What kind of work? Teamwork!

Pretty much the best Christmas Vacation ever.

Also, I can't handle how perfect this picture is.

i made a website for my class.

this is mostly for you to see, marci.

go here.

Happy Birthday Taylor!

Banking on this song to get me through finals week.
This album was definitely the best $13 I've ever spent.

Champions!

I'm officially a BYU intramural champion.
We owned everyone in tournament, no one even took us three games!
I love my t-shirt.

anxiety levels.

HAHAHA.
Here.

My grateful list.

1. The gospel- I remember one day in high school when i realized that my life was so much more stable because of my membership in the church. I have non-member friends who always feel like their lives are falling apart because they have nothing that gives their life real meaning. I don't have to deal with that because of my knowledge of this gospel.
2. My Family- I feel like a lot of my security in life comes from knowing that if nothing else is going the way i want it to, there are still twenty people who really care about me.
3. BYU- Even though it sometimes makes me feel like an idiot, i'm grateful for a school that challenges me and is constantly making me develop useful life skills. Like... responsibility.
4.Taylor Swift- I think Dallin said it best when he said, "she's your best friend and you don't even know her!"
5. Running- There is nothing better than the high that comes after finishing a big run. It also always puts my life back into perspective and my world is no longer falling apart.
6. Grapes, apples, bananas, oranges- If it didn't royally mess with my systems, i would eat only these foods. They're that good.
7.Good brothers and dad- i know this goes with family, but i've noticed that lots of girls don't know that there are boys in existence that aren't scumbags. Because i have an amazing dad and awesome brothers, i don't ever deal with that problem. If you don't treat me how you should, you can stay out of my life :)
8.Em and Mama- Also part of family, but i'm grateful for the example they've set in building a fun and good home. I love their excitement about crafts, food, and kids. It rubs off.
9.Fun roommates and friends-There is always something fun or exciting going on in our lives, and they definitely keep me entertained with their shinannigans. And I realized yesterday that i dodged a lot of trouble in high school because i had a best friend who was constructive instead of destructive. I love you, Marci Dawn :)
10. My brain- even though i don't always use it effectively, i'm grateful for a mind that i know will be able to comprehend and understand new material if i'll just put forth a little effort.
11. Grandma Nielson and Grandpa Anderson- Spending the past ten days with these awesome people just convinced me more of their awesomeness. They've definitely created an environment of consistency in the gospel that has blessed our lives. And they're funny. When i asked grandma what she liked most about grandpa when she married him, she answered, "well... norman was fun. really REALLY fun. We used to pick up mexican workers and drive home singing songs in spanish. Well, i would sing in spanish. your grandpa would sing in mexican."

What makes the Redman red?

(picture from Halloween bike-riding festivities, not the race)

So, I was Peter Pan for Halloween. But I mostly only dressed up to run the half-marathon.

It was pretty cold at the beginning of the race, but by the end I was warm.

My time was 1:49, that's about 8:22 miles.

Who wants to do the Moab Half in the spring?

wikipedia synopsis is my new best friend.
300 pages of charles dickens? no thanks.

Magic Birthday.

It's my Dad's magic birthday!

I love you, Dad!

Newspapers Rock.

This is what my mountains are going to look like this weekend when i go home.
And this is where my 10K run will be on Saturday.

And this is who i'll get to hang out with.

and this is who i'll nest with.
i seriously live a beautiful life.

i'm happy today.
that's all.

there are still rocks in my knees.

the aftermath.
our team.
So on Saturday, i successfully completed the dirty dash. It was 6.2 miles of up and down hills, running through fields, hurdling hay bales, running in boggy lake, going down the worlds biggest slip and slide, running through a machine that makes snow, crawling through culverts, climbing muddy fences, and wallowing through a mud pit on my hands and knees.
Funnest. Race. Ever.

Band of Horses

yup, i'm going.

um...

i just signed up for a half marathon on October 30.
i get to wear a costume while i run.

ask me how excited i am.any costume suggestions?

(emilee, that's mostly directed at you.)

forget that katy perry trash.

thank you, marci.

i feel ghettolicious.

action shots.

best decision i've made recently?
bringing some neighborhood kid's razor scooter to school with me.

i like the word puppies.

my best friend left on a mission this week.

gooooo Bolivia!

now we just have ivan left to get gone.

i'll have him baptized next week.

my best friends got sick of me eating so many bananas so they told me that on WebMD it says bananas reduce your fertility. well played boys, well played.

one time, we took pictures.

My best friend took the pictures and my sister made the shirt. I'm starting to think I need to find a talent if i'm going to continue to be friends with these lovely ladies.

we had a good week.

my brother mike and his wife kelly had this delightful child last week.

i love her.

and we all got a million bug bites.

My sister and her family came all the way from Indiana to see us! And for the record, she probably has the cutest kids you've ever seen/talked to. My favorite story from this visit is probably when a bunch of Naomi's friend came running to look at Annabel in amazement. Naomi was running behind them, yelling, "Would you like to pet her?! You can if you want! Go ahead, pet her! She'll let you! She's very nice." hmm... interesting... i thought Bella was a baby, not a chihuahua.

But anyways, we all went down to Arch Canyon and played in the creek and ate hummus until we wanted to die, and the bugs ate us until they probably wanted to die.

Blogger isn't letting me upload very well, so one picture will have to be all for this post. But, isn't that the cutest baby you've ever seen?

p.s. my sister made me the cutest shirt you've ever seen while she was here. I'll try to post pictures later. I really just need my sister to move here already. I'm suffering horribly from withdrawals.

my sentiments exactly.

i could live in here.

I like John Mayer's song, "say". I don't care if he only uses six words.

My sister is my hero.

apparently, my sister's motto on boys when she was seventeen was
"boys are only good for two things: kissing and manual labor."
i'm not sure i've ever been more proud to have her as my sister.

pictures make me happy.

Please.

If you're going to text me to thank me, PLEASE at least write the whole word out. I'm sick of this "thx" shinannery. If you're truly grateful, you can take the time to text the full six letters.
THANKS.

Lovely.

I guess i shouldn't be surprised that i love everything Taylor Swift puts out but i've found another song i love. I just heard it tonight and guess what? i've already listened to it seven times and there is no end in sight. Is it cheesy? yes. but i can't deny that i love it.

I could only find a piece of it... but here it is.

i hate trying to peel an orange the day after you cut your fingernails.

The gross couple is back and watching devotional with us again this week. i'm considering faking a technical difficulty so they'll go somewhere else.

This was shared today in church. I thought it was a very powerful and i've been excited to post it. enjoy :)

I feel like I don't ever actually write about what's going on in my life, i just write obscure things. But this time, i'm gonna share with the class. Odd, i know.
This boy is going on a mission. Tomorrow, actually.
And that's what is going on in my life.
Good Luck buddy.

it's been too long.

I just realized that these are the only pictures i have uploaded from our Fish Lake trip. I'll have to fix that soon.

oh and guess what else? I'm watching devotional in the JSB and... this couple in the back of the room is..... expressing their feelings for each other. i should have told them no when they asked if they could watch it with me. they're not actually watching so...