7 for 7

Kristen and Kimberly are my closest friends here, and conveniently live across and down the hall. On many an evening, I stop by to say "hey," study for bio, or eat the salad I picked up at the Blue Line Deli for dinner that night. On one such an evening, an idea formulated to make an adventure out of the upcoming weekend by visiting 7 of the 13 LDS temples in Utah. Mapquest was employed, a route planned, and on Saturday at noon, we were on our way!

The team:

The Navigator:
With four pages of turn-by-turn MapQuest directions in hand, Kristen guided us safely through many many towns of Provo. We missed a couple turns, but felt pretty good about our ability to work the grid system in our favor.

The Driver
I took the wheel for this excursion, and though at first daunted by my first experience on Utah's highways, I got the hang of things, and stick-shifted us safely up and down mountains, rainy and foggy roads, and I-15.

The Backseat Distributor of Snacks and Beverages
We put our Dining Plus loaded i.d. cards to good use Saturday morning and purchased a delicious array of road-trip appropriate snacks, including Ritz Bits Peanut Butter Sandwiches, Wheat Thins, Teddy Grahams, baby carrots, and M&Ms.

The Temples!
#1: Provo
We started with close-by Provo temple. I love knowing that this is where my parents were married and sealed together for eternity. This is where our family's life on earth began, and that is beautiful. (I like Provo temple at sunrise best, though. It makes Provo look so much prettier than it is.)

#2: Mount Timpanogos
#3: Draper
We missed the turn, and drove up the big, steep mountain for a while before finding a place to turn around and get back for a second try making the right turn.
We couldn't park and walk around, because the Draper temple is in open house, but we drove around, parked illegally in the neighborhood, and snapped a couple quick shots before driving away from the man on a walkie talkie who was looking at us suspiciously.

#4: Oquirrh Mountain

Notice the sunshine in these pictures. This was the only time we saw the sun all day, and it was wonderful!

#5: Jordan River

In finding a parking spot at the Jordan River temple, we drove past rows and rows of full spaces, only to see three open ones right up front! Thinking it was my lucky day, I prepared to pull into one of said spaces, when we saw this sign, designating the spot for a General Authority. Oops! We laughed at my pretentious parking attempt, and turned around for a spot in the back.

#6: Salt Lake
Before visiting Temple Square, we stopped in for dinner at the Lion House, which comes about as close to Mom and Grandma's food as possible here. I had roast beef, mashed potatoes, chicken noodle soup, and a famous roll. (I realize that roast beef and chicken noodle soup seems an odd combination, but I just took what seemed as close to Sunday dinner as I could get. It was so delicious. Mmm.)
What road trip (or any outing, study session, class, life) would be complete without a stash of Swedish Fish in my coat pocket? I shared, of course, and these little red fishies made for excellent post-Lion House snacking.
#7: Bountiful
It was getting pretty chilly by this time, but Bountiful temple was so beautiful.

The End

And Another One Down, And Another One Down. . .

Mia (girl from down the hall): Hey Emily! My friend is looking to move onto our floor. Would you be okay if she moved into your room?

What was I supposed to say? "Oh, sorry Mia. I'm slightly agoraphobic right now, and I'm enjoying the privacy and extra closet space a little too much. Your nice friend from home will just have to deal with her lame ward and lame floor."

It looks like I'm in for my fourth living arrangement of the semester. Woohoo!

Really, though, I think that it will be good for me. I was really disappointed until I actually met my potential new roommate, who seems really nice. I've cleared my stuff of the other half of my room, and I'm ready for something new. . .again. I mean, how could I expect anything to last more than a week and a half. haha

