The Swagger of 306

One of the joys of being a college student is the adventures of having roommates. Good adventures and bad adventures. But luckily this semester there have been many many more good adventures than bad. And that is one (no, probably, the only) reason I'm sad that the semester is getting close to the end. I absolutely adore my roomies :) My wonderfully talented friend Anna, took pictures for us last week and they are adorable! Here are a few-

We do a lot of laughing in our apartment

I think this shows our personalities pretty well  :)

I love these girls. We are absolutely crazy. And seriously the funniest things are said in our apartment.

Brief glimpse of our quote wall:

"Oh my gosh, you're stalking a dead person!?" -Stephanie

"Does anyone have alcohol?" -Lorna

"I wanna be Asian" -Ashley

"I just snotted on myself" -Sheri

"We're done!!!" (She's the Man) -Elyse

"It's sooooo beautiful out here!" -Jessica

Now I realize these aren't funny to you because you don't understand the context of the situation, nor were there in the moment. But it's a crazy life in 306 and let's just say that sleep is hard to come by :)

Food for Thought

My mom sent me an email this morning with this little thought that I absolutely loved! To my fellow single sisters out there, this is for you!

Girls are like apples on trees. The best ones are on the top of the tree. The boys don't want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they just get the rotten apples from the ground that aren't as good, but easy. So the apples at the top think something is wrong with them, when in reality, they're amazing. They just have to wait for the right boy to come along, the one who's brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree.

Happy Thursday! :)

Friday Night Adventures

Last night Elyse, Lorna, and I went down to Idaho Falls for a girl's night out :) It was fun to just get away for a bit. We did a little shopping, which was probably a bad idea... haha and then we crossed something off my bucket list! We went to a restaurant and ordered just dessert :) I know people do it all the time, but whenever I go to a restaurant I never get dessert 'cause I'm always too full! So we went to TGI-Friday's and we each got a different dessert and shared.

Ultimate Brownie, Vanilla Bean Cheesecake, and Peanut Butter Pie

Yumm, Yumm, Yumm :)

Then we drove around Rigby to see what they had down there and fyi it's kinda sketch... haha. They have like a whole 5 street lights, and it was like deserted... So then we tried to come home, but ended up driving all around Rigby just to get back to the freeway. Well the night was still young (at 11:00) so we decided to go star gazing :) It was kinda cloudy, but it was nice to get away from everything and just talk. So we drove up passed the temple and laid on Elyse's car and just talked :) It was a very successful night to say the least :)

Appetite of a College Student

Want to know what a college student eats? More specifically, what I live off of every day? Well here's what the daily menu is for Stephanie :)

Breakfast- A bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats

Lunch- Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich, chocolate chip cookies, chips, and a glass of milk (if I'm not on campus during lunch time).

Dinner- Rotation between Ramen, Spaghettios, Chicken Nuggets... basically anything that I have...

And for those of you that don't know me too well, I eat like a bird, but I make up for it in the number of times I eat a day. I have to have a mid-morning snack because I'll be starving by noon if I don't. And then I have to have an afternoon snack for the same reason with dinner. And then yes, a midnight snack is a must (except it's whenever I go to bed, so sometimes it's midnight, sometimes it isn't) because otherwise I'll wake up to a growling stomach which is no bueno. 

So basically my diet consists of lots of milk (2%), peanut butter (chunky), cereal (Honey Bunches of Oats), and Poptarts (only the brown sugar and cinnamon kind). Yes I know I'm picky, but who cares if I'm the one buying? So to those of you that love me and are just dying to send me some treats I wouldn't mind having a few of these on hand ;) 

