Life now and again after death

A few weeks back I had the awesome privilege of hearing Sheri Dew speak at a Relief Society broadcast here in Houston.  She immediately started out speaking about those things in life that matter most, using the example of dropping everything when someone you love dies. Whether you make it to their funeral or not, your thoughts definitely change with their passing. Suddenly most everything you spend most all of your time on dissipates and momentarily takes a backseat while you grieve their passing, celebrate their life, and reflect on the truths that form the foundation of your faith.

The last several weeks I've felt busier than in recent months. I found myself stressing over a lot of things and focusing my time on good things but not always the best things. In the last couple of weeks James and I have attended funerals for his grandma and mine, and we've lamented the passing of Ashleigh Cox, a sweet and beautiful girl from my family's home ward (years ago) and a friend of mine from BYU.

Incidentally, Sheri Dew's words have really become very poignant in my mind. My physics class, the cub scouts science experiments, the physical therapy for my knee, applying to an ultrasound program, and stress from work have all shriveled in comparison to the consuming thoughts of what life is really about.

Life is really about family. It's about love, service, and developing our talents to bless and benefit others. It is about working hard, expressing gratitude, and cherishing the scriptures. Life is about developing a relationship with God and preparing to return to His presence, which we can only do by following our Savior's example and relying on the power of His Atonement and the miracle of His victory over death.

• I know we were first spirit children of a Heavenly Father before we ever gained physical bodies from our mortal parents.

• I know we came to earth understanding that death was part of the journey on our way back to enjoying eternal life with that Heavenly Father.

• I know that Jesus Christ really lived and really died and that because of Him we will all live again and see our families again.

• I know that the righteous are taken when the time is right for them and that they rest peacefully in paradise. 

I cannot imagine not knowing these truths in such difficult moments and am everlastingly grateful that I do.

I did not know James's Grandma McKean very well, but her funeral made it obvious to me how wonderful a woman she must have been. She was intelligent, humorous, kind, accepting, fun, and selfless. All her grandchildren were her favorites and her kids never felt anything less than unconditional love from her.

My Grandma Heiner was equally wonderful. Her love of the Savior, my grandpa, and her family along with her passion for music, games, food, reading, and all beautiful and wholesome things impressed and inspired me.

Ashleigh Cox, the BYU student who was killed by an avalanche just this past weekend grew up in my home ward. I have memories of her as a young woman who didn't realize just how incredible she was. We talked and later emailed each other about our insecurities and relationships with others. When she got into college she absolutely blossomed into one of the most beautiful, confident, selfless, driven girls I could have imagined. It brought me such joy to see her making the most of her life.

James's Grandma died after a long life of 89 years having been separated from her husband for 27. My grandma's death was more shocking and she was younger, but she lived a life so full of service, love, and happiness that her 74 years might as well have been 89, and she terribly missed my grandpa who passed away in 2011. Ashleigh, in her short 21 years, seems to have given, loved, and learned to her fullest capacity.

I truly believe God knew these women had proven that they understood the purpose of life. They influenced all those around them for good and will be missed until we see them again.

And in the meantime, I am more fully committed to living a more purposeful life focused on the things that matter most so that when my time comes, the same things can be said of me.

JAM Christmas Card

This is the JAM (James and Aleisha McKean) Christmas Card slash blog post. After stuffing and addressing wedding invites in April and handwriting thank you cards from May until November, I am not about to send out Christmas cards. Lo siento todo.

We'll take this month by month and just hit on some highlights of our 2013.

JANUARY

• James took me skiing for the first time in my life! I LOVED it...minus the part where I veered off course and picked up a lot of speed and didn't know how to stop and later cried about it. But really, it was one of the most memorable experiences (and Christmas gifts) of my life. My husband is so patient and wonderful.

FEBRUARY

• James and I got engaged! Four years after our first date-the last weekend of February 2009-James proposed to me on the last weekend of February, 2013. And I would like to take this moment to brag that part of the proposal included him reading me a list of 100 things he loves about me.

 MARCH

• James and I finally ran our first 5k together....something we've been talking about doing for years.

