"Maybe the most any of us can expect of ourselves isn't perfection but progress." Michelle Burford

So I am just going to come straight out by saying, I got my first ever C. Yep, you read that right. A C!!!!! (It was in Biology, in case you were wondering). I found out at work. So logically I am sitting there trying to not bawl my eyes out RIGHT there. So I 'discreetly' called my dad. And proceed to cry about what a failure I am. But it totally ended up okay because my dad provided the following three quotes which I absolutely love: 

"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." Michael Jordan 

"If you're trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I've had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it."- Michael Jordan. THE basketball man. If Michael Jordan, arguably the BEST basketball player, has struggles and has worked through them, then so can I!

"The essence of life is not being perfect, impressing people, or succeeding at everything. The essence of life is simply making mistakes, and learning from them, surrounding yourself with people that love you when you’re being yourself, and getting through the failures so that you continue improving."- I can't find the original source on this one.

Needless to say, I have added more quotes to my bulletin board. Also, I have survived receiving a C. But just barely! haha. Anyways, I am super glad that this semester is over! It has been QUITE busy. It's all good because I survived. 


Now that the sappy part is over for a little bit, let's move onto pictures!!

Madison, me and Marisa all doing the joy face! :)

My roommates (minus Sam who had to work!) at the Gateway Mall in  Salt Lake.

Hmm. Yeah, I was a bit hyper...

Michal and I at her cousin's wedding reception. I totally crashed it haha

Now onto some great times recently: (there are not in chronological order)

• Danny painting my nose with nail polish. Yep, you just read that right. Danny was at my house yesterday and I was painting my NAILS because you know it's almost New Year's Eve. So I am sitting there and he comes up with this great experiment upon seeing this peachy orange colored nail polish. He wanted to see if he wanted ONE of my freckles with the color if you would be able to see it anymore. So he attempted this and was so successful that he decided to paint my nose. I literally have NO clue why I let him do this. But needless to say, five minutes later, Danny is scrubbing my nose really hard (because my nails are wet and I cannot do it myself). It turns out nail polish on skin does not necessarily come off with just water. So he proceeded to scrub it off with nail polisher remover, while I am tearing up because in case you didn't know nail polish remover on skin BURNS!!! The sad thing is that this depicts our friendship perfectly. Yesterday was just a great day. I also had the opportunity to go see Sherlock Holmes with Clarissa, Camille, Mason, Brevan, Danny and Madison. It was great! :)
• Random good times with Michal. Perhaps my favorite is when I decided to crash her cousin's wedding reception. I was sick at the time and didn't feel too well, but it ended up great! We ended up going to Zupas!!! (Seriously, Colorado NEEDS one of these restaurants!) It was really great to see how incredible the reception looked. By the time her mom was done with it, the reception did not even look like it was in a church! Michal also graciously put up with me telling her nearly every ten minutes how excited I was to go home/GET OUT OF UTAH!!! So, that demonstrates how great she is. She also drove Madison and I to the airport RIGHT after she took her accounting final. Yeah, she's a true friend and I LOVE her! I am looking forward to continuing to work with her next semester/finally making her watch 27 Dresses with me. 
• The random Gateway adventure I went on with my roommates. So all of my roommates, minus Sam who sadly had to work, ended up going to the Gateway/Chipotle. It was a GREAT bonding trip minus the fact that I decided to wear Toms which have no traction. This would have been fine except I totally slid outside and got the whole right side of my body wet because it was snowing. However this was quickly cured by a Starbucks' steamer. 
• Christmas break. So I literally have done NOTHING this break but eat and watch movies. Seriously I have been to Chipotle twice, Noodles and Company, Texas Roadhouse, a delicious Mongolian grill place and a couple of trips to Good Times. I have literally watched at least two movies every day and that does not include how many episodes of Psych (I received the first two seasons from Cassie for Christmas and the third/fourth also from Santa) I watch daily. So yeah, I am probably going to need to be rolled into my apartment when I get back. 
• Randomly going up to my Omis.So the day before Christmas Eve we were trying to figure out what to give my grandparents when my mom came up with a great idea! We would take them out to dinner. But of course, my gracious grandparents also wanted us to stay the night so my Papa could make his legendary banana pancakes (and quite frankly, I am glad they did!) Anyways, we went to a Mongolian Grill place which was really good minus the seriously spicy soup I had (woah inadvertent alliteration!) We then watched Santa Claus 2 and had a delicious breakfast in the morning. After breakfast we finished watching a video my Papa put together about their adventures in Iran and other places. Let's just say that after watching this, it has been 100% confirmed that I am my mother's child. She was such a klutzy spaz!!! Seriously people. CRAZY! Anyways, it was a great day and our whole family loved it! 
• Christmas! Usually my mom makes us sleep in later than seven before we can open our presents. So we agreed to this again. Imagine our surprise when my parents woke us up at 6:30!!! Yeah, it was WAY surprising but also very awesome! We opened our presents and headed to church where my sister rocked her talk. Seriously, she's so dignified when she speaks. :) 
• Watching Miss Congeniality! So the last day of finals we celebrated by watching eating pizza and watching Miss Congeniality/ getting Fro-Yo. It was a GREAT last night of the semester and one that I enjoyed immensely. Plus, I REALLY love that movie because Sandra Bullock is the woman. 
• Creating my "Cheesy Love Song" playlist on Spotify. First of all, I LOVE Spotify. It's an application where you can listen to a full song for free and make playlists. It is seriously great because I can access my music anywhere. Anyways, I was listening to Sting's "Fields of Gold" on repeat when the idea came to to start a cheesy love song playlist. People in my office also contributed and it was great. Let's just say that the list includes both Michael Bolton AND Savage Garden. You can't get cheesier than that! 

