Its official

I just received an email and it included the following:

Congratulations! Your application for April 2011 graduation has been reviewed and accepted by your Advisement Center.

So its official....

Come April 2011 I will be a college graduate from

BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY

Crazy

Crazy

Crazy

Pretty sure it was just yesterday I was graduating from Highschool

Now onto bigger and better things I guess!

Who knows what...but itll be an adventure!

Thanks to this one (below) for living with me

throughout my whole BYU experience

couldnt have done it without ya!

April is approaching faster than I thought.

I go home on saturday, then back for 3 weeks, then home for Christmas.

Then just one semester

WISH ME LUCK!!

Dear Natalie Evans:

I am officially a terrible friend

I admit it

and I am deeply sorry.

This is my PUBLIC declaration of my awfulness

and again

I am sorry.

I promise I am calling you in approx. 20 min.

I love you

You are the greatest

SUCH agood friend

and a shining example :)

Talk to you soon and see you in ONE WEEK!

disclaimer: I have not called Natalie back for a week. It is bad im aware...its been a rough one...but thats no excuse! Natalie still loves me and is probably laughing at this post. But I felt so bad that I had to write for the whole (blog) world to see. thanks!

21

So I officially turned the big 2-1 on August 29th

So yes, that is approx. 2 months ago

But I struggle at blogging

and seeing as im pretty sure only my family

really follows my blog

im still going to post this because I know they'd want me to

:)

Since my birthday was on a sunday

Some of my favorite girls(and missing many)

went out to eat on saturday!

Then on my actual day...it was a party!

It was the day before school started

up here at the Y

so it was the first day at a new ward and

you know what that means...

When I got up to introduce myself in combined

sunday school

Bro. Neilsen (I was in the ward last year)

announces its my birthday

So I was sang to

very loudly...and very off-key

but it was so funny! And embarassing/awkward...

Then Ky announces we're having a dessert party that night

so almost all of my ward came

along with so many other dear friends...

and some peeps I didnt know...thats what happens

when you say "dessert party" in provo...

But it was a blast!!

This is blury but O how I love these guys...had to give them a shout out!

haha my friend thayne (on the left) saw this picture

and named them the "409 dream team"

...enough said

This is my good friend Dave Andrew. We've been friends for about a year and a half now and we take the credit for Kylee and Scott...just for the record...we make a good team :)

My roommates this year. I have been sooooo blessed with amazing roommates my entire college career, and these girls could not be greater, I LOVE THEM!

These are some of the most wonderful friends! Ali and Amy also made their way back to their old home, good ol #426, to support me...see im tellin ya...ive been so lucky!

O Bradley...wouldnt survive without him!

This child. Where to begin. She made the day possible! Along with lots of help from my roomies and their boys. Kylee made me a book with pictures and notes written from so many loved ones of mine. It was the best gift I could have ever been given. To those of you that contributed, once again, THANK YOU, it means more than you know!

I really had the best birthday yet!

O Happy Day

Acouple weeks ago I was stressing out.

And really I have never, and I literally mean, NEVER,

felt so stressed...

Yet

SO blessed

Let's start with the bad news first, ya?

It hit me

like a ton of bricks...

worse than I have ever felt before...

I am 21 (more on that later)

and I graduate college

in exactly 7 months

WHAT THE HECK AM I TO DO??

Move to Washington DC?

Yes.

But

when?

and what do I do?

Or do I move home?

get a masters degree?

but in what?

Not what I'm getting my undergrad in..

But should I so that its not a waste??

Who knows...

All these answers are still undecided.

However,

Im relaxed and not worried.

Dont get me wrong.

Im terrified.

BUT

I realized something.

Life will figure itself out.

HE is not going to leave me hanging

I just have to do the best I can!
And Ill be where Im supposed to be

Now onto the blessings...

I had the opportunity to help Kylee film.

a news story for KBYU.

We went to the Utah National Guard Air Base

to watch 39 soldiers come home and greet their families after

one year of deployment.

Yes, that's right, ONE YEAR.

I had the exxxxxtreme pleasure of standing

in the middle of loved ones reuniting with their

heroic soldier while tears streamed down my face.

These men and women SACRIFICE so much for us...and they

DO NOT get the credit they deserve, not in the slightest.

I was blessed to be able to talk to so many people while

I was there and relay my experiences as an army brat.

I also got to brag about my dad :)

I dont think I had ever felt so proud.

It was truly an awesome experience.

Natalie and Rachel stayed with me a little bit ago

It was so good to see them.

Rachel brightens my day, shes amazing, and I LOVE her.

And Natalie, man did I need her.

I have not seen her for 3 1/2 months!

She gets me like no one else.

She knows what she needs to say to me

and when to push me.