And Another One Bites the Dust

My roommate, Jessica, from last semester wanted a change for winter, so she moved over to a different hall in the first week of this semester. Haley, her replacement, proved to be an ideal roommate. Now, she was one of those girls who really didn't want to be here at BYU, and seeing as I am one who has been wearing BYU sweatshirts since birth, we were complete opposites. Our schedules were completely opposite, so it was like living in a time share dorm room. Not a problem. For the few hours I was up in the morning before class or work, she was sleeping, and luckily, she wasn't disturbed by the sound of my alarm, or the light of my desk lamp. Her alarm would go off some mornings, but I never actually saw her get up, only thrash violently for a minute before falling back asleep. I'm guessing that she eventually got up, because when I would get home in the afternoon or evening, she would be getting ready to go out for the night. This part of the day always provided some entertainment for me, giving me excellent anecdotes about the leather leggings she wore once with just a tank top, or her five pairs of snakeskin pumps. Once Haley asked my suite mate if her bra showed from behind in a particular sweater. Stacey confirmed the exposure, but instead of getting a new sweater or camisole, she changed into a leopard print bra, with the logic that "at least it will be cute!" Haha.

So, I was totally fine with Haley. Interaction was rare, but pleasant, and she kept her stuff fairly clean. Then came Friday, just a week and a half after she moved in. I was talking to John on my way home from work, and opened my door to find a completely empty other half of the room. She was gone. Split. Vamoosed. It was curious, though, seeing as she left no note, and I had no idea if she left BYU, or just Helaman Halls. I found out later that she moved into another hall with a friend from home, leaving me with a room to myself!

I now have twice the closet space, twice the shelving, and an extra bed that has already been used several times for movie and t.v. watching. I don't have to worry about my alarms disturbing someone else, I can turn on my lamps first thing in the morning, and I can keep the volume up on my music I LOVE IT! This is definitely a blessing, because not having to keep the room mostly dark in the morning makes getting up early and being productive in the morning easier. As a natural homebody, I will take this new situation in stride, and enjoy falling asleep to Harry Potter any night I so desire.

Another Reason Why the Snooze Button is Dangerous

I had a date last night that prevented me from getting to bed by 10:00, so I let myself sleep in today. However, I got caught in the cycle of the snooze button, and had the weirdest, most frustrating dream ever. I was helping Mom and Grandma with a cake buffet for refreshments after a program or fireside at church. The ceremony (I think it may have been a wedding) included the lighting of candles, and before long, the smoke from them set off the fire sprinklers. I, thinking only of the cakes, dashed off to move them to a safe, dry, location. While I was trying to organize the buffet the way Mom and Grandma planned, however, ladies from the Relief Society and one of the home schooled girls were just setting them out on tables with no tablecloths, and serving them messily to the hungry masses. I was so distraught because order was completely breaking down, when Mom came in and got upset with me due to the lack of tablecloths. Apparently, I should have done a better job with crowd control. I woke up feeling horrible for letting the cake buffet deteriorate so, and had to shake myself of the frustration and guilt before I could get up. Weird.

No Place Like Home

I may have to get my fix of Aromatics Elixir from the Clinique counter at Macy's, but I can enjoy the smell of Clorox after I clean my bathroom, I can starch and iron my jeans and t-shirts to perfection, and I can watch hours of "Gilmore Girls" while a crisp January breeze comes in through my window. It's not the same without Mom close by to share in the pleasure of mid-afternoon 20 oz. fountain drinks, but I'm doing the best I can with a tabletop ironing board, a laptop, and my "I Heart Mom" cleaning shirt.

It's a Miracle!

Before I came out to BYU, I downloaded the BYU Devotionals podcast, and enjoyed listening to them on Sunday morning or anytime I needed a spiritual boost, and I've come back to one, entitled "Live Right Now," multiple times in the last year for strength and direction. The devotional itself talks about agency and the different types of choices we make and how we make them. The speaker is Gerrit Gong, and he delivered the talk on 3/20/07, and I highly recommend looking it up. The best guidance I've received from this address, however, is a quick quote from President Hinckley that Brother Gong mentions. To BYU students, our beloved former prophet advises that "if you get to bed by 10:00 and get up 6:00, things will work out for you." I was pretty impressed by this, because it is so rare that General Authorities give such specific instructions, and it has stayed with me ever since.

