Friday, April 30, 2010

Maybe

I am in Texas!! It has been wonderful to see my family. I love coming home because I feel like my family really misses me and they give me all this love and attention when I'm here. My siblings seem a lot nicer than the last time I was here. Morgan and Isaac are kind to eachother. Jake does what he's asked to do. There seems to be a very good spirit here and I like it. Last night my dad and I made grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and rolls for dinner. My mom worked late, but all the kids and my dad and I sat down for dinner together. It was so wonderful :) I like my family. I like this home. Maybe it's because it's only been a day- but my family seems so much more mature and loving. I'm digging it.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

And now I have a husband.

I have finished three years of college. I am turning 21 this summer. I'm thinking about the past few years and remembering the feelings and emotions of my heart. Two years ago, at this time, I was a bright-eyed freshman. I had one year at BYU under my belt, and not a clue what I wanted to do in the future. I wasn't in a relationship, but I had a lingering attraction for my high school boytoy. I wasn't sure what I wanted, and had no idea I would meet the man I'd marry in just a few weeks time. I had plans to return home to Texas and find a job. I didn't know I would work with all my closest friends and that we would spend most of our summer nights with a gang of cute boys from. . . who would've guessed?. . .Utah. I didn't know he'd take my hand and my heart would race, or that he'd kiss me and my inhibitions would disappear. I didn't know I would have to make big decisions, probably the hardest of my life. I didn't know I would have to break someone's heart to make anothers' smile. And to think. . . now I have a husband.

A husband: one who is nice to me even when I'm cranky. . .who doesn't get jealous of high school boy friends who want to catch up. . .who helps me calm down when I'm overwhelmed. A husband: one whose smile still makes me melt and who I still want to see at the end (and beginning, and middle!) of every day. I love you, hubby. I was just thinking about two years ago..


(Ps. Readers, I'm sorry this was a little bit of a sappy married post. I was just blogging about what's on my mind...)

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Waiting Patiently

I am on campus right now. I am not enrolled in any classes and it's the break between winter and summer classes. . .the whole place is dead. After work this morning, I decided I would try to print off all the pictures of our married life. We haven't had any developed since we tied the knot. Sad day! After about half an hour of trying to upload the honeymoon pictures, the computer underwent some sort of error and deleted my progress. I was really annoyed. Instead of trying to upload them all to the BYU website, I decided I would just send them to Wal-mart because that's what I always do. And it's going much faster now! I did get off work 2 hours ago. . .and I'm still finishing up the uploading. Just thought I would share a few treasures I found while I'm waiting. . .waiting, waiting patiently!


Me getting up on a wakeboard for the first time ever!
Oh, just a little package peanut fight we had after receiving a few wedding gifts in the mail.
The scoreboard after we beat Utah in overtime! Woo woo.
HAHAHA. I had never seen this picture before!
Sweet sisters over Christmas break.



Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Get it, girl!


So, JD's little sister, Tiffanie, tried out for cheer last year and she wasn't supposed to make it. They accidentally put her name on the list. After she found out "she made it," the school district contacted the Knowldens to tell them the situation. The coach and the school decided to let her be on the team on kinda like a test trial because of their mistake. It was all a big fiasco, but Tiffanie took it for what it was worth and looked at it as an opportunity. She's been taking tumbling classes for the past year and working her butt off to improve. The budget is kindof tight for the Knowldens, and her parents told her they didn't think she would be able to do it again this year because of how expensive it's been for them. A few weeks ago Tiffanie got a job and is going to work all summer to pay her own way for a chance to do it again. Today, she tried out. And today she made the varsity cheerleading squad. She landed her roundfoff four to a tuck (four backhandsprings and a back flip), her standing tuck, and a 4 jump tuck sequence (right hurkey, toe touch, left hurkey, toe touch, tuck). I would have killed to be able to tumble fearlessly the way she does. I haven't seen her cheer or her dance yet, but she seemed pleased with how she performed. The whole story is really inspiring to me because she hasn't given up. She has improved so much in the last year and I am really proud of her hard work. Get it, girl!

