Endorphins make you happy :)

"Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy. And happy people just don't kill their husbands." - Elle Woods (Legally Blond)

The above quote is one of my favorites and most repeated lines from that movie, it's so true! I just spent my entire evening working out and dang do I feel good!?

 

(^I can't get the stupid highlighter to turn off!^) As I said before, I've developed a love for biking; and that love has only increased as I've done it more and really gotten my route down pat. I started out my evening with a half hour bike trip around town that really worked my legs and made them feel like jelly when I finally did get off that bike.



This is what I was looking at most of the time I was riding. There must have been a fire somewhere.

About a half hour after I got home from my ride and had cooled down enough, my sister and I headed off to dance around in a gym, making complete fools of ourselves. Zumba! Oh. My. GOODNESS! Best workout of my life. Seriously, dang, I am still tired and I finished almost an hour and a half ago. It was a lot of fun just to laugh at our dancing. Doing Zumba really makes me appreciate dancers so much more, it's hard to continuously dance like that. Dang. haha.

Ward hoppin' errr Sunday

This was my third week of ward sampling and let me tell you right now, I'm loving loving LOVING it! Going to a different ward every week is way fun. Surprisingly so. It's kind of interesting because sometimes I know absolutely no one in the ward. But it's a great opportunity to meet new people, though I haven't since my first week of student wards.

Today, I went to some of my guy friends' ward. These guys are so awesome! All of them are around 5 years older than me but that's besides the point. As I was driving to church today (I was riding shotgun because ,they informed me, girls must always sit in the front) with this car full of young men I was thinking about how crazy it all was. I really enjoy feeling so safe when I'm with these guys, they treat me almost like a sister that they're watching out for...sometimes. ;) It's nice to know that if I need them they'll be there for me. If I ever need a blessing I know where to go for sure.

Student wards are truly spectacular! It's actually quiet during sacrament; there are no whispers, cries, random comments from toddlers, no laughing, no nothing, just quiet. Being able to actually focus on the Spirit is refreshing. I'm looking forward to church more and more.

On a related note, tonight as we were getting ready for family prayer my niece Eva walked over to her new baby brother and said, "Arms? O-Tay!" and she folded his tiny arms. It was adorable. And she was so proud of herself. Living with my sister and her family really lends to some very entertaining instances. Her kids too cute for their own good, her husband is incredibly generous, and I love hanging out with my amazingly witty and sharp sister.

P.S. I just looked over at my sister and her husband and they were throwing a diaper around like a ball...apparently they can't afford a ball. haha

It's Saturday night and I just got paid!

Heck yes my friends, I just officially got paid for the first time in my whole life. I am beyond excited. Even if it isn't hundreds I'm still happy. This is money that I worked for, not just some money my parents gave me. Ah man, I love this feeling.

All week, I've been looking forward to today, and as I've been thinking about getting a little extra money, I've been thinking about what I'm going to do with it. Above all else, I want to be smart about the money I earn. I don't want to find myself totally broke during the school year and having to ask my parents for a ton of money. I just finished my budget for the end of this month and it's looking pretty good so far. At the top of that list is my tithing, 10%. As long as that's paid first I know everything will always work out just fine.

While I'm writing this I'm listening to Just Got Paid by 'NSYNC. :) Just thought you'd enjoy that little insight into my psyche.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!!

Today, my parents are celebrating their 33rd wedding anniversary! What a crazy long time to be with someone, especially in the world we live in today. Most marriages don't make it past the 10 or 15 year mark anymore. So unbelievably sad.

But anyway, my amazing parents met over three decades ago in Arizona and just a week (a WEEK!) later, my brave dad took my mom on a horse back ride up to some mountains and asked her to marry him. She replied with, "It sure took you long enough!" They'd only known each other for seven freaking days and she asked why it took him so long?! I can't even wrap my mind around that. It seems so crazy that they could make such a huge decision without very much time to really think about it. Obviously it was the right choice for them though, look at em now. 33 years. 3 kids...well 5 if you count spouses, and 5 grandkids. What a great legacy!

My favorite thing about my parents is that I've never seen them raise their voices at each other, not many people can say that. My dad is seriously the most soft-spoken man on the planet and he would do absolutely anything for my mom so they never really had anything to fight about. Mom lucked out by marrying the most least selfish person ever, I swear. And my mom is this lady that when she gives you a look you know you need to shape up, I know I got the look a lot and felt immediately chastised as I was growing up. But I don't recall being verbally berated by her. I love my parents so very much for all of the things they've taught me as I've grown up.

Mom and dad are also very faithful people, very devout LDS people and I love them for it. They helped give me the foundation I needed to become the woman I am today. Their steadfast adherence to the standards and morals we are taught every Sunday really helped me become strong enough to overcome peer pressure and endure taunts from both peers and teachers. Church was never force fed to me, my parents gave me the blocks and they encouraged me to explore the teachings of our Savior and Heavenly Father, they were obviously firm with me because I was still a child. I know that if I had woken up one Sunday and resolutely said, "I don't feel like going to church today." My mom would've just looked at me and said, "Well, that's between you and the Lord." Of course that would be enough to get me out the door. One thing that my parents instilled in me from a very young age was a love and trust in my Father in Heaven. A love and faith I still foster to this day. I don't want any of you to think that I only attended church because I wanted to please my parents, because I didn't. I truly believe the teachings of my church, the teachings of Jesus Christ, and I adore the feeling I have when I'm living the gospel and how I feel when I'm at church.

