November 2013/2014

So I need to play catch up. It really has been too long and I should at least get all the major details down in my life to look back on. Luckily, I have a running list of things to write about and hopefully I can get them done over Christmas Break. But for now there will be a little bit of overlap!

This November and last I was able to check another state off my list and extend the farthest place I've ever been east! Camp Kesem has a national summit where we get to meet up with all the other chapters across the nation and attend training meetings and make connections and it is just so so fun.

                                   

Detroit 2013

It really re-energizes me and remind why I do Kesem. Saturday night they have a family of MSU/UM campers and parents come and ask questions and it reminds me that Kesem is helping so much more than my 100 campers at BYU. It is CHANGING lives across the nation and maybe someday across the world.

I'm so incredibly grateful to be a part of this movement. I can only imagine where CK is going to be in the next few years! One of the coolest things at THIS year's summit was the rebranding of Camp Kesem! The national organization will be known as Kesem now and Camp Kesem is a project of that organization.

Camp Kesem National says:

We know that supporting children through and beyond their parent's cancer can include programming beyond our flagship Camp Kesem. In the coming years, we'll be exploring some of those options for growth. So to prepare for that growth, we've created an umbrella organization - which we have proudly named "Kesem." Kesem will serve as the parent organization for all of our programming, including Camp Kesem. (But rest assured, there are no changes being made to our signature Camp Kesem program). We're thrilled with the new logo for Kesem - which is reflective of the colors found in Karl. We hope you see the same meaning we do in the shining light rays bursting "through and beyond" in the new Kesem logo.  

Camp Kesem is a nationwide community, driven by passionate college student leaders, that supports children through and beyond their parent's cancer.

Detroit 2014

My First Summer

So this is the my first summer away from home. It's been a wild ride for sure. Can I just throw it out there that growing up is so bittersweet? It's so nice to have all these experiences, but there's always the complicated 'grown up' stuff. As HPen tells me in every letter, C'est le vie.

Anyway, summer in Provo is so cool! First of all, there's no snow. Also, there's plenty of free stuff to do around town (one week soon we're going to a food truck round up. That's pretty snazzy.) And let me tell you, food is so good and there's still student deals. #savingdollars

Also, I'm not taking classes right now so I work a lot at super awesome job that lets me talk to fantastic people (and not so fantastic ones, too) all day long. Plus I still work for res Life so I get to see all my favorite people everyday! Not taking classes opens up a lot of time and I love finding things to fill it with. Parties, drives, movie nights, and more food. Really just exploring Provo. #lovewhereyoulive (shout out to Elmo)

And now for some pictures. Because that's what this is really all about right?

Just chillin at the UP HOUSE in Herriman, Utah. It's an exact replica! Excuse the ratchet level of this picture. It was after a temple day. 

Excuse the derp face. 

Oquirrh Mountain Temple with my favorites! This was the second temple we went to that day. We hit up the Draper temple too, but we didn't get a picture there. 

Then one day Jason and I went to the zoo. Luckily we're both like 5-year-olds so it was the experience of a lifetime. Also, we pretty sure that they just spray painted the black bears white and called them polar bears. And we can't forget that zebras have five wives?

Okay, we literally looked all over for the sloth (Hoffman) and everyone else found him in like 2 seconds. Jason really wanted to steal him but I wouldn't let him. I'm too pretty to go to jail yet. 

Family picture <3 My long lost Ranga sista friend. 

One of us looking semi-normal.

HOFFMAN. I want him so badly. He's perfect - seriously.

So at the zoo we learned about sloths and their "cuddle puddles". Here is our cuddle pudd (no "le" because Zach wouldn't join us.)

Also, can I just say I'm so glad that Jason and Taylor became best friends on the mish because that means that Taylor and I also became best friends on the mish and now we're the three best friends anyone could have. 

Lei and I went to the temple while Amber studied for finals. We always look so cute so we have to take a picture every time. FYI, the Provo temple is extremely busy Fridays so pick another time to go. Or go to another temple like we do hahah. 

After the temple we got unratchet and hung out with Taylor! He's the greatest.

#swelfie - It's that thing where you go to swig and take a selfie. I missed the cute memo. Thanks y'all. Oh well, still cute though.

Okay I have so much else to write about (another time) still! Like that one time I went to California! Or that time I went to a Bees game! Or that time that I went to Camp Kesem... wait that didn't happen yet.