• I also found a great new song that expresses my feelings. It is posted at the end. It's called "Shake it Out" by Florence+Time Machine. Have you ever heard a song that is just so completely therapeutic that it was written from your own heart? Well, this has happened to me during numerous occasions but not perhaps as potently as has happened while I was listening to this. If I could write a song, I am pretty sure that this is what it would sound like! (Well, if I had the incredible singing talents that she has, that's what it would sound like haha). Anyways, I absolutely love the theme of this song. (yes, I do realize that I am about to get all English major on you!) But seriously. I absolutely love the fact that she admits she has troubles and now is just going to shake it out. After I first listened to this song (let's face the facts, I've listened to it on repeat for the last hour) I decided to have a shake it out party. By myself. In my living room. Luckily everyone is downstairs right now. I seriously stood up in my new Christmas pj's shaking out all my troubles and cares. Who cares that I am going to get a lower GPA than I would EVER have expected? Who cares that I have to take 20 credits of another language? Who cares if I cannot figure out how to graduate in three years? It was almost as therapeutic as doing yoga. It reminded me of the final scene in Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat Pray Love (which I JUST finished. Also as a side note, I freaking LOVE this book. Like I could read it every day for the rest of my life.) where she says she goes to her tiny little island of Bali and just confronts everything- her fears, her shame, her embarrassments,etc. So in a weird way, me having a dance party was just like that. It was very therapeutic. And as my brother Colin just told me, "Your whole life is a spaz moment." 

 From this song, I have come up with my New Year's resolution. I have decided that I need to 'shake it out" spiritually, emotionally and physically. To spiritually 'shake it out," I will read the Book of Mormon three times next semester and attend the temple more frequently . Emotionally shaking it out for next year means that I will continually choose to be happy. My favorite quote from Eat Pray Love is about just this. Elizabeth Gilbert states (well technically it's Richard from Texas that says this)," “You need to learn how to select your thoughts just the same way you select your clothes every day. This is a power you can cultivate. If you want to control things in your life so bad, work on the mind. That’s the only thing you should be trying to control." So to emotionally shake it out, I am going to work on controlling my thoughts. And now.... physically shaking it out. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that I am just going to have random dance parties every day. Let's be honest. That probably WILL happen. But I want to be more specific. I am going to get fit!! Part of the new year will bring making wise decisions on what I am putting into my body. IThe main reason behind this? We are going on the Disney cruise to the Bahamas and I have to look hott!! Marisa is going to be my buddy during this detox. It's going to be great. I want to feel one hundred percent my best. So anyways. I know this was way long. I commend you for reading it. Just wanted to let everyone know that I am so thankful for them in my life. As Florence sings "It's hard to dance with a devil on your back, so I'm gonna shake it out." It is my time to shake it out and get a fresh start. Love you all.Thank you for putting up with all my tears, my complaints and random mood swings. All I have to say is, bring it 2012! I am ready for you! 

Maya Angelou is the bomb.com

These are just some life lessons from Maya Angelou. And I LOVE THEM!

"I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow."

"I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights."

"I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life."

"I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as "making a life."

"I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance."

"I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back."

"I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision."

"I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one." (LOVE THIS ONE!!)

"I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back."