Back to my parents. I know I'm extremely lucky to have them. And I'm missing them more than I ever have before. I come home from work and my feet ache and my shoulders hurt and I wish my dad was sitting on the couch next to me so I could put my feet in his lap and get a nice massage. Now that I work at a theater I can see movies cheap and don't really have anyone that can go with me and I wish my mom was here to enjoy the perks of my job. I decided the other day that I want to marry a man similar to my dad, a man that can give really good massages. That will be a test before any guy can advance from 'boyfriend' to 'fiance'.

Well, mommy and daddy, you've done really well for the past 32 years of having kids in your home and this is the first anniversary that you don't, so PLEASE go out and paint the town red. You've earned it for dealing with us kids for so long. Now you're free to learn how to underwater basket weave, salsa dance, or go frolfing (frisbee golfing). LOVE YOU!

Just an update :)

I discovered this song last night("Gravity" by Sara Bareilles) and instantly fell in love with it. The melody and piano really struck me as so beautiful and I wanted nothing more than to be able to play it and sing along as well. So I found the sheet music online and went up to campus to practice. I've been listening to it a lot so that I can really put the way it's supposed to sound down in my head (for some reason, I have to know exactly how it should sound before I can play it).

When I finally sat down at that piano with my sheets spread out and placed my hands on the keys, the world kind of fell away. Everything that has been weighing on my mind seemed to just seep away as I poured my whole attention into this piece. Playing the piano is such a freeing passion. When I'm playing piano, I feel like nothing can touch me. I'm filled with this irrational happiness. Of course I've got a LONG way to go before I'm an amazing pianist, but that's okay with me, as long as I love what I'm doing, I'm just fine. Being without a piano at the ready after having been in the same house as one for 18 years is so foreign and at times, I want to play so badly that it consumes my thoughts until I find myself at a piano on campus. It really goes to show that we should never take the little things or granted in our lives.

This is the song. :) Enjoy it as much as I did!



Kay, so on another note, I've decided to begin a work-out regime in my life. I haven't really exercised a whole bunch since cheer ended waaay back in January and it's beginning to show. I'm not okay with that, and it's something that I have quite a bit of control over. So a few days ago I went for a run...BAD idea. I've never been a good runner. And as a result, I say that I don't like it. I guess that's partly true. I do like running, I like being able to think and I like the feeling of getting away from things. Anyway, last night I decided to bike instead. I. Am. In. Love! Biking is my new favorite form of exercise! Being able to go fast and to feel the strength in your legs is so awesome. I'm going to try to go every day that I don't have to work.

 "It's not sweat, it's my fat cells crying." I love that quote and I thought you would like it too. :)

Return to Provo

I spent another amazing weekend in Provo; it was just as awesome as the last time I was there. Sadly it seemed to go by even faster than the last. Not sure why exactly because we didn't keep nearly as busy. But that's just fine with me, it was a great break from reality. It's wonderful to spend time with people who really know me and that I can totally be myself around. I've missed seeing familiar faces in the blur of making new friends of the past few weeks.

Because Ben had a crazy schedule for dance over the weekend Marissa and I got in some really good quality girl time! We did what girls do; talked about boys, went to the mall, painted our nails, and laughed more than we normally would if we weren't together. I totally love that girl. We weren't the closest of friends in high school but we're sure getting closer and closer now. She probably knows quite a few of my secrets by now. I wish she was closer just so we could facebook stalk people together or whatnot.

We spent our Saturday almost entirely at Ben's dance competition, in which he did amazing! I love watching people dance who actually know what they're doing and Ben's definitely one of those people. I wish I had been exposed to dance when I was younger, heaven knows what I would give to be graceful and fluid with my motions.

Ben and I before he went out to dance.



Every time I hang out with these people we have to go swimming; I think it's like some unspoken rule or something. But we decided to go at around 11 at night. Before I jumped in (I was first haha) I didn't really think the water would be as chilly as it was, but it all turned out just fine. Spending a few minutes in the hot tub really made you want to get back in the cooler water of the pool. And it's always fun to hang out with Washingtonians, cause this time we took along another friend from home Tanner.



Marissa and I after swimming. We were pretty cold at this point.

Ben and I in front, Marissa and Tanner in back. I love these people!

Marissa and I went to a birthday party on Sunday that turned out to be quite entertaining. I made the comment that it was my first ever college party and the thought crossed my mind, "This is nothing like what a 'normal' person would consider a party in college." There were only a few of us, no booze, no dirty dancing or horrible music or filthy jokes. And it was fun all the same! It just goes to show that you can have just as much fun sober and you'll remember it the next day.

The birthday boy, Alex, playing our makeshift game of Pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey.



Alex and Daniel making a pinata out of an old "Ding-Dong's" box.

Sunday night was spent going on an adventure with Benjamin. We ended up talking till we got kicked out of the dorm lobby so we went for a walk. On the way, I got a quick little lesson on snowboarding. I can't wait to sometime hit the slopes and really test myself. Eventually we found ourselves jumping the fence to some practice fields (I walked away with a few battle wounds from that) and got to see some really cool shooting stars. I get really excited when I see shooting stars. They fascinate me to no end. It really makes me feel so small, almost insignificant in the grand scheme of things, even though I know I'm not in the eyes of my Maker. I could sit and stare at the stars for hours if I'm allowed to, they're one of my favorite natural spectacles. It floors me that their light travels soo many miles just to put me in awe.