Rockin Around the Christmas Tree... with the Pitts :)

Merry Christmas!

Some highlights of Christmas break this year...

1. Shopping before Christmas- mom, em and I did a lot of shopping before the rest of the kids came into town so it wouldn't be quite so hectic. Funny story. So we're at the mall and there is this table giving out free lipstick samples. I grab one entitled "Flirt Alert" and I convinced mom and emily to put it on with me while we walked around the mall. Cashiers and people around us were looking at us soo funny, but we couldn't stop laughing.It was the best.

2. Christmas Eve-I love christmas eve! My mom's side of the family comes over and we all eat red cabbage (and regular food too) we do the funnest pass aroudn gift exchange and they are the funniest people ever.

3. HOHOHO Merry Christmas! - Charlie my nephew went around saying this where ever he went! it was the funniest thing. I love him! Here's a video of it that I hope works :)

4. and of course, the best part of any holiday is being wiht family. I've laughed so much this break I might have a 6-pack haha With 13 people living in my 3 bedroom home and one of them 8 months pregnant, plus my oldest brother, his wife and their 3 children visiting most of every day.... we were crowded to say the least. and loud. haha But I loved every minute of it! Our family gets bigger and bigger and we're just sharing the love!! :)

I hope you had a very Merry Christmas!!!

Dedication

This post is dedicated to my bosom friend

Marissa Campbell

Some things that you may or may not know about Marissa that make her my favorite...

-She is an excellent person to come to when you want to talk. Her and I have had countless hours where we're just laying in bed at night or sitting in the car... and we just talk about nothing or everything or life or boys or whatever is bothering us or whatever we're excited about.

-She is a great sharer. Basically we share EVERYTHING! and I love it. Conditioner, food, Pooter, our thoughts, name it. we share it.

-She is a genius. (Don't tell her I said so cause she is also very modest) She is majoring in Chemical Laboratory Science. She could tell you the chemical reactions of a thousand different things... its amazing. One day she is going to do a chemistry magic show for my elementary school class. I'm really excited for it.

-She does amazing flying hearts. I don't know if any of you know what I'm talking about... but freshman year I had my own room and she shared a room across the hall with Dana and when we went to sleep, if our doors were both left open, we could see each other and she would make a heart with her hands so I didn't feel lonely by myself. Those hearts have lasted these 3 years and now they evolved into flying hearts.

-She is a great roommate. Probably because she shares so well and we're like the same person. We have been roommates for 3 years now :)

-She is from Delaware. ya. How many people do you know from delaware?! I know 6 now.. but only cause I know Marissa and her AMAZING family.

-She is an amazing sports player. She has played LaCross and Feild Hockey. And one time we were driving from Utah to California and she offered to wallop any scary truckers with her lacross stick for us. That's a good friend if I've ever seen one :)

-She is very strong in the gospel. Marissa's testimony shines through her actions, her thoughts, and her every word. I love being around her because it makes me a stronger person. I can always have a good gospel conversation with her. In fact, most sunday mornings, we wake up and get ready for church and we'll be talking and she'll just whip out something she learned and blow me away with something new that I hadn't ever considered before. She is amazing.

-She can quote any movie ever. And she knows actors and actresses by their names. I don't think I'll ever gain that skill. Maybe if I hang out with Marissa long enough...

-Marissa has love in her heart. Sometimes we'll find ourselves in situations where people are acting ridiculous. My first reaction is usually to honk my horn or get frustrated... Marissa says "love in our hearts..." and I realize how awesome my friend is at loving everyone all the time. Or other times when our lives are so totally ironic and things just couldn't be more hysterical... she always reminds me "love our life..." haha.

I know that as she reads this she will shake her head and deny all of it... but why would I lie on my blog? I have the most amazing awesome friend ever and I'm so glad I met her. We were "randomly" roommates our freshman year at college, but I'm sure it was on purpose in the grand scheme of things. I don't think I could have survived the past three years without her. So here is to Marissa Laurette Campbell. I love you girl! I'm so glad I've got you around!

