The Place Where I Belong

I'm going home!!
Yes, I have one more day to wait and pack but then I am off and headed home :) Goodness I can't even tell you how excited I am!! This last week went by pretty fast, since I had 3 tests, which went pretty well, 88, one I don't know the score but I know I got over a 90, and then a 92 so after taking my last one last night I realized I had a LONG saturday and sunday ahead of me! and I was right... I made it through Saturday, trying to fill it with things. I woke up when a girl down my hall came knocking on my door cause she was trying now to break down cause she had just heard that her roommate, her roommate's sister, and one of my FHE brothers had gotten in an accident. There was a LOT of snow today and the roads were very icy and dangerous and they ended up flipping a few times, luckily, miraculously, Ali and her sister were not hurt, but Matt got a few deep cuts and was very sore but after an ambulance trip to the hospital and some stitches they are all safe. THANK GOODNESS!! But to keep my friends Moriah calm before she herself left home we watched a movie. Then I ventured out in the freezing snow and cold to drop off 2 more missionary packes. 5 of 6 totaling $80. Lucky the other one will be much cheaper. I then took a nap, watched a documentary on Jack the Ripper (yeah... I was bored) sang some hymns in the upper lounge, ventured out again to get some Little Ceasers with my roommate Alexsis and then came back, watched yet ANOTHER movie, and now i'm going to sleep!
Super boring... hopefully with preparing to go home and church tomorrow it will go by faster than today did and I can finally make it home!
I'm so ready and SO excited. I'm sick of my Facebook NewsFeed being filled with people talking about making it home where I'm bored out of my mind here! I have a million plans... I really think I'm the only person I know who makes a "to do" calendar for vacations :) I just want to make sure I get everything in and see everyone I want to!! I couldn't imagine flying back having forgotten to stop by and say hi to someone.
I get to see all my friends, my little kids I babysat, and of course my amazing family. I have SOO many things to do and a million things I'm excited to do!! It'll be great :) CAN'T WAIT!! now I've just gotta make it through these next 32 hours... 
You can take the girl out of Arizona... but trust me you can NOT take the Arizonan out of the girl :)
Warm weather and sunny skies here I come!!!

I know... I need to SLOW down!

Two blog posts in two days! I shouldn't write so much... but I love writing, and being alone up at school I get a lot of time to think. And some things just need to be written down!! This is mainly for me :) Once again, read what you. It doesn't really matter to me!!

So today I woke up and got an email from one of my favorite people in the world Elder Nick George!

This was quite a surprise since his P-Day is Tuesday and I just got an email (it's not against rules... he's got a special situation) Well, he went in to the MTC on October 6th. So he was scheduled to leave around December 1st. (I've pretty much got the MTC part of the mission down with all the letters I've gotten... the schedules at least) I got a letter a few weeks ago saying he wanted to get out to the field already, which is normal, no one serves a mission to go to the MTC, but he was really struggling being stuck in the building. So after a return letter trying to be supportive the NEXT letter said he was being moved to the advance Spanish class (He's going to Buenos Aires, Argentina West) and would be leaving in a week and a half... then the email this Tuesday said it would actually be November 16th, THEN today I found out he's headed to Argentina TOMORROW!!! Quite a surprise, but definitely an answer to lots of prayers.

So all day I've been thinking about it, later I got a call from my friend Jeneale who got to pick up her brother from his mission yesterday and heard all about it, and when I went to get the mail today I got a letter from another missionary serving in Florida. I usually get about 3 letters if not more a week so it wasn't that unusual, but I was just thinking today about what AMAZING friends I have. People often underestimate the potential of a young man just out of high school, but I am now writting 15 missionaries, soon to be 16. And I have learned some AMAZING things about the potential people really do have to change the world when their hearts and goals are in line with the Lord's will.

Everyone knows I'm obsessed with missionaries. (Now the reason for the post) And here's why... all the time, all the coloring, all the effort to make the newsletter, all the money spent on stamps and envelopes and ink and packages and presents and "can you send me this"-'s all become worth it when I get a letter back saying

"Thanks for being an awesome friend, I love reading letters"
"Thank you Brooke for everything that you do. Really appreciate it all. It's awesome to get the newsletter and to hear how everyone is"

"You get the most faithful letter writer award! Seriously, thank you for all the letters, they brighten my day!

