Tikki-Tikki-Tembo

My family has this obsession with baby names, I think.  I found this baby name book a few years ago at a garage sale and it's the best purchase I've ever made.  Maybe not the best but it was a pretty good purchase.  Anyways, I had Meredith bring the book to North Carolina for Thanksgiving so I could take it back to school with me because I missed it so much.  My uncle laughed at me for obsessing over a baby name book and then I told him to read it and he was sucked in for a good half hour.  I told you it was good!  It's not a normal baby name book, that's for sure.  Meredith was depressed that I took the book, so for Christmas she got another copy of it.  A newer edition but I'm not jealous.  Mine is the original!

The other night, Eli, Meredith and I sat in my room for an hour looking at names.  Please don't judge us.  It's quality time together.

Now I'm going to take some time to reflect upon my own name.  Abigail.  I haven't always gone by Abigail.  Through my senior year of high school I went by Abby.  For some odd reason in eighth grade I changed the spelling to "Abbi" but that only lasted a year.  Although one friend still calls me "A-B-B-I" and spells it out for me.  I decided that college was a new chapter in life and since no one knew me I could go by whatever the heck I wanted.  I could have gone by Fransisca and no one would really know the difference.  It took some time to get used to introducing myself as Abigail because the name was new to me too.  But I like it and I stuck with it.  When people asked if I preferred Abby or Abigail I would say Abigail, although for some reason I always felt a little guilty...like I was making them work more because it's an extra two syllables.  I'm over that now.

I really like my name and now it feels weird coming home and calling myself Abby.  It doesn't feel weird having people call me that because that's how everyone knows me.  But if I introduce myself to people it takes a second to make sure Abby comes out.  If I say Abigail, I get strange looks from my friends.  And I don't need more strange looks than I already get!

According to my trusted baby name book, Abigail is an old-fashioned and intelligent name.  I can live with that.

I think I'm going to call my kids their real names from the get-go so they don't have to do this whole "what should my name be?" crisis.  And I like long names.  Not Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo long but they're going to be solid.  Not like Chang.  That's just wimpy.  No offense. (If you have no idea what I'm talking about you should wikipedia "Tikki tikki tembo" or just become better acquainted with Children's literature...it's one of my favorites).

Last Christmas Zach got me a book about preparing for marriage.  This year he got me "What to Expect When you're Expecting" (Next year I think I'll get him a book on retirement...).  I'm not going return it since someday it'll be useful, but I definitely won't be bringing it to school with me.  I don't think it would look good to have that sitting next to a baby name book in my room....

Moral of the blog post: If you're ever bored, try reading 1) 100,000 Baby Names and 2) Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo.

Ode to a Dog

I regret to inform the rest of the world that our 15-passenger van, Clifford, will be with us no longer.  He died and we are choosing to not seek outside medical help to bring him back to life.  I'm not sure if he signed a DNR before he left us but my parents are just going to assume he did.

Clifford was a great van for us.  We got him back in 2001 (?) when our family expanded to five children.  My parents had the choice between a gray or red one and we obviously chose red.  We were the only large, red van in Green Bay so everyone that saw our van somewhere knew our business.

First picture I could find of him.

Clifford has caused us some problems in his life but I guess that's what happens when you become a member of a family.  On our way back from our big family vacation to Idaho and Utah, his transmission died in Idaho Falls, ID and we were towed to Blackfoot, ID.  Very long story short, we were stranded in Blackfoot for an entire week waiting for him to get fixed.

Getting Towed

Our family stranded in Blackfoot.  At least there's a park there....

 He's hauled us to Utah, Idaho, Wisconsin, Ohio, North Carolina, Niagara Falls, Georgia, and numerous other places.  He's been on high adventure, to girls camp, on a 50 mile bike ride (as the medic, of course), and to Seminary and back a hundred times.  Kings, Queens, Presidents and Prophets have ridden on his noble seats (well maybe future ones...).  When gas was enormously expensive a few years back, the pump wouldn't let us fill the whole tank because it cost over $100.

In Green Bay, about to move to Ohio.

Our family with a couple who's name was Clifford.  They wanted a picture with our license plate...duh.

I loved driving him because he made me feel powerful!  I was five heads above everyone else on the highway except the semi-truck drivers.  When the bigger car got the right-of-way it was always me.  We would turn heads, he and I, because we're just that cool.  Once I backed into a parking spot in Wal*Mart and the guy whose truck was next to me came back and inspected his truck because he thought I hit it.  Idiot.

I know I have been "changed for the better" and not just "for good."

Well this past weekend has been an emotional roller coaster for two major reasons.  I guess the best thing to do is start at the beginning...Friday morning.  

BYU-Idaho has been growing and changing for so many years now.  We celebrated our 10th anniversary of becoming a four-year university last spring.  I feel so blessed to be a part of this great work that is taking place!  I don't think you can truly appreciate it until you have experienced it for yourself.  On Friday, the new BYU-Idaho Center was dedicated and there aren't words to describe how awesome it was to be in that building during that sacred event.  The building seats 15,000 people and is modeled after the Conference Center in SLC.  

President Eyring speaking in the new BYU-Idaho Center during the dedication

One of the reasons I love BYU-Idaho is the fact that living prophets and apostles of Jesus Christ come to speak to us so often!  President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the first presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was the one to dedicate the building (as well as the addition to our student center).  In addition, we heard from Elder David A. Bednar, a former president of BYU-Idaho and current member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and Elder Russell M. Nelson, also a member of the Twelve.  I know that these men are apostles of our Savior.  They lead by inspiration and they teach us the things that He would have us know.  How wonderful it is to know that Christ not only had prophets on the earth hundreds of years ago to lead his people, but they are on the earth today!  And I have been in the same room as them so many times and heard their words of comfort, peace, and joy, along with their words of warning and caution.  

