Project: Who Am I?

Today in institute, the lesson that Brother Chatwin taught was exactly what I needed. He started out with having us all draw a self portrait. Mine was horrible, and I didn't even get to drawing my face. Then, he had us turn over the paper and write down answers to the question "Who Am I?" I struggled for a few minutes... do I know who I am? The first thing I decided to write down is that I am Emily. I am a daughter of earthly and heavenly parents. I am full of sass. I am compassionate and I am a friend. Then the question was asked "Who determines who you are? Did you write down the things you did because someone told you them?" I thought for a while. Some of my answers were things people had told me I was. Others I wrote down because I came to know them for myself. We came to the conclusion that we matter because we were created and foreordained by God to come to Earth and fulfill our purpose and potential. I thought a lot about my patriarchal blessing. I think I know who I am and why I matter mostly because of what I learned about myself in my patriarchal blessing. It encourages me to keep working toward my best self. I was important in the pre-mortal World, and I was excited to come to earth. I know that I have a lot to accomplish here on earth, and I was excited to come down here to do the work. I needed this reminder today, and I need to be reminded of it more often. I have the potential to become like God. He is my Father, and I need to stop waisting time, and get going on working and striving to be more like him. To end the lesson he talked about Abraham 3, which was the assigned reading for the day. It Abraham 3 it talks about Kolob, and how 1,000 years is 1 day to God. Then he did an equation to figure out how long we really have been on earth if it were in God's time. He took the age of 20 years old, multiplied it by 12, and then divided by 8.4 to get 28.5 minutes away from God. I have been on Earth for only 28.5 minutes. How have I done so far? Have I been good? He ended with saying, "I think that Heavenly Father pulled us aside and said, I need you to go down to Earth and just be good for an hour and a half? Can you do that? You told him that you could do an hour and a half. You could be good that long." So, I am going to do my best to be good for an hour and a half. He has promised us blessings and guidance for the time that we are here on Earth, and so I will use his guidance and direction, through prayer, to grow and become more like him. All that Heavenly Father is asking of us is to learn and grow and become closer and more like Him. If we can do this, He has promised us eternal life and so many blessings. 

Project:Happy Day

Yesterday Meagan and I went to Tempe Marketplace and ended up getting caught in a free hug chain. We couldn't leave until we handed the "Free Hug" poster to someone else after giving them a hug. It was pretty funny and we got stuck for a little while, but eventually someone hugged us and we were free. I realized people need to be more happy- especially on National Happiness Day! Smile, people-it's free! {Pictured below is Meagan and I begging people for a hug.}

Project: "Catch-up"

So… as you can tell, its been about 3 months since I last posted, and A LOT has changed. I'm living back in Mesa, and I am in the Elementary Education program at ASU, and I am really enjoying it. I miss Provo, but this is my home, and I am where I am supposed to be {I do miss my roommates though, wahh.} So here are a few catch-up pictures to keep it interesting. As always, enjoy.

After moving back home...

 My Sister got engaged to Brody Skinner {Wedding March 7-Holla!}

 I went to Sacramento with the parents and Zack for Zack's football tournament and we took a detour to see {& walk across} the GGB. 

 I celebrated Christmas… and got this beauty from Santa. {bathroom selfie-always necessary}

I Said goodbye to Sarah Beth who is going to BYU HAWAII 

 I also said goodbye to Sister Johnson {anyone wanna take a trip to Rancho Cucamonga?!}

 I toured the Gilbert Temple, it is breathtakingly beautiful. 

& I have been keeping life constantly elevated! 

{and also I love Courtney and I love forcing her to be my model so I can mess around with my new camera.} 

THE END 

Elevation of Mesa: 1,243 feet

Project: Love it while it lasts.

