11/11/11 :D

So on this wonderful day... for the most epic wishing opportunity ever... we decided to have a bonfire in Provo Canyon! It was so much fun! We got back at around 1:00 A.M. we were just having so much fun! The fire was super smokey, so we all smelt wonderful! I have everything I was wearing in plastic sacks (to prevent the smell from spreading) until I get a chance to wash everything. But even my phone smells smokey (but not from putting it in the microwave... like someone else I know) and I can smell it when I talk on it. This was definitely a day I will always remember. Below are some pictures of our wonderful adventures.  :)

 This is the majority of the people who were there. 

(I'm standing to the left of the girl with the white and red scarf)

 Whitney, Shelby, Me, and Megan at 11:11 :)

 We made smores...

 and we sang songs!

Two Peas in a Pod

Happy first week of October! There is snow on the top of the mountains here! It also snowed for a little bit on campus, but none of it stuck. It's supposed to warm back up to the 60's next week which will be nice. It is also Homecoming week! :) However, this started off like a very normal week. Lots of classes and a test here or there. I didn't get asked to anything to do with Homecoming... but that is perfectly O.K. with me because from friday at about noon my week got a whole lot more interesting! My cousin Emily came for a visit! 


She got here after my first class in the morning. She came to my next two classes with me and we spent an hour in the bookstore. That night we went to Wendy's (about a 2 minute walk from my dorm... during which we almost got hit by a car thanks to Emily's guidance) and had dinner before going to the "Homecoming Spectacular" show in the Marriott Center. It was a really good show! They had Brian Stokes Mitchell (known for his acting on Broadway) and many of the BYU dance companies, the philharmonic and the BYU Men's Chorus all perform. After the show we went to one of Emily's friend's apartments and watched a movie. After Emily and I returned to my dorm room, we stayed up until 6:30AM just playing card games and talking about random things. (My roommate was in Salt Lake with her family for the night, so we didn't need to worry about keeping her up) We woke up and just hung out in my room until we went out to dinner at Costa Vida (like a 5 minute walk). After dinner we went to the Football game (which we won!) Saturday night we only stayed up until 3A.M. playing games. Sunday we went to church and hung out around my building. I love having her here so much! She'll be here until Tuesday morning. So tomorrow she gets to go to class with me (if she wants) and enjoy living the life of a college student! Luckily I don't have class until 11 tomorrow. :) 

 Football game

 Emily at the football game

me, and Emily in my room

 
I love you and miss you all LOTS!
<3 Katie

General Conference Weekend :)

This week I had midterms. I had I test in my physical science, music101, and Book of Mormon classes. I also had an essay due. One every day Monday through Thursday. I was so happy to not have anything big to do on Friday! This next week I have two more tests, but they should be easier than the ones I had last week.


Friday night I got together with my brother-in-law Brent for dinner at the cannon center and then we went to the football game. BYU came from behind for a very dramatic win in the last minute of the game. It was a lot of fun getting to spend time with Brent. :)


I spent all day Saturday with 5 girls on my floor. (Megan, Whitney, Shelby, Emily, and Lydia) We had our meals together at the cannon and watched both sessions of General Conference in the basement of our building. Then we got together later that night with some guys in our ward. We headed over to the Tanner building and watched the movie RED on one of the projectors. We left the Tanner at about midnight. On our way back to our dorms we ran through the sprinklers that were going in the area between all the dorms and the cannon center. I got soaked! After we were done doing that we played missionary tag in the sprinklers. That was so much fun because we were all slipping and falling everywhere on the wet grass. We played until about 1 in the morning. It was so much fun!!!! :D

 Some of the friends who got together to watch the movie

 Me, Daniel, and Emily

Me, Megan, and Whitney

Today the same group of people who were playing tag last night got together for breakfast and the morning session of General Conference. Right after the morning session I went over to the Todd's for dinner/lunch and watched the final session of conference with them. Tonight I am looking forward to tunnel singing! :)


General Conference was so wonderful! I loved getting to watch all four sessions and take some great notes. I especially loved Boyd K. Packer's talk, and Tad Callister's talk. Not to mention the announcement that there is going to be another temple in Provo! The girls and I were all very happy when they announced that. :)


Hope you are all well. I love you so very much.
<3 Katie

Rivalry Week

Hello all! Yet another week has come and gone. And with so many fun things!