Renewed Motivation

Every college student has the same weakness (well except those few "perfect" children that have more willpower than the rest of us, and are automatically going to the Celestial Kingdom...) it's called Facebook. No one wants to admit it, but it's everyone's guilty pleasure. It's what I resort to when I'm bored, when I don't want to do homework, or when a roommate (okay okay, I do it too...) meets a cute boy... and it's stupid! I realized this this morning and it has already changed my life, so between this revelation and my sudden motivation to be productive and do homework today (don't you just love those days?!?) I came home from class and blocked Facebook on my computer (I'm pretty sure it didn't work, but I think of it as more of a psychological thing). Then I resorted to my room and set to work on my homework. And you'll never believed what happened! Not only did I get all my homework done for tomorrow, but for Wednesday as well! And it's only 6:30! I don't know if it's my motivation today, or lack of Facebook, but I'm pretty sure I'll have sooo much more time with out that stupid Facebook sitting on my desktop tempting me with its evil blue login-ness. So as of now I'm going to see how long I can go without getting on, but I'm convinced that I'll have more time, better grades, and more energy. So I'll definitely keep you updated :) Oh and for those of you that are just so interested in my life, I'm going to blog more often in replacement of my Facebook time, so be sure to check back often. Don't worry, I didn't delete my Facebook because I think it's a good way to keep in contact with people you never see, but really I don't need to sit on there all day every day looking at people's pictures and random "status" updates. So if you want to talk to me you have my number and know where to reach me. And I have your number and know where to reach you if I want to talk to you as well. This is my way of being in the world, but not of the world, and I'm so happy I made this decision! See ya'll later! :)

Forget Me Not

Amazing Relief Society Broadcast this past weekend. And as usual, Elder Uchtdorf gave an AWESOME talk!!! I'm pretty sure it'll be one I'll remember for a long time. He talked about the little flowers called Forget Me Not's. Then he went on to talk about five things we shouldn't forget.
Forget not:
1. To be patient with yourself.
2. The difference between good and foolish sacrifices.
3. To be happy now.
4. The 'why' of the gospel.
5. That the Lord loves you.
Want to hear more?? Go here :)

Can Life Get Any Better?

This semester has definitely gotten off to a good start. I LOVE my roommates! And since I love them so much, then I guess that means they make it onto the blog :) This picture shows our personalities pretty well if I do say so myself :)

Jessica, Elyse, Me, Lorna, Sheri, and Ashley

Seriously though, my roommates are amazing, my FHE group is amazing, I love the ward, and I'm sooo excited for my calling (I can't tell you yet, 'cause I haven't been set apart, but I'll let you know what it is as soon as I can :) ) Five out of six of my classes I have with a friend, and none of them were planned (well except one, with my previous roommate...) So that's amazing! I have soo many friends, I love all of them so much, and they have blessed my life more than I even can imagine. I love meeting people, and I make new friends everyday! It's totally different than I was in high school, but it's definitely a good different :) So basically college is amazing, and I really don't ever want it to end :)

So here's a shout-out to all my amazing roommates and friends! I love you guys so much, and can't wait to get to know all of you better! :)

Hellos and Goodbyes

Yesterday I attended some mission "farewells" (I know that's not the politically correct term; or religiously correct term for that matter... but that's really what they are. Am I right?) of some good friends of mine. It was kinda sad, because I realized I wouldn't be able to talk to, or see these people for 2 years! And who knows what could happen in those 2 years?? People change; especially people like me that are my age... And I thought to myself, "will the relationship I have with these people be the same after they come home?" The answer- probably not. Why? It's the same reason you're no longer best friends with the people you were best friends with in high school. Sure, the loss of contact is one thing, but like I said, people change, and it turns out that you're closest to the people that you talk to the most; it's a fact. So no matter how you try, things never stay the same forever... So basically the point I was trying to make, was that it was sad. But ironically, these "farewells" (that are meant to say 'goodbye') also allowed me and all the other people that were there to say 'hello' :) Long lost friends (aka people that I waved at in the hallway) that I was able to reacquaint myself with. So that was nice; knowing that they still knew who I was, and surprised that some of them actually knew where I was going to school!

This past weekend I also had to say goodbye to a dear friend of mine; Kevin. He was so good to me. Got me to places that I wouldn't have been able to get to otherwise. He struggled, quite a bit actually, but he was so faithful and lucky for me, even though his time was due at any time, he never let me down. I do need to ask for his forgiveness though, since I didn't take care of him as much as I should have. And the one time that I let him go dead, because I left his lights on... Sorry again Kevin... But he was a trooper and got me through those  tough times when I was just a wee lad and didn't have a clue what it meant to be responsible. Well on Saturday, poor Kevin was replaced... by a younger, prettier, and more reliable car...

