HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Oh, and I must also say happy birthday to my favoritest sister, Rachel. Happy b-day!

Christmas stuff!!

Hey everyone. Here is a picture of our living room all decked out for Christmas. Our tree is BEAUTIFUL. And note the strings of popcorn hanging above the windows, handmade by the residents of Apartment 101. :) Funny story about that popcorn, actually... I was trying to make a second batch of popcorn (the stove kind, not the microwave kind) and two popcorn kernels started burning in the oil, and filled the kitchen with smoke. It was pretty funny... and slightly embarrassing.

Anyway, here are some other pictures of random things from the past month and a half. Sorry I haven't been updating very much lately. This semester was very exciting and full, so I was kind of busy. Today was the last day of classes, however, and I turned in the enormous Shakespeare and Film final paper (12 pages) that I have been working on. It's kind of a relief to be mostly done with the semester, but I will be sad to be finished with some of my classes. Other classes, however, I am totally fine with completing.

Anyway, next week is finals week, so I'll have plenty of studying to do, and then I am coming back to Salt Lake Friday afternoon. I'm so excited!











Jessalyn and Averyl carving pumpkins... and then the winking pumpkin and ninja pumpkin



My roommate Briana being her fun self.

Wow, it looks like I haven't updated in a LONG time. Oops. Anyway, here is a fun picture of my roommates and I. Note the HUGE tree in the background. We love our Christmas tree. It's gorgeous. I will post other pics of our Christmas decorations later. Much love!

Check out this masterful talent

Here are my roommates improvising a trio. This is happening without any written music or rehearsal. Crazy...

The Real Averyl

Okay, so my roomie Averyl is whining that I put bad pictures of her up on my last post (she's the one eating watermelon and wearing the dorky hat). So, to prove to the world how beautiful Averyl really is, and to appease her wrath, I am posting her headshot. Yes, she really is this pretty.

El apartamento 101

So, I think you all need to know what my apartment is really like. I don't think you can fathom how much fun we have every day. Here's a glimpse into Apartment 101....



This is me in a Boston Red Sox hat after rapping with my roommates in front of the ward. We had to give an introduction to our apartment, and we decided to do it in a rap. That's how cool we are.
This is our apartment's quote wall, which is awesome. We write down all of the randomly funny things we say. Samples:
"I'm rather fond of dairy products in general" - Amber
"You rock the friendly ghost." -Briana
"This is Isaiah. Wanna fight?" -Me
"Were you wearing a scarf in the bathroom?!" -Briana

This is Averyl eating watermelon. We decided we all wanted watermelon at 11:30 at night... so we had some.

This is Averyl with . . . something on her head. I don't even know. But that's generally what our apartment is like. All the time. It's so much fun!

The Calling

So, in my last post I told you I received a calling, and then I never told you what it was.

Drum-roll, please.

(Dddddddddddddddd......)

Ward pianist! Woohoo! Yeah, sorry for all of you that thought I was going to be the RS president.... Maybe that will be a future calling. But, for right now, I get to stay in my comfort zone as the ward pianist. I'm actually quite happy with this calling, because I'll get to play a Steinway baby grand every week, which is fantastic. Bravo for Steinway pianos. Anyway, there you go! See ya....

Update! Aren't you excited?!

Heeeeey, y'all!

As you can tell, I've met a lot of people from Texas in the last little while. :) Just kidding. Actually, not kidding. I have met bazillions of people from Texas. It seems like everyone is from TX or California or Washington or Ohio. It's weird. . . .

Anyway, I'll just update on things that have been going on lately. We started our Family Home Evening groups last week, and I can tell that we're going to have a lot of fun. Last week we colored pictures with crayons in our FHE mom's apartment, which was, of course, a blast. Our FHE family is really fun. :) Tomorrow we are going to the home of one of the members of the Bishopric, which should be fun too. Free treats! :)

Umm, what else. . . . Oh! My toe is all better. I don't really know what was wrong with it, but it's all better now. Just in case you wanted to know. . . . I'm sure you're all very concerned about my toes. :)

What else, what else. . . . Not much else going on. I auditioned for a Commedia dell'Arte show and didn't make it, but that's okay. The audition was super fun, which is all that matters. Commedia dell'Arte is a hilarious form of Italian comedy, by the way. You should definitely look it up. Or not. Whatever floats your boat. I should probably audition for some more stuff this semester, so I'll let you know what happens.