The words spoken at the dedication made me even more grateful for the university and its mission.  I didn't cry but I sure came close to it a few times.  No offense to anyone who goes to BYU but sometimes I wonder why I ever even considered going there.  I can't comprehend the things that I would have missed had I not gone to Rexburg.  It is the best decision I have ever made and I have not regretted it once.  

The people here are great.  The students, the professors, the administrators, and the community.  There have been multiple times where I've walked into the testing center to take a test and there's a few students holding a large bag of Jolly Ranchers and wishing people good luck on their test.  Last spring, during national hot dog month, the librarians had a huge grill outside the library and were giving away free hot dogs. I randomly walked up to a girl that I did not know in the library and studied bones for anatomy with her for an hour. During midterms a few girls came by in the library and gave me a cookie while I was studying.  I can't walk to a class without seeing someone I know.  I only open doors for myself half the time...if there's a guy around he'll get it for you 95% of the time.  Most of my professors know my name.  My religion professor asks about my roommates by name (that may also have to do with the fact that I roomed with his daughter...).  My Biostatistics professor shares mini-devotionals with us before class.  All of my classes start with a prayer and a few have also started with a hymn.  The list goes on and on and on and on.  I love that I go to a school where we can combine secular knowledge with spiritual.  We can read talks from old sessions of General Conference for homework in ANY class, not just religious ones...biostats, general science, essentials of human nutrition, etc.  I love that professors trust the students to do what is right and to be honest.  I love everything and can't believe how blessed I am!

I know that it's because of the sacrifices of so many people that I am able to attend this university.  Everything here is funded by tithing money from members of the church all over the world.  Many of those members live in situations where they will never see a building as wondrous as the BYU-Idaho Center, they will never see a campus this beautiful, they will never receive the kind of education that we receive while we're here.  And yet, because of their willingness to keep the law of the tithe, I am part of a select few that has so many opportunities and blessings.  I will always be indebted to them and I hope that I can make them proud as I continue on through life striving to live it in Christ's footsteps.

Saturday I again got to go in the BYU-Idaho Center for Whitney's graduation.  HOLY CRAP!!  She graduated!!!  And I am so proud of her.  She's done what so many people in this country don't or can't do.  And even better, she's going to be a teacher and feed the minds of the coming generations.  It was a hurried goodbye but that's probably for the best because I just would have had longer to cry.  

A word to the wise- don't watch Toy Story 3 the night you say goodbye to one of the best friends you've ever had.  Tears will come.  I thought I was going to be fine but of course they came even without my permission!  I think I'll be okay in a bit but it really is going to be hard not having her around this winter.  We promised each other we'd go to our weddings so I'm trying to hurry her along so I have an excuse to come see her.  Sometimes I think we think a little too far ahead.  We've already planned that our kids will get married so that we can be grandma's together...it could happen.  

After our "Wicked" performance in the ward talent show.

I tell her I love her all the time so I don't think it's really necessary on a blog.  And whoever reads this is probably sick of hearing about our random adventures.  I'm sure we'll find ways to have fun even when we're hours apart!  Although I am quite excited that I can take showers in peace without worrying that a cup of sugar or ice cubes will be dumped on me...         

PS- sorry for the font on here...it changes and I can't figure out how the heck to fix it.... 

      

Smelly Pee??

My favorite part of college life is getting to buy my own groceries.  I can choose to eat WHATEVER I want.  A blessing and a curse at the same time.  I am pretty good about eating all my fruits and vegetables and come close to death when I don't have fresh, ripe, bananas in a bowl on the counter.  Ask my roommates.  I eat at least one a day.  Sometimes I eat one for breakfast and one for a late night snack with peanut butter.  Try it.  Love it.

(The only acceptable PB to use is JIF.  NO EXCEPTIONS.)

Well two days ago I went to the store and was going through the produce section when I saw some bright green, asparagus just calling my name.  I've had asparagus once...at band camp.  And it was delicious.  So when I saw that it was on sale I couldn't resist and bought a bunch.

(I have heard asparagus makes your pee smell funny...hence the title)

I had bought a bunch about a year ago but forgot about it and it went bad before I could cook it.  This time I was determined to cook my asparagus before it rotted!  So yesterday I got online to find a recipe.  I ended up coating them with olive oil, sprinkling on a little salt and pepper and baking them in the oven.  And for a finishing touch I added some lemon juice and parmesan cheese (not my idea, thank the internet).  My asparagus adventure was a success!    

Flying High...The Legal Way

If you’ve never flown in an airplane while listening to awesome airplane-flying-music (ie ET, Starwars, Stardust (my choice of music at the moment) etc) you are missing out…big time.  And if you’ve never flown in an airplane at all you are missing out…bigger time.  I love flying.  It’s a good thing I’m not scared of it since it’s basically the only way I can get to and from school…unless I want to drive 30 hours across cornfields and the great Midwest.  How amazing is it that I can travel the same distance in 5 ½ hours?!!?  Not including a 4 ½ layover in Chicago and waiting time...  But seriously.  Today I went 1,249 miles in 3 hours.  That’s 400 miles per hour.  When’s the last time you went that fast?  That’s what I thought.  I just gained a few points on the cool scale.  

