She Walks in Beauty

Spring is here.

It’s so beautiful—the rain-bright days, the cool breezes, the flowers blooming everywhere, the sun-warmed grass . . . ah. I am in love.

On Sunday, Sharisa and I went around campus and just gloried in the miracle of spring.

This beauty greets me every day as I go to school. 

Rain-kissed petals 

 Campus = so beautiful! 

 One of my favorite trees on campus.

 Unlike T.S. Eliot claims, April is not the cruelest month (for me, anyway). 

 See? April makes me happy. 

 "For the temple is a house of God; a place of love and beauty." 

 These flowers smell so good! Does anyone know what they are called?

 Bright, happy flowers touched with yellow gold. 

 Hello, Moroni!

 Breath-taking clouds and view of the valley. 

 Avenue of Blossoms 

I live in such a beautiful place. 

Happy Springtime! 

***Tangent Alert!*** In other news, today is Patriots' Day—it’s the 236^th anniversary of the Shot Heard ‘Round the World. So . . . Happy Patriots' Day!

This is me two summers ago at the Minuteman Monument. Concord, Massachusetts. 

This is the Old North Bridge. Concord, Massachusetts. 

Procrastinator's Dream

One of my friends posted a link on her Facebook page to this delightful "click square, make music" thing. It's wonderful. A wonderful way to waste time during Finals week.

I wish I could put it on my blog, but alas, I don't have Tumblr so I can't.

But you should follow this link, you really should. (Unless you're prone to epileptic seizures, then you really shouldn't.)

awesomesquaremusicthingyofincredibletimewastingentertainingamazingness

It's like bubble wrap, but with music and LIGHTS.

Endless entertainment for the easily entertained.





like me.

What I Do For Fun

. . . or, at least what I did this weekend.

-- General Conference! Yes, dear reader, General Conference is a wonderful time for three main reasons: 

1) Getting to hear the living prophet and the apostles speak.  

2) Going home 

. . . and having your mom take you to a secret place for lunch . . . only to find out that that secret place is CULVER'S, your most favorite fast food restaurant ever, and they just opened one up in Utah. They have the best custard. Ever. And the best lemonade coolers. Mmmm . . . my taste-buds were very happy. 

Note: Culver's is primarily a Mid-west franchise, so my family goes there every time we visit Kansas. But they finally opened one in Midvale, Utah! Excitement. 

3) Ladies' Night! This year, I went over to Jen's house and watched "The Importance of Being Earnest" with some Cambridge gals. Fun fun fun. 

-- Write poetry. Yes, I've been on a poetry kick for the last week. Maybe I'll post some here. But more likely not. I'm kind of touchy about my poetry. We shall see. 

-- Ice cream outings with dear friends. 

Ice cream is seriously one of the pillars of life. 

-- Singing "Horch was kommt von draussen rein" all over the apartment. It's one of the catchiest songs I've ever heard. Somewhere in between "Song That Never Ends" and "Master of the House," except a lot bouncier and so folk-songy. Can't you just see me singing that song up and down the Alps? Or at least up and down Y Mountain? If you know me well enough, can't you just see me singing it all around the house? Yeah, I thought so.

-- Playing dress-up. We Cambridge girls had a bridal tea party for the girls in the group who are getting married. So classy and tons of fun. Okay, so I didn't do this this weekend, but the pictures are up now, taken by the lovely Michele. Take a look: 

                                          Hats make me feel silly and sophisticated. Simultaneously. 

                                                               We're all pretty cute. 

                                                     Feelin' pretty classy.

                                          

                                        Why yes, yes I do drink lemonade with my pinky up. 

I've had quite a lovely time the past two weekends. 

(Even if I am going a bit crazy at the moment, singing German folk songs at the top of my lungs. Don't laugh.) 

Night Off

Do you ever have those days where there's so much to do, but you don't know where to start and so you end up not doing anything at all?

Today is one of those days. 

I could be improving my final papers for English classes. 

I could be studying for German. 

I could be preparing a German presentation on Theodor Strom. 

I could be running. 

I should be getting ready to register for classes at midnight. 

But I'm not going to do anything of those things. Not now.

Instead, I'm going to lay down on my bed, write a blog post, and then listen to music. And maybe read. Yeah, reading sounds good. 

And I'm not going to feel guilty about it. 

Rise and Shout

Oh, yes.

Sixteen is sweet.

Especially when BYU is in the Sweet Sixteen!!!!!!!!

First time since '81, baby.

It's about time.

Rah, rah, rah, rah, rah! Gooooooooooooo . . . COUGARS!!!!!!!

A Year Ago

. . . I went to my first Cambridge prep class.

It was exciting for me, but I had no idea how much the summer in Cambridge would change my life. 

More importantly, I didn't realize how the people I met because of Cambridge would change my life so much.   

Last night, I went to a banquet where Carole Mikita, the religion correspondent for KSL News, spoke. She talked specifically about God opening doors for us, our responsibility to open doors for others, and how God usually opens those doors for us through other people. 

Cambridge was one of those doors God opened for me.  

Thank you, all of you, for being my friend in some way or another. 

Wow. It's amazing the change a year can bring. 

I hope and believe it's for the better. 

3.14159265 . . .

It's Pi Day!

March 14th.

3.14.

Get it?

I thought you would. :)

On Pi day, I like eating pie. Duh.

So yesterday, my roommate and I made Swedish apple pie. And it's delicious. We also had pumpkin pie. Yum.

Happy Pi(e) Day.