Mo'eek and Biggsy

I haven't posted in a while. I had a pretty busy weekend. Friday night, my roommate Rachel, our two friends Juje and Lolly, and I threw a little Christmas party. After that my cousin Monique and her friend Biggs came down to play and visit for the weekend.

Mitchell, me, Cameron, and Tamra at the Christmas party.

We took this picture with a timer! Pretty dang impressive!

Hiking in Snow Canyon State Park!!

"If we look at each other like this any longer we will fall deeply in love." -Biggs

Hanging out in the snow at the Mountain Meadows Massacre site. Notice the difference in weather between this picture and the one before.

My friend Mitch was in The Nutcracker! Best party parent ever!!

Woody was the snow queen and she was AMAZING!!!! She's basically a celebrity!



Finals Week and Friends

I didn't post yesterday because I was studying my brains out for my philosophy test. I took it this morning though and I feel pretty good about it. One more test and I'm a free woman! Wahoo!!! I have learned so much this week, and most of it wasn't even school stuff. I have realized that I am one very lucky girl. I have been blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life. I just wanted to take a quick moment and thank all of them. I'm mostly just thanking those that have helped me this week, so don't feel bad if you aren't on the list!

• My roommates: I am so glad that I have you in my life. You are all so amazing and you strengthen my testimony every day!! Tamra, thanks for being such a great example to me. I look up to you SO much! Rachel, thanks for being involved in my life. It means so much to me that you take the time to care. Kandace, thanks for always keeping the apartment clean and scheduling all of our visiting teaching appointments. I know that you are busy, so thank you. You are all so amazing and you strengthen my testimony every day!!
• My family: Thanks for all the prayers. I gain strength just knowing that you are praying for me to do well. Thanks for talking whenever I need to. And pops, thanks for teaching me how to use a screwdriver!
• Darcee: Thanks for taking time out of your day to go on a drive to help me stay sane. Thanks for always inviting me to do stuff with you and still treating me like your roommate. I'm glad that we can act crazy together!!
• Mitchell: Thank you for being such a great guy and living worthy to give me a Priesthood blessing when I needed it the most. You will never know how much it meant to me! You are the best!!

You all rock my socks off! Thanks for always being an inspiration to me and helping me be a better person! You make my heart happy! Hahaha! Oh geez, but seriously, y'all are great and I love you!!

One of My Favorite Shows

I think it is just about time to talk about my love of LOST. Excuse me One Tree Hill, Imma let you finish, but LOST is one of the best shows of all time. Of all time!! The story line is wonderful. Explaining it would just make it sound ridiculous. You'd have to watch it to understand. It is so deep. It's the only TV show that I've watched that makes me research things. I want to know all about it. I have read so much and I know I'm only skimming the surface. It's like it's history, like it really happened.
Not only are the actors are amazing, but the characters are just as amazing. Nestor Carbonell and Terry O'Quinn are two of the best actors ever. They play their characters so well that when you see them on other shows, it's hard to believe it because they should still be on the island!
LOST makes me think more than any other show I've seen. That's why I love it. It isn't just mindless TV watching, you have to focus and understand. Sometimes I even take notes.
Oh, and I'm a Skater!

My Five Favorite Music Artists

It's finals week and I'm super stressed, so the next few days will be short and simple.

1. George Strait: I grew up listening to the king. Some of my favorite childhood memories are of me dancin' with my pops to songs like Baby Blue and Blue Clear Sky. I'd stand on his feet just like little girls do and we'd dance all around the kitchen and living room. It's where I fell in love with George Strait. I saw him in concert in 2009 and it was a dream come true. I'll be honest and note that I cried when he walked on stage. When something is such a big part of your life and it's standing in front of you, it's such an amazing experience. It was all so surreal.
2. Bruce Springsteen: This is another favorite artist that I owe to my dad. The Boss. I think he is one of the most underrated artists. Hardly anyone my age outside of Jersey knows who he is. He has such a unique voice and his lyrics are amazing (hence the name of this blog). I remember getting our first CD player and going to the record store and buying his Greatest Hits CD. I was around 8. That is still the music of choice on family road trips. It's timeless.
3. Ryan Shupe & the RubberBand: If you know me at all, you would know that these guys are not only one of my favorite bands, but also my friends. I've seen them in concert somewhere around 10 times. I love the energy they have. It's so inspirational to see them doing something they love. They are all amazing musicians. They make music fun.
4. Kenny Chesney: I've been a fan since I was about 9 years old. He's one of those artists that you can really see growing and changing. Some people don't like it. I happen to love it. It shows that he is changing as a person. He's having these new experiences. He's taking risks. He's trying to relate to everyone. It's amazing. I'm always so in awe of his talent every time I listen to him. I could lay in bed listening to him all day and not get bored. I love the way his music draws me in and makes me feel exactly how he is feeling. I'm there with him when he's on the beach, when he has a broken heart, when he's in love, when he's with his buddies, when he's on the football field. You don't find many artists that can make you feel that way.
5. Backstreet Boys: I know that this seems really silly to have them on this list, but just like the other artists on this list, I've been listening to them since the second grade. That means they've got be great, right? I saw them in concert in 2010 and my whole perception of them changed. I've always been a fan, but I love them so much more now. They are funny and they really care about their fans. Their music is catchy and it's great to dance to. It's easy listening music.

