Neopolitan ice cream

Neopolitan ice cream might now be my favorite. It's really tasty.

Working with the boys has been a bit of a challenge lately. They're hard to deal with and they're constantly being defiant and bickering with each other. Today, after a talk with Mom yesterday, things seemed to go a bit smoother. They boys and I went to see Journey to the Center of the Earth (in 3D!) and they really enjoyed it. It was kind of silly, but entertaining enough. And, I have to admit, if I were fifteen I'd have the biggest crush on Josh Hutcherson. He's adorable.

We made a list of things to do this summer. Among those things are going to Medieval times (Sam was thrilled that we're going and might come along) and creating our own super hero costumes with the aid of Joann's fabrics (I'm really excited for this one). This summer has potential to be one of the best, at least when it comes to spending time with the boys.

Away from the homefront, I'm not winning all my battles. But I'm surviving and that's what counts. Any relationship I had with Sam is now just a friendship and I'm perfectly okay with that. In fact, I'd rather it be this way. It's more comfortable.


Me and my friend Kyle at our dance competition.
I miss Idaho.

Sheer Genius

I saw the Dark Knight again (I was offered a free ticket. How can one turn down a free ticket to an AWESOME movie? Impossible.) and it was just as good the second time around. Except there was no guy to hold hands with. (though I suppose I could have held Danny Lang's hand...but that would have been more than awkward.)
This past week I've had the opportunity to hang out with an old friend, Christopher Williams. He went on his mission to Nebraska and now he's back and he has practically no friends. He hangs out with me by default. He's a nice kid, I don't mind spending time with him (since no one else is in town). I think, however, that he might be starting to enjoy spending time with me a little too much. Hopefully I can help him see that I really just want to be his friend, nothing more.

Also, I've been watching the first season of Sheer Genius on youtube. All of those shows, America's Next Top Model, Project Runway, Sheer Genius, Top Chef, they're all ridiculous. But the challenges are just so neat. I watch these shows just to see what crazy challenges the contestants will have to complete and how the end products turn out. Of course, by doing this I always end up having someone I like best and who I'm secretly rooting for. Why are these shows so silly yet so addicting?

Sunshine

Being home means I live in my sweatpants, I eat the fruit from the kitchen without worrying about how much I paid for it (because I didn't pay for it), and I spend hours on Facebook talking to my roommates. It also means that I get about 150% more sunshine than I ever got in Rexburg. I have color in my skin. More on my left arm than on my right, but still.
I went to go see The Dark Knight last night with Sam and his friend Jordan. I arrived at the theater about 25 minutes before, got my ticket, and waited for the boys. By the time they got there, fifteen minutes later, the movie was sold out. Lucky for them, I was able to trade my 8 o'clock ticket in for the 9:50 show and we went off to Denny's. Sam and his friends have some strange obsession with Denny's. They go there all the time and get massive amounts of pancakes, even if they can't eat them all. Sam made a club out of one of his french fries with the aid of the toothpick from his sandwich. Why am I even friends with him? I ask myself this constantly.
So the Dark Knight. It was awesome. Ledger's performance was amazing and haunting and disturbing but so good you can't help but like it. I'm not fond of Maggie whatshername who replaced Katie Holms as Rachel, but I wasn't a Katie fan either. I nearly bit all my finger nails off, but I managed to keep them in tact. Overall, it was fantastic. Probably better than Ironman. A lot. I think I'll see it again.

Home Sweet Home

After driving 999.0 miles (to the dot), I'm so happy to be home. I never ever want to drive from Idaho to California (or California to Idaho) by myself again. It was hot and boring. And lonely. I was, however, allowed to have as many windows down as made me comfortable and the music was allowed to be as loud as I wanted it. That also means I was allowed to sing as loudly and obnoxiously as I wanted to (and, believe me, I did sing very loudly and very obnoxiously). It kept me awake and alert. I was so excited to get to California. I even screamed in the car once I reached about Woodland Hills. It finally dawned on me that I was going home.

About an hour after getting home, I set out on another drive out to Simi Valley to visit Sam. Because I'm pathetic. Also, everyone else is out of town (including my mother and my sister, whom I really want to see). We watched the Angels vs. Redsox game with his family and looked at pictures and papers from his elementary school days. It was really nice, actually. I didn't have anything to worry about. Nothing to do. No tests or homework orproject to worry about completing. It's a glorious feeling to be thinking, "What's due on Monday? Where do I have to be on Monday? WHAT IS HAPPENING ON MONDAY THAT I'M FORGETTING ABOUT?" Then you realize that there really is nothing. Freedom.

Have I ever mentioned that I love California? I do.
I also love my cat, who doesn't seem to care that I'm home. How depressing.

One more thing. I realized today when I went to church to find out that a girl from my laurel class is pregnant that I really am growing up. My roommate from last fall got married on the 5th. The girl who is now prego got married in March. My high school friend Jeanine got married in June. I have two friends getting married in August. These are all girls who graduated in either 2006 or 2007. I feel so young! I feel too young to have so many friends getting married, and now pregnant! The women in my ward all cracked a joke about when I'm getting married. Or that I need to step it up. I'm nineteen. Why so much pressure? Although I am growing up, I'm still just a kid. Give me some time, people! I can hardly find ONE date per semester, let alone an RM to date and get engaged to. Sheesh.