• We went through the temple with my sister Shay.

•  We spent Easter together.

•  We took engagement pictures and had lots of wedding/bridal showers.

APRIL

• James turned 26! 

• I met Elder Ballard for the first time! He was in James' ward growing up and we were so blessed to have him seal us, but before that we were able to meet with him in his office and that was so special.

• I completed my last semester at BYU and walked, which interestingly enough was the afternoon of the day I met Elder Ballard.

MAY

•  I became a McKean and James became a great husbandman! It was a beautiful day in May and temple square was covered in tulips and other brides. I slept in that morning, had a big breakfast, and after pictures on temple square James and I went to Cafe Rio and inhaled a couple salads. It was a perfect day. Then we went on a perfect honeymoon to Orlando, FL, a surprise which James revealed to me via printed PowerPoint presentation. Haha. The reception in CO was also perfect. So overall, perfect. Wouldn't have changed a thing.

• I moved down to Houston and in with the mister. I started an internship with Halliburton's fitness facility and James started on a new work project in Michigan that lasted through the summer.

• James taught me how to drive a stick shift. In Houston. Now I'm a master driver and slightly more aggressive and prone to road rage.

JUNE

• We returned to Utah for a wedding of our friends Mason and Laura and were also able to go through the temple with James' brother Michael before he left on his mission.

JULY

• We decided to explore another city in Texas, and selected Corpus Christie to celebrate the 4th of July. Frisbee on the beach, an amazing Mediterranean restaurant, and a fascinating retired aircraft carrier that is now a museum made for an awesome getaway. And of course there were fireworks...just in case that sounds like a nontraditional celebration. 

AUGUST

• I finished my internship and we flew to CO to spend Labor Day weekend with my family (but apparently we only take pictures of ourselves, because I have no pictures of us with my family that weekend.) We spent the next weekend in SLC with James' family..and technically both of those things happened in September. Oh well. Something happened in August.

SEPTEMBER

• I turned 25 and James took me to Imagine Dragons and Matt Nathanson/Joshua Radin concerts to celebrate! 

                                     
OCTOBER

•  We went to Camelback Inn in Scottsdale, AZ for an awesome work retreat with the company James works for. It made for grand adventure, delicious food, an incredible massage, and a memorable first General Conference weekend as a married couple.
   
  
  

NOVEMBER

• We visited James' brother Jon and his wife Tricia and son Henry in Cincinnati, OH. It was so nice to see hills and fall colors and family!

• We went to San Antonio for our first Thanksgiving together and had an incredible time strolling up and down the Riverwalk, visiting the Alamo, eating quail and salmon for Thanksgiving dinner, going to dinner with Billy, Christie, and Cole (James' brother and fam), and immersing ourselves in the lights and Mexican influence of the area. Loved it. Absolutely loved it.

DECEMBER

• We went to a fun and fancy Christmas party for James' work. I wore my prom dress from high school and we had edible flower pedals in our salad, so that was awesome.

• We have spent the last several weeks with family in Utah! We've loved the snow, good food, games, and the birth of our first niece, Eva Kate Lyons! Christmas was spent talking with our missionary siblings, and New Years festivities included an extravagant and well-planned party by my wonderful father-in-law Bill.

I left out many things, but that sums up some major highlights of our year. James and I are so happy with where we're at and so excited for the adventures of 2014! We are grateful for health, family, and the wonderful gift of the Savior's birth which brings hope and meaning to this life. Happy Holidays ya'll!

Love,

JAM

Particularly personal pineapple tidbits

In the spirit of the holiday season, I would like to share a bit from my "thankful pile" (some of you will get that reference). Yes, it is technically after Thanksgiving Day. And yes, it's okay to be thankful and blog about it any day.

Rather than list the many things I am grateful for (the gospel of Jesus Christ, my wonderful husband and family, my health, desserts...to name a few) I wanted to take a different approach. I hope it helps you reflect differently on your own life:

I am grateful for the trials, challenges, disappointments, and seeming wrenches in my life plan that turned out to be blessings. Among them are the following:

1. When I was a freshman in high school I went through a period of depression. I didn't see a counselor or get officially diagnosed but I knew I was depressed and I certainly didn't feel like myself. I can honestly say they were the most difficult months of my life.

