Jerusalem, here I come!

I got in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm going to Jerusalem this fall and couldn't be more excited!

I definitely reread this over and over and I still can't get my mind wrapped around it.

And for posterity's sake, here's me opening the letter. 

I'll probably regret posting this within the hour, but I'm still a bit high on emotions.

I am Spring

I am a calm spring morning that welcomes the sun into a faint lilac sky. I breathe in the dew that gently rests on the baby blades of grass. I see through the eyes of each bluebird chirping her day's first hello while I await the surprises that the world surely holds in store.

I wander through rainbow gardens and linger to feel the sun's fingertips paint my face with rosiness. Lily of the Valley whispers hello from my guardian angel. She's still watching over me after 6 long years; I just know it. The tulips stand tall, reminding me that I am my father's daughter and must live up to my name. Pansies, impatiens, and English daisies release a flood of memories: most of my mom and I weeding side by side.

It's safe to say the garden is my second home. The soft dirt a comfortable pillow beneath my head and the blue sky a safe ceiling up above. The fragrant medley of aromas please my senses and I quietly plead for the flowers to live and bloom beyond their upcoming expiration dates. Their resilience is heroic as they brave spring showers and gusts of the breeze. They bloom right where planted and don't fight death's welcoming veil. It is through them, that perhaps I have begun to recognize the beauty of life and peacefulness of its end.

The day moves on and now calls for the playfulness of the afternoon. No longer willing to sit back and take in my surroundings I stop at the strawberry field. I bask in the brightness of day and twirl through the red-spotted fields. The berrylicious smell beckons me and I enjoy each scrumptious bite. Strawberries have always been my favorite. Their bright red personality and sweet taste is truly one of its own. Maybe I've inherited my stubbornness from the hundreds of sassy strawberries that have kissed my lips on many a spring morn. Who knows, it could happen?

I live in the serenity of perpetual spring; always trying to keep its spark alive in my eyes. Sometimes, it fades as the sweltering heat of summer calls for crazy chaos. At other moments the dimming of the sun in autumn makes time speed up and turn into a whirlwind of forgetfulness. Winter has a mind of its own often requiring that I just wake up and make it through the day. Life has its seasons and I prefer mine to be spring when I feel most alive. Even in the chaos of summer, the lost time of autumn, and depression of winter, I somehow always find a way to light that spark. Maybe it's because I was born on a lovely May day, so in the deep recesses of my brain I remember the happiness of my heavenly home that I left that spring. Or maybe it's my ability to keep on hoping and believing in a better day when it seems their are none left. Even spring has its gloomy rainy days, but the sun always comes out shining a little bit brighter. I guess that's why I am spring because after each rain shower I come back a little stronger and with a little more hope.

Lessons Learned: Freshman Year

First Day of School 2011

1. The freshman 10 can be magically lost- not gained.
2. Boys are't completely necessary for happiness when your 18 years old.
3. Missionary letters can bring a smile to any face.
4. Blogger, pinterest, and facebook should be disabled on my computer. 
5. Hearing about your friends' impending marriages never gets more normal.
6. Procrastination can be avoided.
7. Getting dressed everyday and making my bed are my two keys to success. 
8. Attending class is completely worth it.
9. Learning is a never-ending process. Keep doing it. Hone your baking skills and master family history.
10. Prayers are answered. Every.single.one.of.them.
11. Family is my #1 reason for success.
12. Your grandma can be your best friend even if she live thousands of miles away. 
13. Sisters may have been God's greatest creation.
14. The temple is a place of peace. I need to go more often.
15. Service does not have to be winning the Nobel Peace Prize.
16. Surprise lunch dates with Dad are completely wonderful.
17. Your never too old to call your mom.
18.  Being a missionary doesn't require MTC training.
19. There is always room for growth. 
20. I live a very blessed life and there is much to look forward to in my future. 
21. Everything will always work out in the end.