I joined my ward choir! I'm very excited about this part of my little vida. In the ward at home there wasn't a choir that met weekly all the time, so this is a little different for me. And if there was a choir, I was playing the piano for it most of the time, so this will be my first experience singing in a choir. Woohoo!

Oh, other big news. . . . Today in church I got a calling! I will not tell you what it is yet, however, because I'm going to let you guess. . . . This is always a fun game. Bwahaha.

Oh no. My toe.

'Allo everyone. Sorry I haven't been updating very frequently. The reason for this is that nothing exceptionally exciting has happened to me in the past week or so. I'm starting my second week of classes, and so far everything is going well. Unfortunately there's nothing exciting to report.

The only thing that has changed since my last post is my toe. My middle toe on my right foot. OWWW! I think my shoes do not fit very well or something, because ever since I started classes, my toe has been getting more and more painful. It's about .8 miles from my apartment to campus, and I walk that route at least four times a day. I guess I should invest in some new shoes. I would post a picture of my toe, but it doesn't really look swollen, and I personally hate feet. I wouldn't want anyone else out there who hates feet to have to look at mine.

That's all. See ya!

New College Life!

Hello everyone. :) Just so you know, I have officially finished my first week in Provo! Classes will start on Tuesday, and so far everything is going wonderfully.

I'm living in the Riviera Apartments just west of campus. It takes 15 to 20 minutes to get to the main buildings, so I'll definitely be getting a lot of walking in over the next nine months or so. The BYU campus is enormous.

My roommates are fantastic! I'm sharing a bedroom with my pal Averyl, one of my best friends from high school, which has been a blast so far. Two of my other roommates, the lovely Jessalyn and the lovely Briana, also went to high school with me. Amber, roomie number 5, went to Brighton, but I forgive her for that. :) She's a beautiful girl and I'm glad I'm getting to know her. Roomie number 6 is Melanie, who is from France! She's very nice and I'm so excited to be able to share an apartment with her!

So, like I said, I've been down here for about a week. This week was New Student Orientation, so I got to hang out with an awesome group of new Freshmen and see the campus/go to a rally and a fireside, and play loud games on Helaman Field. It's been so much fun! There are so many new people to meet.

Here are a couple of pics of my new surroundings! I will be sure to update more in the coming weeks!

Oh, oh, oh, look at my hair...

So... I finally cut my hair! See, I usually have this dilemma with my hair. I can't stand cheap-o $5 haircuts, but I am horribly stingy with my cash. I have to muster up the courage to spend $30+ on a haircut, so it usually doesn't happen very often, hence my trademark long hair. :) Anywhoodles, not too dramatic of a change this time. It's just shorter. :)

Before                                                                 After













Oh! And notice in the background of the "After" pic, my new poster! My lovely roommate Averyl gave me this poster. This is one of my absolute favorite photographs. I love it!

Change a Life: Give

Hello blogger friends! Obviously I am not very good at posting frequently, but never fear--all that is about to change...

Speaking of change, I'd like to give everyone out there an opportunity to change someone's life. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we are talking about some seriously great opportunities to serve and give!


Giving opportunity 1: Invisible Children/Schools for Schools
One service organization that holds a lot of significance for me personally is the Invisible Children, Inc. organization. This group was started by three Californian college students who traveled to Uganda and witnessed the atrocities of child trafficking and displacement. For those who are unaware of the current situation in Uganda, this region is suffering from conflicts between the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and the Ugandan government. For the past two decades, the region has been torn apart by constant violence and fighting. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced. Invisible Children focuses on the masses of children who are forced to sleep away from home, in parking garages and hospitals, in order to avoid capture by the LRA. Invisible Children gathers money and volunteers to build schools, educate, and send aid for the Ugandan children. Any interested in helping this cause, or in learning more about the history of conflict in Uganda can visit their website. Anyone attending a university or high school can create an in-school organization that will bring aid directly to a Ugandan high school by visiting the Schools for Schools section of Invisible Children's website. I was part of a Schools for Schools club in high school, and the opportunity for giving service here is amazing. I encourage you to find ways to help this cause! :)


Giving opportunity 2: Utah Food Bank
I've had several opportunities to help at the Utah Food Bank. Volunteering here is very easy to do, and serving can be done in groups or on an individual basis. Visit the Utah Food Bank website for more information, or call (801) 978-2452 to learn how to volunteer! Even if you can't find the time to volunteer, you can always donate food. There is always someone in need of your donations.


