Sun

I really need to fix this camera situation. Yep. This past week went by incredibly fast, I'll do my best to recall everything that happened. Hopefully I won't sound like a broken record on some of these things.

1. Sleep: In bed by 9:30 on more than one occasion this week. Oh how I love a good night's rest.

2. EFY: I will for sure be doing 2 weeks of efy, possibly 3 or 4. I am beyond excited! I almost want to start a paper chain countdown. I am truly, madly, deeply in love with efy and am so excited to do it again.

3. Sister, Sister: I know, I know. I talk about her every week. But, she's pretty much my favorite person in the world. This week's adventure included skipping institute to roam around the mall and eat our weight in cinnamon rolls. Mmmm.

4. Birthday: I love birthdays. The concept of celebrating the fact that someone entered the world and is still here alive and well, genius. Complete genius. Annalee said goodbye to her teenage years and is now twenty. I would say that she is now a real woman, but she hasn't produced a child yet, so I'll hold on that. Anyway her birthday festivities included Buca Di Beppo and Medieval Times. Basically we stuffed our faces all weekend long. Perfection!

5. Skype: Thank you for making Rexburg accessible from my bedroom. Love you.

6: Pentel multi-colored pencil: I now own one (again) and it is scripture marking glory!

7: Hiring: I think dad hired someone to replace me, which means I may go to Africa in peace without feeling guilty for leaving them empty handed. Thank heavens. Speaking of Africa, 44 days. But who's counting?

Honestly

I love honesty. I love honesty so much that my brain ends up thinking in segments that always start with "truth..." and then are followed by something about my life. I needed some place to put all of these truths, I figured blogs are good for this sort of thing.

Truth, I flirt with old men for a living.

Truth, I would rather talk about globalization than sports.

Truth, I hate listening to ignorant conversation.

Truth, I read Audrey Hepburn quote books and agree with every line.

Truth, I love lists.

Truth, I think anthropologie is my personality in store form.

Truth, I hate not getting my way. Hate.

Truth, I love surprise parties.

Truth, I'm way more latin than I let on.

Truth, even if I had someone to love I'd still think Valentine's day is the worst idea since white bread.

Truth, I enjoy crying. It's cleansing.

Truth, I want a spontaneous, disney-esque parade scene in my life. Just once.

Truth, I seriously can do just about anything I set my mind to.

Truth, I require affection on a daily basis. In fact, since birth I don't think I've gone a single day of my life without at least a hug.

Truth, I think umbilical cords are the most disgusting thing ever.

Truth, I'm a good listener, but if given the chance I will talk your ear off.

Truth, I hate hate hate being alone. Hate.

Truth, I'm afraid of the dark.

Truth, I can't keep my own secrets to save my life, but I will take other people's secrets to the grave.

Truth, somedays I want my life to turn into a sappy boy-meets-girl love story that Molly Ringwald would be proud of and other days I want to be a career hungry, pant-suit wearing professional who never has time for a man.

Truth, writing this list makes me feel pathetic.

Truth, I'm going to post it anyway.

Sun

Crazy week. So busy. So happy.

1. I have a job. I have a steady pay check. I'm getting out of debt. I may not like it, but it's so good to me. Speaking of work, pay day happened this week. Happy.

2. My sister is the best. I love that I can tell her anything and everything. It doesn't matter how ridiculous, biased, or plain wrong I may be about what I'm saying, she'll listen. Sometimes she'll even laugh at my jokes, how flattering. After years and years of sharing a room with that girl I have no barriers with her, and her company is always refreshing. Also, her husband is the best. I love spending Tuesday evenings with them.

3. Krispy Kreme doughnuts. First of all, their deliciousness knows no bounds. Second of all the people who are attracted to the glory of Krispy Kreme are super nice. I had no cash (that's right, no cash for a 99 cent doughnut) and the card machine was broken. Of course my doughnut had been devoured before I even reached this part of the exchange, but a friendly stranger handed me a dollar with a smile. I love nice strangers.

4. Defrumpification.

I have bangs on my face. Apparently they make me look 13? I don't care, I like them.

