity to be a TA for my all time favorite professor.

once anatomy is done, work won't seem like such a big deal.

work is the best.

it is like working for your dad and where you just get to do fun things.

why i love work:

1. the awesome perks of being a TA (access to secret wireless internet on floors other students don't have internet on)
2. having an office! BOOYAH! my professor is only on campus one or two days a week and he said i can use his office to "study in, sleep, place to take boys..." legit that is what he said to me. hahahaha. i love having my own private quiet space = i heart elitism! ha just kidding
3. there is a computer lab for the TA that is manned by computer techs around the clock so whenever i have a problem guess who always helps me :)
4. there is a supplies room that seriously is a mini Staples. i love school supplies so every time i go in that room, i just get so happy and giddy.
5. get to grade awesome papers with cool religious ideas
6. love the power i feel while i enter in people's scores
7. getting to say things like "my students ------"
8. i love my boss. we just laugh and have such a good time.
9. run cool errands

over all work is awesome and doesn't even feel like work.

ha- best moment was when during one of my meetings i stopped and taught my professor how to text because he got a new iphone.

i love the idea that BYU paid me to teach a professor how to text.

that makes me happy.

and to top it off i have outrageously fun roomies, friends, fhe brothers and wardies.

so the weekends are always packed.

LIFE IS BUSY AND CRAZY BUT IN A GOOD WAY THAT IS SO MUCH FUN

this is

what being surprised with a massive birthday party looks like:

another massive thank you for my wonderful roomies for pulling it all off!

brownie batter shots

21st

so last monday was my birthday.

and this is how i now look as a 21 year old.

the birthday girl:

you can thank my roomies for the crown

so my birthday was on a monday so the saturday and sunday i celebrated with my family at home.

this is how we celebrated in Salt Lake:

lunch at Settebellos- the most authentic pizza i have found since coming home from italy.

you can literally take a taste and feel like you are in Naples.

then we went next door to Capo's for gelato.

Mom: cantaloupe / lemon

Riley: nutella / sweet cream

Amy: nutella / lemon biscotti

then off to Mrs. Backer's bakery to get the birthday cake and raspberry tarts

from there we went to the salon to get mani and pedis.

so luxurious and i loved it. so. much.

I loved being home to celebrate because being with my family is just such a treat these days now i am back at school. and it just feels so great doing all our family bday traditions.

then on monday i started off the day right with breakfast with casey and skjelse at the Awful Waffle.

don't let the name fool you.

it was anything but awful.

after class my wonderful roomies, friends, wardies and fhe brothers took me out to Los Hermanos.

as we were leaving the resturant next thing i knew my fhe brothers were blindfolding me.

and we were driving around for a "surprise".

we drove until i was completely lost and a little car sick.

and we ended up at the state liquor store and that was closed.

we just took pictures outside as a joke to say i am old enough to get carded.

best part by far was as i was walking back to my apt with the boys as i turn the corner to the front of my building i see that the whole outside of the building is decorated with balloons, streamers and a massive sign.

and a table with the most fabulous dessert display.

{complete with brownie batter shots - a mormon way to celebrate 21}

then lots and lots and lots and lots of people stream out from no where and yell

"SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!"

oh my gosh. i was so shocked and just didn't know what to say.

so many people were there and from all parts of my life.

high school, jerusalem, wardies from past years to current, freshman year friends,

i mean i was just felt so flattered that so many people showed up.

it really meant a lot and appreciated them coming.

it was a massive party. i could not believe it.

i was stunned how my roomies pulled this off. its been going on for weeks and i didn't have a clue. they put so much effort and time into planning this and making it happen.

i can't say how much i loved it and love them.

i feel so blessed to have them in my life and all the wonderful people who made my birthday absolutely perfect.