Caitlan Marie

New Blog

2011-08-21T19:24:00.001-07:00

I decided I'm over this blog, so I made a new one. Check it out!

lifeofcaitlan.blogspot.com

Thanks!

Lent

2010-02-17T21:56:00.001-08:00

I've decided to observe Lent this year. I tried telling my sister that I was celebrating Lent, but, it is not something you celebrate, it is to be observed and respected. I am observing Lent this year.

I don't know a lot about catholicism, but Lent seems like kind of a cool idea. I mean, it is fasting in a sense, right? And being LDS, I do that once a month anyway. But Lent is different. A) It's 40 days. B) You get to choose from what (or whom really) you fast.

I've decided on a health oriented Lent. Since a mission pretty much takes care of everything else I could give up, (cell phone, ipod, laptop, pants...) I'm giving up unhealthy foods. Not just sugar, but fast food and the like. I contemplated giving up a person, but once again, the mission makes it so I can give up everyone! However, if I were not going on a mission, I think my Lent sacrifice would be quite different.

So- here's to observing Lent! Happy Ash Wednesday everybody!

It's That Time Again...

2010-02-14T19:27:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine's!!! It seems every v-day that passes since I've graduated high school is sprinkled with new engagements, which always makes me really happy for people. I love it when people start dating, get married, etc. . I'm not usually jealous, and this year is no exception. V-day is good if you have a valentine, and well... another day if you don't. :)

I just checked my facebook and noticed another engagement of a good friend. Haha hopefully I'm not the only single person who does this, but I kind of have a running list in my head of people I wouldn't-mind-maybe-someday-eventually-if-it-works-out-we'll-see-where-life-goes getting married to. Coincidentally, that list has gotten shorter and shorter as my mission approaches. They're all getting married! I mean, I knew I would be awesome enough to leave with a clean slate, leaving behind no obligations (for which I truly am grateful). But even the back of my mind hopefuls are starting to go! Of course, they're not all gone, BYU has done a pretty good job of keeping my crush stock ever re-filling itself. But still, my poor bleeding heart suffers a twinge when all these cool guys start to find other matches. Eh, you can't win 'em all. I'm sure the Champion Man of All Male Creation is out there somewhere waiting for me. He'll probably look like this:

James Marsden> I love him more than life. (oh and just like BYU... my that is a nice wedding ring he's wearing... My life never changes!)

Truth

2010-02-11T18:54:00.000-08:00

My blog is too pink, I know. It will change soon. But the other one before reminded me too much of those colored candy canes you can get, and I think those are gross. This one, however, makes me feel like I being suffocated at a Claire's. So, I'll change it, soon.

Something New Every Day

2010-02-10T10:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I was standing in line to get my prescription for my sinus infection. (Gross, yes. Annoying, also yes. Healed by modern medicine- yes. thankfully) Anyway, while I was standing there, I noticed the nicotine/smoking aid display. Here is my fun fact- nicotine comes in lozenge form! I personally love cough drops, so I think if I were a smoker that wanted to quit, this would be like Christmas for me. Fortunately, I'm not a smoker and thus don't need to quit, but I still think it's kind of amazing that nicotine cough drops are available.

< these ones are mint flavored.

Today's something new came from looking up directions to the Health Department (I need immunizations for my mission- in two weeks!!) on Google Maps. (sidenote- if Google wanted/needed missionaries to spread the good word of Google, I would sign up in a heartbeat. I may not be the most knowledgeable of all its facets, but, even if I don't know about them, I know they're amazing. And I know that Chrome is true.) Anyway, I'm looking up directions, and notice that you have a couple options when it comes to finding your way. Aside from the different routes, Google Maps also has a walking option. That's right, if you need to walk somewhere and don't know how to get there, Google will help you. So, out of curiosity, I clicked the walking option, and laughed out loud. First of all, they warn you about the lack of sidewalks and the danger therein. Secondly, the approximate time it will take you is also listed. Time by driving to the Health Department- roughly 16 minutes. Time for walking- about 2 hours and 18 minutes.

Google. Is. Awesome.

The Tally Continues

2010-01-28T22:23:00.000-08:00

Current temperatures this fine morning:

Honolulu : 70 degrees

Idaho Falls : 1 degree (not joking)

The countdown is to 25 days. Crazy!

I owe you nothing Idaho.

Oh Utah... How Do I Miss Thee {Highlights}

2010-01-27T08:47:00.000-08:00

This past weekend Maryn and I hit two birds with one stone by going to Utah. She needed a ride to the airport, and I needed to see my friends. It was mildly exhausting, but mostly really fun!

We got there Thursday night, and I made it just in time for yoga at the climbing gym with Tia (and, as it were, to wave at Cute Rock Climbing boy, who, as it were, is dating someone. Maybe she'll be gone in 18 months?) Ah I love yoga. And I love Tia.

I visited Sparks, said hi to my brother, and then helped Jared edit a paper. It's possible my grammatical advice was unsolicited, but part of me always itches to add a comma or combine two sentences.

Breakfast with Sarah was really fun. Though she and I were roommates, it is pretty rare that when we get together, it's just the two of us. So I really liked that.

Climbing with Alison and Steph for the last time was a little sad, but good. Haha I didn't realize how much strength I had built up until I went this weekend, and quickly realized I had lost it. :)

The dance party with Maryn and Jessie, though short lived, was also quite fun. But probably not as good as when we tried to fit five people in one bed to watch a movie at Tyler's. I ended up sleeping on the floor, and I bet we all got maybe, maybe 3 hours of sleep.

Seeing the Joseph Smith movie and then going to some sort of Wedding Expo for the free food at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake was excellent. The movie was great, and it was really good to have such a clear reminder of why I started this mission business in the first place. The free food- so good. Nothing like mooching with your friends when everyone is poor.

Stopping by Sparks for a last heart to heart with some of my brother's roommates was unexpected, but certainly enjoyed.

Grocery shopping with Emily- loved it and love her. :)

Sushi with the money room- what a good group of people! It's funny to think that some of my favorite/closest friends came from where I worked. You can never go wrong when you're with a group made of people you enjoy individually.

I wish I could say I remembered more about sleeping over at Emily's with Margo, but after the movie, I was falling asleep while they were talking to me. However- the morning was fun!

Classic Laurie Caitlan time. It's remarkable that after 2 and a half years, I still never laugh as hard as I do at what she and I manage to come up with. (Zebra Death Song? Ok)

Oh Erin. I'm so glad that was my last Utah adventure, because it was definitely the funniest. She and I always bring out the best in each other- and by best I mean bold, lack of inhibitions, and a guaranteed good story. It all began with sitting in sacrament meeting, and noticing a cute boy in one of the pews in front of us. The day progressed, including making small conversation with Church Boy at a later fireside, and ended with us sending him flirtatious/forward texts, and he and I arranging for a lunch date the next day. Poor kid. But it was good, I still think he's cute.:)

I only spent about $100 for the entire weekend. Yes, I think it was worth it.

Blogs are funny

2010-01-19T19:54:00.000-08:00

I think I like blogs because I like to talk, and here is a chance for me to share my thoughts, where it is appropriate to talk without being invited to.

Random thought #1- I think people should come with warning labels, myself included. If I could create a warning label for myself, it would say, "Beware. This girl has a very limited filter of what, when shared in confidence, should be kept personal, about herself or others. If you want something you share to stay a secret, you must make audible mention."

No recent horrible occurrence of me being a blab made me share this, but I have often been told my openness, even with people I've known for a long time, is disconcerting. The worst part? I don't think I'm that open, and wouldn't know it if people didn't comment. Hence the warning label- I don't think there's much I can do to fix it, so... be warned.

I also know a few people I would have liked to have been warned about. Like a roommate or two. "This girl seems really nice and fun. But watch out! Warning: Will dominate the conversation and talk to the boy you like for over an hour, even if he came to see you." or "Warning: This girl eats copious amounts of tuna, and never thinks to rinse the can, plate, or any utensil she may have used, thus stinking up your kitchen for days."

I'm sure some of my associates, unfortunate roommates included, could come up with a warning label or two for me. I still think it's a great idea. And yet for some reason, when people try to warn you upon your first meeting of something about themselves, it often comes across awkward. Why is that? (Sidenote: I already wrote a blog about asserting that I'm awkward. Perfect. I'm awkward because I stated I'm awkward.)

Random thought #2: The upcoming mission (5 weeks!) and this good book I'm reading (The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs) have made me contemplate, not doubtingly question, but evaluate, my faith. I've come to this conclusion, as more finely stated by President Thomas S. Monson:

'' 'And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!'

This is the knowledge that sustains. This is the truth that comforts. This is the assurance that guides those who are bowed down with grief—out of the shadows and into the light ."

New Obsession

2010-01-15T11:47:00.000-08:00

So since I've been home and jobless, I've become a bit of a housewife. Or, mother's helper I suppose, since I'm not married. Anyway- the point is this- I am furthering my knowledge of kitchen greatness. My new favorite is this website my sister Elise showed me- http://blogchef.net/

It is so fun! I made his recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala (Indian food) the other night, and while it was a bit labor intensive, it was fun making something legitimately. Haha I felt especially cool when I was grating the ginger root. So, that is all.

Keeping Score

2010-01-09T15:46:00.003-08:00

Idaho Falls, ID Current Conditions

Temperature:	20°	Pressure:	30.38 in
Wind Speed:	6 mph	Dew Point:	11°
Wind Chill:	12°	Visibility:	10 mi
Humidity:	62%

Honolulu, HI Current Conditions

Temperature:	82°	Pressure:	29.89 in
Wind Speed:	15 mph	Dew Point:	67°
Wind Chill:	82°	Visibility:	8 mi
Humidity:	60%

Idaho, if you want my love, you will have to step it up, quite a bit.

Keeping Score

2010-01-09T15:46:00.001-08:00

Cooking

2010-01-06T19:23:00.000-08:00

I've always had a closet desire to be chef. Well, maybe not so closet, but, as careers go, culinary arts has gone without being pursued. Somewhere along the lines between middle school and high school, I wanted to be more health oriented and got it in my head that all chefs would ultimately be grossly obese and I should take a different path. Sidenote- some thoughts seem so logical until you actually express them. Anyway. Now everything I'm interested in has to do with the market and money, which I do legitimately like. However, every time I watch Stranger than Fiction, and it's the part where Anna Pascal is talking about dropping out of Harvard to make the world better by making cookies, I always, always think, "I don't want to go to school anymore. I want to make people happy with cupcakes, too!" But let's get real- the idea of opening up your own business hoping people like your cookies better than other people's is slightly daunting. This is the plan- because I do think having a degree is a good idea. I will graduate, gain some business experience/save my money while working some sort of real job, and then, by and by, the real job will be phased out by a sandwich and cookie shop. Perfect. Not wholly credible, but still nice.

I feel like this post should be summed up with my chocolate chip cookie recipe, which is always my fall back whenever someone does me a favor. ("Please? I'll make you cookies. Ok thanks!")

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Preheat oven to 375

1 cup (2 cubes) softened butter (not totally melted though, it does weird things)

1 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3 cups loosely packed flour

2 1/2 cups / a bag / however many you want of chocolate chips

Mix the butter, brown sugar, white sugar, and vanilla. Stir in the eggs. Then add the baking soda, salt, and flour. The dough should be soft and all hold together, but not stick to your (clean) finger if you touch it. Stir in the chocolate chips and bake for like 9-10 minutes at 375.

When I was at school, I would probably only bake half of the dough and the rest would be eaten, by my roommates, with spoons. I personally prefer cookie over dough, but whatev.

Oh- and tonight I used a combo of muenster and cheddar cheese when making grilled cheese, with just a dab of pesto- delish. Did I copy Zupas? Yes. Was it really good? Also yes.

Everyone Should Know!

2010-01-04T15:55:00.001-08:00

I am a genius. I discovered this little trick a few weeks ago, and feel brilliant every time I use it. So- in my parent's house, none of the bathrooms have windows, which leads to extremely foggy mirrors after a shower. So- to expedite the disappearance of fogginess, I blow dry the mirror! It works perfectly and doesn't re-fog. I usually just make a spot big enough so I can see my face. If you suffer from foggy mirrors, here is your answer:

2009 in Review- Year of Lovin'

2009-12-30T18:38:00.000-08:00

(sorry ladies, this one is now engaged, deservedly so)

I know what you're thinking- what a bunch of good looking guys! In the three years that I've had a blog, I've made an end of the year slideshow. This year, however, I decided on highlights supplemented by a few good pictures, including the pictured above- 2009's kiss list. I contemplated telling their names and giving each a story, possibly even rating, but then decided that was tasteless. Nothing wrong with some cute pictures though. :) Haha I also contemplated making a "Would Like to Kiss" list, but... well anyway. Highlights of 2009 to be continued.

Social Networking is... A Disease

2009-12-28T23:14:00.000-08:00

At 11pm, I decided it was time for bed. I made the well-informed mistake of checking facebook and gmail before going to sleep.

Now, more than an hour later, I have finally ended all irrelevant chat conversations, finished up my regular perusal of interesting people's pictures (that sounds a lot better than stalking, right?) and am done reading whatever blog post/facebook comment that actually has little to no correlation with anything in my life.

Thank you Laptop for providing me with... well, maybe just depriving me, of sleep.

I Love Being Home

2009-12-22T10:40:00.000-08:00

I will be home for the next 63 days, and I'm kind of excited.

First of all, I love my bed at home. I also love my room here. Even though it's been converted into an office/craft room, I can still appreciate my red walls and glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling.

I also really like that everything in my parents' house works, and works well.

And- I have just been summoned to help do some chores. I will learn to like that too. :)

President Eyring

2009-12-18T09:30:00.001-08:00

I just stumbled across this, and I really liked it!