5. The Biggest Loser. Probably my favorite television show ever. It's the only television I make time for these days actually. I just really like watching people change their lives for the better. Maybe one day I'll be brave and kick my bad habits to the curb. Until then, I'll just cheer on the contestants.

6. When I'm reading my scriptures and thoughts like "homegirl, prayer isn't a magic-8 ball" come to my mind, and I attribute them to the spirit.

7. This talk it's from the December Ensign so it has a Christmasy vibe to it, but is completely applicable to daily life. My goal for the week is to fear not.

8. Praise by song. One of my dearest friends, Sue Hunter, is the stake youth choir director. In preparation for stake conference she has put together some songs focusing on faith in Christ. She has asked the Young Single Adults to join the choir as well, so I did. The spirit is so strong as we sing, and I really don't have the right words to express the feelings and the special testimony that is felt through song. Instead I'll borrow the lyrics "Oh sweet, the joy this sentence gives. I know that my Redeemer lives!"

9. Blog stalking. That's right. I read your blog, your relative's blog, your college friend's blog. I read 'em all. I'm obsessed and I don't care who knows it. It's amazing and hilarious the types of things people choose to publish on the internet. Although, I guess I'm one to talk.

Jari Standard Time

I run on Jari Standard Time. Novel idea, I know. But, it's true. Sometimes I have this obsessive need to be really early to things. Other times I want to be late, even to the point where I tell myself and everyone else that I will show up, and then never do. Then I have the random mixture of showing up right on time, fashionably late, slipping in without being noticed, or just misinterpreting time all together. I can't even read a standard clock. That was just a really drawn out way of apologizing for late sunshine.

Here's another obscure apology. My camera has been MIA for a loooong time now. So long that I should probably just give up and get a new one, but I'm still holding out a little hope...Maybe I'll get a new camera one day though. A really nice one. Then I'll learn all about photoshop and graphic design and become a wizard of these talents. Then I'll produce a beautiful blog that readers from all over the country will ooh and awe over. Of course I'll fake modesty perfectly and say things like "stop it, you're too nice, really."

Until then I will use obscure google images finds and somehow tie them into what I decide to talk about. Like this:

Sunshine at the end of the tunnel (just call me Mrs. Wordplay)

1. Overtime: Say it with me "Ca-ching!"

2. Feeling loved: Sometimes when people love us they make us accept to do hard things. I'm so glad they do. It forces us to grow and learn and depend on our Heavenly Father. So thank you loving people, thank you hard things, thank you opportunity. Now, it's time for me to show you who's boss.

3. EFY interview: Just take awesome people, meaningful discussion, improv games, laughter and the spirit of charity in a mixing bowl and stir. Also the interviewer remembered me from last year, plus.

4. Nights with the Santos Family: I love my family. No. Seriously. They're the best. Friday night we all went out to dinner and then followed it up with a rousing evening at the clinic. Dad irrigated my and Annalee's ears. I screamed a lot, I think that was Dad's favorite part. Adam got a shot in the bum. Then for the grand finale Blake got the toe nails from both of his big toes removed. Ouch! I love talking to them, laughing with them, standing around for hours racing from one topic to another and laughing the whole time. Love. It is love.

5. Accepting the unknown by making decisions anyway: FSU may (I repeat MAY, as it POSSIBLY, as in NOT DEFINITE) save my life. Maybe. I'm playing with the idea of spending a semester there in the fall, but that's just one of many many ideas I have. We'll see where I actually end up come September. I guess I'm just trying to say that realizing this option made me feel a lot less stressed this week.

6. This did not happen last week: Adam, best brother ever! I was having a sad day, and tried to snuggle with him earlier. He's 17 and so obviously was not down for a sister on his shoulder, so he left the house. Lame. BUT homeboy didn't forget about me and my silly bummer mood. Later tonight he came barging in the door blaring "Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow. You're always a day away." Complete with Annie as back up, thank you IPhone. It put me in a fit of giggles and completely cheered me up. Favorite brother award? I think so.