I even broke down in zupas

yes...in public...crying...I know...

because I was so happy to have her in front of me

just listening to me

and offering comforting words.

Thanks Nat

I went to 3 out of 4 sessions of conference in the C.C.

Then I went to a luncheon with the presidencies of

Relief Society, Young Womens, and Primary.

I met Sister Beck, Sister Dalton (she told me I sparkled :),

and Sister Wixon, along with some counselors, and board members.

They are all incredible

SO happy and such examples

It was such a wonderful experience!

I went to a fireside where Stephanie (nienie) Nielson spoke.

It. was. amazing.

She's amazing.

What an example to us all!

Suz and I got there early, stood in line, and got good seats

this was a challenge...

But it was worth it.

She spoke about being beautiful.

Which, according to her, AND Heavenly Father,

each one of us are.

She was right...we all are.

She shared an amazing experience and I was once again

testified to that the Lord knows us, and he is aware of us.

How blessed are we?

AND my parents cam up to visit me

O how I needed that.

I needed my dad to tell me what to do with my life

And then for my mom to say...do what you want :)

I love them

More than I could express.

Im 21, yet no one can make me feel like my parents can

I am so thankful.

So all in all it has been a fabulous past couple weeks

Lots of ups and downs, but the ups totally outweighed it all!

Just like Presdient Monson said in conference,

all about an "Attitude of Gratitude"

Do you ever forget??

Because I know I often do.

Don't you love President Uchtdorf? This is just the pick me up we all need!

Bijou Market

So a little while ago Rachel, Natalie, Aleesha, and I ventured to

The Bijou Market.

It's this craft/vintage market held at a beautiful estate in orem each year.

It includes 50 vendors, most of them featured on etsy.

As you can imagine this was a much anticipated event for us for during the weeks leading up, seeing as Nat and I love anything to do with clothes, jewelry, crafts,

hair accesories, and decorations.

Rach had just moved into town so when she came along, with her super cute styled self, she was loving just as much as us! I know leesh had fun too :)

It was so much fun spending time with girls I love and of course finding awesome buys.

Seeing as I'm kindof a shopaholic I had to limit myself...so 2 necklaces it was!

The first:

(I love teal, and the picture doesn't do justice but it has the insides of a clock mounted on the outside. It's very different and neat looking)

The second:

Ok, this is my favorite...and let me tell you why.

The maker of this necklace was so neat!

She was a sweetheart.

I have been looking for a necklace with my initial, but wanted to find one I loved.

I got to the "Ritzy Misfit" table, and BAM I was sold.

The maker's name is Brooke and as she explained to me how she made each pendant and how each one is unique and beautiful in their own way, just like each of us.

She melts lead metal and stamps it with the design and each dry differently.

THEN

Notice anything??

(please ignore the cheesy self portrait)

She tells me how the bachelorette's, Jilian and Ali, have both worn them. Kendra from "The Girls Next Door" too. Well I love the bachelorette, its a guilty pleasure, so that made the whole experience and purchase even more exciting! (yes thats pathetic im aware)

But all in all I couldn't be happier with my purcahse, I wear it all the time. AND Rach got one too, so we decided they could be friendship neckalces :) Haha I love her!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And here's cute Nat shopping away, absolutely loving life

So long, I'll miss you

This is Miss Natalie Evans.

(yes, yet another tribute...enter at your own risk)

She is my partner in crime.

Lately we have been getting emotional on a constant basis knowing

we have now only 5 days left together as roomies.

Not only as roomies, but in college..provo..together.

Nat is graduating( YAYYYY CONGRATS!)

But that means shes out of Provo and on to bigger & better things.

Which then causes me to be extremely bummed.

I constantly tell her I don't know what I am going to do.

No joke...I get anxiety over it.

I have great friends, but there are just certain people that have a

real impact on you, and you CLICK with.

Most of my other besties have bf's so where does my life fit in

without my "always can count on" DATE, Natalie??

Bottom line, I'm really sad she's leaving me and I am going to miss her, but I am so excited for her, she has some great times a comin'.

Here are some awesome facts about and things I love about Miss Natalie.

-She just threw away her pink vans...thats a big deal

-She'll make a fabulous nurse

-She's very intelligent

-Our theme song is "My life would suck without you"

-She's an amazing dancer

-Her "hood-dances" are legendary

-We met in Junior High

-We became good friends Senior year in HS

-We became best friends in college

-She looooves music

-She loves to talk on the phone

-She is a conflicted soul

-She's a chocolate theif

-She's sensitive about her sleep/noise...(haha I love you Nat)

-She's an extremely loyal friend

-"Welp, time for my second dinner!"