"I've learned that I still have a lot to learn."

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

"Let us open our arms to each other, accept each other for who we are, assume everyone is doing the best he or she can, and look for ways to help leave quiet messages of love and encouragement instead of being destructive with bashing."- Marvin J. Ashton

So recently I have come to have a new favorite talk. No, it's not written by President Uchtdorf. I know this will be a shock to many of you (and it should be!) but my new favorite talk can be found here. It is entitled "The Tongue Can Be a Sharp Sword" and it basically talks about how the greatest charity we can offer people is our love and support. The title of this post comes from this talk. My other favorite paragraph is below:

"None of us need one more person bashing or pointing out where we have failed or fallen short. Most of us are already well aware of the areas in which we are weak. What each of us does need is family, friends, employers, and brothers and sisters who support us, who have the patience to teach us, who believe in us, and who believe we’re trying to do the best we can, in spite of our weaknesses."

I LOVE this. So this past week my goal was to support and lift others. Did I do well? Mostly. But I wish to express one moment in time that I actually succeeded. In my missionary prep class last Sunday, they challenged us to find someone in our classes that needed our help. I honestly thought that it was going to be hard and very awkward. However, it turned out to be pretty easy. I ended up sitting by this sweet girl named Meredith who was absolutely incredible. She came and sat by me on Wednesday again and I am so thankful for the opportunity to build someone up!

Two Wednesdays ago was a weird day. I am taking 16 credits this semester and trying to maintain a social life and go to work. So I have six midterms and papers and all this stuff going on last week. I was doing completely fine and studying for my American Christianity test in the Joseph Smith Building (the JSB) because I feel like I can absorb religious knowledge from the walls. One of my friends that I know because of Professor Cope saw me and I literally just started crying. Yeah. Can anyone say embarrassing? So as I'm crying, I realize people are in there and it's awkward so I run down the hall to Professor Cope's office with tears streaming down my face. I knocked on her door and at this point I am literally sobbing. She came, gave me a hug, and listened while I vented about everything in life. And then she solved all my problems by suggesting we go get fro-yo. So yes, I did break down emotionally. But honestly, it was the most liberating event in my ENTIRE life. Probably because I have never cried that much in my entire life. Also, it just goes to show that some people are in your life for a reason and I am so thankful that I have Professor Cope in my life. Seriously!! 

Now onto less serious things...

Like how I, Kelsey Marie Davis, ended up going to a Haunted House. Madison and Marisa have these guy friends Joey and Cole and they all wanted to go to this haunted house in Salt Lake City. Here's the thing. I hate scariness. I am WAY claustrophobic and deciding to twenty dollars to have people scare the cracker out of me was not my idea of a fun Friday night. When we were standing in line, we executed a plan and it really was only one idea: that I would ALWAYS be in the middle. So we start off and I am like hyperventilating about going in. Then Joey dares me to go in front. And not liking to back down from a challenge, I did!! I ended up leading the way the whole time and did not scream once. Favorite part of the whole experience? When Madison screamed at the sight of a midget. It was soo funny!

One random night that was really fun was our ward Halloween party. We ended up all getting dressed up and going to the party! It was actually way fun in only the way a Mormon dance party can be. Afterwards we got crepes from the Awful Waffle (which is soo good!) and watched Reba until midnight. Yeah, we're pretty cool. 

This past Wednesday I drove up with my friend Michal to go to Salt Lake. She and Casey are taking a class up there so I mooched off a ride. I know this may sound weird, but I LOVE doing things by myself. So I ended up walking around the Gateway mall which is this HUGE outdoor mall. I bought myself dinner and then headed over to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building to watch the movie. So there I am sitting by myself and I cried a LOT. I love that movie because it helped me realize how easy my life was and how Joseph Smith HAD to be a prophet!

Also as a random confession, I have now watched 27 dresses twice in 7 days. It is perhaps my favorite movie because it is so totally me!!

Two Saturdays ago was the most random Saturday of my entire life. I woke up and told Sam I wanted to watch the Lizzie McGuire movie. Guess what? She had it so four of my roomates ended up watching it. Marisa and Lindsey (two of my roomates) decided they would make a cracker load of pumpkin cookies so we could pass them out. So they did that and watched the Princess Diaries as well. It was such a great day! There were so many blonde moments and moments of pure joy!! I love the girls I live with!!