Last Sunday I went to a CES Fireside where Elder Oaks spoke. It was so wonderful! On Tuesday, for our devotional, I got to listen to Elder Neil L. Anderson. So it was a great way to start off the week! Both of them spoke about Honesty, Truth, and Tolerance. I learned so much but one quote that I really like is from Elder Oaks. He was talking about how we must be tolerant with others, especially where our beliefs are not the same. Then he went on to say that we should not be tolerant with ourselves. We need to be strong with ourselves. To "be the one who makes a stand for right, even if you stand alone."
As far as classes go, it's just been the same old thing. I love all my classes and I love getting to learn in this environment. My physical science teacher started off class on Wednesday by saying that the chapter we're covering in class isn't supposed to be understood... by anyone. He doesn't understand it, another professor (of quantum mechanical physics) doesn't understand it, you're not going to understand it. Just except it as truth and don't ask questions. So science is definitely new and interesting. :)


Friday night I got together with some friends and we played some "Minute to Win it" games and had a lot of fun! :) 

 That's me! :)

 This is Courtney showing us all how it's done :)

 Mac and his date stacking dice on a knife

 Nathan's turn to stack 'em

Logan and Courtney's turn

 

On Saturday I attended World of Dance (a show put on by the BYU Department of Dance) It was really good and had all types of dancing and music in it. :) That night I went to the "Big Game" (aka: BYU vs Utah State football game) Clayton Anderson invited me a few months ago to sit with his group of friends at games. I did and it was a lot of fun. I ended up sitting next to his roommate who was really nice and helped me get into the game a bit more... only to be twice as crushed when the score turned out to be BYU-10 Utah-54. But it was still fun enough. But until I can be convinced otherwise... I'm of the opinion that football is not all it's cracked up to be.

Today I played the piano in relief society...  songs I've never played... with no practice before hand... but it went well enough haha. :) This morning I saw Bethany and Ryan and the kids for a few minutes. It was nice to see some family. Then tonight I saw my friend Chapman and his mom from Wenatchee. They were driving through on their way home from a wedding and stopped by just for about 10 minutes. It was also nice to see them and get to talk a little bit. Tonight I have ward prayer and then TUNNEL SINGING!!! :D

That's all I got for this week. Still love and miss you lots. <3
~Katie

One Fantastic Week Down, And So Many More To Go!!!

     First of all... Here are a few pictures of my room. :)
   

 Here is my desk area and the shelves above it

This is my bed, the window, and our little fridge.