Moral of the story is that there is so much fun to be had and so much still to be shared.

Take the time to do something adventurous. Live in moment. Just do! And life will be happy I swear.  

Finals

It has really been something else. So many emotions flow through you during these stressful times. I was elated when I saw the score for my Hist201 test. Last night, I was at the lowest low after hours of studying and I saw the less-than-satisfactory grades from my calc and chem finals. I felt like sleeping. I felt like my eyeballs were gonna fall out of my head and my brain was melted from the hours and hours of studying and testing and studying and testing and writing and studying and testing.
And there were times when I wanted to give up.
I didn't though. I didn't do all that great (for my standards). But at the end of the day I completed another semester (that's 4 down with my AP credits - shout out to CLHS for rockin' those classes).

And even if my grades say otherwise I learned a lot!
I learned about chemistry - understanding the world around me.
I learned about history - trade, religion, and biological warfare (and they didn't even test me on the last one)
I learned about mental and psychological issues and was able to apply the skills and resources in my life and the lives of those around me.
I learned about calculus - still don't know when you'd ever use it in life but hey, I learned some pretty cool tricks and I even made a friend in a class and I lost a bet too.
I learned more about my Savior's life, his Atonement, temples, and my testimony from my wonderful professor than I have in a long time.
I learned where I struggle and where I excel.
I got closer to declaring a major.
I learned that I choose sleep over class more often than not.

And learning is what's important. Knowledge is what rises with us in the resurrection. It can make a poor man rich and I truly believe that and education is the most important investment we can make in ourselves. And so, when I get those grades I'll be happy with what they are.
A's don't mean that I know the most in that class. It just means I tested well and followed the syllabus. But I know I learned something. Even if's not anything huge, or something that I'll forget in two weeks. It made a difference to me in this moment.

The Life Lately

To enjoy this post to maximum capacity, click here. 

A picture homage to the life of Brittani lately:

 Me and N! Love that little man. 

Me and E. This kid cracks me up!

 Seriously looks like a death trap, but I couldn't be happier. Who am I?

My car's there somewhere, right?

 Lots of good memories in Fugal Hall :( Sad it's gone!

 This is what a date for Brittani and Jason looks like. 

 #ckfamily

 Waiting to get x-rays because.....

 My ankle looked like that. 

Now it looks like this. Which is actually better. It just looks so beautiful. :')
(Props to the nurse/doctor/radiologist for containing their laughs as I told the story of how it happened)

 It snowed! (Find the Y)

 And I was ecstatic!! 

Classic Christmas Fun.

Okay I think that's all.

All I Can Say is PREACH BROTHA

PS Let it be known I called dibs. If he has an older brother, I'll take him too.

I figured it out, and I kinda feel like a genius.

This is someone's definition of why they love summer.

I read this and I thought, "This sounds like the last few weeks at college."
So I finally get it - the reason why college is so fun is because it's like summer ALL THE TIME. Except the whole school thing, that kinda sucks. Can't they just hand me a diploma already?

I don't blog enough

Sometimes, there are things that happen in my life, and I'm like, "I think that might be funny for other people to read." So I blog it. But then, I get bored or I feel the need to procrastinate yet again (like now, for instance. Imagine that!) And I go back and read my old posts.
Man, I'm hilarious. But besides my obviously perfect sense of humor and complete sarcasm, I love to read the moments when I'm serious for 0.23 seconds and I'm like, wow, I actually learned something about life. And it's like a living breathing journal - which I'm supposed to have anyway, but blogging is more fun - that I can look back on and gain insight and all that mushy, gushy sentimental stuff.
So for all of you that read my blog, you're pretty cool because you get to see my life, too. Well, the cool parts anyway. So I now present to you,

Story Time Catch-Up!

Here's a picture of Jennea when she was super duper awesome and came to stay with me for an un-predetermined (pretty sure I just made that up. What of it?) amount of time and experienced momo land and tried to change my background on my computer from this

Which it still is, to this

and she's just really Mac challenged so it didn't happen. But here's your perpetual claim to fame on the blog, yo.

A few months ago, I get this in the mail:

That's how pathetic my life is. Someone wants me to advertise my "Single Lady" Status in my window and hope it brings out the good guys.
Clearly, that's the reason it's on my door for everyone to see when they come in...