-We love to have dance parties in our apartment (hence the robot pic)

-She's extremely faithful and trusting

-She has the best teeth/ smile

-She analyzes with me

-She is musically talented

-She is very clean/ organized

-She is histerical...like seriously really funny

-She can make you feel better when bummed...usually by doing or saying something funny

-Hard to believe but I'll miss her long "getting ready" routine

-She's protective in good way

-She loves snack packs

-She'll make an incredible wife and mother

-Most of all I'll miss watching movies with her, just us, when everyone else is out hanging out we're content to just hang out together and entertain ourselves...haha so many good memories!

I Love you Nattie-mc-nat-nat, thanks for being my best friend!

Go have an adventure, but remember Provo will be missing you!

Uncanny

I had an epiphany the other day.
It is uncanny how similar we are as adults to the way we were as children.
(Ok maybe not totally unfathomable but considering all the developing and growing up we do, it is so cool how similar we remain all our life)
Anyways, in human development recently my teacher talked about children and their self soothing tactics. He mentioned that often those same tactics carry over to what we do as adults.

Exhibit A: As he is talking about this I am "ganking" on my paper edge.
(Ganking is a name my parentals made up for when I was little and would take the ends of anything smooth i.e. a tag, blanket end, etc, and rub it against and in my finger nails...weird I know) Anywho, I am 20 and without even thinking about it I am "ganking" while this very thought is brought up. I do it ALL the time, like multiple times every day. It is a way for me to calm down and be comforted. Odd, but true.

Exhibit B: We also talked about child temperment and how that carries over throughout a life span(for the most part) So what did I do? I called the parentals and asked what I was like as a baby. NOTHING has changed.
Happy
A laugher
Not much of a crier
Stops dead in my tracks when someone starts to tickle my arm or back
Grumpy when hungry but easily soothed
and the clincher...EASILY DISTRACTED.
I informed Natalie about all of this and when I said this last one she started laughing and said, "yep, nothing's changed!"
hahahaha so sad.
Its terrible how easily distracted I am in everything.
It is a bad habit and a resolution of mine to change.
ANYWAYS, I thought this was interesting...probably not to most of you but thats ok im sure mom and dad will get a kick out of it :)

Also, as an ode to our childhood, a couple weeks ago it was our friend Jake's birthday. After getting dinner at Happy Sumo we headed over to a new candy/toy store called BLICKENSTAFF'S at the Riverwoods.
Seriously, it is like the coolest place ever.
Us college kids were in heaven.
Here are some pictures of the place...we had a blast as you can tell,
enjoy!

The birthday boy!

hahahahaha Matt is my favorite in this, hiding behind Scott with a mouth full of candy. Ps Scott is the one on the elephant and the elephant's name is naturally, Kylee. (Natalie's thought process not mine, check it on fb you'll see)

This was taken for respects of AV #426..."Harmony in the Animal Kingdom"

Who the heck knows

wallssssssssss of candy, this was only one section

Completely made out of candy...a kid's dream...ok Natalie's and mine too



PS: I am going home in exactly 2 weeks to spend 2 whole months in my lovely mesatown. I cannot wait! Provo: you are good to me...well most of the time...but I need a break. Im stoked for contintuos sunshine and weather I can count on, even if it is 110 degrees. Excited for a funfilled drive down too....nat and I having some serious chats about life (whats new) and an overnight stay in Vegas with some darling girls. Now just 4 more tests and I am outta here!

A simple weed necklace

I bet you are all wondering where I got that wicked awesome necklace I'm wearing.

Welp, it is courtesy of 6 year old Katelin.

In Germany, we would sit in the fields outside our house for HOURS making these.

So, sitting at Rock Canyon a few saturdays ago I picked up some weeds and tried to pull out my childhood skills...low and behold, It worked!

Now it got me thinking,

I swear it was just yesterday I was doing this as a 6 year old.

Do you ever sit back and wonder where did the time go?

Where did childhood, highschool, college, last year, last month even go??

Im watching everyone go these different directions in life and its freeking me out a bit!

Exciting?

Yes.

An adventure?

Yes.

A good thing?

Heck yes.

I just so often think, am I doing what Im supposed to,

am I making the most with what I have been given,

am I doing the most good I possibly can.

Just food for thought.

While I continue to ponder and live my life in a day dream...enjoy this amazing quote

"Face your doubts, master your fears, cast not away your confidence. Stay the course and see the beauty of life unfold for you" ~Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

Mother Rene

These three are the products of "Mother Rene"

Whenever my mom says, "Katelin Ellen"

in that tone we all know...

I answer back with, "Mother Rene??"

Hence the name

Anywho I absolutely

LOVE MY MOM

And she is amazing.

Of course I am biased but I do think shes the best mom in the world.
I do hope though that everyone thinks that about their mom.

Everyone deserves to be loved and adored like a mother does.