Sunshine after the rain

Some weeks are hard. Plain and simple, they're just hard. After a hard week I am so much more appreciative of my Sunday. Taking time to rest and ponder is so necessary. All week long I was dreading having to write up things that made me happy this week; and I was so afraid I wouldn't be able to think of any. Good news, I was wrong.

1. Newborn babies: I know I mentioned this last week, but a week ago today I was holding little Andrew in my arms. I still can't believe how much love I had for that sweet, perfect, little person. I'm not even related to him technically, but I love him. Anyone who can look at a newborn and say there isn't a God is crazy-cakes, seriously.

2. Old friends: Growing up my family moved around a lot so I don't have a lot of people who I can call "old friends." However I do have some. I was able to have dinner with Becky Weaver this week, my best friend from high school. It was fun to sit and talk about how much we've changed since we were 14 and watched Zoom on the weekends. Growing up has it's perks, like making fun of your younger self with others who were just as dumb as you. I look forward to the day when I can look back on these years and laugh at all the silly things I do.

3. Annalee and Blake Russ: These two are my saving grace. Living at home isn't exactly exciting and definitely gets lonely sometimes, but I never get tired of hanging out with those two. They help me laugh at my faults rather than feel burdened by them. They cater to my humor and make the most clever jokes. We have actual conversations, which I don't feel like happens much these days. I find so much pleasure in just sitting around and talking, they deliver.

4. Busy: I'm a busy busy girl. Working 6 days a week makes time go by rather quickly, and I'm so glad for that. Plus, I get to work with my daddy-o. I love that man! And I'm starting to have people recognize me at the gym, that means I must be going an adequate amount. Throw in some institute, and my schedule is jam packed. I like it.

5. Paperwork: Call me crazy, but I love filling out paperwork. If there's a form to fill out please-oh-please let me do it! Lucky me, I've had lots of things to fill out lately. Call me strange, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

6. Friends: I'm so grateful for friends in my life. Being a friend is not always easy; it takes patience, love, service, and sometimes a lot of listening. I am so lucky to have good friends who take the time to call me, to make me feel loved and appreciated, who encourage me to be my best self, who make me laugh and remind me that everything is going to be okay. I am truly blessed with the friends in my life.

7. EFY CDs: Thank you for calming me down when I have road rage.

8. Trials: I don't like you, but I like the person you force me to become.

9. The Mormon Bachelor: Thank you for being the perfect amount of sappy for me to claim you as a secret obsession.

10. Prayer: I'm finally grasping the magnitude of this blessing. I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who listens to the prayers of a distressed 21 year old, who is far more prideful and stubborn than she should be. I am grateful for the spirit that accompanies sincere and fervent prayer. I am grateful the relationship I have with my Heavenly Father. I know that he is aware of me, that he cares for me, and that he wants what is truly best for me. I recognize that this sometimes means that I have to endure hard things, and I'm glad he has confidence in me that I will succeed in those challenges. I am mostly grateful for the companionship of his spirit to bring me comfort through it all.

11. Michael Buble: So I can quote this "It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me, and I'm feeling good."

Sunshine: the baby edition

So it's Wednesday Sunshine, but I have a good excuse for my tardiness.

Allow me to introduce the Rice Family, featuring their newest addition, Andrew.

(Spencer, Brad, Carson, Tiffany, Andrew, Haley)

Tiffany is my sister's sister-in-law. I've known her and her family for 3 or 4 years now (I'm good at remembering dates, I'm horrible at properly counting years), and I love them to pieces. On 1/11/11 she had little Andrew, 4 weeks earlier than his due date. Her mother and sisters were all unavailable to fly out to Detroit to help with the other kiddos, so I was presented with a plane ticket and sent out to help. It was so much fun, I learned so much, and I grew to love these people more than I already did. (So don't be surprised that my sunshine for the week revolves mostly around this experience)

1. People watching in airports. I don't know if it's the excitement of going somewhere to visit, or returning home after a journey, but airports are always in a happy hustle and I love it! Also, it's amazing how nice people can be in airports. It's the little things like letting someone ahead of you in the line to get off the plane, or offering to help pick up someone's luggage that's fallen over. On both my flights people were incredibly nice and helpful. It was beautiful to see that the spirit of service hasn't died.