I think I gain a greater appreciation for how monstrous our earth actually is while in a plane.  You can see so far, and yet it’s only a city or two.  And at the same time, I can go “through” Chicago in less than 10 minutes.  Talk about efficient.  I’m FLYING across the United States.  Can we really grasp how significant that is?  The pioneers walked, and walked, and walked, and walked, aaaaaand walked (were you singing the song there??  100 brownie points to you if you did!), and it took them MONTHS to get where I’m going in HOURS.  And I’m landing in SLC too.  How appropriate.   

I will admit that I am a little nervous during takeoff and landing.  For some reason I always think that the tail end of the plane is going to hit the ground before we lift off.  But I am always thankful when it doesn’t.

(Side note: I can’t stop eating these butter toffee cashews I bought earlier today…they are delightful)

Think about landing for a moment.  Again, I wish I knew exactly how long a runway is, but pilots have to be pretty skilled to get us to land precisely at the right moment.  Usually, if we were a few hundred feet lower a few hundred feet sooner we’d run into the highway, or a lake, or a neighborhood.  And of all the times I’ve flown, never once has my plane missed the runway.  For that, I am extremely grateful.

I like the people I meet when I fly.  I was just thinking how fun it would be to be a stewardess.  You’d meet so many interesting people!!  You’d get some weirdoes for sure but I’d like to meet myself if I was flying.  On my flight from Minnesota to North Carolina I sat a seat away from a guy that goes to BYU.  He’d only been back from his mission 3 days before flying out to school.  And he served in Provo haha  Of course the first thing my family asked when I told them was “What’s his name?  Did you get his phone number?!”  Sheesh.  You’d think I was 30 and unmarried with all the comments about marriage I get from them…mostly Zach.  The lady next to me was probably in her late 50s.  When she asked where I was from I said “Lima, OH.  There’s really nothing there.”  Then she exclaimed “Well GLEE takes place in Lima doesn’t it?!”  Apparently she and her whole family are huge Gleeks.  While waiting for this flight I talked to a girl who is also at BYUI (and from Columbus area), an old lady who used to be a nurse and knows the person with the highest IQ ever to graduate from WestPoint, and a girl on her way back to school in Wisconsin.      

Somehow on my flight from Chicago to SLC (which I’m sitting on now) I was lucky enough to get a row to myself.  I took my shoes (well commando boots) off and spread out.  It is now pitch black outside except for the occasional lights of the cities and towns down below.  I wish I knew where we were… So far I’ve been writing for 25 minutes.  I should rephrase that.  Since I’ve started writing it’s been 25 minutes.  I haven’t written continuously as I’ve had to take a few breaks to enjoy being thousands of feet about the earth.  If we’re going 400 m/h that means I’ve gone about 167 miles during this time.  HOLY CRAP!  (That was for Whitney…I had to work her name into this blog somehow)

An hour or so later….

I met another girl on the flight who going to BYUI.  We met outside the bathroom of all places.  And inside the bathroom all I could think of was the scene from Get Smart.  If you haven’t seen that movie you should.  My siblings and I can quote the whole thing.  You’ll never look at a bathroom on a plane the same way again.  And on a similar note…Boys: Is it really that hard to remember to put the seat down? 

 

By the way, Chicago O’Hare has the coolest toilet seat covers I’ve ever seen.  It was a plastic tube that covered the seat and when you waved your hand over a sensor, the toilet would rotate the part that was showing to the back so that fresh plastic was there for you to sit on…I’m really hoping that the old stuff just gets disposed of somewhere.  I guess the only down side to them is you have no idea where your seat cover is coming from….    

     

Skull, Scapula, Patella and Phlanges (better known as Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes)

As many of you know I'm taking Anatomy and Physiology this semester.  It's been a very challenging and time consuming class as I figure I've spent at least 20 hours in the lab and library studying bones and muscles...plus studying for the lecture exams.  But it's been so rewarding!  On top of this class I'm also taking Essentials of Human Nutrition which is just a basic introduction to nutrition but I've already learned a ton in there as well.

The past two weeks in A&P we've been able to get in the cadaver labs and study the muscles on actual humans.  What a blessing it is to have those resources here!!  I can't help but feel appreciative of the people who gave us permission to learn from their bodies which is the most precious gift they have ever received.  They were each someone's mother or father, maybe they had tea parties with their granddaughters.  I'm not sure of their life stories but I'm sure they each had unique experiences during their time on this earth.  I will admit, it creeped me out the first few times I went in because they definitely used to be living, breathing people...just like you and I.  And I would look at them, then at myself, and realize all of that "stuff" was also in me!!  Holy cow!  Our bodies are amazing!

How anyone doesn't believe that God created us is beyond me.  Have they ever looked inside a real human?!  It's just a big mess of organs and muscles and fat and there's no way they could function together without a divine spirit.  There is absolutely no way that lump of gray matter in your skull could ever remember or learn anything without a divine spirit living inside.  Of course, our bodies are what houses our spirit while here on earth so they have to be amazing.  God obviously wouldn't let something so precious live in something sub-par.

And then if we think about how God created each of us to be exactly how we are, how could we ever not love our bodies?!  Sure, we should strive to be in great physical shape but if the extra 10 lbs doesn't want to come off then maybe God wanted you to have those extra 10 lbs.  In my nutrition class the other day a girl made the comment that "to think less of ourselves is to think less of God."  If we say that we aren't good enough then we are telling him that we are not pleased with his work.  Have you ever seen the seven wonders of the world?  I haven't.  But I've seen pictures.  And I've seen snow-capped mountains, the Appalachians in the fall, Niagara Falls, the oceans, sunsets galore, "spacious skies and amber waves of grain" and so many other beauties of the world that take my breath away.  God created all of those to be beautiful.  And yet, none of those are living and breathing.  Why would he spend time making our world beautiful and then not make sure that every single thing about us was perfect.  He wouldn't.  I'm sure of it.

