A few things I've been up to...

About a week ago my roommates and I went to 

an event here in town called Rail Jam. 

Barrie's Sports constructed a big ramp

and covered it with carpet and put a little snow

right before this rail thing.

I didn't even think to pull out my camera

during the competition, but when we were all waiting

to hear the results a few BMX riders came

out and did some tricks. 

This picture is of a professional

rider named Colton. This dude was CRAZY insane!

I'll never understand how a person can

go off a jump and just flip all over the place. 

Pretty sweet huh?

Also, at FHE on Monday we decorated sugar cookies.

We wanted something that wouldn't

take a long time because it was Mid-term week

and we ALL needed to study.

They decided to judge the cookies and everyone

got some title.

There was one that was named Tallest

because the guy put a bunch of 

Candy corns on it standing straight up 

and then put another cookie on top of that

with more candy corns.

Mystie's was named 

Most Likely to Star on Wheel of Fortune

because Mystie put all the candy corns in a circle 

just like on wheel of fortune.

Mine won Best Design!

Cute little turkey isn't it?

Then, yesterday Mystie and I got invited to go

to the corn maze in Shelley.

You were supposed to go through the maze

and find all the different check points

and punch them on this card that 

would give you some discount at whatever

store or restaurant was listed.

We got one of the check points then realized

that all the places were in IF, so we

just decided to get ourselves thoroughly lost

then find our way back out. 

WAY more fun.

On the way into the maze they mark your hand

with a marker. Guess what happened

when I fell asleep last night?

Can you see the two marks on my cheek?

Look familiar Maci?

Bob and me :)

For those of you who don't know who Bob is,

He has been very special in my life and 

sometimes I love him more than anything else

because he makes everything disappear.

Cute, right?

Bob is my violin. Sorry to burst any bubbles!

I've been playing the violin since I was in fifth grade

when I joined Mr. and Mrs. Mann's orchestra.

I was hooked from the very first day!

I'll be the first to admit, I was never the best at practicing

but that doesn't mean I didn't love it.

I got Bob when I was going into 7th grade.

It was a HUGE surprise. 

I had been playing Lindsay's little half sized violin

and it was clear to everyone that I was quickly outgrowing it.

Mr. Mann brought it up frequently that I needed a bigger one,

but I avoided the topic because I knew it was a lot of money.

Then, one day we got a huge box in the mail, and 

SURPRISE! A new violin!

He got his name when I was in 9th grade...

to be honest I think it started as a joke

But BOY did it stick!

When I was playing in the orchestra for The Secret Garden

I remember Tanner Davis seeing me walk through

the doors and he said, "BOB!!! Oh, and Emma!"

When we moved away from Moscow I was disappointed

to learn that there was no orchestra program.

My formal training stopped there (can you really call it formal training?)

I never had a private teacher, that surprises a lot of people.

I tried to keep up on my skills by playing in the Community Orchestra

or in church, and in the orchestra for school musicals.

When I was packing up everything to leave for college

Maci walked into my room and said, "Are you taking Bob?"

A flood of emotions overcame me and I

all of a sudden wasn't so sure.

I hadn't picked up my violin for 3 months.

I didn't think I would ever have time for it, 

and I was 100% ready to leave him in Soda.

...or so I thought.

I brought him.

I couldn't leave him.

Then, a few weeks ago I was singing in 

the Women's Institute Choir and we came

upon a part in I Know That My Redeemer Lives

that split into a congregation part and a choir part.

Brother Lee admitted that he didn't know what

we were going to do for that part 

and before I knew what I was doing my hand was in the air.

I told him that I would play the congregation part

and he gladly accepted.

I just got back from another rehearsal

and I'm so filled with the spirit!

I love the way that playing Bob feels!

Sister Lee, our pianist, turned to me

after one run-through and asked how long

I'd been playing.

I told her that I hadn't played since my 

freshman year and she said, "In college?"

"Oh no, in high school."

"Are you in the ISU Symphony?"

THAT was sure a confidence boost!