So my mother is no different. :)

Since she has been a mother for 37 years here are 37 reasons why she is the greatest

1. She is my best friend

2. She is histerical...seriously

3. She does the best impressions/voices

4. She is addicted to Sonic

5. She is my biggest cheerleader

6. She is like the energizer bunny...just goes and goes...and only for the benefit of every other person but herself

7. She loves to shop

8. She loves mexican food

9. She has a beautiful singing voice

10. Kids gravitate to her

11. She works miracles with her students (parents of former students of hers are constantly acting as advocates for her to other parents looking for an amazing teacher)

12. All my friends ADORE her

13. She is the best cook

14. When I come home for a visit she makes me my favorite foods

15. She has the kindest heart

16. She is always saying the best way to make yourself feel better, in any situation, is to go do service for someone else.

17. She is in constant physical pain, yet she is always the last person on her mind (I hate this, but what can you do when your mom is all about others)

18. She can still highkick her forehead

19. She was a pommie in highschool and so was I

20. She has a light about her

21. She makes meals for our neighbors when they have babies, tragedies, etc, and she isnt even in relief society :)

22. She is a relief society sister as heart...haha I had to add it mom!

23. She went to my every concert, recital, performance, competition, game, and everything in between

24. She is genuine and loving to everyone

25. She taught and led by example...and still does

26. She still makes my dad's lunches in the morning and hes 56

27. She used to get up early and make me soup every morning in elementary school because I refused to eat sandwiches

28. She is sarcastic

29. Noone, and I mean NOONE, can make her famous cookies like she can

30. She is extremely creative

31. She loves to make crafts

32. She is supportive of my every decision

33. She taught us to be courteous and caring

34. She cannot stand to have an empty wall in our house, haha anyone who has been in our house knows this one is a concrete fact.

35. She pawned her jewelry for diapers when we were little

36. She is a wonderful wife

37. She constantly tells me I am beautiful and special and that I can make a difference and have an influence..although I always say, "you're just biased you have to say that". She tells me she doesnt have to say anything...and you know what, I believe her.

I love you mom, thank you for sacrificing and caring about each one of us. Thank you for giving me the world and beyond. Thank you for being my mother and for loving each of your children even when I know it couldn't have been easy to. Thank you for being a blessing in my life and for being my best friend.
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

You are missed

(warning: cheesy alert)

This is Kylee, my best friend.

She is pretty much the most amazing person ever.

And right now, I miss her a lot.

Ky is currently living the dream in NYC as an intern for NBC.

There is NOTHING this girl can't do or accomplish.

I am so proud of her and excited for her adventures...

but gosh dangit I miss her!

Anywho, I thought Id do a "Kyky tribute" seeing as shes across the country.

This may be boring for most of you but thats OK cuz this is for ky :)

We met sophomore year in highschool playing powder puff football.

hahahahaha quite the experience...but thats another story. I even remember a specific instance first knowing her where she dyed her hair...haha this is so random...but I will never forget a bunch of us running into her at school and Ive never noticed someone so enthusiastic and happy. She had this light radiating from her and I remember thinking, I want to be best friends with her...luckily my wish came true and we have since braved highschool and college together!

Anyways, that summer she invited me to Newport with her family

and the rest is history!

I have now been to newport 5 times with this child and those are some

of the greatest memories I have.

We will soon be going on our third year of living together and I have to say BRAVO to her for putting up with me for all this time because im positive im getting the better deal out of the situation, but im thankful regardless! She is the best roommate to have because she is always so chipper. ALWAYS. When Im having a good day, shes there enjoying it with me, when im having a bad day, shes there to make everything better. Plain and simple she makes it all fun!

Ky is seriously a ray of sunshine! Anyone who has come in contact with her for even a minute knows how true that statement is. This is so cheesy but this quote is perfect for ky: "If I had one gift that I could give you, my friend, it would be the ability to see yourself as others see you, because only then would you know how extremely special you are."~B.A. Billingsly~

I LOVE that!

Ky has this unique ability to make anyone and everyone feel loved, appreciated, and special.

Not many people have that gift, but she is one of them.

She has been there for me in ways not even she can fully understand.

She has sat with me through breakdowns, hardships, excitement, confusion, happiness, and everything in between. I am eternally grateful to her for that!

She is the greatest example of choosing a friend who makes you want to be better...

I love her so much.

I love our wrestling matches,

our shared love of food,

our love of the beach,

our hatred of utah weather,

our random things we do when bored,

braving finals together,

long drives,

our chats,

football games,

and our every memory.

I am grateful for the blessing of having her in my life.

I am so proud of her, and I know she is rocking NYC!

She is the greatest example to me of someone ambitious, hardworking, and who has their priorities in line.

How'd I get so lucky to have her as a best friend, I dont know...but ill take it!

I love you Kylee Celeste and I miss you!!!