Alice > Anne ....maybe

About Anne (of the Green Gables variety), Mark Twain said "[she is] the most delightful child of fiction since the immortal Alice."  Well ladies and gentlemen, we are about to see if it's true.  My 14 year old sister, Meredith, just landed the lead role of "Anne" in the community theater's production of Anne of Green Gables.  Four years ago, I was privileged to play "Alice" in Alice in Wonderland at the same theater.  It was a daunting task as I had multiple pages of monologue, 2 poems, a short song and over 300 lines to memorize.  I'm not saying that my character is better than hers, but maybe I am.  I actually can't say anything because I've never read the "Anne" series and have no idea what it's actually about.  I'll be home on break during the run of the show so I guess I'll pass my judgment then.  

It's Alice with Alice! -- Magic Kingdom, Winter 2008

(Insert famous Cheshire Cat line here)

"It's a poor sort of memory that only works backwards"

"I haven't the slightest idea!"

Please pass the Afrin

Ugggggggggggg.  Being sick is no fun.  Especially when all it is is a sore throat and stuffy nose.  The rest of my body is in tip-top shape and I'm ready for the day!  Too bad I can't stop sniffling...

I missed a fun dinner out with our fhe brothers.

I haven't been to the gym since Saturday.

I haven't been out of the apartment in more than 24 hours.

I'm still in my pjs at 11:00.

I thought I could make it through the night without Nyquil...woke up thrice to blow my nose and had to go in the hall so I wouldn't wake Alexis up.

I actually watched a movie all the way through (not a bad thing I guess).

Okie Dokie, I'm done complaining now.  At least I don't have real classes to go to.

President to President

On Saturday I had the opportunity to listen to and be trained by Sister Julie B. Beck, Relief Society General President for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for four hours.  The first meeting was from 10:00 to 12:00 and was open to women from 45 stakes around the area (Let's pause for a second and think about this.  45 stakes were invited.  The farthest anyone had to travel was 90 minutes.  We're definitely not in the midwest anymore....).

The meeting was conducted as a question and answer session so it was interesting to hear her responses to questions she had no time to prepare for.  I don't think I learned any new, huge, spiritual thing, but I did come away knowing I need to work on being patient with people.  She handled some of the questions so gracefully when they weren't exactly the types of questions she probably wanted to be answering.  And if a person asked a question that was fairly personal, she was able to reword it so that she could answer for an entire group of people.

The second meeting was a much smaller group (still a few hundred).  Those invited were limited to ward and stake RS presidencies, bishops, and stake presidents.  It too was question and answer.  She talked mostly about the new handbook and questions we had regarding it.  It was really open for discussion and I even made a comment!  I mean, how many times are you in a Q and A with a member of the general board and have the opportunity to answer a question!?  At the risk of sounding completely crazy, I went for it.

It's a strange feeling to realize how much of an influence this woman has on the entire world.  Here at BYUI, I am the Relief Society President for about 40 girls ages 18-25ish.  Sister Beck is the president for MILLIONS of women from numerous cultures, lifestyles, and age brackets.  It would be a responsibility far greater than I can imagine.  And yet, she can take the time to visit the women of southeast Idaho and stand for hours to teach, and then another 30 minutes afterward meeting and hugging young presidents like myself.  

Alexis's mom was actually in charge of the whole event so after the second meeting we got to meet Sister Beck and get a hug and a picture!  I just pretended like I was part of the Peterson family for a few hours.  No big deal.

The Peterson girls plus one...and proof that cardigans look good no matter your age!

My Umbrella-ella-ella-eh-eh-eh

Good deals make me happy.  Especially when it was something that I was planning on getting anyways!

BYUI had its Lost and Found sale this week and Alexis and I stopped by.  We got there 10 minutes early and there was already a line all the way down the hall.  You have to get in first to get the good stuff I guess.  We finally got in the doors around 2:10 and there wasn't a ton of stuff left.  I really just wanted a pair of sunglasses but not too many people lose them in the winter months...weird.  

Then I saw it.  It was $2.  My umbrella-ella-ella-eh-eh-eh.  Now I'm under my umbrella.  Well I'll be under it as soon as it rains....

You should watch...

 GLEE's "Singing in the Rain/ Umbrella"

and...

the original "Singing in the Rain"

"Admitted"

Time flies when you're having fun...or so I'm told.  I guess I believe it too.  Believe it in a non-physical way because I realize time can't actually speed up or slow down no matter how slow some class might seem to take or how fast a 20 minute nap goes by. 

The past few weeks, anxious seniors have been getting accepted to colleges and universities across the country.  Reading all of their excited status updates on facebook takes me back two years when I was doing the exact same thing.  I'm a tad jealous of some of them who knew where they wanted to go and as soon as they got accepted were able to jump for joy and tell all of their friends.  I feel for the ones who still haven't decided because that's exactly where I was.

The question for me was never "if I get in" because I knew I would.  It was always deciding which one to go to.  I actually didn't make up my mind until the morning I would have had to register for housing at BYU.  It was the first thing I needed to do as a new student and being the procrastinator I am, I took full advantage of the time leading up to that date.  Choosing to come to BYUI has been the best decision of my life.  If you don't believe me, just read past blog entries because I feel like a brag about here all the time.