"The church is TRUE! Because Heavenly Father gives me great Friends like YOU!"
"You are so swell and I miss you!"
"Brooke, I appreciate the example you and your whole family have always been for me. I'm honestly not sure I'd be out here without you all."
"I LOVED the newsletter! Thank you so much! Have I ever told you you're the best? Well you are."
"You rock my gold toe sock!"

"Oh and thanks for the letter, I didn't think I was gonna get any but nope I had some! It was great!"

"Thanks so much for all you do for me and the support you show for me and my decision to serve"
"I am so glad you wrote me! Without letters I would be so bored. I am not one of the most popular in my group."
"You have no idea how exciting it is as a missionary to get mail"
"It was so awesome when I saw that blue envelope that said Omega Circle I LOVE getting letters!"

"Thank you so much for that newsletter and all the addresses. One of my favorite things to do here at the MTC is go get the mail, and if there is none for me it's a sad day!"

Yes, that took a while. But I needed to kick start myself to write the 4 letters I need to this week!

The boys out there are amazing, and they need to know they are supported back home. So my challenge to whoever reads this blog, if anyone, is to GO WRITE A MISSIONARY!! A simple way to make someone's day, and motivate them to work harder and help others find eternal happiness!! Amazing what a big change something so small can start! :)

If you can't think of a missionary to write I've got a few who don't get many letters and always ask me to try to find people to write them!! Trust me, they could care less if they know you or you're a total stranger!

Let the Countdown Begin!

I really should be doing my math homework, but I'm a little frustrated with school at the moment because I studied for hours and only got an 80% on my Chem test. I'll be talking to my teacher tomorrow to figure out what I got wrong so I can do better next time!! (shocking I know... I've changed ALOT academically up here... especially since the Winter nursing decisions were just made and my mind is racing thinking about the fact my applicaiton is due in 12 days!!)
But anywho... on the the countdown!! In 19  days I will be sitting in my lovely house back in Mesa!! College really does make you appreciate home so much more!! I'll be home for exactly one week and here are the things I'm MOST excited for:

• Home-made food for multiple days
• Not having to climb off my bed every morning
• Sleeping in a REAL bed
• Watching tv... ON a tv!
• Knowing everyone around me
• The Thanksgiving hike we're going on this year :)
• Trainer Reunion Dinner
• Jeneale's Birthday lunch
• Seeing my best friend Taylor and of course Hope!!
• Going to see Cyndi and her adorable little boys!
• NO homework!! (I'm leaving Monday and we get out Friday so i'm going to get it ALL done before! Promise!)
• Sitting around the dinner table... even though I know I'll be attacked and reminded of every dramatic moment I've ever had... there have been over 2 months of build-up... it's coming. And LOTS of it!
• Church WITHOUT squeaky chairs and where you don't feel like everyone stares at you just for coughing cause it's SOOO quiet!
• Walking on SOFT carpet and laying of COMFY couches
• Of course... THANKSGIVING DAY!!!
• and with that comes Football :)
• Going back to Mountain View and seeing all my little trainers
• talking to people face to face instead of over a phone or webcam
• Dance parties during Dishes
• Seeing the Triplets and Braedon!!

• And last, but DEFINATLYYYY not least... seeing my AMAZING family!! even though our numbers will be small this year :,( 

The list is long... but I've been thinking about it ALOT these last few days!! I'm oh so excited!! For all that and so much more... like DRIVING!! :) Goodness I miss cars... oh and of course FABULOUS WEATHER!!!
Well, this one's shorter than normal, but I should get back to what I'm supposed to be doing.
Reality... always raining on my parade!
Peace! <3

Halloweekend

(This is sorta my journal... so if you're not me, and you're reading this feel free to skip past whatever. They're long I know)

If you know me at all you've known that over the last 4-5 years Halloween has become my least favorite holiday. Why? Because I don't like creepy things, or being scared, or all the weird people that come out on that wretched day! I just find it disturbing.

