is it creepy that i people watch?

well here i sit in the library doing my take home test for physiology. don't worry i've actually been VERY productive the past 2 hours (i'm quite proud) and am now treating myself to a 5 minute break.  i just wanted to comment on how fun it is to people watch. call me a creepster...but i enjoy it.  i will illustrate by describing some of the fascinating scenes in front of me:

1) girl at her computer with headphones on...ROCKING out to her music without making a sound. that's right...she's lipsyncing very enthusiastically.  quite entertaining. i wonder what she's listening to... now i know what i look like when people in the next car over see me at a stoplight

2) then there are the people who have fallen asleep in amazing positions...head back on the couch, mouth open...on the keyboard of their laptop....with head on their hands with elbows on the table (very impressing how balanced they are)...then of course my fav: those who are TRYING not to fall asleep but you can see the head bob happening. i love the head bob. you know...they start to fall asleep...head starts to fall forward...and when it does it jolts them back awake....then you see the determined face "i will stay awake!" when just 30 sec later the cycle starts again.  i once tried to video a head bobber in a physiology class...but it looked like i was videoing the lecture and i felt like a nerd and stopped.

3) then my fav.  i'm sitting on a couch between the entrances to the men's and women's restrooms.  they both have a big yellow sign on them saying the restroom is closed (unfortunate for me since my allergies have been off the charts this week and i'd really like to blow my nose).  sooo for the past 2 hours I've gotten to watch people come up, stop suddenly, read the sign, then turn away...then look back to doublecheck they read it right...then walk away. ok now i know this doesn't sound very funny...but if you watched it over and over again it would get entertaining to you too.

4) i ran into a girl i used to teach piano lessons to about 7 years ago! turns out she's a student here! who knew? just another experience (in addition to running into a girl i used to babysit and then one of my EFY kids from years ago that said "aren't you graduated yet???") that makes me feel old :)

well my 5 minute break is up!

do you ever have those days?

do you ever have those days when you can think of about a bajillion things you need to get done....and you spend so much time thinking about what you need to get done you don't get any of it done??....and then you finally sit down to get it done, and just like THAT you think of something relatively unimportant that you need to do and so you start doing that because it's easier than the thing you REALLY need to get done?...and then as you do that relatively unimportant thing that needs to get done eventually, you think of something very UNimportant that would be fun to do so you start doing that instead??...and THEN you decide to waste even MORE time by writing a blog post about all of it? ...and then you come to your senses and realize that the longer you waste time the more sleep you're going to be losing near the end of the week?...so you sit down to do the important thing that needs to get done and the cycle starts all over again!! well you guess it....that's the kind of day i'm having.  what has happened to me? i used to be responsible.  well, back to the cycle i go... (except maybe this time I'll actually BREAK the cycle...now THAT would be blog-worthy...)

today i am grateful for...

SMOOTH MUSCLE CONTRACTION!!

my lovely depiction i made in paint.  now y'all knew i was a nerd...but just humor me....isn't this cool?? it boggles my mind how everything works together. love it. and it's even way more complicated than this. God really knew what he was doing.

PS - don't worry...i didn't do this for fun. It's for an assignment. I'm not THAT far gone.

Formula for an awesome weekend...

Free rountrip flight to Phoenix

+ Peter waiting at the airport with a sign with your name on it, ready to drive you to Sedona 

(lunch provided in the car)

+ one great friend

+ 2 nights free stay at Amara Resort and Spa with...

...the comfiest beds ever made... 

....free gift bag upon arrival....

...and a GORGEOUS view by the pool

+ a free guided tour of the grand canyon

+ a HELICOPTER RIDE over the grand canyon!

+ dinner and shopping in Sedona

= most relaxing weekend ever! can't beat the price too :)

nerdy thoughts

did you know you have 6 feet of DNA wound up in the nucleus of every single cell in your body??? how cool is that??

one more thing...

so after that last post, i shut down the computer, got ready for bed, and started to fall asleep....when all of a sudden i sat up in bed with the thought: "I FORGOT TO FEED THE CELLS!!!!!"

i don't know if you've ever experienced that kind of panic before. but i am freaking out. i am a horrible mother. so i burst into steph's room and said, "steph!! I FORGOT TO FEED MY CELLS!"

and what did she do? she just laughed. which made me laugh. so we both laughed and cried. and i decided they can probably hang in til morning since it is almost 2 am.

if they die i will feel horrible.

i am a terrible mother

and jen you are probably reading this so i just want to apologize for my irresponsibility.

the end

no one's got dance moves like this kid

notice his moves especially around 10 seconds...

i've been to a handful of dance parties in the past few days, but nothing topped this one (the video does not come close to showing how amazing it was). that kid never tires.

wow i'm on a roll...

since i'm on a blogging kick i might as well roll with it.  Updates and/or completely random thoughts:

