3 Months and a Marriage Later...

So it's been a while... Sometimes I like to think that I will be really good at being a consistent blogger but..I am still working on it. Be patient with me. SO much has happened the past couple of months that I don't even know where to begin. I got married; maybe I should start with that one? Daniel and I have known each other for so long so our dating was pretty short lived. I knew I loved him, he knew he loved me and the rest is kind of just history. It was fast, heads did in fact spin, but we pulled it off. It was so beautiful and perfect. November 30th will forever more be my favorite day ever. Being married is seriously the best. I have never been happier; I am so incredibly in love with my best friend and I couldn't ask for a better husband. Daniel, you're the best.  I sure am lucky to have you.

So whilst the wedding was being planned other things happened in my life that simply is not exciting. The semester carried on without even a blink and now I am staring finals week straight in the face. Where has time gone? I find that no matter what I do time drags on but also slips away from me simultaneously. How does that even work?

Oh, I also think I did damage to my pinky finger today. So that's cool I guess.

So basically the only exciting thing to happen in my life within the past 3 months is going from dating to engaged to blissfully married. Marriage is awesome, and everybody should jump on that bandwagon and join the fun. I need married friends.

Once we are all settled in the apartment, and wedding pictures have been returned to us a more exciting post will be coming your way. Take this short post as a promise that I have not completely abandoned my blog forever and there is more to come. I promise :)

Thanks for being in my life, you are cherished and loved. And I think the blog needs a new URL and title, since I am now Haley Grimm, and I have a special buddy to go on all my adventures with me. New blog information to come soon!! Until next time!

Temple lights with my love the night before we got married!

So much awkward in this picture. but i love my 2 best friends more than anything and I am so happy I got to share my special day with them!

On our way to the temple to get married! SO in love with this guy!

A Back to School Update

               It's that time again, boys and girls! It is time for another giant blog post jam packed with shocking news and surprising updates! Why so much? Because sometimes life gets crazy and I really suck at updating my blog. You would think that as somebody who wants to write for a living that I would be better at this. Maybe once life slows down...if it ever decides to slow down. OK. So I am back down at school! HOORAH. In case this hasn't become an apparent thing, I love SUU, I love Cedar City, and I went crazy for 4 months being away from my dear home! If you have never been to Cedar or to the SUU campus, you need to make a trip to A) Visit me and B) see how BEAUTIFUL Southern Utah is. It has been real rainy lately, which I am obsessed with, and seeing the green on the mountains and the red rock and AH, it is seriously just breathtaking. Come experience it, for real. So with coming back to school that means that I have new roommates. I am almost positive that when they are preparing to give me my rooming assignments they say, "Ok. Haley Young is super cool and awesome, so we won't room her with crazy people because she simply doesn't deserve that" and then they put me in the best living circumstances humanly possible. MY ROMMATES ARE SO NICE! And normal. It's so glorious, I can't even tell you. They are all really fun, cute girls that don't judge me because I am hardly ever home. It's fine. And when I eat my feelings (which consists of 10 hot wings and 3 breadsticks in less than 15 minutes) they just let me eat and don't tell me I am going to get fat. It is seriously so great. :) So Jennica, Marina, Ashley, Kecia and Mickelle? Thank you for being normal, nice people. I owe ya big time.

               With coming back to school guess what else that means...I AM REUNITED WITH JADE. who is Jade? My best friend, get with the times. I couldn't be happier to finally be back with one of my favorite people of all time. Not only do we have 3 classes together, plus institute, but I am with her all of the time, which is seriously so great. If you like me, you will LOVE her. I mean, seriously she is adorable. And what's that? SHE'S SINGLE?! Boys. Get at her.

               I love coming back to school because there is just all sorts of fun activities and shenanigans going on around campus. Also, tons of free food, so that's pretty great. And they wonder why people gain weight when they come to college? I will tell you why: free food. Along with all the exhilaration of the first week of school, they just make it tons more fun by throwing fun, free activities in your face. And you think the fun stops there? Alas it does not. Casino night, a paint dance in the rain, and there was also a photo booth thrown somewhere in that mix. College is seriously so great. Holy cow.

               So I know that there is a peering question coming from basically every single person I am facebook friends with...who is that boy in all my pictures suddenly? Are we just friends? Are we dating? Do I even know him? Does my mom pay him to be my friend? WHO IS THIS MAN!? To answer your questions...yes. I have a boyfriend. Please take a moment to let that one sink in. Gasp loudly if you have to, applaud if you feel the need, just let it all out.  His name is Daniel Grimm (he is my facebook friend obviously so feel free to stalk the crap out of him) and we have seriously known each other for years. 14 to be exact, and we never thought we would be where we are now. He is a freaking cutie pants and I kinda like him. So let the world know that this hot commodity is off the market. hahahaha oh I think I am just toooooo funny.

               So not only am I back at school, have an adorable boyfriend, reunited with my best friend and kick butt roommates, it has also been raining a lot, it's nearly hockey season and Nsync is making a comeback. Life is so glorious my friends.

So maybe we weren't all that painted, but we were SOAKING WET. Good times..

Just stop for one second to appreciate how adorable this picture is. Hooray for SUU football and best friends!

How cute are we? Like really. WE ARE AMERICA'S CUTEST COUPLE.

ROOMIES. Minus 2, but still! These girls are so great!!

Jade and I got caught in a pretty kick butt rain storm. We are candid and adorable.

I didn't want my box to get wet...I show you this to assure you i am still a dork.