I guess I've just been thinking a lot about this lately and felt like I should write about it.  We had an excellent discussion in my nutrition class a few weeks ago regarding eating disorders that really struck me.  That discussion led me to teach a lesson on self-confidence and womanhood in Relief Society that Sunday.  I was able to read talks on what modern-day prophets and apostles had to say about our bodies and how important they are.  Then as if that wasn't enough, last week in nutrition we got to read MORE talks on how special our bodies are and write a reflection paper on what we learned from them.  It's no wonder this has been on my mind.

I hope everyone can come to appreciate their body exactly as God created it.  Because he did create it.  He knows the hairs on your head as he knows the feathers of the sparrows.  Take some time and learn about how awesome you really are.  You don't have to study for 20 hours to learn each individual muscle and their function but you can appreciate how your body works together to make your hinges move and your food digest.

Here are a few talks I particularly enjoyed about our bodies and how special they are....
Elder David A. Bednar Ye Are the Temple of God
Sister Susan W. Tanner The Sanctity of the Body
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland To Young Women
Elder Glenn L. Pace Confidence and Self-worth
Elder Russel M. Nelson We Are Children of God (Great insight into the actual physical capabilities of the body)

Awkward-ness Runs Through my Blood

There are times in life where things just get awkward.  Sadly, I find myself in these situations quite often.  Case and point: A group of us were going to Extravadance Friday night and I hadn't picked up my ticket yet so I wanted to get there a little early.  Whitney, conveniently, had a date and he came to pick her up.  I was standing out in the cold waiting for Alexis and I honestly can't remember if he offered to give me a ride or if I asked.  I'm really hoping I wasn't dumb enough to ask for a ride.  BUT somehow I ended up in their car on the way to the dance.  How do you spell awkward again??  Let me tell you.  A.W.K.W.A.R.D.  Don't ever do what I did.  Learn from my experience.  It was only a five minute drive (less actually but we had to find a parking spot) and I felt like I should just curl in a ball in the backseat so as to not be seen or heard.  As soon as the car turned off I swung my door open, yelled a "thanks for the ride!" and bolted towards the door so they could walk in without an awkward third wheel.  It's a good thing they were already friends and it wasn't a blind date or anything.  Hey, I'm trying to look at the bright side!! 

Now on to other business.  If you didn't know, Eli and are are pretty cool siblings.  We know how to have a party.  And also how to make a "killer" music video.  The singing gene kind of escaped our family but we can act and we can edit.  Last winter, the two of us made a video for The Killer's Spaceman and if I'm allowed to brag for a bit, I think it's decently awesome.  It took us about 3 months to make, although it's not like we worked on it every day...We aspire to be on Ellen one day so if you would kindly watch it and get our views up we would very much appreciate it. 

To view the video on youtube click here!!

Or you can just watch it on my blog because I've learned how to post videos on it!

Enjoy!

Times and Seasons

The time has come.  Rexburg finally remembered it's supposed to snow.  I'm glad it forgot for a while though, and let us have a nice long "fall".  It was a good fall for Rexburg, I suppose, but I actually missed having a Wisconsin/ Ohio fall where I can wear jeans and a sweatshirt and be perfectly comfortable, where the leaves turn all sorts of colors and slowly fall to the ground, and where the slight breeze blows your hair in your face.  I should have gone to a strangers house and just raked leaves for them.  I love raking leaves!  And this time last year I also remember feeling deprived of my leaf raking.  Fall's my favorite season so when it's not absolutely perfect I feel slightly cheated.  There were a few days of "real fall" but that's the best it got.  Anyways it snowed.  And I was not prepared.  It was raining in the morning so my natural thought process was "if it's warm enough to rain, I don't need gloves!"  Halfway to my first class it turned to slush-snow and continued on until that evening.  I walked into work at noon with clear sidewalks and walked out three hours later with over an inch of slush and snow on the ground.  Heels were not the best choice that morning.

Walking between classes with a cheap, purple umbrella that kept whipping inside out and utterly embarrassing me, I wondered why the heck I was choosing to stay here in the winter when I technically don't have school.  Not like Ohio is much warmer but at least there I have a car...well half of a car...wait, Eli has his license now so a third of a car...and it's being held together by duct tape, packing tape and staples and I don't think the heat works...so basically, I have a third of a box on wheels.  Whitney begged me to come to AZ with her but I'm not quite sure I want to spend my break shelving books at an elementary school library and opening ketchup packets during lunch with flu-stricken children while she teaches all day.  But it would be warm and sunny!  

I can't believe the semester is more than half over.  Well actually I can.  It's been a long semester.  I'm ready for some of my classes (okay, ALL of my classes) to be over but I'll admit I get a little teary eyed thinking Whitney is going to be leaving.  And who knows when I'll see her next.  I guess college is all about friends coming and going and it's her time to venture into the world and make a difference.  We've had a lot of fun times though and we're going to make every day count until the very end!!  Next week we're performing in the ward talent show...basically our talent is being awesome roommates.  If it turns out good then maybe I'll let the cyber-world have a little sneak peak at why we're so fantastic...and if not, then you'll have to use your imagination to make up something even more fantastic!!!