Now I have another confession. I am obssessed with this place called "The Chocolate." It is this little house that is converted into a restaurant. It sells cazookies (which is like undercooked cookies and ice cream) and cake and cupcakes and canolis. Basically, it's like the best gift given to women in this state. It is SOO good. I have gone three times in three weeks so if I look like I weigh a thousand pounds more when you see me next, it's probably because of this restaurant.

Other random occurrences including finding a place that sells steamers, donating a double count of red blood cells (and seriously died! I was so sick!!), watching the premiere of Bones/stuffing our faces with pizza, eating kielbasa and potatoes with my old roommate Michelle, and going to the movies with Sam. So yeah, my life's good!

Right now I am watching the Emma Smith movie. Am I crying like a baby? Yes. Yes I am. Why? Because I absolutely adore that woman. Her example of a person of intense faith and devotion in spite of trials makes me feel like I have nothing wrong in my life. She is the woman! I hope that someday I get to meet her and that I can grow to have her ideals and characteristics including her patience and love of the gospel. Also, I want to marry someone like Joseph because he called Emma the "choice of his heart." How adorable/cute/romantic is that? I want my story to end up like theirs and I hope it does. 

Now onto the random photo album part of this blog:

So we buried Madison in leaves and took a picture. We're so cute!

Our cute little costumes for Halloween!

Lindsey, Madison and I. 

Yep, I survived the Haunted House!

Remember how I talked about The Chocolate? This is a picture of how much I enjoy this place!

Marisa and I in the Halloween store!

Anyways, I am so thankful for the life I have. President Monson came for Devotional last Tuesday and it was INCREDIBLE!!!! I am thankful for his example and his light and that I am at a university where things like the prophet coming to speak happen!! Sometimes life is uphill where we strive to just make it to the next stair on the staircase but othertimes we get the opportunity to slide down the rails in eternal bliss. I love you all and I am so thankful for everything! (But most importantly, I'm thankful that I will be home in 12 days and that I get to see my whole family sooo soon!)

So yeah, I like poetry...

So yes, I am in two English classes. And yes, we are in our poetry unit. So just deal with the fact that I LOVE poetry! :) This is my new favorite and crazy enough, it is also named "If." Weird. 

If

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son! 

-Rudyard Kipling

Some e.e. cummings love

So recently I have realized how many times I say the word 'if." And then I found this poem. And I absolutely LOVE it: 

If freckles were lovely, and day was night,

And measles were nice and a lie warn't a lie,

Life would be delight,--

But things couldn't go right

For in such a sad plight

       I wouldn't be I.

If earth was heaven and now was hence,

And past was present, and false was true,

There might be some sense

But I'd be in suspense

For on such a pretense

You wouldn't be you.

If fear was plucky, and globes were square,

And dirt was cleanly and tears were glee

Yet they'd all despair,

For if here was there

          We wouldn't be we.      

-e.e. cummings 

Modest is Hottest!

"I find the whole concept of being ‘sexy’ embarrassing and confusing. If I do an interview with photographs people desperately want to change me - dye my hair blonder, pluck my eyebrows, give me a fringe. Then there’s the choice of clothes. I know everyone wants a picture of me in a mini-skirt. But that’s not me. I feel uncomfortable. I’d never go out in a mini-skirt. It’s nothing to do with protecting the Hermione image. I wouldn’t do that. Personally, I don’t actually think it’s even that sexy. What’s sexy about saying, ‘I’m here with my boobs out and a short skirt, have a look at everything I’ve got?’ My idea of sexy is that less is more. The less you reveal the more people can wonder. - Emma Watson

“No matter how dark your days may seem, no matter how insignificant you may feel, no matter how overshadowed you think you may be, your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you. In fact, He loves you, with an infinite love.” -President Uchtdorf

I LOVE UCHTDORF! In case you haven't gotten that yet, you are WAY stupid. So this time, I decided to be direct: I LOVE UCHTDORF!!! I listened to his talk located here three times on Monday morning. After my weekend in Arizona, it was just what I needed!! Seriously, he just understands women perfectly. (Also, as an English major, I loved his whole Charlie and the Chocolate Factory comparison. LOVE LOVE LOVE!!)

Now onto my awesome week that I had!!!

Last week was honestly so stressful but so wonderful at the same time. Work was crazy last week and I ended up not getting a lot of jobs done before my boss got home from Hawaii, so I was freaking out. But it totally ended up okay! More details later!

Some highlights: (But first some photos!)

Casey and I after conference!

We met the nicest sister missionaries wihle standing in the standby line! It definitely made me want to serve a mission!!



Sam, Marisa, Madison, Casey, Caitlin and I



This is actually from the Indian temple!