Bob and me, we're a team :)

Today is SO Monday

This weekend was a little hectic for me, so I was hoping this week would just roll by and let me relax a little bit...

WELL! Are you ready for a fun story?

I woke up this morning, turned off my alarm, and apparently fell back asleep.

I woke up again when my neighbor came to pick up his girlfriend

who stayed with us for the weekend.

I picked up my phone, saw that it was 9:27, and said,

"You've GOT to be kidding me!" 

(Class starts at 9)

I have never gotten ready so fast!

I was praying the whole way to Chemistry that I didn't miss the beginning of class quiz

(I had little hope because he hands it out at 9 and we have to hand it in by 9:15)

I walked into class, sat down, and looked at the clock.

9:33

I seriously got up, dressed, and to class at least a quarter of a mile away in 6 minutes!

SCORE number ONE!!!

 Then I saw that the quiz had already been handed out :( 

BUMMER!!

I just kinda sat there until they were done talking about it.

Inside I was beating myself up because I couldn't believe I slept in...

THEN...

Mr. Long came around to collect the quizzes.

He stopped in front of my desk, put a blank quiz on it, 

(which surprised me because he said absolutely NO making up quizzes)

 wrote my name on it and then added a plus 10 to it.

I was pretty much dumbstruck for a minute there...

When I finally realized what he did I told him that it's not fair

to everyone else and that I didn't deserve the points.

He looked at me and said, 

"You already know the stuff, you get the points."

SCORE number TWO!!!!

Then I got home and started doing my chemistry homework 

and was almost late for my Calculus class. 

Did I mention, TODAY IS SO MONDAY!!!!

I never thought I'd say this...

But I seriously have to thank Mr. Tufts.

He was probably the hardest teacher I ever took a class from

and I HATED him for giving us so much homework,

and handouts to memorize,

and ridiculous quizzes on things no one knew.

However, he did help me get a 4 on the AP Chem test my Junior year

and he JUST helped me get a 99.6% on my first chemistry exam of the year :D

HOORAY!!!

And the second thing I never thought I'd say is....

Freshman 15 here I come :(

I decided to weigh myself this weekend when I went home for Carley's Birthday....

and I was HORRIFIED!

I know I'm not fat by any means, and I'll bet a lot of you

out there are hating me right now (*cough* mom *cough*)

But seriously? I have been between 130-135 pounds

since 8th grade (which made for a chunky little 8th grader)

but I kinda got used to that so when I read 144

on the scale my first (well second) thought was HOLY COW!!! (Literally)

My REAL first thought was, "Hey! That's 12 squared!"
Now you tell me, where did that 10 pounds go?
I'm telling myself it's all muscle (cause that weighs more) :)

Once again, this last part is mainly a joke. I KNOW I don't have anything to worry about.

...YET (dun dun duuuuuuuuun)

QUOTE WALL!!

Remember that quote wall that I posted pictures of a few weeks ago?

Well...I guess it's obvious that I'm gonna be telling you a little bit about it.

Most nights when Kenna, Mystie, and I are eating dinner

I'll look up at the quotes and ask them what they mean. 

And I am now happy to announce that 

I have contributed to it :)

I'll explain these all of these.....

Cause otherwise they probably won't make any sense

This one was actually in my first week here.

Mystie and Kenna were talking about setting me up on a date

with a guy they say I'm DESTINED to marry.

Mystie said, "Don't worry, Kenna and I will create you..." and then kinda trailed off.

That's when I put in my two cents haha

I just love the way Mystie said, "You didn't let me finish!!!"

So...

Yesterday we had a bunch of people over to play CURSES.

(Funnest game in the world by the way)

After they left a guy decided he wanted to make sugar cookies,

who were we to disagree?

While he was in the kitchen making the cookies

Mystie had the bright idea to do some leg wrestling

(Basically you lay on your back with your feet by the other person's

head and link legs and try to flip the other person.)

I won a couple of times, but KENNA was definitely the best at it...

Except for Brian, but he doesn't count.