2. Andrew Clarke Rice is an angel. It's so crazy to think how recently he was in heaven, how perfect he is. It's just amazing. He also smells like heaven, seriously I could just hold and smell that kid all day long and be in complete bliss.

3. Motherhood. I have a new appreciation for it. Tiffany and I had a lot of time to talk about the subject and it's so amazing to think that Heavenly Father has trusted women to care for and nurture his children. I am so grateful to my mom and all the patience she exercised in raising me. I am grateful that she took the time to make sure I knew she loved me, and took the time to help me develop a testimony.

4. Peanut butter and honey toast, anywhere can be home as long as I have access to my comfort food.

5. Playing. Taekwondo. Zoo Keeper. Piggy back rides. Make up. Puppet Shows. Legos. Tangled for the 3rd time (still amazing!). Thank you Haley and Carson, I had a good time.

6. Spencer has one of the best baby laughs on the face of the planet. He also is a pretty hilarious character himself. Any time that things got a little stressful his laugh would clear the air and calm everyone down. Seriously I think baby laughs have magical powers.

7. Treating this whole endeavor as an "experience" and allowing myself treats pretty much every night. I'll pay for it this week, but oh it was so nice while it lasted.

There is plenty more I could add to this list, however it is 4:30 in the morning and I should probably be sleeping.

(adding more...)

8. Sweet friends. My dear friend Alexie paid me a beautiful compliment, and as much as I realize that I shouldn't base my happiness on what others think or say, it was really nice to hear. A splendid little pick me up, we need those now and again.

9. The unexpected. Generally I'm someone who likes to have my life planned out 9-18 months in advance. It's ridiculous and a problem, I know. Anyway, the last couple months and the rest of this year are kind of up in the air, and I'm learning to enjoy just going with the flow and just taking one day at a time. Speaking of which, if you haven't seen or heard this I highly recommend it.

I used to...

...do a little thing called Sunday Sunshine, and it made me feel like this

(Little Miss Sunshine was one of the happiest people in the world, besides Mr. Happy and Mr. Cheerful...)

So I'm brining it back. This week in sunshine:

1. Sticking to goals. I only had two sweets this week, and I think they both counted as 'experiences.' The first, a chocolate covered cake roll thing. I don't know exactly what it was, but it was the first chocolate I have had all year. Amazingly I only ate two, but it was divine! The second, an apple/sweet potato/tofu pie. That one was definitely counted as an experience, and it wasn't so bad.

2. Florida weather. I love that it is the early part of January, and I am enjoying temperatures of 65. Glorious!

3. Imaginary gun fights. Yep. When my brother and I are home walking around the living room has become a small scale version of this:

4. Knowing Heavenly Father is in charge. I do not understand the order of all things, my mind just can't comprehend it all. But, I do know that Heavenly Father loves and is aware of all his children and provides for them. I'm very grateful for the blessings in my life that are always catered to my needs and my wants.

5. Speaking of blessings, the CES fireside tonight. It felt as though Elder Christofferson was saying "Dear Jari, I know exactly what is weighing on your mind and heart. Here are some things that will help you out." Now a new goal I have is to simply do the best I can one day at a time. Also, I had a lovely driving companion. I truly enjoyed the company of Tori Johnson, it's always nice to share a conversation based around how to better ourselves.

6. Peace of mind. A woman in our ward used to work for the United Nations, and has spent a good deal of time in the Pretoria area. She has offered to put me in contact with people who will help me find housing arrangements for the time I spend there. I am so thrilled! (Only 81 days til I get to Africa, yikes!)

7. Zumba. Dance meets toning. It may be silly, and I may share the class with a bunch of women more than twice my age, but I LOVE zumba. It's just a really fun way to exercise, and it makes me feel a little bit like I'm back in Brazil.

Oh, hey 2011

Where'd you come from?

That's exactly how I feel about this whole ordeal. It's kind of sad saying farewell to such a lovely year, like 2010. So a moment of reflection...

Avatar: To some just a movie. To me, an experience that helped me survive winter in Rexburg. It led to good friends, hot springs, dancing at a random gas station in Utah. Oh the power of the movies.