Easter at Temple Square 2012

A girl and her flour.

This picture doesn't have much to do with anything aside from the fact there's a flower in my hair.

Plus I was already Mama's little helper in the kitchen by then.

I have a great friendship with flour. Last semester I came to love my sewing machine and the library, but this semester, I've grown to have a love affair with flour. There's something especially therapeutic about kneading dough and smelling the yeast in the oven. Last, Thursday was particularly rough day, but things started to get better when I made some biscuits with leftover buttermilk. I know I should have been exercising and sweating sickness away, but my body was screaming at me to hold still, so I opted to bake instead. I'm pretty sure its in my blood.

U.S.A.

9:17 pm

Brain to Annie, "You should really finish your final speech for public speaking on Thursday."

Annie to Brain, "I've been trying to for the past 3 hours, but it turns out there are quite a few ways you can speak about voting."

Brain to Annie, "Maybe you should take a break and look at some inspiration instead of information."

Annie to Brain, "Genius idea, lets go make a quick playlist of all my favorite American marches and patriotic songs.

..............................................................15 minutes later..........................................................

9:33 pm

Brain to Annie, "I think it's time to get back to work."

Annie to Brain, "Really?!?! I'm really enjoying this and you know I do so much better when I can talk through things with someone other than you."

Brain to Annie, "Yep, it's time and I promise you'll thank me tomorrow, just you wait."

Annie to Brain, "OK, I guess I'll listen to your logic tonight, considering you do tend to know what's best."

 

9:39 

Time to write the world's best 5 minute persuasive speech on voting. Wish me luck! 

Manna

n. man-na. /ˈmanə/  

      1. Bread sent from heaven to the Israelites while they wandered through the wilderness (Exodus 16:4,15). 

      2. Spiritual nourishment.

Midterms have taken over my life and pushed family history to the backburner for a few weeks, but I still managed to find time to bake some Challah Bread.By definition, Challah Bread is the most delicious homemade bread one could bake. Actually, it is a traditional Jewish bread eaten on Shabbat and is symbolic of the Manna that fell from heaven while the Israelites wandered through the wilderness. 

During these busy few weeks I have received some personal Manna. Most prominently:

1. An amazing relief society lesson yesterday and about sanctifying myself. We discussed how our bodies are temples. Just like physical temples that are beautiful edifices on the outside, I need to take care of my physical appearance. But the most important part of temples in what happens inside of them, so I too, need to pay extra attention to what I let in my body. What media do I watch, what music do I listen to, what are my thoughts? Are they where they should be?

2. “You are good. But it is not enough just to be good. You must be good for something. You must contribute good to the world. The world must be a better place for your presence. And the good that is in you must be spread to others. … But in this world so filled with problems, so constantly threatened by dark and evil challenges, you can and must rise above mediocrity, above indifference. You can become involved and speak with a strong voice for that which is right…. you cannot simply sit in your laboratory or your library and let the world drift along its aimless way. It needs your strength, your courage, your voice in speaking up for those values that can save it. If this university meets the purpose for which it is maintained, then you must leave here not alone with secular knowledge but, even more important, with a spiritual and moral foundation that will find expression to improve the family, the community, the nation, even the world of which you will be a part." President Gordon B. Hinkley (Stand Up for Truth, 1996).

I could go on and on, but academia is calling my name.

The History Book

To say that I went overboard last year is an understatement. I was appointed to be my high school's Sr. historian for 2010-2011. I took my job very seriously and ended up taking over 60,000 photos. Part of my job was compiling a History Book (pretty much a scrabook, but I'm not a scrapbooker, so mine is more of a photo book). As I've put on the finishing touches, I've had to go back through my yearbook and find some specific details I forgot. Tonight I read some of the notes people wrote and it amazes me how just a few sentences from a friend can brighten up my night. So thank you History Book, for making me look back at my yearbook and thank you friends for being so kind.