tis the season.

Tis the season to.....

try new things!


Make home made cards (or if you're not as adventurous, try a card kit!)

Take a stab at making Thanksgiving dessert! this one looks fun and different.

Write someone a letter and mail it. Yes, a letter. As in snail mail.

Go Black Friday shopping if you never have. Everyone should experience it at least once.

Kiss someone under the mistletoe. (Yes, it's cheesy. But who doesn't want to do it?)

Volunteer at a homeless shelter (my family and I did it one Thanksgiving and it was actually extremely rewarding.) Click here to find one near you.

Plan your spring break vacation. It's never too early!

Ski a black diamond run.

Take hot chocolate and donuts to your neighbors and sing carols at the door.

Leave milk and cookies for Santa, even though you know the truth.



Happy Holidays!

love.

Today I fell in love. Sitting in a holiday filled Starbucks while the snow ever so graciously blanketed our little college town, I fell in love. Sipping Christmas in a cup, laughing and bonding.. I fell in love.

This love is difficult to explain to those who don't experience it, but beautiful to those who do. This love is strong, unbreakable and everlasting. This love is unique, precious and endearing.


Our love is many walks of life coming together to better understand and love each other.  Our love is creating room for mistakes and failure. Our love is encouraging one another to try harder the next time.

I fell in love with my sisterhood today. I don't know why it hit me today, maybe it was the feeling of complete comfort.. maybe it was the combination of holiday cheer and sisterly love. I think it was the feeling of being at home for the first time in a long time.

AOT

life as a road.

A year ago today I had just returned from my first visit to San Diego where I met one of the greatest families I will ever have the opportunity to meet. I thought my life was headed in a completely different direction than it is now. The idea of a new place was a haven, an escape.

Funny how things work out.


Tonight I spoke with an elementary school friend who said something intriguing, "How did we get here?"

Every experience, conversation, mistake made, heart broken, trial, friend lost or missed opportunity we have ever had in our lives have brought us to exactly where we are right now. The road of life is full of stop lights, crossroads, and road signs that are subtly guiding us to our destination. Someone or something, whether it be God or the universe, drew this place on a map for us. It is up to us to find the joy in it or choose to fight it.

This amazing place I am in now has become my haven. I feel so lucky to have found a place I am content with and set goals for myself that I am working toward, all in good time. No more rushing life.

weekend love.

An amazing weekend includes...


 long coffee dates


catching up with old friends


seeing family


discovering amazing new music


spending time with the greatest guy.

Birthday lovin!

I should be sleeping, but I'm not. #collegelife  (I really hate hash tags but I just love doing them to be funny). This week has been so crazy, the busiest yet of the semester.
Monday we had our formal meeting for Kappa Delta along with the elections of our new council. I am extremely pleased to announce that I have been elected to the position of VP of Public Relations! It may not sound like much to some of you, but I wanted it so badly! I spent hours prepping for my interview and speech. I am so honored that my sisters chose me, especially as a new member. Thank You!

The rest of the week so far has been homework, work, more homework, etc. I am really excited for Saturday, Dad's Day! All the KD dads are coming up to Logan for the football game and dinner. It should be pretty fun.. speaking of dads......



HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRUCE!!!!!!!!

 

this is the only picture I could find that was just of him..... haha

Dad- In honor of your birthday, 54 things I love about you.

I love.......

1. Your awkward face you make when you are being photographed

2. The fact that we like the same music

3. The fact that you call me "Nen."

4. How soft you get when your grandbabies are around

5. Your laid back attitude

6. Your University of Utah pajama pants

7. The fact that you dress like a tourist

8. Your driving speed

9. That you let me call you Bruce

10. That you still don't know how to type

11. when you call me asking questions about itunes

12. How you always know how to fix everything

13. Your middle name... haha- Joel.

14. Your patience with your crazy family

15. That you go along with all my shenanigans (or at least pretend to)

16. That you support all of your children

17. That you still try and speak Afrikaans

18. Your silver fox hair

19. Your awesome blue eyes (thanks for those :) )

20. That you make fun of people with me

21. That you work so hard every day for your family

22. That you always let me think I am right, even if I'm not

23. The way you say "brush a teevees"

24. That you still call all of us by our childhood nicknames 

25. On the home video where you say, "...and if you look closely, you can see a little train going by...."

26. That you're always fair

27. How you always turn the house into friggen Buchard gardens in the summer time

28. How much you give others

29.That you're always willing to take one for the team (even if it means letting me fart in the car so that my stomach doesn't hurt)

30. That you ran a marathon 

31. Your softball league

32. How much Drew loves you- and only you

33. How high tech you are becoming

34. The fact that you have facebook

35. How you never say anything bad about anyone

36. How supportive you are of PFLAG

37. How you have never once doubted my trust

38. the fact that you randomly know how to make homemade apple pie

39. How you have a cool smart phone that you never take anywhere with you

40. The fact that we are HeyTell friends

41. Your dedication to your parents

42. How obsessed you are with golf

43. How tender you are

44. The care-free and simple attitude you have about life

45. How one time you fell asleep on the toilet

46. How, when I am at home, I can always count on you to be sleeping on the couch with the TV on at about 4 am.

47. How you have bought the same pair of K-Swiss like 17 times

48. How you always seem to know about every subject I ask about

49. How you used to always say, "Yump in, Yiminees." I still don't quite understand it.

50. How much you love mom

51. How you always just know things will turn out okay

52. How little you expect from others

53. The fact that someday you'll be the one walking me down the aisle

54. You

Happy Birthday, Dad. I love you.

 

sisterhood.

White Rose Weekend is under way! I cannot even begin to describe how great it has been.
First, the new members went through second degree (part 2 of 3 of initiation). Following that, we all went upstairs and found our Bigs, and ate cheese cake under the table.. apparently long ago the active members used to make the new members eat under tables, so it's a tradition. It's more of just a fun time than anything else.

My Twin and my Big..

Last night was my favorite part!! Our entire pledge class (all 33 of us) went to Wal*mart and were forced to stay together the entire time. Everyone had to get their treats, pillow making crafts and random other things. We had to come up with a class name and "trophy" so we chose Young and Flirty, 3 and 30. Our trophy is a laundry basket full of random items that make up a "flirty" woman. I was pretty sly at walmart and snuck away to get a bunch of stuff for the basket, or else we would have been there for hours. I am pretty proud of myself for that one.

 Our pledge class.

We seriously had the greatest night ever bonding, crafting and getting to know each other more, some more than others. haha. We played "never have I ever," and well, let's just say we all learned A LOT about each other.

I cannot think of anywhere else I'd rather be at this point in my life. I absolutely love every single one of these girls. This is exactly what I was dreaming about 6 months ago and now I am having the time of my life. Who knew I'd find it in little Logan Utah?


I love you girls.. just a few short hours from now we will be actives!

Halloweenie

I hope everyone had a fantastic Halloween! Mine was pretty good. My favorite part about it was our Mystery Date for Kappa Delta. It was so much fun. I had a fun-filled Halloweekend, and now it's time to re-focus on school and finding a job :o
I hate job searching!

 

Volunteered at The Howl dance at my school! It was interesting to see all of the costumes people thought of.  I saw a white man dressed up as Nicki Minaj, a Rebecca Black, a few Katy Perry's, Some Lady Gaga's, a really cool Jack Skelington, and a countless number of Officer Dangle's.

 

Last but certainly not least. I dressed up as Brynn from Bridesmaids!

It's a Mexican drinking worm.. it's a native american symbol.. meaning "wasted."

Happy Novemba!