Pumpkin Carving Fun

have i mentioned that i love october? yeah.... probably a million times and i am so sad it is the last week. this october has been one of my favorites because the weather has been so nice. i take walks almost everyday. i just lay outside on my grass and listen to my ipod.  i love that i haven't even pulled out my winter coats yet. for some reason october just makes me happy. this time of the year is the best. during the months october, november and december i just go crazy with joy. 

i am the kind of person who thrives off experiences. whether my experiences are positive or negative i apperciate them. that doesn't mean i enjoy going through every one of life experinces but 100 perent of the time i have been so grateful for the good and the bad. i enjoy the good times and learn from the bad ones.  the other day, i called my sister and we were both having a really hard day. we were just like, "life is hard sometimes". peaks and valleys constantly! however, whenever i go through a valley that doesn't mean i am moving backwards in life, it just means it is part of the process of life. and then..... despite those bad days, i have amazing days when i realize how much i have to be grateful for. 

i enjoy something as simple as carving pumpkins. but really, i had so much fun carving pumpkins on saturday night. yes life is rough. it takes unexpected turns sometimes, but then you have those moments every once in a while when you think "life is gooooood, so so goooood." like elder holland said in his talk, hope is never lost, always believe in miracles. if the bitter cup does not pass, drink up. better days to come. life isn't always great, it just isn't but i have learned that you have got to cling on to those moments that are great. 

may we live in faith and hold fast to hope

Fall Break

drew & i 

drew and i have been good friends for a while now. we met 3 years ago at utah state. we didn't even hit it off right away. i always thought he was so cool and hilarious but i would have never guessed we would have become as close of friends as we have. i am so thankful to have him as a friend. he has been a good one and i miss him up in logan this year. 

i definetly make an effort to see him anytime i am in salt lake. 

this cafe is right across the street from liberty park. 

it is usually pretty busy, but the wait is worth it. 

so i love cookies. who doesn't? and this cookie shop is like THE BEST PLACE. 

i was blown away by how good it is. it seems kind of lame to go out for 

cookies becaues homemade cookies are the best, but  ruby snap is awseome.

it is the the cutest 

and the yummiest.

i had three cookies. no big deal. best part,  they let you sample a half of a cookie.

Found on Pinterest

i love this idea. seems so simple. i love pinterest but sometimes the things i pin seem so over wheliming. my favorits pinterest items are the ones that are simple but cute. this is something i could pull of for sure. i mean who can't string lights? i have a thing for lights and candles... this is beautiful. 

Quote for the Day

There are far, far 

better things 

ahead than any 

we leave behind.

                                C.S Lewis

Wedding Shower for My Best Girl

carli has been my longest and best friend. i grew up right down the street from this girl. we did everything together. we dressed up in our mother's shoes, played mary kate and ashley, organized night games every sunday and directed plays in my back yard. you name it, we did it. when i was 11 my family moved to a different house but carli and i have remained close friends. we went to seperate high schools, junior highs and colleges. carli choose to be a cougar over in p-town, and i choose to be a utah state aggie. we are use to having a friendship a part but that doesn't mean we haven't remained the best of friends. we have kept in touch and talked about everything, boys, friends, family issues, relationship school. we have seen each other through every phase of our lives.  

i love carli and so does everyone else. she is a lovable person who cares about people. my mom always jokes that carli is my second mom. haha funny but true. she takes care of me and she takes a geniune interest in my life and my problems. in return, i try to do the same. she has been such a wonderful friend to me throughout the years. i admire carli's ability to be friends with so many groups of people. 

carli and daniel met because of me, so i am going to take the credit for their marriage... haha. this isn't the first time something like this has happened. carli has been my best friend for years and daniel has been a best friend for years. daniel and i met in 7th grade in woodshop. i loved him instantly. he is seriously the funniest kid and the two of us laugh so hard at each other all the time. carli and daniel had interest in each other in high school and before he left on his mission. they wrote and started dating right away when he got home. 

carli and daniel are so great together and a perfect match. they both crack me up!! and i can tell they love each other so much. they are an example of a couple you can tell adore each other and you can't help but get so excited for them. they show me how a relationship should be. i haven't yet found the man of my dreams, but when i see their relationship i know i will someday. sounds cheesy? but i really do mean it. i know i am not going to find the "perfect person" but i will find someone that is perfect for me. carli and daniel have proven that to me and i know they are going to have a lifetime of happiness. congrats you too. love you both forever!!!!!

Halloween Themed Date Night

Bread Bowls from Great Harvest 

Taco Soup in Pumpkin Bread Bowls

(crockpot style)

recipie 

ground beef (however much meet you want)

1 can of corn

1 large red onion

1 white onion

1 package of taco seasoning

1/2 package of ranch seasoning 

2 Tbls. of cumin 

6 cups of liquid, either water or beef broth

1 can of green chilies

1 can of pinto beans

1 can of kidney beans 

pinch of salt and pepper

Cooking in the crockpot is easy as 1 2 3 

first thing. chop the onions and brown the meat. as you are browning the meat, add the onions, sprinkle salt and pepper. after the meat is brown, add 6 cups of liquid and seasoning (cumin, ranch, taco seasoning) simmer the meet for 4 hours, so meat becomes tender. for the last 3 hours pour in all cans of vegetables. that's it! 