Meso America Tour: 1 month, 32 students, 4 awesome professors, 3 countries, one of the most wonderful things of my BYU-Idaho career. Yes.

EFY: 1, 2, 3 DEGREES! Matt Reynolds, best co-co EVER! Best kids ever! Hearing my brother bear his testimony for the first time ever! Crying, laughing, and learning more than I ever thought possible in a 6 day period. EFY was a very good idea and I hope to repeat the experience.

Sissy got married: Blake Russ is now part of the family, love him. Annalee is happier than ever, and I'm so happy for her. The brazilians came to town, lovely. It was such a happy and emotional time. Annalee is my very best friend in this world and I loved being a part of this new part of her life. Awesome, just awesome.

The cruise: Such a lovely and gluttonous vacation. Dad actually took a vacation!! Went parasailing with Adam. Ate, ate, ate. Came in 2nd on a disney trivia challenge. Laughed, ate, snorkeled, ate, hung out with the family, ate, watched amazing shows, ate. Yes, it was fantastic.

2010 was awesome, no doubt. However, I have always been partial to odd-numbed years. They have always been good to me. 2005, went to brazil. 2007, started hanging out with the "FPP," graduated from high school. 2009, decided what I'm doing with my life, made amazing friends, lived with my sister in Rexburg, Fall '09 best semester EVER! So 2011 has a lot to live up to.

The resolutions/plans for the year:

Internship in South Africa. My only goal with this is to do the absolute best I can, and not get mugged or raped.

EFY take two? We'll see.

Only eat junk food if it's an experience.

Graduate from college, get my life plan rolling.

Live like this:

Family Matters

I am a member of a dysfunctional family. Now, I say that with all the love and adoration that is generally reserved to describe a sleeping baby or a cute puppy, and I love everyone I’m related to more than anything. But seriously, we’re nuts. However, it is the harebrained environment in which I was raised that helped create the person I am now.

Me and Daddy-O, dancing of course.

My dad is king of the crazies. He seldom sleeps or takes a day off work. He is a huge fan of kicking his leg up to his head when he’s excited about something, or whenever there’s a camera on him. He has a tendency to break into song, usually something by Cher or Madonna. He is smart, loud, sweet, and hyperactive. My dad taught me how to debate, how to see beauty within myself, how to dance like nobody’s watching and sing like nobody can hear (I realize that those are probably song lyrics and make me sound super cliché, but I mean it!), he taught me how to study, how to defend myself, he taught me to have passion, how to be aware of myself, how to be responsible…I could go on and on.

Me and the lady, right after parasailing. She's adventurous, it's true.

My mother is an angel. She puts up with all the insanity our small family provides. She’s the calm one, she’s the rock. She’s stubborn, hardworking, and takes time to enjoy the small things in life. She taught me how to love, even when it’s hard. She taught me how to cook, how to be brave, how to enjoy adventure, how to cherish home, how to depend on family and be dependable to them, she taught me that I don’t have to be the best at everything but I do have to try my best at everything, she taught me to never quit. She has supported me in everything I do in life, and not only tells me that I can do anything, but also truly believes that I can.

All but one of the siblings. This photo started with us standing a normal distance apart, then the photographer asked if we were close, being cousins and all, the hugging was our response.

Then there are my siblings. Biologically I only have two. I claim seven: Annalee and Adam (the actual ones), Lala, Junior, Gigi, Amanda, and Germania. The last five lived with us off and on throughout my growing up. These are the people that I played and fought with. The ones that I wanted to be like when I was older, the ones I still try to emulate now. These are the people who I would build forts with, play cops and robbers with, sneak ice cream from the freezer with. The ones I would pray for by my bed at night. Now that I’m older they’re the ones I go on vacation to visit, the ones I tell stories to my roommates about, the ones who listen to me cry, who listen to and influence my goals, and who make me laugh. I could not ask for better people in my life.

