my first day off :)

I've officially been here for over a week now!
Today was my first day off!!!
I went horse back riding, ate lots of food, caught up with friends, napped, and well the day isn't over yet.

What have I been up to?
Enjoying the great outdoors.
meeting new people.
working.
went to Stanley a few times.
Went to Sun Valley.
Went to the hot springs and I Will go again.
Went to my new tiny branch for the first time this past Sunday.
Did a service project with my FHE group.
Enjoyed not always having phone service.
Met some of the wildlife.

Being outdoors is one of my most favorite things. It is why I love to go on walks, camp, hike, bike ride, all that good stuff. When you are outdoors it is so easy to just put your life into perspective and reboot. I get to do it every day. I get to see the beautiful Sawtooth mountains every day. This place is amazing.
I dread the thought of going back to the concrete world were expectations are irritating and life isn't so simple and beautiful as this.

Red fish Lake Lodge and the road up to it... I guess.

I spent this past weekend trying to feel better about everything that has been going on.
Thursday was just a big let down. On Friday morning I got the offer I had been looking for.
I got an offer to work at Red Fish Lake Lodge in Stanley, Idaho.
I spent Friday, Saturday, Sunday spending with people as much as I could.
I realized how much I'd miss my friends and how I'd miss out on every one's life. I realized though that I really needed this.
When I called them last week they knew who I was just by giving them my first name. After I got off the phone I was pretty positive I would be getting the position.
Things have fallen so out of place in my life that this just seem to fit perfectly and other things in my life just happened to align so that I could go.
So really there isn't any reason I should stay in Rexburg. I don't have a job and I'm not in school if I could I would have just gone home like most people do when they aren't taking classes.
My friend drove me to Red Fish. It was an interesting ride, although it was four hours... it didn't really feel that long to me.
I realized I wouldn't really be able to talk to this kid anymore that was taking me, we really wouldn't really be friends anymore after this. I think for the ride being the last time we would spend time together .. it wasn't what he thought it'd be.
My friend said that I seemed different... but when I get hurt I have a hard time feeling better all of the sudden. It is hard to know how to act after so much has changed.
I wanted to the ride continue longer. I knew I would miss this friendship but I guess no one can be in each other's life forever ...right?
Well other than Carmen, my family, and if I ever get married...
Once the ride ended and I got to my destination a new part of my life would be starting and I know so much is going to change now.

I had my first day of work today. It wasn't so bad and I was going to be a server-ish person as well ... but really I think I may just end up only doing house keeping which would be pretty cool because house keeping goes by fast.

There are hundreds of cute little chipmunks around even albino ones..and a half albino one.
The sights are beautiful.
I would upload pictures but I don't have my SD card for my camera...so if I ever do find it then I'll post pictures.

400 profile views ...

I don't really have much to say .. but umm life is going.
It is pretty swell, it is going fantasicly well in places I never thought would be....and not so well as far as the job thign goes.
I just wish I had a job.
I've had lots to keep myself busy for sure.

Hmm ... changed my fb profile pic.




and here is a song I like a lot right now.
Props to mi amigo sharing it with me.



and yay for 400 profile views :)

job hunting and relationships and living...

What has been going on lately in my life?

Hmm... yeah job hunting rules most of my days.
On a scale from 1-10 the difficulty of finding a job in Rexburg, Idaho is probably a 10.5... ya know slightly more than impossible but still do-able.

I spend most of my days chasing job leads, cleaning, running errands trying to fix lots of messes, seeing my friends, and seeing Nate helping him with homework and just kickin it.

Everyone in my life seems to be doing pretty well, in school, and kickin' butt in life.

I'm still waiting to figure out what I'm doing until I take classes again next year.
Going on a mission is still in the works. Firstly I need a job..and then I need my wisdom teethies out and then I need to start saving the bucks I need to serve the Lord for a year and a half of my life.

Yesterday Nate came over and we made a fort and roasted marshmellows in my back yard.
I was fun and lots was said and it is just a amazing feeling that he is back.
He is in my life again and it is great to have one of my best friends back in my life. I showed him the notebook with all the letters he gave me and he has mine so I'll get to see them. I had sort of thought he didn't write me as much and from our conversation I realized he wrote me a lot for what he did.
I never really think to bring my camera around when I'm out and about with my friends... oh well !!!







Any yeah.. things are crazy like always. I just have to focus on the outcome I want and not think about the inbewteen.


Tunes of my life lately :











ohh lets see if you can handle some tech n9ne





p.s.

got a fishy his name is Joe or Jo-jo

all hairs cut

Ugh.
I could write about how much I dislike something...
But I won't. It'll all be good.

My good friend recently started me doing this thing where I have a separate journal in which I write a miracle every day.
It came up because as I was skipping through the Preach my Gospel I came across a certain part I have troubles understanding.
The journal has helped greatly and in the end made me much more happy every day.