 Dear Kevin,
I'm sorry, but we all know that you wouldn't be able to make it the 250 miles up to Rexburg... and since I don't know a thing about cars, and wouldn't have the slightest clue what to do if you died in the middle of Idaho... So it's for your own good... Lucky for you though, my dad has decided to give you pity and renew your registration, and take you to work with him (shhh, don't tell Kevin, but it's only because he gets better gas than the Expedition...) and then hopefully you'll be able to stick it out until we can find you a new owner.... So long Kevin, I will miss your sun spots, and how you would rattle your engine when we would stall at a stoplight. I will miss the cute little sticker I put on the dashboard, so I would remember to turn off your lights. I will miss those long mornings in the dead of winter, when I would scrap the ice off your window. I will cherish those memories for years to come. Thanks Kevin, it was nice knowing you :)

Kevin (named after the bird in "UP") 

Along with the 'goodbye' I said to Kevin, I said 'hello' to a new special someone who I hope will be as good to me as Kevin was. This new friend of mine is who is going to take me to college, and hopefully treat me as well, if not better, as Kevin did. His name is Dug. He seems to have a good little engine, and will hopefully prove to be a good investment (even though he was more my parent's investment than mine...).

Dear Dug, 

I know you've been a part of the family for awhile now, and I hate to break it to you, but along with Kevin, you've also been replaced. But lucky for you, you get to leave this wonderful town of West Jordan and come up to Rexburg with me! :) It'll be fun, I promise. Don't worry, we'll come back and visit. Often :) So whada-ya say? Will you leave the warmth of the garage and come with me to the not-so-bustling town of Rexburg  with me? (shhh don't tell him that Rexburg is a little more than not-so-warm... I'm still trying to figure out how to break it to him...).

Dug (named after the dog on "UP") 

So the past few days, and weeks to come I will be saying a lot of 'hellos' and 'goodbyes.' But I know that they're for the best and all this change that I'll be experiencing will be good :)

BYU Education Week

My mom and I went down to Provo this week to attend BYU Education Week. I don't really know why they call it education week. I, personally, think that they should call it Inspiration week, but who am I to tell them what they should call it? It was probably inspired by God anyway, so I guess I shouldn't be fighting what God wants... Well anyway, I learned SOOO much, I mean, I guess it was stuff I already knew, but it was nice to clear out some of the fog. I was so uplifted spiritually and my testimony was strengthened in areas that I didn't really have much of a testimony on in the first place; it's nice to expand your testimony to new horizons every once in awhile :) I wish I could just pour on you everything that I learned, but since I can't do that all in one blog post, I'll give you a little snip-it of a quote that came from my last and favorite class we attended. It was titled "I've Got Questions About...! Finding answers in the Doctrines of the Gospel," with Friday's topic being "Teachings on Hope: How God Judges." The speaker was Jack S. Marshall (amazing guy by the way).
Here's a quote that he shared with us-

" Sometimes all that can be done is to endure, to hang on, to do one's best amid tears and turmoil and to struggle each day just to survive." Alexander Morrison

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm kind of picky when it comes to chocolate chip cookies. I love them, yet it's taken me a long time to find a recipe that I absolutely love. It seems whenever I make them, they go flat and turn stale after a few days... Maybe I'm just a bad cook... Well I finally found what I've been searching for all these years. A chocolate chip cookie recipe that I absolutely ADORE! And you all should feel special, because I'm going to share it with you! :) I got it last semester when my roommate, Grace made them. You know what makes these cookies stand out among all other chocolate chip cookies you've ever had?? The secret ingredient; ICE CREAM!!! I'm not usually a big fan of ice cream, especially vanilla. I'm more of a cookie and brownie person, but this will now be my reason for buying it :) Try them and tell me, are they not the best chocolate chip cookies you've ever had?

