So I’m sure most of you are really sick of my goodbyes. But since this blog is my journal I have to record everything, even the things that aren’t super popular to the 3 readers….:)

Anywho I promise this long string of goodbyes is almost over. I just had to spend a second blogging about my very best friends. Tomorrow we are taking off to Saint George for a few days of fun and sun and just us. It’s going to be amazing:)

So let’s do this cool little listy thing that ya’ll are probably sick of by now.

Rachel. Yes she gets two little paragraphs because she’s my roomie AND a best friend/Fat Five girl. Rachel and I weren’t immediate friends. We liked each other but I don’t think either of us saw a long term friendship. Now I can’t imagine what the rest of college would be like without her. Rach loves crazy music and dancing, being wild and weird, but she also loves chilling on a Friday night and having a low-key night just talking. Rachel is SO LOUD but I love that about her. Rach is smart even though she doesn’t think she is. Rachel sat and cried with me about Randy and is always happy for me when I get a letter or email, and even plays our song;) (everything is great, everything is grand, I got the whole wide world in the palm of my hand…). She is one of the most generous people I know and loves helping other people. She’s herself 100% and honestly doesn’t care if people don’t like that. People may think they know her, but I think I know her better than all of them. So Rach, thanks for the brownie/cookie dough/cake mix nights, sleeping on the mega bed and the couch and in your bed, figuring out what to say to boys that are texting us, movie nights up the wazoo, good chats about the gospel, crepe parties, dancing on the table and whipping your hair, sharing your clothes with everyone, not showering for days at a time and still looking amazing, temple trips, being loud and crazy early in the morning, jamming in the car, and a million other things that would take way too long to write. I love you Rach and I don’t know how to live without you for 4 months. I am so glad we have next year though! I LOVE YOU. Even when you’re a rake;)

Sarah Ramsay. So sometimes we make fun of Sar and call her Barbie. Because she is beautiful. And she’s smart. And she’s so funny and crazy. I love how Sar logically thinks things through, and then the next minute just says OK let’s just do this! She is spontaneous but thoughtful. It’s a good mix. Sar puts a lot of pressure on herself, which is why she is good at so many things. She always says HEY MADS when she walks in and I love knowing that she’s glad I’m there. Sarah isn’t always the most emotional person, but when I have a problem I know I can go to her and she’ll be there for me and help me be rational about it. Sar loves having fun and is always cooking up crazy things for us to do. She’s stubborn, which I think is one of her best qualities. She works hard for what she wants, and then she gets it. Sar is always herself, and doesn’t let other people get to her. She’s a very genuine person, when she compliments you, you know it’s for real. She’s not fake even a little bit. She also can see the good in people, which is something else great about her. So Sar, thanks for the crazy singing, the breakdowns, the lists of what you ate that day, the movie nights where we screamed when something scary happened, the talks when both of us are stressed about things, the study parties in the activity room/hallway/couch, the secrets we shared, the cabin adventures, the trips in the Jeep, the good advice you always give me, the constant need to want your room clean, the jam sessions and the crazy times we have at dances, and so many other things. I love you so much Sar and I am SO LUCKY you are living with me next year!

Lauren. Lauren is one of the most unique people I know. She is very much her own person, and likes it that way. Lau is so talented but doesn’t brag, and sometimes doesn’t even realize how talented she really is. She is hilarious and makes me laugh all the time, and she doesn’t even have to try to be funny to do it. Lau works so hard to get what she has, and that’s why she values the things she has so much. Lauren is always available for great advice, and she and I have amazing conversations. In a lot of ways we are completely the same, and in other ways we’re total opposites, which makes things fun. Lauren listens to her heart more than anyone I know, which is why she is so herself all the time. She makes me feel important and loved, which is something I adore about her. Lau, thanks for the deep talks, all the times you came and ate my dinner, letting us come watch you dance, your crazy games and schemes for our weekends, all our Spark runs, dressing classy and making me jealous, our funny nap times, all your stories, us figuring out what to do about all the boys in love with you, the times we cried together, for getting what I was going through, how you act when you’re tired, the times you made me edit your papers, helping us find fun places in Provo, our Thai food obsession, all the hair dye excursions, the way you’re straight up about EVERYTHING, your funny one liners that have become catch phrases, and for being one of my best friends. I love you and I know we’re friends for life, even though you’ll be gone for a few months.