I just love this girl soooo much! BOYS SHE IS CUTE AND SINGLE DATE HER.

IT'S OK TO BE DIFFERENT.

               I recently have come across a quote that has really made me stop and think. "You could be the ripest, juiciest peach in the world, and there is still going to be somebody who hates peaches." If you know anything about me, you know that I am kind of a people pleaser. By that I mean I absolutely ADORE people, and with this adoration comes a problem. It deeply concerns me when people don't like me. I will be the first to admit, there are people I simply do not like. Whether they have done me wrong, hurt my feelings or been a bad friend to me, I always try to make sure I have a reason to not want to associate with these people. WHICH IS FINE, and completely normal! But it has always made me sad when people are this way with me. Double standards seem to be my thing? No. Let me tell you this quote that I found. "If everybody likes you, you're doing something wrong." How true is that? We are all different, and we are different for a very good reason. If people were all the same, had the same thoughts, feelings, emotions, opinions, likes, dislikes, etc. then this world would be a really boring place. Our differences are what make us unique. And yes, sometimes people aren't going to like the way you do certain things, or won't agree with your opinions, but that is just fine. I guess what I am trying to say is that It's ok to be different! In fact, I encourage it! Being different, being an individual, is something that nobody can ever take away from you. So why not go 100% and just be happy being who you want to be? And maybe I am saying this more to myself than anyone else, because it is a lesson I have had a really hard time grasping in my life. It has taken me 18 long years to realize that as long as I like who I am, it doesn't matter at all if the girl in my math class likes me or if the people I went to high school with care about me at all. IT DOESN'T MATTER. So go, look yourself in the mirror, and tell yourself you are great. Because you are. You have been given your personality, your strengths, likes, opinions, thoughts, and emotions for a reason. Be you, and be proud of who you are. Because there is nobody else in the world that is like you, and I happen to think that is pretty cool. AND NOW FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT...just a little proof that it really is ok to be a dork sometimes :)

CUTIE.

Mustaches and Polka Dots. nothing more classy

I am using an umbrella inside the garage. Nothing gets more different than that.

This is my newest look. You like?

An Eye Opening Mini Vacation

               First things first: happy birthday (yesterday) to my best friend Melanie! I hope that you had such an amazing 18th Birthday and that being an adult lives up to your expectations. (Being a grown up is overrated) welcome to adulthood hooray!!

Whats a birthday without a birthday collage?!

So if you know anything about me, or if you read this blog, you know that I have a deep, burning, passionate love for Cedar City and SUU...but mostly the people that are there. Down at school I made the most incredible friends, all of whom I love and have been missing like crazy this summer. So I thought it was time for me to go down to good old Cedar City for a visit! It didn't hurt that one of my really good friends just got back from his mission and I couldn't wait to see him and hear him speak, so it was the perfect opportunity to drive myself down south for a much needed weekend of fun! First let's talk about driving down there. I was in my car by myself, which generally I absolutely dread, but for some reason, making that 3 and a half hour drive is one of my favorites. It is seriously such a peaceful drive, and it gives me serious time to think about my life and jam out like crazy without the harsh judgments' of those around me. And the anticipation of getting there is always something that makes the drive so worth it :) I got there safely, surprised my friend Kelsie, and had a lovely reunion with my favorite girls. The next day, Jade, Morgan, Mallory and I all went to the Cedar Reservoir, blew up some serious floatie rafts and floated around! It was so much fun to just spend time with some of my favorite people and get a little bit of a tan (as in a major sunburn) in the process. I got super close to fishies too. Which is a pretty big accomplishment for me because swimming with fish freaks me out. So gross.. Anyway, I am totally the person that constnantly brags about how I am blessed with my grandma young's ability to never really burn, just tan. Which, if you have seen me recently or ever, you know I am not a very tan individual, but I hardly ever burn, but my whole life my mom has told me to wear sunscreen. So I put some sunscreen on my shoulders and face and thought I would be good. NOPE. Yes, I was absolutely fried on my back. It hurt so bad too. And when I texted my mom the picture what I got in return was a big fat, THIS IS WHY I TOLD YOU TO WEAR SUNSCREEN YOUR WHOLE LIFE HALEY, and some tips on how to make it fade and not peel. So thanks for the I told you so and useful tips mom :) You're the best!

FRIED. Excuse my momentary immodesty...

               With the exception of when we were at the res, it rained and rained and rained ALL weekend long. Which i am seriously obsessed with, because the rain is my favorite weather. I want to live in Seattle for that very reason, I just love the rain so very much. And when it rains in cedar city it RAINS. I always wondered why the gutters in the road were so ridiculously deep, and I now know why. Cedar itself would float away if they weren't that way, true story. But since it was raining, Jade and I went over to my older sister Breanna and her husband Jason's house to spend some time with them! Ok so remember when we were little, and A*Teens was totally a thing? Why are they no longer a thing? Jade and I had a real good time jamming out to them in my car, you can ask Jason. He was a witness. So let's start a revolution to bring them back, because something that good should have never ended. Ever. So after we jammed out in my car, we went inside and we watched the titanic and ate banana bread, and it was a real good time. Side note: Titanic is honestly one of my favorite movies of all time. It is just so good, and it gets me every single time I watch it. Now I have seen that movie quite a few times and I had never made the connection at the very end of the movie, after she drops of the heart of the ocean back into..well the ocean...that when she is walking through the titanic and is reunited with her one true love Jack once again that she is DYING! I honestly cried so hard, I couldn't even handle myself. You have no idea, the heart strings were being pulled. ANYWAY.  If you haven't seen that movie, I am sorry to tell you that she totally dies at the end of the movie, but it is still totally worth watching. Call me up, we will make an event out of it.