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Grown-ups.


On Wednesday, Holli and I went to Roxanne's bridal shower, coordinated by Ashley. Roxanne seemed giddy and excited, ready to move forward with her life. She's always pretty happy, but she seemed particularly glowing. It was fun to be there with her. She got some really cute lingerie! Haha, it was great to watch her open it all and giggle over every one!
It's always good to see the girls from home (I almost just capitalized home.. to me, it seems that it almost should be a proper noun). It's wierd to me that we're grown-ups.

I cried.


Last Tuesday, I went to play flag football with some people in my major. We had a ton of fun. Yesterday, they all got together for a barbecue to meet each other's significant others and to have a last final hurrah before graduating. JD and I had a stupid work training all day, and I wasn't able to go. As we were getting ready to leave from flag football, everyone was saying "See you Saturday!" It suddenly hit me I wouldn't be there on Saturday and that it would probably be the last time I saw these girls. . .ever. I cried. I couldn't keep back the tears.


We hugged and shared our love for each other and for the friendships we've formed over the past few years. I am so grateful for the chance I've had to meet them and to work with them and to play with them. It is overwhelming to me that they are all leaving, but I am so excited for their internships and for the places they are going. Life is supposed to move forward and change, but sometimes it's a little hard for me to handle. I cried, definitely.



Tennis Mood.

We've been in tennis moods lately. The weather has been so lovely. Yesterday we played doubles with Tyler and Kristy, a couple from our ward.

(Tyler is the one to JD's left. They played on the same team for a Platinum 3 on 3 basketball tournament a few months ago. JD really likes him, which is awesome because they are also coming out to DC to sell in the same office. Small world!)
Last weekend we played doubles with Holli and Abe. It was really fun. Both couples we played said they weren't very good at tennis; both couples kicked our booties. I am still not great at tennis, but I'm improving. Mostly, I just really like playing and know that I'll get better the more I practice. :)

Friday, April 16, 2010

I wonder if my sister knows...

This is my sister, Morgan. This is her boyyyfriend.
And, this is Justin Bieber.


Sometimes, my 24-year old husband turns him on and we jam... When I met you girl my heart went knock knock; Now them butterflies in my stomach wont stop stop; And even though its a struggle love is all we got...so we gon' keep keep climbin' till the mountain top.

I wonder if my sister knows her boy toy is a popstar!
(Seriously, though.. they're identical!)

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Jordan and Michael.

On Tuesday, I saw Jordan for the first time since his mish. He came to my apartment and we rode the bus to the mall. We ate Chick-fil-a (yum. . . Chick-fil-a sauce!) and talked and walked and told stories. He showed me the type of ring his girlfriend likes and we looked for Jazz hats. He was the same Jordan. We met up with Holli, Leah, and Michael Chamberlain for dinner. Michael seems the same too. . .a little nerdy and slightly awkward, but totally loveable. It was strange to be in Utah at a restaurant with all these people from Texas. It was the first time Michael and Jordan saw eachother since they've been back. It was just a sweet moment to be with old friends and realize that even though some things change, friendships remain. It's not exactly the same as it used to be, but it that's okay! But sometimes it's so lovely to remember when...

The Sorcerer's Stone.


JD and I finished the first book in the Harry Potter series today. We read for an hour in our lovely apartment after we made scrambled egg sandwiches for breakfast. It was a great day. I love the days he doesn't work and we are able to see each other in the daytime! Can you believe JD's never read these books? I couldn't! And that's why we asked for them for Christmas and Santa brought them for us and now I read out loud to JD the wonder and magic that is HP. I can't wait til we get to the third one... :)

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Meatlovers.

We should eat more veggies.


Stef's getting married!


Stefanie is getting married in less than a month! Woo-hoo. On Saturday, the roomies and I went to her bridal shower in Pleasant Grove. Her cute sisters put it together for her and they did a cute job :) Jeremy and Stef are super photogenic and look darling in all their photos. I am so excited I am going to be able to go to her wedding and support her on her big day! :)


Ps. It still feels weird without Kasidy. We miss her!