Facing this new semester, I was feeling overwhelmed by the task of figuring out how to do everything this semester, and I realized that "things working out" is exactly what I need to happen, and if President Hinckley says that that will happen, then I'll do whatever he says. Thus began the 10-6 experiment.

I have yet to be asleep by 10:00 p.m. on the dot, but I'm coming close, and I officially LOVE waking up early. Those of you who know me are probably thinking, "This surely can't be Emily, the girl who barely had 80% attendance for seminary, which started at 6:00, five days a week for 4 years? She's chosing now, when she doesn't have classes until 9:00 every morning, to become a morning person?" Well, it's time to re-think how you see my early-rising potential, for I am officially a morning person. I've discovered that my key to 6 a.m. success is not letting myself hit snooze or fall back on my pillow, because then I fall into a vicious cycle of alarms and funny dreams, last minute getting up, hurried getting ready, stressful trekking to campus, and tardy entering of class or work. Ironically, sleeping to the last minute and rushing to get ready results in my being way more tired during the day than when I get up at 6:00, get ready, and spend time studying scriptures and starting my homework for the day.

These instructions from President Hinckley have blessed me so much in these last two weeks. My experiences have testified to me that Heavenly Father knows exactly what we need not only spiritually but physically. He created us to thrive under certain circumstances, and the 10-6 lifestyle is one that works beautifully for me.

I'm Pretending to Work, but Rambling about My Freakisms Instead

Sometimes I really wonder if I'm a socially dysfunctional weirdo. Sometimes I catch myself being really blunt and awkward, and I wonder if it's my panicking or if I actually have problems. In Bio last week, I introduced myself to someone, and Kristen (who was sitting next to me) told me that my "Hi, I'm Emily" sounded angry. I felt perfectly cheerful while saying it, but what if I come off like that a lot?! I promptly leaned over and clarified with a smile that I was in no way angry, and just got a funny look. Oh, dear. What is happening to me?!

My favorite quote from last semester is from when I passed by a girl I knew and in awkward greeting waved my hand in a sort of stiff, quick, up-and-down, hand wave. Who does that?! Most people say "Hey," perhaps accompanied by a casual, natural gesture of greeting or recognition. I never got that chromosome, apparently. I wave like a Nazi. My roommate gave me a hard time about my awkward wave, and I responded with "Sometimes I'm just awkward in public."

Also, I think I talk quieter than I realize. Sometimes I'll be talking to someone and I'll say something offhand (perhaps a clever commentary on something that happened, or a quick "Office" quote) but the person to whom I'm speaking often doesn't understand, but when asked to repeat said quip, it doesn't make sense, and just makes for awkward.

I realize that a lot of people do stupid things, but sometimes I feel like a do/say an unusual amount of awkward. For future reference, please tell me if I'm being a weirdo so that I can immediately start work on fixing my freakisms.

Disturbing Avocado

So, I was sitting in Bio 100 yesterday, and I looked over and was caught off guard to see a girl peeling off the top skin of an avocado, then proceed to eat it with a spoon. Raw. I realize that most people, like my Mom, would find this completely acceptable, and perhaps even envy her snack. I, however, was disturbed. She just went to town with that avocado, carving out bite after bite with her spoon, digging around the pit, and scraping the last bits from the inside of the skin after she was finished. I don't know why I was so perturbed by this act of morning snackery, but I sat there a couple rows behind the Guacamole Girl, watching in horror. Maybe it's because I've tried avocadoes and I think they're gross, or because it was so random, but I had issues. Or maybe it was because she was so into her avocado, that the whole act seemed way too personal for the middle of a Bio 100 lecture. More likely, I'm just bizzare, seeing as I didn't notice any other students staring in shock at the girl eating the strangely green and mushy fruit. (Is is even a fruit?) Weird.

Have you ever been caught off guard and disturbed by a stranger's behavior in public?