Rain? No problem. No power? NO PROBLEM. Lady Date to Chilis with my bffffff :))))

This was right before a ginormous puddle blinded us. You can't tell but it was POURING. SO wonderful and so beautiful!!

All dolled up and beautiful for Daniel's homecoming! Yay church and yay missionaries coming home!! Also, we are HOT.

               Not only did I get to watch Titanic, I also saw Despicable Me 2, learned how to do the cup song, thought I was falling into the middle of the earth in my sleep, when in reality I was simply just slipping in between sofa cushions in my sleep no big deal, watching Teen beach movie and discussing the upcoming year festivities and how happy we will all be once we are reunited for good, got to see one of my oldest friends come home from his mission and got to spend time with my favorite people on the planet. This weekend it really hit me hard as to why I felt so good about choosing Southern Utah University as the university I would attend for my college education. It's because of the people I have met, and will meet, and the experiences and lessons I will gain from them. There is no such thing as coincidence, especially with the people in our lives, and that was just reiterated to me this weekend. I am seriously so blessed, and that is so apparent to me. I just really like life, I think it's swell :)

This picture is just too good to not post. I look amazing.

               One last thing before I end this shindig. I had a really eye opening experience on my drive home from my weekend of fun. I was following my sister and her husband back up north because they are currently on vacation with his family. I had whined about it, but had done it to make my mommy happy. There had been a really bad accident on I-15 and so Jason called me to tell me we would be taking the belt route home and legacy from there to hopefully eliminate some time in traffic. He made sure he knew where I was going but told me to stay close, and I am really glad I did. I am totally the person that when I am following somebody somewhere I follow every move they do. if you switch lanes, I switch lanes. Well we were on 215 heading home, almost to Legacy highway, about 20 minutes from home when we got caught in some mild traffic. Jason had gotten into the middle lane, so I too had switched over, and then he got back into the left lane. And I couldn't get back over because of the traffic. I didn't think much of it because I knew my way home really well and figured it wouldn't really matter if I got a few minutes ahead of them. I passed them, just barely and the car in front of me was coming to a stop. I tried breaking and my car wasn't stopping. So I slammed on my breaks and it still wasn't stopping, so i tried even harder and finally my car stopped, shut off, and my steering wheel locked. It may sound silly, but I had barely stopped within inches of the car in front of me, I couldn't turn my car back on and I was hyperventilating and shaking so bad that getting my emergency flashers on was a trial within itself. Luckily for me, my brother-in-law saw my face in my side view mirror and knew something was wrong and not that I just wasn't paying attention to the car in front of me. Somehow I got over to the far left and was able to put my car in park. Jason came to check on me and calm me down, a highway patrol also checked on us. It was honestly the scariest experience of my entire life. I know for a fact that the only reason things happened the way they did, the only reason I am safe and that I didn't get into a car accident and get hurt or worse, is because of a loving Heavenly Father. Just the night before I had been discussing with my best friend about how much Heavenly Father loves us and the benefits of having him bless our lives daily. And this was definitely a blessing. If I wasn't living the way I am living, by choosing to live the gospel standards and doing the simple things, praying, reading my scriptures, going to church, etc, that I wouldn't have been blessed in the ways that I was. Now nobody panic, I am fine, but I definitely wouldn't be a very grateful daughter of God if I didn't say how blessed I am to have a Father in Heaven that loves me and watches over me. There is a reason we are told to do the 'Primary Answers' daily, and I am so glad I have. It just really made me appreciate everything a little bit more. I am so grateful for the gospel, and the protection, love and comfort it provides for me. I am such a lucky girl. :)

Retreat For Girls :)

So, another blog post in such a short amount of time. You would think that there is something wrong with me…but alas, there is not. I am just here to tell you guys all about one phenomenal experience that I had pretty recently. I had the amazing opportunity to go and be a counselor at an amazing girl’s organization called Retreat for Girls. For those of you who don’t know what RFG is...I am so sorry. Let me tell you a little bit about this life changing program. Retreat for girls is kind of like Academy for girls, for those of you who were familiar with Academy. If you’re still kind of lost, it is a 5 day overnight program for 11-5 year old girls where they can take a retreat from the things of this world and just focus on the love their Father in Heaven has for them and be surrounded by other girls there for the same purpose and ambition to have their testimony grow. There are speakers, classes, a service project, crafts, devotionals, delicious food and some pretty awesome counselors, participants and directors. Imagine Time Out for Women, but for younger girls! It’s truly such an amazing experience. I went as a participant and I was a counselor this year and I am so grateful for the experience that it was. Not only did my testimony increase in ways I can’t even express, but I laughed a whole lot too :) My first week girls will always be just that, my first set of girls! They were total sweethearts, I didn’t have a single problem with any of them. They listened to me, obeyed the cell phone policy like absolute champs, the only thing they didn’t do was my dance I so lovingly choreographed for them. And maybe a few were a little nuts over the EFY boys ;) But they just melted my heart, loved me when I needed to be loved, and gave me the best first week as a counselor I could ever ask for. A huge portion of my heart left with them when they left Friday night. Granted, I was absolutely exhausted in almost every way humanly possible, but that was all right. Because I came into week two a much better counselor and person because of my first girls. They taught me more than I could express to you in words, they helped me feel the love that my Heavenly Father has for each and every one of them, which is pretty incredible. I definitely think there is a reason that Katie Smith, the director of RFG, calls it mommy boot camp :) My second week girls were just as incredible as the first. I could seriously love these girls no more than I already do, they all have brought such a light into my life that words can’t explain. There is something about 12 and 13 year old girls that just melts my heart. Both sessions of girls made me laugh, and even sometimes made me cry a little bit. But all in all, what an incredible experience I had as a counselor. I know that not everybody has the same beliefs and definitely doesn’t share the same faith as me, but since this is my blog I think it should be ok for me to express how I feel. I love the Gospel, I love being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I can’t imagine my life without the truthfulness it provides for me. I count my blessings every single day for a loving Father in heaven who is waiting to poor infinite amounts of blessings into my life and who loves me unconditionally. It truly is amazing, when you think about it. I know for a fact that my life was blessed by the decision to be a counselor for RFG. There is no such thing as a coincidence, and I will forever be grateful for that very sacred experience. I know that this post didn’t give you a whole lot to work off of, so I want to direct you to the blog that one of the other counselors started, and it is all about retreat and how we can Live It! Every single day in our lives. From testimonies from the counselors to experiences from the participants, it’s truly an amazing blog. So here is the link to that! Retreat For Girls: I Will Live It! Thank you for being so amazing, person reading this. I love you and appreciate you more than words can express :)