I am so grateful for this experience because it helped me find my testimony of the Atonement in a very real way. As I sought spiritual help I gradually regained the happiness I had known and felt like myself again.
It became easier each day thereafter to be grateful for the little things...grateful just to feel good.

2. Like so man others I sent off a missionary. Like not as many others, I was still single and still 100% interested in marrying my missionary when he came home. As fate or personal agency would have it, things didn't work out and I was disappointed to say the least. Devastated to be more accurate. I had known him  since I was eight years old and there were many family members and friends expecting and hoping things would work out. The situation may cause you to roll your eyes. Young love. But it still broke my heart.

I am grateful for that experience because it introduced me to so many realities of life for the first time: disappointment is inevitable in life but life moves on, forgiveness is healing and relieving, there are better things ahead, and I don't always know what's best for me.

I am grateful for that experience also because years later that missionary and I were friends in the same way we had been growing up. I didn't feel angry with him or awkward about inviting him to movie nights and game nights I hosted and he invited me to get-togethers as well.

Ironically enough I married someone with the same name as my missionary who is every bit my compatible partner and a better fit for me overall. And that missionary married the girl he loved. So all things work out.

3. While I was on my mission in Argentina both of my Grandpas passed away. I am the oldest child born to two oldest children so my whole life up until then I had all four of my grandparents. I dreaded the day I'd lose one.

I am grateful for these experience because my first grandpa to pass away was not a member. As a missionary I had a dream of the whole family dressed in white present at a baptism. My grandpa was there. I woke up feeling that it was his baptism we were attending, and the year after my mission we did the temple work for my grandpa as a family and it was one of the sweetest experiences of my life.

Several months later my other grandpa passed away. He had served his mission in Argentina like I was doing at the time and he wrote me letters in Spanish. His last letter to me said he couldn't wait to have me home in four months to speak Spanish with him. I read that letter over and over again and even though I usually wasn't quick to respond, I felt impressed to write him back the next morning. I did so, and immediately afterwards got word from the mission president that my grandpa had died the night before. The rest of the mission I felt I had my grandpa nearby. I felt a special closeness to him.

4. My parents did not not give me or buy me a car, nor did they live in the same state as me when I needed a car in college. I always had a car to drive at home, but at age 23 I got tired of bumming rides and borrowing roommates' cars.

I am grateful for this experience because it forced me to grow up and learn a few things for myself: I learned what to look for in a car, how I wanted to finance the car, how to register the car, care for the car, and later sell the car.

5. Upon returning home from my mission I found it slightly overwhelming that nearly all my closest friends where graduated, married, and/or moved away. This too is a common situation for many, but that doesn't necessarily make it easier for the one who feels friendless. My dad had picked out an apartment for me while I was still on the mission that I would be paying for and I felt it was too expensive. I whined and whined about not wanting to live there but didn't take action to find another place, so I moved in.

I quickly realized I not only was in the best ward of my college experience, but I soon made lifelong friends in that ward in the following two years. I served in the most fulfilling callings and was extremely impacted by the bishopric members and the unique opportunities I had to bless others' lives through visiting teaching. 

6. Returning to the topic of love, James and I had a lengthy and turbulent several years (I take full blame) of dating before we literally sealed the deal and got sealed to each other. Over those several years I often felt frustrated wondering why things couldn't fall into place more quickly or easily or like I wanted and expected they should.

Looking back it all makes so much sense and I wouldn't have done things any other way. I am grateful it took years, prayers, risks, and hurt pride for me to find my eternal partner, not only because now I have my eternal partner, but because through those years I saw him react to difficult situations, to difficult me. I witnessed his patience, humility, forgiveness, and obvious love for me. I learned of his dedication, respect, and testimony of things working out for him in the end, whichever end that ended up being. He displayed a willingness to sacrifice letting me leave on a mission and was so supportive while I was away and so understanding when I came home and took awhile to figure things out. All those years taught me with certainty who I was marrying, and because of that I went into my marriage knowing my fiance incredibly well and knew without a shadow of a doubt that I had found my best and favorite match.