M E R I D I A N M A G A Z I N E
President Henry B. Eyring Teaches Leadership Principles to BYU Management Society
By Maurine Proctor
President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency was awarded the Distinguished Public Service Award from the Washington D.C. Chapter of the BYU Management Society last weekend at a dinner held in his honor and used the opportunity to teach about principles of leadership and leading.
“I've spent most of my life observing leaders and trying to be one,” he told a capacity crowd at the Marriott Hotel.
“I have searched for years for an answer to the question, “Why do people decide to follow a leader?” My guess is that you have pondered that question in the variety of settings in which you have lived and worked. You are likely still searching for a final answer and so am I.
“However, I thought it might be helpful to you if told you where I am in my search for an answer and how I got there. That might help you in your own search. I have tried to understand why great leaders get people to follow them. My explanation is getting down to two words: Trust and Integrity.
“It seems to me that people follow leaders they trust and the main source of their trust is the integrity they sense in the leader. Even more than competence, they will trust character. They trust people they think will find the course to follow by searching for what is the right thing to do without fear or selfish motive. And then that they do it themselves and ask their followers to come with them.”
He said that people trust integrity even more than competence.
He acknowledged that he knew the counter arguments. Sometimes people follow leaders for reasons other than trust, and they may trust leaders for reasons other than their integrity.
President Eyring told a story that he said demonstrated “ how some ordinary people in a climate of trust and deeply rooted integrity became powerful leaders all over an organization” and “shows that many great leaders can appear when you need them if selfless integrity has become the norm.”
On June 7, 1976, President Eyring, who was then the president of Ricks College, was in Idaho Falls at the temple wedding of a faculty member and miles away from his leadership post. As he and his wife, Kathleen, left the temple, a woman at the desk whispered to them that the Teton Dam had broken and a wall of water was headed for Rexburg.
In addition to the many for whom he was responsible at the college, four of his young sons were there as well. Two of them were working on a farm near where the dam had broken, and two more were at home with a baby sitter, he knew would probably not be aware that a flood was coming.
They quickly tried to return to Rexburg to help, but the police stopped them and told them all roads were closed. They were forced to spend the night in a motel, not knowing what had happened to their children or the college.
“As I look back, said President Eyring, I realize that I slept well that night because I knew something about the people for whom I was responsible. I trusted them for their integrity. I knew that they would try to find out what was right to do and that they would try to do it whatever the cost. I was sure that the people would follow them. That was deep in the natures of the people there long before I arrived as the young president. The people were rooted in moral principle from administrators down to the humblest workman.”
The next day, he said, “We arrived at the college to find thousands of survivors wearing all the clothes they had left. More Latter-day Saints were driven from their homes than at any other time in the history of the Church.”
He was told that his sons were safe. The water did hit the college, but it didn't hit the house. The two who had been plowing near the dam and been so close they saw the water rushing. The boys had asked the farmer, Craig Moore, “Shouldn't we head for home?” He had thought for a moment and said, “No. We agreed this morning that we would finish the plowing today. We always keep our word. We always finish what we start.”
The boys had said, “Yes, sir,” and climbed back up on the tractor. Brother Moore had no way of knowing whether the flood would hit his house where his wife was alone. But the boys knew from experience with Brother Moore that he would have asked a prayer about what to do. He didn't need to tell them that he had offered a prayer and felt that all was well at home. “They trusted him,” said President Eyring. “They stayed at the farm because they trusted that he would know what was right to do and do it whatever the cost.”
“At the college, I found that our people across campus had demonstrated that same great moral leadership and that people had followed them. Their president was in Idaho Falls. Yet ordinary people decided what the right thing to do was. They did it. And others followed them.”
The food service had fed over 5,000 dinners to survivors the first night. President Eyring said that he had for months told the man in charge of food service to hold down his food inventories to save costs, but he always felt better when he had reserves for surprises, an ideal certainly ingrained in him from his Mormon background.
Equally ingrained in him was the Mormon value of working long and hard. Even though it was Saturday, and he wasn't required to be there, he was there. He called in the bakers, the cooks, the dishwashers, all of whose own homes were in danger, and they came.
President Eyring smiled, “I got the credit for this in some of the press reports, but I wasn't even there.” What people were responding to he said, was a climate of integrity and trust. If he deserved any credit he said, it was that “I had recognized what my predecessors had created and I tried to protect it.”
The campus housing manager had acted just as the food manager. He decided what the right thing to do was, called in his workers to help, and because of them hundreds of families slept on clean sheets that night. “ Ordinary people in trouble themselves had followed the leadership of ordinary people they trusted to know the right thing to do. And so they all did it. The integrity of the followers rose to the integrity of their leaders.” President Eyring said.
Before President Eyring arrived from Idaho Falls, the manager of the student center had called the local stake president, and on his own had set up an emergency command center on campus.
“When I finally got back on the job in Rexburg, I went to the room in the student center where President Ricks was holding his meeting. I saw the bishops and the high councilors sitting there in whatever clothes they had been wearing when the flood hit. Most of them showed signs that they had been out in the mud and among the broken trees to find and help their people.
“Now, some of our critics might say they only followed the stake president out of submission to authority. But you wouldn't believe that if you knew those bishops. They were farmers and mechanics as independent as any you will ever meet. And that was equally true of their followers who answered the call…
“They didn't do that because they respected the office of the bishop.
That surely was a part of it, but respect alone wouldn't explain it. They trusted the bishop because of his character. They knew he would have prayed to know what ought to be done, that he would to it, and that he would tell them as honestly as he could what he felt God wanted them to do.”
After a few days an experienced director from the National Disaster Relief Agency arrived with a professional team. President Eyring met him as he arrived to speak with
Stake President Ricks and several bishops. As the director moved down a check list of what should be done, President Ricks quietly whispered, “We've already done that.” After this had continued for four or five minutes, he said he would just like to observe, and by the next day he was asking “What would you like us to do?”
“Years later, as a member of the Presiding Bishopric of the Church, I was in the office of a member of the First Presidency. His phone rang,” said President Eyring.
“It was the President of the United States calling from Air Force One. He had called to thank the Church for the excellent response of our people to a disaster in Florida. I was told afterward that he attributed it to our organizational skills as a Church.
It was far more than knowing how to organize. It was people with integrity deep inside them that produced the miracle. The gospel had gone down into hearts to produce the climate in which trust and great leadership could emerge.”
President Eyring continued, “ This idea that great leadership springs out of a climate of people rooted in moral integrity is not original with me. Nor does it only work among Mormons or in disaster relief. It is true in every endeavor.
“Here is one of my favorite passages in the United States Army Leadership Field Manual. It argues that we need great leaders who can be trusted for their integrity. Here is a passage: ‘People of integrity do the right thing not because it's convenient or because they have no choice.
“'They choose the right thing because their character permits no less. Conducting yourself with integrity has three parts: Separating what's right from what's wrong. Always acting according to what you know to be right even at personal cost. Saying openly that you're acting on your understanding of right versus wrong.'”
President Eyring said, “Integrity will not only gain trust from your subordinates in the crisis of floods or in combat. It will gain trust from superiors and subordinates in any setting. I like these lines from the book, The Moral Sense, by James Q. Wilson which is a compliment to us with a bit of an edge: ‘We value people who are so inner directed that we can rely on them acting in a certain way.'
“And then a few lines later, ‘People will often defer to our wishes if they think we will make a scene when we are asked to act contrary to a deeply held conviction, and they will often have confidence in our promises if the promises are consistent with our principles even when they know we will encounter many temptations to break the promise.”
President Eyring concluded, Do you remember the old line from our hymn, ‘Choose the Right'? There is a line in it: “There's a right and a wrong to every question.”
I've come to believe that is true, even in our leadership work when the moral course may be hard to find. God gives us help in that from the time of our birth. By impressions to the mind and to the heart we can know what is right and what is wrong. The Spirit of Christ can do that, even when we do not know what is best, we can know what is right...
“We can influence the emergence of great leaders rooted in moral principle. And they will lift families who in turn can lift our society. You can help create those trusted leaders. We desperately need them.”
Among the past recipients of the Distinguished Public Service Award are: Elder M. Russell Ballard, Senator Robert F. Bennett, Dr. Stephen R. Covey, President Gordon B. Hinckley, President Thomas S. Monson,Rex E. Lee, Dr. Mark W. Cannon, and President Boyd K. Packer.

My Life is Average, minus the Christmas Miracle

2009-12-16T17:49:00.000-08:00

Picture this: I drive my roommates to campus this morning, only to come back to the apartment and realize my house key is in my running shorts' pocket and I am locked out. My bed head of hair is sticking out in random places, I'm wearing the crooked glasses I'm too cheap to replace yet, and I'm in my pajamas, and trying to break into the apartment, unsuccessfully. Thankfully, Alison answers her phone and says she has a key, I drive back to campus, pick up my roommates, and then we decide we want to get breakfast. Yes, I am still in my "just rolled out of bed" appearance. Oh- and because I had originally thought I'd be dropping them off and coming home, I wasn't wearing socks with my shoes. It was a good day to be alive and be out in public.

Onto the Christmas miracle- my roommates and I have decided to take boys rock climbing. As mentioned in the previous post, I'm not a huge fan of asking boys out. However, for a roommate group date, and because I succumb to peer pressure, I made an exception. Well- the boy I had in mind to ask was Cute Boy from my religion class last semester. Cute Boy had originally asked me out, but I had a boyfriend at the time, but then I broke up with my boyfriend, and have been bitter about lack of date with Cute Boy ever since. So I'm walking to school yesterday feeling a bit awkward and wondering how and when I will ask Cute Boy to come rock climbing. I then start to pray and explain that the best possible thing would be if I just ran into him, and wasn't awkward. I prayed my whole way to school that I would run into Cute Boy, that somehow on the huge BYU campus of many buildings, cute boy and I would cross paths. I know it is obvious where this is going, but I will finish the story. I go to the library, and the first floor I go to, there aren't any available computers. So, I go to another floor. As I'm looking for a computer, I look up and who should be entering this floor of the library but CUTE BOY himself! So, I say hi to him and he smiles and we hug and it is just perfect. I casually mention rock climbing, he says yes, and I, I am rather grateful. Of course there are the normal insecurities, like I hope he actually wants to come, I hope it goes well, etc.. But if nothing else, climbing is always fun, and I'm going on a mission anyway.

Legitimately Good

2009-12-06T16:23:00.000-08:00

I've decided to compile a list of songs I believe everyone should at some point enjoy. From my iPod to yours...

1. Happy by Never Shout Never

2. Readymade by Red Hot Chili Peppers

3. Suzie by Boy Kill Boy

4. Talk by Coldplay

5. Work by Jimmy Eat World

6. Chemistry of a Car Crash by Shiny Toy Guns

7. Skeleton Boy by Friendly Fires

8. Cath... by Death Cab for Cutie

9. Either Side of Midnight by Jack McManus

10. The Pretender by Foo Fighters

11. Dig by Incubus

12. Party in the U.S.A. by Miley Cyrus

13. Colorblind by Counting Crows

14. All in All by Lifehouse

15. Replay by Iyaz

Reality... Will Not Set In

2009-11-23T14:01:00.001-08:00

Don't be jealous... actually, it's gorgeous. Yeah, be jealous.

So it's super easy for me to tell people I've been called to Hawaii. It's easy for me to tell them how perfect of a mission I think it is, how excited I am, and how right it feels.

But I don't know that it's hit me that I'm actually serving a mission. That I'm actually going to go to Hawaii for 18 months and teach people what I've been learning my whole life and am still learning. I feel like the Gospel is a process- like you're on a path and each step builds on the last. I feel like being a missionary I won't be like, "Here look at me on this sure knowledge I have!" It'll be like, "I like this path- want to try it?" I mean, don't get me wrong. I have a pretty solid testimony, and I won't tell investigators this might be worth it- I know it is. It's just mildly nerve racking is all.

A girl in my ward has a friend who is serving in my mission right now, and she keeps a blog. I've heard of a lot of people doing that actually, so I may just hand the password to this blog over to my mom, and have her post my letters here. Anyway- reading her blog was crazy. It was really cool and it sounds like she's having a good time, but I can already tell I am in for a treat. Full of surprises and challenges and bonuses I hadn't thought of. Like cockroaches. There are cockroaches in Hawaii. Of course there are. And geckos. And regular interviews with the mission president and I'll have companions from all over the world... this is for real. This is the real deal right here. I am going on a mission and ah... it will be crazy.

But alas, back to school, back to writing stupid papers... only a couple more weeks and then I'll be home in Idaho until my mission. Loco.

Called to Serve...A Bit of Perfection :)

2009-11-19T10:34:00.000-08:00

I've been called to serve in the Hawaii Honolulu Mission, which will include the Laie Hawaii Temple Visitors' Center. :) Sweet huh?

I've decided to make a list of why Hawaii is the perfect mission:

1. It is stateside. And I am so glad.

2. Utah is dry and cold. Hawaii is warm and oh... my cracked knuckles are healing just thinking about being near the ocean!

3. I will be sending all of my lady friends coconut shells and grass skirts for their birthdays.

4. Pineapple is the best thing that ever happened to me.

5. I get to wear sandals. Yep. Sandals. They're required.

6. It is also required that I do not tuck in my shirt while I'm there. Don't have to tell me twice.

7. Um, it's Hawaii.

8. I was secretly hoping for a visitors' center mission. Not only do I have a temple in my mission, but serving there is part of my mission. YES.

9. I know I already said this, but I LOVE humidity. I'm so excited to have soft hair and skin. Ah. So good.

10. Maybe I will get a tan?

11. I never would have guessed Hawaii, but I am so, so pleased. :) It just fits. And I love it.

There is a video of me opening my call on facebook, though I will be sure to post one on here at some point as well.

Choose-This-Day

2009-11-17T23:43:00.000-08:00

Choose-This-Day

I really liked this. Watch it- you can spare three minutes. :)

And I know my blogs have all been more Spiritual lately- I usually try to have a balance.

Awkward/funny moments as of late- I wore my hair curly the other day. My math teacher (who is my favorite of the semester) stopped, mid-equation-explanation, to ask if I'd had a haircut. This class has at least 300 people in it, and at that moment, the entire class was wondering why my hair looked different. I responded that no, it was just curly as opposed to the normal straight. My teacher said it looked nice, and then returned to his partial derivatives. The five guys around me all commented that it looked nice. (The class is 98% male. I don't mind)

Cute boys work at the rock climbing gym. Cute boys hopefully have noticed that I've started climbing 5.10s. Cutest boy at the gym watched me struggle up a 5.8 (a relatively easy climb) tonight.

I went to a comedy show for a group date Saturday night, where they periodically throw glowsticks into the audience. A couple in front of us would makeout in between acts. My roommate Alison, who was also on the date, and I "accidentally" dropped our glowsticks in between the smooching couple mid-kiss. More than once.

Sometimes, You Just Want to Say Thanks

2009-11-12T22:54:00.001-08:00

I realized today that I have so many good people in my life, and I'm so glad they all exist. I have a lot of people to be grateful for, which of course includes my family, but also the people I've met since I've been at school. My roommates, past and present, are great. The people I work with are great. In every class, I have at least one or two friends, and they are great. It's just good. One thing that has always interested me is how positively and quickly people respond to kindness. Even people I'm already friends with and have been friends with for a long time- the moment you show that extra bit more niceness than usual, it's as if they light up. Maybe I'm just usually mean and so all my friends see it as a welcome break when I'm nice, but it is really fun to be nicer than you normally would have to people and make them happy.

Today I was reading a talk by President Monson from this past conference's priesthood session. I always feel like I'm being let in on some secret when I read the priesthood talks, like I'm being clued in on info privy to only the elect or something, even though it's available for the world. Anyway, his talk was titled, "School Thy Feelings, O My Brother," and it was so good for me to read. I don't think I have anger issues, but it really made me think about how often I get irritated when it really shouldn't matter. My favorite line was, "May we make a conscious decision, each time such a decision must be made, to refrain from anger and to leave unsaid the harsh and hurtful things we may be tempted to say." I know that when I'm mad, it seems all my best skills of quick wit and exact wording are at their sharpest, and I've let out many a cutting comment that could have been kept in.

So- that's my thought. To be nice, and to be nicer than necessary or normal.

I am Awkward

2009-11-09T10:19:00.000-08:00

I don't know how long this will last, but I've decided to pattern my blog after mylifeisaverage.com, which if you haven't visited, you should today. Sometimes it is hilarious. But basically, I am awkward. And for some reason, this realization never sticks. It's always, on a weekly basis, a realization, "Oh... I think I'm awkward." I don't feel too bad about it- I mean really, I still like myself and my life and my friends. So it's not like an inhibiting awkward, it's just... I'm just awkward.

It's not even noon yet, but I already have a story for today. This isn't as bad as the tripping twice while talking to Dream Math Boy, but it is funny, and the day's not over.

On Mondays, I have a Stats lab at 8, and then Stats lecture at 9. So, everyone from the lab is probably in the class. Well, one of the guys in my lab tore his ACL or something, and has been using crutches and a brace for the past few weeks. I always felt a little bad because I can walk normally, and we're going to the same place. So I decided to muster up the courage and ask him if he needed any help, since we were going to the same class. He was really nice about it, but said he had things fine, and he appreciated the offer. I held a few doors open for him, but once we were outside, I could tell that by talking to me, I was slowing him down. I made a joke about it, and he was like, "Haha yeah, I've gotten pretty fast." and took off. That's right- Crutchy beat me to class, got a better seat than I did, and was also out of class before I was when lecture ended.