This lovely lady is Mamaba. Funniest person I have ever met.

Getting them to put Nylons on their heads, the perks of being a counselor. 

Shuffle. One of the most amazing girls I have ever met.

My first week girls! I am there too, but I also fit in with 12 year olds..

My cute girls before the fashion show!

Claire...loved her straw glasses.

Never a serious picture with these hooligans.

Melting my heart, love them so!

The board after a kick butt counselor class. We taught them much.

Mango, also a dear friend of mine from high school, was a counselor with me! I love this woman so much.

Giggles and Beffy, two of my favorite ladies!

Head counselors, two of the best friends i have ever,and will ever, have. Love you two so much.

Yes, for 2 weeks my name was Frenchie. Shocker huh?

All 19 of us counselors. We are normal, I swear.

19 counselors and 2 directors. I just can't even tell you how amazing these ladies are.

I love my 2nd week girls and their silliness!!

SO CUTE RIGHT?!

I love them I love them I love them!! We got photobombed, the 2 on the sides are definitely not mine ;)

Best friends, books, and fireworks.

               Oh my sweet goodness gracious. It’s almost like my poor blog has been neglected (which it has) and for that I apologize. I feel like all of my complaining about not being busy really caught up with me and I suddenly was so busy that I could barely breathe. So brace yourself for a long post, that maybe will be split up into two posts because of length. ALSO PICTURES! On 3 let’s all give a big hooray…1, 2, 3, HOORAY! If you did this…thanks for humoring me. :)) OK! Let’s get down to business! ….to defeat the Huns.

               11 Weeks down from knee surgery! Time flies when you’re having as much as humanly possible with a hardly functioning knee! But I honestly can’t complain. Let me rephrase that, I shouldn’t complain, I have no reason to complain, but I still do. I haven’t had that miraculous of a change guys, let be real. Physical Therapy is going as well as it could I guess, it hurts and I hate it so I would definitely say it’s going as it should. I no longer wear my brace, which is FABULOUS, and it is starting to look like a somewhat normal knee! Kinda… The scars are also becoming less and less gross, relatively speaking! I still have one that looks like a butterfly, so at least it has a feminine touch. I guess I am just grateful I can walk around and will be completely healed in the not too far future. There are some people that can’t say that, so a blessed girl I am.

SICK GROSS. but healing!

              Next order of business: Let me tell you about somebody who is very important to me. This person is somebody I absolutely love to be around basically all the time, and that is probably my other half. The best friend I have ever had…I guess I will just come out and say it…IM ENGAGED! Kidding, boys are gross. The person I am really talking about here is my best friend in the whole world, Melanie Wescott. I sometimes like to sit and ponder what life was like before we were friends and I honestly can’t remember. We often discuss how it is no coincidence she moved into my ward, and that we became friends, because we are friend soul mates. Kindred spirits, if you will. ANYWAY, the reason I tell you about beloved Mellybelly is because WE TOTALLY HAVE A BUCKET LIST FOR SUMMER 2013. I am not meaning to brag here, but we are basically crushing it. I mean, tons of people make bucket lists for their summers and…well they just don’t accomplish much. But not us! We have done a good portion of our list already :) I am proud of us. So prepare yourself for updates about the BL. Cause it’s going to happen.

This is Mel. She is insane, and my best friend. Whom I love.

Mel, Channy, and myself on our way to St. George. A check off of the bucket list!

          So I absolutely love to read, and I have been doing a lot of reading lately! So I thought that every time I finished a good book, or even started a good book or heard about one in passing I would blog about it! I know sometimes it is so hard to find good books to read, so I thought I would help those of you looking for a good read out! Right now I am in the middle of reading the Matched series. If you have read it, DON’T TELL ME ANYTHING. But if you haven’t I strongly advise you to go pick it up, or even borrow it from me, because it is a truly intriguing plot. If you enjoyed the Hunger Games, my money would be on you enjoying this series too. The style of writing is truly spot on for a really quick pull in and the plot keeps you interested. I have nothing but good things to say thus far! If you have read it, or end up reading it, let me know your thoughts on it too! We can have book club via blog. Genius idea.

