Anything but Ordinary: November 2013

Man, I am so glad for this Henry Ford quote because it's been a rough couple of weeks. I've been so busy with so many things in addition to some personal disappointments, that it got a little sketch for a bit. But, like another great man has stated, (i.e. President Uchtdorf, because who else would it be?) " We have seasons in our lives as well. Some are warm and pleasant. Others are not. Some of the days in our lives are as beautiful as pictures in a calendar. And yet there are days and circumstances that cause heartache and may bring into our lives deep feelings of despair, resentment, and bitterness. I am sure at one time or another we have all thought it would be nice to take up residence in a land filled only with days of picture-perfect seasons and avoid the unpleasant times." I love this. One of my old blog posts was about embracing the current season of your life. Here's the thing about seasons. They all have good parts. Without winter, we would never be able to witness the miracle of snow and hot chocolate and Christmas. The other key thing to it is that it eventually changes and how comforting that idea is! Now onto some things that are happening in my life right now:

Finishing Grad Apps. Guys, I officially submitted my online portion of my grad school applications!!!! It was by far the most exciting part of the week because the only thing I have left is the nasty GRE, but we won't focus on that now. Here's the joyous moment caught on film:

GRAD SCHOOL HERE I COME!

The Kelsey Marie Davis Manifesto. So I've read a lot recently and I've decided I need to declare a few beliefs of mine to the world:

I believe in the power of one. I believe one person can change not only communities, but countries and the world with enough determination. You might think that's naive or cheesy, but I just don't.
I believe in traveling to find yourself.
I believe in embracing fear. Or, as Eleanor Roosevelt once stated, "You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. Do the thing you think you cannot do."
I believe in mental health days where you don't do anything but watch movies and eat junk food.
I believe that some people are doers and there are people who are sayers. Choose carefully when you're deciding whether you want someone in your life.
I believe everyone has their own kind of fun. My version is reading a book in pajamas or watching a cheesy period drama, and there's nothing wrong about that.
I believe that books, tv shows, songs, and movies can heal something about you that people can't.
I believe in true love. Like cheesy true love songs and movies. And I'm not even sorry/
I believe things aren't random. Sometimes you're having a really crappy week and then Katy Perry AND Taylor Swift release new music.
I believe in hard work and I believe that hard work ultimately pays off.

These are just some of my things that I feel like I need to get off my chest. So that's my current manifest to the world.

The moment I realized I am a senior in college. I officially registered for my last semester of college. And even though I have to take 18 credits of only English, I could not be happier. I cannot wait to officially be a college graduate and feel proud of myself for making it through four years of Provo! :)
UKRAINE- So I applied to Ukraine and got in!!! Yay, right?!? But right after I got accepted, I got really sick to my stomach. I blew it off for a few days until the feeling came back. I was like 80% thinking that I was going to choose not to go when I got an email that said they were FULL for Ukraine. So even though it's totally and completely sad, I'm glad that I was prepared for this before I found out officially.
Mason. So this past Wednesday I rented a car and picked Mason up from the airport. We went to Walmart to pick up a new alarm and then headed for his last American meal- In-n-Out. It was great to be with him for a few hours before I had to drop him off. We took a bunch of cute pictures and then we pulled up to the MTC where there was a zillion 'host' missionaries waiting to guide him into the MTC. It did my heart good to see someone already taking care of my brother. I AM SO PROUD OF HIM!!! I hope he's been doing well because he is such a boss.
Saturday craziness. Sometimes you get really hyper with a few people (who shall remain nameless) and you go up to the mountains with little slips of paper with the names of all the boys who have hurt you or made you mad and you throw them into them into the wind. And it's the most liberating thing. I recommend this to everyone.
Halloween. So we did not do anything autumny the whole month of October, so Linds found this Halloween cruise thing. We pull up, buy some delicious hot chocolate, and then float down the Provo river. It sounds pretty weird, but it was really cool because there were tons of carved pumpkins and it was just so fall. I loved every second of it. Then on Halloween, we all dressed up and went to a party downtown (which I only attended for like 15 minutes because dance parties with rap music are definitely NOT my scene!) Anyways, I think did the fall season justice.
Grey's Anatomy. Yep, I am going to spend a chunk of my blog post about Grey's. Pretty much everyone I know doesn't understand why I spent most of my spare time watching this show. I'll be honest, after the musical episode and all the episodes where all these crazy, completely unlikely situations happen, I'm not sure either. But here's the thing about television and books. They heal you. In my memoir class we read this quote, "We live and breathe words... It was books that made me feel that perhaps I was not completely alone. They could be honest with me, and I with them. Reading your words, what you wrote, how you were lonely sometimes and afraid, but always brave; the way you saw the world, its colors and textures and sounds, I felt- I felt the way you thought, hoped, felt, dreamt."- Cassandra Clare. I just started reading a memoir called "Wild," and I loved the opening lines, "The mountains are tall, but I am taller." Isn't that great? I absolutely love this because it explains exactly why I love reading, but it also explains my love for Grey's. I know it's a ridiculous soap opera, but I have loved some of the quotes from it:

"We all think we're going to be great. And we feel a little bit robbed when our expectations aren't met. But sometimes, our expectations sell us short. Sometimes, the expected simply pales in comparison to the unexpected. You gotta wonder why we cling to our expectations because the expected is just what keeps us steady, standing, still. The expected is just the beginning. The unexpected is what changes our lives."

"At the end of the day, the fact that we have the courage to still be standing is reason enough to celebrate."

"You don't have to be tough every minute of every day. It's okay to let down your guard. In fact, there are moments when it's the best thing you can possible do- as long as you choose your moments wisely."

"It doesn't matter how tough we are. Trauma always leaves a scar. It follows us home, changes our lives. Trauma messes everybody up. But, maybe, that's the point. All the pain and the fear and the crap. Maybe going through that is what keeps us moving forward. It's what pushes us. Maybe we have to get a little messed up before we can step up."

"Change is a funny thing, not everyone can handle it. It can sneak up on you. Things aren't what they used to be. The whole world is transformed. You realize the ground beneath you has shifted. Things are uncertain and there's no turning back. The world around you is different now. Unrecognizable, and there is nothing you can do about it. You're stuck and the future is staring you in the face and you're not sure you like what you see."
Six Things You DON'T Need to be Happy. I found this INCREDIBLE article about things that society tell us that we need to be happy but we don't. If you read one article that I suggest, this should be it. It's awesome: http://www.thereturnedmissionary.com/6-things-you-dont-need-to-be-happy/.

I just love all these. And that's probably too much of Grey's for right now, so onto some recent pictures: