April Showers bring April Finals

I don't get mountain weather. Well, I guess I do. It snows all the time, no matter what time or day or month... like today. It's been doing that raining snow thing all morning, and last night.

April is the worst time to have finals. Either the beautiful weather is too taunting to ignore or the rainy weather discourages any venturing on campus to study. (Wonder why I'm blogging for the first time in over six months?)

But you know, I actually love this weather. I love the misty breath, the rain, the quiet it seems to bring... it can be so peaceful. And I will certainly miss it, so I must take advantage while I can.

Oh yeah, I'm going on a mission. :) I forget that I haven't told some people what I'm doing for the next 18 months, and they get a little confused when I tell them I'm not living here in the fall or applying to my program or getting married to anyone. ;)

I've been called to serve in the Arizona Mesa Mission, specifically the Mesa Arizona Temple Visitors Center! I report June 1st to the Provo MTC, which means I'll be in Arizona the first week of July.

And in that first week I am probably going to be fried alive.

The average temperature in January is 67 degrees, while in July it is 106 degrees. Although today, it is apparently 44 and raining.  (I'm on a weather kick, if you haven't noticed.) Getting used to the heat will be a bit of a challenge, I'm guessing... I've always been a heat pansy. (especially a humidity/heat pansy.) But to my credit, extreme heat usually = extreme sunburns for me, and I am terrified of getting more sunburns. I've freckles enough to worry the skin doctor, so the last thing I want is cancer. obviously.

Maybe you're wondering: Have you ever been to Arizona? Indeed I have. To Gilbert, actually. And all I remember is walking neck-high in a couple of lakes and being so weirded out that walking outside at midnight still felt like an oven. And the bugs were really loud.

Mesa is the 3rd largest city in Arizona, 37th largest city in the country, and largest suburb in the country, and has 440,000 people, and I could go to prison for 25 years if I cut down a cactus.

And it is unlawful to refuse someone a glass of water. So if your bladder can handle it, that's one way to do tracting... :)

How many temples are there? Well let me tell you...

- Mesa (where you will find yours truly for 18 months, and is the most attended temple outside of Utah)

- Phoenix (which the groundbreaking is waiting to be announced; maybe I'll get to go? It's only 20 miles away)

- The Gila Valley - (the groundbreaking was Feb 2009, and the dedication was May 2010. SPEEDY.)

- Gilbert (In my mission boundaries, and waiting official announcement of completion, but estimated 2013. I am crossing my fingers it will be fast like the Gila Valley Temple, so I can be a part of the open house and dedication. But I don't mind a planned post-mission trip already in the works. :)

- Snowflake. (Probably a nice irony for those living in Arizona.)

I'm excited to have this new experience! There are so many thing to think about and accomplish before then. 

... like school. (only three more days of classes!)

So in art majors, everything is almost always due the last day of class instead of the scheduled final time. Which means my next four days are trial by fire. :(  But that also means finals week should be a breeezeee...

 I suppose I better get my on head straight and keep working. 

Word of the Day: tenterhooks, \ TEN-ter-hooks \  , noun;  1. On tenterhooks, in a state of uneasy suspense or painful anxiety.

six bugs in a rug ... called Campus Plaza

Hi. Remember me?

I might not even remember myself. It has been a while since I've been 'round these parts. Long enough to have completed my 6th semester of college and well into my 7th. Long enough to experience stress, excitement, strength, weakness, courage, failure, and faith for what seems to destined as an eternal round. Called life.

I could go into lots of detail about each of those stages of development, but it sufficeth me to say only this: life is good to me, and I still have THE BEST ROOMMATES EVER. Let's talk about them for a second.

They're all beautiful. Every single one of them! I've never met such an array of feminine beauty and grace, of all different sorts. They're like a well-stocked jewelry box... pearls, diamonds, knotted twine and wooden beads, simple silver, and that random broach you found on the ground but love to death. I haven't found a jewelry box I like better.

They're all smart. Smarty-pants. But really cute, nice ones.

They're all so willing to serve. I can't tell you how many times a pair has gotten into a tussle about letting them serve the other. I can ALWAYS count on my roommates, for anything. Literally.

They're all so stinking funny. Staying in with the roomies on a Saturday night, piled into someone's bedroom just giggling our faces off is usually the most satisfactory moment of the week. But they also know how to be sincere and genuine. Deep discussions on life, love, loss, take place anytime of the day or night. We all learn and grow from each other.

But here are some things that I love about them individually.

First up: Emmanuelle Reay.

Emmanuelle, Mani, Man-you-el (my favorite version). spunky, sweet, this girl is a package of pink pixie stix. When she hits a certain time of night with a certain level of exhaustion, you never know what is going to come out of her brain. Emmanuelle loves pink and sparkles, so shopping for her is a breeze. But what I love most is her courage. I have seen her grow in so many different ways, but I am sometimes astonished at her courage. She is not afraid to do hard things, and she is not afraid to handle hard things. And even when she is afraid, which happens to everyone, she is still willing to approach. She steps up to the plate and takes what's pitched. Courage to do what is right, courage to stand up to what is not, and courage in herself to follow through with what she wants. Cowardly Lion she is not. And she's just so dang sweet.