               So I know I am about 3 weeks late, but the 4^th of july is definitely something worth mentioning. Growing up in a military family, I love this country. Having grandparents, siblings and a dad who has sacrificed their life for the freedom of this beautiful nation is something so touching and inspiring it can’t be explained. It touches my heart that my brother and dad can’t make it through the national anthem without a tear being shed. I see the love, passion, and respect they have for our country, and I am so grateful they passed that love and respect down to me. So I really do love the 4^th of July. A whole nation celebrating together the birth of the greatest country on Earth. The land of the free and home of the brave. My family had an absolutely incredible 4^th last year, if you remember, my older brother Josh came home from Afghanistan and surprised his little girl Paula at the Salt Lake Bees baseball game before the fireworks. Even though I knew it was happening, and saw him before, I still cried like a baby. Needless to say it was an absolutely magical day for my family, and a day none of us will forget. With that being said, it was impossible to top that day, but this year I had an absolutely grand time with my mom and dad. My mom and I accidentally matched, for the 2^nd year in a row, so I guess that is becoming a tradition, along with going to the Bees game! I love America, and I love Baseball. So what better way to say Happy birthday to the US of A than to watch her favorite pastime? NONE I TELL YOU. There was baseball, pretzels, family and fireworks. A grand day indeed.

Matchy  matchy, baseball, and cute parents. God bless.

               I also want to give a quick shout out to one of my favorite people on the planet who has been on his mission a whole year now! I honestly can’t tell you how blessed and lucky I feel to have so many righteous and worthy friends sacrificing their time to the Lord. It gives me chills to think about how many generations of lives they are changing, on this side and the other side of the veil. One of my dad’s cousins is the MTC Presidency 1^st counselor and it was so fun to sit down by him and hear about the missionaries that are truly changing the world, thousands upon thousands strong. I don’t know how you can see that and hear about the amazing force for good and not know this church is true. It blows my mind. I LOVE belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!

The story of my life.

This guy has been out one whole year! Yay Elder Turner!!

               With all of that being said, I also just returned back home from being a counselor at Retreat for Girls…but that was an experience to have its own post! So look for it in the near future, because it was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. But until I post about it, and if you have more questions about it, please go check out a blog one of the other counselors has started! Her vision is truly inspired, and in her words, “I have this vision of the blog being a place where girls can turn for strength, support, and encouragement. I hope it will be a reminder of the things they learned at Retreat and a place where they can continue to learn and develop their testimonies about LIVING IT!” So PLEASE go check it out, and be truly blessed and inspired by not only the lovely M&M, but all of the other counselors who will contribute to this. The URL is Retreatfromtheworld.blogspot.com you won’t regret it!

               Sorry for the long post, and sorry for not posting as much as I should…I feel truly blessed that you all bless me by being a part of my life and I love sharing my life with you. Keep on being amazing, and inspiring me to be better.

Gratitude Bloggin'

               Let's talk about gratitude for a second shall we? I feel like it is something that is so easily overlooked and forgotten that it's to a point of inexcusable I will be the first to admit, I am sometimes awful at looking around and counting my blessings, but sometimes life is real good about reminding you not to take what you have for granted. It doesn't matter how or why gratitude gets brought to our attention, it just matters that we acknowledge it. So, here I am, about to acknowledge some things and people I have been especially grateful for lately.

               It wouldn't be right to start off without first mentioning how grateful I am for my family. My mom, dad, siblings, nieces and nephews, grandparents, aunts and uncles, just FAMILY. How often do we walk past our mom or pesky little sibling and not even think twice about how much they contribute to our lives? I know I don't tell my mom and dad enough how much I am grateful for them. I have everything because of my family and I really love them a lot. Family is a special gift from a loving Father in Heaven that we take for granted every single day. I think my good friend put it best when he suggested you take your mom (or any other family member for that matter) by the shoulders, look them in the eyes and tell them "I cherish you." and mean it. DO IT.

               I am so grateful for my body. Don't make that weird. Since being momentarily crippled, I have just found this absolute love for my limbs, especially my legs. How lucky are we that we wake up every single morning, roll out of bed, and are able to walk. It's just miraculous! And how on earth do our feet support us? Like have you ever really thought about it? Golly gee its amazing.

               I am grateful for the gospel. I could go on and on for probably hours about how it has blessed my life and why I should be grateful for it but I will leave it at this: I am grateful for the truth in my life. How beautiful it is.

               EDUCATION! Summer just began, I know. SO it probably makes me sound like a total noob to say how grateful I am for education but for real life guys. How lucky are we to live in a country where education is right at our fingertips? SO lucky. Think about it, then google how it is in other countries, then we will talk about it. CAUSE IT'S SO AWESOME TO BE AMERICAN OK?

               WHICH brings me to the next point of gratitude. AMERICA. Holy cow, land of the free home of the brave! But something I think we forget is that freedom surely is not free. In fact, just call up my big brother Josh, my dad, or my grandpa and they will tell you exactly that. Do me a favor friends, and next time you see somebody in uniform, tell them thank you. It means the world to them and it will do wonders in your life. They sacrifice so much, as do their families, so you taking the few seconds to thank them for their service won't hurt you even a bit. So even if you do nothing else, please do that.

               I am so grateful for laughter, and the ability to make people laugh. Laughter is seriously my favorite sound, feeling, experience, gift, so on and so forth...ever. It is so beautiful how laughter can bring people together. Laughter is just great.

               I am grateful for babies. Need I say more?