*a new semester has begun! i am back in actual classes for the first time in 3 and 1/2 years (minus 2 classes i had last semester that only involved 4 people)
*i kind of forgot you had to buy textbooks and was once again jolted into the reality of how darn expensive they are
*did i mention i LOVE being back in classes? you know you're a nerd when you enjoy reading your textbooks... (unless you're dog tired)
*i'm exhausted! I forgot how much work it is to balance homework and research
*my parents went to lithuania this week for a mission presidents conference thingy. oh yeah, i skyped with lithuania this week.
*I moved into a new apartment (cute townhouse) in south provo. LOVING IT. i have my own room for the first time in a while
*i took steph with me since she's so fun
*it only took me 5 days and a trip to walmart for a dresser (no to mention the assistance of 5 guys with power tools to assemble and carry it) to get unpacked and settled. turns out when my room is in complete disarray so is my life.  life is much happier now :)
*i've been a total slacker and haven't been running all week.  next week will be different!
*i bought a blender. you know what that means....SMOOTHIES!!
*tomorrow i get to see my dear sister mohammad (mission companion) and have dinner at my fabulous aunt ruth's. EXCITEMENT
*STEPH AND I ARE GOING TO THE GRAND CANYON ON FRIDAY!! free airfare, free stay at a resort/spa, free guided tour, spending money provided, NBD.

the help

WHEN? i finished about a month ago

VERDICT? i LOVED this book!

WHY? thought-provoking, humorous, thought-provoking, made me want to change the world for the better, felt like i knew and related to the characters, ETC

DID I CRY? yes

WHEN? Steph and I saw it tonight

VERDICT? i LOVED this movie!

WHY? great cast, laugh out loud funny, made me think about courage and love, everything i said about the book pretty much applies here

DID I CRY? oh yes

MORAL OF THE STORY: you should read this book and then see this movie

THE END

SAN ANTONIO!!

About 10 hours after I got back from Seattle, I hopped on a plane to TEXAS to see my sister Jenny and her cute family.  I loved spending time with my little nephew and brand new niece!! life doesn't get much better than that!  hanging out with their parents was pretty fun too :)  Here are some fun pics from the trip...although I think Jenny has better ones.  Turns out James can't keep his eyes open if the flash is on.  

 first time writing his name!

 would've been super cute if James had gotten my head in the picture...

My favorite parts:

*Hanging out with James: building train tracks, reading books, playing in the wading pool, taking pictures with my camera (he took about 200 of his own), and having an epic dance party after breakfast (it's tradition)

*Holding baby Ella: nothing sweeter than just watching a newborn sleep.  She is beautiful!

*Morning runs with Jonathan

*Watching Smallville with Jen and Jonathan

*Chatting with Jenny and observing her be the best mommy :)

*realizing how much i can learn from little kids....observe:

I can't wait to visit the Bosters again! 

LOVE YOU GUYS!! 

Secret confession, I cried in the airport after you drove away :) Thanks for everything.

GOING BACK HOME!

Well my dream was finally realized and I was able to take a roadtrip back to Seattle!  I have now been home from my mission for TEN MONTHS (crazy to me) and I finally made it back. It was amazing how much it felt like home. Part of my heart will always be in Seattle and with the people there :)  I am SO glad my dear friend and former companion Diane was able to come along...it made it much more fun and meaningful.  She survived being with me all day every day for 6 days so our friendship passed the test!! (I know we were together 24/7 on the mission, but I'm sure then the Lord was helping Diane look past my weirdness) It was kind of strange being back in mission boundaries TOGETHER yet not being missionaries.  We had to document a couple things like SWIMMING IN THE LAKE since we never could before! Thank you to everyone who was so kind and let us stay with you or fed us meals or just let us back into your homes! The one hard thing was there were so many MORE people I would have loved to see and spend a lot more time with. I guess that just means I will have to return soon :) Don't think I have forgotten you. You know, you always wonder if people will remember you...because I remember everyone so well...but I know I was just one missionary out of MANY. So thank you for remembering me! LOVE YOU ALL!!

 14 hours flew by because it was such a party!

 Pike's Place Market!

 the famous gum wall

 one of the 100 jumping pictures we took (don't worry i'll spare you)

Lake Sawyer! we got to get in this time. Thank you Wellborn Family! 

with Maddie and little Max in the paddle boat 

Mario Kart with the Streights. pretty intense...i don't think Dan ever beat me :) 

STREIGHT FAM!

 More Maple Valley friends

 what a fun group!

 Some of the women we want to be like when we grow up :)

 Sister Nelson!

 the cute blonquist family in their home (aka our 5 star hotel)

 after lunch with lindsay!

my first ferry ride! 

 a stop at the Allens as we drove through Idaho

 we had high hopes of hitting all the temples along the way...too bad they were ALL closed

 Diane was an amazing windshield cleaner at all our pit stops. check out the lovely bug guts

 the Allans! Now there's a place that feels like home :)

 delicious lunch with the Tsangs!

 THE LARKINS! 

President had to leave before the picture...but since it was for a meeting with Elder Perry,
I guess we'll excuse him.

 she's taller than me now!

 sister morriss! our mission mom :)

 LOVE the Allen Family

 classic Bustamante/Martinez picture

Alaina and I!

BBF's :) LOVE YOU DI!
Thanks for flying to Utah just so you could jump in a car for 14 hrs with this crazy girl.

I just realized how many people I forgot to get pictures with.  Sad. But you're probably glad...because let's be honest, I just posted a boatload of pictures that you probably got bored scrolling through.  

CAN'T WAIT FOR MY NEXT TRIP HOME TO SEATTLE!