One year older and Wiser too!

Life is a funny thing, and everyday I find reasons and things that prove this fact. Often enough I find joy and reasons to smile, and then those days come when you find that life really has a sense of humor but you don't get it haha... and it feels like it's slapping you in the face. Yeah....life is good :) this past year I have come to realize that there is more to life and I am just beginning to brush the surface of what that means....."there's more to life"....such a phrase as this is enough to make me wonder if there's more to life then am I doing what I'm suppose to so that I can get there and qualify for whatever more is out there. College does funny things to you and since you are paying through the teeth to get there you might as well get out of it what you can and have a little fun while you attempt :) I don't think I have had more fun and been happier in my life, and also been through the hardest and most trying ordeals that I have ever faced, and I don't believe that they will ever stop, but I learned that you take the good with the bad and lean on the ones that love you when you can't support yourself. That's what love really is. Being independent was great, but still allowing people into my life to be there for me and to help me provided for some of my most cherished memories and life long friends I will ever make. But in a nutshell, I fell in love, made lasting friendships, danced my heart out, cooked, cleaned, froze, sang, picnics in the park, nerf gun wars, baking cookies everyday it seemed, the endless homework, projects, the testing center, working out, buying my own groceries, working, car problems, breakups, disappointments, church, doing nails, girls nights, forts made from the couches, swimming, trips to the tetons, jackson hole, movie nights, traveling to utah, in a nutshell this past year at college was where I found "there's more to life", and this is just the beginning............P.S. I made it through my first year without getting married ;)

My Love Hate Relationship with My Car.....the Ultimate Test of Being on My Own

Holy Schmoly! You know how we all despise tests, especially when we fail them, and I think it's because of that fear that we don't like them. If they were easy we truly wouldn't learn what we needed to. After saying that however, going through them is hard. Oh boy are they hard. Tonight me, a couple of my roommates, and some friends went to Idaho Falls to go shopping and go to the Temple. Everything was going very well. We went to JoAnn's and I have never seen guys actually enjoy themselves in a fabric store. It was the funniest, coolest thing! But then again if I had a girl making me footie pajamas that looked like a bear I would be excited too ;) That's just how awesome my roommate Cassie is ;) It brought back memories of hiding in the fabric from my mother, or having to touch every single piece of fabric......and I even still do that today! So we picked up what we needed and started to head for the temple. When we came to a stop light my car stopped working......Just to show you how nice people are.....Picture with me a girl in the driver's seat freak'n out because she can't go anywhere, the people behind honking their horns and the girl exclaiming, "I hear you but I can't go anywhere!" Haha now that I look back on it....I wish I could've been on the sidelines watching because it would've been hilarious!!!!! So we sat there for five minutes trying to figure out what to do, then we decided we needed to move the car...so the fine young man that was with us got out and pushed us, except I couldn't turn the wheel so we were stuck in the middle of the intersection, then we had other people jump out and help us (angels literally!) and we finally got off the road....Scariest moment of my life! I thought people were going to hit the people pushing.....I have never prayed so hard in my life....and I know God answers our prayers cuz He answered mine! Man I wanted to break down.....and I finally did when I talked to my mother......I am grateful for parents who raised me to just get up and back in the game, and I am so grateful for the wonderful friends and family I have! I ran into a cousin I hadn't seen in a long time at Carl's Jr of all places, one of my roommates had a way to come get my car, and my friend Jessica was there to comfort me and help me to remember to smile :) In the end it was all worth it to go to the temple......I needed to be there and something was trying to stop me from getting there......but I perservered and kept my chin up. I am a Peck and we don't let hard times put us down. Tough Times Don't Last but Tought People Do.......... I am grateful for this experience and know that the knowledge I gained from tonight will come in handy later :)

Firing Up the with Celtic Nights: An Irish Experience

You know how it's illegal to yell "Fire" in a movie theater? Not saying I've ever wanted to try it or that it's on my bucketlist of things to do in my life, but it would be pretty funny...Last night I went to a performance by Celtic Nights, a group from Ireland who is talented in and has perfected the art of singing, dancing, and fiddle playing: definitely the fiddle playing! I took my seat, and on one side I had a group of giggly girls, and on the other side a lovely dovey couple who couldn't keep their hands off each other (funniest thing!) It was a great place to people watch and it was nice to just go and sit by myself and observe the different social groups that make up the community. Finally the show was about to start and it started off with a bang! Literally! The fire alarms went off and you know that awkward moment when you all look at each other and think, "Should we get up and leave? Is this for real or is it an accident?" Definitely had that moment, but we all just sat there and let the techs figure out how to turn them off. The night was filled with a smoky atmosphere (someone was getting too happy using the smoke machine because it filled the entire auditorium!) that only intensified the senses. Was it perfect, no. One of the dancers fell, one of the singers missed a cue, but all of the rest of the moments definitely made up for them! The music was exhilerating, the dancing phenominal, and the singing was out of this world! Every eight minutes was a new emotion, a new feeling, it's like being on an emotional roller coaster with twists and turns that you don't expect. We got to sing along at one point and all I have to say is that Irish accents are HOT!  It's a night I will never forget and I hope I can experience again!