               I am grateful for my friends....I think more than you guys know. I am grateful for you. The constant love and support I receive from my friends is just mind boggling. I won't lie, I am getting pretty good at being a pretty bad friend at times, but those who are my true friends haven't abandoned me once. How incredible is that? And to you ladies, Maddy, Kenzie, Jade, Kels, Ray, Taylor, Alex and Claire...thank you especially to you girls. What on earth would I do without my best friends? I love you guys with all my heart, thank you for being there for me even when I sometimes didn't quite deserve it. You guys are amazing, beautiful people and I am so blessed to not only know you, but proudly say you are the closest friends I have. I am who I am today because of you girls. Thank you :)

               So maybe tonight, or whenever you are reading this, I can inspire you to think of at least one thing you are grateful for, whether it is for warm water or even something as silly as your iphone, just remember to be grateful. Every single day is a gift so let's try as a group of people, to not take it for granted. :) Sure do love you. Thanks for being my friend....and reading my blog :)

Update: My Life Is Still Unusually Boring...

               So I have moved home from school, had knee surgery, watched a whole lot of Arrested Development and NHL Playoffs...and have neglected to blog. I sit down to start to write something that will make an impact, or cause someone to laugh and I just sit and stare at an empty page. So I am sorry if I bore you to death with this post. It will probably be really random and have nothing to do with anything important, but hey it's a post!

               SO IT'S SUMMER. And I have officially completed a semester of college before I am even supposed to be graduated from high school. If you were to ask me right now if that made me feel super cool I would reply with a yes, yes it does. :) College was so...amazing. Like seriously. To all you seniors about to graduate, make the most of the summer and the memories with your friends but oh my stars, when you move to wherever you're going to school...you will make the fondest of memories, the most incredible of friends, and you will learn so much more than you ever thought was possible. not only at school, but about life. Take it from me; I am basically a pro at college now, obviously :) Back to the point: I absolutely LOVE summertime but I am seriously missing Cedar City. It's so strange how it went from being a place that was so foreign and kind of scary to me to almost becoming home. I miss how cute my little town is, I miss knowing where everything is in Walmart because relearning that crap is not very fun. I miss the sunsets, and the beautiful campus. I miss having my own place and feeling like a big kid, but mostly I miss my friends. It's not going to be the same without some of the "glue" there next semester (cause sometimes people decide to go on missions) but the friends I have made in cedar have become my family. My Cedar City Family. When you are living within such close proximity with people constantly, you bond in ways that are so different than you could imagine. It's so great, I don't think I can stress that enough. And it's always fun to come home with a crazy roommate story or two :)

               I also would like to point out that my summertime festivities and dreams have slowly been crushed by none other than the big mean monster I like to call Knee Surgery! If you didn't know I had knee surgery, I totally did. And if you did know I had knee surgery and neglected to visit me...we are probably having problems in our relationship. Just saying. :) Having surgery is such a bittersweet thing, I mean do not get me wrong I am so glad to have my knee fixed so I will be happier in the long run...and so that I CAN run, but right now all it does is suck. I am pretty sure that if  I never have to even touch crutches again I would be the happiest person alive. I remember being in junior high and seeing the kids on crutches and being so jealous that they got to leave class early. I couldn't tell you what was truly wrong with me, but that thinking was something crazy. I can tell you that much. And even though I complain my fair share about being on crutches, or how fat my knee is, or how bad it hurts, or whatever else i complain about...at the end of the day I know it could be so much worse. I can still walk (well, sort of) and I will be able to walk so well once I am recovered. It's only one surgery, it could be multiple. I have legs for goodness sakes, thats a blessing in itself! There really is so much more positive things to focus on than my one little knee problem, and sometimes I forget that. :)

               I also just need to say that I am SO obsessed with my family. I have the best siblings in the whole world, and they have children so it makes them so much better. If you don't have nieces and nephews, wait until the day you do, then talk to me. You will be so in love with them it will start to consume your whole life. Just you wait. Also, I am grateful for you, dear friend reading this. You are a blessing in my life, and I love you for it. SO THANKS :) Sorry this post was super duper lame. I will start to be more of an exciting human being and blog more then :)

For My Friends...

                              So as the semester starts winding down I feel like everybody gets a whole lot more sentimental towards...well everything. So I thought I would join the club and write a post for those who have made SUU so much fun and bearable to be away from home; I dedicate this post to my wonderful, sweet friends.

               In the dictionary, the word friend is defined as follows: Friend –noun: a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard; a person who gives assistance; patron; supporter. But my personal definition of friend is this: A friend is somebody who knows your flaws, sees you be weird, hyper, crazy and cry and yet still chooses to spend their time with you. I have met some of the most awe inspiring people in the entire world down here at good old Southern Utah University, people who I know will be my friends for a lifetime, and I couldn't feel more blessed in all honesty. It would take me forever to do individual shout outs to every single person I have encountered down here that has been a positive force in my life, so I am only going to do just a few. Just bear with me, these might get a little emotional, but I promise to finish out strong :)

               To my dear roommate Kim, I would be foolish not to admit that a good portion of the reason I am still sane is because of you. You were the perfect first roommate I could ever imagine. I owe a lot to you :) I definitely feel choosing to live with you was a positive choice. We have some good times! We laughed, we cried, we danced awkwardly. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to be so close to you :)

               Jade. Where to begin with you? How is it that we are basically the same exact person...like for real life...how does that even work? I am sooo grateful that we have become such good friends. It's so nice to have a voice of reason so close to me all the time. I know I can count on you to tell me the truth, and give me an honest and straight forward opinion. You are such an incredible person and friend, and there are few people who make me laugh as hard as you. Oh I just love ya!

