More Grad Pics...

I am sending them out sometime in the next week... what about these? :-)

Life. Is. Good.

So life! It has been amazing! I have had a near-breakdown here and there over the past couple of weeks due to the normal stuff.. you know, wondering where am i going in life, where i am applying for jobs, what im having for breakfast, what my scary roommates are doing, boy craziness, school work, worthless group members... yeah, the normal stuff... but its awesome, and I love it, and at the end of every day when I feel like I've been hit with a ton of bricks (literally, since i've actually been going to the gym lately) I look back on the day and I am happy and glad and grateful.

One of those days included a fort night...And I have happily crossed it off my lovely Bucket List... also, we watched Newsies after we got done building it, and I practically immediately fell asleep. Still, Christian Bale singing = awesome.

Oh also, I am getting out graduation announcements to family soon and my lovely roommate/photographer took pictures for me... what do you guys think? We took a million pictures, but I need help picking...
Maybe I'll post others soon....

p.s. Sorry I'm so boring! :)

Meet Frank

This is not just any Frank, its the Sinclair station Frank dinosaur, and Rachael and I met him this past Friday on our way out of town...

Now, you probably think its weird that I am taking pictures with a random fake dinosaur at a gas station.. and well, I guess it is... but really, that isn't a surprise is it? Actually I have been wanting to do this for awhile as it has been on my bucket list for quite some time...

Bucket List you ask? Yep... as it is my last semester my friends and I have come up with what I think is probably the best bucket list you could have for (south east) Idaho... Here is just a sampling (as it getting really long):

• Go icecaving - This has been my number one fear for the past 4 years, and I will face it before I leave. I will.
• Phasertagging - apparently its a mix between laser tag and paintballing... Also, this was my roommate Kortney's idea, so take it up with her.
• Go sledding at the sand dunes - ok this another fear because as most of you know... I currently hate snow... but not only that, the dunes are freakin HUGE. and for some crazy reason I dont feel like breaking my neck while sledding... but alas...
• Have one last fort night - So ever since freshmen year my friends and I have had fort/movie nights where we bring out all our mattresses and make a fort and watch movies until we fall asleep.. and its fun, just like it was when we were 7.
• Go to the Grand Canyon - I have always wanted to go, but my teacher in one of my econ classes gave me the idea.. hey, its only 11 hours away, and I won't get a chance to go probably for a really long time... or ever again... :)
  

I'm excited to do all these things, but honestly every day is an adventure and I am having a blast my last semester.. yes, even in Idaho.

Valentine's Day

This Valentine's Day was an amazing one, and one that wasn't expected. I'm not a huge fan of v-day, not because I don't usually have a valentine, but because I really don't get the big deal or why people need an excuse to give chocolates or flowers or go out to a nice dinner... I'm pretty sure I like those things every day of the year. Either way I came down to Utah for the three day weekend to spend some time away from Rexburg and school... and instead spend it with old friends and family... Saturday I was able to spend all day with my best friend, Jake (aka Jackie), his mom and Nana who just happened to be in town on the same weekend! I was pretty excited to see him and his family, and when Jackie and I get together, all we have is fun. He also surprised me with a Valentine's Day basket AND lunch at Costa Vida.. he is by far the best valentine I have ever had... and we got to spend the rest of the day shopping and talking... and his mom and I made Valentine's pastries that I have fallen in love with and I am excited to make in the near future by myself!! After we got back from Ogden Jake had to get going to Provo but then Rachael and Eden and I went out to dinner at Utah Noodle, which I loved.. and to the grocery store to get funfetti and lasagna! :) It was a great day and night and I couldn't ask for better friends. They make me feel like family when mine is so far away and I love them with ALL my heart...

Eden, Rach and I at Smith's

Jackie and I after a long day of fun!

Eden getting the essentials: funfetti and lasagna

the yummy pastries Sheri and I made!

Top view

My valentine from Jackie!!!! :)

Even though Jackie was by far my favorite valentine... I can't wait for next year's Valentine's Day with THE valentine....

:)

Life as I know it...

So I haven't had a lot of interesting things to say lately... (i.e. no good news moments for RS!!)... but I thought I'd update and let everyone know I'm still alive in this winter-scary-land. And yes, that is what it is. No wonder-ment about it. Just snow and cold and wind. Yet I will say that it definitely isn't as bad as last winter, so really I should be out jumping for joy and making snow angels. But its not THAT much better...

Anyways so .. It has been crazy here at school. I'm only taking 14 credits this semester, as it is my last semester, but that is only because I had to to get my scholarship... I'm taking 3 economics classes and my senior strategy capstone.. and an online religion class. ha. :)

Capstone has been the most challenging only because it is so different than anything I have ever done... the majority (and point) of the class is spent on a consulting project... like a real-live consulting project, not just a fake one... and I have the unique opportunity to be working for the university. I can't say a lot about it due to confidentiality agreements (gotta love those).. but my team and I are working for a Task Force put together by President Clark (the president of the school) to analyze our majors/minors programs and determine if we are marketable to employers and/or graduate schools and to make recommendations with our findings. I won't lie, its a LOT intimidating but I am really excited for the opportunity and to learn what I know will be a lot and will bring me completely out of my comfort zone.