      My roommate finally showed up! Last Sunday night she got here at about 10:30 at night. Her name is Laura Lee and she is from Salt Lake area. We couldn't get along better! :) We are both night people and do not like mornings. Neither of us have classes early in the morning either so we have no issues with our sleeping schedules. She is so much fun and somewhat outgoing and one of the sweetest girls I know. Sometime this week, I can't remember when it was, she came home from her sister's apartment with two bags of cookies. We both decided that we didn't want them in our room because we would eat them all. So we took them and knocked on everyone's door in our hall. It was a lot of fun getting to see everyone on our floor and introduce ourselves a little bit more. (not to mention get rid of the cookies)
     So my first week at BYU is over. I love my classes SO MUCH!!!! I'm taking Music101, Physical Science100, WRTG150, Country Western Dance, Book of Mormon, and an effective learning and studying class. I start classes at 11 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I start at 9 on Tuesday and Thursday. I enjoy not having to wake up for Early Morning Seminary (although I do miss Seminary). I love being here where the teachers are all so awesome and passionate and they bring the gospel into almost everything. My anxiety issues slowly went away over time. By Friday I actually had an appetite and I ate all 3 meals! (something that never happened before then) So now I have my appetite back just in time for fast Sunday... yay!
     I have met a few people and made a few friends while I've been here. I haven't really done anything with friends though outside of classes. But last night I met 4 girls as I was walking out of dinner and they just sort of "absorbed" me into their group. I then spent the rest of the evening with them just talking and having fun and we watched a movie. They live in David John Hall, the building right next to mine. It was really great getting some friends who I can start doing some stuff with on weekends (especially because this is a long weekend).
     This week has been kind of hard for me in the fact that I have felt alone so often. As this week has gone by, I would constantly turn to prayer or scriptures or call Dad and Renae. All of which have been an enormous blessing and comfort to me. But I am so blessed to know that I am never alone. I always have my Heavenly Father, or my daddy to turn to. I don't think my testimony has ever been so strong. My Book of Mormon teacher asked us to read David A. Bednar's talk of the Tender Mercies of the Lord. This really helped me a lot. I found a few lines that really touched me. He said, "... and when it seems that perhaps we are so totally alone, truly we are blessed by the tender mercies of the Lord and made mighty even unto the power of deliverance." As I said, I was feeling very alone so reading this brought such a wonderful feeling of comfort and love. My Book of Mormon teacher, who is really a Biology professor, is such a wonderful man. He teaches in a way that you don't realize you're talking about the scriptures and the principles that are found in them until the end when he ties it all together. He also has what is called the Yogurt Policy. If you 1- Are late to class, 2- Miss an assignment, 3- Get angry (at anyone for any reason), 4- Don't make your bed, or 5- Don't go to bed on time (aka don't get enough sleep)... you have to bring him a yogurt. :) I am so looking forward to this class and getting to know him better throughout the semester.
     Well, I think that's about it for this college student. I'm going over to the Todd's (my aunt and uncle's) for dinner tonight. I love you all so much and miss you tons too.
<3 Katie

And So It Starts

Here I am at BYU... and I can't believe it!


Wednesday evening Dad and Renae helped me move in.


On Thursday I started Orientation and met a few fun people in my Y group. We had tours and a devotional of sorts. It was really fun. That afternoon Dad and Renae came and picked me up at the bookstore and we went up to the Todd's so he could give me a Father's blessing. I am so very blessed to have a wonderful father who can do that for me. (I love you daddy)


On Friday I again met with my Y group and did more orientation things. At Lunch time my friends Francesca and John and I ditched the group and opted to not join them for the rest of the tours that day. We went in the Wilk (student center), where it was nice and air conditioned, and saw two guys from the awesome "Kid History" videos on Youtube. It was so cool and probably made my day! 

After that we spent the next 3 1/2 hours in the Wilk giving ourselves a tour and sitting talking in the children's section of the BYU bookstore. Then we went to the women's volleyball game, where I met up with my cousin Kimberly, and had fun there. After the night was over I went back to my dorm, where my roommate still had not moved in, and started feeling very sick to my stomach. I have had very bad problems with homesickness/anxiety. I know it's all in my head, but I still can't seem to get rid of it. So I called Dad and Renae to talk to them. It was then that Renae suggested that Dad give me blessing the next day with Uncle Bob.


On Saturday I woke up feeling much better and confident that the blessing would help me. I spent the rest of the day after recieving my blessing figuring out where my classes where and making sure I am all set to go tomorrow.


This morning I found myself not feeling good at all! I spent a lot of time getting ready because I would do something then have to lay down after only 5 minutes on my feet. I drank a lot of water, but I just couldn't get feeling better. I knew that as soon as I went to church I would start feeling better as I was surrounded by people and the spirit. I was right. I felt completely fine during the 3 hour block! Unfortunately the feelings have returned. I've been sitting in my room all afternoon writing letters and things. My roommate finally contacted me and said she is moving in tonight around 8. So hopefully having her here will help me feel better. I know I'll be fine, but it's really hard for me right now to remember that as I am constantly feeling sick.


Wish me luck as I'll be starting classes tomorrow!