Luckily, despite my negativity towards the holiday, my last three Halloween's have been some of my favorite nights ever!! Not because of the holiday really, but because I have some great memories.

Friday, October 31st, 2008-

Mountain View Toros vs. Red Mountain Mountain Lions Football Game. Guess who won?? WE DID!! It was also the last MV/RM football game I'd ever see in high school since regions changed. But we killed them, and I got to spend the rest of the night with my best friends... and was just beginning two other friendships who would eventually become two of my favorite people in the world!! Jack and Josh. (Mom you can skip to the next paragraph now...) I also stayed out very late- aka 3:30 AM, doing nothing bad I promise, but nonetheless one of my favorite nights in high school.

Saturday, October 31st, 2009-
I won't go into too many details because it's really not exciting, but to me it was!! After being immersed in DRAMA with some people my best friend came to the rescue and we spent the rest of the night grocery shopping for his parents (which by the way I love doing!!), going to a house party that really shouldn't have been fun but was, and just lots of laughing.

And this year... Sunday, October 1st, 2010
Ok, well I spent that ACTUAL Halloween day writing a paper for my Book of Mormon class but the weekend before it was definitely memorable!! Here comes the real reasons for the post...

THE HAUNTED MILL!
It's just a creepy haunted house that for some strange reason I really wanted to go to, so we decided to make it a date!! Because I don't have a car and have once again become dependant, Sam and Todd drove us and went with us. It was a blind date... but I already knew my date because things didn't really work out with my original date. Brooke, my relief society president, and I spent all weekend together. Event after event! Here's a couple pictures from the date...
Me, Zac, Justin, and Brooke

 The whole group... basically just a mixture of Hildreth's and Waldie's

 My mom sent me a puzzle making/bowling pumpkin set thing that was so fun and hilarius to make.

That was Thursday, Friday we had a Relief society party which I didn't really make it to because I had Sam take me to Walmart so I could get supplies to make costumes for the "Nightmare Before Curfew" Dance Party I went to with Brooke and her roommates!! The DJ was AMAZING at mixing and it was SO fun!! I had never been to a dance party because I really hadn't heard great things about them back in Mesa, but this one the music was edited, and although there was some not-so-appropriate dancing, it was easy to avoid and was really fun!! Brooke and I went as Fanta Girls... the shirts I made with Iron-on paper stuff :)

Fanta girls... one of my favorite quotes of the night? "I just went online... and I'm the black one" -Brooke F.

 There were lots of creepy people and hilarious costumes, these are some of my favorites!!

This guy was SUPER creepy!! He never dance, but would sometimes just walk through the dance floor with a giant knife held above his head...

 KISS---- they came with business cards to hand out with their numbers!

 Laura Laura Laura

 The venue was so cool... an airplane museum! The dance floor was surrounded by old private planes!

 Mr. Clean

 And the other girls I went with!!

 We made a Taco Bell run... so we were a little late for curfew... luckily the gates were still open!! :D

I was tired until we had Taco Bell at 1 AM... then we were all pretty wired. After another group of girls came over we somehow decided to go up to the upper lounge and watch a movie. And since it was already 2 AM we thought we might as well sleep up there!!

 We all watched the movie... including screaming at 4:30 AM. The movie wasn't as scary as thinking about what might happen if someone complained! haha Well after finally crashing at 5 AM we were awoken at 11 AM the next morning to a constant loud banging on the door... we had locked and were all way worried the head resident found out (we're not really supposed to/allowed to sleep in there... but it has a tv!!) and was coming to yell at us... so one girl jumped up and ran to the door and it turned out just a girl who had taken a test and came to tell us she got an A haha but by then our hearts were racing and sleep was long gone!

We went and worked out after watching The Lizze McGuire Movie (you can never got to old for some movies) and then went to DI and Walmart to get costumes... for ANOTHER night of dressing up!!