Then there is my extended family. I won’t go into detail. Let’s just say there are lots of stories. I have an uncle who lived in the Amazon, a grandma who faked like her cane was a gun to scar away a robber, an aunt who runs half marathons, another aunt who gives me great books to read and who justifies my quasi-feminist tendencies, another uncle who builds his kids miniature monster trucks, another aunt who takes ridiculous amounts of pictures and is prone to making friends with strangers regardless of the occasional language barrier…

The moral of the story is that I adore my family. I recognize that they are my backbone. Now for the part where this ties in with “the quest.” Mostly I just realized how much I take my family for granted. I love them. My family is an enormous part of who I am. Sometimes I get the "bright" idea to try and detach myself from that fact. However, now more than ever I have realized that is stupid. Why would I ever want to be detached from such wonderful, ambitious, and inspiring people? I wouldn't, I don't. So instead of pointing out their faults and trying desperately to separate myself from them I'm just embracing it. More than that I'm going to take time to appreciate them each. We'll see where this takes me.

The Quest

For Self-Actualization

In Abraham Maslow's "Theory of Human Motivation" he describes self-actualization as "the desire for self-fulfillment, namely the tendency for him [the individual] to become actualized in what he is potentially. This tendency might be phrased as the desire to become more and more what one is, to become everything that one is capable of becoming."

So why the quest for self-actualization? It's pretty simple. I want to know myself. I know what I am capable of contributing to the world around me. I want to know what I actually think about life. I want to have goals. I want to have a passion for life; and what better way to do that than to feel myself out and figure out what I really am passionate about? So this is a quest, to learn about myself. Although, I hope to continually be progressing, learning, and growing...so in effect I hope that I never fully know myself.

As my facebook status once said: Today I am a young, silly girl who is prone to foolishness. I laugh, cry, and learn my way through life. But one day I'll channel all these ideas and dreams of mine; and you may not be able to see it yet, but one day I'll take this world by storm.

This is part of that whole channeling all my ideas and dreams process.

So, I may not be sounding clear right now, but that's ok. It's more for me to figure out than it is for anyone to understand.I just want to see what I love in life, what I want, what I see, discovering my own potential kind of a deal. I'm just going to try and look at my life with eyes wide open and see what I love about it, what I want to do with it, and the talents I have that can help me along the way.

That being said, I'm off to do some yoga.

Disclaimer: I spend a lot of time writing research papers...sorry if this sounded to much like one

My Best Friend

This Girl:

is my best friend!

She are and I are 16ish months apart, but really we might as well have been twins. We don't look much alike, and our personalities are definitely different, but she understands me in a way that nobody else on this earth does. She is not afraid to tell me I'm wrong or to hold me to a higher standard, because she always wants what's best for me. She listens to me when I complain about ridiculous things, and sometimes does ridiculous things with me. Together we've gone to Brazil, tackled long road trips, hiked red rock mountains, had Anastasia themed sleepovers, laughed, cried, and grown. I could not ask for a better sister or a better friend. She will always be my role model because she is a woman who courageously stands for what is right, she is smart beyond belief, and she has the biggest heart. Having her in my life has helped me grow into the person I am now, and she has given me vision for the person I hope to shape myself into in the future.

Now she is married to the man of her dreams. She has a new last name, a new place to call home, and a new person that she spends all her time with. However some things never change.

Annalee will always be my little sister, the girl I look up to (literally and figuratively), she will always be my best friend.

Jari's "Affirmation"

So I like lots of people, places, and things. Nouns are just the best! Let's start here:

People:

I like my Timber! I like my Lexie! I like my Ryans! I like my Jordans! I like all my volunteers!

Places:

I like my Rexburg! I like Mesa Falls! I like the Sand Dunes! I like BYU-Idaho!

Things:

I like the Taco Bus! I like light sabers! I like bon fires! I like my bed! I like my laptop!

I can do ANYTHING good! Yeah, yeah, yeah!

ABBA.Temple to Temple.Service.Birthday.Service.

I am alive. So much is happening so quickly that I barely know what to do with myself. A couple of weeks ago a group called ABBA Mania came to BYU-Idaho. I could stop writing right there and you could probably guess that it was a good time. My two roommates and I went and decided that interpretive dance complemented fake ABBA quite nicely. Not to mention, it is pretty hilarious to watch a predominantly Mormon audience chant/sing/shout along to Voulez Vous and think that the lyrics are completely innocent...yeeeah.