Premiere of the Jedi Boots

My Jedi boots are making their official BYU campus debut today. It finally stopped snowing, so I don't have to worry about damaging them before I can buy weather-proofer for them. Mom and Susan, you did a wonderful job selecting the most non-Jedi pair of Jedi boots I could have hoped for. (I got such a kick out of Susan's comment about Mom asking the salesperson for his opinion.) I don't feel at all like I should be wielding a light-saber. I just feel happy looking down at my feet, or feeling them on my legs. (I really wish I could post pictures of the new outfits I've compiled and worn this week so far, but my camera screen is broken beyond repair, and it has no view-finder, so I can take pictures, I just have no idea what they will look like. I'm in the process of pricing a new one.)

Happy Wednesday to all! In a couple minutes I'm off to my Music Civ class for 2 1/2 hours. Gross. I'm planning on making a stop at the vending machines for provisions. I will survive!

Worst Day Ever. . .But Not Really

(This post is about Tueday, though I haven't finished it until now, at 12:47 a.m. on Wednesday morning.)

I really don't know if I have had a worse day than today. Ever. In my life. I guess the night I had to say goodbye to Mom and Dad when they dropped me and Charlotte off at school was pretty horrible, but today was just a long, sad day full of cold, miserable event after cold, miserable event. So, I decided to wear my new flats today, but they look stupid with socks, so I didn't wear any. I figured I could endure the cold feet for a day. That plan would have worked, had I not come out of Econ this afternoon to a white sky full of thick, freezing snow. The rest of the day on campus was spent trying not to slip on the mushy, frozen, slushy snow, which wasn't a success, as I fell once, and did a couple ridiculous arm-twirling moves to keep myself from falling a couple other times. After work, it was still snowing, and I walked all the way home with no umbrella or hat, seeing as I was oblivious to the impending blizzard when I left my building this morning. I went straight to my car, which was buried by several inches of snow and ice, not to mention surrounded by said snow, which I had to step through, completely covering my uncovered feet. By the time I got back in my car to drive to the credit union to cash my scholarship check so I can buy books tonight, my feet and fingers were numb and throbbing, and I was crying. The roads were completely horrible, and I couldn't change lanes to turn into the credit union because a chunk of ice on my back window obscured my sight on the right side, which happens to be the side missing a side view mirror. I didn't want to risk turning into another vehicle, so I made a huge, painstakingly slow loop around back to Canyon, so I could turn into the right lane sure of no other car. I got back to my room, freezing, missing home, and glad to have the box of Puffs Grandma sent home with me.

PHEW! Now that's off my chest, I'm going to cancel out the horrible that was the last hour or so since I left work by listing all the goods for the day. My day wasn't really horrible, just the couple hours previous to my writing the first paragraph of this post. Here's what was good:

-I had my first classes of Stats, Econ, and Bio, and I'm excited for this semester. These classes will require a different way of thinking than my classes last semester, which were more memorization than analysis and opinion. I'll have to work hard, but I'm excited to take on this challenge. I'm also excited because Stats and Econ are pre-requisites for the accounting program, so I'll be able to get a feel for how I like the subject matter, and if it's something at which I could have a chance of success.
-My scholarship check came in the mail, so I was able to cash it, and buy books. I also scored a used copy of my Econ book, so I only had to pay $150, rather than $200. Sad, that that's a good deal.
-Charlotte came with me to buy my books, and then we went to Smith's, and I stocked up on Honeycrisp apples and baby carrots. Dad has this for breakfast everyday, and I thought I'd give it a try. I get a lot of gas a school from the food (sorry if this is too much information) and Dad said that said breakfast helps limit the "output." Haha
-Charlotte's phone fell out of her coat pocket and into the snow when she and a nice guy who happened to be walking by pushed our car out of a snow bank. She realized it a couple minutes later, so we went back, and it was still lying in the snow, un-crushed and intact. It was a true miracle.
-Charlotte just makes everything better. I can cry and be homesick, watch dumb movies, vent, and be goofy with her. I never have to worry if she'll think I'm a freak or lame. Her love and support makes all the difference when I'm away from home, so no matter how cold and wet I got today, it's all okay because she's here. =)

A New Wardrobe for Christmas

One thing that is helping me face the transition from Christmas Break total vacation mode into real life is the bounty of new clothes and accessories which Mom, Susan, and Grandma have added to my wardrobe. This year I got so many cute new pieces and I'm so excited to work them into new ensembles.

