anniversary

HAPPY ONE YEAR WITH ZERO POSTS BLOG!!! I just knew I would be terrible at this and boy have I proven that! Let's see if we can keep up the mediocre work and go another year!

Its about time

So I have been home now for a little over a month and boy has it been interesting. Its nice to be home and to be around family and friends. However, I have been very very bored, for real. I'm waiting for my AZ license to be all squared away so I can get a job, so for right now I try to find things to fill my day..

Some real excitement went down this week, finally. My dear friend Jenna flew down for a visit!! I loved it because quite simply I love her. It was so great to have her here, it brought a piece of my old fun and exciting life into my new crazy boring one.

I tried real hard to come with things to do while she was here. She was here for a grand total of five days, and let's just be honest, Gilbert does not have enough to constantly entertain a person for five whole days, but we did our best.

In the end it shaped up to be a pretty dang fun week, if I do say so myself. I mean, I did force her to sit through an episode of Gilmore Girls and she had to experience the awkwardness that is my single's ward for family night, which she literally came away from that experience with an allergic reaction but I had fun having her here!

aaand I'm done

I am officially done with hair school forever! Wooo yeah!!! It feels so good to be done!
Hours- 2000
Clients- 1190
Perms- 200
Finger Waves- 40
Number of girls to spend every waking minute with- 40

Starting a career I love in just a year- Priceless.

Nights like these..

make me sad to leave Cedar in just 2 weeks.
We decided to get creative tonight and  we transformed our house into a techno bowling alley. We have the perfect long, narrow hallway for a lane and we have the perfect bumping sound system for our techno jams.

The first game just Hailey and I played. We came to find that the game was genius.
(I won) 

Round two we kicked it up a level. We invited the boys that live in the apartment in our basement to come up. We have just recently started to get to know them and they are pretty fun to hang out with,  I mean they even brought a strobe light for the next game, need I say more?

You know its going to be fun when a mullet is involved.

Skeleton strobe light. I know, its legit 

Final Scores.

Its always interesting the things you come up with when there isn't much around to do, that's usually when you have best time!

Time flies..

It has officially been over a year since I ventured up here to Cedar City. Its hard to believe its been that long! It has probably been the best year of my life. I have learned so much, met so many great people, and have had some serious fun. I have grown to love this small town (except when its snowing).

Its been a whole new experience as this new semester has started, not experiencing it with my roommates and favorite people has been a little sad. There is something in it for me to learn, I am sure. Its a pretty interesting look at myself, seeing how brave I am. I've been going to church activities and parties and such by myself. Its definitely a lot easier when you've got a posse of friends to back you, but what's life without the challenge?

I have less than a month of school left! WHAT?!? Yeah believe it. Its crazy to think the end is in sight. I have loved hair school a lot! However, not having to spend 40 hours a week with the same 40 girls every week of my life is sounding pretty goood right now. Oh the sweet, sweet freedom from girl drama, that is something to rejoice about!

I'm moving home in the middle of October and I'm pretty excited for a new adventure. May the beautiful Gilbert be good to me.

Shalom in the Home

So I did go home for the weekend a couple of weeks ago. And I loved it.
We started the trip real early and proceeded to drive the 7 hours home. Good news I only nearly fell asleep driving roughly 6 times, actually fell asleep once and almost killed us like 56 times, so all around a good drive. I was quite lucky to have an ever-alert co-pilot up front with me, she screamed at me at all the right times. Thanks Hailey, I owe ya.

she is cute, even though she got pop tart crumbs all over my car.

(We also handled the public restroom like champs)

This was Hailey's first trip there so I made sure to show her all the good points of Gilbert. We did the following:

• Trip of Bahama Bucks
• went shopping
• spent WAY too much money shopping
• went swimming
• Gecko Grill (it changed her life, just ask her)
• Pedicures
• Sonic
• Slept in
• Forgot about all responsibility
• Wedding
• Toured our future

I got to celebrate my best friend's marriage. That was a different experience for sure. It was so good to see her oh so happy, but sad to see her go off to adulthood (poor girl). I did catch the bouquet though. I had a pretty good chances seeing how I towered over everyone else by a few inches.

Hailey and I were able to go take a tour of an aesthetics school we have been looking into. We fell in love. I can't wait! It looks like so much fun! So much even I am willing to look past the fact that I will be learning how to properly pop zits and wax the more personal areas of the body. Those are the only things I'm worried about, other than that I am so excited! If all goes right I will start in February.

Home Sweet Home

   I'm going home this weekend!! Can I get a what what?? I am so dang excited! I just love my home and all the people there! I am going down for one of my best friend's wedding. Jennifer Manwaring will soon be Jennifer Martin. Weird. She is the first of my good friends to get married and I'm not quite so sure how I am going to handle it, its going to be very odd and exciting at the same time.

   I am all thrilled about my riding buddies. One is going to be the oh so adorable, beautiful, witty and hilarious Kylie Ann Felix, my niece. I saw her last week and told her I was going to "Arizonia" to visit Grandma and Grandpa and her reply was, "You're going without me? That's not even going to be fun." She was absolutely right, so she is coming. 