To get the recipe, complete with pictures and everything go here :)

Insights

Neal A. Maxwell

This man is amazing. He is so straightforward in declaring and identifying the truth that we all need in our lives. Although he passed away in 2004, the things he taught years ago apply even today. I'm learning so much from him. And even just from his picture, I know that he truly cared for each and every one of us; remarkable example. This was a talk I found today that was given by him. It's called "Insights" (just from that title, you know it's gonna be good). Here's an apostle of the Lord giving us key information that the Lord wants us to know. Interestingly enough though, I found that many of the "insights" Elder Maxwell had were things that I should've already known, but like many of the principles of this gospel, we all need a little reminder every once in awhile. He talked mainly about how the Lord blesses us so much with so many things, and we need to reciprocate by being patient and understanding that all things will come to our knowledge slowly, but surely. I can't really summarize his talk without just quoting it word for word... So I'd definitely recommend reading it when you have some down time, or are in some need of spiritual guidance, but I'll give you a little sneak peek of an "insight" I had while reading this talk :)

"Petitioning in prayer has taught me, again and again, that the vault of heaven with all its blessings is to be opened only by a combination lock. One tumbler falls when there is faith, a second when there is personal righteousness; the third and final tumbler falls only when what is sought is, in God's judgment--not ours-- right for us. Sometimes we pound on the vault door for something we want very much and wonder why the door does not open. We would be very spoiled children if that vault door opened any more easily than it does. I can tell, looking back, that God truly loves me by inventorying the petitions He has refused to grant me. Our rejected petitions tell us much about ourselves but also much about our flawless Father."

Good stuff eh? :)

http://lds.org/new-era/1978/04/insights?lang=eng&query=making+our+blessings+count

A Little Reminder

"Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." -Marjorie Pay Hinckley

Family Reunion

Last weekend we had the Hubbard Family Reunion. It's Grandma and Grandpa's 50th anniversary this year, so we all went up to Kennewick, Washington to celebrate. It was fun to see everyone that we haven't seen for years. You always get a bunch of crazies though when you get all the Hubbards together :) But it was great, we all had a good time.

25 Random Facts about Me

Well the semester has come to an end, meaning I don't have to post my thoughts every week on what we learned in class. So here's something fun to celebrate :) 

1. I’m a little OCD when it comes to cleaning and organization, get over it.

2. I don’t like animals. Call me heartless, but it’s a fact.

3. I’m not very coordinated when it comes to sports, dancing, or any other type of activity that requires movement.

4. In spite of number 3, I am actually very coordinated with my fingers; mainly with the piano :)

5. I’ve never had to go to school, class, or work on my birthday. Yep, be jealous.

6. I am a legal drug dealer (no joke, licensed and everything).

7. Don’t ask me how it happened, but I’m the only blonde in my family.

8. The only food I refuse to eat is spaghetti. Yes I do like lasagna, fettuccine, and all other foods in that category; I know it confuses me too.

9. I am a self-proclaimed “Molly Mormon” and I’m dang proud of it too!

10. I’ve never seen Star Wars, or Lord of the Rings, and no, don’t ask me to watch them with you, there’s a reason I’ve never seen them.

11. I’d rather be hot than cold; yep, I’m one of those people.

12. The one thing I want to do more in this life than anything else is get married in the temple and be a mom :)

13. Gordon B. Hinckley and Jeffrey R. Holland are my heroes.

14. One of my favorite past times is shopping. Yep, it is in fact a past-time.

15. I’m a sucker for cheesecake. Give me cheesecake and I will love you forever.

16. My favorite restaurant is the cheesecake factory. No explanation necessary (see #15).

17. I listen to Christmas music in October (don’t argue).

18. Toy Story 3 is the best movie ever made; end of discussion.

19. I have a testimony of the restored church of Jesus Christ. Ask me about it.

20. I can put together a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle in 2 hours.

21. I like to sing (mainly in choirs). I haven’t done it in a while, but I like it.

22. I am never late. If I am late it’s because someone else made me late.

23. One of my biggest pet-peeves is when people leave toothpaste hunks in the sink.

24. Babies are the cutest, most adorable things on this earth.

25. I hate going to the gym/working out/exercising, or anything in that category. Yes, I do recognize that I have been blessed with a fast metabolism that makes this possible. 

There you have it. Me in 25 random statements. Let's be friends :)

Divorce and Remarriage

Divorce and remarriage were the topics in class this week. Something that really struck me was how much of an impact divorce, and remarriage especially has on a family.  There are so many people that our involved, and they each have conflicting reactions to the whole situation. Remarriage sometimes adds to the distress and high running emotions, so it is sometimes perceived as a negative thing, even though it may be a choice that will be positive thing for the family. So there are a lot of things to think about when considering a divorce, or remarriage.