               Kelsie. Even though sometimes your talent makes me so sad (only because I don't have even a 1/3 of the vocal chord abilities as you...it's whatever...) I absolutely adore you. You are such a beautiful person and I definitely feel like you understand me in a way that nobody else can. we just relate beautifully :) You just always find a way to make my day and make me laugh, and you are just the best. I also love our mutual love for Kid History. I definitely feel that bonds us :)

               Kenzie. Ohhh delightful MaKenzie. You are probably the funniest person I have ever met. Even though our friendship started a smidge later than the rest (which I think is funny knowing why..hehe) I just know we have a special closeness that others just don't understand. Need I bring up the meteor shower? I think not! you are such a special person and a wonderful friend and even though you're ditching out on us to go to Dixie next year, we are still going to stay tight. Because the ever so wonderful snapchat was created, and you my friend, are a pro.

               Jeffrey Chapman...where do I begin with you? I knew from the moment I met you we were going to be homies. We became such good friends so fast and that in itself is one of the biggest blessings i have ever received. You make me laugh so hard and you are always there for me...I don't think I could have survived this semester without you! You are so trustworthy and selfless and boy can you play guitar. I am soo excited for next semester so our friendship can continue. You are simply the best thing ever. I adore everything about you, kid!

               Bryton Wells...I saved the best for last. I often think back to the night we met, casino night, and I laugh a little bit. Mostly at the memory of your outfit that night :) Don't worry bud, ya looked fresh.  I thank my lucky stars every single day that you came over and talked to me and that we went to the same high school because I don't know if we would have ever become friends without those factors. You are the main reason I have loved being here at SUU...we have become such close friends and it has kept me sane...well as sane as Haley can be :) You and I...our friendship is so special haha in the most unique way humanly possible, but we definitely make it work. Sometimes we conceal our problems with humor, but no big deal. :) I don't think you will ever truly understand how much I owe you, look up to you, and absolutely adore you. I count you as one of the best friends I have ever had and you mean a lot to me. You are going to make the most incredible missionary to the people of Everett Washington :) Even though i won't be seeing you for the next two years, there is now way you are getting rid of me that easily. Thank you for everything you've done for me. You're the best, buddy :) I love ya.

              

               Let me simply finish by saying that those aren't the only people who have impacted my life...but they are definitely the ones that have been the biggest support and blessings since moving away. Next let me say that I don't think things happen by coincidence...especially friendships. I once read a quote that went something along the lines of "People don't come into your life for no reason, they are one of two things: a blessing or a lesson." and I have learned that to be true time and time over again. Luckily for me, the majority of people who I have encountered here at school have been complete blessings. I don't really know what I have done to come to know such incredible people...but whatever it was I am glad I did it! Jade, Kelsie, Kenzie, Bryton, Jeff, Kim, and many many more..thank you guys so so much for being the light in my life that I so desperately needed. I can’t even begin to express the gratitude and love I have for these people, the good times we have had, the laughs we have shared, and the moments of bonding. I wouldn’t trade my experiences with you for the world. I love you guys, thank you for being blessings in my life. And you better know this isn't goodbye...it's just a see ya next semester :)

Viva Las Vegas!

            Lately I have been thinking a lot about the following words that come together to form the following statement: I care too much. What does that even mean? Can one really care too much? Isn't that why we are put on this earth? To care about others so much that we forget about ourselves for a second? But then again, it does get us into trouble...well it gets ME into trouble; I can't really speak for the entire population on this one. I just love my friends, family, and the whole human population really, so much. I have a genuine love and care for people; it fuels me and contributes to who I am. But I care for people sometimes so much more than they care for me, and this love kind of makes me feel inclined to take on the world and it's problems, which then causes me to think my opinion is correct and that they care, so I share it and...feelings get hurt, I cross lines and tension is created. All because I cared...Too much? It's up for debate. Let me know what you think...the chances are that I care about YOU individually more than you understand and your opinion means the world and more to me. So...let's talk about it.

            Onto the fun, less serious stuff!! First things first, let me tell you about Jade Martin. She is probably one of the most incredible people on the planet. We have become friends since I have become a big kid and moved away to college and well, she is just the best. We have so much in common, we are both hilarious and completely fabulous and we really get each other. With that being said, it is apparent she has become one of my best friends. and with THAT being said...she is from Las Vegas. Kinda..like 20 minutes away. but that doesn't matter..DETAILS. So anyway, Jade and I decided we were both kind of done with the dorms, school, and cedar city in general so we made plans to go to Vegas! And, since my parents are rude and in Colorado helping my brother and his family move back to Utah (YAY!!!), we decided to go down Easter weekend. I honestly can't express to you how excited I have been for the last like 3 weeks since we made these plans. I absolutely love Las Vegas, I think it is so magical. I mean, I am aware that it is "Sin City" and that there is a lot that goes on in the heart of Vegas that isn't so magical...but I try not to focus on the negative aspects of life.  :) So on friday we loaded up my car, and drove on down to Vegas! ROAD TRIP! We laughed, we cried, we sang and just had a really good time. Friday night was pretty relaxed. We went to dinner with her dad and then came home and talked and watched movies. Boring details that, I can almost guarantee, none of you truly care about.

