i can see clearly now...

I know it's been awhile. My life has been very crazy in many ways. But things are going great. I have more good days than bad--that hasn't happened since I was about in seventh grade. I am amazed at what the right combination of meds does for my mood. I know I have truly been blessed.

At the start of the semester I only had two roommates, Stephanie and Taylor. We each had our own room, which was so nice. Last week two girls, Briana and Sam, moved in from another apartment, so Stephanie moved back into my room so that they could share a room. Stephanie is great. We have a lot in common: both 23, both English education majors, both juniors who should be seniors, both love cats, both read and love young adult books, both spent a lot of our childhood in Western Washington, both have the same taste in music, both in families of seven...the list goes on. This weekend we drove to Utah together because she was visiting her sister in South Weber.

So far I have made about six trips back to Utah just this semester. I know that seems like a lot...it is a lot. But it has been a lot of fun. I have only attended my campus ward twice this semester, though next weekend will be the third. Like last semester, I meet with my bishop weekly, though, so he knows me very well and knows that I'm going to my singles' branch at home. I went home all but one week in the month of May.

The first weekend was for Andra's wedding. It was so fun! Ashley Thornton flew down from Washington, and she, Stephanie, and I attended all the wedding festivities. We were invited to the pre-wedding family dinner at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. The food was delicious, and we felt so special that we were invited to such a special night. The next morning we went to the temple to see Andra come out of the temple. She was absolutely beautiful, and so happy. That evening we went to the reception at her grandma's house. The three of us took turns sitting by "the book." Sarah and Mariah McGough came to the reception, so we were able to get a Colonial 501 reunion picture. It was so fun to catch up.

The next weekend I went home for Mother's Day. I brought my cousins Alex and Marc down from BYU-Idaho with me. Grammy, Gary, and Debi flew in and Rod, Jake, and Luke drove from Boise and stayed at our house. Alex spent his time with Eric, whose wife had a baby the week before. Dan and Tauna also flew in. We spent a lot of time listening to and laughing at Dan's and Gary's stories. They were so great! My mom and her brothers gave Grammy a new set of scriptures for Mother's Day. They each wrote a note in age order in the beginning, leaving a blank page for Teresa. It was very special.

The following weekend Mom and Stephanie flew to Washington for Liliana's first birthday and Rochelle's first ballet recital, so I drove down to spend the weekend with Dad. I ended up not seeing much of him, though, because he was on call and I was sick and in bed most of the time. We did watch Sherlock Holmes together, and another night we ordered pizza.

After a weekend in Rexburg, I went back to Utah for Memorial Day. Mom and Dad went to St. George for the weekend, and Paul spent a lot of time with his girlfriend Kimi, so Stephanie and I spent some time together. I played about a bazillion games of Text Twist on AddictingGames.com and watched quite a few movies. I watched Dear John with Stephanie and our friend Sheena. Steph and I later watched Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging, based off of two books called Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging and On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God. Don't worry, they're not as inappropriate as they sound! Well, I haven't read the second one, but the first one isn't as bad as it sounds. It's actually a hilarious book. The movie was cute. We also watched 17 Again and Earth, which is basically a shorter version of Planet Earth. We previewed it for Stephanie to show in class. It was very interesting. And lastly, I watched the 1950s version of Titanic. It had the dad from the original Cheaper By the Dozen and the maid from Pillow Talk. I was happy to see faces that I knew. I know, me being excited about that makes me a movie-freak, but I like being this way!

Hope you all are doing well! Bye for now!

My So-Called Life

Yes, I know the title is the same title as that '90s Clare Danes show, but it really does describe my life, or lack of life, right now.

To say that I have been busy this semester may be an understatement. I spend all of my time either at work in the Scroll office or doing homework. My classes have kept me busier than I ever anticipated. Late nights and early mornings, one meal of a bread bowl and soup a day in the McKay while I continue my endless reading, devouring stick after stick of gum, typing until my fingers hurt (just for the record, you'd think typing quickly would warm your fingers, but it doesn't), and bundling and unbundling three or more layers to walk 100 feet in the cold. This is a fairly accurate depiction of my life. Same thing day after day. Like I have said, my life is boring.

I have great roommates this semester: Melanie, Lizz, Tiffany, Marissa, and Brianne. I am the cynical "old maid" amid the jumpy, boy-crazy, over-excited "younguns." I let them do their thing, and they let me do mine. We get along very well. Although I'm still adjusting to all the questions like, "Where are you going?" "Who are you going with?" "What are you doing?" Last semester's roommates didn't care. The whole idea of roommates actually wanting to know where I'm going and who I'm going with is all new. I haven't had that since living in Colonial 501.

Although I don't do much with friends, I have spent a little time with Ashley, one of the Colonial 501 girls. I have also exchanged several text messages from Katy, my roommate from last semester, and I've seen her around campus a time or two. Of course, as many of you probably know, I've probably done more with my...older friends. Yes, the rumor is true. I saw Enchanted with two teachers and a spouse all over the age of 50 on my first Monday back in Rexburg. And strangely enough, it didn't feel strange in the least until I started telling my family about it and actually listening to the way it sounded. I thought, "Okay, maybe this a little weird." But that's okay. They still make good friends.

Of course in the few free minutes I get here and there, I check my family's blogs. I'm not the best at commenting, but I do read them as often as they are updated. I still refuse to join Facebook. It took me long enough to get a blog up, and even then I'm not very good at keeping up with it. Thanks for those who keep checking.