Misbehavior

What causes a child to misbehave? Well there are many things. In class we made a list of almost 20 reasons, which included things like attention, power, ignorance, rebellion, and simply because they can. So basically children misbehave because they have unmet needs. When those needs are met, they are less likely to misbehave. Of course, even the perfect parent has children that misbehave. That's just part of life. All children get tired, hungry, and bored, which are common, everyday reasons children act out. Good parenting is intentional.

The Good Life

I've said this many times in the past, and will continue saying it in the future. The one thing I want most in this life is to be a mother. Yes, I'm one of those girls that dreams of the little house with a wrap-around porch and white picket fence. I dream of days when I can sit in the yard, drink lemonade and watch my kids run through the sprinklers. Of course, life isn't perfect, and even during moments like that we find ourselves wishing we had more. But today, as of right now, that is my dream. With that said, I believe in being a stay-at-home mom and the benefits and joys that come out of it. I've have yet to be a mom, of course, but I think one of the best things I will be able to provide for my children in the future, will be the opportunities of waking them up in the mornings, cooking them breakfast, walking them to school, and be in the kitchen greeting them with fresh-baked cookies right from the oven when they get home. Then I will laugh and smile with them when they tell me all the wonderful things that happened that day, and cry and hug them when they tell me about the worst parts of their day. Call me a dreamer, but to me, that's what makes this life the good life.

I Love to See the Temple

"I love to see the temple, I'm going there someday." This is what came to my mind a lot this week. In both my Family Relations and Marriage Prep classes, this was the topic of discussion. Marriage and the wedding.  We talked about how stressful getting married can be and all the stuff we need to remember while we're going through the process. The biggest thing that stuck out to me was the emphasis on The Sealing. That should be your focus and what you care about the most. The wedding is just the party, The Sealing is what matters most.

What makes your clock tick?

Stress about stress = Anxiety. So that's my problem!! If I didn't stress about being stressed, then maybe I wouldn't be so stressed! Why does that sound so much easier than it really is?? Everyone has their own stressors, and each handles them differently. Something that stresses me out, might be nothing to someone else. It's our level of perception that measures what causes on person's stressor to turn into a crisis. In psychological terms stress is measured by how one responds to change. For me, personally, I don't handle change very well, so that's probably why I stress out so much, and then when I realize that I'm stressed, I stress even more, so it's this never ending cycle of extreme stress... Definitely something I need to work on.... hahaha :)

Good News!!!

Just a short little announcement that BYU-Idaho has a new major in Marriage and Family Relations!!! :) Yay!! So, I thought everyone would like to know that I'm am now changing my major to Marriage and Family Relations :) And to quote Rupunzel, from Tangled- "BEST DAY EVERRR!!!" :D

Power Struggles

In every aspect of life, someone holds power. In families, church organizations, and even college apartments :) But it may not be one person in charge of everything, sometimes that power is divided among individuals within the organization and they are each given power over certain things. Like the church for example; the ward Young Women President holds the power in the young women organization, but the Bishop is the over-arching leader over her and the other auxiliary presidents. The Stake President is over the stake's Bishops and then the line proceeds to follow the line of Area Seventy, the Quorum of the Twelve, and finally the Prophet, who we all know holds all the power over the whole church. In class we had an experiment to see what would happen if our power source (our professor) was removed from the classroom environment. As class started there was a simple note on the board that said to start class with a prayer, and have a discussion on power in the family. That was it. The teacher came in and took a seat in one of the desks, and it became clear to the rest of us that he wasn't planning on participating in today's lecture. One girl then stood up and said she would offer a prayer, and then after the prayer, she started off the discussion with asking what we thought of power's role in the family. We started to have a discussion, but only about five minutes in, it was made known who was going to talk and comment and direct the conversation the whole time. And as the discussion drew on, the more those same individuals took control and the more the rest of us tuned out.  Our teacher finally got up and began to illustrate to us what happened in this experiment and how this happens in all aspects of daily life. We can't function without power. Even when power is removed, another source is found, and it reemerges. Power isn't a bad thing, it's just important to establish who has power and control of certain things in certain aspects, and evenly distribute it so that we don't end up in a sort of dictated marriage.