That's fine.

Every Blog is Different

2009-11-04T21:31:00.001-08:00

I like blogging when I really should be doing something else. Like going to bed. Some blogs are so deep and introspective, others are just hilarious- I think I just want a funny one. Or real. That seems to be my main pull- to just be real. Because sometimes that's funny, and sometimes it's deep, but always- me. (it would have to be always me, I'm the only one who writes on this blog) (funny? no? ok)

The funniest thing that happened to me today, was actually a little embarrassing. There is a boy in my math class. He is adorable. He is so nice. He's incredibly good looking. He's funny. He's smart. He's the type of guy that, if it were socially appropriate, I would ask out, and keep asking out. I hate being a girl. Anyway, today class ended and he and I had some minor exchange about math and the test coming up, and I told him about my mission papers being in, etc. As we were talking, I was kind of slowly walking out because I had a class. But of course, I was looking at him as we conversed, and I tripped over a guy's shoe that happened to still be sitting in a seat. Dream boy and I kept kind of talking, and then I full on tripped over a step. He laughed and made a joke about it, and I laughed and finally left. How does one trip not once, but TWICE, while talking to a cute boy?! I obviously was too caught up in him to be able to walk straight... ah! Is awkwardness endearing? Someone please tell me it is. Because otherwise, I will never be wed.

Official

2009-11-03T22:00:00.001-08:00

They're in! My papers are officially submitted... I may die waiting. The whole thing has switched between being surreal to crazy exciting to a to-do list. Right now, it's really hitting me. I could go pretty much anywhere in the world. I could go anywhere from Australia to Wyoming... ah! I don't even know. I don't even know- but I am stoked. :)

A Nice Thought

2009-10-28T10:11:00.000-07:00

I get these quotes every day from LDS.org (just go there and sign up for daily gems) in my email, and every once in a while, they are exactly what I need to hear. I especially liked today's:

Love Others and Yourself

Posted: 28 Oct 2009 01:00 AM PDT
“The commandment given by the Savior was to love others and yourself. Am I secure enough in my love of myself to laugh at myself, to admit mistakes, to graciously accept a compliment? Am I secure in my love of others to smile and say hello to a perfect stranger?”

James E. Faust, “The Value of Self-Esteem,” CES fireside for young adults, May 6, 2007

Here it Goes

2009-10-24T09:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was quite the adventure. My mission papers have been extremely easy and fast- for those who don't know, they're online now, and take all of maybe 2 hours to fill out. I had my bishop's interview last Tuesday, and my interview with the stake president this past Wednesday. Both went really well and made me really excited to be a sister. :) So- the last thing I needed to do was have my physical and dental examination. I figured both would be a piece of cake- I've been to the doctor four times in the past year for random things, so I was pretty sure that would be fine and have no surprises. Last time I went to the dentist, they loved me and when I went to schedule my next appointment, the dentist was like, "Well, whenever you're in town next and it's convenient. Your teeth are so good, I'm not worried about it." Assuming that these missionary checkups would be about the same, I planned on just coming home for one day and then going back to Provo. You may have already guessed, but I was wrong.

First was my doctor's appointment. Everything was pretty standard for a physical- weight, height, blood pressure, etc., except for this crappy TB test, where they put something in your skin and you come back two days later for them to see the results. I wasn't very happy because this meant I would either stay till Monday, have to come back another weekend, or get it done in Provo somehow. Minus staying in Idaho until Monday, everything else would delay my mission papers. And I really like telling people it only took me a week and a half, start to finish, to do my mission papers! So I decided to just go ahead and stay in Idaho for the weekend and thus not delay my papers. Maybe I need to learn patience, but whatever. The good news- I am healthy.:)

So on to the dentist. I should preface this with a little bit of my mouth history- I have had two oral surgeries, braces for three years, and regular dentist visits (until college, as mentioned above) my whole life. Basically, if something was wrong with my mouth, someone would know and it has been fixed. Another interesting fact- on the bottom half of my mouth, not only do I not have wisdom teeth, but am also missing those last molars. They just never came. So I lived my whole life thinking I had no wisdom teeth and would have those last molars implanted when I was 25. More than one dentist and orthodontist has told me this. UNTIL- yesterday. When I'm getting ready for my mission. They do the x-ray thing that goes all the way around your head (which I have had BEFORE!) and ta-da! Wisdom teeth! On the top. So I'm talking about it with the assistant about how I'll have to come back and how this is the first time in my life I even knew those two suckers existed, and at this point I was already resigned to the fact that these mission papers might take longer than I wanted. Then she said, "Well- this is a little crazy, but what if the doctor has time to pull them out today? I'm just going to check." Ten minutes later, I'm sitting on the other side of the office getting shots in my gums, which by the way, hurt like a mother. They decided to pull four teeth- the two wisdom, and the two top back molars since they weren't matching up with anything on the bottom. Twenty minutes and four teeth later, I look like a chipmunk and have a mouth full of gauze. It was very sweet. But, I walked out of there fine.

We then went home where I made a few phone calls rearranging my Friday night and weekend plans, and I lay down for a bit after taking some hydrocodone. That stuff is not friendly. Later, I felt fine, and went to the mall with my mom and sister Elise in search of a pea coat. On the drive there, I started feeling a little nauseated. We walked around the mall for a bit, and I felt ok, but decided to ask the lady at Gap for a bag just in case. She judged me so bad- she was like, "Most people stay home when they have their wisdom teeth out." Stupid girl- I bought a coat from you, so shut up. Minor tangent- the coat I got is adorable. It's a red pea coat and I love it. Anyway, we leave Gap and head to JC Penney on our way out to look at nylons. The day ends with me throwing up into a Gap bag in the hosiery section of JC Penney's. Those bags are excellent though- navy blue with a drawstring, no one even knew what was inside, and I threw it away on our way out, after picking out a nice pair of nylons, by the way. I don't even think anyone saw me, and I felt worlds better afterward. No more hydrocodone.

The exciting part- after the doctor checks my TB on Monday, I am done! The papers will be in, and it's just a week or two until I get my call. Crazy huh?

I know this is super long, but on a positive note, I've never had a more clear answer in my life than when I asked about serving a mission right now. It's been so neat. One of the biggest answers came from conference during Jeffrey R. Holland's talk. I bolded the part that hit me the hardest. :)

"As one of a thousand elements of my own testimony of the divinity of the Book of Mormon, I submit this as yet one more evidence of its truthfulness. In this their greatest—and last—hour of need, I ask you: would these men blaspheme before God by continuing to fix their lives, their honor, and their own search for eternal salvation on a book (and by implication a church and a ministry) they had fictitiously created out of whole cloth?

Never mind that their wives are about to be widows and their children fatherless. Never mind that their little band of followers will yet be “houseless, friendless and homeless” and that their children will leave footprints of blood across frozen rivers and an untamed prairie floor.9 Never mind that legions will die and other legions live declaring in the four quarters of this earth that they know the Book of Mormon and the Church which espouses it to be true. Disregard all of that, and tell me whether in this hour of death these two men would enter the presence of their Eternal Judge quoting from and finding solace in a book which, if not the very word of God, would brand them as imposters and charlatans until the end of time? They would not do that! They were willing to die rather than deny the divine origin and the eternal truthfulness of the Book of Mormon."

:) I should get my call within two weeks.

Google Reader Does it Best

2009-10-19T21:06:00.000-07:00

That's right Maryn- I'm writing this blog simply to spite you.

And because I should be writing a paper that's due in two hours instead. But meh, it's only three pages.

To my readers other than Maryn (and Maryn too, I suppose, since I know she'll read this) I'd like to comment on the friendship Maryn and I have. We have been friends for nearly three years- and in those three years, I can honestly say the greatest amount of time we've gone without talking to each other would be a few days at most. The only exceptions have been when either of us has left the country, but other than that, we are always talking. My favorite thing about our friendship lately is how we mildly sabotage each other. We both have access to the other's facebook profile, and so change the picture everyone sees at will. She is currently sporting a picture of Hillary Clinton in her younger years. (I thought I was pretty hilarious) Another example- this blog. She will read it, and not do homework. Sucker. :)

Also- Maryn hates to wait and I hate to hurry. Or vice versa- but I think we both get satisfaction out of taking extra time when we know the other is ready to go. I think it's because we're both pretty expressive about things that bother us, but neither of us get legitimately angry very easily. So it's funny to change my outfit for the 10th time when she already had hers picked out an hour ago.

On a real note though, Maryn is one of the best friends I've ever had (of which there are many) simply because either of us would drop anything, or anyone, to help the other if they needed it. She and I have definitely seen each other through some tough times, be it conflict between us or just because life is crazy, and it's nice to know that someone can know you in some of your weakest moments, and still maintain their high opinion of you.

We are also both boy crazy, and have some pretty good stories between us. :)

I love you friend!

A Blogging Mood as of Late

2009-10-10T13:43:00.000-07:00

I never know what to capitalize in the titles of blogs. All the nouns, every word that is more than three letters? I hate to reveal my grammatical ignorance, but I really don't know.

Lately I've felt like blogging a lot. I have no idea who reads my blog- since I posted the link on facebook, technically you could say that over 500 people know about it. However, I would guess that maybe 10? 5? people read it. I've found, however, that I don't usually blog with the intent of someone in particular reading it. It's more where I put my thoughts that I don't necessarily want to keep secret but also don't have someone specific to share them with. More than a journal, less than a conversation.

Something that has always amused me on campus is how to greet people. Girls and guys alike- when have you reached the level of friendship where you hug every time you see each other? Are high fives really ever ok? I always go for the high five when I can tell the person is expecting something, but I don't really want to hug them, or I think they don't want to hug me, but I also don't want them to stand there awkwardly. So I make the situation worse by putting up my hand and slapping it to theirs. Excellent. There are some people, however, that I do love to hug.

Aside from hugging/high fiving/should we bring handshakes back?, there's also discerning whether you're just saying hi in passing, or if you should stop and talk to the person. The worst is when one of you stops while the other is still going, and then there's this moment of confusion for both people where one starts walking again while the other pauses.

Maybe I'm just really bad at picking up on social cues. All in all though, a hug isn't that big of a deal, and neither is stopping for a few minutes to talk to someone you weren't aware felt that you merited more than, "Hi!" If you see me on campus frequently, please just confidently do whatever you think is appropriate. If you want to stop and talk, stop, I will too. If you want to hug, just go for it. I will hug you back.

Can't Get Over It

2009-10-10T09:46:00.000-07:00

I LOVE this song and music video. I don't even know.

A Little Shoutout to People I Love Today

2009-10-05T17:48:00.001-07:00

I would like to point out that I love a lot of people, but the ones that have made today good are:

Garrett Graves- for listening to my weekend saga, and being excited for me

Kayla Looper- for being great and offering good insight

Erin Wiley- for writing a post that totally made my day!

Jake Gibbs- for walking all around campus with me in search of "warm fuzzies"

Stephanie Wells- for sending me loving texts

Alison Henry- for saving me pizza

Maryn Smith- for a funny conversation during a study break

Those are today's highlights- do not feel left out, this is, as I said, a very small amount of people loved by me, and I'm very blessed and grateful for all the good people in my life!

Should be doing.... What I am doing...

2009-09-21T19:47:00.001-07:00

Hello friends. It has been a while. School has started and I'm really liking it so far. I should be doing my math homework right now. Hmm... but I will update you on my life first.

It seems that everything is going extremely well, except for the men sector. Not that it's going poorly with the fellows, it's just not.... going. At all really. I live for the math lab. (It's a big room in the Math/Science building where students can go to get help on their math homework. I like it a lot, and I like that cute boys go there also.) However, in light of recent thought, it might really be ok that I don't have a man in my life.

I've been thinking more heavily about a mission, who knows what conclusion I'll come to, but I am grateful I don't have a boy in the mix to be yet another factor in what I determine.

Life really has been very good lately though. I've been amazed to just sort of watch things fall into place and see how blessed my life is- it is great. For example- I have a great job. A week ago I had a really crappy job (it was SOOOOO lame). I got laid off from the crappy job (it wasn't a 'reflection on my performance,' I just worked the least hours and so was booted first. I couldn't help but smile when my boss told me they were letting me go. Hallelujah!) and less than a day later, because of some crazy coincidences and good connections, had a great job! I work in accounting for BYU's Dining Services. My favorite thought- a year ago I was scooping ice cream at Sugar and Spice. Now, I'm reconciling their accounts. BAM suckas! :)

Mm biggest on my mind is definitely a mission right now. Ah. It is crazy to be making real decisions. This is big. Very big. Well- that's my life! Off to some homey work.

Kayla and I at the heartbreaking BYU vs. FSU game. Very very sad. Very sad. We look cute though.

Saturday Group Date

2009-08-09T21:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday a bunch of us went on a group date up into the canyon to make s'mores- it was really fun! Here are some pictures:

The wood in the blanket looked like a body... so we pretended it was...

Preston and I, well, mostly Preston, building the fire

Matt contributing to the fire while I... laugh

Matt, Kevin, and Sean

Me and Jessie!

Story of My Life

2009-08-06T16:46:00.000-07:00

So many things wrong with the dating world.

Or maybe with my dating world, would be more accurate.

My name is Caitlan, and I, 9 times out of 10, play the good friend.

It's not that my life is short on men. I know a lot of them, I see a lot of them, I talk to a lot of them, I hang out with a lot of them. This is BYU, and there are a lot of them.

Hm. That is all. I'm the best friend in the world.

You Say Goodbye, I Say Hello...

2009-08-02T23:17:00.000-07:00

I cut my hair! It was an impulsive decision, as a good number of mine are. I noticed my bottom layer of hair was looking rather thin. It has been a long effort of trying to get the top and bottom halves of my hair to meet somewhere in the middle- cutting small amounts off the top, and larger amounts off the bottom, while still maintaining medium length hair. I finally conceded and decided it'd be best to just even them all out, and chop the bottom half.

Wednesday I made the decision. I searched for salons on Google (a modern miracle, might I add. It had a side-bar listing salons, links to the salon's website, and another link with reviews of the salon, that would refresh itself according to the portion of the map I was looking at. Go Team Google.) and found one that had good prices and seemed legit- thank you David Douglas salon. I called them up, and on Friday morning, I parted with about six inches of straight hair.

I recognize this isn't a very good picture, but meh. I don't have my camera with me. However, I like my new hair- it's very light and easy, and took me about five minutes, as opposed to twenty, to straighten. So- hooray!

Provo, You're One in a Million

2009-07-11T09:30:00.000-07:00

I'm mostly killing a little time before I go for a jog, and sometimes I feel the need to update my blog. That rhymed, but not on purpose. The beauty of this place I have lived for the past two years is this- I know that when I go for my run, I will see, on average, about three other runners per block I cover. Some will be the hardcore, some will be the relaxed sort just getting some exercise (like me) and some will be skanky girls taking the excuse of exercise to wear small amounts of clothing. I always wonder, if I were a boy checking out runners, if I would be attracted to the girl in booty shorts and a revealing tank top or the girl in the old gym shirt wearing shorts with spandex underneath... hm. I am the latter, so it's a good thing I'm not jogging with the intent of attracting anyone. But if I were, they'd be the wholesome type. ;)

What makes Provo special though, is that everything you do could be perceived as being done with the intent of attracting someone. Chances are high that you'll be taking out the garbage, hoping so-and-so is looking out his window at that time, or that maybe he is taking the trash out also. Going to the grocery store means more than just shopping for cereal.