Yay for fake India!!

Madison and I in front of the Salt Lake temple!!

Group photo. Everyone looks gorgeous, right? ;)

Casey made us take fall pictures! :)

Marisa and I at Chipotle AFTER riding in a convertible on I-15 with the top down! Yay for lion hair!!



So I LOVE Emma and Joseph Smith, so obviously had to take a picture with their statue!!

• I ROCKED my classical traditions test. Now this is important because it seriously was an intense test. It was multiple choice, identification and two essays. And half of the multiple choice was in GREEK!!! (Yes, literally Greek) So here's the story of what happened. I decided to take my test last Friday afternoon. I mean seriously, how many people could be taking their test on a Friday afternoon? Well, sad naive me forgot that the football game was later on that evening so everyone and their dog was in line! I stood in line for 40 minutes!!! This totally threw off my whole test preparation which usually goes something like this: Study. Go to the testing center, grab a swig of water. Go to the bathroom.  Say a prayer (there's a reason it's the most spiritual building on campus!) Find ID and pencil. Go stand in line. Avoid eye contact with everyone so you don't have to do that small chit chat with random strangers. (Seriously, why is everyone soooo friendly here). Here's what actually happened: the line was all the way to the JSB and looped around inside. And I made eye contact. So I ended up talking to this kid named Chad and he was pretty cool. He even held my spot in line when I went to the bathroom. So maybe idle chit chat is okay every once in awhile. Anyways, I finally got in and DOMINATED IT!!! So wahoo!!
• On Saturday, I woke up at the crack of dawn (and not the normal college crack of dawn. This was 4:45 in MORNING people!) so we could go to conference. We drove up and got some McDonalds (yes, super healthy!) and stood in the standby line. We only needed two tickets because everybody else had one which was nice. So while standing in line, we met two sister missionaries who were seriously AWESOME! It made me want to serve a mission so badly. I think it would be so cool to serve a mission on Temple Square! Anyways, it was like 9:50 when they finally told us we were getting in. So we walk in... and we're on the floor! Just to put it in perspective, I could SEE the prophet with my own eyes, and it's not on the television screen. It was so cool! I am also way excited about Provo getting a new temple! (A. Because the Provo one now is ALWAYS so busy and B. because it's closer to my apartment!!) Also, how cool would it be to get married in the Paris, France temple? Just saying! So I got to fulfill my lifelong dream of hearing the prophet (and Uchtdorf!!) speak in person. Did I get up to go to the bathroom during the rest hymn? Yes. Did I forget where I was sitting and had to stand in the aisle like a fool until finally some nice lady told me I was in here row? Why yes, yes I did! After conference, we took a bunch of pictures and then headed to Chipotle. How did we get there? Why yes, we also fulfilled my other life long dream: driving in a convertible with the top down. Needless to say, going over 65 miles an hour on the freeway= crazy hair. It literally took me an hour (during the next conference) to comb through it. But we got Chipotle! :)
• Sunday morning we went over to Casey's house and watched both sessions. In between, we had an epic breakfast! I also got to attempt to Skype Cassie. Too bad Skype was lame and wouldn't let us talk very long!!
• Random tidbit: I really want to be an intern for the church magazine. Can't you just see me in my purple power heels rocking that place? Yeah, I can too! So hopefully that works out in the future!!
• Monday was just an eh kind of day until we decided to go to the Cocoa Bean. Here's the thing. I um have an addiction. To cupcakes. Seriously, I went there at least once every two weeks when I lived in Wyview. Because it's way far away, I haven't been since I've been back in Provo and let's just say the reunion was a very happy one! It's amazing how simple things can instantly change your mood. Also, it's sad when said 'things' are actually cupcakes.
• Just a few words on Arizona. (Yes, this is out of order because this was two weekends ago, but oh well!) First of all, it's not as ugly as it is portrayed. (Although cacti are seriously grotesque! I wanted my trees the whole time I was there!) When we got there, Sam's parents took us to dinner at a Greek restaurant and we went and saw Money Balls. Which was okay. Well, the food was great, the movie was just so-so. Saturday morning I got to hang out with my uncle Duane and aunt Nikki!!! We went to my cousin's football game. In 108 degree weather. So yeah, I pretty much died. But he did well. I also got to visit their house!! It was great!!!!! I am so thankful I got to hang out with them :) I also got to reconnect with Elder Brooks (well, I guess his name is Josh now). He had served in our ward. And it was no bueno. But no more details on that, because I have decided I cannot be a man hater. Because in reality, there are many super awesome men out there.
• Last night Madison, Mitch (one of our FHE brothers) and I all went to hike the Y because it's homecoming week and they were lighting it. Let's just say it's hard. Everytime you think you're getting closer, it seems like you're way further than you thought. There are so many steep switchbacks and most of the time you just want to quit. Then you get to the top and you can see the whole city including the temple and it's breathtaking.\ and you're so happy you decided to continue on. Cue Miley Cyrus's "The Climb."Yes, there is a great metaphor in the midst of this hike, but hopefully you're smart enough to figure that one out for yourselves.
• My new favorite expression is "Hang loose! (With emphasis)" Why? Well I'm sure you're familiar with the phrase "Zing." For those of you who aren't, it basically is said after someone 'burns' you or says something really awesome. Well Madison caught onto the phrase except everything time she would put her hand up in the air with her fingers in the 'hang loose' position. Casey noticed this at conference and totally made fun of her. So now it's our expression!!
• My new favorite song is actually a Rascal Flatts song. (Yes I know what you're thinking "Kelsey. Liking a country song?" Well actually, you would be quite wrong in that thinking. Because I happen to love lots of country music, especially Taylor Swift! :) Anyways below is the awesomeness that is "Stand" by Rascal Flatts. It's a great movitational song. Wow, I feel like I'm turning into Danny... haha but not really because his motivational song would be an EFY one

