Oh boy, I've got Joy!

Things I am grateful for today...

That yesterday was as perfect as any May day gets. It started well, went well, and ended well.

Running into old roommates and friends.

Growing up.

Feeling young.

Letters from sister missionaries. I miss you Amy!

Reading THE BOARD.

The lilac smell in every room.

Relaxing pillow spray.

Allergy medicine.

My stealthy bike that sneaks up on people. It's so quiet that one might say it has a magnetohydrodynamic drive.

That I ride my bike to work every day minus Wednesday because I work late.

That I wear my helmet and glasses. I confess, 80 percent is for safety reasons, the other 20 percent is because I don't want people to recognize me.

Ride to work day.

Being home with the family this summer!

My little bro who is now passing ALL HIS CLASSES!!!!

The creative genius in Chad that has shown itself lately in his new long board business. He has made six so far and has orders for more.

Chad's sauce and style. Maybe just his saucy style.

Sierra's awesomeness and sisterly insight. I can't believe I missed out on having my little sister as my friend until I was 17 years old.

My creative and beautiful mother who put up with us on Mother's Day last Sunday.

That mom stocked the fridge, had frozen meals pre-cooked in the freezer, and left cash for groceries while she was gone.

Dad taking Sierra and I fishing and four wheeling last weekend.

Dad's hard work and him reading the scriptures each morning while eating breakfast. I have my own "breakfast Book of Mormon" full of crumbs and milk stains because of his example.

Red, yellow, and orange birds.

The three baby robins in our tree out back and their diligent mother who perches on the fence.

The effectiveness of hand sanitizer.

An delightful poem such as this one.

My laptop. I might still get a year or so out of it after all!

White skirts and dresses paired with flirty spring shoes.

Finding a blossom in my hair this morning after our flower fight last night.

Blogger. I need to stop stalking and gawking however.

Reading the newspaper each morning (including my horoscope: "A problem with competition will need immediate attention").

My six dollar Asics running shoes that are still going strong.

The fact that I really don't care how good I look while doing my morning run anymore.

Some conveniences of Facebook and the fact that I have NEVER and will never take a quiz of any kind.

The regular river trail runners that say hello each morning.

Cookie cutter houses despite it all.

My smiley bishop who I saw on campus today!

Linking words while blogging.

Funny design concepts like this.

Windy days.

Hot keys.
The primary colors, which I happen to be wearing right now.

10 cent raises and free water bottles.

Waiting lists.

Seeing Life in Technicolor.

The power of a hot shower or a long bath.

Tomatillo salsa. So easy: 10 boiled tomatillos, 1 jalapeno, 2 cloves of garlic, one bunch of cilantro, salt and pepper to taste. Blend it all up baby!

Returning missionaries.

Les Misérables and Jamie Pugh.

Temple night, Thursday night. Call me if you want to come.

Nuvia, my mentee. I also love that we are both major fans of chocolate chip cookies. Oh, by the way, if anyone is interested in mentoring check out the Web site here. One of the best decisions of my life so far.

Adobe Illustrator. Do you like my new blog header?

Laughing until my cheek muscles hurt after finding and perusing this blog.

The Harold B. Lee Library.

The Daily Universe.

To have two part-time jobs this summer.

Great supervisors and co-workers.

My fear of vending machines.

Garbage day every Monday. Somehow it is very reassuring and comforting to me to know that every monday the garbage will be taken away.

The crisp and wonderful letterpressing of wedding invitations.

Toothpast, mouthwash, and yes, even the dreaded floss.

Harper's random Saturday activity club. What is planned for this week?

Organization and that now my sister is feeling the vibe.

A new baby niece this fall!

The talent of this. I kind of really want to see this in real life, does anyone know how I can?

Inspiration in unexpected places which make creativy ooze and gush.

Words of the Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley.

Becoming "anxiously engaged" in the full life around me.

Joy in the Journey

And what a journey it has been so far!

I left Provo early Monday morning and flew out of Salt Lake Airport at 9:35 a.m. to Atlanta Georgia. I was finally able to board the plane at 5:50 p.m. to Madrid after a three hour layover in Atlanta. (It still didn’t all seem real to me that I was leaving the country at this point.) We were scheduled for take-off at 6:40 p.m. Around 7:00 p.m. one of the flight attendants asked me for my boarding pass. At 7:10 p.m. I was in tears watching the plane take off without me.

I’m still not quite sure how it all happened, but there was a mistake because my seat had been duplicated and the plane was completely full. They gave me a nice hotel room and rebooked my flight for the following day. And the best part is that I had been moved up to first class! I’ll admit that I had a mental and emotional breakdown initially, but the tender mercies from the Lord outweighed the confusion, the frustration, and pretty much the whole inconvenience.

The first tender mercy was when I recognized another student, Kami, who was flying with me to Atlanta and then to Madrid. The second and third tender mercies were sitting by some of the very nicest people on my way to Atlanta and to Madrid. That’s a whole other blog post on it’s own.

Another blessing was the Bible in my hotel room. Never before had I been more grateful to see a bible in a hotel room! Of course I had Internet access to the scriptures online, but the sight of that bible was comforting and the reminder I needed to gain perspective on my dilemma.

Once again I knew that the Lord was watching out for me because I happened to open to the book of Esther in the Bible. In my English 350: The Bible as Literature class this past semester we able to study this book along with other women in the Bible such as Ruth. I gained a great love for these women of faith and great courage. I cannot begin to compare myself to Esther, but I had hope that I could face my fears of insecurity for the rest of my trip and study abroad.