      My dad text me today. The text said, "Have you blogged recently?" My response, "No." He says back, "Get on it." It was a good reminder, so here I am, blogging. A lot has gone on in these last couple of weeks. I haven't been super great at documenting the moments, but I did get some pictures. But the biggest event that has happened in these past weeks is my decision to head back to the 480- Mesa. As I was getting ready to transfer to UVU, I just kept feeling like it wasn't right, and I was never really happy about the plans I was making. So I called home, because my parents are the greatest with helping me out and talking me through my options. I told them how I was feeling and that I thought I should come home. I wasn't excited about a business degree, and although it was my dream, owning a bakery didn't seem to be apart of my future. So my mom began to list off some career paths that I could take: Nursing? No. An Interpreter? No. She listed a couple more. Then she said "Well what about becoming a teacher?" That hit me, and instantly, I felt excited about that path. We talked a while more, and then I crawled in to bed. As I lay there, I began to pray, and I told Heavenly Father that I was pretty sure I was going home and that I was going to go to ASU to become an elementary school teacher. I asked Him if that was right for me. And in that moment, I knew Heavenly Father was listening, because a warmth and reassurance washed over me. That night, I couldn't sleep, my mind was racing with excitement about teaching and living back in Mesa. So, I'm headed home at the beginning of December, and will attend ASU starting in January. Although I have loved living in Provo, and have learned so much in the short amount of time I have been here, I know going back to Mesa, and pursuing this path is where I'm supposed to be for the next while. A quote I recently saw said, "We must take adventures in order to know where we belong." Provo has been one adventure that I will always value, as I continue to find where I belong. So, I'm loving and enjoying these last few weeks in Utah the best I can before I head home for the beginning of a new adventure. Here are some of my moments loving Utah while I can.

I went on a date, and as I like to call it, we "gravel climbed" {instead of rock climbed} up a mountain to get this view of P-town. So let me explain "gravel climb" So we climbed up the side of a mountain, with no trail, just lots of little rocks and dirt. There were very few big rocks, and it sounded {and felt} like we were climbing up a mountain of lots of little lego pieces. On the way down we dirt surfed down because it was so slippery. There was no way to get a grip or stop, we literally slid down the gravel and dirt all the way to the bottom. It was super sketchy, but fun, and totally worth it for the view of the city we got. 

More roommate bonding at a BYU basketball game, and the Vocal Point Concert. Let's just say BYU has some very talented and very attractive students.

I received a letter from my favorite missionary in New Zealand. 

I got to experience the first snow fall of the season. Snow falling is one of my most favorite things in the world.

 My BFFE came to visit this weekend. We had good food, lots of fun, and lots of shoppng.

 Guru's sweet potato fries are a new favorite

Good food with my great friend.

 Starbuck's {hot chocolate} Selfie.

SLC temple Selfie with Sarah

Elevation of my happiness: Extremely high.

Project: Let The Good Times Roll.

      Although it's hard being away from home, Heavenly Father blesses me everyday with "Good Times" that remind me He's watching over me and that life is good! Here's some of the random "good times" I've been experiencing.

Slab Pizza {The White- Feta cheese, herbs, sausage and mushrooms} including some really good Sprite. 

Withdrawing from Brief Calculus and replacing it with "Personal Growth and Human Relationships"

 Finally getting the number seven necklace that I ordered.

Being able to wear the necklace and then send it along to Courtney, who was next in line in our order of the "Sisterhood of the traveling number seven necklace." {The seven best friends have split up. Mal is in Idaho, Aubs is in New Mexico, I'm in Utah, Tori is leaving for her mission in California in January, Sarah possibly is going to Hawaii, and Court and Kyndra are in Mesa. So we decided to do our own sort of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. With a number seven necklace.}

Having Squirrels come visit me on the front porch outside.

Halloween Oreos always make for a good time.

I'm really loving the snow on the mountains. I don't care what you say, it makes me happy!

To top it off, I got to see the Bloomfield's on their way back home from Idaho. They stopped by to drop off some things my mother sent up with them. I took them to the BYU bookstore on Campus so Shaylee could get a BYU sweatshirt. It was raining and Rylan and Amberly got to feed the ducks. It was so great to see them! 

Elevation: On a happiness high!

Project: Conference Weekend

      I REALLY enjoy conference weekend. It was the first time I was away from home for conference and I was a little bummed. BUT, I got to go to the Wilson's house for the weekend and spend conference with them. Aunt Lisa even got tickets for us all to attend Saturday Afternoon session. My Uncle David and cousin Bryson had come up from Arizona for Priesthood session, so I got to spend that time with them as well. On Friday night, we went to Tucano's for dinner, which is a Brazilian Buffet. It was DELICIOUS. They come around with big stacks of meet, and you can eat whatever and however much you want. To say I was full would be an understatement. Here's some pictures:

This guy has sheep hearts or bacon wrapped pork. I went for the bacon. 