I guess I should give a shout out to some other people as well....Shout out to Alexis who has let me sleep with Steve the last two nights!!  To Cali for having the brains to know that she doesn't know how to drive in snow...yet.  To McKenna for putting up with some really crazy roommates her first semester.  To Lexi for being able to sleep through anything and for her adorable arm squeezes.  To Jamie, Kadi, and Audra because I love and miss them.  To the Demings and little Jaden for being the cutest family ever!  To Hillary for having a talent show to humor Whitney and I.  To my Relief Society for being the best girls EVER.  And to (insert your name here) for reading my blog and being awesome!

Life is definitely good :)

Friends and Friday Night Lights

Last night was Friday night.  I went to bed at 8:00 with our dragonfly lights hung over the window, plugged in and giving our cozy little bedroom a nice, dim glow.  I was exhausted from the day so how could I not fall asleep?!  I almost felt a little bad for going to bed early but hey, I like sleep and if I don't have anything going on I am going to take advantage of not having homework due the next day!  It was a lovely evening.  I woke up around 11 and did a few things (like put on pjs, brush my teeth, the usual) but then I was back in bed by 12.  I did stay awake to see the rest of my roommates get home at one and talk to them about their days since a few I had seen for only 10 minutes that morning.  The great thing about getting to sleep early is that you can wake up early!  I was up at 7:30 this morning so I could go up to the temple.  It's quite busy on Saturday mornings and it took me EXACTLY three hours to get through...to the minute.  Three hours.  That is skill right there.

I'm currently sitting in the MC doing homework.  Well, most currently I am writing on here but before I did that and as soon as I am done, I am going to resume homework.  I didn't shower this morning so my hair is a disaster and I have on no makeup and I'm in jeans and a white t-shirt.  I love not having to dress up for work or church today.

Exciting news!!!  Remember that big bone exam I was studying for?  I took it last week and got a (drum roll please........) 104%!  Which means I got 50/50 PLUS the two bonus questions.  All those hours studying in the lab really paid off.  The only bad thing is that that was the easy part.  Now we're doing muscles and have to memorize not only the name of the muscle, but it's function and which two bones it attaches to.  Just when I thought I had accomplished something cool they lump on even more.  Back to the lab again!


Can I just rant for a few minutes about how awesome my friends are?  I will warn you, if you don't like your friends you may not want to keep reading.  I don't want to create any feelings of jealousy here...so I'll start by saying that I have awesome friends!!  Seriously AWESOME friends.  I went through a time in my life where I was relatively friendless and it was awful.  So I am even more appreciative now of the good ones I have.  My friends in high school couldn't have been better.  You guys were hard workers but always knew how to have a good time.  I was blessed with multiple groups of friends.  There were my band friends (us band geeks stuck together) and my non-band friends (who were awesome in a non-band geeky kind of way).  There were even the drama (theater) friends although they usually fit into one of the other groups as well.  No matter which group I was with, I had good examples to follow and fun times were always abundant.  I can honestly say that I miss bonfires at Kriegel's house, games at Luke's, pool parties at Olivia's, cast parties at whoever's, bus rides home from band contests with trophy's hanging out the windows, chilling at Panera, Blizzard runs, the "orange" orgy chair (am I allowed to call it that? haha), lunch with Brooke'nAlek, and every other spontaneous, happening that happened.  I think often about those times and how we were all able to have good, clean, sober fun :)  That's the best kind of fun and that's not even my opinion.  It's a true fact!

Now that I'm across the country and thousands of miles away from all of those friends, I've been able to create new friendships.  I don't do the best job at keeping in touch with hs friends but I think that's how life is supposed to go.  You'll always be making new friends and trying to keep in touch with old ones.  Just because I don't talk to my best friends from a year ago doesn't mean I don't love them.  I smile just thinking about all the fun times we had.  And I am who I am because of them.  They are what made my high school experiences so wonderful and I have hundreds of pictures (race car at Disney...nuff said :P) and memories to prove it.  No matter what happens, they will always be my friends.

With that said.  My Idaho friends are top-notch.  It surprises me how well I get along with some people and how much they can get me to open up and talk.  I'm a pretty tight-lipped person but for some reason, I tell a few people everything!  I love how my roommates can tell if I'm having a hard day and ask me if I need anything or bring me a Dove chocolate without even asking.  Whitney is the best back-rubber ever and I am certainly glad I am not a guy because it's usually frowned upon for guys to give each other back rubs.  Kadi went to the bone lab and studied with me for HOURS before my test and is a huge reason I did as well as I did.  And there are soooooo many others who literally just make me happy when I see or talk to them.  They all continue to be genuine examples to me of what I should be trying to be like.  They make me want to serve others and speak kindly.  I know they care even if we have our bad days.  I know they'll love me even if I refuse to join the ward choir or sing on Sunday afternoons because stuff like that doesn't matter.  I support them and they support me and it's a strong support system!

Now to my friends who I don't get to see or talk to for a while because they are off in foreign countries or elsewhere in the states preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.  My missionary friends!!!  I know they won't be able to read this but I'm going to express my appreciation for them anyways.  Their examples to me are more than they can imagine.  I've gone through the awkward middle school years, the "finding yourself" high school years and a semester or two of fun college with most of them.  I read their letters home and my mouth hangs open at how much they are learning and experiencing.  How many of you have friends that would give up talking to their families, watching tv, getting on facebook (or the internet for that matter), and all other "worldly" things for two years so that they could go teach people about Christ in countries they've only heard of and in languages they had to learn in a mere few months.  They are the cream of the crop as far as friends go, that's for sure!  And being at school here, I've gotten to make so many friends who have honorably served and returned and they are just as special and I hold them in the highest esteem.  You guys (and girls *cough* Kadi *cough*) ROCK!!!  