<<-<3->>

(thats how we do flying hearts text style)

(and that's how we do flying hearts real style =>)

The Dragon

yesterday
approximately dinner time
I got home from school
chicken out of the freezer, defrost it, put it on a cookie sheet to cook in the oven
preheat oven
get bbq sauce out
GRRRRRRRR
umm.. was that my oven growling?
yes
I call over my roommate
FIRE spits out of the oven
at us
SPARKS fly out of the bottom of the oven
bouncing toward us
WHAT TO DO!?!?
we scream
naturally.
Lyndi runs to the dragon we used to call our oven and turns it off
we both run next door to the boys house, wake up Jon and he hobbles over to our apartment
Jon diagnoses the problem
apparently the coil burnt in two...?
oven=broken
tomorrow the maintenance man comes
we will either get a new oven or a new coil
thus concludes the adventure of the dragon.

Yes officer?

So I'm driving home from campus, only to realize halfway there that I wouldn't be able to print out the pictures I needed for my project since my printer doesn't work right now (I need to buy more ink... umm who votes computer ink shouldn't cost $50? I!!!) so I turn around and head to the El Ed building (the McKay Building if you're familiar with BYU campus) and I figured I could go to the faculty parking since it would only take a minute to print what I needed.

I get to the street I turn into to get to the parking lot. And there is the police officer, talking to the car ahead of me. So he walks up to my car. He's like my age. 21-ish maybe. It was at this moment that I made a decision.

I decided to WORK IT.

I rolled down my window and he asks if I'm a student. I tell him yes and he continues to tell me that I'm not allowed in the back parking lot until 7 when parking is open to anyone. I look up right into his eyes and flutter my eyelashes a few times... bite my bottom lip for good measure and look genuinely concerned. "Officer, what if I'm SUPER fast? You won't even know I was there! I promise I don't do this all the time, I'm just really cramming for time..." (flash my pearly whites and dimples to clinch it) He pauses and looks semi nervous and goes "Ok, but you have to be back in 5 minutes. Give me your lisence so I know when you get back." (GOT IT!!!) "Thank you so much! You're the best" (And I flash my best smile at him again)

So I go print my papers and I drive back out and stop at the gate and he comes out of his booth and taps on my window. I roll it down and I kid you not. "So you're from Huntington Beach huh? I'm from Burbank! What a small world. Hey, so I wouldn't reccommend making this a habit, but if you ever need anything, I work every Tuesday night." I thanked him and assured him that it really was a one time thing and drove away.

O my goodness. I've always heard those stories of girls working over the police men. I'll be honest, I didn't think it would work!! I never knew I was capable of such sneakyness! I'm just glad I got that project done and I now have inside connections with the law system on Tuesday nights! ;) haha

I seriously love my life.

My Thoughts Today

so these are my thoughts.

life has been pretty crazy the past week. X-that. Insane. From 15 page research papers, to teaching PE to six graders today, to these crazy signs I have to make, to country dance... all while still trying to be my best self towards everyone around me and doing the rest of my school work... goodness. life is crazy.
Then I thought today. Here I am babysitting my two precious nephews (both are asleep so I really have nothing better to do than blog...I've already taken a thousand sleeping pictures of them haha) and I'm realizing what's really important here.
Perspective hit me head on.
I mean, let's be honest. Will I remember this horrible research paper? or the fact that the PE supply room ran out of soccer balls and I had to improvise my WHOLE lesson today 5 minutes before hand? probably not.
I will remember how I felt after being way too upset over a stupid frustration last night that I had no right to get riled up about. I will remember how I got to sit and talk with my roommate today over some lunch and discuss how life was and hear all about her cute boy story. And I will remember how sweet my nephews look while they dream :)
Overall. Life is insane. But when will it not be? Super early New Year's Resolution. Be happy despite it all. In the words of a very wise, wonderful man, I'm trying to "find joy in the journey" and I don't think it will be hard to do with my wonderful family, my awesome roommates, my sweet boy (who brought me chocolate milk the other night while I wrote that horrible paper <3)and the fall leaves.

Life is good today <3

Mr. Boogedy

watch it. It's one of my favorite scenes from this way old movie that used to scare me as a child. I've been telling everyone I know about this movie and I can't find it ANYWHERE! I have searched every Provo (and the surrounding cities) movie rental place.... not joking. I called all of them. No one has it.