Not to mention that within those years I served a mission, worked in the temple, dated enough to know that James set the bar high and that the others didn't measure up, and learned and came to appreciate so deeply the process of personal revelation and the exquisite joy of answered prayers.

Plus James had graduated and been working when we got married so that was also nice.

7.  I originally planned to intern in Utah in a place that felt familiar. Once I realized I was moving to Texas I planned to intern at Methodist Hospital and was so excited about the opportunity. Because of some complications that fell through I ended up interning somewhere else that, while in line with my major, didn't fit the mold of what I personally wanted to prepare for future career opportunities.

I am so grateful for that experience not only because I learned about some of my strengths and weaknesses, but because it helped me officially decide things I do and don't want to do in a job. More importantly, I had the opportunity to talk about the gospel, the church, and my testimony nearly every week. Sharing that with others was more rewarding than anything else could have been.

CURRENTLY

8. James travels regularly for his job and that has been difficult, especially as newlyweds living in a new state far from our families.

I'm grateful for his job though because it makes us take advantage of the days he is home, it allows us to travel and will open a variety of doors for James in the coming years.

9. My current calling is with the Cub Scouts in our family ward. When I was first asked to serve in this calling I kind of wanted to cry. On a few occasions after that I did cry. I was new to the ward and didn't feel the calling allowed me to meet new sisters, I didn't see how I could contribute since I never was a cub scout, never paid attention to what my brothers did in cub scouts, and don't currently have sons.

And then I realized that one day I probably will have sons. And they will be cub scouts. And it won't be my first introduction to the program. I will know what they need to do and will be excited to help them! So I'm grateful to learn now.

10. For the last several months I have been waiting on a job that I prayed to be guided to, interviewed for, and received. Because of a hiring freeze and other complications I have yet to start the job after over two months. This has given me more free time than I have ever been used to. I have had many moments where I felt unfulfilled and dissatisfied because I'm not in school, working, or raising kids.

I am grateful for this trial that some would call a huge blessing that I will look back on in the future and yearn for. I guess it just doesn't fit my personality to cherish too much free time. I have been blessed with one babysitting job after another which not only allowed me to feel needed and practice my "mothering skills," but it provided money for me to save towards paying off a student loan. This time has also allowed me to attend physical therapy sessions twice a week and do exercises at home twice a day to heal my IT band tendinitis-something I would not have had time for if I was working full-time.

I have been able to teach with the missionaries, tutor, read, create projects for myself, have long talks with my mom, and travel with James without asking for time off. While I look forward to a more rigorous and demanding schedule (as crazy as that sounds), I am truly grateful for the blessings that have come when the blessing of a job hasn't yet.

I'll be the first to admit I don't always have the best perspective while going through hard times, but I do know that blessings have come from those times because there is someone who knows better than I do what's best for me.

And if life's full of both trials and blessings and we can learn to view trials as blessings, it's all good, people. Blessing on your head, mozel tov, mozel tov.

Ode to the BYU years

I have been waiting a looong time to write this blog post because it has taken me what feels like a looong time to graduate. Please allow me to take a minute of your time and several of my own to reminisce on my college days at BYU.

Let's start with preschool.

(It's okay if that line just killed what little interest you had in reading further.)

When I was in preschool I made a bookmark that said "BYU." Yeah, I was a pretty ambitious, goal-setting lil preschooler child.

At the end of middle school my best friend Charina and I flew out to Utah to stay with her sister CJ at BYU for a night or two. It was amazing. I remember having two distinct thoughts about that experience:

1. It's so awesome that they can just go bowling and party any and every night of the week in college and they don't have to consult their parents!
2. I'm in 8th grade. I still have all of this year and then all of high school before I can come here!

