Triple A

Change is freakin scary. If you don't think so, you're lying to yourself. No one likes to be taken out of their routine comfort zone and have to adjust to a whole new lifestyle.

What do you mean I'm freaking out?! No I'm not!

Ok. Maybe. I realized today how much my life is going to change come July...whenever the last day of school is. After that, my amazing roommate that I love to death, Andrea, is marrying the love of her life, Nick, but she moves out like this weekend! It totally sucks. We'll never be roommates again. :( No late night talks and eggs. No more weird questions for each other that I secretly love. And no more hugs just when I need them. And then Alex. Don't even get me started! My best friend in the ENTIRE world, who has stuck with me in EVERY single stage of my life (ok, since we were teenagers. That's when it counts anyway) is....oh man I'm choking on the words.....graduating!! Don't get me wrong. I am BEYOND happy for her and I know she is going to be the hot teacher that everyone loves and make serious bargains for just to get to be in her class. But I am going to fall apart without her. Just a lot.

What I mean is I love these girls so much and we've been through a lot together. It's weird to think they won't be right down the hall from me ever again. Sigh. But I know I will love you guys forever and we'll stay in touch. I'm not too worried. Girls will be girls, and I sure do love mine.

Shawty, Fire Burnin on the 4th Floor

There was a FIRE in our complex today!!! Holy smokes (pun intended) it was so scary!! I had just gotten out of the shower and gotten dressed. I sat down to eat some of my healthy brownies (yep, it's true. Here's the recipe if you want it!) and put my make-up on when all of the sudden this BLARING noise literally starts screaming in my ears! It was SO loud and obnoxious and we all had to exit the building. Well Nathaly and I were out there for like 45 minutes before she had to leave for class and since it was getting late and I was not going to be able to get ready and leave for class, I called Rachel Robinson, who is one of my wonderful producers for Scroll Digital, and she told me to take pictures and do a story (eventually, she zoomed on over with a camera since I had none. Thank goodness!) We were all outside for the LONGEST time. The sprinklers went off in that apartment and the firemen had to spray it too so there was water coming out of the building (you can see it in this picture on the left, under that silver car and beyond) and there were like 5 fire trucks coming around. It was just all so crazy. We've had a somewhat false alarm before and had to exit out (I wasn't there but apparently it wasn't that big of a deal and all they did was burn chicken and set the smoke alarms off) but this one was full blown. Cops. Firemen (all balding except for the precious little intern we interviewed).

If you want to see the story for Scroll Digital, click here. It tells you what happened and shows how ANNOYING those alarms really are. Picture them going off for like an hour and a half. And blaring right in your room while you are just minding your own business. So crazy. I live in quite the action-packed complex.

So Long

I'm going through a bit of devastation and withdrawls because the season of New Girl....has....ended. (Yes, I know I'm dramatic. Sue me) But here's to the memories of me cracking up to myself late at night. It's been a good run Jess, Nick, Schmidt, Cece, and Winston. Love you guys. See you soon.

Everything Works Out

I was texting my dearest little friend (and cousin we've discovered!!) Andrew and I was complaining to him, as he usually lets me do (I know. What a guy right? Sorry ladies, he's getting married!), and how there were so many things I was unsure about. Not knowing exactly what my future holds is one of my biggest fears. I'm very much a plan-ahead kind of person.

Anyway, after all my griping, he texted me not to worry. Everything I'm feeling is completely normal, and necessary! He wrote "...don't worry. Everything works out." Not everything will work out, which is what the default answer usually is. And that doesn't ever make me feel better. It's like saying "someday" or "eventually" and both those mean I have to wait and continue worrying. So it struck me because I thought about all the times I had already thought all these same things. And I'm still alive, happy, and doing great! He's right! It has always worked out for me! Maybe not the way I thought, but if it's led me to where I am, I'll continue to be alright. It really does all work out, one way or another. So for all of you who are in the same spot, I'm here to tell you that things are going the way they are because they are supposed to and you don't even see all the other things happening right at this minute in preparation for you and for your next moment. It really does work out every. single. time.

Random Rant: There is SO much going through people's minds. It's such a crazy thought that literally everyone you walk by is thinking something in their heads, right at that moment. Maybe even screaming it. I wonder what would happen if I could plug in my headphones and listen to them all. Think about all the things you could learn about a person. And if everyone could hear me, I think they'd be shocked. There's so so so much people don't say so they just let it out in their heads. Anyway. I was thinking about that on my long walk to class today. So. It made it into my blog. Haha

Mother of Mine

Ok so anyone who knows our family knows that May is one CRAZY month for this crazy family.