Mystie wanted me to go against Kenna and I protested by saying, 

"My pants are too slidey!!"

This one started because we fall asleep watching movies basically every night :)

I woke up early Sunday morning to start dinner

(by accident. I thought the clock said 10:30, not 8:30...don't ask how)

I had a lot of extra time considering church starts at 1:30

SO...

I decided to check my email.

I was sitting on the couch and Kenna was still asleep on my bean bag chair.

She started mumbling a little bit...

...but that's a common occurrence so I let it slide.

Then she said in this really whiney voice, 

"I don't KNOW!?

I thought she woke up, so I asked her what she said.

She SNAPPED at me, "Stop asking me questions!"

Then I realized she was still asleep hahaha

It kinda stunk actually...I had to giggle with myself until she woke up

so I could tell her about her own funny moment :)

I personally think this one is the funniest one on the wall.

We were in church singing a congregational hymn, which I really love doing :)

The song was True to the Faith and I was really concentrating on 

the alto line because it's SUPER difficult. I think so anyway....

ANYWAY...so the second verse has a line that says, 

Shall the children of the promise cease to grasp the Iron Rod? No!

Mystie was intently singing, but when she came to the word No!

She lost her place and read the wrong line, so she ended up singing, "YES!"

I nudged her, then she nudged me back

Then we both busted up laughing right there in sacrament meeting.

We couldn't even come close to finishing that verse

We got a few words in during the third verse (then started laughing again)

Finally, during the fourth verse I turned the other way so I couldn't see Mystie

and we got through it pretty alright.

The second counselor in the bishopric was given orders

by the BISHOP to find out what we were laughing about.

He thought it was pretty funny too :)

It reminds me of the time in Sacrament meeting in 8th ward when 

Colten accidentally sang "Tators and Tyrants" instead of "Traitors and Tyrants"

Neither of us can sing that song EVER AGAIN!

Without laughing anyways :)

8 reasons I love my life

Reason number one: I have awesome roommates. I was worried

at first about who I would be rooming with, but they have both

turned out to be totally awesome. I knew I would be rooming

with Mystie, it was the others I was worried about. As it turns out

I only have one other and we all get along great! :)

This is Mystie putting the finishing touches on our Sunday dinner. 

It was a last minute thing. Sky high nachos :)

Reason number two: I have awesome neighbors.

Here's the story. We went to our neighbors apartment to

plan some ideas for FHE (He and Mystie are FHE parents). 

We got done with our planning. We were really bored.

Mystie saw a pile of Nerf guns. Ideas began formulating.

We had an awesome Nerf gun war. 

We had to go home to finish some homework, which was a bummer :(

When I was sitting in front of my Biology homework

I got a text from Jeff that said, "I have an idea. Hmmmm."

I got up and locked our apartment door :)

A couple seconds later he rang the doorbell. 

Then he rang it again. 

Then he started knocking.

Kenna (my other roommate) grabbed her marshmallow gun and loaded up.

Mystie grabbed a pot and filled it with water.

I grabbed Kenna's rubber band gun, but I was too late.

Kenna had already opened the door and Mystie had already

doused Jeff with water. He responded by attacking us with a pillow.

When he went back to his apartment Mystie got

a stack of post it notes and wrote, 

"You better watch your back" on all of them.

She and I went over to their apartment and taped them all over the door.

The next day when I came back from Bio lab I saw

one of the post it notes taped on our door. 

We went over and wrote TWICE on the ones still on their door.

...then Jeff opened the door and unloaded a Nerf gun on us.

Reason number Three: Once a cardinal always a cardinal.

I went back to Soda for the homecoming game.

Long story short, we lost. Bad.

But that was okay. It didn't change anything about my feelings

for Soda Springs, Idaho.

It was there that I found my testimony.

It was there where I became who I am today.

It was there where I learned what true friendship was.

Where I came to truly appreciate life and all its joys and blessings.

That's why I had a hard time understanding why my senior class

couldn't wait to get out. I LOVE going back.

Reason number Four: I have totally amazing friends.