My econ classes are obviously challenging, but I am getting into the swing of things. My favorite is probably my History of Economic Thought class, but that would just be due to the teacher.. Bro Webb pretty much idolizes me.. ok maybe he is just awesome... but the class is very interesting, and there aren't a lot of models and graphs so im HAPPY! :) My Developmental Econ class is driving me nuts.. its like watching guilt commercials for 1 1/2 hours every Tuesday and Thursday and I feel like after each class I should write my congressmen or put 60 cents in the mail and send it straight to Africa... well that might be a little dramatic, but seriously, give a poor college student a break. My Managerial Econ class is reminiscent of Macro and Micro... except I forgot all of it and don't really know what elasticity means anymore. So I guess that means that I should be there... dangit.

And lets see... my religion class is neglected sometimes due to it being online and the fact its my last semester and I already have more than enough religion classes to graduate. and I might just go to hell for that statement. Oh and I am also a Teacher's Assistant for 4 upper level finance classes that I took last semester... my old professor, Bro. Galbraith, asked me to help out and now I get paid to grade all the models I have already built! It's actually pretty awesome and I have learned a lot just grading... but I will admit its kinda weird grading my friends assignments that are in the classes... I have gotten in trouble on more than one occasion for not overlooking their "tiny" mistakes. Too bad I'm not dishonest or I could help a friend out. ;-)

Other than school there hasn't been much of any heightened interest (that's why this has been pretty blank!) but life is good, things are fun, and I'm just trying to soak up every moment I can while I'm here. I'm still looking for a job and nothing looks too promising, but I'm just trying to stay optimistic and keep keepin on... Life is too short to stay stressed out all the time.

Here are just a few memories... :)So we visit Sport's Authority a lot since Rachael used to work there.... and this is what we end up doing every time.Oh the joys of being in college.. Me with my TA tag on... good thing I never use it... :)

Ede came to visit for MLK weekend... :)

SUPERBOWL!!!!!!

So I'm sure your thinking..

Wait a second, the Chiefs and Broncos definitely did not play in the Superbowl.

And my response to you would be...

Yeah... so what. Your point?

We got a lot of slack for it, but really the most important factor here is that no matter what, we still remained true to our team. Through thick and thin. Through loss and heartbreak. That's what real fans are really, right?

Chiefs, Broncos, or Cardinals fan or not, I was very excited for the game as I always am. It turned out to be a great game near the end, even though the Cards didn't come out on top. The Cinderella story will have to wait until another Bowl... hmm maybe then it will be the Chiefs instead... :) As another Superbowl is over, I would like to share some likes and dislikes about the biggest game in the National Football League.

Loves:

• I love the food. For some reason even if people don't like football they always go all out and decide to become all domestic when it comes to the Superbowl. Even me. Usually people ignore half the game to either cook and/or eat. I find when I get nervous I lose my appetite so I start eating after the game is over. Probably a bad choice...
  
• The beer commercials area always awesome. Such as the Budweiser skiing commercial this year. Yet the Doritos commercials and that one flower commercial were pretty sweet. Check em out.
• Getting together with friends. Usually I like it better when its just a small group of us who love to watch the game, but I find that I like it when there are a bunch of people that stop by and make things interesting. They usually bring snacks.
• THE FOOTBALL. Even when you have no idea why an underdog 9-7 team gets in the biggest game of the year, it still is interesting, surprising, suspenseful and an all around aggressive game.

Hates:

• People who choose teams at halftime. I am sorry but if you are going to call a game you cannot by any means do it at the end of the 2nd half while waiting for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band to come on for the half time show. It is not ethically or morally right or in the spirit of football. It's a cop out and therefore I do not consider your pick to be legitimate at the end of the game. Also, probably for the remainder of the time I know you I will not respect you.
• Commercials that are not new. Why the heck would you pay millions of dollars to put an old commercial in that slot?!? It makes absolutely no sense. I am probably already sick of that exact commercial by the time the Superbowl comes around and have gotten into the habit of muting it anyways, so why air it again to completely annoy people even more?! A little counter intuitive i believe.
• Bad calls. I am pretty sure refs should be changed unexpectedly right before the game to ensure there are no conflicts of interest such as bribes and/or promises their embarrassing tackles will not be posted on youtube.
  
• People who walk in front of the TV. Seriously people, why in the name of all that is holy would you even consider that OK???? nuf said.

Oh and by the way, though Rachael and I's teams are complete rivals... we still find common ground... we love each other and football!! ... :)