I wish I was better with words because after reading this it's not coming out how I wish it would.  But I'm thinking I need to get back to real homework so it's going to have to do.  That's life for now.  Tomorrow is going to be another busy Sunday.

Plan B

It's funny how plans change.  Especially when your name is Abigail.  Especially when your name is Abigail and you're in college.  Especially when your name is Abigail, you're in college, and you're trying to figure out this thing called LIFE.  I'm not complaining, life is all about change and I'm all for life so I must be all for change. 

So what, you may ask, has recently changed in my life that I would be so inclined to blog about it?  For starters, my plans for the coming winter months.  I've had planned out what I was going to do for the winter semester since last spring.  Sadly, those plans came to a crashing halt last week and I was left to Plan B...sadly I had no Plan B. 

It's a good thing I have an active brain and am in college where they teach me how to solve problems.  This small rubiks cube hasn't been completely put right but I'm almost there.  Basically, I think I'm going to stay in the Burg for the winter.  To work or not to work?  How many credits should I take?  Are there even enough classes that I need offered at night or online that would get 12 credits to qualify me to work?  From my initial research, all evidence points to no.  So, for the moment, Plan B has turned into taking a few classes at night, not working, focusing on being an awesome Relief Society President, going to the temple  multiple times a week, indexing, and fiilling my days with good things that don't consist of homework.  And my lovely roommate, Alexis, has decided to do something similar so we will have a blast partying it up while everyone else suffers through midterms and finals yet again. 

This is definitely not set in stone yet but I feel really good about how things are turning out.  Everything happens for a reason and I think I'm supposed to stay in Idaho (in the cold) instead of venturing to the sunny beaches of Florida.  I guess a winter tan is just not in God's plan for me this year.

Hmmmmmmm....so other random life news....
-- I went on my first blind date last night which was a lot of fun.  It's crazy how connected we are within the church.  Turns out he was in my grandparent's ward in NC and he went to their house (I still can't get over that he's been there) so my grandpa could give him his patriarchal blessing AND he roomed with my cousin at EFY one year.  I told you, crazy.
-- I have a major anatomy test this Thursday.  I should count up the number of terms we have to memorize for it...I think it's up near 400.  There's 100 on the skull alone.  Don't worry, all those years of scripture mastery and theater are paying off.  If I can memorize 300 lines for a play I can certainly memorize 400 terms.  Even if they are strange, medical words.
-- My roommates are crazy....words can't properly describe it.
-- I made cake balls this week and they were delectable!  My birthday cake for Whitney encountered a problem so I crumbled it up, mixed it with cream cheese, rolled them into balls and froze them, then covered them in melted chocolate (white AND dark!). 

Life is good :)

The Relief Society Good News Minute

  Since this is my blog I decided I can take up the whole good news minute with my good news.  And if I want, I can take more than a minute and make it the Good News Two Minutes :)  I guess the length will depend on how fast or slow you read......

*deep breath*  Here goes.

-- I got a 98% on my first Anatomy and Physiology lecture exam and then he dropped two questions which bumped it to a 101%
-- I got a 103% on the A&P lab exam.  SCORE!
-- I love my job.  I give prospective students tours of campus and answer a lot of telephones but every day is different as there seems to be an endless amount of things people can do to screw up the admissions application for the school.
-- I was called to be the Relief Society President in my student ward on campus.  We have THREE RS this semester instead of the usual two.  I'm still figuring out what the heck I'm supposed to do but hopefully it comes quickly.
-- My roommates continue to be amazing.
-- Whitney is still my friend even after me spending a week with her at her home AND living in the same room for almost a month now.  It amazing me how long we can laugh at absolutely nothing.
-- Tonight I went on a run for the first time in over a month and it felt AHHHHmazing
-- I am going on a blind date next weekend.
-- I am not baking as much this semester which in turn means I am not eating as many baked goods.  Kind of sad though....
-- I watched all four sessions of General Conference last weekend and loved them all.  I only got tired at the end of the Saturday afternoon session but still took excellent notes and will be receiving my 1 lb bag of M&Ms.
-- We had an activity at FHE tonight where a paper was passed around for each person and we wrote nice things about each other.  Nice notes always make me feel good inside...especially when one says "dateable."  Althought that was followed by "haha" so I'm not quite sure how to take it.......haha
-- I'm going back to Washington for Thanksgiving for a few days and then flying wayyyyyy across the country to see off my cousin, Kimberly, who will leave on a mission soon
-- I attended an ABBA-mania concert with Whitney...that experience could be a blog in itself
-- A "good news minute" from my roommates....I have not tried to bake black bean brownies...yet
-- I treated myself to some frozen custard this weekend
-- Rexburg weather has been fairly agreeable for being October...it was 70 on Sunday and perfect for our picnic!
-- For picnic (see comment above) I made pulled pork sandwiches.  They were super easy!  I got up at 5:00 am and stuck 3 lbs of pork loin in the crockpot, poured a 20 oz bottle of root beer over them, turned it on low and went back to bed.  After 6 hours of cooking I pulled the pork and dumped in a bottle of BBQ sauce, let it heat a few minutes and it was ready to serve....best part was that we had leftovers and I can have it for lunch for the rest of the week :)
-- I had my eyebrows waxed for the very first time (thank you Jamie)
-- I'M GETTING MARRIED!
-- I have lots of inside jokes with my roommates...see above comment for one prime example.
-- Whitney has not pulled any more shower escapades
-- I have many friends that are serving missions for the church all over the world and I am blessed to know such great guys with the desire to serve and work hard
-- I get to share clothes with my roommates...although I think they wear more of mine than I do of theirs....
-- I get more backrubs here than at home (don't worry, not from boys)
-- I am illness free
-- All of my bones are whole and in the right locations
-- I went to the farmers market across the street and a very attractive BYU-Idaho student sold me some yellow pear tomatoes.
-- I have a lovely bed that is calling to me at the very moment so I think I will retire there for the night and start a crazy Tuesday tomorrow.  If I were going to make a "bad news minute" one of the first things would definitely be that my classes start at 7:45 or 8:00 EVERY morning and my professors are not the cancelling class kind of professors.