Alli. Ok so Alli is the sweetest human. We first bonded over her feeling like a horrible person for eating a candy bar off a table at a party, and worried that it was someone else’s candy bar. Alli is loyal to her friends no matter what. I have never had to worry that Alli was saying something mean about me That’s just not who she is. She cares so much about other’s feelings, and helps me remember that I should do that too. She and I have had some amazing times together and I love her with all my heart. Alli is smart and beautiful even though she won’t admit it. Alli is honest and sincere, but loves to have fun. She has her priorities straight (unlike me,) but still manages to find time to be there for me whenever I need it. So Allison Yost, here’s to sleeping together in a twin bed on many occasions, staying up WAY too late because you have this no need to sleep thing,  you’re breakdowns where you are laughing and then crying, “I don’t know how to help you..,” our talks about your boy problems, trips to the temple, your dedication to Lent, our talks about missions and the gospel, being way too busy but still finding time to make me laugh, movie nights, always being the first one to come help me when you know I’m upset, the cute notes you left for me, us forcing you to come places and you being a good sport about it, your love for your family that inspired me, for coming to me for advice even though I’m horrible at advice, and for supporting me the way a best friend should. I love you Al and not knowing when I’m going to see you again is horrible. But I know we’re going to stay friends no matter what.

These girls are my people. I have so many memories with them and I feel like I’ve known them a lifetime. I know a summer, or 18 months, or longer, won’t keep us from being best friends. These girls know me better than almost anyone, and the person I am today is mostly because of who they are. So girls, thanks for teaching me what friendship is. Thanks for the good times and the bad times, and the way we got through everything together. Fat five forever? I think so.

So there’s a long post coming about my amazing friends, but there are a few other people who need some recognition for making this first year of college awesome.

First off, my family. They are amazing folks. I call my mom ALL THE TIME and she always knows what to say. My dad sends me sweet emails that remind me I’m not alone, and my sisters are always so happy to see me when I visit. My brother and sister in law are so sweet and bring me treats and make me feel like I have some solid people in Provo to rely on, because I do. So yeah, my family rocks and I couldn’t have done this first year without them.

Kara. What an awesome girl. She’s one of the nicest people I know and always made me feel loved and appreciated. I hope to be more like her one day.

My Relief Society presidency. Sarah, Shannon, and Maryann. You guys are amazing. I couldn’t have done this year without you. They are three of the greatest people on the planet and Heavenly Father knew I really needed them this year.

Last but not least, Randy Low. From playing with me all first semester, to still being my best friend thousands of miles away, this guy is the best. I am so lucky to have him in my life, and proud to call him my best friend. He’s been there for me this entire first, stressful year of school, and I am so blessed.

So thanks to these amazing people who made this first year at BYU perfect.

I didn’t get around to the news today…sue me. But really don’t sue me.

Today I packed up my car and took most of my stuff home. It is so weird to have my closet at home full again, to have my pictures on my table and my shoes on the floor. I’m really happy to get to be with my family again, but at the same time I am so sad to be leaving my home in Provo. My roommates are some of the best girls that I know and I’m so sad to be leaving them. They have really become some of my closest friends and I’m quite sure we’re going to stay friends forever.

Jett is one of the funniest people I know. She is always cracking jokes and making everyone around her happy. Jett has such a strong testimony and is going to change lives in Brazil. Jett is so caring and always asks about the details of my life, and then listens to me blab on. She knows how to have fun and is always the life of the party. I love you Jett and I am going to miss you so much!

Rebecca is so classy and punny! Rebecca loves to make people laugh and then make them food. She is hilarious and knows how to perfectly place a good line that makes everyone crack up. Rebecca and I are alike in lots of ways, mainly the love of baking, old movies, and all things classy. I can’t wait to play with that girl all next year at Liberty and keep having the time of our lives. I love you so much Rebecca!!!