Anyways, I am for sure out of my depressive little lull I was in. I am so thankful that I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Honestly, I do not know what I would have done this past month without it. I LOVE BEING MORMON!!!

So sorry about getting super religious on you, but it's the truth. And needed to be stated.

Life continues to be an adventure. I hope that this month I will still continue to be positive about everything in my life. AND, I just found out I'm coming home for Thanksgiving and I get to see my cousin Dannah. Life could not be happier right now!

Some Audrey Hepburn Love...

" Life is a grindstone. Whether it grinds us down or polishes us up depends on us. " Thomas L. Holdcroft

So I LOVE the above quote. See recently I've learned that life is all about attitude. For those of you who know me, you know that I am a pretty positive person. But those of you who know me super well know that I can get stuck in this rut of self pity and grumpiness (usually this occurs when I haven't had food in some time or when I'm super tired). I've decided I need to change my attitude from a "why me?" to a "What can I learn from this?"


Another favorite quote I rediscovered this week:


 "We are creatures of our thinking. We can talk ourselves into  defeat or we can talk ourselves into victory."


So what a great quote by President Hinckley. I miss that man! I love this quote because it places it all on us. It is our attitude and decisions that make us the people we are. It's our reaction what life throws us at, not the events themselves. I found this quote when I was reading Standing for Something. (Great book by the way). So since I've last blogged, I decided to have a lot better attitude about my life.


So this week was pretty epic! I've been continually busy with work, working out like a champion, reading like the whole Ilad in a week (seriously I cannot believe I am taking so many English classes! All I EVER do is read. And this isn't like the great literature. This is like the 'classics,' many of which should be burned in my opinion! Seriously how the heck is Beowulf a classic? Basically what I'm saying is that I miss my AP lit class!)


I pretty much hang out with my friend Casey every night. Which is very happy because I freaking love her face! So on Wednesday she calls me at 9:50 telling me that I cannot go to sleep because we are going to say goodbye to Jake. (Jake is her friend that's on a mission and he was leaving the MTC the next day!) So we get in her car, cranking "Pretty Girls" by Iyaz and we drive past the MTC honking and yelling out "Good luck Elder Williams!" So I don't know how many people have ever just yelled out a car. But let me tell you what happens. A. Your hair becomes very lionesque because of all the wind. B. The couples (yes, they were all couples because it's freaking the city of love. Not like I'm bitter or anything...) that are walking on the sidewalk look at you like you're this crazy freak. And C. (the most important lesson learned during this random excursion) yelling is fun. I don't ever yell. I don't even like to raise my voice when I'm frustrated. It was the greatest release EVER! I seriously recommend everybody go get in your car and yell out your window for a minute straight. (Although, you probably don't need to do it in front of the MTC.) It is soooooo fun and I am planning on doing it a lot more!


Also, my friend Cassie and I have decided to communicate through letters. Can I just say how much I LOVE handwritten letters? They seriously make the world go round (seriously). There is just such a nice element to a handwritten letter. My mom was telling me that her friend Lora and her had to mostly communicate through snail mail. I don't know how I would survive with JUST letters!! This is just a supplemental thing and I freaking love it! (By the way mom when you're reading this, just disregard how many times I've said freaking).