   My other buddy is my good pal Hailey Drew. We go to school together and she has plans to move to the big AZ after the first of the year, so I am bringing her along to give her an education on all she has been missing out on. I'm going to show her a good time, Gilbert style, er something.

   We are St. George bound tomorrow and then as early as possible we are heading to the valley on Friday morn. The only stresses of driving are

A. getting there, I don't really know how

and even more disturbing...

B. taking my niece into public restrooms. 

     That should be interesting especially because the last time I built up the courage to go into a public bathroom, while I was waiting in the line, the lady came out with a disgusted face and proclaimed, "Man! That got everywhere!" please pray for me.

O Hair School, Bless your Heart.

Going to hair school in such a small and, some may say, hick town, I run into some pretty interesting clients. I keep booked busy all day everyday, so I get the opportunity to spend a lot of time with clients. This is one of the biggest benefits of my school, we get a lot of hands on experience. However one thing I have definitely learned is that hair school is not for the weak in tummy, and as many people know about me, I have always had a bit of a sensitive gag reflex. Things that have brought me to gagging:

10. The first time I wet down dirty hair, does not smell good, not. at. all.

9. My first ear hair trim

8. The bumpy facial

7. crusty crust

6. the ever lingering stench of cheap cigarette smoke (especially after wetting it down...)

5. children trying to reach the snot dripping out their nose with their tongue for entertainment (motherhood is quite a few years away for me)

4. The world's largest zit popping video we watched in class, i ran out gasping for air

3. The horror stories my instructors tell of experiences they have had, also have brought me to me feet and out the classroom door. seriously.

2. Over perspiration to the point that it drips all over my cape.

1. The experience when I gagged the most, the one that brought me to tears streaming down my face, happened just recently. The lady who literally pooped her pants in my chair. I luckily I was able to excused myself before the gag attack hit, but it was a big one!

These really are just good memories and interesting stories. I just appreciate all the people I meet and all the different things I can learn from them.

The Goings On

Since my last post I've:

• Lost a couple of roommates, which was really difficult due to the fact that I love them so darn much
• Moved to a new apartment with Kim Duke. We upgraded to upstairs
• Learned to rope a bull, I'm such a country girl
• Went to my first rodeo. I hate to admit it, but it was pretty fun
• Spent a couple of hours everyday with my Grandma, my favorite time of day
• Cut a faux hawk, mullet with steps. It sounds hideous because it was hideous, however it was really fun to do.
• Went to a carnival, first ever
• bonfire, bonfire, bonfire
• Went tanning, i mean burning, for the first time
• I no longer have a single natural strand of hair left
• Went to Brian Reagan
• Almost peed my pants at Brian Reagan
• Celebrated Cinco de Mayo. ola!
• Met lots and lots of new people
• Saw Hot Rod for the first time, changed my life
• I had a, let's say unpleasant, 13 year old girl ask if I was from the ghetto
• went to a hair show in Salt Lake
• Hot Tub

The goal for this summer for my lovely roommate KimDuke and I is to do something every night, so far we have been successful!

Here Comes the Sun...FINALLY!

Life really is about who you know! This was proven today when my dear roommate, Shell, took us to her aunt Kathy's house in St. George to spend the day by the pool. It was a delight! It was all part of our living up the end plan.

 

It felt so good to lay by the pool and just soak up some good old sun rays.

I soaked them up real good.

The End is Near

The end of the semester is coming at us pretty fast, all of a sudden. So we have decided to plan each night so we can make good use of the limited time we have left together. Sadly, I miss the a lot of the exciting plans because of school on Saturdays but its good thing I have roommates that do their best to plan around my schedule.

We kicked off our fun and exciting weekend by going to Wingers. Our favorite restaurant here in town, not so much for the food, but mostly for the service. We seem to get the same waiter every time. One that singles someone from our group out and, "harasses" them with his eyes. His eyes will not leave that persons face for anything. Its creepy and a good time.

The next good time that came our way was yet another institute dance. The best one yet! So many of our friends were there and we just jumped from one group of friends to the next. Loved it.

After the dance we went to a campfire. I have never been to so many bonfires in my life as I have in the past couple of weeks. They are quite the different experience, very cowboy. Which, at first, I wasn't so sure about, but now I'm trying to embrace it. We sit by a fire with cowboys all over having a sing-a-long to old classic country music. Definitely different for me, but I'm really starting to like it.

It wouldn't be a true country experience without squishing 5 people in the front seat of a truck.

We are always able to find a good time. I am so grateful I am here, meeting the people I am and doing the things we do. This is our last week together as roommates and I am so sad about it! I am going to miss this year once its gone! 

Dance, Dance

This past Friday night my roommate, Jenna, and myself went to our favorite Cedar activity, the institute dance. Sound lame? Wrong. They are LEGIT. I love them. The first time Jenna and I ever did anything together we went to a dance. A little risky since we didn't know each other at all, but we got to know each other real fast after that! We have been to every one since.