Then I discovered why! Disney hasn't released it! My family had it cause we taped it when it came on TV. Sooooo I've done some more research. I found it online. I bought it for $8. It's probably a copy just as old as my family's copy, but hopefully in better shape haha It will be here for Halloween and I will make all my roommates and also Jeff watch it with me. Why? Because it is amazing.
honestly. who wouldn't be afraid of this face? gives me nightmares just thinking about it.... ew.

So I leave you with the words of Mr. Hamburger Face himself.

BOOGEDY BOOGEDY BOOO!!

Story for you.

So this is the story. Cute boy in my ward. His name is Jeff. He asked me out on a date last Thursday and told me to be prepared for the best night of my life. I was already excited cause I had noticed how cool and sweet and awesome he is and had a secret crush on him. So I got all cute and he picked me up and we were doubling with his buddy Dustin and Dustin's girlfriend (so cute) Moriah. We all drive down to DI where the first item on the agenda is "pick the best outfit out for your date and we'll have a walk-off" I can do that. I picked this awesome outfit out for Jeff and he picked out one for me too. The funny part comes when it's our turn to walk-off. I couldn't see a thing through the green mask I had on... and luckily we got it on tape. enjoy :)

ya... I was on the ground. flat on my back. we were laughing soooo hard!!

So we had a great time at DI, then we leave to go to the driving range to play a little golf. I had never been golfing before and it was sooo fun!

Since this date... I have realized that this boy is the cutest/best ever!!!!
1. The next day I came home from school to an origami fortune teller taped to my front door with a big sign "FOR ALISSA". It was just one of those fortune tellers you make out of paper in like elementary school. It was highlighted different colors :) And on the very inside was a note from Jeff saying that he thinks I'm cool and he couldn't remember having so much fun on a date! (score!)
2. He left for idaho for the weekend, and when he got home Sunday he came to our Nertz night and after we dominated (you know it!) we went to one of his mission buddie's house and chatted with them... then we came back to his apartment and he played guitar for me (he's good. and he sings!) and he took me on this cute walk out to this gazeebo and we chatted for a few hours :)
3. He country dances. He has cowboy boots and everything! And he comes to my club :)
4. He is from California. Enough said. haha
5. I had a scare last night with my grandma knowles. She went into the hospital and I was a mess. Jeff came over to pick me up to go country dancing and I was crying and he just pulled me into a hug and was so sweet. Needless to say we didn't go country dancing. I actually went to my sister's house. When I came home an hour later, I went to the freezer to get some ice cream and inside was a carton of Ben and Jerry's ice cream with a big bow on it and a note from Jeff. It told me that if I needed anything at all to call him and that my family was in his prayers. I just wanted to cry again.

So that's the update. I'm kinda really liking this boy. For all the obvious reasons. haha I might be kinda really twitterpated :) He is just so sweet and amazing :)
<3

Highs of this week

I realized recently that I wasn't noticing all the small things that made my days wonderful like I used to... so I've been writing down my highs of the day as my days go on and I realize how happy they make me!

~I made dinner for my roommates. It was a culinary experiment... and it turned out really well!!
~Pandora.com - my favorite website while I'm studying.
~In art class this week, we got to make clay cakes. We got to get creative and decorate them and such... Who gets to do that in their major?! only the cool el ed kids :)
~I am now Vice President of the Country Dancing Club on BYU campus! My best friend Francie is the President and she asked for help so here I go! Along with that, I was handing out flyers for it the other day and this big black guy walked by me with baggy pants and a chain necklace and I gave him a flyer and he looked at me and said "Do I look like a country dancer to you?" I replied "I think it looks like you have the potential to be an excellent country dancer." He laughed pretty hard and said he would come!!
~One of my favorite people- Elder Clint Prestwich- hit his one year mark on his mission yesterday! Half done buddy!
~The clock in my english class. The second hand doesn't work. It is forever stuck between 38 and 39 seconds... but the minute hand still totally works! I might spend more time trying to figure out how this miracle works than what my insane teacher is saying... (really. she is insane.)
~tonight I have a date. I met him at country dancing last wednesday. These random dates are always fun and make for good stories :)
~It is my half birthday today!

