Finding Joy in the Journey

Lately, I've been frustrated. With life in general. Homework, I've been sick, which is never fun, and nostalgia for home. Is the semester over yet? No? dang. And it seems like everyone is getting engaged. Taja and Tom, Colin and his girl Cora (who I have yet to meet), and I'm sure this is only the beginning of the flood of wedding announcements :) But I'm happy for my friends. And I enjoy the friends I have and the time I get to spend with them. Lately I've been hanging out with my friend Melynda to make up for the fact we hardly ever hung out last semester, and that we won't see each other until January after this semester. Dang. I'm gonna miss her.

One thing I find the most beauty and joy in is nature. I told my roommate that it is kinda my dream to be proposed to to at a waterfall. So, future husband, if you are reading this, remember the Waterfall!! I mean, I'm sure getting married will be absolutely spectacular, but being proposed to would be the icing on the cake. Would that make the wedding the cake? But I digress. Anyways, here's some of the beautiful scenery I've seen around Rexburg.

 The Sand dunes. Right before a storm

 Porter Park

 A flower on campus. There are actually a lot of flowers like this in various colors

Weekends just keep getting better

I know I already posted a blog today, but I told Colin he could have his own post, so here's my other post. This weekend was absolutely fantastic! On Friday night, Jenn was working, so I hung out with my friend Melynda. We felt like being chatty, so we mainly talked, but then we decided to get dinner because Jenn was hungry, but while Melynda and I were eating, Jenn texted me and told me that she got off work early, so Melynda and I went to get her, and we also ran into our friend Brandon. We went to the clubhouse at Melynda's apartment complex, and played pool (kind of) and airhockey, and then we went to the park and played there for a while. After that, we went home and went to bed. This is where it gets even better! At 9:30 yesterday morning, I was woken up by my mom calling me. Her words were: "We're coming to see you, and we'll probably get there a little after 10!" Now, I knew my mom and my dad were coming to visit, I just expected to be awake sooner than that... But I loved spending the day with my family, although I missed my little brother. My parents and I did some shopping (dad got me a blender!) we went out to lunch, did some more shopping, and then we went to Idaho Falls to see my grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousins. Mom, dad, and I managed to get a nap in before Uncle Eric, Aunt Melissa, and the kids all got there. We went out to dinner at Chuck-A-Rama, which is a big deal when there are 12 people and 5 of them are 8 or younger. After dinner, we went back to Grandma and Grandpa's house. We played there for a little, and then it was time to go home. Mom and dad brought me home and I hate saying goodbye!! I'm so bad at it!! I came in and put in Singing in the Rain, which is my feel good video. Towards the beginning of it, my roommate's friends came over, and they decided to paint each other's faces. After they were done with that, they commented on how I was the only one who didn't have a painted face. So I was kind of ambushed... But it was fun. I'm so grateful for weekends. They are just the reprieve that I need from the week.

My cousin Kassie

 This is my cousin Cameron or Cam-Cam

 This is my cousin Erica

 Me and cam cam

 I told my dad to smile, and this is the face that I got. I love my dad so much!!

 Me and my mommy!! I love her mucho!!

                                                                                                                  

Iakwe!

That's how you say hello in Marshallese! So, I have this friend, Colin. I've known Colin since September, and he has probably become one of my best friends. Colin lived in Greenbrier at the same time I did, and he was my FHE brother Winter semester. He served his mission in the Marshall islands, and as a result, I have heard many prayers in Marshallese. It's really quite a cool language. Whenever I was going through a hard time, he always had the best advice to give, even if he didn't know the whole situation. That's something my older brother is good at too. Colin actually told me that he was going to be my big brother, although I'm not sure that still applies since he is in ALASKA and isn't actually a blood relative like Mitch, who is my older brother no matter where he goes... But back to Colin. When I started my blog, Colin told me I should write about him, so I told him that when he went to Alaska to work for the summer, I would dedicate a blog to him. So here it is!

Colin broke his hand the day after I broke my leg, so we were gimpy buddies together. Of course we documented it. Colin said we had to take the pictures Marshallese style. I wasn't sure what that meant, so here is my interpretation of it.

 

It's not what it looks like. But it does basically describe mine and Colin's relationship.

 

I personally think I look sick in this picture, but Colin doesn't, and this post is about him

 

Colin was the best FHE brother ever. He got our apartment sick a lot fall semester, and as a result, he made us delicious soups a lot. I also mentioned to him how I had a migraine one time, and he brought me advil and made sure that I was feeling better. Over general conference weekend, we got whoever wanted to go for a picnic together and went up the fields on campus, and it was so windy!! After we ate, Colin and I picked up the blanket, held it up like a sail, and jumped. Pretty sure we actually moved too. It was THAT windy!! Colin became one of my best friends. I'm so glad that I have him as a friend.  And Colin, I hope you are having fun in Alaska getting paid to make fun of old people!! Ij iakwe yuk, friend! :) (see what I did there? Marshallese AND English!)