So I stayed up later than I should of, especially considering I had a 36ish mile relay race the next day. My team and I started at the Rexburg Temple and ended at the Idaho Falls Temple. Seriously one of the funnest days of nice life. I was the first leg, which means I got to run downhill from the Rexburg Temple. Thank heavens because goodness knows my body does not do the uphill craziness that everyone else had the joy of. Also, I may or may not have gotten lost in a junk yard for a little while... Anyway, after I passed on the slap bracelet and joined the rest of my team in the truck it was a party for the rest of the way. We would drive a little ways down the road from our runner and then sing and dance in the back of the truck until they showed up; at which point we would cheer and scream like crazy and help them along their run. We went through some of the prettiest places in the area, and ended the day with a little ultimate frisbee at a park near the Idaho Falls Temple. I owe a large thank you to my amazing and hilarious teammates, Mika, and Michael Jackson for making the day that much more enjoyable.

I think that I have mentioned this in the last few posts, but this semester one of the things I'm doing is working as a Director for Service Activities. This means that I'm in charge of 15 students and 10 service programs. It is an absolute blast and I love every second of it. Every semester we host a retreat for all of our volunteers. We go to a cabin near the Tetons and have trainings and play. This semester because I'm directing I was put in charge of planning and hosting the retreat. I was really nervous about it, but it went off really well. It was incredible to see how much my volunteers have learned in just the short time that they have been involved, and all the wonderful ideas that they have to improve their programs and the school. I was also really impressed by how much love they showed to each other and me. It was a much calmer retreat that I have been to in the past, but there were also a lot of opportunities to be taught by the spirit. It was fantastic. I am grateful to Jordyn and Jordan (yes, these are the two people I work with...they have the same name pretty much) for all the help and support they gave and for how much closer we got in just two days.

The morning that we left the retreat was also my 21st birthday. So yes, I am now legal to drink, apply/audition for reality TV shows, and participate in all forms of entertainment offered at The Strip in Las Vegas...oh, and I can apply to serve a mission too if I so choose. Anyway, for my birthday my roommates threw me a tea party. It was the most awesome thing! We had great finger food, spoke in the best British accents we could muster, and had some of the most delicious herbal tea this side of Provo. :) Really though, I had forgotten how much fun imagination games are, good choice in birthday festivities.

I went out for a little bit after the tea party and came home to some "interesting" presents. My roommates found a bunch of rocks and geology books that now belong to me, and this stray cat showed up at our door....apparently he's mine too. He's the sweetest cat in the world (and that's saying something because I'm generally a cat hater). We gave him some milk and enjoyed his company, then sent him on his way. He comes back every once in a while and repeats the experience. We've decided to name him BobJeffKnives, I'm not exactly sure why. It probably has something to do with us being ridiculous college aged girls who were way too tired when all of this was taking place.

I decided that I didn't want to hog all the rock related joy for myself, so we decided to make a delivery to one of our beloved friends, Ryan Bruce. He didn't find it half as cool as we did...his loss.

Remember how I said that I'm director for Service Activities? Well, this week was service week on campus. We encouraged all the students to utilize their activity time in Family Home Evening to do something service oriented. So my "family" and I storm cleaned apartments. We had 3 vacuums, 3 brooms, a couple bottles of all purpose cleaner, and some sponges. We would rush into apartments screaming and yelling (I seem to do a lot of that) and clean and laugh while the people who lived there looked at us wide-eyed. We cleaned 5 apartments (dishes included) as a family, and then met back up at our apartment for treats. But then half the brothers started cleaning our apartment, and the other half went to the other girl's apartment and started cleaning it. Not to be outdone we ran over to their apartment and did the same...and after it was clean we decided to rearrange all their furniture for the heck of it. They didn't find that amusing, but life goes on.

So that's life right now. I spend a lot of time doing homework, or work, or service work, or run errands for different clubs I'm in, and then I come home and party with my roommates all night long. Really, this is the life.