Later when I applied to colleges there was only one I planned to apply for. I think I applied for BYU-I as well because Dad said I had to and because it was like one extra click of a button or something. I was sad to leave home-the oldest of five and the first one to break up the Lyons Den-but excited out of my mind to be a college coed. :)

(I obviously can't capture years of college life in one blog post, and I've lost a lot of pictures saved on now-dead laptops, but here's quite a meaty recap just the same.)

FRESHMAN YEAR

I lived in the dorms at Helaman Halls. Signed up for a random roommate and ended up with the one and only Claire Plimpton, who that year went by the name "Clarence Pimptown." Claire turned out to be not only one of the most amazing people I've ever met but also one of my best friends.  After initially convincing me over emails during the summer that her dad worked for the FBI and she was currently living in Africa learning some strange language.....we got to know the truth about each other the first night in the dorms. We stayed up until 3 a.m. talking and hiked the Y at 7 the next morning. Welcome to my sleep schedule for the entire year.

The ward was convinced Claire and I were related. If I had a nickel for every non-relative I look "totally related to" I'd have a pretty pile o' nickels. I guess I just have one of those faces....not unique...cookie cutter...I digress. We did look alike though, I have to admit. We gave each other piggy back rides everywhere. I slept 3-4 hours a night, worked 20 hours/week, and took naps on campus between every class either on grassy hills or bathroom couches. Lots of times I took unintentional naps through my classes. I made friends with Cassi-face, Bryce-face, and Dave-face working at BYU vending. We basically formed a club called "Aleisha the freshy makes everyone shirts and shares her meal plan money." Drove a pick-up truck on the sidewalks at campus for that job and despite all the food I ate with my Dining Plus meal plan I inhaled the yummy spoils from work.

I taught Relief Society and grew so much from wonderful girls like Anna Thurston, Sarah Christensen, and Jane Anne Jackson. I spent all my extra money on expensive cereal, ate my body weight in ice cream every Sunday at the Cannon Center, and after a semester of hiding away doing workout videos in my dorm room I braved the gym with Charina. And got addicted. And was seriously one of the only girls in the gym most of the time. Those were the days....before the gym was expanded and other girls came. I also ran my first 5k!

I was overwhelmed that it seemed there were multiple parties going on EVERY night. Sometimes it was a late night fast food/ice cream run, other nights we would sneak a laptop up by the baseball diamond to watch movies. Sometimes we stood out peppering a volleyball, other nights it was entertainment enough just to spy on the couples from the ward from our 3rd floor dorm room window.

In the world of dating and boys we were still in third grade. We played guessing games and kept secrets and marriage was set somewhere off in the distance because most of the boys we knew still had to go on missions. Our freshman guy friends formed a group called "The Brethren Council" where they would discuss crushes and whatnot. As they received their mission calls they would then be called "the representative from Japan" or "Arizona" or whatever. Haha. I hope some of them read this. I had a missionary like 98% of girls at BYU. My first date was with an RM who boasted of his excellence in tennis. I beat him 6-0, 6-0. Had to throw that in there.

We had the best "resident assistant" Meg who was such an awesome convert to the church and who became a best friend to Claire and I.

I decided I didn't want to major in Sociology and took a career exploration class that came up with "Radiology" as a fitting career choice for me, which makes sense, since a big reason I didn't want to major in sociology was because it didn't require me to take Human Anatomy. Claire and I celebrated our horrible first American Heritage midterms with ice cream and a hefty curve saved us all at semester's end. We went to library mostly just to stay until we were kicked out and the music started blasting.

I loved the freshman/perpetual EFY experience, but never ever felt so happy to be home than I did after that first semester away. The night before I flew home I remember four of us stayed up until 4:30am when we went out to eat at IHOP and then I squeezed in an hour of sleep.

I realized that even when life is relatively easy because the Cannon Center makes all your meals and does all your dishes, everything is within walking distance, and you only have half a dorm room to keep clean.......I still appreciated so many things my parents did for me all those years leading up to college.

Very first Sunday at college. Probably on our way to gorge ourselves on ice cream in the Cannon Center!

BYU beats Utah football game. Sadly, it was one of only a few games I went to in college.