For a girl who hates dressing up twice in one weekend is HUGE!! Haha

I tried to find something simple... so when I saw a $2 basket at DI i thought of Little Red Riding Hood! I didn't want to buy fabric to make my "hood" so I found a $4 old lady dress that was read and had an elastic waist band and I was sold!! I went home, and started cutting... eventually after a few tries and a couple safety pins and a long ribbon I made this!!

I was quite proud... not gonna lie!! No sewing machine at all! We all went over to my FHE brother's house and made cupcakes and watched another scary movie in their lounge... this was the group

 Kyle... he was a genie with the most bomb gypsy pants he got on his mission in Spain

 and of course I had to go see Zac!! Trust me... the mustache was temporary!!

 It was a CRAZY weekend but it was SO fun!! My first big girl's night since about 5th grade! Ha I love every minute... but now I've got to get back to studying and real life...

Soaring higher than a kite

Wow what a week! It's been insane... literally. Things have gotten quite busy but don't worry, I still find time to squeeze in sister time, and of course time for all my tv shows! I was going to post last sunday, but like I said, things got a little crazy. (just as proof, I started this on monday... and now it's Saturday) So 2 sunday's ago I taught my first Relief Society Lesson! It was really fun to teach and I learned alot, I guess I'm more like my crazy mother than I thought, because after years of yelling at her for starting these big projects as handouts and lesson enhancements the night before her lesson, I too decided to make a powerpoint presentation at midnight on Saturday night to a song that went well with the lesson. If I can figure out how to put it on to youtube (it's not uploading) I'll put it up. But it only took me 45 mins... So maybe in a few years I'll be more like my mom when it starts taking hours!! :) Love you mommy!

Besides that, school is FABULOUS!! (Who woulda thought I'd ever be saying THAT?!) I'm learning ALOT and the best new of all, last Saturday, after hours and hours of studying, hours with a tutor (It's free here, and it has saved my life and my gpa many times) I went in to take my Chem 101 exam and got... wait for it...
90%... then, much to my surprise, I went to class monday and she raised the grades so I got a 97%!!Holy goodness I was so freaking excited you have NOO idea. So the week went along, things were going pretty great. Studying hard, when I talked to my math teacher I found out it was still possible to raise my 81% to a high A... so more studying, help from the teacher, and I got a what on the test? That's right, 100% :) I was practically soaring I was so happy. Me, one hundred percent, IN MATH! Could it get any better... well let me just tell you it can!


Anatomy is my favorite class (shocker, a nursing hopeful... liking anatomy) but I have a 87% which WILL NOT CUT IT in the program I'm trying to get in to, so I've been trying to figure out how to get extra credit because it has to "help other people" so I talked to my teacher, figured out how to do it, got 10 out of the 25 points possible, and raised my grade to a 92%, in 2 hours!! Plus, I can still go get 15 more points when I want. And lastly, I haven't gotten the official score yet, but I'm pretty positive I got at least a 95 if not 100% on my bone practical. So needless to say, school has been pretty fan-flipping-tastic!
Nursing here I come...

If I've talked to you at all, you know I haven't been the most social person, but last night I finally went out! Ha I met this kid named Kevin at EFY two years ago, and through the magic of facebook we discovered we were both going to BYU-I, so finally after talking about it for weeks, we hung out. We just watched a movie and hung out with all his roommates and some other people, but it was really fun. Rexburg style. So don't worry... I do go out occasionally.


Last but not least, ZUMBA, oh goodness I love it. It's like a dance/aerobics/latin class, I go for one hour 4 nights a week and it's really helped with my grades and atittude I think. I'm feeling happier, more awake, and it's been much easier to study, which results in my great grade change! So if you've ever heard about it and/or thought about it, GO! It's so fun!!


Well, that's all for me, hopefully I can be a little better at updating. My sister told me I was a bad blogger. I should change that...