As if that's not enough, we also hold almost nightly dance parties in our kitchen. When a song comes on that we love we can't help but dance to it! There are very few dull moments in our apartment!

I just love to dance, don't get me wrong, I'm horrible, but I love it anyway!

I Hiked

Havasupi Falls. If you know me, you know I don't love to hike, but I just can't say no to a weekend with my mom and big sisters, even if it does mean I have to hike the grand canyon. However, I LOVED it! It was so beautiful! We were there for just about 4 days, and kept busy.
Day 1:
We hiked to the bottom. This was a fun day because we just took our time stopping all the time to climb rocks, scale the mountain and take pictures. It took us about 5 hours to finally get to the village. The village was very interesting to walk through, it was hard to believe that people actually live at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

Day 2:
Sunday. Luckily, there is a small LDS church in the village that we were able to attend that morning. It was ran quite a bit different than we were used to but its always a testimony strengthener that no matter where you are the spirit is still the same and the church is still true.

After church we headed down and saw the first few falls. They were incredible! We spent time exploring down by the falls, climbing in and on anything we could.

Day 3:
The day of the falls. This is the day we had all been waiting for, the day we got to hike to all the falls. Each of the falls were unique, but all very beautiful. The first one of the day was called Mooney Falls, this was one of my favorites because it was scary to get to. We had to literally scale the mountain using rusty nails and chains for support. I don't love heights but i do love a good adventure when it comes my way, so i was all over this.

Next we went to Havasupi Falls. We spent most of our time here. We got in and swam around a little, it was pretty dang cold, but yet another adventure. We spent time just laying out in the sun, most working on their tans, but we (my sisters and myself) were working on our sun burns, boy do they feel good!

Last we went to the most beautiful falls, I believe they are called the Little Navajo. These were my favorite because they were surrounded by green and the water, like all the other falls, was a bright blue-green, breath-taking! We climbed real close to these ones and just sat taking it in for quite a while. We are so blessed to be given such a beautiful world!

Day 4:
The hike out. We got up early early and headed out. This time no playing around, we just headed straight out as fast as we could. Our group was the first group out (just sayin) and it felt so good to sit at the top and look at how far we had come. Like most things in life, it wasn't easy, but it was definitely worth it!

In Honor of ASHLEY

Tis my darling big little sister Ashley's birthday today. The big 2-1! Ashley is basically like my best friend. And let me tell you why she is so grand!

She is a shining beacon

She'll be seen in public with me.

she practices good hygiene 

She is my twin

• She will spend all day texting me quotes from our favorite movies
• She listens patiently to all my dumb stories
• She keeps answering the phone even when she knows I may have a break down the whole conversation
• She can convince me to do just about anything that makes me look dumb (wang dang, GINA, underwear commercials, fake gagging in public, Tom's Diner...)
• She makes me laugh, a lot.
• She sends me dumb news articles
• She loves Gina more than she loves me
• She can spice up ANY story
• She's the pickiest eater in the world
• She can come up with the most creative/fun things to do
• She was my first hair cut 
• She married well
• She too hates chocolate
• She is an incredible actress

I could go on FOREVER! But basically what it comes down to is, my sister is the best. end of story.

Oh she also photographs well.

Whoa

Earlier today I had a "I sound just like my mother" moment, and I liked it!! 

My mother is the best there is. She is such a great example to me and I hope that I can be like her someday!

What the heck time is it?

Oh Daylight Saving. Why? I don't get it.

I can't understand it. When do the clocks change? What do they change to? Why do we do this? I mean really who decided this is a good idea?

I just want to go to church tomorrow, and I don't want to look like an idiot trying.

I Don't Love Snow

Snow. Will it ever end? uh...no. I went out to my car early this morning ready for another bright sunny day when I saw the snow. I was very close to shedding a tear.

The positive side to this situation, it just makes me realize how much I LOVE AZ! I love just about everything about that beautiful place!

Reasons:
-The SUN! so hot, so wonderful
-No snow
-Palm trees
-70 deg. christmases
-Warm rain
-The never-ending blue blue sky
-In the dead of winter all you need is a light sweater
-Everything is still as bright and a live in the winter as it is in the summer
-No snow
-Orange trees in the backyard
-The beautiful scent orange blossoms
-Gecko Grill
-The sun sets
-Sunburns
-Pools
-Monsoons
-The Mesa Temple
-The movie theaters
-No snow

I love good old Gilbert, AZ. I always get so excited at the prospects of visiting home. I have learned to appreciate it and my family so much since moving away.

***Side note***

Today is the exact 6 month anniversary of me moving away to this place they call Cedar City. Its hard to believe that 6 months ago today I started this new adventure. Six months ago today I also met one of my new best friends. My roommate Jenna was the only other one here when I moved in and we became just the best of friends real quick. I really do love it here. I have met so many great people and have made so many memories!