Friday was an awesome day. It was one of those days where "fun Kelsey" not "responsible Kelsey" was alive. Work was pretty fun because Michal is AMAZING!! Anyways, I went home and it started raining while I was working out. Rain=happy Kelsey. Seriously, I think I am one of the only people who can be happier when it is rainy! Madison convinced me to go to this dodge ball game with her. And it was not just any dodge ball game, it was THE dodge ball game. The game was supposed to be the World's largest and I'm pretty sure it broke the record (so yep, since I've been hear, two world records have been broken!) Anyways, it was great pelting the Utah Utes with some dodge balls (okay that's a lie. I totally got hit four times in the face and ended up getting a bloody nose haha.So I wasn't really the one that was doing all the hitting). Anyways we then decided to go home and go to the hot springs!


Okay so let's just review what kind of person I am before I tell this story. I am your abnormal college student that is antisocial and goes to bed at ten. Keep this in mind as I tell you this. So we get home around 10ish and we decided we're going to hike to the Hot Springs in Spanish Fork because these are super cool party people (Gilmore Girl reference for the win!) This is all fine and dandy but we didn't have flashlights so we grabbed those at Walmart on our way up. Let me just tell you that it is WAY in the woods. So we're driving on this windy road going further and further into the mountains and it's like super dark and creepy. It was like the Blair Witch Project. (Actually I have no clue if that's what it was like because I've never seen that movie)  Good thing we had RM's with us otherwise I probably would have died. Anyways we get there and start hiking. And hiking. And hiking. It was like the song "Pioneer Children Sang as They Walked" in real life. Luckily, it was not so much steep as it was long. (I wasn't even out of breath!) There were some sketchy parts that were pretty narrow but luckily none of us fell off the cliff. Anyways, we finally get there at like 1 in the morning and there are NUDE people drinking. So we hiked even further to ones up higher and we met some other guys from BYU who had decided to camp there. It was soo fun! But then it started to rain and it took us FOREVER to hike in the sketchy way back part of the mountain. By the time all was said and done, we didn't get home until 3:30 but it was SOOO fun. I LOVE the hot springs. (and praying for safety on the middle of the trail haha)


Yesterday I slept in until noon then went ring shopping for my friend/co-worker Casey King. It was fun but I don't think I need to be in that position anytime soon! I also got some WAY cute jeans that make me look fantastic! So that was good. Last night we ordered five pizzas and watched the game against the Utes. I'm not going to say anything but wow. I knew it was going to be bad when they scored a touchdown when we had the ball originally within the first minute. Oh well, you win some and you lose some!


Random other tidbits from this week:

•  Dallin H. Oaks' secretary called the MBA office and I answered! I about fell off my chair when I was talking to her because how cool would that be? I want to be an apostle's secretary. 
• Speaking of which, I am really interested in doing an internship for the Church Magazines. I am going to apply for it soon, so wish me luck! 
• Also, I ordered a sample of Taylor Swift's perfume Wonderstruck because I'm a loser. 
• My new favorite song is "Paradise" by Coldplay. Seriously listen to the words because they apply so much to me! (And don't read too much into it. I'm not going to like jump off a cliff.) I just like how it talks about how she didn't get everything in life but it ended up okay. "Life goes on, it gets so heavy" is my favorite line! Listen to it and love it as much as I do so I don't feel like such a fruit!

So this week as a lot better than last week. This week I have two tests and a paper, so I might be pretty stressed. However, this weekend I am going to Arizona with my roommate Sam and I hope to have tons of fun.


xoxoxo

"Never be discouraged. If I were sunk in the lowest pits of Nova Scotia, with the Rocky Mountains piled on me, I would hang on, exercise faith, and keep up good courage, and I would come out on top."-Joseph Smith

The above quote is stated by one of my favorite people in the history of the planet. (Well second favorite because his wife is my absolute favorite) And it's pretty applicable to this moment. But let's start off how my first week of my sophomore year of college went:

So I decided I was going to take 17 credits.  And work. And have a social life. I had it all planned out. Life was going to be great this year. So I go to my first class of the day, New Testament and it is GREAT! I have not really studied the New Testament, so it will be a great new experience! And then I went to Spanish... See, I thought "Hey I'm a brilliant individual and I've had spanish for three years in high school. I don't need to start with Spanish 101." Yeah.Not so much. I am not the brilliant individual I thought I was. See, my teacher introduced herself in English and then proceeded to tell us that we would only be speaking in Spanish from then on. Guess who doesn't remember as much Spanish as I thought I did? Yep, me. So I dropped that class immediately after getting out of it.  And added Biology. I know, crazy right? Anyways, I went to my next class which is American Christianity with Professor Cope (she's like my favorite person on the planet and this is my third class with her!) So needless to say, it provided a better way to end the day. 


