i made it!

It has been such a crazy month! and it's only half over!

Anyone who reads this also reads my mom's blog so I'll just let y'all go there to read about me getting here and set up.

My roommates! Meagan, Aimee (we share a room), me, and Sasha!

So I started out taking 16 credits but just had to drop my American Foundations class. Everyone in there was older and more opinionated and ready for the class than I was. The teacher was intimidating and it was just a hard scary class. So now I'm taking 13 credits. There's still so much homework I feel like I'm never completely on top of everything. But it'll get better, right? :)

So my first weekend here was my birthday weekend. I felt so lucky and loved I got a bunch of letters and packages from family and friends. My aunt Trina's sister Tisha came by and brought me a cake and balloons and snickers from my mom. It was so fun to see her and so nice of her to do that!

Delicious!

From my family!

My first bff Brooke Taylor took me to the Cocoa Bean for my birthday! It's only the yummiest place in the world. They have amazing cupcakes and lemonades! Brooke is such a good friend and lifesaver. She's helped me settle here so much!! I love her!

For my birthday I got to go to Idaho Falls with Jake Cromwell! We had such a fun day!! We went horseback riding, swimming, then to a demolition derby! His mom made us such yummy food and dessert too! I was so spoiled the whole weekend. I had so much fun!

Jake and I! :)

Horseback riding is so much fun. So! Much! Fun! I rode their horse Shade.

Jake and I on the horses!

It was such an awesome weekend. Jake and his family made sure I had a great time there. :)

This weekend I went up to Bear Lake with the Cromwells! Another super fun weekend!

This is the view of the lake form their mountain cabin. Super pretty!

Jake and I went 4 wheeling with his mom, dad, and older brother Adam then we went to their lake cabin and got it all closed and ready for winter. When we were done we went back to the mountain cabin and watched The Kid and Nacho Libre or something... Both were funny but I liked The Kid better haha. After that Jake and his little brother Tyson and I went 4 wheeling again. This time I remembered my camera!

This is what we were driving through. It was amazing!

There was a beautiful view of the lake once we got up higher on the mountain.

Another pretty view we found.

I loved all the colors so much! Louisiana is just green all year. Which is also pretty... But this was gorgeous!

Sunset.

It was amazing.

Before it got dark we went to this place that had some hills and jumps! I didn't get a recording of Jake and I going over this jump but here's Tyson going over it! He did it three times and of course the third one was the highest and that's the one I didn't catch.

nauvoo trip!

Before we actually went to Nauvoo we visited my mom's old missionary companion Elizabeth! She has the cutest family and they are so much fun to hang out with. I wish we could have stayed longer!

This is the only picture I have! My mom still hasn't given me her pictures from the trip so this is all I have...

After the Raubachs we finished the drive to the hotel where we met Grandma and Grandpa Hathaway and the Mouritsen cousins! Jon and Anna and their kids met up with us a little later!

This is Sari and Destry at the first hotel we stayed at. They bought these cute pj's and also got matching zebra converse! It was super cute.

We went to so many fun places. I don't have many pictures, like I said, but here's Sari, Destry, Heidyn, and I at the visitor's center in Nauvoo.

And here is Heidyn and I on our second day at the visitors center waiting to get in to see a play!

One of the places to visit in Nauvoo was this outside park place. They had games to play it was tons of fun! Sari, Heidyn, Destry and I all tried the stick pull!

Heidyn and Destry trying it out!

Sari and Destry! No one won, they tied every time!

Heidyn and I!

Only Destry had the mad balancing skills required to do this game!

We went to a cool store and bought souvenirs and popcorn and candy! Upstairs they had the old relief society room. It was cool to see.

Heidyn, Me, Destry, Sari. While everyone else was buying their stuff we waited in the shade and ate our snacks!

We ate strawberry and watermelon candies that turned our tongues hot pink!

We went to a pioneer place where they showed us how the pioneers lived when they first got to Nauvoo. It was soooo interesting!

Here the older missionary was telling us about how the pioneers got settled.

We went to Carthage jail. This is the room where Joseph was shot. It was a very sad tour.

Heidyn, me, Destry, Sari.

We went on a walk to see a family grave stone. It was so pretty and fun!