Finals.

I have two more finals. They're kicking my trash. I've even given in and used that phrase even though I detest is because of it's complete Mormonish-ness.
I didn't drive to Montana with Heather and Randi last night because I needed to study. I stayed in and studied for hours.
I'm stressed out of my mind about my Spanish final. It's 1000 points. A third of my grade. It would make or break me in this class. I'm confident in what I've learned and what I've studied...but then I remember how huge it is and how many different verb conjegations there are and I cringe. Tomorrow at 10:15 I will commence the test of death.

On top of that we had white glove today. From the moment I woke up to half an hour before our check at 7 PM (with the exception of when I went to my Book of Mormon class) I was up to my elbows in cleaning supplies. I think I got high from scrubbing the tub and the toilet (even with the door open). My asthma is going insane, probably from all the chemicals now absorbed into my lungs.

After tomorrow, it'll all be over. I'll be free. And I'm celebrating by bowling at the Rex and baking cookies for Kyle.

I can't wait.

Now I'm off to study more for spanish and psychology. Wish me luck

Can't sleep

We took a long nap in the park today so I'm wide awake at 2 AM. Unfortunate.

Heather and I took a trip to the housing office only to discover that the process of getting a house approved is quite difficult. The property needs a separate apartment for a manager to live in. There are several requirments for being a manager as well. Over all, it looks like it'll be a while before we figure out the whole situation. I hope it works out.

I leave for home on Friday afternoon. That means I have four and a half days left. I'm completely torn. To the point where it's ridiculous. Mom told me time and time again that the best friends I would ever have I would find in college. Like usual, mom is right. I've made some of the best friends in the entire world. Randi and Heather and I go together like the three musketeers. The three of us got into Randi's bed tonight and watched a slide show of pictures from this semester. So many good memories.

I have a love/hate relationship with the three-track system. I love it because I don't have to be in Idaho during the coldest months. I hate it because half of the people I meet are on the opposite track, so I only see them for three months out of the year. LAME. There are so many people that I've met this semester, Randi being one of them, that I want to spend sooo much time with because I enjoy being around them, but they're on Winter/Summer. So I won't see them until next April. That's a long ways away. I'm tempted to stay during the winter. Very tempted.

And at the same time, I really miss home. Why can't there be a BYU-California? Can't all these people go to a school there?

I'm a big girl now

During Fall semester last year Heather and I fantasized about getting our own house here in Rexburg and moving out of the dorms. We discovered that you had to have an RA live with you and it would be too difficult to get it approved, so we let the dream die.
The rules for approved housing have changed.

After going out to dinner with Heather and Randi and seeing a house across the street that was for sale, Heather and I decided to go around and look at the houses that were for sale to take down the numbers and just get some info. We did. We even got th info for the house across from the pizza place we ate at, even though it looked like it would be way too expensive.

We found out that this house isn't over priced, it's getting pretty much all things new inside, and it's got four large sized bedrooms plus a study/office. After talking with Heather's dad, who would be purchasing the house, it appears that we might actually do it. We've gone to see the house twice, once to just check it out and a second time to take pictures.

We're going to the housing office tomorrow to see if it would be possible for us to get this house approved by BYU-I. If that happens, we're 90% sure we'll be living there. We're all so stoked. Out of our minds.

I feel so grown up. Heather doesn't like interacting with people very much so I've been taking charge of details and questions and such. It's a really good feeling.

Where is the stress?

Only nine days left until I leave for home.
Five more days of class. Shouldn't I feel a bit more stressed than I am? I'm finishing two classes this week. I have a dance competition on Saturday, which is as big as a final. The only class I don't have a final in is Book of Mormon, but all my other classes should have me stressed. I also have to pack up my room and move everything over to Megans room the night before I leave. I really should be getting these things done.

Last week we had a three day weekend, which we started early on Thursday (skipped on class) by heading to Island Park to camp and go boating. It was me, Randi, and Heather along with our FHE brother Max and his two buddies, Brad and Jordan (who we all call Lamkin) from the army.



Despite being incapable of setting up the tent on their own, they did come in handy out on the boat. Lamkin, Max, and I went for a run out on the tube.



The boat turned really sharp and then we saw the canoe...we were heading straight for it. The three of us bailed off but the people in the canoe stood up when our wake hit them and they over turned. Immediately all three army boys were in the water helping to turn it back over.



After that Lamkin, Max, Brad, and Randi all went out on the wakeboard. I'd go, but I've done it in the past and I'm not too fond of it. Maybe another time.



Lamkin brought his camera, so we got some sweet pictures

Brown or Auburn?

I got my hair cut today, because my layers were uneven. My hairdresser asked me if my auburn hair was natural. Aurburn? My hair is auburn? I suppose it does have a lot of natural reddish highlights, but I've never considered it auburn.
Having been told that, I went on the internet and looked up auburn hair. Yep, that's my hair color.
I always considered auburn hair to be way more red, like Miriams or Dads. I guess that is just red hair and mine is auburn, which has more brown in it.

The final stretch

Of course, as the last two weeks of school come around, I finally went on my first date this semester. I even have another two lined up. Why doesn't this happen at the beginning of the semester?

My computer is working again, after crashing for the fourth time since April. I'm holding out hope that it's done being lame, but I'm not convinced.

I want to buy fireworks...and bring them home...