             Saturday is when the real fun began. Have you ever been sitting and watching a movie that takes place in a pretty popular city and thought to yourself, "Wow that would be sweet if I happened to be there when they were filming this, then I could take the time to go through every single scene and try to find myself in the background!" Probably not to that extent, but you do know what I mean. WELL, to start off our Las Vegas adventure....THIS TOTALLY HAPPENED TO US. There were these people that were just filming their little hearts and souls away and Jade and I are in my car, totally in the background at least twice. I kid you not...this is all fact! So, keep your eyes peeled for a movie that takes place in Vegas, on the strip, where people drive really old cars and motorcycles and pollute the crap out of the air. My car, jade and I are starring in it. Obviously it's gonna be a good one. Next we went over to the Bellagio where Jade's dad works and we got an insider tour! It was fun to go inside and see all the beautiful and fancy things that are there, like the blown glass and the conservatory that is decorated all fun and stuff. :) I will post a picture or two so you can see how fun the conservatory is! :) Then we went and got some absolutely incredible gelato and walked around to see all the shops. It was really fun. :) Our next adventure was supposed to be the wax museum, which I was insanely excited about. A little too excited most likely...but it is probably fine. So we Jade's dad where we were supposed to be going to find said museum. We get told to go to the Quad...so we pile into Ava (that's my car's name for anybody concerned about that statement) and we headed over to the Quad. Side note: I am a really pro driver. But when I am in places that I am unfamiliar with...I sort of panic. Really bad. And traffic is like my least favorite thing in the entire world, so as you can imagine there was a little bit of freaking out going on in my car. The reason I tell you this is because I successfully navigated my way around Las Vegas and the strip ALL WEEKEND LONG and i didn't cry once, or get in a car accident. And we only got lost temporarily. So big high five to me! CONTINUINING ON! So we find a parking place in the quad parking garage and walk inside for a good...10 minutes and we don't see signs pointing us in any direction, we are just wandering around aimlessly and completely lost. We finally get the idea to ask somebody where the crap this museum is and we get told...we aren't even in the right place. We were told to head over to the Venetian Hotel and that is where we would find the subject of our hopes and desires. So we decide to walk down there and so we go to leave...and can't figure out how to get out of the dang place. We walk and walk and walk around and..no luck. So we begin to panic...as in I begin to panic internally. I am silently preparing to say my goodbyes to the cruel harsh world and then...we see a glimmer of light. And we power walked right through that casino and found...THE DOORS! It was as glorious as it sounds, we had found the strip once more!

            So we walk and walk and get to the Paris hotel. If you know anything about me, you know how I feel about Paris. ANYTHING Paris. So, having a small replica of the Eiffel Tower right in front of my face made me a smidge excited. But just a smidge. I think I told jade how excited I was, or happy to see the replica, or how one day I would actually go to France...a hundred times. I definitely contained myself.  So we take pictures, watch some strange people dance on the sidewalk, laugh a little, cry a little, complain about the warmth of the sunshine and carry on our merry way. We walked for at least 45 minutes to find we had walked down to the Luxor...not the Venetian, and I will admit we did feel pretty crappy about our lives in that moment. We had made such a long trek south in the blistering heat of the Vegas sun just to find sheer and utter disappointment. But have no fear, Jade and I bounced back real quick! We decided to walk through the hotels so I could now see the INSIDE of them instead of the outsides, because I seriously was playing tourist so. hard. Anyway, we walk into the MGM Grand and...lo and behold...THE RAINFOREST CAFE! it was quite the glorious of sights for me. So we ate and headed on back to the Venetian which, mind you, was a hotel away from where we started... We go to the Wax Museum and take countless amounts of silly and fun pictures and just have a grand ol time. While we are in the wax museum though, we are walking from room to room just minding our own business and I turn the corner and there is a guy just standing there and he scared the absolute crap out of me. Granted, he was waiting for his family and I spoiled their fun by screaming, but I applauded his genius efforts to at least scare SOMEBODY. He was quite successful.

            So we walk over the Bellagio to watch the fountain water show thing and that's always a good time, but at this point we are both kind of done. We had been at the Strip for 5 to 6 hours and our feet hurt, we were sweaty and it just wasn't cutting it for us anymore. So, we venture back to my car and while walking through the Quad hotel we ran into Michael Jackson...quite literally. He turned the corner, said he was sorry and was running late, proceeded to walk away as we said it was ok and sorry for almost knocking him down...waited 5 seconds, shared a look and about died laughing. Who was going to believe THAT story? Probably everyone..I mean...we were in Vegas :) I know that the saying goes, "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" But I decided to NOT conform and tell you ALL about it :) I guarantee Vegas is the only place that a black man would call Jade White Chocolate, my car would be in a movie, see Elvis at least 5 times, Physically run into Michael Jackson, walk past the Margaritaville bar and get scored on appearance (don't worry, we both got all 10's haha) feel violated by middle aged men who undress us with their eyes, laugh so hard we probably almost cried, eat in the rainforest and take pictures with countless numbers of celebrities. All in all, it was a pretty fantastic weekend :)

            As a side note, Here is a shout out to my Grandma Carla, who has been very sad I haven't blogged about her yet. My grandma is so wonderful and SO funny and does so much for me. I miss you a lot and I can't wait to see you in a month when school decides to release me from its firm and awful grasp! :)

            Until next time!

                                                                     

 This is how i feel about the eiffel tower

The Conservatory! 

Photo Credit:Jade Martin

Conservatory Picture DOS

Photo Credit: ME

We like to sing with the classics

Giving Mr. President some friendly advice

Make A Wish!