There's No Place Like Home For The Holidays

There really isn't. Simple as that. 

I've been shopping, eating, sleeping, playing, watching movies, playing some more, tree picking, pie baking, chocolate making, sleeping, chocolate eating, dancing, not doing homework (though I can do that anywhere, apparently), eating some more and relaxing with my family. It's been a fantastic week. I somewhat miss the college scene, but I totally appreciate being at home more after being away for an extended period of time.

Papa Wride moment tonight:
While attempting to tickle my mother, (who was yelling "NO. DON'T YOU DARE" while gripping his fingers so tightly he was yelling "OW, YOU ARE SO STRONG") he says "Porque dijiste esto?!" [talking about a secret pet peeve mom had previously let slip to Adam, Marie and I while watching the BYU basketball game] to which I replied, "Dad, we all speak Spanish here. That didn't mask anything."
His reply: "I didn't have time to say it in Pig Latin!" 

Thank goodness I only have to endure 3 weeks more of the semester before I'm home for Winter Break! Concert, a research paper, and 5 finals. I can do it. I CAN DO IT. Then Amy, Kasee and Heather will all be home. And all of my siblings and nieces and nephews will be here for Christmas. Goodness gracious, I can't wait. 

What I Like About You

Probably one of my favorite FHE activities thus far: Jell-O War.

We were pretty dang messy. We keep finding Jell-O all over the walls of our kitchen.

This picture is just so terrible of all of us, it's hilarious.

My fantastic FHE Family (-1 SARAH!)

Pink Notes #5

(I love this picture)

Dear sweet Emma Marie. This girl has it all- talent, kindness, curiosity, beauty, sass. She doesn't care who knows it!

She gets a special mention today because I talked to her for a couple of minutes on the phone, and I can't even begin to say how much I miss her and how much that short conversation meant to me! Our conversation went a little like this: Emma: Hello! This is the Wride's, can I ask who's calling? (Granted, she is 4 years old.) Me: Hi! This is Laura! How are you, Emma? E: *gasp* Hi Laura! ... we talked about the dinner she was about to partake of... E: When are you coming home? M: Next week! Can you believe it?! E: I love you a lot!! Emma was the first grandbaby I was around to see in the hospital, straight from heaven. :)

We even lived in the same house for the first years of her life! She is an absolute joy. She sounds so grown up now. I'm so proud of this young lady. And those sassy new bangs? That face, too! Gotta love this girl.

I miss this beauty, but I can't wait to see her (and everyone else TOO!) next week.

La Vie en Rose

It's been a while since I've blogged, so I guess better late than never! I've been pretty busy with homework and tests and all that great stuff that goes hand in hand with college. Tests were pretty brutal, but I think I know what to do for next time, so I guess that's good! I've got some pretty good friends that I hang out with regularly, who are in my FHE group, so that's fun. I love my roommates, in spite of their dirty habits. At least I keep telling myself that...:) They are all just really good girls. Our neighbors are super cute too, and my roommate and I have gotten to be pretty good friends with them too. One of the highlights of the past month was just this past weekend: Kasee and I went to Salt Lake to see Matt Nathanson in concert! It was a blast! Good music, and it was so fun to catch up with Kasee.

My FHE group has gone to the Bean Museum now, and YES, I survived having a snake around my neck. It was terrifying. For proof:

Another HUGE highlight, a guy in my ward had two extra tickets to General Conference, so I lucked out and got to go to the Sunday morning session of Conference. That was an amazing experience, to be so close to the stand, to be in the same room with all twelve apostles, the first presidency, the Prophet. Absolutely amazing. The talks were so great this session, right?!

(Cassie [Super awesome roommate], Geoffrey, Moi at the Conference Center) BUT, about two weeks ago, it was Amy's (my best fran) birthday, and her family asked me if I wanted to go with them to visit for the weekend, so I got to go to Rexburg to see Amy and Heather. Oh my goodness can I just say how good it was to see them? I had seen them only two weeks before when they both came down for Conference weekend (Which I'm pretty sure I started crying when I saw them that time. Haha, just like I cried when I saw Kasee for the first time out here. Geesh mom, you've got strong genes.) But anyways, I spent that weekend with Amy's family and it was so fun. I absolutely love the Carpenter family- they are hilarious, and I can tell how much they love each other. I just felt so much at home with them, a home away from home. I know this experience is good for me, to meet new people, but honestly, I've found my best friends and I'm pretty sure they will always be my best friends. I'm open to new friends, always, but these girls have such a special place in my heart- I love them. Anyways, it was a really great weekend, to say the least. IN SUMMATION, I love college. I love my family, and miss them DEARLY, but, I am enjoying my time, regardless. Can't wait for Thanksgiving! (PS. The title is my ringtone at the moment, because for some reason, I am obsessed with it. ATM.)