                                      

After dinner. We are missing Sarah and Milan, and Andrew in this picture. 

 Baby Mitchell and I.

This is outside the conference center before Saturday Afternoon session. What a blessing it is to have a living Prophet and leaders that give us guidance to become better and closer to our Savior. It was an amazing experience to be able to feel the Spirit that was present in the room. 

While the boys were at Priesthood Session, Aunt Lisa and I went to Kneaders and had really good food. Especially the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake. I was in heaven. If you like pumpkin and cake, GO GET A SLICE. It'll be the best choice you could ever make. Then we went to Michael's and got stuff to make a Halloween wreath. Thanks to Aunt Lisa's expertise in wreath making, I'd say it turned out pretty dang cute. 

 In between sessions on Sunday, We drove up a canyon to see all the beautiful fall colors. We also got to see a little snow as well. It was  gorgeous place to be.

Love these guys!

 

The boys had a good time playing with and head-butting the snow.  

What a great Conference Weekend, with some of my favorite people!

Elevation of Little Cottonwood Canyon: 8,530 Ft.

Project: #roommatebonding

      My roommates and I have been having some very fun and hilarious bonding moments. Each event includes a whole new set of #'s. We love to like, joke around and make up, like, the best hashtags ever! {Use your best teenage girl voice for that previous sentence please, it makes it that much more fun.} #roommatebonding {hence this post's title} and #hashtag are our favorite. Immature and dumb? Yes, probably. Do we care? No, no we don't. Does it make us laugh hysterically? Yes, indeed. So there's that. Some of our greatest bonding experiences include "Insanity" which is a work out video, the Homecoming Spectacular {and ice cream afterwards, of course}, and a very scary, green giant, flying bug.

While we do Insanity, Emma and Sarah try really hard....

While I stand in the back, do a few push ups or whatever, drink water, and make comments like #thismakesmehavetopee. Which then results in Sarah falling on the floor, Emma giving me the look, and I put my hands under my chin and smile/try not to laugh. 

As you may have gathered, we have a good time while we {kind of, not really} work out. 

So every year for Homecoming, BYU has a "Homecoming Spectacular" which is a performance of singing and dancing. The Cougarettes, the women's chorus, etc. They also have a guest performer each year. This year the guest was a guy named Nathan Pacheco who graduated from BYU a couple of years ago. He now is a really good and professional opera singer, and pretty cute, I must add. I think he sang one or two too many songs, but that's all good. I still  enjoyed his voice. 

Afterward, we decided to go get ice cream. As we were walking back to my car, we saw this really adorable couple walking to their car. The girl had performed in the women's chorus, and was holding a bouquet of flowers, obviously from him,  and he was holding her hand. It was so adorable. To top it all off, he was wearing a gingham shirt with a very nice blazer. And if you know me, I melt at the sight of a cute guy that dresses well, especially if he is wearing gingham. As he opened his girlfriend's door for her, the three of us were freaking out at how adorable they were. That's when I said #he'swearinggingham! And that's when the night of hashtags begun.

We went to Cold Stone and by then we were on a roll.

 Emma snapped this picture as Sarah and I were Snapchatting.

Later, she posted it on Instagram, and the caption was the list of #'s we'd come up with for the night. Let's just say it was a good night full of lots of laughter... and me almost peeing my pants. 

So, we like to keep our door open because the weather has been so nice. Well, this not-so-little fella FLEW into our house. And Emma found it a little later. 

Emma was the only one brave enough to get semi-close to it. She tried to nudge it so it would fly back out the front door, but she didn't have such luck because this dude is STRONG, and clung to the wall with its little pincher feet. So finally I told her to use my canvas and push the bug really hard so it fell on to the canvas. So then the buggy fell on to the canvas and Emma took it outside and let it fly away. But she made sure to shove the bug in my face first before she let it go. Thanks for the love Emma. I bet we looked and sounded really funny as we tried to get the little nasty out of the apartment. 

I'm really thankful for Sarah and Emma and for the fun bonding times we've had. And I'm excited to have more fun with them. #roomies4lyfe!

Elevation: # {hashtag} Heaven.