There's such a high concentration of marriage hungry young adults, I don't see how Provo could be anything but an anomaly as far as towns go. People are in such close quarters, you could be straightening your living room and someone would notice. Perhaps he would be an attractive boy and notice that you're good at straightening the room... think about what a good wife you'd make, and have a crush on you forever more.

Provo also has an extremely abnormal distribution of polos and plaid shorts. And hair. Between bleach jobs, poofs that could never have come naturally, and exaggerated side-parts, mixed with boys whose 'long' hair doesn't go past their ears (thanks BYU) or the boys who will never surrender the side part (I salute you, may your mission live on in your heart, or on your head, forever), you're certain to know someone from Provo if their hair is trying to say something while staying within the confines of the honor code.

Now don't get me wrong. I love the majority of the people here and I don't mind the honor code. I own quite a few polos myself, and my bangs are definitely side-swept. I can also appreciate a boy who parts his hair. It is also extremely possible that I love grocery shopping because it's just fun to check people out. But, I've been dying to use the word anomaly and I do sincerely believe Provo is its own thing.

Mm Money Room

2009-06-24T18:05:00.000-07:00

I am at work. This job can either be really fun or really, really... really boring. For the moment, it is the latter.

I like it because work is never really stressful. I check my facebook about fifty times an hour, chat with friends, and occasionally blog.

I ran into some EFY kids from last year today- it was actually really fun to see them because they were some of my favorites from last year. I feel like EFY harvests this feeling of happiness at seeing anyone you recognize. Counselors on campus during school is my favorite- no matter how well you knew or liked one another, if you see another EFY counselor on campus, it's immediate, "Oh my gosh!" *big hug* "How are you?!?! It's so good to see you!" Then it stops as suddenly as it started, and you both go on your way. Mildy superficial? Maybe. I don't mind it too much though.

Well, that is all for today. All three of my readers, I'm sure it was great reading this.

To Park City Outlets

2009-06-20T22:16:00.000-07:00

Dear Park City Outlets,

I hope you feel good about yourself. And you should- you have much to offer, as was made clear by the amount of clothing I purchased today.

I will look cuter because of you. I will also smell better because of you. Not that I wasn't cute or smelled bad before, but just to say- things will be even better.

I will also look cooler while I run, thank you for the new red running shorts.

Special mention goes to GAP- thank you for, after years of pain and sorrow on my part, bringing back the 'Om' scent. I thought it was gone forever, never to be continued, and nearly toppled over with joy when I saw the color orange once again amongst the Gap body products. It is my favorite perfume/scent in the world and I am so happy that it is being sold again.

Thank you to Banana Republic, for selling a dress the same price as one at Old Navy, and catching my eye before I left.

And, saving the best for last, thank you to Coldwater Creek, for having some of the most ridiculous clothing I've ever seen and for providing a good half hour of entertainment for my sister and me while our mother tried on your normal clothing selection. It's almost like MoTab meets Yoga pants...

But don't worry- I purchased normal clothing also

Simply Because it's Time for Something New...

2009-06-17T17:57:00.000-07:00

I've had a lot of blog-worthy events/thoughts lately, but somehow the time to do it escapes me. Or maybe it's the priority that is escaping... either way- it is time for my blog to say something other than Boston on it. Because that was over a month ago.

I'd like to give a shout out to the boys of Apartment 30 (Chris, Jared, and Dave). They are my new favorite. Maryn, Jessie, and I met them a few weeks ago when we decided to go sit in the hot tub. (Or should I call it hot tubbing? That makes it sound like something active though- and it is not. All you do is is get in, get too hot, get out, and repeat.) Anyway- when we got to the hot tub, there were already a few boys there. After some awkward silence followed by introductions, we learned that these boys had all consumed large amounts of steak and were sitting in the hot tub to help it settle- for some reason I think that's hilarious. So we began talking and had a pretty funny conversation and decided to hang out later that night. Unfortunately, I had EFY the next week, and so we didn't see or hear from them for the entire week. While I had a break during EFY, Maryn and I were talking and decided we needed to hang out with them again- but alas, we did not have their numbers. So- we decided a note on their door demanding their presence on Saturday night when I was done with EFY would be best. She left the note, and on Saturday, we showed up and had a TON of fun. We started out by making banana bread, then made a trip to the grocery store that was somehow amusing, made a movie with stuffed animals (which was actually incredibly funny) and finished up with a dance party. Maryn and I have hung out with our new best friends every night since, and it has been way fun. I always think it's cool how you meet certain people and instantly know you're going to be great friends. How convenient that we all happened to go to the hot tub and then have meshing senses of humor and have had a blast together ever since. Good friends = a good life.

I also had EFY the last two weeks- it went really well. Experience is priceless- I felt little to no stress either of the weeks I worked, simply because I've learned that it's not really worth it to get worked up. I think it created better relationships with my girls also- I was in a much better mood the entire week, or maybe I just had awesome girls. Maybe both- but I did have some way fun groups. Another thing I love about EFY is all the cool people I meet. I think the occupation of EFY counselor automatically attracts some of the best people in the world (also some of the craziest, don't worry) and I am grateful for the people I had the chance to meet.

The last thing that's been on my mind lately is a mission. I turn 21 in seven months. Now don't worry- although I'm 99.609093485% positive I'm going to go, I plan on keeping an eye out for a man of choice until the day I enter the MTC. Mostly because I feel like that's the right thing to do, but also because I don't know that I could help it. I do rather like boys and if a relationship suddenly turned serious and I felt good about it, I would put that first. However- the past like three weeks in Sacrament meeting, certain talks and testimonies have definitely struck me. It's almost been like pep talks from a coach before a big race or game- like I'll just be sitting there in church and think, "Oh my gosh- I have GOT to serve a mission. I can't even take it- I want to go so bad!" It's not even some like peaceful, spiritual prompting of "This is right" or whatever. No- it's like, "Let's do this! Yeah yeah mission!!"

Along the same vein, when this girl, who had served a mission, spoke in sacrament meeting, I was amazed at her conviction about the gospel. I wanted the same confidence in my testimony so bad- like it was just neat to hear her speak. I knew that she knew, without a doubt, what she was saying, and I wanted to be like her. I don't know- I just want it so bad, and I can't even explain it. :)

Knowing my life though, I'll meet someone next week and get married before my birthday. Just kidding. ;)

Boston!

2009-05-06T10:01:00.000-07:00

The last day of finals, Jessie and I flew out to Boston. Seriously, I don't think we've ever had a better idea. The semester ended rather full of stress for both of us- what with finals and the stress they bring to everything, we were both ready to kiss Provo goodbye, even if just for a week.Re-united! ... at 4am!

We flew out Wednesday afternoon and arrived in Boston extremely early Thursday morning. Maryn has a bunch of guy friends that live in a house in Brookline, a suburb of Boston. We spent most of our time there- maybe because a house is better than a dorm, maybe because Brookline is closer to everything we wanted to do in Boston, or maybe because that house is full of boys and we are three crazy girls... all three? Either way- we spent a grand total of half a day, not including sleeping, at Wellesley, Maryn's school.

Jerr in front of the Brookline House

Thursday we slept while Maryn went to class, and then spent the afternoon exploring Boston with Maryn's friend Jerr. It was really fun- we went to the North End/Little Italy and ate at some famous pizza place and had the best canoli I've ever had- it was delicious. We then went to the harbor and looked over the ocean, walked around Boston commons- it was really a lot of fun. Boston reminded me of Seattle and Vancouver, Canada- I loved it.

Friday we spent the day getting ready for a party Maryn was throwing that night. It was a really good idea- we bought a bunch of chalk, smashed it up, had a chalk war, and then went inside for a black light dance party! A few pictures of the mayhem:

the refreshments- colored cupcakes!

smashing the chalk

post chalk war

the whole group- so much chalk!

one of the few good pictures- from the dance party. you get the idea.

Saturday we went to the beach- the Atlantic ocean is super cold, but we had fun playing in the sand!

Scott and I making fun of awkward engagement pictures

Sunday we went to church and it was fun to meet a lot of the people we've been hearing stories about. Haha this group of kids is kind of ridiculous, but in an extremely entertaining way. Maryn decided that her ward would make a good TV show- and that writers couldn't come up with material as good. Such is the story of young adult life though- people liking people that other people are kissing that dated their best friends... college = super fun. :)

Sunday night we went over to Harvard to play games with some guys from the ward- it was really fun. All the schools in Boston, especially Harvard, are really cool. The building are all either older or designed in really interesting ways- pretty opposite of practical BYU that gets remodeled fairly regularly. I'm not bitter though- I like BYU and am still glad I go here.

Until we flew out Thursday morning, we spent the rest of our time going to class with Maryn, playing at the Brookline house, and going fun places to eat. Classic to Maryn, Jessie, and I going anywhere away from home, we all snagged a boy for the time we were there. For Jessie and I at least, what happened in Boston stays in Boston.:)

Overall it was a great trip. Exactly the break we all needed. And I love Maryn and Jessie to death- they are honestly the reason I'm glad we moved to Idaho Falls before I graduated.

Three Besties

I'm a Copy Cat- but this is really cool!

2009-05-06T09:52:00.000-07:00

Neat, huh? I usually veer away from the sappy girl love songs, but for some reason, I have to admit, I actually really like Taylor Swift's Love Story. But I saw this video on Becky Ward's blog and wanted you guys to see it too!

To Think I Held You Yesterday, Your Love Was Just a Game

2009-04-14T22:28:00.000-07:00

For some reason, "Never There" by Cake has been stuck in my head for the past day or so. I always think it's so weird when that happens- it's so random, and I haven't heard the song in a really long time. Nonetheless, I've had Cake playing in my head almost none stop.

The semester's almost over- today was the last of classes and finals start on Friday. It's not that this semester flew by or that I can't wait for it to be over that makes it weird- it's that this year has been so relatively quiet. In relation to other years though, I'm rather grateful for the quiet life. Other school years have been fraught with exciting events and highlights, and drama. Looking on the past 8 months, all I can see is the library and a few Friday nights wishing I was out doing something. It makes me feel old for some reason.

Actually, a lot of things have made me feel old this year. For example, I walk a certain way to school when I have time because it's less stressful. Since when did certain routes affect my stress levels? I think up till now I thought I was impervious to my surroundings, that I didn't need anyone or anything to validate me. I have been reminded so much this year of the value of good friends and the small moments in life that make it peaceful.

At the same time as feeling old, I'm realizing how immature I am. I'm just young. There's nothing to be done about it. Every age I'm at, I always wonder if in a few years I'll look back and think about what an idiot I was. I also always think back and wonder what a past self would think of how I turned out thus far. If I knew, when I was 15, that in five years I'd be sitting on my bed in my apartment, getting ready for finals, and categorizing the RMs in my life as I wrote a blog that was thoughtful but not personal enough to make me feel vulnerable, would I think I was cool? Probably. Anyone over 15 is cool when you're 15. What I think is interesting is how naturally all these life changes came. I used to stress at the idea of paying a bunch of bills and even knowing how a bank account works and wondered how I'd ever learn to be an adult. Even though I still don't really have a full grasp on any of those things, it doesn't stress me out anymore. :) I think I always imagine myself in the future as having the same mindset as I do currently, and that somehow I'll be aware of the drastic differences in my life. But, life goes day by day, and everything is taken in stride. I wouldn't be surprised if I spent the rest of my life just taking things as they come, and every now and then looking back and realizing I've changed without noticing it.

So it is for tonight. Tomorrow starts reviews and more studying- thank you Harold B. Lee Library, for being my home.

Lacking Some Color...

2009-03-16T21:24:00.001-07:00

I felt that my blog was experiencing a lack of color, so I was looking through all my pictures trying to find a colorful picture I could put on here.

I came across these EFY pictures- I love these few that I've posted. I can't even really explain it, but the facial expressions and the colors and coordination of Ian and I are so cool. So- I thought I'd get away from the gray and brown of my blog and post these pictures.

What to do...

2009-03-15T10:10:00.000-07:00

Last year I came to a general consensus through random conversations with friends that my blog was a happy place, and the only things I posted about were positive, and that perhaps this is the way it should be. After all, who wants to read your whining?
But one of the things I've decided over the past little while is that really, why have anything to hide? It is what it is, and although I can see the value of keeping something sacred or secret, or only entrusted to a few close people, I really feel like the truth is the truth, and you might as well know it.
I've never been good at lying. Or hiding my feelings. Or keeping anything in. Once I decide something or something happens, it inevitably escapes me within a day. Every time I've broken up with someone, it's usually been within 24 hours, or less really, of realizing that it wasn't going to work. It's really because I always assume that people can see right through me, and for a good portion of the time, they can. Anytime something difficult comes up, it's this internal struggle of knowing they can probably read my mind, so I might as well let it all out and have everybody know. Ah to be able to keep a secret- sometimes I wish I could.
Along the same vein, it is extremely difficult for me to treat someone contrary to what I think of them. A lot of times at work people will make mistakes and for the most part it's ok and they just didn't know, but sometimes- ah. It is nearly impossible for me to hide that I think they're an idiot. I could definitely work on that.
The upside of all this is that people know that when I say something, I mean it, and there's no second guessing of whether or not I actually like someone. I do like being someone whose word can be trusted.
I do wish I was slower to speak though. I always say how I feel when I feel it, and the problem is that I often change my mind. So I say one thing, and then another, and you know, I'm kind of frustrating. But so it is with everyone I suppose.
Anyway, a bit of introspection.

On a typical to my blog note- Jessie and I are going to Boston to visit Maryn when the semester ends!! I'm really excited- we'll be there for a week, and it's going to be great.

Boycott

2009-03-02T21:01:00.000-08:00

Ever since I learned about the concept of boycotting, I've kept a mental list of things I boycott. Why I felt like organizing this list and sharing it with you, few fellow blog readers, I'm not sure. Perhaps because it's been an especially grumpy day, or just one that many of the things/people/places I abstain from have crossed my path.

But- the ever-growing list of things I boycott unless I absolutely have to use them:

1- Medicine for headaches. I'm not sure why, but unless my headache is so bad I can't see straight, I won't take anything.

2- The second floor of the library. I judge it for many reasons, most of them being summed up in the fact that I don't feel like anyone goes there to actually study. And so, I boycott it.

3- Certain people. Yes- you can boycott a person. Or I can at least. I won't name names, but today the thought occurred to me, "I'm going to boycott so-and-so." I thought it was an amusing thought, and then it gave me further resolve to well, boycott this person.

4- Utah. I am always trying to boycott Utah's cold weather by wearing warm weather clothing. Maybe all my flip-flop wearing will really make a dent in this state's temperature decisions.

5- The Cougareat in general. I judge it because I don't really like the food, it's overpriced, and 9 times out of 10, when I'm there, I see someone I'd rather not. (perhaps one of the people that I'm boycotting?)

I'm really glad that there are a lot of legit causes out there for people to fight for and be passionate about, and the things that bother me most include people I don't want to say hi to.

It's a Beautiful Day..

2009-02-18T22:05:00.000-08:00

So I haven't posted in a while, but no worries- my life has not changed that much. I'm not dating Doug anymore, but we're still on good terms.

My life is still spent in majority at the library- which means I'm being productive, but who would really want to read about the new theories or equations I'm learning?