Days Go By

College is in full swing now, yippee! I had my first test today, and yes, I took it in the testing center. It went... well, I took it! I am enjoying my classes for the most part and I am really enjoying the people around me, too! I have some really great roommates and great other friends. I feel like I'm just playing house right now, that things are going to go back to "normal" soon, whatever normal is! But I think this will be my life for the next few years! I've got my calling (FHE Committee Co-Chair) and have been visiting teaching and all that great, fun stuff. I am really excited for General Conference this upcoming weekend. I'll spend some time studying, prophet-listening, and sleeping. Please, just some sleep. But really, aside from a single moth attacking incident, I've been sleeping enough. For the average human. Except I'm extra average, therefore I need more than 6 or 7 hours. I'll get there some day. Last weekend I went with some friends to a Kalai concert, which was so great. He's hilarious, and so stinking talented. It was a blast. Then after, a big group of people went laser tagging, which was a blast. I haven't been laser tagging in years, so I came in 12th out of 18... better than I expected! HA. Thursday and Friday of last week I had a concert with the Women's Chorus and the Men's Chorus and BYU Singers and Concert Choir. It was pretty fantastic! But man, did it make me miss Mrs. Riley. I looove Sister Applonie, don't get me wrong. She is the sweetest lady and she's spunky, too. But I am so looking forward to Christmas break to go to the winter concert and giving that crazy wonderful woman a huge hug. Which reminds me, Celeste surprised me today in Womens, she came right up to me and grabbed me in a hug and said "This is from your mom!" It took almost every ounce of strength I had not to burst into tears right then and there. It was so good to see someone from home! I miss Virginia like no other. Utah is great! And it's better than constant rain, (which is occurring because VA is obviously very sad that I am gone...hence the hurricanes) but especially during the fall, I am so going to miss the trees in our front lawn turning those fantastic orange and red colors. Mom, you had better post lots of pictures :)

Call Me Irresponsible

week one of BYU. This is how it went: New Student Orientation Meeting my cute roomies Taught Sunday School lesson Met the ward Freaked out about auditions. Freaked out about American Heritage. Auditioned and passed. Loved BOM day 1. Loved Life Planning and Decision Making class. Met my freaking awesome FHE brothers. Hung out with said boys a lot this week. Enjoyed Bio 100. Auditioned, once again. This time- callback! Had lunch with my dearest sister and her dear sweet baby. (I'm more than willing to share food with my utah inhabitant siblings!) Met some cool people in classes. Felt bored by Psych 101 (Basically an overview of what to do with a psych major. whoopdeedoo.) Callback for Women's Chorus MADE women's! I like my TA for American Heritage. Seems like a very helpful guy. Watched Space Jam with two of my lovely roomies. One came home with a black eye from falling during a game of laser tag. Two of our ward guys came to give her a blessing, and I was really impressed by them. Really good guys. Homework Laundry Homework Worked on (hopefully!) my last sunday school lesson. TAUGHT the lesson. Fasted. Cooked first dinner ( easy cheesy chicken crescent rolls; thank you Tyler!) Chatted with an old friend from Spain. Ward Prayer Accidentally was out past curfew...oops! Overall, I would say this was a very good week.

Nearer My God, To Thee

Quick little tender mercy story. So tomorrow (at 11:25 MST, in case you'd like to pray for me :) ) I have a choir audition! AHHH! My first college choir audition. I might be freaking out. A lot. So I came back to my apartment to practice around 8, thinking all my roommates would be out at the orientation stuff still happening. (Don't worry, I was very active ALL day, so I didnt really miss out on anything!) Well turns out one of my suite mates had indeed come back. Well, I was distraught, and I couldnt remember which song I was going to be singing, and it was a rough hour or so. But then, I thought to pray! What a novel idea. INSTANTLY I remembered one song, and just 2 minutes later I remembered the other. Then I had the impression to go into the laundry room in the basement. I was thinking no one would be down there, hopefully, since they might all have been at the orientation thing. Well, as soon as I walked down the stairs, I saw a dark room open. I thought it weird that someone would have left their room open, so I peeked in, and there was just a teeny tiny room, leading to another room, with a piano. My goodness, did I know, at that moment, that Heavenly Father was looking out for me. I closed the two doors, and sang my heart out, more than I had in a long while. It was absolutely perfect. While this may be one of the hardest experiences I have ever endured thus far in my life, I know that my Father has a plan. What it is, I have no idea. But boy, does he have me working/stretching/reaching hard already, which is... needful :)