Best of Times, and Worst of Times

Ironic how the best and worst can be so intertwined with each other. I am so happy for the opportunity to go to school, and yet, it kills me. I get sick so easily now, luckily not as bad as it usually is, but I get so exhausted that I just cant' get myself to move or think. Fortunately I have the best friends who know how to take care of me, and make sure that I eat plenty of good food when I'm sick and help me to relax. My classes are going fairly well, miraculously. I have one class that I'm really concerned about but I'm working on realizing that I'm giving it my best effort and even if I do fail, I can take it again.

I am SOOOO happy about my new niece, she's so cute and I show off the little picture I have on my cell phone to EVERYONE. I'm sure all my friends are getting sick of my constant bragging, but I think that the first girl to be born in my family for the past 20 and a half years is kind of a big deal, and she super cute, so everyone needs to see her. I can't wait to actually meet her.

I got to go to Idaho this past weekend. My friends Marquette and Cameron were up for a wedding and so Shelisa and I decided that we needed a 'mental health' weekend away from our roommates and away from our school. So we drove up Friday and stayed at John and Denel's house (they are so amazing for letting us stay there). We roasted marshmallows in a park on Friday, and Saturday was packed full of fun. I got a call from my mom first thing informing me of my niece! We went shooting in the early afternoon, Jason and Shelisa have some guns that we just did target practice with. Then our new friend Steve had a truck that he took us four-wheeling in. We ate some lunch and I met up with Marquette and Cameron for some ice cream and talking, and then we went back out and had a bonfire. All in all the day was fantastic and VERY beneficial to my mental health :). Sunday we woke up and got ready and drove back home.

I got a date for this Friday's formal dance and we're all getting excited to go. I'm really excited actually, I love getting all dressed up in formal attire, it makes me really happy. Anyway, I think that's most of the update for the past few weeks, overall things are fine and overally I'm mostly healthy, so things are goin alright.

HumDrum

Things have been incredibly ordinary lately... rut found :). Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays, I got to class and get done at noon. I come home and take a nap until one. I do homework until five or six and then I do the evening activities. Good. Tuesdays and Thursdays I got to Political Science and then I have a break :) sometimes I go to Devotional during this time, sometimes I study, and the other times I find a quiet place and... sleep. Then I go to my afternoon class and get home at 2:30. Do homework and go to bed. So these are my boring humdrum days.

but...

I traded rooms, so now my room roommate is Brynn and we set up our beds into bunk beds and we have a spacious room with cute things all over the walls. Brynn's birthday party is tomorrow night. We have been planning this since September. The theme is Let Them Eat Cake - the command of Marie Antoinette. We will be playing poker, eating lots of cake, and dancing. The thing that I am most excited for, though, is in one week EXACTLY, from now. Shelisa, Jeremy, Brandon and I will be driving to Mesa for the three day weekend!!! I am really really excited for that. I can't wait to see Brittain, Shaka, Stephanie, Lydia, Josh, David, Amy, My little bros, and my parents!!! :) until then the boring humdrum continues...

New School

So I have officially been to all of my classes once. They were just dandy. My first class is a writing class (3 big papers during the semester). I then crossed campus to attend my History course (2 major papers and 5 books to read). I then had to slippy slide my way up campus to my Human Geography course (4 large projects). That was the extent of day one... thank heaven. The day was far from over however :). My dear friend Shelisa and I then made the treacherous journey towards the SLC international airport to pick up a friend. We left at 2:00 in the afternoon. We got home at 8:00 that evening. We spent only 45 minutes at the airport, the rest of the time was traveling. It took nearly 3 hours to get from Salt Lake back to Provo due the snow induced car accidents (SCARY!!!). Today was the second day of classes, so it started with a 5 minute Political Science class. I can't say that it didn't irk me a little that I had to get up and get ready, trudge uphill in 1 1/2 feet of snow to be told that the teacher for the course wasn't going to make it to the first day of class... yah. Then I have a LONG break until my next class so I started doing some homework from Monday. I then had the very strange urge to attend Devotional, I am very glad I did. I was reminded of the basic truth of the value of trust. I learned that I need to work at first putting my trust in the Lord, then in myself, and finally in other people. I have been working on simplifying my life and dealing with the stresses so I was very grateful for the inspired words of that devotional. I attended my second geography class and will be learing (via writing 3 papers) about middle and south america. I was not sure if I wanted to take this class but I think I am going to be glad that I am. The cherry on top of the first two days of class was buying books :). I spent just under $500 on books, yes that is terrible. Not just that but I had to wait in a line that zig zagged through the entire building, went around the perimiter of the inside of the building and down a flight of stairs to buy these books. If that's not enough I then carried my VERY heavy books home through a snow storm. Messy. Things are okay though. Beneath all the sarcasm though, I am very glad that I have this chance to go to school. I am interested in my classes and I think that if I can keep this motivation this semester will be fine, snow and all.

HOME HOME HOME

This week I've been home. Coming home was quite the adventure, starting with pushing a honda out of an icy ditch and ending with a huge hug from my JoJo... it has been great so far. The drive home was long... VERY long and somewhat treacherous but true to form Utah is terrible and as soon as we crossed the state line the weather cleared up and was perfect. I spent a day with David, Amy, and Josh and got to see Josh sit on Santa's lap at Bass Pro Shop... he was so cute.

My friends in Mesa have started a new group/purpose. They have decided to stop wasting their lives and money on just hanging out, so now they hang out with a purpose- Project Purpose is P-lanning U-seful R-ecreational P-articipation O-r S-ervice E-xperiences. So our Friday night activity included lots of talking and hanging out but also caroling for cans in Queen Creek. We caroled for a while and got a lot of cans from the generous neighbors. I think I'm going to have to start a project purpose chapter in Provo.

Mom and Dad came to get me on Saturday and we shopped and watched a round of frisbee golf. I was amazed at the new Wiltbank clan hobby. Since I've been here in Thatcher I helped decorate the Christmas Tree, make gingerbread cookies, and other wonderful Christmassy activities. I got to play the part of angel in our nativity play last night.

My Christmas presents are all wonderful, my entire family spent a lot of time and donated their old jeans to the coolest denim blanket of all time. I can see all of the donors jeans and I love love love all the memories that I have of those people wearing those jeans. I think there's even a pair of jeans that my dad used to wear in our old garden, grass stains and all :) really it is the best present I've received! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!! I know I did. I'm so grateful for my family and all their wonderfulness... how else do you describe the best family in the world. Merry Christmas!!!

Snow!!

So I have been praying really hard that it wouldn't snow until after finals week... well I must have been mumbling, because it started snowing on Saturday... 2 days before finals. So today there is at least 5 inches of snow everywhere. I am slippy sliding all over the place, but it sure is pretty. I have stayed pretty warm so far... but I think I need some warmer socks... and waterproof jeans? (don't think they make those) I've finished six of my classes and I have one final left!!! I'm really excited, not for the final, to go home on Thursday!!!