April showers bring May flowers

This starts out sounding whiny...but it turns around, i promise! haha.



last couple weeks:
Got back to back rejected. that was fun. "still friends". greeaaaaat.
saw Derek and met Abby. Saw Rebecca and a couple of her kids. Saw Donny and Christine and Jonathan. that really was good. Also i liked the drive up to Idaho. I love driving. minus the crazy blizzard in Cedar city, and my bike being frozen to the car. haha
Then I spent a couple days alone here, because i got to the apartment way early. Which i actually liked, because it gave me a couple days to think. and that was good. Then my roommates got here, and they are seriously awesome. I already love them. but i was getting pretty homesick.
I started class. but my best friend Mallorie went home.
a couple weeks ago i applied for an east coast history summer study thing. I would tour the east coast for a month, spending time at all the US and church history site. It was only 4 weeks but counted for like 6 classes and it was $3,000 but that is pretty cheap if you think about it. it included all of my travel, hotel and food expenses. plus a Broadway show. so that's an amazing price, i think. And my American foundations teacher from fall semester was like, "apply early, I'll recommend you and that will higher your chances of getting in!" So i did. But i found out last week that i didn't get in. that sucked.
I tried to start a dating show here at BYU-Idaho. Not a single person signed up online. And everyone I asked around campus in person said something along the lines of "well, that sounds cool, but I'm just really busy. But I'll watch it for sure!" can't watch it if there's no show. hmph. AND THEN. in my child development class i overheard the following conversation:

girl: Yeah, dd you hear about that dating show?
other girl: No, what dating show? here?
g: yeah! It actually seems pretty cool

*My ears perked*

g: It's these three guys that go around asking completely random girls to be on their show. and then once they get like ten girls or something, then they take them out one by one and then they choose only a few to take out on a second date and so on and so on. it sounds totes cute, right?!
og: Yeah! I'd so totally be on that!
G: yeah! you should go watch the first episode, it's on youtube:

Me: wait, what? 

G: It's called "BYU-I do" isnt that cute?! I'm so totes gonna watch it


you're kidding me.
you're KIDDING me.

first of all, "BYU-I do"?! why didnt i think of that?! ugh. and really?! like, really? what are the odds that me and 3 stupid guys from Chapman hall had the same idea on the same weekend? they are pretty cute though curses.

And i bombed my first Child development class. But we met our "Family Home Evening Brothers" and they're SO nice. One of them, Shain, had a birthday so we threw him a surprise party. and that was kind of the turning point for me.  I was surrounded by all these great people and i was laughing and happy on the outside, but sulking inwardly. and i thought, "why are you still sad? you've got nothing to be sad about."

 My sister Allison texted me a cute picture of Jenna and I hung up 166 pictures in my room. ha.
The next night I finished "Heaven is here" by Stephanie Nielson and honestly, her story is incredible! She went through every hurt you could imagine but she stayed strong and i admire her SO much. Hero. really.

and honestly, i thought of all the trials she endured and i felt really ungrateful for complaining about boys who don't like me or fun trips i didn't get to go on. She faced her struggles with hope. and i want to too.

things started lookin' up.
I helped Donny and Christine paint their new, adorable apartment. I crushed all of my homework assignments. 100% on my Teachings of the living Prophets chapter 1 test. what now prof. Peterson? I even worked out. what?! hahaha mom, i'm sorry for the heart attack i just gave you. AND JENAE ADDED ME ON INSTAGRAM. after seven long months of me sending her a request everyday until she finally blocked me. she finally unblocked me, excepted my request and followed me. happiest moment of my life, y'all.
And then Saturday night my sister Katrina called and gave me a much needed pep talk. thanks dawg, 'twas exactly what i needed. And i think you were exactly who i needed to hear it from.

I love Sundays. they're always good. I was called as a Relief Society Instructor and i gave my first lesson on Sunday. I love to teach. this was literally a quick and direct answer to fervent  prayer. Sunday in general was just a giant answer to prayer. I love my ward (congregation) and my bishop (the leader of the congregation). We met our Home Teachers (two guys who come over once a month to teach us and who are kind of like our go-tos when we need someone to drive us around or fix a flat tire or anything really. helper friends.) ours are Jimmy and Eric. I asked Jimmy what his name was and he said, "Jimmy Donkin" I laughed. because i laugh at everything. and he gave me dagger eyes. So i said, "I'm sorry. that was rude...i didnt mean it like that. it's a cool name! Donkin! that's awesome! It sounds cooler than Hansen....okay I'm gonna stop talking..."
and then after the lesson when he and Eric were about to leave, i had forgotten Jimmy's last name, so i asked, "Hey Jimmyeatworld, what's your last name again?"
dagger eyes.
Jimmy: "Donkin"
my roommate Madison: "Dunkin? like Dunkin Donuts?"
Jimmy: "No. Donkin"
Me: "like...hee haw! donkey...Donkin..."

daggers. daggers everywhere.

I can't help it, people.

Yesterday i got a happy text from Allison, and a "keep your chin up" package from Rebecca. I love my sisters. They're seriously perfect for me. In the package was a bunch of cute bright things, a sweet note, candy and this shirt. Holla. "Uncle Si" from Duck Dynasty. mah dang favorite. It says "Redneck of the Year" ad i've been wearing it for like 24 hours already. hahahaha. please enjoy this real cute webcam selfie i just took:

Last night was our ward's opening social get together thang. I met a lot of people, and have i mentioned that i have an uncanny ability to remember names?  not like, just their names. but when i hear a name and see a face together, i usually remember it. we did this really awkward but super fun speed dating thing at the social last night, and i can now name every single boy in our ward. YES. champion.

on a deeper note,
Thank you to those of you who thought of me the other day. i have absolutely felt your prayers. It's been humbling, really. To see people's faith in action. and to know that people are praying for me is a really tender thing. So thank you, it has made a huge difference. I love you all! really.

also, here's a couple pictures of Jenae that i have hanging right above my desk so that i can look at them all day everyday and laugh whenever i need to. I hope they brighten your day as much as they do mine! hahaha

lololololololololol

ohhh my. i seriously die every time i see this. also, one hundred dollars who can guess what my dad was watching when this picture was taken.

and my personal favorite:

I'm so glad that i finally caught someone making that face on camera. She learned it from me. I stole it from a similar face that Derek makes.

good riddance, April.