Scholarship!



I have great news! I applied for a scholarship from the recreation department and was really honored when they informed me I'm going to be a recipient for the 2010-2011 school year! It's really exciting because they only select a few students and I really didn't think I was more qualified than all of the others that applied. I am so grateful for the award and know that Heavenly Father had a hand in the selection process :) Last week there was a scholarship banquet at the Hinckley Alumni Center, a totally gorgeous building on campus. I had never been inside, but it was really so beautiful.
They had a yummy dinner and then some of our professors presented the different scholarships. Also, the department honored an outstanding recreational professional in Utah. He gave a really motivating speech that helped me remember the power of recreation to bring families and communities together.



This is some of the students who've been in my "TR cohort" that also received awards. I've seen these people like everyday for the past year and a half-in classes, working on projects, and recreating together :) I am grateful for these teachers, who have inspired me to want to work with people, implement programs with power to change, and monitor progress in the lives of real individuals. As Dr. Zabriskie always says, "We're people people." I really do feel like I am going to find a lot of happiness in the work I can do with the degree I am getting. I still don't know what population I want to work with, but I am looking forward to internship and volunteer opportunities in lots of different settings. Hopefully, I'll find something that clicks! Nonetheless, I feel very blessed to get to study therapeutic recreation at BYU, one of the few colleges in the country that has an accredited program. What an opportunity!

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Never.

It should never snow on April 5(what the?!) or any springtime day after that. I never want to be done with school. It's a really happening time on BYU campus right now because there's only a week of school left and then a good chunk of the student body will be graduating (at least a good chunk of the student body I know!). . . It makes me a little sad because a lot of my classmates that I've come to know and love through my TR classes are going on to bigger and better things and I still have to tackle the research and evaluation class by myself in the fall. So weird. There are so many classes I still want to take, things I want to learn, experiences I want to have here. I feel like there are so many people around me who just can't wait to be done; I can never relate. My husband never waits long enough for the dough to rise when he makes homemade bread. He's a little too impatient. It always turns out thicker than he wants. I'm not complaining! It's awesome he wants to bake things. It would be better if he could wait a little longer (or I guess if I ever started it before he got home.. eeks.) My bangs never work the way I want them to. They always do the stupid twisty-turny-callicky-split-down-the-middle thing. It drives me nuts. The only day I can really remembering loving my bangs was on my wedding day. . .which is lucky, right! I never want to wash the big dishes. I like doing the little stuff and leaving the pots and pans for JD. He's okay with that, so it works for us. I never fall asleep at night without turning the fan on. There has never been been a day of marriage that JD hasn't told me he loved me. I've never liked seafood. I don't think I ever will. Speaking of seafood, I don't like fish and I keep reading or hearing about how eating fish one night a week is supposed to be healthy for you. You aren't supposed to eat meat every day. PROBLEM. We eat meat alot. I don't know how I could live without it. I never want to be a vegetarian. Although, I have thought about trying it for a month or something just to see what it's like and because JD's brother and his girlfriend don't eat meat and seem to be really skinny. I can never find the motivation to give up icecream, potatoes, or white pasta sauce. I'm never pleased when I weigh myself. I never buy the cute things in the BYU bookstore that I would buy if I had a bigger spending fund. I never think returned missionaries who still live at home are attractive (I know that's so judgmental. Sorry.) I never get sick of looking at engagement or wedding pictures. I love seeing people around me in love.

(I tend to say, "Don't ever say always or never," because it's hardly ever true. Things don't always happen or never happen. I still hold to that statement. I've used never in this blogpost for emphasis, mostly.)

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Being Alive

"People say we are seeking a meaning for life. I think what we're really seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the physical plane will have resonances within our innermost being and reality so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive." -Joseph Campbell

Isn't being alive such a magical thing? Isn't it awesome? Aren't we blessed?!

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Registered.

Lately, I've been thinking about how much I wish I could sew. I've thought about taking a clothing construction class, but have been too intimidated to take any action. Finally, I've decided I must do it, or I'll regret it forever. I registered for the class just now.