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!