Hiking the Y the morning after moving into the dorms. This is on 4 hours of sleep.

Some said we looked alike. Weird how we both made the exact same face without planning it.

Classic cone-heads. Or Who's from Whoville.

This wasn't freshman year, but my dearest friends from freshman year reunited at Jane Anne's wedding. We're trying to spell 3200, because that's the floor we lived on in Chipman Hall.

Festival of colors. You've got to go at least once. We arrived late, walked for what felt like a mile because we couldn't find parking, and arrived just in time to get pink chalk thrown on our clothes and in our hair and mouth. All the other colors were gone by the time we got there.

My vending buddies Dave, Cassi, and Bryce!

Not sure why I'm making this face. I loved my vending job.

BYU volleyball game.

Girls on the floor.

Formal dance. Spilled chocolate from the chocolate fountain all down my dress. Some things never change.

Ward trip to temple square to see the lights.

Another volleyball game with ma thug friends.

Claire and Meg.

SUMMER AFTER FRESHMAN YEAR

I stayed in Provo the summer after freshman year and worked as a Conference Assistant helping with Women's Conference, EFY, and Education week. I got to know Heritage Halls and worked the front desk in Wyview. I did check-ins, tested hundreds of smoke detectors, had "roaming duty" to babysit EFY kids and got free rent and food for it. I lived in a six-person apartment by myself in Heritage Halls. I was in a singles ward with RMs and was called to teach Sunday School which intimidated me to death, especially because so many EFY counselors came to our ward on Sundays. But I survived. And grew because of it.

I started dating RMs more, some of which were very recently returned missionaries who asked me to "commit to tunnel singing" or took me to MoTab organ concerts in their mini van, filling the awkward silence with awkward questions like "so what do you want in a husband?" Um......to go home.

Although I lack many pictures from this time period, we had lots of fun that summer eating in the Cannon Center still, watching the Olympics, doing puzzles and going to the pool. I became friends with everyone I worked with, even though we were all so incredibly different.

The team who worked with me as a Conference Assistant.

And some more...

The apartment I lived in alone. I had Claire over for chips and salsa I guess. Decorated the fridge with comic strips.

SOPHOMORE YEAR

I moved away from the dorms with a new best friend and into an apartment south of campus with an old best friend. Claire, Charina and I lived in a ghetto apartment on stilts with the absolute worst parking lot full of potholes. The bathroom smelled of mold and the door never shut all the way. We had green carpet, about a foot of walking space in between the beds, the disposal was always broken, and ***shockingly***, the rent was very cheap. We made so many wonderful memories in that apartment, including Charina and I meeting our future husbands :). Red-headed Nicole and do-it-all Steph completed the trio at different times while we lived there. I have memories of crashing on the couch after classes with my backpack still on, playing tennis at Kiwanis all the time, and falling in love with....anatomy. It was also the year I took Italian, volleyball, and social dance. I competed in Dancesport and went to every BYU basketball game. Claire and I went to Rascal Flatts and Jason Mraz concerts as well. Oh yeah, I also fell in love with Jason Mraz.

Like 98% of girls who wait for missionaries, it didn't work out for me with my missionary. But that's where it gets good. I met future hubby and was instantly and overwhelmingly impressed by his impressiveness (I won't go into detail of all his accomplishments and coolness because he's modest and would tell me to delete it anyway) and how compatible we were. Our first official date was the night after a bad date where the guy pulled out his retainer to eat dinner, only wanted to listen to rap music, and then took me to a Satan dance and thought it'd be fun to get fake tattoos. Fail. James, on the other hand, was a complete gentleman and we had a blast eating food (the doughnuts on the first date totally won me over) and laughing our heads off at Comedy Sportz. James n-n-n-nailed it from the start.

Only problem was... I'd forgotten that a mission had always been in the back of my mind, which is a perfect lead in to summer....

(Oh yeah and can't leave out that I bowled a 205 (without bumpers) my sophomore year and won a shirt from the WILK bowling alley. Duly noted.)

We're so cool and Claire's so strange.

More evidence of that....