Before I start ranting about other things I think it would be wise for me to end this note.  Life is good :)

Food for Thought...or Cleanliness.

College is crazy.  I guess that's why I love it.  I think Whitney and I may have scared our new freshman roommate, McKenna, the moment we walked into the apartment.  It wasn't entirely our fault.  We had just been in a car together for 12 hours and the last hour we couldn't get a good radio station and both our ipods had died so all we had to occupy our thoughts was the sound of our own voices. 

But on with the real story....

After a long, hard day filled with classes, homework, work, and fhe I went to take a nice, hot, and relaxing shower (well first I had to clean out the hair-filled drain which is an entirely different story...I think that it makes up for my lack of doing dishes so far though....).  As I stood, enjoying the hot water I catch a glimpse of something behind me.  (Now you must know that one of my biggest fears is that I'll be in the shower and some creep-o-weird-o will appear behind me and cut my throat like in a horror movie).  I turn around and find a bright red cup dangling in the shower and scream!  WHAT THE HECK?!?!  It took me a moment to realize it was indeed a harmless cup and not a serial killer.  My eyes then darted to the top of the cup where I saw a small hole in the top and a piece of string (so I thought) connecting it to a pole like a fishing rod, which then went out the door.  When I looked in the cup I found, to my delight, two slices of a fresh green pepper I had cut up earlier in the day!  A snack for the shower, how thoughtful!!! 

I took my slices of green pepper, thanked whoever was outside the door, and tossed the cup back over the side of the shower and continued showering.  How's that for crazy? 

After getting out I confronted Whitney about the whole thing and heard her whole story which was hilarious.  She poked a hole in the cup with a pen, used floss as string and attached it to our kitchen mop.  I'm glad in her 22 years on this earth she has honed such useful skills. 



I had her recreate the scene :)



My view....



College is Crazy.

Dragonflies, Cute Butts, and a Lame Island Adventure

Well summer was a slight bummer.  I really like school and it's no secret I have ill feelings for Ohio so I was grateful to get out a week early and venture to WASHINGTON to stay with my roommate, Whitney! 

I shall start my documentation of this adventure at the beginning...the airport.  First, I left my phone in the car and literally had to run out of the airport to the car.  Luckily my dad hadn't pulled out yet.  Because of this, I broke the number one airport commandment: Don't leave your luggage unattended.  It's a good thing no one asked if anyone put something in without my knowledge because I wouldn't be able to answer completely honestly. 

I'm kind of a window seat girl and was excited to actually have one this flight.  As I made my way to the back of the plane I saw an old Indian lady sitting in MY window seat.  I decided right then and there to do my good deed for the day and took the middle seat without trying to sit by the window.  Had she tried to close the window shade, this story might be much more exciting than it is as I would have fought her...maybe.

Now, I have been in Washington before but that was quite some time ago...obviously I don't really remember it...

(from my scrapbook....)

My dragonfly!  It still has to be slumped into a tray.

I actually didn't do any mountain climbing this time, but I did do some new things!  Such as stained glass!

grinding the pieces into the right shape

Whitney and I went and saw a lot of beautiful places around her home.

In Lake Stevens

Seattle

Deception Pass

On Wednesday I went to Seattle with Whitney and her mom.  We had such a good time!!!  They took me to Pike's Place which was awesome.  I have decided I'm going to move to Seattle some day just so I can go there everyday to buy my produce.  They had the prettiest fruits and vegetables that were all fresh!  I wished we were leaving for Rexburg the next day so I could load up but alas, I settled for a pint of raspberries and we bough a peach from a very nice gentleman.  He even washed and cut it in half for us so we could eat it right then!  For all you Sleepless in Seattle lovers, Pike's Place is where Sam and his friend are walking down the road talking about cute butts...I meant to take a picture of my butt there but forgot (yes, I know you are all thankful for that!)

Seattle

"He has a cute butt.  Where have I heard that recently?"  "Everywhere.  Even on the news women are talking about cute butts"

FOOD!!!!!

Probably the most disgusting part of the entire trip was the gum wall.  Walking away from it I just felt like I had gum all over me.  We're lame though and forgot gum so I didn't contribute anything to the degredation of the environment.  You're welcome Al Gore.

I swear I'm not actually licking anything although it looks otherwise....

Another street in Pike's Place

My mom has always told me that I should get a job being a live statue somewhere so when I saw this guy I just had to get a picture with him!  Afterwards, I told him my life aspiration was to be just like him and a guy walking by laughed at me.  I think that's an insult to the statue...

Thursday night we took a ferry ride to an island to watch the sunset.  Sounds like a good, fun time right?  Wrong.  Well it was good and fun but the ferry ride was way more fun than the island.  We realized (after we got to the other side- carless) that there was nothing-- nothing-- to do.  So we did what all kids our age do when they're bored...take pictures of themselves. 

goofing off on the ferry ride

<>

I have a slight obsession with Whitney's glasses

We found a phonebooth.....