When I got home, I about died of pure exhaustion. But I went to FHE which was your typical Mormon BYU thing- an ice cream social. We met some pretty cool people, and I was only minimally shy compared to how I usually am. 


Tuesday was a GREAT day. I have two of my English major classes. My first professor walked in wearing a yellow suit coat and a sunflower tie. And my other professor was originally a businessman, then chef and now has decided to be a professor. So needless to say, they are the great eccentric English teachers. I am really excited for those classes. I also got to go to my Classical Traditions class (which is going to be great!) It was during this class that I met some really great people. And we're leaving it at that because I don't want to be a creeper. (yeah, I bet you never thought you would read those words from me. But it's true. Let's just say I met a very nice young man) 


Wednesday was my first official day of biology. And for those of you who know me, you know I was NOT looking forward to this class. My teacher is absolutely fantastic! I love her already! However, at the beginning of class she asked everyone to raise their hand if they were a freshman. And EVERYONE except a few select raised their hand. So that was cool. Nothing like being in a class full of freshmen. (seriously, now I have NO guy prospects in that class. Talk about lame!)


Friday was a day of sadness. I had a great day at work but then was walking home and it seemed like EVERYONE and their dog was holding hands. And then I looked down at myself. Guess who was NOT holding hands/dating? Yep, me. Yet again. So I was a bit discouraged. But it was during this moment of self pity (after I had called my mom and cried for a few minutes! Thank heaven for parents!) that I was reminded of what President Uchtdorf (aka the Silver Fox) said in a recent general conference: 


      "There is a beauty and clarity that comes from simplicity that we sometimes do not     appreciate in our thirst for intricate solutions. My dear brothers and sisters, we would do well to slow down a little, proceed at the optimum speed for our circumstances, focus on the significant, lift up our eyes, and truly see the things that matter most."


How profound that was. Instead of focusing on the tiny details of my schedule and personal life, I need to focus on the bigger picture and the basics. I am often so far ahead in planning my life that I forget to 'focus on the significant."  So for the past couple of weeks (thanks to Michal! She definitely pushed me!) I have read the Book of Mormon every night. It has been such a blessing. It has helped me to push back down to the 'things that matter most." I have made it a personal goal to finish it by New Year's Eve and am already in 2 Nephi 24! I have come to find a great love for the scriptures. 


To begin this journey of finding things that matter most, I decided also to smile at EVERY single person I walked by. Before I started to do this, when I was walking by someone, it would go like this:


1. See someone coming up in the near future. I estimate I have about thirty seconds until we pass each other awkwardly.
2. Smooth hair, fix wrinkles, make sure I wipe the sweat off my face after climbing the HUGE crackermuffin hill I have to walk up every morning at 7:30/
3. Look at them. This way, they are still far enough where you feel like you're being nice and giving them attention, but you're not close enough to be a creeper.
4. When your paths are about to intersect, you have a few options. A. You can look down. I prefer this option to most because you have already given them your few seconds of approval. B. Dig around in your backpack for something. C. Get your cellphone out and pretend to text or D. Take a sip of water. All of these methods have worked pretty great for me in the past because I just find walking past people awkward on all levels. Maybe I have over thought how awkward it is, but I truly find it awkward. 


So anyways, I decided this week that I would smile at everyone I saw. And can I tell you that it produced fantastic results?! I felt better (seriously, you know how when you smile, your mood just instantly increases ten fold?) and I even got smiles and greetings back. It was a simple thing that has made a huge difference in my life. I suggest everyone try it. Even those shy, awkward walkers like I used to be. Trust me, it works. 

So anyways, life continues to be great on the BYU campus. I love it here! I hope that I can continue to have a positive attitude through my moments of weakness and sadness. I hope we can all truly find the things in life that 'matter most."

Also, anyone who is reading this, really really really needs to watch this video because it's adorable: 

 (Also I totally want a child that looks like her, because she is cute!)


For now, I'll just continue to read talks written by President Uchtdorf and eating Subway weekly so I feel a lot better about myself. LOVE YOU ALL! xoxox