May 6: Erin's birthday and Carter's birthday AND Mom & Dad's anniversary (Happy Anniversary favorite parents in the whole world!!)

Happy 7th Birthday Carter!!

Happy 32nd Birthday Sissy! (This picture looks better if you click on it Sis. Promise)

May 13: Mother's Day
May 15: Mom's birthday

Happy Birthday and Mother's Day Mom!! You are just the best ever.

And I love her so much because we do things like this. Haha

May 18: Erin & Mike's anniversary (Happy Anniversary my favorite Thompsons ever!!)

And I have a BUNCH of friends with May birthdays. So anyway, this is to tell my whole big, awesome, amazing family how much I love them. I sent you all cards to make sure you know how much and why exactly, but. This post is because I want you to know I recognize these days and I love that there's so much fun stuff going on! I have THE best family in the ENTIRE world!!

Saturday Hike

We're all going on a day-long picnic today!! This should be really really fun. I'm excited. :)

My only complaint. I am supposed to be ready at 10:00am. On a normal, not-weekend day, I'd like "Whatevs." But.

BYU-I Do!

Saw this at the bookstore today.

BYU-Idaho: Turning stalking strangers into married couples.

R.I.P. Old Chaps

Does anyone else feel like their friends pretty much die when they get married?

You know because once they're married, they'll have their own stuff going on and their own plans and no time to catch up and hang out? Plus that would just be weird I think. Is it selfish? 100%. I mean, it totally sucks. Losing friends one by one to someone who gets to be their partner in crime forever. But it's actually very incredibly awesome at the same time. So it's weird: it's pretty much THE most bittersweet feeling I get.

What can I say? I guess I just picked friends that were way too awesome for an easy-send off. Haha But for reals, congratulations to ALL my friends who have been getting married, engaged, having little babes...I couldn't be more happy for you because I'm pretty sure it just doesn't get much better than this. :)

I Wish That I Could Have That Moment 4 Life

Last night I had a dream that I got to interview Nicki Minaj, but all of my questions were so dumb! Like what her favorite flavors of snow cones were and if she liked Hawaii. Good grief. So disappointed in Dream Ashley. She's going to ruin her career.

On the positive side, she said she loved Idaho because everyone was so nice and tried her best to make sure I got the interview, despite me having to run around and look for batteries.

Yeah, sick brain makes you dream some crazy things.

488

I know that it's only week...like four of school. But today it feels more like this.

Just sayin.

Family

I heard this quote in Family Foundations today. My first thought was how good peanut butter sounded at the time. (I've had this weird craving for it lately. I actually ate a few spoonfuls the other night! Right out of the jar! I've officially lost ALL respect for keeping my body in good shape) But after I came to my senses, I wrote it right down.

When Satan wants to disrupt the work of the Lord, he doesn’t poison the world’s peanut butter supply, thus bringing the Church’s missionary system to its collective knees. He doesn’t send a plague of laryngitis to afflict the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. He doesn’t legislate against green Jell-O or casseroles. When Satan truly wants to disrupt the work of the Lord, he attempts to confuse gender and he attacks God’s plan for His children. He works to drive a wedge of disharmony between a father and a mother. He entices children to be disobedient to their parents. He makes family home evening and family prayer inconvenient. He suggests family scripture study is impractical. That’s all it takes, because Satan knows that the surest and most effective way to disrupt the Lord’s work is to diminish the effectiveness of the family and the sanctity of the home.

(It's from M. Russell Ballard's talk, The Sacred Responsibilities of Parenthood in case you were wondering) 

 That is so true! If you think about it, the family is the nerve center to what makes a person who they are! It is in the home with our families that we are taught how to be with people and interact with them, but also where we develop our morals and personalities. It is where we learn and grow in the principles taught by the Lord's leaders. It is where we learn to be leaders and where we learn how to love. It only makes sense that Satan would have to get to the root of it all so that he could poison all the roots.

I've been really nervous about starting a family (I think anyone who knows me knows this) but taking this class has really helped me to see that I'm not really seeing the big picture. I have so much to learn and my perceptions have already changed so much!...And I like it!