Friday we spent the day at her grandparents house.  They were so funny!!  We played skip-bo, hand and foot, hillbilly golf, and just sat around and listened to stories.  That night we went to Deception Pass with her cousin for a scenic little view and hike.

We might be slightly crazy but that's what I love about us!!  We are comfortable in our own skin and don't get embarrassed easily...especially infront of each other.  One week ago I couldn't wait to get back to Rexburg to go to school and now I'm not so sure.  I love Washington.  And I still love Whitney and can't wait to room with her this fall.  Her dad asked if this weekend ruined the next three months but it definitely has not!!  We've had tons of fun times (many moments of laughter not noted) and I'm sure our 12 hour drive to Rexburg on Monday will be filled with even more hilarious moments :)

No Cavities!!

-Taking a shower
-Exercising
-Eating healthy
-Getting my teeth cleaned
-Standing in line for roller coasters

All things I hate the thought of and act of doing, yet I feel so good once they're behind be.

How to Creep a Girl Out 101

ATTENTION ALL BOYS. If you're looking for a quick way to make sure a girl doesn't like you, I would like to offer a few suggestions...

0) Talk to her about your lack of life goals. Make sure she knows you graduated high school seven years ago and have no intentions of graduating college soon.
1) Follow her everywhere. And I mean EVERYWHERE. Always be five steps behind her. If she goes in the lake, so do you. If she gets out and goes to sit on her towel, follow her up the sand and sit at the foot of her towel. I'm sure she'd love to sit and chat.
2) Keep following. If she goes out on the lake in a canoe with a friend, grab a canoe!
3) Offer her your hand. It doesn't matter if you haven't talked to her before today. I mean, what girl doesn't want to attach herself to you and stroll on over to the slide. Maybe she'll even let you catch her at the bottom.
4) Speak up. Who cares if you've never said a word in Sunday School before. Make sure she knows you're there and answer every question and volunteer to read every quote.
5) Sit by her at every opportunity. If you get into a room first you might have to wait a bit to see where she will sit. If you see her friends sitting try to stand in that general area. Girls usually sit with their friends. Don't be discouraged if she makes a roommate get up and move over a seat so she wouldn't be on the end. It's probably because the other roommate gives better back-rubs and has nothing to do with you making your way down the isle.
6) Breathe really loud. The gruffer your breathing is, the more attractive you become. It's especially impressive if she hears you and someone is sitting between you.
7) Since you didn't get to sit by her this time make sure you try again! You know the saying "if at first you don't succeed...try and try again!" This is to become your new life motto.

Of course all of the guys I met out at school are awesome and none of them would ever do something like this to me *cough**cough* I am definitely not pulling ideas from personal experiences. I just happen to have a very vivid imagination. Maybe one day I'll write the next "Harry Potter." With that said, I am extremely grateful for all of the friends I've made this past semester and for the wonderful examples they are to me. I don't know how I get so lucky.

*Any similarities perceived in this note to actual people, dead or alive, is purely coincidental and should not be taken as fact*

So Many Firsts

Goodbye Rexburg, hello Ohio...well in a few hours. I'm currently at my roommates house waiting for my 2:00am shuttle to take me to SLC so I can catch an 8:00am flight to Houston then on to Ohio. It'll be quite a long day as I won't arrive in Dayton until 5:00pm. But I LOVE flying so it shouldn't be too bad...except that I have an stinkin' isle seat instead of a window :( Oh I lead such a hard life.

This past week has been a blast filled with "firsts" for me. Wednesday, I got my first 100% on a final. Thursday, I went boating for the first time and tried wakeboarding. I did not, however, actually achieve wakeboarding status as I never got too far out of the water. It was a fun experience despite the extreme soreness in my arms and back and multiple bruises on my hands and legs. Thursday was also the last day of my first year of college. Friday, I rode a motorcycle for the first time...and lived to tell the tale. Saturday I visited the sand dunes for the first time. And Sunday I took a nap in a hammock for the first time this year.

Life is good :)

The End of an Era

Sadly, this semester is coming to an end. And boy is it going out with a bang. Since I practically forgot I had a blog (lame, I know) I'll quickly update everyone on my life's adventures...

The University Band (in which I play alto sax) had a fantastically awesome concert entitled Patriots and Pioneers the week before the 4th. It was so amazing that I bought a CD for myself (to be passed on to my parents), both sets of grandparents, and my high school band directors. To see one song that we performed you can check youtube.com and search Aaron Pike, God of Our Fathers and I think it'll come up. That Saturday (the 4th of July) the band had the opportunity to travel to Huntsman Springs in Driggs, ID and play at their 4th celebration. Glenn Beck was the speaker that night and I got my picture with him backstage before the concert. Cool beans huh?!

Now, in the last week of school (aka finals week), I am working hard by studying, writing papers (which is what I was in the process of doing when I decided to update a blog...), taking tests, cleaning, and packing. Yeah, you can imagine the fun I'm having.

I GOT A JOB!!!!!!! Basically the highlight of my week. I am a part of the Student Ambassador program on campus that gives tours to prospective students this semester as a volunteer but in the fall I will come back as a PAID director. It will be a TON more work (20 hours a week at least) but I'm so excited!

Well my paper is calling me and my conscious won't let my type any more so I'm going to peace out for the evening.

I'm only a click away

I've been thinking of starting a blog for a few years now. I don't know what's stopped me since I lead a fairly exciting life. Simple, but exciting. Well mostly exciting. I guess it's all relative since my "exciting" Friday night of a three-day weekend, at college, is composed of creating a blog while sitting in my apartment on a dirty, old couch listening to itunes and wondering why flats make my feet smell so bad.