sunflowers and hyacinths.

There is nothing better than a good friend's wedding.

Except when two good friends are getting married. To each other.

 I learned that I am terrible at taking sneaky shots. Never hire me out to be your wedding photographer. 

 Mount Timpanogos Temple 

 THESE ARE THE BEST RUSSIAN CANDIES IN THE WORLD. 

 First dance. They are so cute together. :) 

Congratulations, Melissa and Oleg! I am honored to call you both friends. And I am so excited for both of you as you start your life together!

You Know Better Than I

I have always felt a sort of kinship with Joseph of Egypt.

I don't exactly know why. Maybe it's because I also consider myself a dreamer. Or maybe it's just because I love the Andrew Lloyd Webber version of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." Both viable options. Especially the second one.

But I think one reason I love Joseph's story is because I can see myself in his story. Not because I have ever been sold into slavery or because my siblings have tried to kill me or because I have been thrown into prison unjustly.

But I do know what it's like to be persecuted for doing the right thing. I know what it looks like to have your hopes and dreams come crashing down. And I know what it feels like to be so humbled--broken, even--that all you can do is turn to God and ask Him to heal you.

Because that is the core of Joseph's story. It is a story of redemption. It is a story of how God does direct our lives, even in the most unlikely ways. And how God will mold us and shape us into who He needs us to be. Not for ourselves. But to bless others.

I've been kind of obsessed with this song lately. It's from the Joseph: King of Dreams movie. I've never seen it--I've only listened to this song. But it resonates with me. Especially the part about how even when we think we're choosing the "surest road," it can still lead us to a situation we didn't want to be in. But when we come to those situations, we can "know in whom [we] have trusted" and find the peace and comfort that God knows what He's doing and will never forsake us.

BYU Inauguration

Soooo, I meant to post this on Tuesday right after it happened, but life got in the way.

But basically, the inauguration of President Kevin J Worthen, the 13th president of BYU, was on Tuesday.

This was when the Marriott Center was filling with students. I thought I was going to be alone, because I came straight from class (and it was one of those days when I was being antisocial and was cool with sitting alone . . . because it's really not such a big deal as some people make it out to be--you can sit alone and be just fine), but then I ran into Mel! Out of 30,000 students, I got to sit by one of my most favorite people in the world. So I think that is pretty awesome.

Speaking of awesome, I really enjoyed the inauguration. It reminded me of graduation, with the professors and deans all in their robes and inspirational talks and medallions and great orchestra pieces, etc. But honestly, I am impressed with President Worthen. He seems like a down-to-earth, humble, brilliant man. And I think he is exactly who the university needs right now.

We go to the mountains.

Mountains to climb. Give me this mountain.

Last first day of school

There's something to be said about the first day of school. Especially when it's the first day of the last fall semester.

Those butterflies.

Wondering if the other kids will play with you at recess.

Or whether you'll see anyone you know at all.

Because remember this from last year?

I have friends again.

At least, I know where to find them now.

New Student Orientation

It's kind of neat seeing campus teeming with life again. Today, they are (for the most part) new students. Freshmen. With that terrified, "deer-in-the-headlights" look. Just hoping that they won't get lost and that someone will be their friend.

Those butterflies. I remember them all too well.

And now. Flash forward 5 years later. I'm on the other end. A senior. Getting ready to start my last year. The start of the end. It's so weird. But . . . it's good. Really good.

I'm glad to be on this end.

But I'm glad for the start, too.

And the journey. The growth. I am so glad that I never have to go through the experience of being a freshman again. Not because it was bad. Because that time of life is important. And I learned and grew from those experiences.

But just . . . I guess it's because it's like I'm one hundred feet from reaching the top of the mountain. The climb is almost over. And although the beginning of a climb is great because it's exciting to embark on a new adventure and it's fun to see the scenery, there are times on the trail when you wish you'd never started. And there are times when you look back and you are soooooo glad that you don't have to climb those rocks again.

I'm standing close to the summit now. But the beginning of the journey is crucial. The end--well, the end is rewarding. And just like I looked forward to the beginning, I'm looking forward to that accomplishment . . . and new beginnings, too.

nobody said it was easy, 
no one ever said it would be this hard. 
i'm goin' back to the start. 

                                         

Sufferin' Until Suffrage

Today is the 94th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment!

So, in honor of US women's right to vote, I'm including some of my favorite music videos about women's suffrage.

Like this one.



Dear, dear, Mrs. Banks. Well done, Sister Suffragette. [and yes. I KNOW that this song is about the suffrage movement in Britain, not America. But just deal with it. It's a great song. And it's about suffrage. And both American and British suffragists worked, campaigned, and went to jail to try to get the right to vote. So I feel like it's a solidarity in sisterhood kind of thing.]

Next up--another blast from the past. Enter the groovy and catchy tunes from Schoolhouse Rock. I mean, this is about as 1970s as you can get. Bell-bottoms and as many "right ons" and "yeahs" you'd ever want. And it's great.



Okay, last one. Just to let you know, it's a mixture of slightly disturbing and awesome. It's a spoof of Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" music video (which I've actually never seen--but that's what people tell me), so there are some parts that are straight up weird. Nothing too weird--I think it's hilarious and does a good job of being pretty historical accurate (that is, for a Lady Gaga parody). But if you are looking for a historical, avant garde music video that depicts the American woman's fight for suffrage in the early part of the twentieth-century, this video is for you.



Now all of these songs will be stuck in your head. Simultaneously.

The heart of life.

It's the good things that fill you up, you know?

Freshly washed-and-dried hair.
Those last days of summer where everything you do seems to matter more than it did in the middle of June.
The nip of fall in the air.
Unexpected evening conversations--the kind where you talk about some unexamined facet of life or mystery of godliness for longer than you expected to.
Billy Joel.
Perfume that fits your personality (it's a thing).
Rice pudding.
Lightning over Timpanogos.

The finer things of life.