Now, I was not up for actually trying on all my new clothes, as this:

is my current state of pajama-ed comfort, and after an afternoon of shopping and trying on clothes, I just don't want to change. Though my new clothes would be better displayed by my actually wearing them, here's what I was able to manage:


This new coat was my main gift from Mom and Dad. My old coat was from my freshman year of high school, and I love having this new one! Sarah gave me the scarf and hobo gloves to give it a fun pop of color. Too bad it isn't colder here so I could actually enjoy the cozy warmth of my new winter outerwear.
This sweater vest from Shade is one that Mom has that I wore once over Thanksgiving Break and loved. It's long, and cozy, and I love it! Unfortunately, it looks a little funny with my new shorter-length coat; on the way into King Soopers on the first day I wore it, I realized that under my coat, the vest looked like a cape or wide tail. Haha. That won't stop me from wearing it on many a winter day in Provo!

I LOVE this purple jacket from Susan! I've never really been a purple person, but as of late I've been accumulating a rather significant amount of this deep, egg-planty purple into my wardrobe, and am rather enjoying the effect of this color with my vast amounts of charcoal. The jacket is made of boiled wool--which sounds really creepy to me--which, according to Susan, is all the rage, so she hooked us up, of course. Thanks! Also pictured above are the Anne Taylor Loft charcoal trousers Mom gave me, which are made of flowy, beautiful material. I feel so sophisticated wearing them, and am so excited for them to make their BYU debut.

And, what Christmas wardrobe would be complete without a couple pairs of shoes?! Not one from my family, certainly. =) Santa left me a fantastic pair of bronzish/charcoal, metallic flats with jewel detail on the toe. (Unfortunately, the top jewel on the left shoe popped off somewhere in Sam's Club, and the jewel on the right shoe met it's end at our New Year's Eve party.) And yes, Mom and Susan found a pair of Jedi boots they deem acceptable, and even cute! I saw many a cute pair of flat boots such as these on campus last semester, along with some not-so-acceptable pairs. These seem more Pocohantas to me than Luke Skywalker, (sp?) but I'm a fan. Thanks Mom and Susan!

Finally, Christmas Day delivered with two of the most awesome necklaces I've ever seen, let alone owned. The left was a treasure found in my stocking, and the right was a wonderful surprise from Susan.

And of course, I did a little after-Christmas shopping, but ended up spending very little of my own money. Charlotte gave me a gift card to the Gap, and Grandma and Grandpa gave me one to Macy's. Pictured below are my spoils from shopping this afternoon, during which my purchases came to a couple dollars under my gift card amounts. Perfect.

Inventory:
3 thin layering turtlenecks in mustard yellow, charcoal, and off-white (That last one didn't make it into the picture.)
1 black vest, complete with metallic charcoal buttons
1 cream-colored varsity cardigan. It looks almost like a doctor's coat in this picture, but I promise, it's way cute on. We all wanted one!
1 pleated black skirt from The Gap, complete with buttons all the way down!
Grand Total: $66.16.
Not bad at all.

Oh, and I found this for $10.00 at Marshall's!

I feel so blessed by the generosity of so many. My new pieces make returning to normal life so much more exciting; I love being in a family that loves shopping and style, and it is a blessing to be surrounded by so many stylish and beautiful women to learn from.

Don't Give up on Me Yet!

Thank you to my fellow bloggers who have still been checking in on my blog, though I haven't produced anything new in a while. Getting back to blogging will be part of my transition back into real life, but for now I'm not quite ready to venture that far into the real world. No worries, I'll be back soon with pictures proving the existence of fashionably acceptable Jedi boots. Stay tuned!