This is my best friend, Carley after she was presented as Homecoming Royalty.

(All the female candidates are presented at the football game. Queen is announced the next night at the dance.)

We've been through a lot together, and I love her for

staying by my side through the worst of it.

Doesn't she look beautiful?

Reason Number Five: I love my family more than anything.

Every time I come home Maci asks to sleep in my bed.

I truly love her with every fiber of my being

(even if it does take her an HOUR AND A HALF to get

ready for a freaking FOOTBALL GAME)

We have lots of fights and arguments, but we've been

best friends since we were itty bitty. I still remember

going out into the hills in Salmon and just walking around.

Or looking for "Fool's Crystals"

Or riding our bikes in circles for HOURS because we were too afraid

to ride them down the hill. 

Maci, even though you do take entirely too long to put

on your mascara, you mean the world to me.

Reason number Six: I love my puppies.

Sigh is far from being a puppy. I can't believe we've had him for

seven years! Or maybe it's eight...

I call him my pooch, even though he's a family dog.

I never get enough of the way they run up to me

and look at me with those big brown eyes and wag

their entire butt trying to wag their tails. 

And I can NEVER say no to their puppy dog eyes.

These little guys are the BEST!!

Reason Number Seven: I live in an amazing country.

Sure, we have our problems, but I can't think of anywhere

else in the world where I would rather live.

September 11.

Wow, it was nine years ago today.

I remember getting on the bus as a fourth grader. 

I sat in my assigned seat, second one back on the left if you were facing the driver.

The substitute bus driver kept calling things out like,

"An airplane just flew into the World Trade Center!"

and

"There's been another attack! Another plane has flown into the World Trade Center!"

I had no clue what was going on.

I didn't understand it.

I wouldn't even BEGIN to understand it for another couple years.

I look back and I am so grateful that the people of this

country came together nine years ago.

People gave their lives doing what they do.

I will forever be grateful for them.

Reason Number Eight: The Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I wrote this Psalm in seminary last year.

Brother Hegemann glued a copy of it in his hymn book.

It goes to the tune of A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief.

There have been times when I have strayed

And slow to listen, I've disobeyed.

But I have seen blessings great and small

That show thy mercies conquer all.

I love Thee Lord, I'll give Thee praise

I'll worship Thee in all my days

So then when I see Thee again 

I'll know Thy name I did defend

I have seen FAR too many things in this life

that have been another witness of what I know to be true.

If I ever start to have doubts, all I have to do is think of

Youth Conference 2007. The week where God answered my prayers

in a BIG way. Brianne Kline, you don't know how much you

saved my testimony. And all you did was show up to Youth Conference.

I don't know how many of you know the story...so I'll tell it again. 

Sorry, this post is getting really long.

I had known for awhile that we were moving to Soda Springs.

I was happy, but I was SO scared to have to start again

and make new friends. 

I remember the night I hit rock bottom and fell to my knees

crying and asked God to help me. To help me make friends easily.

It was the first prayer I had said in months. Maybe even a year.

When I showed up to Youth Conference I was put in a family

group with a lot of strangers. On our way to the campsite I

started talking to a girl with gorgeous blond hair.

I asked her where she was from and I finally

got her to say the name of the town (she was convinced I had never heard of it).

Soda Springs, Idaho.

She was a violinist.

She was every bit as shy as I was.

She was God's answer to my prayer.

Yes, these are the reasons I love my life. :)

Date Night :D

One thing I didn't expect about college is

DATING!

I can pretty much count the number of times I went on an actual date

in high school on one hand.

I've been here for two weeks...

and I'm already blowing that number out of the water.

I went to the movies once, and frisbee golfing once.

Tonight I'm going bowling with a guy from my complex.

And TOMORROW night I'm going to Lagoon with a good friend.

That one is kinda an unofficial date.

Also, sometime next week I'm going on another one

but neither of us are sure when.

College sure does make a person BUSY!

These boys will KNOW what team I cheer for haha

I didn't feel the need to get all primped :)