Hail in: Hayley Heath.

Hayley, Hay, Hayberries, Haybee ... the list goes on. Here is a girl that knows how to be a very good friend. Always a listening hear and level-headed, time and time again I've been surprised with the gems of wisdom she tosses me. And then she just keeps walking like it was no big deal. What I love about Hayley is her selflessness. I don't know how often she thinks about herself more than helping others, whether she knows them or not. She could be hurting inside about something serious and will help the next person get over their minute disappointment. She's the epitome of selfless service. Hayley Heath is out to save the world, mark my words. (And I was her roommate once, don't forget it. :)

Enter: Sarah Juchau.

I am NEVER going to forget the first time I met Sarah Juchau. I was a busy RA sitting at the check-in desk,  and I asked this girl for her name. I recognized it (because like everyone else, I'd been stalking my new roommates) and pleasantly told her "I'm your roommate." Next thing I knew, she was grabbing my hand, leaping for joy, testifying to the whole world that she'd "been waiting my WHOLE LIFE to meet you!" But in reality, I've been waiting MY whole life to meet Sarah Juchau.

Always trying to become better, Sarah is an inspiration. She sticks to her standards at all costs, no matter how "silly" outsiders or misunderstanders want make her feel. What I love most is her emotional sensitivity; truly, she mourns with those that mourn, and comforts those that stand in need of comfort. She is honest in her emotions, which is not true enough of the world. It is a beautiful, delicate attribute.

Welcome the lovely Miss Rachel Bagley:

RACHEL KNOWS BEST. She's like the mom. Wisdom and discipline beyond her years, cooks like a queen, and loves to love, Rachel really understands the role of a matriarch, far better than I ever have. Her gentle disposition reels in trust from everyone age 5 to 95. Really. Everyone loves her.

 But what I love about her most is her passion. She is an elementary education major, and I am SO GLAD because the public education system has a positive future! She is so dedicated to becoming the best that she can in order to make a difference. Rachel is made from dedication. To her studies, to her family, and to the gospel. Rachel is probably the most dependable, hardworking person I have ever met. Coupled with the sweetest personality, and you've got one irresistible gal.

Last, but certainly not least... Megan Hatch.

THE Megan Hatch. That's the only way to introduce her. Megan is so many wonderful things I couldn't possibly pick one to describe to you. Confident, brilliant, beautiful, and the list goes on. But what impresses me most is how she treats everyone like her friend, and really never speaks ill about anyone.  Time after time I have seen her engage the lonely in the shadows, laugh with the solitary, and value the undervalued. Megan Hatch sees the worth in other people better than anyone I know, and treats them equal to that worth. I want to be more like Megan.

Sure, that was fairly long and took a chunk of your time. And it wasn't even about you, you say. But read in between the lines. It was all about me. These five girls have been an intricate and invaluable part of my life for the last year and a half. Every day, I become better because I have the examples of these five lovely girls to follow, watch, and learn. Once, I was their RA. That might have lasted about a day. These girls have been my leaders, and hopefully by the end of it, I'll have a part of each of them in me. There's a line where friendship ends and sisterhood begins, and I'm pleased to say we crossed that line a long time ago.

So, do you remember me? I don't. Or I choose not to remember who I was. Not that I was a bad person. But refinement is in order to better the future, not compare to the past. And how grateful I am for that.



Word of the day: tutelage: noun, \TOO-tuh-lij\ : instruction especially of an individual, a guiding influence.

Conference Time!

This weekend marks the 180th Semiannual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It means President Monson, the prophet, and the Twelve Apostles, and other leaders of the church will speak to 14 million people in 5 different sessions. It takes place in Salt Lake, and therefore, I am going. Hooray!

General Conference weekend can be described as a LDS holiday, in joking terms. If you're employed in an LDS position, most likely you'll get work off (teachers at the MTC get that off and not 4th of July... haha), it is a time for families to gather together, and Temple Square in Salt Lake is teeming with members, from literally everywhere. Aside from the actual messages, which are so spiritually enriching and refining if you are willing to let them be so, being in and around the conference center and Temple Square is my favorite part. We always try to count how many people we know, but it really is inspiring to see so many people in one place that are all trying to do the right things with their lives. It is a good reminder that the world may be going to pot, but there are people who will not let their individual circumstances and standards go with it. Morality and integrity might never make it back alive on television, or in the news, but it will always remain in the hearts and homes of millions of people, Christians and non-Christians alike. There is still goodness in the world, and there is still hope.

Here's inside the conference center, where I'll be spending Sunday morning. You can be there too, if you want to watch any of the 4 broadcasted sessions: www.lds.org will broadcast them live and you can watch from the comfort (or privacy) of your own computer. :)

... I know that this is the work of the Lord. You haven't come these long distances for nothing. It is to feed your souls.


Spencer W. Kimball, Ensign Nov. 1974, p 113

Word of the day: raconteur \ra-kahn-TER\, noun;  a person who excels in telling anecdotes.