The Weekend

Ok, so I've slacked off a little bit. I've been super busy this weekend. Thursday night, my roommates and I had a photo shoot. Friday night my roommates had a Christmas/Birthday party. Then Saturday we went to a neon dance. Here on some really great pictures:

 Roommate photo shoot. We blew them up really big and hung them all over all walls.

A picture of roommates past and present.

The birthday girl Tamra in her birthday pants!

How many people can we fit on the couch? There's a whole other level that you can't even see. I think there's at least 9.

My friend Kendall and me.

My roommates and our neighbor Matt after the neon dance. Matt didn't actually go to the dance, he just happens to be in the picture. We sure go all out when we go to dances!

My roommate Tamra and me. Love the makeup!!

So there's a recap of my weekend. I didn't get to bed before 3 but it was all so worth it!!

My Favorite Quote

Tonight's is gonna be really short because it is late and I am tired. So, tonight's topic is a quote I try to live by.
"I know God won't give me anything I can't handle. I just wish he didn't trust me so much."
-Mother Teresa
I love this quote because it puts everything in perspective. It gives me courage to face my trials.

My Five Favorite YouTube Videos

I'm a little late, so sorry about that. I've been studying for finals all day. It's crazy! So, if you are in the middle of your finals too, sit back and enjoy some really great videos that will surely make you laugh!

Kid History. I couldn't pick my favorite, so I just posted the first one. They are all hilarious!!

Boys Will Be Girls. These are all so funny too. I think this one is my favorite though. I quote it every day. No joke.

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. Every time I watch this, I just want to hug Marcell. Cutest thing ever.

Total Eclipse of the Heart (Literal Video Version). This has become an apartment favorite. I text my roommate a quote from this every day. 90% of those are "What the effing crap? That angel guy just felt me up."

The Bed Intruder Song. I'm pretty sure I can recite this entire thing without watching it. Last year, my roommates sang this every day. Such a classic!

I hope that at least one of these made you smile. If you are studying for finals, I'm posting this video for you. It has helped me SO much.

I listen to this before I go to bed every night. It is SO relaxing. Seriously.

My Bucket List: 5 Things I Want To Do Before I Die

I have a pretty long bucket list. I'm constantly adding things to it. I better live one heck of a long time!! These aren't my top five, just some random ones.

1. I want to go to Africa. I've been in love with Africa for a few years. I don't know where this love even came from. And I don't want to go to South Africa, either. I want to go to Zambia or Zimbabwe. Some severely poverished country. It would be such an eye opener for me. I want to go and serve. I also love giraffes.
2. I want to have my own family. I feel like this is kind of self explanatory. I love my family, so it makes sense to want to have one.
3. I want to produce an album. I love music because it's changed my life. I've always wanted to work in the music biz so that I could change someone's life. Even if only one person liked the album, I still helped someone.
4. I want to be good at the guitar. I don't have to be amazing, just decent. Good enough to play a few songs and learn more by myself. I have a guitar, but I hardly ever pick it up. I really need to change that.
5. My dream has always been to hike Mt. Everest, but I'm slowly coming to the realization that it's never going to happen. So, I've decided to lower my goal. I want to hike the Appalachian Trail. I read a book about it in like 5th grade and it was so intriguing. It's something you don't hear about that often. The trail goes from Georgia all the way up to Maine. It take around 4 to 5 months. I think I could do it. Maybe

My Five Favorite Movies Of All Time

There is no way that these are in order because they always change.