I love highs of the day.

summer ending...

These are my thoughts as summer ends.

Sad thoughts. I will miss...

1. being at home with my family. Including Mom, Dad, Jake and Emily

2. California... I won't be back until THANKSGIVING! man alive. that's a long time.

3. Disneyland. I got to go 2x this summer and both were amazing. Definitely the happiest place on earth

Happy thoughts
I am so excited for...
1. Roommate outings again

2. Provo... which always means adventures and new experiences whether it be at home or out and about

3. I'm going to the EAST COAST before I go back to school!!! (no pictures yet, but I'm sure they'll come soon!)

<3

summer thus far.

1. the mud run.

this is, without a doubt, one of the most intense things i've ever done in my entire life.

10K run - 6.2 miles

two 5 ft. walls

mud pits

crazy steep hills

crossing a freaking river

army crawling through muddy water with marines yelling at me

and all of this was done with some of my bestest friends ever. marissa and i ran most of the way and made it in an hour and 18 minutes. my toenail is now black, my muscles were all basically immovable the next day because i was so sore, and i caught the worst cold of my life that i'm still trying to get over a week later... but it was so so so much fun and i'm so glad i did it!

2. hanging out with my bestest buddies.

yes. life is good in huntington beach, california. marissa and i spend every waking moment together at home and work and its been super fun having a best friend with me all the time! whether its renting a movie and just chillin at home with a tub of ice cream or sneaking into a local complex to go in their jacuzzi and having to run from the cops 2x....(ya its happened... haha), we have a great time no matter what we do and i love her so much!

3. teaching swim. (this isn't one of my swim kids haha)

ok. so i basically have the best job in the entire world! i teach kids how to swim. they are so hilarious and fun and cute i sometimes can't even believe it. like the other day. i was teaching a girl, and she is one of my best swimmers and she stopped swimming mid pool and grabbed the side....
(me)- "why did you stop swimming?! i know you can make it across the pool. try again"
(her)- "but miss alissa, i'm trying so hard! can i at least tell you why i didn't make it all the way?"
"of course. why didn't you make it all the way?"
"well..... i was trying to blow bubbles out of my nose.... when... a BIRD came!.... and .... he distracted my nose!"
i was honestly laughing so hard, and so was her mother, that i was practically crying. i love my students. they come up with the craziest stories, i've been invited to tea parties, birthday parties, asked to come over and play, and told by a mom that one of my favorite little boys asked her to buy him yellow swim trunks cause he heard that was my favorite color and he thought i would really like that. i have the best job ever.
ps. if you need swim lessons... amberswimschool.com - look us up! marissa even travels to your pool if you have one! :)

summer '09. best yet. i have a feeling there is so much to come!
love you all!
<3

Rock climbing, Dance party, welcome to college

First of all, I'm feeling kind of cool lately. Let me tell you why. This is me rock climbing, on real rocks, in the middle of Moab desert for the first time ever. It was soooo fun! I was really nervous because the guys that took me and Francie and Brianna (Francie's cousin) were super rock climbing experts and I just really didn't want to look like a pansy/weakling... but I totally didn't! I loved it!!!Second. This was advertisement picture for the amazing dance party me and my roommates threw! To tell you the truth, sometimes these things work out and sometimes they don't and we had not planned very far ahead, it was more of on a whim, so we weren't expecting a giant turnout... we were wrong. We borrowed a strobe light from my sister Katie (Thanks again kate! I love you!) and got a pretty sweet playlist going, and waited for it to start. People came slowly at first, but soon there was absolutely no exaggeration, over 50 people stuffed in our tiny living room/kitchen/spilling out the door... Some nice boy brought his sound system over for us to use and it was amazing. It was getting really intense, everyone was having just a great time and we were all dancing and having a blast. Then... two guys decided to kick a hole in my wall... that was kind of no good... but they said they would fix it/pay for it so that's nice of them and we're ok with it. then... the cops showed up. hahahaha I still can't even believe the cops showed up to break up MY dance party.... they were cool for the most part. They threatened to fine us $500 for being too loud, but I talked with them and everything worked out just fine. IT WAS AMAZING! How much more legitamate can you get?! A college dance party, just packed... ending with a hole in the wall and the cops?! O man, sometimes I just don't know how life can be any freakin cooler!!