Today I went running and was amazed at how beautiful Utah is capable of being. I say capable, because more often than not, it falls pretty short of its potential. Today, however, it was gorgeous. I ran up a hill and stopped, mostly to catch my breath, but then looked out over the valley. The sky was this clear blue with all the mountains covered in fresh snow, and then sun was not quite setting and reflected off Utah lake- everything was so clear and bright, and for a rare moment- I was grateful to be in Utah. I'm grateful to be here- going to school, being with the people I am- all the time, but Utah itself- meh.

That's about all I have for today.

I'm 20!!

2009-01-18T15:26:00.001-08:00

I love my birthday- or maybe it's that I love the people that remember me on my birthday... hm. Either way- my 20th was great! I will update more later, but I thought I'd put a quick picture up of Doug and I- we're dating and it's great ;). (he's 6'5 and I'm 5'6... look how cute, our heights are inverted)

2008 Slideshow

2008-12-30T14:48:00.001-08:00

It's kind of hard to believe 2008 is over- I hate to say that this year wasn't really that exciting. So it goes growing up I guess. This year can be summed up in college and EFY, and, as freshman year ended, college really isn't quite as exciting. However- here's some memorable times/favorites from 2008. (The song is You Made Me Like It by the 1990s)

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Halloween Costumes

2008-11-14T13:55:00.000-08:00

Us acting out our signs... I'm not really sure what Laurie's doing

I apologize for the lack of pictures in the last post. Here's us at our Halloween party- I know all of the pictures are kind of the same, but I couldn't decide which one I liked the best- so yay- all three! And the girls in the last picture are some of our friends who were the "Lost Boys" from Peter Pan- I thought they looked awesome. Haha don't mind gothic Kim in the background...

For Real to Blog?

2008-11-08T10:31:00.000-08:00

Hello friends. I remember last year when I would find things to blog about on at least a weekly basis. Now... (crickets) ...

I suppose I could blog about that time I was in the library and... nope, nothing special happened.

I did get a new job- that's exciting. After two months of cashiering for Sugar and Spice in that stupid uniform and dealing with coworkers who couldn't even hand out muffins, I quit.:) Where I wanted to work was the Money Room- the place where they handle all the cash from the Wilk (including the vending machines and the barber shop- which, previous to working there, I did not know). About a week before leaving Sugar and Spice, I went and talked to the lady who manages the money room because I had heard they would be needing people soon. She told me to come back on the 10th with an application, and then it'd be another week before I had an interview, and another week before I knew if I had the job. Well, much to my surprise, Karla, the boss, called me this past Wednesday and asked if I was still interested. I came in that day, and I didn't realize I already had the job until she started asking when I could come in to train and what kind of hours I wanted. This was pretty exciting to me- not only was it sooner than I expected, but I got the job I wanted, without even applying! It was flattering to me that she had called me, had already looked up my information and called my previous employers, deemed me worthy, and gave me a job without me even having an interview. I've been working there for two days, and so far, I love it.

Last weekend we had a Halloween party- which, to our surprise, was awesome. We had a really good turnout and it was really fun. My roommates and I dressed up as road signs- Laurie was a "Do Not Pass" sign, Sarah was "Deaf Child Near," Stephanie was "Dangerous Curves," and I was "Two Hour Parking." ;) We thought that since we'd be competing with a lot of other parties, it wouldn't be super great, but it ended up being a ton of fun.

I registered for next semester this past week- I'm taking Economics, Math 110 (i haven't taken math since junior year of high school), Doctrine and Covenants, Intro to Music, and an advertising class, which I'm really excited for.

That is basically my life. Pretty awesome :)

Pretty Much Hilarious...

2008-10-15T22:41:00.000-07:00

Laurie recommended this to me- and as an avid Toy Story fan, I thought it was hilarious.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/funny_pages_20/2008/10/dark-knight-toy.html

Hope you think it's funny!

Ode to a Good Couch

2008-10-06T20:31:00.000-07:00

When we first moved into our apartment, everyone agreed that a couch outside our door would be an appropriate addition. And it was- many good conversations happened on our quasi-porch sitting on this most comfortable couch in the evenings. We bought it at DI for $30, which, split four ways- I consider well spent. It also, in my opinion, made a good impression on the rest of the complex- who wouldn't respect an apartment with a sweet couch? Alas- this joy of having our awesome couch was to be short-lived. A piece of paper taped to our door informed us that no furniture is to block the walkway and if it wasn't removed within the week, we would be charged a fine. And so, it now sits in our kitchen (because of lack of room anywhere else), doubling as seating for the kitchen table. Maybe we'll try to sneak it back outside when management isn't looking.:)

Happy roommates- before we knew the couch had to go inside.

Conference!

2008-10-06T16:31:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was General Conference, and Sarah's dad got us tickets for the Saturday afternoon session. It was a really neat experience to be there in the conference center and feel the spirit there. We ended up spending the entire weekend in Salt Lake visiting different members of Stephanie's family in between conference sessions. It was a nice break from our little apartment and cooking for ourselves.:)Laurie, Sarah, Stephanie, Me

Must be the uniform...

2008-09-24T14:40:00.000-07:00

I currently work as a cashier at that Sugar and Spice place I worked at last semester. Last semester, I only scooped ice cream or gave people their donuts. This semester, however, I deal with money all day. (And I'm pleased to say that I come up even every time, I count change that well) The fun/funny part about this job- I get hit on ridiculously frequently. I kind of want to start counting how many people wink at me, how many people wink at me when telling me to keep the change (of five cents- wow these guys are so nice) and how many people wink at me when I say something funny. It just gets a little ridiculous sometimes. And I'm sure I bring it upon myself. (Laurie once said that the day I don't talk to a cute boy is the day Hell freezes over...) However- the funny thing about this is that after work, when I'm wearing normal clothes (as opposed to hat and apron) all hopes for being hit on are pretty much dismissed. Perhaps I should start wearing my work apparel everywhere I go... hm...

A Good Start

2008-09-06T11:10:00.000-07:00

So, one of the classes I'm taking this semester is Introduction to Accounting- we're only one week in, but I love it so much. It's crazy- like yesterday, I was doing my homework, and seriously loving every minute of it. I don't know- like it was all so interesting to me and so fun to learn. I just love it.:) And not going to lie- I was a little sad when I realized it was time to go to work, and I'd have to leave my homework to do later. I was telling someone how interesting I thought Accounting was, and they were like, "You're sick." I really can't grasp how you wouldn't like stuff like that though. Yesterday's homework was just the basics of starting a business and financial accounting- and I thought it was great.:)

My other classes seem really good too- especially World Religions. My teacher is hilarious- he's Korean, and spent a good half of our first lecture apologizing for not being "good-looking American guy." The class is amazing though- I love looking at other religions and seeing a totally different, yet still true, way of life. So enlightening.:)

Italian is still fun- though our class is no where near as energetic, and I'm only learning normal things, instead of ways to make fun of someone or inappropriate comments supplementing my studying. Statistics is interesting, not quite as enthralling as Accounting, but still fun. And that pretty much sums it up.

We threw our first 212 party last night- I definitely think it was a success. Lots of people, food, dancing, and just good times.;) It was pretty chill, but we met a lot of cool people, and it was really fun. A good way to start the year.:)

Other events of note from the week- Monday I went on a lunch date with my friend Matt. It was fun- I'd never been to Zupa's (the place we went for lunch) and he's really funny. Tuesday school started- what a rush. Wednesday I went on a double date with Ian, which was a lot of fun. It was the best kind of date- where you're already good friends and can enjoy each other's company without anything to prove or worry about. Thursday- Tia and I got into the rock climbing class- I'm so excited! We're going to a different place every week, and have a campout planned, and I'm stoked to finally use my stuff.:) Friday was our party- awesome. And today- Stephanie, Marie, and I went shooting with our friend James. I always forget how much I love shooting until I go again. I'm not too bad of a shot.:)

Well, sorry for all words and no pictures, but I hope everyone is doing well!

And so it begins...

2008-08-24T18:15:00.000-07:00

School starts a week from Tuesday- I almost feel like I'm on the edge of the great swimming pool that is school, plugging my nose, backing up a few feet, and about to run and jump into water I know is going to be too cold for my liking. And so it goes. (not a bad analogy though, eh?)

I've been in Provo for the past week working at Sugar and Spice- woohoo! We had to come early for Education Week, which actually ended up being kind of fun. A lot of sweet old ladies buying ice cream and telling me to keep the extra change (of usually about 50 cents) and too many BYU brownie obsessed adults. The definite highlight of my Education Week cashiering though was the elderly man, who, when being rung up, asked me if my name was Eve.

"No, my name's Caitlan."

"Oh, well you tempted me!"

Haha! I would like to be referred to as Eve from now on, thanks. :) Everywhere I've worked, I've had old men say funny things, but I'm pretty sure that's the best one I've ever heard.

Onto other things- my last week of EFY definitely deserves some post action. It was easily my best week- good on all fronts. I worked with a lot of fun counselors, it was an incredible spiritual experience, and everything was hilarious.

Where to begin- it all started Sunday night where we find out which counselors we're working with for the week. My co was my friend Ian, which I was excited for, because we were already friends. So we're hanging out with a bunch of counselors and it ends up being Ian, a guy named Jeff, and I talking, and the conversation turns to kissing. Now- this one was actually not started by me. Jeff was telling us about this friend of his who greeted a blind date by kissing her before he introduced himself. We talked about that for a bit, and then discussed the situation of a first kiss.

For the rest of the week, any time I saw Jeff, he would make a kissy face at me, or grab me and pull me in for a kiss, only missing by a few inches. After a few days of this, I told him that if he kept this up, one of these times I was actually going to kiss him. So, more joking around, and then the second to last day of the week, we were talking, and without thinking, I grabbed his backpack straps, kissed him, and pushed him away.:) Now- it was more of a lip brush than a kiss, considering I pretty much missed and it lasted all of a millisecond. However- it made for a very funny finish to my last week of EFY. Word spread like wildfire, and for the rest of the week, I had counselors blowing me kisses, making comments about backpacks, and even a few guy counselors asking where their kiss was. Haha Jeff said that girls he didn't even know came up to him and grabbed his backpack. No one else kissed him, though.:)

Jeff and I- thank goodness for backpack straps. ;)

Aside from the random almost kiss, my group was AWESOME. Ian, my co, and I got along great and had a ton of fun with our kids. Our group was called Terrified and Affrighted, shortened to Terrifrighted by Ian, and we decided to have a mascot. So- we were the Terrifrighted Pterodactyls. It was so much fun! Everywhere we went, our kids would make claws and roaring sounds, and we even had a three fingered hand shake.:) Not only were they super enthusiastic about acting like dinosaurs with me, our lessons were also really good. These kids knew their stuff, and they asked questions, and it was so neat to have legitimate Gospel discussions with them. I loved every minute of this week, and these kids were amazing.

Ian and I with our claws- our kids decided by Tuesday that we should be married, which ended up being pretty funny.

Ah the claw- these three were really funny.

I also had some of the funniest roommates. Jessica, Erin, and I spent pretty much every night after lights out laughing and coming up with ridiculous (and slightly, but not really, inappropriate) spins on typical counselor activities.

Jessica, Erin, and me harrassing Jeff- quite possibly one of our favorite activities.:)

Jessica, Erin, and I

Also- Sister Elaine S. Dalton came to speak to our session! I don't have any pictures of her, but it was amazing to hear her speak, and what a neat experience for the kids! Overall, it was an awesome week. Everything about it was so good- it was a great way to end my EFY summer.:)

Brief Update

2008-07-28T21:45:00.000-07:00

My 7th week of EFY began today- woot woot! Although- this week has started off quite well and I'm excited. It's weeks like these that make it a really fun job, but I still think it might be a once in a lifetime experience. As in I might not do it again, or for as many weeks I guess.:)

Last week, Maryn, Jake, and I made our trip up to Seattle. It was pretty fun. It was good to see everyone and I loved being back for a bit. We went to some of our favorite restaurants, saw the Dark Knight, and spent a day in Seattle. The Dark Knight wasn't as scary for me as everyone said it would be. However, I credit this to sitting in between Danner and Maryn and my own inability to take a movie seriously. Seattle was also fun- it was just good to be back. I don't really know what else to say about it, except I love Washington and someday, someday I will go back. I'll post more pictures from the trip later- we were about four hours into our road trip when I realized I left my camera in Provo. So we bought a disposable camera and our whole trip is summed up in 27 cheap exposures. Bitter- a little bit.

Some state line pictures:

A slight bitter comment to make about our trip- all of my friends are dating someone pretty much! And it wasn't that I'm bitter about being single (that phase has come and gone, hopefully) so much as when people are paired off, that's the person they talk to. So I spent a lot of time either just thinking to myself as we went places, or trying to be part of some couple's conversation.

On another note, I'm so excited/ready for school to start. I can't wait to be in our apartment, and actually stay somewhere for more than a week at a time. (EFY gets rid of any sense of stability as to where I sleep at night) I'm also way excited to get going on the business classes. I have a good feeling about it, so we'll see where that takes me. I also miss my school friends- it will be good to see everyone.

That's about it for this brief update- I hope things are good with everyone else's summer.

I Like to Move it Move it

2008-07-16T22:25:00.001-07:00

So after Tom played his Super Mario song, Gordon also wanted some of the limelight. This video is pretty cute.:)

I think my favorite is his facial expression after he finishes singing. It's like, "Yeah... yeah I do like to move it move it."

And so... I post

2008-07-08T18:18:00.000-07:00

My blogging is definitely something that comes in spurts. It's usually because of one reason or another- as of right now, I blog when I'm not at EFY. So here's to hearing nothing for three weeks, a post every day for a week, nothing for two weeks... you get the drift. I should forewarn you readers- this will be a useless post of my thoughts on nothing really in particular.

I set up a gmail account today. After talking to Stephanie, my future roommate, I realized I was the only one out of 212 (Laurie, Sarah, Stephanie, and I- who will probably forever remain the ladies of 212) that didn't have gmail. So now I do. The only problem is that I already quasi-created a google account so I could have access to blogger, using my hotmail address. My question to you other bloggers is- is there a way I can link my blog to my gmail address instead, or as well? It's not a huge deal, but if it's possible, why not.

I find it slightly humorous, but appropriate, that the post of Thomas playing Super Mario attracted about a zillion times more attention than my business post. I sarcastically wanted to be like, "Hey! This is my blog! When you read it you should think and care about me!" But I certainly do not hold a candle to a 7 year old who memorized the tune of a video game, figured out each note by ear, and then played the song from memory. Yeah who am I kidding- no one cares that I changed my major if someone who isn't even in 2nd grade can play by ear.

In about two weeks, Jake, Maryn, and I, and possibly Jessie, are going to take a road trip up to Seattle for a few days. I'm way excited to go home, or the closest thing I have to it I guess. Idaho Falls is and always has been just a sort of stopping place for me. I mean- home is really wherever your family is, but as far as coming to IF for the sake of IF- mm probably won't ever happen. Seattle, on the other hand, I have a love for. And the people there are alright too I suppose.;) I think my favorite part about us going to Seattle is that it all came together in the space of few hours. It was like we decided not to go to Arizona, well how about Seattle instead, we could stay here, we'll leave this day, and we'll do this- a before you know it, we have a little itinerary set up. :)

Something that I consider a minor frustration, minor, but still a frustration- I really like to grow out my nails, and have them all be the same length. Without fail- every time- they all reach the same length and look really nice. For about two days, I enjoy looking down at my pretty hands. Then, inevitably, one breaks. And it's not like a little chip or something. No- somehow it rips beneath the white part, making it slightly painful and extremely unsightly to clip down. But I have to do it to avoid a nail that snags on everything. And then the whole thing starts again. They're all short and my already short fingers look stubby. Two weeks, my nails are back, two days, one breaks. Such is life.