Logan, me, Taylor. It was so fun to see these guys again. I rarely get to see them and they are such fun!

We got to ride in a wagon getting pulled by horses! It was so much fun. We went in two different groups.

This is Heidyn and I waiting for our turn to ride in the wagon. This picture just cracks me up cause it's the story of our lives lol.

We went to the pageant. It was amazing! They do such a great job.

We met an awesome sister missionary. She was so sweet and fun. She should be home by now...

This was Matthew halfway through the pageant. As if I wasn't already hot enough in the humidity! That boy is like a heater! But I'm going to miss cuddling with him when I go to college. :(

We were spoiled and got to eat out every night for dinner.

Destry, Me, Heidyn. Not sure why Sari is cropped out of this picture? Sad. But we had such yummy yummy food and it was a lot of fun to catch up with everyone. All the teen cousins sat at one table. It was fun.

Some group shots we took...

At Jospeh Smith and Emma Smith's grave stones. Everyone who came on the trip, minus Grandpa cause he was the photographer.

Family picture (with Ben in it!) at a cool statue....

Everyone outside the Nauvoo temple.

In one of the places we stopped for lunch I found this garden that was so pretty!

This picture is my background on my phone, ipod, computer... Everything! I think it's so pretty!

It was such a fun trip. I love my mom's family and I love when I get to see them they are so much fun to be around. My Grandma worked so hard to put this trip together and it came together wonderfully! Everyone had a ton of fun.

To make it even better, my grandparents decided to take an extra two days (maybe even three I think!) to drive to Louisiana and drop Heidyn off at my house cause we didn't have room for her in our car! I am so grateful they were willing to do that because Heidyn is my best friend and it has been so much fun having her here. That's my next post. :)

For the drive home Ben, Logan, Heidyn, and I were in Grandma and Grandpa's car and everyone else drove with my parents. I don't know about the other car but in my car there was a ton of this going on....

And when we weren't all asleep we were singing loudly and goofing off taking ridiculous pictures :) I know, Grandma and Grandpa are super lucky they had us driving home with them.

It was such a great trip!!

my last youth activity.... on to bigger and better things!

This last weekend was the youth conference in New Orleans. It was so much fun! The first day went slowly for me because the get to know you games weren't organized very well and I ended up not really participating cause it was too weird and as soon as someone heard my age they automatically couldn't care less anymore lol. But after that we went to classes. My group went to classes on dating, bullying, and... something else. Sari and I were too busy freezing our butts off to pay attention to that class.

I was in a room with Kaeli Mallet, Brandi Mallet, and Jeanette Langford. We had so much fun! All three of those girls are the nicest people you will ever meet. Brandi is so funny she always makes me laugh. Kaeli and I agree on everything it's ridiculous lol we so get each other. I just met Jeanette. She's visiting her brother from Mexico! She is SO nice. Such a sweetheart. She's really pretty too.

Before the dance we took pictures, Jeanette took most of them so she's not in them :/ I feel bad about that now.

Brandi, Kaeli, and I.

Momsy and I at the dance.

Jeanette, Brandi, Me, and Carter goofing off at the dance. Carter is so goofy he's hilarious.

Roomies at the dance.

All of us! There's Chris and Brian on the tall branch, Carter, Andrew f., and Matt on the lower branch in the back. Then left to right is Jeanette, Brandi, Taylor (Jeanettes brother, also visiting from Mexico), Jenna, Sari, Mom, Allison, Andrew D., Me, Kaeli, Trey, and Bishop Sanders. We were the best ward there. Really.

While we were taking the picture the sprinklers went off! This picture is hilarious because Kaeli and Trey ran into each other going opposite ways haha! I think it's only funny if you know them. They are both just extremely shy and quiet and dont know each other.... Hahaha it's just funny I <3>

I think we all look like sisters!

It was a really fun weekend! Good way to end my young women's experience.

desperate times call for desperate measures....

I have been so bored this summer. Of course there was the family trip to Florida. And at the end of this month we're going to NAUVOO... So excited. But every day I just do the same thing... And I have been super anti social this summer. So these things have been my hobbies after work....

1. Catching frogs.

Before moving to Louisiana, I would have NEVER touched a frog let alone catch a frog... But these were tiny and cute. And I was house sitting and bored...