First Semester

 I've learned a lot since coming to Idaho and seeing what I've learned kind of makes me happy.  I probably would have learned many of the same things at any university and met other awesome friends and had a different amazing bishopric but I'm content with what I have.  Sure I've learned random bits of information that will help me in my future classes and future career, but I've also learned things about myself and my character.

Since my room was never the cleanest growing up I always wondered what my future home would look like.  Well, I can say with 100% confidence that it will be clean.  I've learned that I enjoy a clean bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom.  I don't like dirty dishes in the sink, I don't like hair all over the floor, I don't like crumbs on the counters, I don't like dust on the shelves, I don't like socks on the floor; I like my bed made, I like my cupboards straight, I like the dishwasher full, I like fresh flowers on the table, and I like coats hung in the closet.  And while I think I always appreciated these things growing up, I never wanted to put in the time or effort to make them that way, so if things weren't clean it didn't matter too much.  Now, I straighten my room once or twice a week so I don't go crazy, if my bed isn't made I feel like a slob, and if a shelf is getting dusty I whip out the Pledge.  Yup, it happened just like everyone said it would.  I've started to turn into my mother....Thank you college.

Working out is fun?!?

Biked 14 miles.  Ran 2.

Yup.  That's what I did today at the gym.  I've actually come to enjoy going to work out every day.  On Saturday I biked 10, ran 3, and lifted weights for a bit (well, did weight machines....).  The school has a "Lazyman Ironman Triathlon" going on right now where you have to run 26 miles, bike 112, and swim 2.7 during the month of February.  I'm not exactly a swimmer but I decided to tackle the running and biking.  As of the 21st I have run 24 and biked 78.  For a while I gave up on the biking because I find it rather boring but I've decided that I should finish what I started.

Lauren introduced me to these science-y podcasts called RadioLab and they're very informative.  I've decided that I can bike and run longer if I listen to them instead of music.  Once I've listened to all of them I'm going to start listening to books.  That way I'm actually learning while working out!  I'm a genius sometimes.

I CAN TOUCH MY TOES (without bending my knees)!!!!

It's amazing how much more flexible I've become since I stretch after every workout.  Doctors have been telling me for years that I need to have a daily stretching routine so that I can be more flexible since I'm pretty pathetic in that area.  Now I know why.  Doctors are kind of smart I guess....

I almost forgot I GOT NEW RUNNING SHOES.  I had Asics GT-2140s (got them two Thanksgivings ago) and since I like them I decided to just get the newest version of them, the GT-2160s.  It was so much easier at the shoe store because I already knew that I liked them so I tried a pair on for a quick test and then after calling my dad to check Amazon for any cheaper ones I bought them.  I was in the store 10 minutes.  It was beautiful. 

Farewell, Sister Kadilyn!

By now I'm used to the guys leaving.  I've heard since I was twelve, and moved into a ward with eight boys my age, that one day they would all turn 19 and leave on their missions and I would miss them.  It took quite a while for me to believe it but, needless to say, it's true.  I've been preparing myself for years for the time when I'd be the only one left, when I'd go back to my home ward and wouldn't have any of them to sit next to in Sunday School or joke around with.  Sure, I miss them tons but I've always known it was going to happen.

On Wednesday my old roommate Kadi left on her own mission to Tempe, AZ and I couldn't be more thrilled for her.  I met Kadi in the fall of 2009 in a cooking class here at BYUI.  We didn't sit next to each other in class.  We weren't kitchen partners.  Heck, our kitchens were on the opposite sides of the room.  And yet, she would come and talk to me every once in a while at the beginning of class, or even during class.

One day I was talking to her about my plans for future semesters and brought up that I wasn't sure where I wanted to live in the Spring, just that I wanted to get out of the dorms.  Enthusiastically, she said "Come live with me!!"  I barely knew this girl and she was inviting me to come live with her!  But as I would soon learn, that's just the kind of person Kadi is.  We continued to talk every once in a while in class but I don't think I ever had more than a five minute conversation with her.  Then one day she invited me to a pool party at her roommate's house in Rigby with their apartment and her fhe brothers.  (just imagine being a first semester freshman and getting invited to a pool party at some house you don't know by some girl you barely knew...well some people might find that fun but not me!)  So I made up some excuse as to why I couldn't go.

Funny thing is, a few of those guys at that party would become my fhe brothers in the spring and some of her roommates would become my closest friends...all because of Kadi.  Obviously I did end up coming to live with her and I met some amazing people.  I found out later that Alexis (who I now room with) thought Kadi was crazy for 1) inviting a girl she barely knew to the party and 2) inviting a girl she barely knew to live with them.

I know Kadi will be an amazing missionary because she will talk to anyone and everyone.  I was quite surprised when I found out she had turned her papers in but so excited for her!  It's been hard to see her leave since I only had a few months to prepare myself instead of a few years but she's doing a good thing and will grow so much from the experience.  I can be honest in saying that there's a slight hint of jealousy inside me that she gets to have this adventure, but everyone takes different paths in live and only time will tell whether or not mine will lead me to the far corners of the earth.

Roommates Spring 2010

A roommate date!

When she opened her mission call

Last time seeing her :(