Lookin at the Big Picture

Well, it's Friday night... I may still be going out, there's a dance party thing. But we'll see, I've got to work on my lesson, but right now I'm watching project runway and thought I'd fill you in on some other things that have been going on and how things are up at school. First my hopeful major:
NURSING!
Well, probably everyone knows my plan for years now has been eventually Pediatrics Nursing, and what better motivation then to be able to work at the hospital where my sweet cousin Jaydie recieved her treatments before she passed, Phoenix Children's Hospital, and hopefully in the Intensive Care Unit, because I work best in stressful situations, it's when I'm the most calm... thank goodness for training! Learned so much! So that's the goal! Here's how I'm hoping to get there:
            There was a meeting all about nursing my first week here and it was very helpful but also scary. I found out last semester the LOWEST GPA that was accepted in to the program was a 3.91!! And for someone who was not the best academicaly in High School that's a HUGE change! I've definately worked WAY harder up here in these last four weeks than I did my entire four years of high school I swear. Ha but it's good, i'm just staying motivated and confident! I know I can do it... straight A's baby here I come!!
The deadline for the Spring application is November 15th, so it's coming up fast! I feel really confident with all the stuff on there... now I've just got to get the GPA to back me up! If I get in Spring, that means I'll stay up here and go straight through, nursing students don't follow to "track" thing, so I won't be here just Fall/Winter, which does mean that I will be totally done in 2 1/2 years!! CRAZY! It's very exciting, but I will also apply for next Fall semester because we still won't have found out if I got in to Spring before the deadline for fall!! So it's happening fast but I'm very excited and positive about it!


I do have to say that I miss having my own place, as in my own room. I mean my roommate is great, but at home I had my room, and plus lots of other places I'd go to at nights to think! So that's been kinda hard, I like thinking outside, or with my ipod in my room... OH which reminds me... I lost my best friend up here at school:

 My dad told me I should start exercising, so I went running, and when I was stretching after it fell off a staircase where I had put it and that's the only thing that would show. So it's back home now, heading to the apple store. Sad. Day. :(

I have learned a few things also:
I LOOOOOOOVE PEANUT BUTTER!!!

  I ate an entire can/jar/thing in one month. It's a talent, I know. With apples or celery...mmm. Also, I've eaten almost 30 frozen bean burritos. Usually for lunch or dinner. SO GOOD!! So that all for me. I think that's everything there really is to say about school. Hopefully my next post is a little more exciting! Until then,
HAVE A FANTASTIC DAY EVERYONE!! 

Let the Blogging Begin

Well... It's official... I'm a blogger!!
After weeks of contemplation, I decided to jump on the bandwagon. I didn't realize what I was getting myself into... I spent 3 hours trying to come up with a title, a design, a playlist, I knew if I was going to do it I had to have all the fun stuff but wow it took forever! Ha but it's done and now I guess the real reasons for the blog:

1. When people text or call me asking about college it's the same 5 questions so I may as well address it all in one place at one time

2. I love reading other people's blogs, probably because their lives are more exciting than mine, but hey, I don't really even care who reads this, even if it's no one. I'm doing it for fun!

3. I'm hoping this will make me take more pictures!! I have a really bad problem, I'm pretty sure I took less than 200 picture my whole senior year of high school, so hopefully that will change when I feel the need to add pictures to posts

4. Honestly the main reason is my family is huge and in different countries and the one's that aren't are always working when I'm able to talk to them so maybe this will help them know what's going on up here at BYU-I(do)

Which brings me to my next point...
COLLEGE!!!

Well It's officially been one month today since my momma left me all alone up at school (if you don't count my sister & brother-in-law & the fact that I know like 15 people from high school... probably more, but still)

 It's been a big change, but not really as hard as I thought it would be. Before I left my family kept saying how they knew I wasn't going to struggle with college because I was never home even when I did live there. But it definately didn't mean I wasn't nervous! But once classes actually started I just started focusing on school and it hasn't been as bad as I thought... which I kind of feel bad about honestly, but then again, I'm comparing myself to my sister who called home multiple times and who was a complete home-body! (love you Em!) It seems whenever I do try to call my family they're all busy, especially my momma! Thank goodness for my dad and my cousin scott's daily email chats! At least I know she's alive! Don't get me wrong, I definately miss home, and not just the food, but I guess i'm not exactly struggling with being away. But I do miss my family, and I'm already excited to thanksgiving! But I guess I can show you my room...