The big one is Merlin and the little one is Nemo... One of his arms are broken and is super short... Hahaha Nemo!

2. Catching lizards.

Again, I would have never EVER touched a lizard 6 months ago. But, house sitting and bored, I did. Plus it's tiny.

This is Lizzy. Sari and I caught her. She's actually pink and speckled, the picture doesn't show that.

3. BRYCEN. And Merlynn.

My BFF Merlynn had a baby boy on February 28. His name is Brycen, so cute! I love and adore Brycen. He is so easy going and so happy and so fun and SO cute all of the time! He sleeps through the night, too. He never fusses unless he is super hungry. He is the perfect baby! Merlynn is one lucky girl! I also love and adore her. She has been my one true friend since i moved here. Almost every Friday since I moved here I sleep at Merlynn's house. It's always been the highlight of my week!

Mamma Merlynn and Baby Brycen : )

This is what he looks like 90% of the time. Always smiling and laughing!

He is such a big boy! Sitting up at four months! Of course, the seat helps lol.

He is so adorable.... Just look at him and you can tell he is such a sweet lil guy.

I LOVE HIM! I'm going to miss him when I go to Idaho. :(

4. My stupid expensive turtle.

This turtle was a waste of money... But it's something to take care of and it gives me something to do after work. And the kids and I all like watching her.

We all have different names for her. Missy, Turd, cutiepie, honu, stinker, etc!

At least she's cute and little!

5. Icees! Or, in LA, snowballs!

I'm completely addicted. This is my main diet! One before work. At least three after work. And one before bed!

My favorite is the huckleberry coconut flavor icee!

Turns out delicious!!

6. Mi hermana!

My sister and I have always been really close. In Washington we had separate rooms and we had the whole basement to ourselves. We got along great! Then we moved to Prairieville where we had to share a room for the first time in like 6 or 7 years. We fought all the time! We never talked anymore. We never helped each other or defended each other or worked together or goofed off or did nails, hair, or makeup together... All the sisterly things. When we moved to Baton Rouge things got a lot better. We still share a room but the only issue is that I'm a freakish neat freak and she... isn't. But we spend so much more time together. Because we want to! We've found a lot we have in common. Like TV shows that we both like. We talk all the time. We laugh all the time. We have each others backs again. We do hair, nails, and makeup together again. We watch TV shows and movies on my laptop all the time. We read together. We run together (once in a blue moon). I've missed getting along with her!

I love her!

the house that built me

I really miss my home in Washington. I have been doing so great with liking where we live. I even like my job a lot more. And this house we're in now is a lot better than our house in Prairieville... But I miss my home so much.

This is our house now. The idiots that just bought it painted the outside a different color. I think they need to paint the trim black. And the back deck should be painted black.

This song pretty perfectly describes how I feel about the WA house. And down there are the lyrics in case the link doesn't work.

The House That Built Me by Miranda Lambert

I know they say you can’t go home again

I just had to come back one last time

Ma’am I know you don’t know me from Adam

But these handprints on the front steps are mine

Up those stairs in that little back bedroom

Is where I did my homework and I learned to play guitar

I bet you didn’t know under that live oak

My favorite dog is buried in the yard

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it

This brokenness inside me might start healing

Out here it’s like I’m someone else

I thought that maybe I could find myself

If I could just come in I swear I’ll leave

Won’t take nothing but a memory

From the house that built me

Mama cut out pictures of houses for years

From Better Homes and Gardens magazine

Plans were drawn and concrete poured

Nail by nail and board by board

Daddy gave life to mama’s dream

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it

This brokenness inside me might start healing

Out here it’s like I’m someone else

I thought that maybe I could find myself

If I could just come in I swear I’ll leave

Won’t take nothing but a memory

From the house that built me

You leave home and you move on and you do the best you can

I got lost in this old world and forgot who I am

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it

This brokenness inside me might start healing

Out here it’s like I’m someone else

I thought that maybe I could find myself

If I walk around I swear I’ll leave

Won’t take nothing but a memory

From the house that built me

This song will probably apply more to me when I get to college. When I think of going home for Christmas I think of going home to Washington and seeing everyone at church and seeing my BFF Ben go off on his mission... Instead I'll be coming here... To Louisiana? How random.