A phrase I heard many times while travelling with my mother and grandmother in Pennsylvania and Delaware popped into my head as I was waiting for my shuttle to the hotel. It was, “We are not lost, we’re just on an adventure!” This was a tender mercy as I tried to assume the twinkling smile and hearty chuckle, which came with this genuine attitude and character of my dear grandma.

I found bits of joy at the airport while watching children play and talking to other people waiting in lines. Boy are there some very interesting people in this world!

While in Atlanta I saw part of the season premiere of “True Beauty,” which helped me to embrace my natural, inner beauty the following morning when I found myself with no luggage, including all my clothes, toiletries, and yes, makeup.

Many have asked me why I decided to go to Madrid for a study abroad. At first I wondered myself why I would choose to put literally my entire life savings into this and add another semester onto my education. Why? Well, um… I’ve always wanted to do a study abroad, it will help me to learn Spanish better, and because it counts toward my minor. These answers never seemed sufficient, they never got at the main reason I came on this adventure. When I began to make my resolutions for the New Year, I felt that this year would be one of much growth and learning. To learn and to grow. Those are my goals for my time in Spain. When I was taken off the plane, it was like the Spirit said to me, “You wanted to learn and grow? Well, here is your first challenge.”

When I left my application interview for the program I said something quite unexpected to Dr. Brown, our program director. It was, “I think this will probably change my life in many small ways.” Many of you know that I have the most extraordinary talent for saying some pretty cheesy, lame, and absolutely foolish things sometimes. This was one of those times. However, now that I look back on what I said, maybe it wasn’t such a stupid thing to say. For one thing, it was truth, because I feel a change already.

(I wish I could add my photos to this post, but it seems like Blogger is acting up. I will try again tomorrow as well as posting more about my arrival and introduction to Spain.)

Tree Hunting

The day after Thanksgiving brings relaxation, digestion, and a great Camp family tradition: finding our Christmas tree.

Each year our hunt brings a little something new. This year we found an old mining cabin.

This is the front view.

Sierra

A nice "homey" touch don't you think?

I wasn't sure if the place was haunted or not.

Sierra wanted to capture the light coming through the rafters.

Brittany

Here is Dad sizing up some trees.

Mom found the perfect one!

"Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree, How lovely are your branches!"

I couldn't get enough of the pine smell.

Harper did the dirty work.

Getting the tree off the mountain was a little tricky, but Dad found a way.

Hopefully I'll get some pictures soon of the tree after it has been decorated with lights and ornaments!

Rock Canyon Geology Field Trip

Last Saturday I had the opportunity to go on a field trip up to Rock Canyon in Provo. It was a beautiful morning and the perfect time to enjoy the changing colors on the trees. I have to admit that some of those rocks are pretty neat too!

One of the best things about my geology class is our most amazing professor, Dr. Nixon. He is truly one of the most kind and inspiring people that anyone could ever meet. His love for learning about this beautiful earth is such a good example to us all. He is able to connect with us "young people" and to teach in such a way that is clear and applicable. From Far Side Gallery comics and rock puns to "anti-sleeping students devices," He keeps class lively and interesting! Like Dr. Nixon says, "Interest precedes learning!"

Farmer's Market

To enjoy a glorious Saturday morning and the bounties of the summer harvest, sample the local farmer's market.

a

By the way... The extraordinary tostado I had for breakfast was simply a crispy corn tortilla, refried beans, shredded lettuce, oinions, avocado, cheese (not sure what kind), and some amazing marinated shredded steak.

Ninjas

An Adventure

One quiet evening, before the onslaught of fall semester homework, two eligible young ladies took a lovely evening bike ride in east Provo. Their first task was to conquer the looming hill at the base of the mountain. They did so with pride. (And with plenty of huffing, puffing, groaning, and squeaking.) The night sky was refreshing and the elevated view of the city lights was spectacular. However, all bliss was to be forgotten on their journey home.

a

Meet the deer.

a

This little guy (or one of the same lineage) decided it would be fun to stand in the middle of the road and not make any noise until we had almost crashed into him. Yup, deer in the headlights. Except for they were bike reflectors. Some of his other playmates were off the side of the road having a late night snack. We came out unscathed and full of giggles.

A Rainy Monday

Come party with the TJAM in apartment 28!

Presenting from left to right, top to bottom: Johanna, Mandy, Amy, and me!

!Feliz Cumpleanos Siena!

Got to love those cheeks and that adorable dress!

4th of July Campout in Ashley National Forest

Here are some photos of our adventures last weekend!

We woke up super early in the morning and drove up to Strawberry Reservoir for some fishing. We didn't have much luck at Strawberry, but we did the new place we went to in the afternoon. Chad out fished us all by a mile (something he is very proud of).


We camped right down the road by the Upper Stillwater Dam which was quite a sight.



The next morning we went on an amazing hike around the reservoir, through the forest, and up to the top of a mountain. It was the perfect weather for hiking and the trees, rocks, flowers, and streams were gorgeous! We went off the trail at one point and did some pretty intense climbing over some huge boulders and rocks to get to the top of the mountain. We also found some natural springs and refilled our water bottles. The water was so good and very cold. I thought I would be really sore because it was over 7 miles and there were a few rough parts, but surprisingly we were all fine the next day. I can probably say without a doubt that it was the best hike that I've ever been on.

Happy (early) Fourth!

“Oh Beautiful for Patriot Dream”

Proud to be an American. Last year was my first year attending the Stadium of Fire and it was quite an experience! I love the fireworks that I can feel go boom and crackle in my stomach! I had a fun time experimenting with my camera also. This year we are celebrating by going camping, hiking, fishing, and all that fun stuff (pictures to come). Hope y'all have a terrific holiday!