Look I Found Nemo! The New member of Our Family: Tomi Greane

Statistics say that if you can keep a pet alive for year that you will be successful in marriage, but then again it is a statistic so it's not saying much! ;) Either way we decided to put this to the test, placing bets (not real ones) on how long we could keep a fish alive. Welcome to Nauvoo apartments Tomi Greane!

Day 1: The day we brought Tomi home!
                        The night we brought home Tomi Greane is truly a miraculous miracle in it of itself, and I hope is not foreshadowing the first day of my marriage! Brittany rented a car per say, and crammed 6 people in a 5 passenger car, luckily we are all very fit and skinny, we snuggled up nice and close :) Heading to Walmart was going normal, just a bunch of college kids singing at the top of their lungs and dancing in the car. We arrived at our destination and the excitement began to build that we couldn't help ourselves that we ran inside, probably because it was freezing outside but we'll just say it was from the excitement and anticipation we all felt. We found the home of the fishies, and there swimming so cutely in a small little fish tank was our boy, Tomi Greane! Oh he was so cute! (I wonder if this is how people talk when they bring children into the world?) But we couldn't get him out! We looked everywhere for someone to help us, then finally someone did and I think he thought we were nuts, but we didn't care! We bought all the necessities that we needed and headed for the register, careful not to shake the bag like Darla from Finding Nemo because obviously that kills them. The guy at the register said that this was the 40th fish he had sold that day! Isn't that crazy! So we carried our special cargo to the car, got in and the car wouldn't start! Luckily we had a priesthood holder with us who knew how to jumpstart a car, and so we found another very nice young man, because there seems to be a lot of them around, who came and helped us. (I hope this also is not foreshadowing of my first day as a married woman, but if it was at least I would know how to jumpstart the car) We eventually got it to work, and went to Kiwi Loco to celebrate the new member of our family (girls will make any excuse to get ice cream so we did!). Don't worry we didn't leave Tomi Greane out in the car, that would just be irresponsible! After a refreshing bowl of ice cream we headed back so we could introduce Tomi to his new home, and all I have to say is that at first he was trying to kill himself! He would get stuck in between the marbles and couldn't get out......luckily tho he finally figured out it wasn't so bad and has been quite content since!

Day2: Tomi Greane is still alive
Day3: Tomi Greane is still very alive!

Bets on How Long Tomi will Live:

Mandy: 6 months
Brittany: whole semester
Adell: To Midterms
Quinci: 6 weeks
Cameron: 4 weeks
Jen: 2 weeks
Cassie: 3 days

If you would like to bet on how long Tomi Greane will live, please post you're bet as a comment :) But I can guarantee that he will live for a year ;)

Chapter 3: Beginning college! Talent Show, Dances, School, Temple, and all that JAZZ!

College.........the big bad, exciting, unknown feeling.....the word we've been hearing since we were just beginning to learn to walk! The pressure in high school to do well so we can make something of ourselves in the great beyond...It feels as if our entire lives are preparing us for that moment when our parents wave good bye, hoping they've taught us enough so we won't mess up some of the most important and big decisions of our lives.... Ok that's getting a little carried away but college is a big deal and I've made it there, and I can finally see whatever one is talking about :) To all of you high school students out there who think that life is all about high school......wake up and smell the dandelions my friends....college is ten times more stressful, fun, exciting, and full of responsibility. My first week of college goes something like this......

Once upon a time.......there was a girl....me! The first day I arrive at my apartment and I love it! Free laundry the best room mates on the entire planet! What more could I ask for! Then came the moment where my pocket book was about to get very small.....I watched as my hardwork from the past 8 months slowly began to drain into tuition, rent, books, food (which is muy importante), and school supplies. I am so grateful for the jobs and opportunities that I had these past months so I didn't have to take out loans...I am debt free :) I then decided to go out on a limb and try out for the new student talent show. I was soooo nervous because I have not danced in over six months, but I did anyway and I made it! The flying red outfit with ribbons came to life and burned up the dance floor up here in the cold and wintery atmosphere of BYU-Idaho, I've made amazing new friends because of it and grateful for the talents that Heavenly Father has given me. So far I've attended dances, forums, devotionals, studying parties, and so many other things! Wally ball, volleyball, working out, oh and cooking for myself is definitely a new experience. I love being so close to the temple and the peace it brings into my life and the lives of the students who take the time to go there. I can honestly say that I couldn't be happier and I know that God has prepared me for this time in my life pretty much since the day I was born :) I'm so excited to see where this new chapter in my life takes me and the wonderful adventures and items I will have to add to my bucketlist :)