In an unrelated topic, I'm house-sitting for a family at church this week. I was out walking their dog after work yesterday and I found a giant plastic toy bug. I was like hmm that's nasty... So, naturally, I stepped closer to get a better look.....

Totally fake, right?

Well, then it MOVED! It's REAL?! The first thing that entered my mind was, "Oh my HECK I SO live in Louisiana! Look at this! This could only exist here!" I was so grossed out. But at the same time, it was so cool! It was huge! So I had to catch it to show everyone at home. So I called my dad and he helped me get up the nerve to trap it against the wall with a tupperware thing and then hurry and put on the lid.... Well this is as far as I got....

And it took me 20 minutes to get this far. Then I called my dad again. He said I would have to wait a few minutes before he got there.... So for half an hour or so I sat like that until he came and finished the job. Thanks, Dad!

THIS sicko is life-size. At least on my computer screen its the real size... Like four inches at least. When they reach full size they are 8 inches big! That is like a nightmare!

The point of that story is that it made me miss Washington. And it's so cool that I caught a bug.

she works hard for the money!*

So I got a job. I work as a maid for a local cleaning company.

Working there is the hardest thing I have ever done. It challenges me physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. It also strengthens me physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally, it's just not easy. I was in training for two weeks and now I have been on my own for two weeks. The good thing is that I'm making twice as much as I would be at any minimum wage job.

Some days I work with one other girl. Some days I work by myself. There are good and bad parts to both of those.... But I prefer working with another person. Sadly it doesn't always work that way.

Here's the other maids I have worked with so far...

First, my favorite. This girl is just super friendly. I LOOOVE her. She has a screwed up life. She smokes like a chimney. But she is so so sweet. And she cleans so fast I love working with her. Plus she saved my life on my first day out of training. That was such a bad day.

Then there's the chick who told me alllll about her chlamydia. I'm traumatized for life. Like, does she actually think we're bff's or does she just share her business with everyone??

I worked with a freak show. She smokes. She doesn't unroll her windows. She's not nice. She has 7 kids and she's 26. I hate working with her.

I also worked with freak show's sister. The day I worked with her we did 4 empty apartments and then picked up 6 corporate cleans.... In other words, the day ended with me crying and I was so tired I could hardly move. After I left she picked up 3 more corporates. I don't know how she does it...

There's this one girl that is so hard to work with.... She is rude and she is so ghetto I literally can't understand a word out of her mouth... I recorded her talking on my phone and sent it to a bunch of people... HA HA HA. No one knew what she was saying. It was the most awkward day ever. She kept talking but I didn't know what she was saying at all... I heard her say, "mah fathuh" and, "he done took hi las breath evuh." And she told me about her "brutha bein murderd an all by da stupi-A fren dat led 'im to da ba alley......" So sad. But she didn't like me cause I didn't know most of what she was saying. It was a long day. Ghetto-Cajun accent is what that's called.

I worked with a girl who was being really rude like right from the start of the day. Let's call her Meanie. And we drove separately, which was fine with me. She smokes and is mean so why would I drive with her? When we left she said, "you better keep up with me". So I followed as best I could. When we got to the exit, as she pulled off there was a whole bunch of cops motioning for random people to pull over. Meanie was one of them. I didn't know where we were going so I pulled over behind Meanie and a cop came up to my window and said, "um, can I help you?" I said, "I'm with her and I don't know where we are going." He said, "Okay, I'll try to be fast." Hahaha so Meanie got a ticket for not having an inspection sticker in her window. (Neither do I, but they don't have them in Washington and the car isn't registered here.) SO she was pretty ticked that she got a ticket but I didn't. Well we got to the apartments and we both parked under signs that said, "resident parking." When we were done cleaning we came out and Meanie had a huge orange parking ticket on her window and I didn't! When Meanie saw it she said, "Why the @#$%! didn't you get one?" She was pretty mad again. But I felt very blessed!

I can't wait for the summer to be over... I really can't.

Okay well I'm tired. And I have work tomorrow :(...... I'll add more funny things as they come up.

*Does anyone know this song? Haha