Cleaning out the freezer? Not really sure what's happening here.

Chugging contest I suppose.

Roomie night out at Red Robin and then to see a movie which turned out to be about cancer and really depressing.

Hey cool, we're married now. :)

Jason Mraz concert.

Punkins and Charina. And what do you know...we look "totally related" too!

SUMMER AFTER SOPHOMORE YEAR

Sports camps. BEST SUMMER JOB TO EVER EXIST. Outdoor games, dances, talent shows, movies, and weekly trips to Seven Peaks. As a close group of DC's and head counselors we went to Sonic or Wendy's literally every night. I bought a do-rag (which I probably spelled wrong), drove everyone nuts with my "Just Dance" ringtone, learned the cupid shuffle, and cleaned up participant vomit more than once. I also fell in love with James and submitted my mission papers and got my call to the Argentina, Buenos Aires North Mission!! The order of those two things is a blur.

And for those who never heard, James' response to me deciding on a mission was basically "well, I'll miss you, but I wouldn't tell you not to go because a mission was the greatest experience for me and I'd want you to have that same experience." Oh yeah. He good. That's just one of a million reasons why I married him.

Dorm Counselors eating out after a night at Seven Peaks.

After a dance.

Kurt and I planned the dances. We had so much in common and he thought I was the coolest. :)

This was my boss. WAS.

Three people who made had a huge influence for good on me that summer.

Hiked the Y on the fourth.

***Although I hate to leave out all that happened in between summer after sophomore year and junior year (few months home before mission, cruise, mission, summer coming home, awesome dates with James and trip to Bear Lake with his fam....those can make up another blog post later)***

 JUNIOR YEAR

After a brief two-year break to serve an unforgettable and life-changing mission in Argentina I came back to the familiar bubble of Provo. I was more than ready to return to BYU, but a little apprehensive about coming back to no one I knew. Most of my closest friends were graduated, married, and/or moved away. Fortunately I moved in with three wonderful girls: Bethany, Brianna, and Katy. Chathom Towne #5 quickly became home. I was in the greatest ward and quickly got called to be in the Relief Society presidency.

I took public speaking that semester where I introduced my talent as "I'm really good at being kind of good at a lot of things...oh and I really like FOOD." I quoted C.S. Lewis' philosophy on love and learned not to say "um" quite so much. I also took Spanish literature that semester. I stayed up until 3 or 4 a.m. writing those Spanish papers. I started working as a secretary in the School of Family Life and LOVED my job... especially the "do homework at work" part. I hung out a lot with people from my mission too. Couldn't let go of the dream I guess. All RMs go through it and some never get out of it.

Despite our initial expectations, James and I didn't get married that year. In fact, we took a lil break to date enough people to remind us that in the end we were the best fit for each other. It made the year unpredictable and emotional, but it also lead me to intensely focus on my classes and I got the best GPA of all of college that year. God blessed me to make new and lifelong girlfriends that year. I was also able to work in the temple for winter semester and then through the summer, which experience helped me learn and make many important decisions for my future.

And um...don't ask me what happened to junior year pictures, because I guess I didn't take as many. And the few I did take are forever lost. Boo.

Dinner at a Peruvian restaurant with some elders. Yes that's correct...the other sisters didn't show up.

Just an awkward picture with Mary.

Stuffing a pinata...violently.

Coolest ward activity.

I promise I did more junior year than eat with the elders, take pictures on the floor, stab pinata dolls, and throw cheetos onto shaving-cream-covered man heads.

SUMMER AFTER JUNIOR YEAR

I lived with three wonderful blonds: Laura, Mary, and Brooke. Other than the daily secretary desk job, we went camping, hiking, played co-ed intramural softball, had regular trips to our favorite places such as Red Robin Spoon-It-Up, and Sweet Tooth Fairy, watched movies, did puzzles, and took a road trip to CO for my brother and sister-in-law's reception.