Faulty Expectations

This week was a short week because of the holiday and today we had a midterm, so we only got one lecture in. But one thing that I read in the assigned chapter reading that I thought was interesting was what the book called a "private contract." It said that when a couple enters marriage they bring in individual, or "private," unspoken contracts that are basically expectations they have of their spouse and the marriage. It could be something like they agree to have a family, but the wife expects to start a family right away, and the husband expects to wait a few years. So they both agreed and talked about having children, but they both had different expectations on when that was going to happen. When I was reading that section, I just thought it was kind of interesting, and that it is so true, not only with marriage, but with other relationships as well.

Dating... Isn't it About Time?

This week in class we talked about the dreaded topic of...dating.... Okay, well maybe not dreaded, but the confusing and complicated topic of dating. We talked about how guys like to be the ones pursuing and how girls like to be the ones pursued, but for some reason, in today's society, those roles got turned around. The problem with this, is that we find the opposite effect; there becomes a distancing between the two people, rather than a growth and bond in the relationship. Well maybe, just maybe, if guys were to get off the couch and ask us girls on more dates, then maybe, just maybe, we wouldn't have this problem. I mean, come on, isn't it about time??

It's a Girl Thing

I come from a family of all girls, so when we talked about gender differences in class this week, it was quite interesting :) One thing that we talked about was whether feminine and masculine traits were biological, or psychological, meaning, are we born with them, or do we learn them? I, personally think it's a little bit of both. I think that maybe if I had grown up in a family with all boys, then maybe I wouldn't be as feminine, but yet, being the oldest, maybe that all just came naturally to me... It's a really interesting topic, and I don't think anyone will ever be able to fully understand the opposite sex.

Like Mother Like Daughter

There are so many personality traits that are passed down through generations, it's so obvious who you're related to. Like me and my mom for example, just recently we discovered we have similar "mothering" styles. One time we were at my Grandma's house for my cousin's 3rd birthday. We were sitting on the porch and he came running around the corner crying. He went to his mom and I said, "Austin, why are you crying? You're not supposed to cry on your birthday!" and then my mom comes over, see's him crying and guess what she says? "Austin, you're not supposed to cry on your birthday!" :) There have been many instances like this where we do the same things. I believe that's where they get the saying, like mother like daughter. :)

Family Rules

Every family has certain "rules," whether stated, or unstated, that create boundaries in a family system. In class this week we talked about these rules and how they shape a family. A functional family is a family with a lot of family rules. Some rules may include: eat what mom cooked, or don't eat at all; don't talk back to your parents; ask mom before you ask dad; or never ask mom and dad for money. What are your family rules, and how have they shaped your family?

When I grow up...

This week in Family Relations we talked about what was considered a "traditional" family, and changes we've seen in family trends.  I thought about how important it is for me to be a stay-at-home mom. That's all I've ever really wanted to do. I would love to stay at home, take care of the kids and cook and clean. Granted, if I need to work and that's something my family needs, I'll do it. But the only thing I've ever really wanted to be when I "grow up" is a mother.

Cross-walk Anxiety

This semester I live conveniently across campus in a cozy little apartment, but even though I live 50 yards away from the campus, it still requires me to cross the street, which gives me terrible anxiety. I get to the cross-walk and there's always all these cars that are coming and going and I never know if one car is going to stop, or if they think they should go... It's a terrible predicament that I am put in multiple times a day. Now cross-walks and cars are very different in college town mind you. It seems that they all forget that pedestrians have the right-a-way, and everyone is trying to hurry to their class. So alas I am faced with the anxiety of crossing the street and hoping that I don't get run over several times a day...

Family Relations

I'm currently a student at BYU-Idaho majoring in Child Development and minoring in Marriage and Family Studies. One of the classes I'm taking this semester is Family Relations, and my first assignment was to create a blog. So here it is :) I'm also going to try and write about other things going on in my life, so hopefully you won't get bored of reading all my posts on family :)
Oh, and p.s. if you haven't made the connection already, I love Toy Story....hence the blog title :)