Kathryn is honestly one of the sweetest people alive. She puts up with all of our craziness all the time and still likes us (right Kathryn?). Kathryn is funny, but not many people know that. She can say the funniest things at the perfect moment and we’ll be talking about it for days. Kathryn has been an amazing mom to us this year, and I know she’s going to do amazing things for the people in the Philippines. Thanks for crying and laughing with me Kathryn, I love you and I’m going to miss you so much!

Rachel. Where do I even start with her? Rachel is crazy and fun and pulls me out of my comfort zone, which I love. She loves having a good time and is good at making everyone happy. She is so caring and always makes me feel better when I’m down. Rach is so much more than most people see, and when she gets in her serious moments, she’s one of the most spiritual, genuine people out there. She has really become one of my very best friends and I can honestly say that so much of who I became this year is because of Rachel. I love you so much Rach and I don’t know how we can be apart for four months:(

And last but not least, Heidi. Heidi was seriously the best bedmate that a person could ask for. She made me feel better all the nights when I cried and was sad, laughed with me over all the funny and crazy things of college, and just sat with me saying nothing when both of us needed it. Heidi is going to knock those Frenchies socks off in Paris for the next 18 months. I am going to miss her and our Disney sing alongs and our deep discussions. I love you so much Heidi! Come back soon ok?

Those are my amazing roomies. I’m going to miss them and our baking frenzies, dinner discussions, quote wall, movie nights, Sunday creeping, 2:00 am laughing fests, the magnet in the door, the bustling apartment because we always have guests, mega beds, lazy afternoons where we share our snacks, getting ready together in the mornings, and so much more. I love you girls of 3102 so much and I am so blessed to know you!

We’re cute

This is us…

Love you girls!!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

So today I say goodbye to my classes. I have loved going to school at BYU. My professors, classmates, and even the homework, have been wonderful. I’m going to miss the classes I’ve been taking and the people I’ve met. I’m going to miss Dr. Parry’s lectures and Dr. Gee’s iClicker quizzes about which celebrity he looks the most like. And Brother Walz, the man who made me feel confident about going into broadcasting. I’m going to miss him too. A lot. Having Brother Griffin teach me life long lessons from the Book of Mormon is something  I’m going to miss so much too.

Classes at BYU are hard. The tests are hard (as seen by my score on my Book of Mormon test….I mean it’s the Book of Mormon. I thought I knew it….) but so rewarding. There’s something so exciting about spending the good part of an evening writing a news conference and having Brother Walz tell you it looks awesome, or walking into a physical science test and actually understanding the questions!

So the moral of the story is, I am glad for my four month break from school, but I know that after a few weeks I’ll miss the large auditoriums and small cozy lab sections and asking the same questions to the person you’re sitting by, since you sit by someone new every single time. I have loved my classes at BYU this year, and I’m excited to see what next year brings!!

So today is the first day of finals. Bleh. Even more bleh? Having to move soon. I’m not going to be permanently back in Kaysville for another week, but I wanted to start my long string of goodbyes now, so there isn’t a huge blog post of all the things I want to say! So instead, you lucky readers get a few shorter blog posts all charged with emotion and mostly sadness.

Today, goodbye to my apartment. I love my apartment so much. I love my room and how it feels like me, I love how messy the vanity is with six girls getting ready every day, I love how Rachel’s room smells, I love our kitchen with the dishes never done and something always smelling good, I love our living room and borrowed furniture, I love our not tacky TV stand, I love our quote wall and the posters of other countries, I love our $400 dollar chairs that look like they’re from the D.I., I love our elevator and Sylvia the lady who talks to us, I love the scary hallway to the laundry room, I love that our apartment is home to lots of other people, how it’s always full of life, I love the magnet (if you know what I mean…. :)), I love stairwell where we fall over and laugh way too often, I love the activity room where we all met after school and started becoming friends, I love the hallway where we go after curfew, I love the cut out door where I had a few goodnight kisses, I love turret window where we people watch WAY too often, I love the memories that fill this apartment and how he is literally everywhere, I love the way it feels to walk into the building early in the morning and how sleepy it is, I love the sleepovers we’ve had in the living room and in Rachel’s room and in my room, I love how on Sunday while we’re all getting ready there’s church music playing, I love the deep discussions we have early in the morning, I love all the dinners we had together, I love the laughter that echoes off the walls early in the morning, I love the broken stools, I love my desk and how it’s happy and full of love, I love running down the long hallway after something great happened, I love getting picked up by Randy in the front of the building, and how Gabe and Cade would pull over the curb in the back to pick us up, I love the courtyard where we lay out and play games, I love the music that is always playing in this apartment, I love the feeling of perfection for two minutes after cleaning checks, I love that I can walk into the living room and 99% of the time someone who doesn’t live here is out there, and I love how this has become home.