And lastly. My roommates and I went to the "Hunger Banquet" a little bit ago. This was especially wonderful for Marissa and I because this time last year two nice boys took us on a double date to the Hunger Banquet for our first date with them and now they are on their missions and we just miss them and write to them a ton. So this is how it goes. Everyone buys tickets and based on the roll of a die, gets put into an income group. These groups are based on the percentage of incomes in the world. So like 70 percent were super poor, 20 percent were middle and the top 10 percent were rich. The rich got amazing dinners like Tucanos, with a 5 course meal, the middle got pizza and we- the poor kids- got a small plate of beans and rice that we had to share among 6 people sitting around us. It's a really cool experience and makes me so so grateful for everything that I have in life (even when I think I'm super poor trying to make it through college, apparently I'm not cause I still eat food and am not starving).

Basically I'm loving life in every aspect right now. Don't need a boy, making new friends, going on cool adventures and just living life! Finals are just around the corner, but they'll come and then be over and I can go home to sunny california and enjoy the summertime!

Love you all!

I MADE IT!!!

So the other day I walked home from school, it was slightly chilly (meaning about 20 degrees) and I was pretty tired. I walked into my apartment, and there, sitting on my table was a letter. Addressed to me. Which is kind of cool because letters are just super fun to get and I love them. So I picked it up and noticed it was from BYU's Department of Education and it was thick. I looked at my roommates who I'm sure were just waiting for me to freak out and they all smiled and told me to open it. And I did. I MADE IT IN!!! I'm officailly part of the Elementary Education Program at BYU and I start my classes in the Fall! I'm so so excited :) It's starting to feel so real. I was talking to a girl at my work who is in the program right now and she was telling me about the classes I would be taking this Fall and it sounds absolutely wonderful! I am so excited to be a teacher in a few years and cannot even wait to get started!!!

The Latest....

Well, I decided I'm slacking again...sorry. This is the latest in the life of Alissa :)

The other week President Monson came to BYU for a fireside and my roommates and some good friends all got in line at the Marriott Center and listened to his talk. It was amazing. I love these kind of experiences I get to have going to BYU.

New update. I got glasses! Crazy. I know. I feel like a nerd somedays. Other days I feel very studious and proud of them :) I'm still getting used to my eyelashes hitting them every five seconds and I do everything in my power to make sure that when I have to push them back up my nose when they slide to not look like steve erkel. haha
And this is a new update.. I'm dating a nice boy named Austin. Andrew and Kelli set us up on a blind date and it has been going well :) ps. This picture is from when he made me dinner the other night - super sweet and it was waay good...- so we're both sitting at the table and I'm leaned over so its kind of a weird angle. but I like it anyways :)

Well, that's all for now. In the next few weeks I'll find out if I made it into the teaching program at BYU so I'm sure I'll update then too :) love you all!
<3

Happy New Years everyone!!! And what a crazy year it has been. I was trying to think of the craziness of everything that has happened this year...



-I finished my freshman year at college and started my second year-I was blessed to find the most amazing girls to live with up in Utah. I couldn't ask for better roommates


-I have stayed in contact with all my good friends that have been there for me throughout life

-I've tried things I had never tried before (cooking adventures, motorcycle rides, gluten free bread, cookies, you name it!...octopus... ya. beat that. and I would like to submit that I enjoyed each one of those!)

-I've been places I had never been before (welcome to....IDAHO! haha)


-There has been sadness and joy, heartache and butterflies

...

o and so many adventures I can't even begin to tell you.. :)

I just feel like this was an amazing year. I've learned so much from everything that has happened and I wouldn't trade any of it for the world. I know that I'm never alone and that life goes on no matter what happens. Boys can leave, grades can plumet for a test or two, life can get stressful... but life goes on and if I let them, these things that seem crazy and feel like they can't be fixed... make me stronger and give me wisdom for the future. So here is to 2009. I hope to try new things, visit new places, meet new people, be grateful for the blessings in my life, and be the best version of myself always. no regrets. :)

And I hope the same to all of you! I love you all!

<3