American Heritage Center 
this place was the best. they have a haunted forest, corn maze, BB gun shooting and my favorite, swing dancing! you better believe we did everything. oh and we tried on pinoneer hats and took pictures. don't we look good?

friday night was our halloween themed date night.. (girls asked) and i knooow, the guy should be the one to ask the girl out. most all my friends live by this rule, but i am impatient and sometimes a girl just can't wait for a cute boy to ask her out. it might never happen! since i have the funnest friends and roommates, it is easy for me to pitch an idea and everyone join in. so of course when i told a few people about my date idea they told a few people who told a few more people and before you knew it there were 15 couples that wanted in. haha fine with me. the more the merrier. it felt like a high school dance. we had dinner, then an activity, then an after activity. 

i thought the easiest and cheapest way to do dinner for that many people would be to make soup and cook it in a crockpot. i love my crockpot. i love the concept of just throwin a bunch of things into a bowl and having it cook all day long. not much effort required. the hardest part was grocery shopping for the food. i never know how much to buy. i always buy more than i think i will need. but better more than less.i can't have my guests feeling like they can't eat as much as they want! also cutting the onions was the worst. my eays were burning and i had to cut like 4 large ones. after the onions were cut and the meat was brown eveything else was a cake walk. 

this was probably one of the funnest "first" dates i have ever been on. sometimes first dates are awkward. i mean naturally.... especially if it is your first time meeting the person. but my date was fun! and so easy to get a long with. we had a great time together. i know now how guys feel. it is hard trying to read your date. you want them to have fun and sometimes you can't tell if they are being nice or geniuely having a good time. this was a first time date for most of the people in our group but i think most everyone hit it off with their date. i will pat myself on the back and be so proud of myself if someone starts dating because of our date night! 

Sister Bonding Time

we are together

ALL the time

family is the best

"sisters are friends forever"

i have absolutely loved having my sister up at school with me. 

she has made this semester 10X better. 

family is great because they are there for you. they don't judge you. and they care about you.

stace and i have been attatched at the hip these last couple of weeks. 

we have sleepovers every night, we go out to eat and hang out together.

she makes me feel good and always listens to me rant about boys, life, insecurities, ect.

she is my constant friend. 

she comes everywhere with me

and i ALWAYS have someone to do something with. 

she doesn't judge, but listens and still thinks i am great!

don't you love having people around who are like that?

those people that know the worsts parts of you but still think you are the greatest person in the world.

stacey looks up to me because i am here older sister

but i look up to her because she is so much fun and has such a good heart. 

families are forever and even though mine can drive me nutso sometimes, they are my world. 

i am blessed.

Conference Weekend

BYU vs. USU

aggie pride is for people of all ages! haha i seriously love people like this. i don't know where this man came from but he was crackin me up. he was starting up chants and getting the student section pumped for the game. i guess our team spirit wasn't good enough to beat those cougs. we started off great but then our quarterback got injured and the game went down hill from there. maybe i am bad luck, but i have not been to a football game that we have won! i even drove down to cali to support my team, went to SLC for the USU v. UTAH game (got a speeding ticket) and waited for 3 hours to get into to this game. i am ready to see some results!!! haha oh well... its all in the experience right? we all still had a really great time. 

Saturday Afternoon Conference Session 

saturday afternoon my friend sarah and i drove down from logan to attend the saturday afternoon session of general conference. i got tickets from my bishop and i was super excited about the oppurtunity to go. i never have tickets to conference! so i couldn't pass it up! i think watching conference on t.v is great but it is sooooo much better watching it live. now i just want to attend every session at the conference center. every session is great and different talks speak powerfully to different people.  for me, i truly enjoyed elder holland's talk. it was so powerful and he speaks with such great emotion. i take notes and listen to all the speakers but i was writing down most everything holland was saying. i couldn't even keep up with my notes during hollands talk. everything he said was so inspiring and applicable to my life. i love talks that teach about believing and faith. mircles and blessings are given accoding to our faith. what a powerful message. a lot of what we want in our life both spirtually and temporally come from believing in what it is that we want!

conference is a blessing. i feel so lucky that i have the oppurtunity to hear such comforting, wise and powerful messages. if i ever doubt my faith in the church and wonder if it is the only true one i know i find comfort in it. its principles are so sound. there isn't a bad thing i have to say about it and i feel lucky to have it in my life to guide my choices and comfort me in times of need. i love believing in God. i love to know that someone understands me and watches over my with love and support. 

Dinner at Rubios

i am a mexican food junky lately. i eat it all the time, especially lately. it seems like i am always cravin a big, juicy burrito. rubios is located on 4th south in slc. i love this place because it is so fresh tasting. it doesn't have those heavy sauces and lbs. of grated cheese. what they serve is filling but also doesn't leave you feeling sick after. their tacos are way yummy! i went for the burrito because i was starving and what i ordered was delcious. i think i love going out to eat waaaaay too much. it makes me so happy. i love chating with friends over food especially food you don't have to prepare yourself. 

Saturday Night Keys on Main

keys on main! everyone needs to go. i can't believe how fun it is. if you like music and dancing you will love this place. it is located on main street and 2nd south. it gets a little crazy especially when you and your friend are the only ones at the table who order water. keys on main is a resturaunt and a bar. on saturday nights they play cover songs to all different types of music! rap, rock, eighties you name it. i was laughing and dancing with my friends the whole night. such a fun way to spend a saturday night!