That was long….whew! But really. I love this apartment and how safe and comfortable I feel here. It’s going to be weird moving back home. Don’t get me wrong, I’m really excited, but there’s something about this place that’s home. And it’s weird to think about leaving.

Stay tuned for tomorrow where we say goodbye to…classes!

My best friend has been gone for 100 days. And it’s been some of the hardest days, but also some of the best days, of my life. Hard because I can’t pick up the phone and tell him every funny, weird thing that has been going on, or make him take me to Chili’s again for chips and salsa and cake, but good because I’ve learned so much about myself and I love watching him grow and watching myself grow too. Sometimes being independent is nice. I’ve gotten to go on some awesome dates and meet awesome people that I may not have met otherwise. And who knows how it’s all going to end up, but right now I know that everything that has happened and everything that is going to happen is the right thing, and in the end everything will happen how it should.

I feel like I post something about Randy every other day and some of you are probably sick of it or think it’s crazy. But I’m going to brag about him because he’s my best friend and I am so proud of him and what he’s doing!

So here’s to Randy and his first 100 days as a missionary. He’s done some crazy things, and already has blessed so many people’s lives, including mine.

I know there have been so many social media posts and tweets about Boston and everything, I just wanted to add my sympathies to those who were there and those who had family who were there. I can’t even imagine what could possibly motivate someone to want to hurt people like that. It’s beyond anything I can comprehend. Today I am grateful for knowing that the Church is true, that families are forever, that we have a loving Heavenly Father who will make everything alright in the end.

On another note, yesterday I had the highest blog readership EVER. By a lot. So thank you for keeping up with this blog and supporting this crazy goal of mine. I appreciate it:)

On another note, yesterday Sarah and I watched Safe Haven. It was SO scary. But so good. It was kind of perfect to watch it after the Boston Marathon bombings, because in it one of the guys is crazy and wants to hurt people, but there are so many other good people that make life as good as possible. I really needed that reminder; that while there are so many bad people in this world who do things I can’t and won’t understand, there are so many good people who do things out of kindness and love and sympathy. There are good people and good thoughts, not everything is bad and ugly.

I am so glad for the safety and security I feel, and I can only hope that others will be able to feel that safety and security too.
Happy Tuesday everyone.

Again, there’s not really anything crafty or delicious to blog about. And my life has been crazy crazy crazy but it’s the boring kind of crazy, so there’s not much to blog about there….so I thought I’d just blog about a few things that I’ve been figuring out the past few weeks. Nothing major, but I need to get some of these things out, somehow, right?
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• You can feel closer to someone who’s thousands of miles away than anyone close by.
• Music is the best therapy.
• The family size bags of Hugs/Kisses is worth the money, guaranteed!
• When you are excited to go to a class and do the work for it, you know you’re in the right place.
• Sometimes you have to be yourself, and own it, no matter what other people think or say.
• It’s important to remember that life is short, so apologize now and forgive now and don’t stay mad. It’s not worth it.
• You can go to the airport and pretend you’re picking up a Swedish foreign exchange student. I would actually recommend this, it’s quite fun!
• Two is better than one. Take that as you will!
• College is stressful, but so much fun. Wouldn’t trade it for a minute.
• If you try hard enough you can eat more than your weight in sugar daily. But you have to be willing to work for it.

• Welcome to America Lyska! Or welcome back from California Alli…either one works