Super Mario- a Musical Prodigy of Sorts

2008-07-07T09:33:00.000-07:00

Thomas is almost 7 and figured out the notes to the Super Mario song on his own- I thought it was pretty funny, and rather impressive. :)

It's Business Time :)

2008-07-05T23:34:00.000-07:00

So another week of EFY has come and gone- it's funny to think that I've done 5 weeks now. But I keep learning great things, and well- good ideas go on blogs. So lately I've been thinking that if I want something- I should go for it. Why not? I figure this is the only time in my life that I'll really be able to do whatever I want. And really, we should do the bigger things we think might be too hard. Because really- what have you got to lose? And so... I changed my major.:)

I've been planning on being some sort of therapist since... well for a long time. All through middle school I planned on it, high school I became set on it, and now- my sophomore year of college, I'm switching out classes like Human Development for some Pre-Management Core classes of
Principles of Accounting, Spreadsheet Skills (I SYS 100), Computer Presentation Skills (I SYS 101), and Statistics. I'm also taking Italian, Survey of World Religions, and Rock Climbing. :) It's going to be great. I've always thought business just sounded cool. I realize I know next to nothing about it, but I'm really excited for my classes, and hey- if I end up changing my mind, it's not like more learning will hurt. I'm really looking forward to this Fall semester- I think testing the waters of a business major will be fun, apartment 212 will be a non-stop party, and well- it'll just be good to not be a freshman anymore, let's get real.

Another ambitious thought I've decided to go for is to study abroad- in Italy. Why not? It would be such a neat experience. And like I said- when else am I going to be able to do this? So we'll see what happens- but it's definitely something that's on my mind.

I was also thinking about how in a little more than a year, I can start thinking about a mission. It's pretty crazy, but like everything else, if the opportunity arises, why not?

I feel like maybe I want too many things. But then I think- there's no reason to not take advantage of everything that's available. There's no reason not to go for something I want. I'm single, I'm young, and I really don't have too much to lose. And I want to do fun things. So here goes. :)

About 10 days late...

2008-06-28T18:18:00.000-07:00

Elise's birthday was almost 10 days ago, and so I apologize, but I always like birthday posts and wanted to start doing them. So...

Elise is my oldest sister and there are about 10 years between us. However, I can easily call her one of my best friends. Elise is not only hilarious, but also very open and realistic, giving me very practical advice in my young age.:) Her confidence, security, and spunk make her very fun to hang out with, and I love the way our senses of humor mesh when we're together.(Zurchers? :) ) Elise is also one of the most savvy people I know. She is definitely someone I look up to in reaching her goals and going for what she knows she's capable of. I'm glad to have Elise as my sister and call her my friend. So Happy Birthday to Elise!!

We also have the same, great fashion sense :)

Mmm... Tags :)

2008-06-18T22:34:00.000-07:00

1) Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2) People who are tagged need to write a post on their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules.
3) At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.

I love these random fact things.:)

1) I have a deep and long-standing relationship with Pottery Barn. We love each other and are quite understanding of one another. I can't afford my beloved Pottery Barn currently, but because I lovingly flip through their magazine and always visit their stores, I'm pretty sure Pottery Barn loves me back. One day, we will be united.

2) I match more than I mean to. Perfect example- I bought a tan with brown "trim" backpack last September. In January, I found the perfect winter coat- tan, with brown stripes. I look like an idiot in the winter when all of me is some shade of brown.

3) Lately, I've taken to wearing skirts as every day clothing. They're just so much better in the summer- so light and airy, it's just nice. And the nice thing is that since it's not church, I can wear them with flip flops.

4) I am not a connoisseur of very many things. At EFY I had a lot of kids asking me about movies, video games, favorite sports teams, etc.. I have a decent knowledge of modern alternative music, and that, my friends, is all I have to offer.

5) I judge WalMart. Need I say more?

6) Today I was in need of some new body wash. I used to shop at Bath and Body Works, but thought I would switch it up and see what Victoria's Secret bath selection had to offer. I will now be starting eath day with "Exhilarating Body Scrub" of the "Pure Seduction" scent. Hm- hopefully every day is seducing, in the pure way.

7) I really like toys. I keep seeing things and thinking they're cool, and so I buy them for Asher. In reality, I want to play with them, but I can't really justify buying myself a huge frisbee, a water gun assortment, toy motorcycles and cars, or ninja action figures. Don't be surprised if, by the end of the summer, Asher has an assortment of stupid toys because I thought they looked fun.

8) Frozen Pizzas = The Joy of Life. D'Giorno is really good, but even Totino's is tasty in my opinion. Oh- and I just realized, now that I know some Italiano- I'm not sure if d'giorno is a correct phrase, but it means "Of the day."

I am tagging Elise, Ann-Michelle, Kristie, Allison, Mom, Asher, Tia, Kim, Danner, and Shauna. And Jake. And my whole blog list.

A Blog for the Sake of Blogging

2008-06-17T23:08:00.000-07:00

I write today for no specific reason. I guess I never really have a good reason, making all my posts kind of stupid, but today is especially useless. So useless that I'm trying to decide what to write about...

Well, Saturday I came home for a week break from EFY. I'm only three days in and already feel completely rested and restored to mental and physical health, emphasis on the mental. Those kids seriously take everything out of me- I sleep less and get to ride along on their emotional rollercoasters. Probably one of the best experiences of my life though- I'd have to say the best lesson I'm learning from it is learning to try and give all I can of myself. I felt fairly depleted by my third week, but I don't know- I think it's good for me to have someone else in mind besides myself all the time. So- I'm trying, and hopefully these kids don't go home wondering why they came.:) They do have fun- I know that :), I just hope it's more than that.

In reference to the previously mentioned dance parties, one of my kids was like, "Wow Caitlan- where do you get all these awesome moves?!" It made me laugh- most of you know that though I love a good dance party, I certainly have no moves worth speaking of.
Saturday we also went on a picnic with the Hansens and Maryn came along. It was a lot of fun- Jake, Maryn, and I goofed off on the car rides there and back, and it was fun to be with part of the family at the picnic. Thomas and Gordon are so funny- Gordon loves root beer, and I hope this video makes you smile a little bit.:)

Yay car rides!

Sunday was Father's Day and it was a lot of fun to have all the siblings home. We played our traditional Scrabble game, where Elise and I were partners. She and I are always pretty goofy when we play games together, so that was fun. And we were shocked when we came in close last- we had some good words! It's always fun to see the words people come up with when we play that game though.

The past two days have been fun and have consisted of me doing whatever I feel like at the present moment. It's nice.:) Today Ann-Michelle and I drove down to Pocatello to see Kristie and have our hair done. That was fun- and now I have clean ends and freshly highlighted hair! (so much for going natural- but it's just fun)

On to tomorrow- where I work at Quizno's- the joy of my life. Woot.

I'm Still Alive!!... Sort Of

2008-06-07T18:25:00.000-07:00

Today has been the first chance I've had to just sit by myself and do whatever I feel like. I realize that for most people, that is pretty rare. For me, however, it's been my life ever since I first left for college. So two jam-packed weeks, scheduled almost to the minute, of being responsible for at least 10 teenagers at any given time has left me rather tired.:)

However- I love it. I'm always reminded of the way a returned missionary talks about his/her mission when I try to describe it. I'm guessing that being on a mission would be more exhausting than being a camp counselor, but I can say I've never been so tired in so many ways and yet having so much fun at the same time. I love the girls I've had in my groups so far- I was afraid after the first week that I wouldn't be able to like the second week's girls as much- but I was very wrong. Once again, I had the great opportunity to meet some amazing, hilarious, awesome girls and watch them live and learn the Gospel. I'm trying not to sound cliche, but it really is so fun and fulfilling to meet these youth and do the best of my ability to answer their questions about the church. More than that is the amazing insight some of these kids have provided- it's just an amazing experience. It leaves me more tired than I can recall ever being, but I am learning so much just from being with these kids. I'd also like to point out that EFY has two dances a week- how could you go wrong with that? Most of you know that I pretty much live for dance parties- and an added bonus- I get to do "Passion Patrol"!- haha which really is quite fun/amusing. We basically walk around during the slow songs, make sure hands are in appropriate places, and that kids aren't too close to one another. I wish I could describe to you how fun it is- probably because I like to be obnoxious, and I can't think of anything much more obnoxious than having a "moment" with someone during a slow song, only to be interrupted by some counselor who's singing along loudly while moving the guy's hand up to the girl's shoulder blade. Heheheheh :D

So basically, I love it, and I'm exhausted.

I'd like to point out that the picture in the post prior to this one where I have those four boys around me is not of them trying to flirt with me. Every time something happened that they didn't like or understand, I suddenly had four, sometimes five, tall teenaged boys surrounding me, getting closer and louder with every, "But why?!!" This group of boys was hilarious, but team Caitlan is only one person, so it made for a crazy week. ;)

Here's my girls for this past week- so fun.:)

My Apologies

2008-06-02T22:06:00.000-07:00

Hello blogging friends- I've been getting a lot of comments on my lack of posts. I am sorry- I've been an EFY counselor for the past week and will be for the next two weeks. This job is not for the faint of heart, and certainly leaves no time for a post worthy of reading. However- it's extremely fun. My girls last week were hilarious and awesome- I loved them!

A few quick updates- congratulations to the Hansens and their expected 3rd son!! Maybe it'll be like the Freeds and it will take a 4th child to break the gender trend...? ;)

I feel like I live and breathe EFY. It's all I do. After only a week, my dreams are already about herding kids to the right locations and having about fifty kids ask me questions every five minutes. But I love it- and this week is already looking great. Our group is awesome and it's only the first day.:)

So that's an update- I'm afraid it will be a while before another post, but I hope everyone is doing well! Here's some pictures of last week's group- "Keys of the Kingdom". This week we're "Looked Up"- so good.

What an Idiot

2008-05-19T15:39:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that when it comes to our furry friends, I have little to no appreciation. They smell bad, they make things that smell bad, and you can never rid your furniture, carpet, or clothing of every hair they've managed to leave for you. On top of those reasons, domestic animals are frustratingly stupid. Case in point- I let our dog Wesley out to play in the yard for a couple hours. When I was feeling kind and generous and decided to let him in, I opened the door and couldn't see him. A short walk around the side of the house revealed how smart our little dog truly is. I don't even know how this happened- the rope is wound around the hose at least three times!

Ah Wesley- Good thing the measure of your creation is to eat, sleep, and chase things that move.

Hooray for being Domestic :)

2008-05-14T08:31:00.000-07:00

This Mother's Day, my mom had the cute idea of giving all of her daughters vintage aprons. Whether mothers or mothers-to-be, we each got an apron and a nice note. Everyone made jokes in my direction about my apron coming in handy in the near future- very funny. Anyway, here's some cute pictures!

Allison, Kristie, my mom, me, and Ann-Michelle

Don't let anyone fool you- aprons are seductive.

My look-alike niece Brynnie. :)

tonsille fanno galleggiare la mia nave

2008-05-11T08:40:00.000-07:00

(tonsils float my boat)

As many of you know, I had my tonsils removed today. They were HUGE. Lori Flatland, Kristie's mother-in-law, works in the hospital, and happened to be the one who got my tonsils. Prior to today, I didn't know they kept stuff like that, but whatev. She came to visit me and brought my tonsils with her- I kid you not when I say each tonsil was easily the size of a golf ball. Sick. I'm glad they're gone.

The actual surgery went great. The only thing I remember is them giving me the IV, being wheeled to the surgery room- which was actually pretty cool because there was someone around pretty much every corner that was headed to my surgery. It was like a movie or medical show where the whole team comes together from their various locations to work on a patient. (Hm... I thought it was really cool, but now that I write about it... perhaps the drugs are still wearing off) Anyway, somewhere between the doorway of the surgery room to the actual center of the room where they'd perform, I must have passed out. The next thing I remember, I woke up in some big room, shaking and gasping for air. I actually felt fine, but I guess that's what the anesthesia will do. When I had oral surgery back in 9th grade, I woke up bawling for absolutely no reason.

I truly did feel great though. Perhaps a little too great- :). The nurse/doctor/guy attending me started talking to me and asking me questions, and when he asked if it was ok to give me pain killers, my first response was, "Facciamolo!", which, in Italian, means, "Let's do this!" I then, thinking I was cool, started saying all sorts or random phrases in Italian and then translating them to him. In the beautiful language, I told him I was awesome, Italian is like Spanish, I didn't like hospitals, and he was very nice. That's what I remember anyway- I very well could have said other things. Haha I can imagine him talking to his other co-workers later and saying, "Yeah, today I had a girl who, when she woke up, started speaking Italian to me. Weird."

Not too much happened after that- the pain really hasn't been as bad as everyone has said it would be. When I thought I had mono, that pain was actually much worse than this. Of course, I didn't have all the medicine I do now, so.... there's probably a correlation. The part I'm most pleased with though is that I can still talk. I do talk quite a bit, so perhaps my vocal cords are stronger than most? I can also breath a lot better, which is way nice. So all in all, my lack of tonsils has been good.:)

I don't even know why...haha

2008-05-01T11:57:00.001-07:00

I came across this, and mainly thought of the Freeds and their little girls' love for the Disney princesses. Random, but kind of funny. I'm going to have to say Aurora and Alice are my favorite.

Ben Folds the best :)

2008-04-24T00:31:00.001-07:00

I know it's kind of dark, but I feel like this picture sums up the concert. Cute little Ben Folds with a content look on his face as he plays the piano. It was so much fun! And really good- he was definitely one of the most charismatic, entertaining, and talented performers I've seen.

Annie Waits- please excuse the low quality filming. Recording from a crowd is somewhat difficult, nevermind my own ability to shake up the camera.:) Good song though.

Post, post, post away

2008-04-22T19:35:00.000-07:00

Here’s what you do:

a)pick up the nearest book
b)turn to page 123
c)find the fifth sentence
d)post the fifth sentence
e)tag 5 (or more) people: everyone! hooray.

"Patterns of loving, caring, being close, creating bonds and meeting the challenges of life in a supportive and helpful way are also transmitted across generations."

Thank you Introduction to Family Processes by Randal D. Day. It's actually my favorite textbook so far- it's really interesting, and even inspiring sometimes.

Marathon... and Mono?

2008-04-20T22:53:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning, my mom, Ann-Michelle, Jake, and I woke up around 5:30 to do one of the craziest things of our lives- a half marathon. It actually went pretty well- I ran for the most part. I was solid until about 8 miles, where I then had to take a few walking breaks here and there.:) Did I feel pansy? Yes. Was I passed by old men? Yes. The moral of the story really is though- I have a cool medal and new running shirt.:) Jk it was rather fulfilling and inspiring- to all my readers I say- shoot for something you don't think you can do. It's really not as bad as it seems.

When I got home from the race, I crashed and was asleep for the next five hours. It was so good. I woke up just in time to go to Laurie's birthday dinner. It was fun celebrating her birthday- Laurie is an amazing friend who, no matter what, can always make me laugh. She is also someone I know I could count on to do anything for me if I needed it. I'm so glad we were put together as random roommates last summer. It's odd to think that the reason we are friends was all by chance- since she is one of my best ones! But I guess that's how it always goes- people happen to be at the same place at the same time, share things in common, and become friends. The point is- I love her and I'm glad we're friends.:) So Happy Birthday Laurie!