My love with James was rekindled that summer when he "randomly" texted me from Jordan and a few weeks later we started dating again. My roommates loved him. We went to a rodeo and watched fireworks on the fourth of July, went out to eat, went car shopping for James, floated the Provo river, played tennis, etc. It was that summer that I knew I wanted to marry James....and then he moved to Houston to start a job. Guess I deserved that for moving to Argentina that one time ;)

Ward activity turned water fight.

Festive on the fourth.Alex Jennings made the most incredible burgers I nearly cried.

Roasting doggies in Mary's backyard.

Roomie pics. Three blonds and a brunette.

Frozen yogurt...a favorite pastime of ours...and everyone else in college.

City Creek Mall.

JFSB where I worked as a secretary all spring/summer. My roomies would visit me for lunch some days.

Cheering on our intramural softball team!

Camping in Kanarraville. I have crazy eyes and insane flexibility.

Dan saved our lives as we hiked. He likes to close his eyes for pictures.

Brooke's the dancer. Can you tell?

Morgan and Eliza's CO open house

Brooke's twin sister Paige's wedding reception.

SENIOR YEAR

One of my dearest friends came out to BYU-my sister Shay. When I wasn't with James on the weekends I was with Shay, and much of the time we were with Morgan and Eliza. James was working in Houston and even though we only saw each other a few times fall semester, I saw him nearly every other or every third weekend winter semester. He would show up early on Friday mornings, take me to breakfast, walk with me to work, and over most of those weekends we planned our wedding.

I threw myself my own Oreo birthday party Senior year. James taught me how to ski. I focused exclusively on classes for my major. I adored my calling as FHE mom, had the most dedicated co-chair and a group of "children" who even referred to me as "mom" when I bumped into them on campus. I LOVED Exercise Physiology, Functional Anatomy, Obesity and Weight Management, and Chronic Disease Prevention. I finally felt like I was getting into the meat of the subjects I loved. I went to St. George with some professors to help out and do a little research at the Huntsman Senior Games.  I spent much of my study time with new-found friends Jojo Edgin and Jenisy Arnegard who I wish I could have met years earlier. I also took racquetball and weight lifting which made me super buff and sweaty. Haha. I also did the Lazy Man Iron man both semesters (one month to run 26.2 miles, bike 112 miles, and swim 2.1 miles) so even though I didn't have much time to work out, I worked out more than usual.

James flew me out to Houston to visit him for a weekend in late October. I was introduced to his life there and imagined one for both of us in the near future. The second semester of my senior year we got engaged! I was taking 18 credits and planning my wedding and although it was stressful it was a joyful semester. Being engaged was everything it was cracked up to be. I was happy, and on top of that happiness there were parties, showers, and that ring. I spent lots of time just staring at that ring.

FHE fam

The lovely and unbelievably photogenic Shay :D

Tuesday shakes

Photo booth at Brooke and Jacob's wedding reception.

Bridesmaids at Brook and Jacob's Vegas wedding!

James spontaneously flew me to Houston for the last weekend of October. It was the greatest weekend!

At cousin Lindsay's wedding with my beautiful sister.

President's weekend wedding dress shopping for ME with my wonderful sisters.

Saturday afternoon of mini golf, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and Coldstone ice cream because our starving student card had lots of expiration dates coming up.

We finally ran a 5k together!

Village Inn after going through the temple with Shay.

Night before Brooke's wedding!

Engagged to be marred.

We're totes cute. Easter with the fam in Payson.

I "walked" in April and celebrated my graduation as though I was actually graduating. After marriage a week later and moving to Houston the week after the honeymoon I spent the summer doing my internship and working on my last two classes through Independent Study. Because that wasn't at BYU, I'll spare you the details. This is a strictly BYU-reminiscing blog.

Welp, there I am.

With my fiance and my lifelong friend.

My wonderful parents, who also went to BYU.

There are so many details I've left out. There are so many wonderful friends, teachers, and coworkers who forever changed my outlook on life and blessed me for the better that I didn't even mention. If I copied from the dozen journals that spanned these college years there would still be people and events I missed. Basically, no one's college years can be condensed into a single blog post, but they must be...I'm not writing another one.

I loved college and now I love being done with college. Woot woot!