My Grown Up Christmas List

I love Christmas music and one of my favorite songs is "Grown Up Christmas List", and as I get older this song really comes alive I guess you could say. Especially this year as I am about to leave for college and begin a new chapter in my life. Certain things about this month that used to be important to me such as how many presents had my name on them under the Christmas tree, or how big, or how much food I could eat because we only cook certain things around this time of year, all the parties I would hope to get invited to, all seemed to not matter anymore. Some of the most precious moments and memories that I have made this month have truly opened my eyes to the true meaning of Christmas and what I truly do want for myself, my family, my future family, and the world I live in. I had the opportunity to sing in a Rest Home and there are no sweeter spirits on this earth than those old wise people who everyday wish for the gift of a visit or someone to talk to them or to listen to them. I found that I didn't really need to ask them questions about themselves because they just went on and on about so many interesting things! I am definitely not going to make visiting a rest home just a once a year thing. I also had the opportunity to go work in the Garden City Cannery for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and the work really turns into fun. Isn't that what Christmas is all about? Helping those less fortunate than us? But it also reminded me that Christmas time is not the only time of year that people need our help....everyday people suffer from hunger, sickness, and other ailments. I think I can take 4 hours out of my busy schedule to do a little service. Plus you get to see a new side of people that you never knew. You find those that are hard workers who make the most of what they are given, those who frequently have to take breaks, those who make things into a game, or stick their fingers in rotten pears hahaha. (That's also a good place to take a date because you figure out a few things ;) ) But the most important thing I have been able to do this past month is spend time with my family. Whether it was singing while Malia played the piano, going shopping at the last minute for Christmas presents with Lauren, taking an evening to watch a whole season of Cake Boss with the family....these are truly the moments and gifts that I hoped for this year. Those with my family and those with my Sizzler family who I have grown to love and hold dear to my heart...This Christmas I'm not wishing for new shoes, a laptop, a new dress, or even my prince charming ;) .......my hope is that Santa will bring me the gift of giving, the gift of hope, and the gift of faith in my Savior who's birthday I will celebrate not only on December 25 but everyday of the year. Merry Christmas!

Killing Two Birds With One Stone: My Trip to Salt Lake

I can remember since I was a little girl walking around the Salt Lake Temple, gazing up at the tall spires and dreaming of going inside, finding my Prince Charming and being married there. This past weekend I fulfilled part of that dream, unfortunately it wasn't the man of my dreams going inside with me but I guess you take what you can get. I had the opportunity to go inside the House of the Lord that my great great great great great grandfather dedicated, President Wilford Woodruff, and doing baptisms for the dead. It was one of the most amazing and spiritual experiences of my life. Elder C. Scott Grow.....Love his name (think about it for a minute and you'll figure out why it's funny)! Came and talked to us and I learned a ton from him about families and my role in this world, and he gave some great insight into finding that Prince Charming of mine out there ;) Who I hope is behaving himself ;) But some of the most fun and memorable moments of this trip was the car ride up there and the activities going on besides the temple. I can honestly say when you put five girls in one car you end up with a couple of things.....dancing in the car, singing Christmas music, man hunting (the most fun and my fav and a funny story behind that one), and eating junk food and getting away with it :) Haha I also fulfilled one of the items of my life of traveling 100 mph, and what was funny about it is that I didn't even know we were going that fast until someone told me so idk if that counted? I can honestly say I love every single one of those girls and now have one of the coolest relationships with them, which I couldn't have achieved anywhere else. ;) So we show up to our hotel and open our room and it was DIRTY!!!! it was gross! so we got a new one and in that room the TV was broken which was hilarious! The cute guy downstairs at the desk sure had his handsful and I felt sorry for the guy! We took a side trip to Chuck A Rama for dinner which ended up with full bellies, then a trip around Temple Square during Christmas time.....it takes two words to describe it BREATHE TAKING! Oh my word it was beautiful and the lights were amazing and the Spirit there was strong. We also went and saw the new and improved Joseph Smith Movie.....while we were waiting the Sister Missionaries just got out of a meeting and I can honestly say that if I have the opportunity to go on a Mission I'm TAKING IT! The testimonies of those women are nothing like I've ever known! Couple that with the movie and you have girls bawling their eyes out and guys trying to not cry and some crying anyway.....it was so moving.......I can honestly say I had a very fulfilling weekend and a much needed break, and I hope to be able to go back soon.......These are definitely things on my bucketlist that I would do again and will do again :)