Breakfast at Tiffany's: I don't really know what it is about this movie that I love so much. It's just really classy. I love love love Audrey Hepburn. I also really love Tiffany's (Keep that in mind, boys). This movie is definitely one of a kind.






"I'm like cat here, a no-name slob. We belong to nobody, and nobody belongs to us. We don't even belong to each other."

Elf: For me, this is not a Christmas movie. I watch this year round. It's one of the most epic movies of all time. I quote it at least once a day. The closer it gets to Christmas, the more I quote it! 





"We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup."

 Pure Country: I can explain why I love this movie in two words: George Strait. Face it, he's not the best actor, not by a long shot, but seriously, it's amazing. The soundtrack is out of this world, crazy good! And the song with Bubba...doesn't get much better than that. The story line is actually really great, too.





"I'm gonna take me a little walk."

 While You Were Sleeping: For years and years, every time my dad and brother would go somewhere overnight, me and my mama watched this movie. It's a staple in our house. No doubt about it.






"If you fit into my pants I will kill myself."
 

Zoolander: I don't think you will understand this unless you've actually seen this movie. It is seriously one of the funniest movies of all time. And it is so very quotable. I love it. I once watched it twice in one day.

"So join now, 'cause at the Derek Zoolander Center For Kids Who Can't Read Good And Wanna Learn To Do Other Stuff Good Too, we teach you that there's more to life than just being really, really, really good looking. Right kids?

So there ya have, five of my all time favorite movies!!

Five People I Look Up To

I have been so blessed to have many great role models in my life. This was a hard list to narrow down because there are a lot of people I could talk about. Don't be offended if you're not on the list. I still look up to you!

1. Mama Crook - My mama is the strongest woman I know. For those of you who don't know, she has chronic headaches. She has since she was 20. I've never known her to not have a headache. When I was 10, she had brain surgery to remove a tumor. After that, her migraines went down, but her daily headaches remained. When I was 14, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She went through chemo and radiation. Through all of this, she has stayed a strong, active member of the Church. She never questioned why any of these things were happening to her. Whenever I have a problem in life, I always think about her courage and it helps me through it. 
2. Papa Crook - My pops has always been there for me. Most of the time he yells at me to get back to the yard work he makes me do, but I know that when I have a question, he always has an answer. Sometimes that answer is "I don't know." But he always answers. He even tries to help me with some of my homework. I really like the way he treats my mama. It helps me know what I want in a husband. 
3. Baby Brother - My little brother Alec is one of my best friends. When all of my other friends flake on me, he is always there. He has some really great advice, and he always offers to beat up anyone that hurts me. It's wonderful! I also like when we go places and people think we are dating. He hates it. But you didn't really need to know that.
4. Amy Wilde - Amy was my YW leader for a few years. The lessons she taught were always my favorite! She really cared about each of the girls and did stuff with them outside of church. We went to a Ryan Shupe & the Rubberband concert. She is such a great mom and I really love that she is a working mom. She also has great fashion sense!
5. Mo - My cousin Monique is one of my best friends. She is the reason that I've decided that I want to serve a mission. She is so cool and she always makes me feel happy! I love her so much!! 

Welcome!!!

Welcome one, welcome all!!!
After all of the hype surrounding my family's Christmas letter, I've decided to put my writing skills to good use and start a blog. Well, I already have a blog, but this one is new. It's going to better. And funnier. 'Cause I'm really funny. You can't even deny it.
To explain how this works: I have a cup full of random topics and subjects. Each day I will pick one and write about it. Some days might be only a few words, while others will be closer to short novels. It will all just depend.
So, let's get to it!! Today's topic is....three things I am proud of about my personality.

1. I have a really good sense of humor. I find that it just comes really natural to me. Sometimes I don't know how to control it though and I end up using it at inappropriate times. Humor is how I deal with things, no matter how serious the setting, I will always make a joke, without fail. I'm never afraid to make fun of myself. Life is boring with laughter.
2. I can talk to anyone and everyone. I am a human communications major and I love meeting new people. Sometimes this backfires though and my kindness is taken as flirting. Those make for awkward situations. 
3. I'm a very open person, as this blog will show. I will talk about anything you want to talk about. I'll share my entire life story with you if you want. I love sharing my experiences with people. I find that the more I talk about things, the more I understand them better. It helps me make sense of life.

Well folks, that's it for tonight. There will be much more to come!