Giving opportunity 3: Jason Long Foundation
The Jason Long Foundation supports several very worthy causes. This organization was created in the name of the brother of one of my very good friends and teachers. The foundation supports the Huntsman Cancer Institute, BYU athletics, and scholarships for students that display qualities of compassionate leadership. This is a great organization that serves a beautiful purpose. For information on the background of the Jason Long Foundation, visit www.jasonlongfoundation.com/

Remember, there is always something you can do to change someone's life! There are opportunities for giving everywhere! Change a life!

Exciting!!!!!

The Hush Sound is playing at the Avalon Theater on July 28! I'm so excited I think I might die!

http://www.theavalontheater.com/calendar/

Monday July 28
Doors open at 6:30 PM, Show at 7:00 PM
Tickets $12 advance/ $14 at the door

Woohooo!!!

The Big Read Top 100

So, I came across this website today. I thought it would be interesting to go through the list and see how many of the books I've read or started to read. I've seen other people do this on their own blogs, so I figured I'd give it a shot. The books I've actually read are in boldface and the books I've at least started to read but haven't finished are in italics. All the other bloggers out there should go through the list and see how many of these books they've read!

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
8. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
12. Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë
13. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
14. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
19. Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
26. Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
27. Middlemarch, George Eliot
28. A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving
29. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
30. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
32. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez
33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett
34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
38. Persuasion, Jane Austen
39. Dune, Frank Herbert
40. Emma, Jane Austen
41. Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
42. Watership Down, Richard Adams
43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
45. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell
47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
48. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
49. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian
50. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher

51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
52. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck
53. The Stand, Stephen King
54. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
55. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth
56. The BFG, Roald Dahl
57. Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome
58. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
60. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
61. Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman
62. Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden
63. A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
64. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough
65. Mort, Terry Pratchett
66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
67. The Magus, John Fowles
68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding
71. Perfume, Patrick Süskind
72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell
73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
74. Matilda, Roald Dahl
75. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding
76. The Secret History, Donna Tartt
77. The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins
78. Ulysses, James Joyce
79. Bleak House, Charles Dickens
80. Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson
81. The Twits, Roald Dahl
82. I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith
83. Holes, Louis Sachar
84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake
85. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
86. Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson
87. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
88. Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons
89. Magician, Raymond E Feist
90. On The Road, Jack Kerouac
91. The Godfather, Mario Puzo
92. The Clan Of The Cave Bear, Jean M Auel
93. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett
94. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
95. Katherine, Anya Seton
96. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer
97. Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez
98. Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson
99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot
100. Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie

Book Review: Eat Pray Love

Author: Elizabeth Gilbert


So, I was browsing through the library a few weeks ago and there was a display for Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat Pray Love, which was #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List. I figured, eh, why not, and picked it up.

This book is basically a chronicle of one year of the author's life, in which she sets out on a quest to regain her sense of happiness and fulfillment following a period of depression and a difficult divorce. Gilbert traveled to Italy, India and Indonesia on a "search for the self."

First off, I found Gilbert's writing style to be wonderfully inspiring. Her writing displayed vibrant personality and originality, and I found it to be at once lightly humorous and full of depth. My favorite part of this book was how Gilbert managed to portray the distinctive flavor of each of the cultures into which she traveled. The section on Italy--the origin "Eat" portion of the book's title--literally made me crave gelatto and authentic pizza. The section on India--"Pray"--had a very meditative atmosphere to it, and hence left me to quietly consider my own spirituality and faith. The final section, taking place in Indonesia--"Love"--contained many interesting messages on balance and the definition of personal fulfillment.

My only real complaint after reading this book was that it was a little awkward in places. Gilbert quite openly describes a very difficult period in her personal life, almost to the point where the reader feels slightly uncomfortable that the author has placed herself in such a vulnerable position. Or that's what I felt, at least.

I can see why this book topped the bestseller list. It is a smooth, comfortable read separated into short, manageable sections so that the book can easily be picked up in the reader's moments of free time. Gilbert digs deeply into common emotional issues--love, contentment, peace, fulfillment--and brings out very interesting points about human wants and needs. In the end, Gilbert leaves the reader with a very nice sense of simplicity, and the thought that maybe many of life's problems can be solved with three words: "Eat," "Pray," "Love."

Here goes...

So, I've decided to take a whack at blogging. I figure I'll need some way to update everyone on my life once I move out and start my big kid life at BYU. I mean, come on, how am I supposed to keep in contact with everyone when I can only call, text, email, and web conference? :)

Anyway, welcome to my blog!