The not so awesome part- well, depending on how you look at it I guess, is that yesterday morning I woke up with my ears and throat hurting pretty badly. I slept the entire day, woke up for a bit to some nice friends (Sarah, Laurie, Stephanie, and Shauna) coming to talk to me and bring me soup- thanks guys!:) I felt better after that, and then after I still had the exhaustion to sleep through the whole night, I woke up from ear pain. No dice. I headed to BYU health center (my first time to the doctor without my mom, I know it sounds lame, but it really was weird). It turns out I either have some sort of bacterial thing, or I have the onset of mono. Awesome right? The only good thing is that my white blood cell count is super high, so if I went to donate plasma, I would make bank. It's actually pretty tempting. Like hey, if I'm sick, I might as well get some cash right? I'm still considering it.

Amidst the possible mono, it is finals week and I have three more to take. Woo! Bad news- I'd rather be sleeping and living off pain killers and antibiotics. Good news- in three days, I'll be ten credits away from being a junior (technically, I probably won't graduate early, but it sounds cool) and will be out of school for four months. Tia and I figured out that since we did summer term, we've been going to school for almost two years straight including our senior year of high school. I do love to be educated, but a break will be nice.

E la mia vita. Sono bravissima, lo so.

Ode to Jimmy Eat World- the greatest band known to man

2008-04-16T21:42:00.000-07:00

This last one is my favorite. It was a good concert- rude crowd, but good show, so it evens out.

Cute Boys

2008-04-10T13:37:00.001-07:00

Here's some pictures and a video I caught of my nephews last time I was home- too cute.:)

Graham :)

1...
2...

3!

Thomas
...haha and his chocolate bunny

Gordon

Some quick dance moves- my favorite is his little run away

A Week Without Blogging

2008-04-05T23:21:00.000-07:00

Enya had a CD called A Day Without Rain. I liken that to a week without blogging. (At first I said I think it was Enya- then I remembered the last time I put something I was unsure about on my blog [non sequitur], and was reminded of the google activists who read my blog. So I looked it up myself.)

Anyhow, it's been a pretty fun week. I had two MFHD projects this week- all about family metaphors and traditions. It's interesting because I'm asked to analyze my own family on a pretty regular basis. I always wonder how accurate I am, and if all my family members were asked to do the same projects, if our results would be the same. I'm guessing not. Overall though, I've become increasingly impressed with my family, namely my parents, as we learn about different aspects of family life. We're a very closed, implicit, and authoritarian family.:) (All of which are very good)

One of Jake's friends from the MTC, Asher, was in Provo this week. He and I had written a little bit during the first year of his mission- nothing too big, but it was fun. So he called me and we hung out a few random times- all of which were pretty fun. Probably my favorite is that we found this perfect climbing tree at a random park in Provo. It was exactly like the one we had at our old house in Idaho- good memories.:) I probably won't see him again until Fall, but as for the past week, it's been fun.:)

Saturday night Sarah, Laurie, Stephanie, and I went to see the movie 27 dresses. I can't get over how amazing I think James Marsden is. He was my favorite character in X-Men (He played Cyclops) and then I saw him in Hairspray and Enchanted, and well, I just think he's fantastic.:) It was also way fun to hang out with the four of us- I'm so excited for next year!

Me (too close), Sarah, Laurie, and Stephanie- the future ladies of Apartment 212

Sarah and Stephanie

Haha I love both of their facial expressions- Sarah- so happy, Laurie- haha

Well, I hope everyone enjoyed conference and has an excellent week!

Oh Utah...

2008-03-30T08:57:00.001-07:00

So for the past couple of weeks, it's been really nice outside. I've worn short sleeved shirts, gone running in just shorts and a t-shirt, I've even been sunburnt. Around Thursday though, it started to get a little chilly. I tried to fight this by wearing a t-shirt anyway (I realize the logistics of that decision are somewhat skewed). But alas- this morning proved that Utah, regardless of my attempts to boycott cold weather, would not only be cold anyway, but would snow. Two days before April 1st. It is kind of pretty I guess.

The view from our window this morning

What are they teaching us....

2008-03-29T12:35:00.000-07:00

I really like my MFHD classes, but every once in a while one of my teachers will say something, though related to lecture, completely ridiculous. And taken out of context, they're probably even worse. So I thought I'd share a couple of my favorites-

"Then he could have given her a little pinch, and she could get going on her way."

"Education and faith go together- that's why you're here at BYU. Get an education, get a spouse. Do those two things. Now is the best time. Be prayerful- it'll work." - I don't even know what that had to do with our "Changing During the Life Course" lecture, but I was somewhat taken aback that my teacher was telling us to get married so blatantly, so I wrote it down haha.

"Sometimes you kinda forget... what's legal and what's not. And it's all about making decisions."

"I mean that's great- I really like kissing MY wife. When I get home I just wanna find her! I like kissing her- it's a great sport."

I like my major- I've actually gained quite a bit of insight from these classes thus far. Sometimes though, I just have to shake my head, remember what I'm really shooting for, and do what it takes to get there.

More Weekend Fun

2008-03-24T17:52:00.000-07:00

Me, Elise, Elena, Becky (I stole this picture from Becky, but I love it and think it's so funny- we're all freezing. And Elise is only standing on one foot)

Elena reminded me of another crazy thing that happened on our girls night. She and I went to the bathroom and as I was going to turn on the faucet to wash my hands, the handle came off! Elena just laughed while I tried to figure out what to do with the hunk of metal in my hand. I ended up just sort of setting it on top of where it was supposed to be and we left. Geez- I break things and I eat really fast- such a lady.

Here are some pictures of Allison and I modeling our new Easter dresses!

Blog Talk :)

2008-03-22T22:38:00.000-07:00

Tonight Elise invited me to come with her and meet up wth her friends, Becky and Elena. I'd never met Elena before tonight, but I loved that she knew who I was, and that everyone was somewhat updated on my life as they all read my blog.:) I love it when I find out about unexpected people reading my blog- and I encourage them to comment.:) Anyway, it was fun to talk about each other's recent posts, or lack thereof (Haha- "If I read that same headline one more time...you need to post something new."). So, hooray for blogging.

While we were eating, I was reminded of one of my.... qualities, quirks, attributes? Either way, I am probably one of the fastest eaters- I can't even help it. I don't think I'm sloppy or that I stuff my face, I just somehow manage to clean my plate... before anyone else. Tonight we were all eating our desserts and they were telling stories about their kids/husbands (of which I have neither, so I just listened) and Elena looked over and saw that my plate was clean. They all thought it was pretty funny and it reminded me of a few dates I've been on where the guy was like, "Whoa... you should enjoy your food." Unfortunately that's happened with more than one guy... I hope I marry another fast eater or at least someone who won't judge me. Tonight was especially funny though because our waiter actually said something. He came back and was like, "Well I can see at least one of you enjoyed your dessert... how is everybody else's?" I think it was Laurie and Danner's sister Betsy who said the same thing happened to her- fast eaters unite.;)

Up in the Morning :)

2008-03-19T10:45:00.000-07:00

So on Mondays and Wednesdays I have Aerobic Dance at 7 in the morning. I'm usually ridiculously tired and can't manage to do more than make sure my bangs are going the same direction and brush my teeth. However, as soon as Tia and I get to the class, some random burst of energy hits both of us and the class is a riot. Our teacher, Philippe, thinks we're crazy, but I think he's glad some people are awake. Today was perhaps one of my favorite days- we danced to Michael Jackson and it was amazing.:) Granted Mr. Jackson has made some poor life choices. However, this does not inhibit his amazing ability to sing and dance. Philippe taught us some of his moves and it was so beautiful. My favorite were definitely the hip movements accompanied by either a shaking hand or snapping. It's people like Michael Jackson that make me wish I grew up in the eighties.

True Life in the Dorms

2008-03-18T19:52:00.000-07:00

I was watching some of my recent videos, and thought everyone might like to see the crazy awesome girls I'm living with next year. The first video is pretty self explanatory- we were out doing something and everyone was pretty hyper. The second two are of what Stephanie likes to call "The Water Game." I had never played and agreed to be Steph's victim if she'd give me a backrub. Sarah and Laurie warned otherwise, but I did it anyway. Hey now I can drink water while laying on the ground- what a talent.

The Water Game

Random sidenote: We studied outside today for a couple hours- I have a tan line from my bangs. Yep- only half of my forehead got some color.

All Things Tag :)

2008-03-16T13:34:00.000-07:00

It made me laugh when Elise said that I loved all things tag, partly because of the wording, but also because it's one of those things I don't realize are so evident to others. But yes, I do love all things tag.:)

Onto the tag!

Here are the rules: You have to answer the questions with a Google image search. NO using your own pictures. Even on the picture of you. Let's see what happens.

Favorite Color:

Favorite Animal:

I considered leaving this one blank, simply because I don't really like animals. Butterflies are nice though.

Bad Habit:

Sending hate texts.... jk, it's texting, but this was the first picture that showed up.

Favorite Food:

Favorite Hobby:

Hehe :)

Place I live:

Favorite Song:

My Job:

Favorite Author:

Favorite Dessert:

oh so good. Fried banana cheesecake. I've only had it once, but it sure was tasty.:)

Picture of Me:

Um... haha I don't even know. But when you type in Caitlan Marie DeArton, that is the only thing that shows up.

Today's Chuck Norris FACT:

2008-03-12T10:25:00.001-07:00

Chuck Norris play racquet ball with a waffle iron and a bowling ball.

Frosties :D

2008-03-09T21:19:00.000-07:00

Robert Frost is one of my favorite poets- granted I've only read about six, two of which are Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein, but still- Frost is a good one.:) Of the few valuable things I learned from going to Everett Community College, and an appreciation for a select few American poets, namely Frost, is one of them. So I thought I would share my two favorite poems by him-

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

Fire and Ice

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favour fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

I think one of the cool things about well-written poetry is that even if you have no idea what they're saying, you know they said it well. Also, you can evoke such a different meaning than the author intended or anyone else who read it. It's just neat.:) I really like both of these poems, but for different reasons. Thoughts?

Road Trip Goodness

2008-03-07T10:46:00.000-08:00

I've never posted a video before, so I thought I'd give it a shot. This should give you a small preview of what it's like every time Jessie and I drive home for the weekend. Non-stop interpretive car dancing to classic tunes.:) (For the record, we didn't know Sydnee, Jessie's roommate, was recording in the back, so this is all naturale)

Funny/Interesting Parts of this week: I started training for my new job on Wednesday. It doesn't seem like it'll be too difficult, just a lot of little things to remember. I've never had to wear a uniform to work before, so the little hat and apron are kind of fun.:) (Except I look like an idiot)

While studying Italian yesterday, Danner and I were getting lunch at a sandwich place in the Tanner building. At this little cafe, you fill out a sandwich order, they call your name, and then you have a tasty panino. It makes it more fun, however, to put a silly name on your order. Like yesterday- I got a pretty big kick out of them calling, "Sheila!" when my sandwich was ready. Haha I'm curious as to what they thought when some white kid (Danner) walked up to get his sandwich when they called, "Gemaine!" :)

Last night I went to my friend Max's apartment for him to open his mission call. That was a pretty cool experience- haha he had five or six cellphones with people on speakerphone listening as he read his call- but he's going to Madrid, Spain! Yay for Max!

Oggi in la classe d'italiano

2008-03-04T08:34:00.000-08:00

Oggi, noi abbiamo imparato i verbi potere, volere, e dovere. Signor Crane ha voluto facciamo una frase con i verbi. Ho parlato con la mia amica, Beth, chi e sposata. Ho detto, "Voglio limonare ogni giorni." Poi, Beth ha detto, "Posso limonare ogni giorni, con mio marito!" Sigor Crane ha detto, "Che cosa?!" E stato molto buffo.

(Scrivuto di solo. Sono brava, non?)

I mostly wanted to see if I describe what happened in class today without any help, and I think I did it. But today in class, we learned the verbs potere (can, to be able), volere (to wish, to want), and dovere (must, to have to). Signor Crane had us come up with sentences using these three verbs. My friend Beth, who's married, and I are usually partners. Also, on Valentine's day, we learned one of my new favorite verbs- Limonare. (I have three favorite verbs in Italian- ballare [to dance] spaccare [to split or break] and limonare [to makeout ;) ] - one of which I try to utilize every time I speak Italian ) So I said to Beth, "Voglio limonare ogni giorni." Which means, "I want to makeout every day." We laughed because our teacher was standing nearby, and then Beth says, "Io posso limonare ogni giorni, con mio marito!" Which means, "I can makeout every day, with my husband!" The way she said it was kind of a in-your-face sort, and it was really funny. Somehow saying it in Italian made it hilarious.

Quick Question

2008-03-02T18:33:00.000-08:00

I keep getting comments on my blog from random people that are like, "Click Here." I'm pretty sure people I don't know won't have a good reason for me to click anywhere, so I'm considering adding that word test thing before people can comment. I realize this would be annoying, but I'm kind of tired of getting all excited because someone commented, and realizing it's just azmar or whoever with a link. I don't know- it's not that big of a deal for me to delete them I guess. What do you guys think? Let me know if you think it's too annoying.

PS- No Air by Jording Sparks and Chris Brown- you should check it out! Kind of cheesy, but I really like it.:)

The Beauty of a Blog....

2008-02-29T11:12:00.000-08:00

... is that you can tell a story, and you only have to tell it once, because all of the important people read it.:)

So the exciting news- I got the job at Sugar and Spice! (A bakery/ice cream place at BYU) The funny part about this story- some of you may be familiar with my voicemail- "Hi this is Caitlan, I'm not here right now, so just leave a message... actually don't leave a message... unless it's important. Either way, I'll call you back." This is effective for people who like to leave me stupid messages (you know who you are) but slightly inappropriate for job callbacks... However, I thought I would combat this by keeping my phone with me until they called back and not have to change my voicemail. Alas, I left my phone on silent, and they called without my realizing it and left a message after hearing my snotty voicemail. Oh well- I still got the job.:)

In my MFHD class, we've been learning about family ideologies. There are four main ideologies- closed (a more traditional, clear-cut rules sort), open (extremely communicative, up to discussion), random (rules are unspecific, family members somewhat individualistic) and synchronous (unchanging- doesn't actually exist, I don't know why we learned about it). Anyway- none of the ideologies is better or worse than the other, they're just different. So Dr. Holman put us into groups and we had to come up with examples defining whichever topic he gave us. Our group was given closed, and we started to list things that would make a family closed. The funny part was that the people in my group almost sarcastically said things like, "Yeah, I bet they mow their lawn like twice a week and weed the garden every other day." "Ha I bet they have a separate room for the food storage!" "They probably have some nice little house dog." "They have a table runner!" "All the doors have locks on them." You're probably starting to get the idea- and hey DeArtons- any of this ring a bell? Everything they gave as examples defined my family. Even other closed groups' ideas- haha so many little things I never thought twice about! And I'm sure a lot of families are similar to ours, but my group found it pretty funny how accurate people's suggestions were. I think the thing that amused my friend the most was that everyone in our family has their own toothpaste. And I'm thinking, "Well of course we do! I like this kind, you like that nasty kind- why would we ever share?"