Last night, I was all alone so I fell asleep watching Little Mermaid. Hello, my name is Brittani and I'm secretly five years old. Which leads me to the Monday when I went to Build-a-Bear and the Disney store with Amber and people assumed we weren't there for ourselves. Ha, yeah right! (We also decided that we want the Tangled and the Little Mermaid Dinnerware to keep in my apartment next year.) Which THEN leads me to Thursday which may or may not have been the best conversation of my life that involved A LOT of caps and other forms of text screaming out of excitement of possibly the best news of my life that'd I might be headed to Disneyland with this girl in a few months where we can act like kids in a candy story (Read: little girls in Ariel's grotto) and not be judged for it

 Might I add that we are pretty freaking adorable at any age? Even with my hoe make-up on from the musical. Ps. K, where are the pics from when we were at our happy place last summer?
^I also just have to say that I am rocking whatever print is on those pants? #YoungFashionista

With my Aunt Jamie and her familia living so close, I've gotten to see her pretty often lately which is awesome. Mainly because I get snuggles from these cuties

And she cooks for me and lets me do my laundry over there and is pretty much freaking the best ever.

Sometimes, it's really hard to keep the paparazzi away from us at lunch.. They don't get it...

I may or may not be the best FHE mom ever. So what if we do activities that I do when I babysit. It was pretty legit. 

I don't know why but only girls showed up that night. It was still super fun! My favorite is the one in the lower right hand corner. That's Cole Lyman attempting to finger paint this

It was a valiant effort, Cole.

So basically, this semester has kinda been ridiculously hard and I'm still trying to figure out my life and all. But at least I've got some great memories. I mean in all honesty, no one remembers the nights they got to sleep a lot, but they remember the times they made a not-so-great choice and went out and went crazy and had so so much fun and then have to stay up late finishing an assignment that's due the next day. Or maybe you roll in during the wee hours of the morning and you and your roomie decide to shower at 5 am because, why not? (Oh yeah, she fell asleep in her clothes... again). Or maybe you go late night bowling because you can. And it's Provo. And maybe you spend some time fifth-wheeling it, but it's okay because your friends are awesome and at least they have good, caring boyfriends. All of this is hypothetical, of course. But I think the best thing is to remember the cray cray times and enjoy life. You only live once, right?

This year

It's almost over 

WHAT.

Wasn't it just yesterday that I sat in my room balling my eyes out with Lady K because we had no friends and hated it here and wanted to be home and missed our family and the sky was falling and the world was coming to an end?

First night at school, say what?

 That was eight months ago.

And now the thought of going home is killing me. I mean I have the BEST people in my life - hands down. H, A, K, L, and the plethora of boys lining up at my door (don't even get me started on how many marriage proposals I've had this year, I mean really*). And now I've gotta go home and put all that on hold and work and make money and do some leadership stuff on the side because that's kinda my thing. I just got settled in and started enjoying, well, everything and now I'm out. And 99.9% of the people I met won't be here next year - THOSE FREAKING MISSIONS. Good thing I love this Church as much as I do and I'm okay with it. I also don't want to be struck down by lightning...

I feel like I've learned a lot. No so much in my classes but those were cool, too. More about me. And I realized how much I love this time in my life and how I don't want it to end and I don't want to grow up and I want to be able to stay up all night and jump around until we see the sun, you feel me?

It's just been some great time. Some awesome, fantastic, truly wonderful memories. And this 3-month break is going to SUUUUUUCK.

I now present to you: A Year in Pictures (The Condensed Version)

First Friends! Love them always and forever. 

Cutest Roommates you ever did see. #Jackpot

First (and LAST) time hiking the Y.

First Homecoming! True Blue. Thanks for making me go, BM.

First time having all four seasons! (Sometimes all in one day... Oh Utah.)

First real winter. Guys, I'm still alive. Shocking to even me!

Christmas at Temple Square with my lovers. Oh, that night. Memories. 

Ice skating! Still my dream date. Take note, boys, I'm easy to please.

It felt like a perfect night to dress up like hipsters. But it was really cold...

Did you know if you sit in the right place at lunch time in the CougarEat approximately 2012839201438247 people will come to talk to you about country dancing and hungry face competitions and BYU/SA?

Just a mid-week drive to Salt Lake. Gotta look hot, you know what I'm saying?

*Yeah, no that's a joke. So sorry for the disappointment. But I made it through my first year without a ring on it! Yes, it can be done! Actually, none of my friends got engaged this year. #foreveraloneattheCannonCenter