Yes, my desk is under my bed. And no, it's not annoying :) I love pictures... can you tell???

 It's no where near the closet space I had at home, but it's not too bad.

 Where I spend most of my day...

 My momma made my bedspread/quilt :) And my grandma made my awesome Mountin View Quilt... which I'll show you more of later! They're amazing, and I absolutely love them!! The quilts & my grandma & mom! I'm so glad I'm related to such talented people, because there is NO way I couldn't done that!!

The other thing people always ask about are my roommates. I have 5, we share one bathroom, which really hasn't been a problem at all, except for when our toilet broke for 2 days, that was NO fun! We are quite the diverse apartment, the girls are from, Minesotta, Missouri, Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico. I was totally expecting a bunch of Utah or Idaho girls, but nope!! I've definately been surrounded by mormons longer than any of the other girls. So I feel like alot of there mormon-college things aren't as new to me... because lets be honest, we do alot of the same activites over and over! haha but sadly, I have like no picture with them (which hopefully this blog will help with) but here's a few I do have:

This is my actual roommate Alexsis and I when we went looking for our classes with Sam...
(talented people: please tell me how to turn it so you don't have to tilt you head! Thanks!)

 My third Saturday here our ward went and did baptisms at the Rexburg Temple, which is literally right next to campus, about a 5-7 min walk from my dorm. But we were schedualed for 5:30 am... and if the time weren't bad enough... it was FREEZING that morning!! But nonetheless it was an awesome experience and I'm really glad I went, this is another roommate Michelle, the Puerto Rican one, at the temple after baptisms when it was a little warmer.

Zac St. Martin: the boy in the middle: love him! And no, not in "that way." I met Zac in Senora Clarkson's AP Spanish 4 class my junior year of high school and we've been really close since. We went to sadies together Junior year and it was by far one of the funnest and funniest nights of my life! So when we found out we were both going to BYU-I it was quite exciting, we don't hang out a TON, but we try to see eachother once a week or so, and he was up here summer so he's been teaching me all kinds of things about school, Rexburg, and helping me meet new people. This was at Sammy's, which is a hamburger place that opened the first weekend of school, they have one next to BYU in Provo that's pretty famous and it's definately a huge hang out place up here too since it's right down the street from campus! He's awesome, and my closest friend up here, cause Sam doesn't count, she's related to me.

One of my first adventures was with Jameson Jarvis, another friend from Mesa. He invited me to go to the sand dunes to have a bonfire, and since I was the only one with a camera, and there were a bunch of guys on a huge hill of sand, I became the photographer of all their stunts and tricks. Here's the best shot of the night. It's sideways so you don't get the full effect, but it was awesome and hilarious

That same night we went to Walmart to get a movie.. and the guy driving forgot to put the clutch or brake or change the gear or some car thing that I honestly don't understand so when we came back out we couldn't see his truck, my first reaction was that it got stollen, but we looked across the parking lot and saw that it had gone all the way across 3 rows of would-be parking and up on top of this median where it finally stopped! I honestly have no idea how we were so lucky to not have hit another car, especially when you know how far it went, but then again it was really late. But either way, it was SO funny and probably the highlight of the night.

Well, it's now midnight and I only have one class tomorrow but since I was called as Relief Society Instructor I've got to get up and work on my lesson and study for next week. I know, I've surprised myself with how dedicated I really can be at school!! I'll have to tell you why in the next post. Sorry this was so long! But then again, it's been a month, and the first month of college! So it's understandable!
Hopefully I can keep this up and keep people updated, or just be able to remember all these things later. Before I leave I would just like to say that today is also:


WALKER'S ONE YEAR MARK!!!!!!
My twiner, Elder Walker Jerome Waldie, has officially been out in the mission field for one year today, he's half-way done!! :) In one year he'll be back, and as proud as I am of him, It'll be SOO nice to have my brother back!! I miss him so much!! Goodness I love that kid, I even miss fighting with him and him telling me to stop talking cause i'm giving him a headache! hehe :) That's all for me, in the words of my oxford-scholar brother Bradford:
"Peace in the Middle East!"