This next story- I hope I can do it justice. Laurie and Sarah live on the second floor and had cleaning checks last week. Laurie was cleaning her window, and I forget why I was in the room, but anyway- as she was cleaning her window, the screen popped out. We looked out and speculated on the jumping possibilities. It didn't look too far down, and besides- if you jumped straight down, there were bushes, and if you missed those or jumped further, there was grass. On top of that, there was a small ledge outside the window that would make the jump less drastic. After a little bit, Ginny, Laurie, Stephanie, and I were gathered around the window eyeing the distances. I stepped out of the window onto the ledge just to see if a foot would even fit on the ledge and then came back inside. Laurie did the same. (I can't imagine how funny this would have looked- a bunch of girls crowded in a window testing out the ledge in turns) Ginny then stepped out and said it didn't seem too bad. Thus began the coercion- "Do it Ginny- the bushes would cushion your fall!"
"No- land on the grass, but do a parkour roll so you don't break something."
"No Ginny don't do it!" -Steph
"Why shouldn't she?"- one of us
"Because then if Ginny jumps, I have to jump too. I can't be shown up!"-Steph.
"Do it Ginny. I'll give you a cookie."-me, regrettably
"A cookie?"-Ginny.
"Oh for sure. Do it! I'll totally give you a cookie."-me.
Ginny then proceeded to crouch down a little, counted to three, started to change her mind, but then lost her balance, and fell into the bushes anyway. All of us still in the room lost it- we were laughing so hard. Poor Ginny just sort of lay in the bushes moaning. After a while, she stood up and revealed a rip in her back pocket that tore all the way through her jeans. We kept laughing, I bought her a cookie, and she came upstairs to change. A few minutes later, she came to Laurie and Sarah's room where we all were, and revealed a gash on the left side of her behind. It was pretty funny, but luckily Steph is a nursing major and has an amazing first aid kit (I'm not sure if those two details coincide, but it seems like they should) and fixed Ginny up. We were all laughing as Stephanie put bandages on Ginny's butt, but we felt pretty bad. Overall it is really funny though- we dared her to jump and then she ended up hurting her bum. :)

Aerobic dance is still an amazing class- on Wednesday we learned to do jumping jacks in formation. I can't even describe to you how incredible it was. I couldn't keep a straight face, but I loved it! Such a good class.

Well that's about all I can think of- hopefully this made you smile a little!

Feeling Photogenic

2008-02-26T18:14:00.000-08:00

I took this picture at the Editors concert about a month ago, and have been getting comments on it ever since! (It's the wallpaper on my laptop, so a lot of people see it) Apparently it doesn't follow the three-quarters rule, but most people really like it. So I decided to post it.:) I also made a slideshow of some of my other favorite pictures I've taken.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Story of My Life

2008-02-23T09:55:00.000-08:00

20 years ago... 1988 - I was being planned for. Literally- my twentieth birthday is a little less than ten months away.
10 years ago: 1998 - I won the school-wide spelling bee as a fourth grader- haha I remember it was like revolutionary that I had beat even the fifth graders, and I was popular for a little bit. The word I won on- pre-conditioned. The word I lost on when we went to districts- nordic. I still think I said D and the judge thought I said T and disqualified me.
5 years ago: 2003 - I was just starting high school at Lake Stevens High School. The only year of high school that I had a 4.0, and haha I thought I was so awesome because Jake let me hang out with all his senior friends.
3 years ago: 2005 - This was the year I started crew- the team nicknamed me "Mormon" and instead of a farmer tan, I had a Mormon tan.
1 year ago... 2007 - I accomplished the amazing feat of graduating high school and about a month after, went to BYU, where my life truly began. That summer was awesome.
So far this year...2008 - I've been doing pretty well. Classes are a lot of fun, things are working out for the summer and fall, and my life is pretty much just a party.
Yesterday I.. drove up to Idaho Falls with Jessie. It was a pretty eventful drive- I'm usually a pretty good driver, but for some reason, yesterday I made all sorts of mistakes. Probably the worst was when I almost killed someone. (she shouldn't have been on the cross walk at that time anyway, but for some reason it made me laugh really hard that when I turned around she was sprinting, backpack and all, away from the car... yikes. Come on, I stopped in time)
Today I . . . really haven't done much. We were up pretty late last night, so I actually only woke up about a half hour ago. I've had enough time to check my email and write a blog. My life rocks. :)

I tag everyone on my link list. If you're reading this, that means you.

Rise all loyal cougars and hurl your challenge to the foe...

2008-02-21T21:45:00.000-08:00

...You will fight, day or night, rain or snow.

Loyal, strong, and true
Wear the white and blue.

While we sing, get set to spring.
Come on Cougars it's up to you. Oh!

Rise and shout, the Cougars are out
along the trail to fame and glory.
Rise and shout, our cheers will ring out
As you unfold your victr'y story.

On you go to vanquish the foe for Alma Mater's sons and daughters.
As we join in song, in praise of you, our faith is strong. [Leading at half-time]

We'll raise our colors high in the blue
And cheer our Cougars of BYU. [Most intense time-out of my life. Two minutes left...]

Ra ra ra..... GO COUGARS!!!!!! FINAL SCORE!!!

Tia, Me, Stephanie, Sarah, Lauren

Chiedo scusa, Utah. Non avete vinto! This was seriously the most intense game ever- Utah played pretty well, and it was a really good game. Sorry guys. Only two more home basketball games...:( I live for Cougar basketball.

Studying = Pain

2008-02-20T12:51:00.000-08:00

I was reading my scriptures for my Book of Mormon class, and, without realizing I had fallen asleep, woke up with a knuckle imprint on my forehead (Large red mark as seen in the photo above). Haha I must have fallen asleep on my hand. It actually kind of hurts, but I guess that's what I get for falling asleep during the scriptures.

Living Space

2008-02-19T16:40:00.000-08:00

We had our cleaning check today, and our room just looks so nice, I wanted to take a picture! (Slash get some sort of credit for making my bed, it's a rare occasion, but I just figure- I'm going to mess it up later anyway) I've decided to create my own tag out of it and I challenge all my college friends (Branden, Danner, Kim, and Tia, and anyone else who wants to) to display their college living quarters also. :)

I should make my bed more often.:)

When I took art history I learned about a concept called horror vacui, when the artist doesn't leave any empty space. Hmmm...

My side of the room.

Kamryn's side of the room. Her art is so cool!

A random sidenote, but I LOVE love my camera! Not only is it red (and sexy, according to Elise and Ann-Michelle) but it has survived two major falls. I do take good care of it, but I dropped it down the stairs in the dorms and on the sidewalk. It is totally fine. Don't worry- I have started taking precautions, like putting the strap around my wrist, but I'm still impressed with its resiliency.

Alright, alright, alright alright alright! Hey!

2008-02-15T19:18:00.000-08:00

So about a month ago- actually exactly a month ago because it was on my birthday, I interviewed to be an EFY counselor for this summer. It was a group interview, and at the end of the interview, the lady informed the girls that because so many girls apply, we shouldn't be upset or take it personally if we weren't offered the job. I remember she spent a good ten minutes talking about other options if we didn't make it, and the whole time I was thinking, "Yeah yeah yeah, we don't get it, get over it, I understand." So I had decided not to count on it. However :) I got an email this Friday and they want to hire me! I'm pretty excited and I think it'll be a really fun way to spend my summer. It will also be fun because Maryn is going to be at BYU as a student this summer, so we'll totally be able to hang out on the weekends! It will be awesome.:)

This weekend was pretty fun. Friday night we didn't do too much- Laurie, Sarah, and I pretty much just chilled around the dorms. Around midnight or so I decided to go up to bed because of a headache, but ended up just laying in bed for a while. At one, my friend Colin texted me and asked if I wanted to get ice cream. We had been meaning to hang out earlier, but I thought, "Eh, why not? Sure, I'll get ice cream." :) I love being in college- everything is so spontaneous and you just do whatever you feel like. So we went and got shakes and talked for a while and around three he dropped me off. It was fun. I had a test the next day, which I got a B on- I feel good about it. After that was the real fun- the BYU vs UNLV basketball game.:D

We had to wait in line for over an hour in the cold to get tickets for the Utah game this week, and then this game- so good! BYU had some amazing plays and rebounds and ah- I love college basketball!! We won of course.:)

Here's some pictures I took while we waited in line:

Cougar Basketball :)

A few UNLV fans, who, I have to give props to. They actually cheered a lot, which I thought was good. Even though we killed them in the end.;)

Avete limonato ieri sera? Credo di si :)

2008-02-15T16:42:00.000-08:00

(sorry I don't know anything further than that for all you married folks- my Italian vocabulary has standards too you know)

I hope everyone's Valentine's went well. For me it was pretty much another day- except everything I ate was a)junk food and b)pink. Both of which are regrettable really. Actually I take it back about Valentines being normal- I happened to run into two of my RM friends. They both talked about how badly they wanted to be married and both have been home less than a year. I found it quite amusing. :)

Here's my favorite part of a conversation I had with one of them yesterday:

Boy: I just want to get married so bad!
Me: K- you've been home for less than a year. I have the right to make fun of you.
Boy: Well see that's the thing though- I definitely don't want to settle. It's not like I want to marry just anyone. Like I want her to be perfect, you know?
Me: Sure sure. So you have like a list or something?
Boy: Well not really. Truly the most important thing is the Gospel. Like she's gotta have a strong testimony. And really, the Gospel is just so amazing, I just, yeah if she's has a testimony, that's the most important part.
Me: That's legit.
Boy: And she should be extremely beautiful.
Me: Hahahahaha testimony and extremely beautiful huh?
Boy: Yep! That's what I'm looking for.
Me: Godspeed my friend. :)
He then started talking about how he wants a family, and I teased him about whether it was the family he wanted, or making the family he wanted. It was a pretty good humored conversation, but he did change the topic when my friends showed up.

Last night was pretty fun though- my friends Stephanie, Ginny, and I all burned pictures of old boyfriends. I, for some reason, was extremely excited about this. I'm not really bitter towards any of them, but I do like to burn things, and it was fun to reminisce. (Let's get real- I dated some attractive boys. Stupid- of course. Attractive- also in the affirmative)

We also helped Laurie make a video of her teaching us for her music education application. I think she did awesome :) And it was cool because I actually learned a few things from her presentation.

To today (my what an exciting life I have) We SIGNED FOR OUR APARTMENT!!! Weekly dance parties here we come! It was pretty cool because we were the first to sign for next year, so we got to pick exactly which apartment we wanted. Apartment 212- I just think it sounds cute.:) So that was pretty exciting. It's such a good deal and it's so close to campus- ah I just love it so much!

Today I met with my MFHD professor and we had an extremely helpful chat. Some of the past lectures have been pretty intense, so I've been considering whether or not I truly have the moxy for this major. It's what I want and it's what I've been planning on for the past three years, but, well, you just never know. I have a bit of thinking to do, but I'm ok with that. The funny part of this- we were discussing something, and Dr. Holman asked if I was endowed. I laughed and told him that I was only 19. He seemed somewhat taken aback by this and commented on how I seemed more secure and mature than that. A compliment yes, but haha what the?! Last semester a lot of people asked me if I was a return missionary too. I'd like to think it's because I carry myself in a more mature manner and it's not because I already have laugh lines on my face but... I think it's the latter. Whatev- I'm all about not being a stupid freshman.

One thing about my MFHD classes- we've started getting into parenting and relationships, and it just makes me realize- Dang! I have good parents! So thanks Mom and Dad. :D

Non-sequitur?

2008-02-13T20:25:00.000-08:00

I think I know what that means, but I'm not sure. Isn't it something that's irrelevant? Who knows, it sounds cool though.

Lately, I've been sleeping SO much. Today for example, I got back from studying in the library around 6ish, and took a nap fairly soon after getting home. It is now 9:30 and I just got up. The same thing happened yesterday- I intended to do homework and go to the devotional during my three-hour break. I ended up sleeping the entire time. I'm guessing it's just my irregular sleep schedule catching up with me, but seriously- I feel like I sleep all the time! My roommate Kamryn blames it on the weather. Who knows.

Funny things for this week- I got a pretty good response from my last random post, so here goes.

Maryn, my best friend from Idaho Falls, and Jake, my brother, sort of have a thing for each other. It's fine with me, I'm pretty indifferent to it. If it works, awesome, if it doesn't, Maryn's still my friend, and Jake is still my brother, so whatev. Anyway- Valentine's day is tomorrow, and both of them have been texting and calling me all week for my opinion on their gifts for one another. The best part- their gifts are almost exactly the same thing! I showed them a skit called "Can I have your number" online (it's pretty funny- it has a black guy named Darrell in it) and they've been quoting it to each other ever since. So for Valentines, they both invested in a stuffed animal dressed as a gangster that says "Can I have your number?" or "Be my Valentine?" with candy. I guess it's just funny because they're both extremely concerned that they don't out-do or leave something lacking compared to the other's gift. Little do they know- it's exactly the same. (And fyi- neither Maryn nor Jake read this, and even if they did- they already got their presents)

I don't know how funny this will be to anyone else, but Sarah, Laurie, and I have been laughing about this for the past almost two weeks now. I made a sound that reminded Sarah of a Ring Wraith (Lord of the Rings) a while back and since then we've been tossing around ideas of things that Ring Wraiths can do. Probably the funniest is the idea of Ring Wraiths coming to church and singing in the choir. Them going to the gym also provides a funny mental picture.

Choir :) [The caption says: "Ring Wraiths sharing a hymnal"]

Greeting the Bishop on the way to church [The bishop says "Good Morning Brethren!" and the ring wraiths growl back]

Italian is also pretty amusing. The class is always a lot of fun, and even just studying with Danner is hilarious. It's good though- I learn a lot, (some things I don't think any textbook would mention) and it's fun. I don't know, for some reason both languages I've learned have been extremely amusing to me. I think it's just the concept of saying silly things in way even you don't fully understand, but only a few people get it. No lo so perche, ma mi piace italiano molto. E sono brava. (I don't know why, but I like Italian a lot. And I'm awesome)

The Search is Over!

2008-02-11T18:47:00.000-08:00

For the past three days, my soon to be roommates (Laurie, Sarah, and Stephanie) and I have been going from complex to complex, knocking on random doors, and asking if we can come in and look at the apartment layout. Laurie became especially good at this and even worked out a little speech ("Hey we're actually looking for apartments for next year and were wondering if we could check out your layout?") I have no idea how many complexes we went to. At least ten. I discovered through this little journey that unless I want to remember something, (like how much I loved the first place we stopped) I will completely forget the places we went to and even what they looked like. Anyway- we went to mostly apartments, a few condos, and were lucky enough to stumble upon some married housing. (Not a good sign when we saw the high chair by the table) I loved the first apartment we went to- a nice little setup in a complex called Park Plaza. We did keep looking however, and even stopped by the Elms, where my mom once lived- 30 years ago. I guess when she lived there it was really nice? Now, however, it's pretty run down, and is more expensive than the one we chose. After Laurie and I looked around a bit, we picked up Sarah and Stephanie to show them the best options we found. We saved Park Plaza for last, and, much to my satisfaction, everyone agreed it was the best choice! I'll post pictures pretty soon. I'm so excited- everything is nice, it's a good price, and it's extremely close to campus! And my roommates are going to be awesome- I'm stoked for next year!

Some Fun

2008-02-10T16:47:00.000-08:00

My friend Jacob and I at a concert- it was way good!

Cougar Basketball :)

Once again victorious- against TCU. Hey Elise- note the fight song.:)

Shauna and I at the basketball game.

Jared and I on our date- it was a lot of fun. We made dinner in teams (it was a group date) and then went to a trampoline place called Jump On It, where I had a lot of fun falling over.:) It really was fun though. And haha I wish I could smile more normally.

I decided to take a picture of the temple while we were waiting in line for President Hinckley's funeral- so pretty.

Sarah, Laurie, and I noticed we were all wearing flats- so we took a picture.:)

Oh we were SO cold!! But it was worth it. This is Sarah, Laurie, and I waiting in line.