Today I got my hair cut.
I sometimes need encouragement for drastic choice I have to make in my life... sometimes I just like advice even for not so drastic choices.
I recall one day I was laying in the hall talking to my roomie and all I said was "Hey Erin pick one yes or no." although she is too inquizative and had to have more information. Sometimes I'll wonder if I I want a pp&j sandwich or a ham one and I'll pose the question to ChaCha ( a texting answering machine)...
and then yeah...
back to what I was saying. I was looking in the mirror this morning thinking about how grown out my layers where and how long I had allowed my hair to be. I was struck with a sudden outburst of short hair desire... still being fueled by the outburst I went into our second living room to find my roomie... with her blessing of short hair agree-ance I headed out the door. I called my old roomie Chelsea and asked her to tag along.
AS we made our way to Hair We Are I began to fall from my short hair outburst high...
I finally made my way into the salon and on the chair. before I knew it I was loosing many inches of hair. I tried to fight back the past and how people said I look like a man with short hair and tried to linger on the dream I had last night where I was dating a extremely hot boy that use to be my co-worker...and then it trailed off to a boy I'm interested in dating in real life...and then it drifted off to all the other things I had to get done today.
Next came the blow dryer and the straightening...she turned me around...
and I felt unsure.
annnd now with the compliments and the positive feedback I'm pretty happy with it.
takes a LOT less time to blow dry.

uhh what else has been going on in my life:

*hair cut being approved by all
*Nate is back and we hang out now, pretty cool.
*Nate has awesome roommates!
*I made a friend walking home the other day... its a border collie...and yes its very cute and friendly!
*Not living in student housing with people that don't live the honor code is kind of a shock
*I have a cool room-roommate
*It hasn't snowed in a while here in rexburg... but typing it may jinx it. It'll still be below 40 come Wednesday :C
*I am job hunting

FHE blunders

So I am obviously an extra-veeeeert.


So I feel great once I have some sort of foundation.
In my Family home evening group I am a "mom" which is a really silly calling for me, for so many reasons it is ridiculous.
I have a lot of louder people in my group. I love to observe people and if I don't have much to say then I typically won't make shiz up.. unless I'm in a small group or in a one on one situation.

Typically when I make an effort in a group of loud extra-verts then I just get looked over. I'm completely okay with that until people have to point it out and try to point out character flaws. I mean who the heck do you think you are? Yeah... lame.
I feel like a lot of people so quickly just think.. oh yeah she is like this so.. that is just how it is and I don't care anymore.
I wish to be better and I am working on it.
Meh.

I taught one of my "sons" to kind of draw cartoons today. Although I don't know if it was really appreciated I really enjoy helping others to understand the things I know how to do.

It reminded me of a full circle moment I had with a primary class I taught while I was at home. Bare with me because this is probably a repeat story.
As a little kid I recall watching older people be able to so effortlessly draw an image_ I don't know if there was anything more that I wanted to be able to do.
Art wasn't really a natural talent for people... although my mommy would disagree... it just wasn't really. It is something that started as a desire. Doodling in Sunday school the cute puppies from 101 Dalmatians. Doodling in classes on the side of note book paper and hand outs. Those doodles gave me a jump start on understanding form. I eventually got to be in art electives through out grade school and art including doodles ( cartoons mainly) has become such a big part of my life that I have come to love. In not a lot of time I had invented my own cartoon characters and could effortlessly draw them.

It wasn't until I got a calling to teach CTR 7 with my best friend Carmen.
We often finished the lesson early and it was typically followed by hang man. One day I was drawing a dog with crayons on the back of an extra handout. One of the girls asked me how I did it. I drew it once explaining all the shapes it takes to make a dog. I Then helped guide her hand to make the dog, and then she did it by herself. In that small simple moment I had had a full circle moment. I just had a little girl not much unlike myself watch in awe as I drew a cartoon effortlessly and was able to teach her what started me off on making cartoons as well.

Hmm so I like this song and am not a huge fan of the images with it but still.. enjoy. Have gone from listening to Tech N9ne and Linkin Park to more of Death Cab and Meiko. I've just been ya know thinking about life well..people...persons...person...
either way.
I hope you enjoy them.



I've started this new thing where I find a song I like and then I learn to play it on an instrument and then make an art piece about it.
This is the song I picked. I can't really read music/ haven't made the effort to remember the lesson I had in elementary school about reading music
.. SO I've been trying to learn to play it but ear and guessing... a little pathetic perhaps...and yet I love it.
Here is the song.


I don't know what to think about school anymore.
I am just not feeling it.
I think I'm suppose to go but there is alot of things and blah blah issues with learning disability and all that jazz but it just isn't clicking...
Will I be here next semester?
I don't know.
If I am I know exactly how I would do it, and how I could manage my time, deal with people, and I've learned better studying habits... although the reality has struck me that perhaps it is too late.
I talked to me bishop about serving a mission this past Sunday. I'm not positive what will happen but it certainly would not hurt my life

Beside the point, I am a pretty decent person. I promise.

Oh and I don't look over what I've typed when I post it so just bare with me...

a crazy couple of weeks.

Why yes school is kicking my trash.
I've been spending a lot of time on campus just trying to get the basics done :/.

Allow me to catch you up on my life.





I have great roomies, no really... I really lucked out with them. They can be really distracting though because they are all so entertaining.
My roomies are: Ashla, Chelsea, Erin, Jessica, And Kimber!!!

So I've been spending more time studying at the Snow building and at the cross roads.



I had some friends over and made pizzas this kid Daniel Peterson let me borrow his glasses... and now I know I need glasses in fact I did get my eyes checked yesterday and yup.... I picked out frames and the lenses for them will be ready towards the begining of next week!



Let's see so my actual only real day of rest is Sunday. Last Sunday I made a fort and it was great. My roomies loved it as well!!!

** Disclaimer ample fun ahead & these frames aren't mine.. thier Daniel's mine are gonna be sweet!!***







Hmm also on Sunday I made desserts for my friends that they all liked them annnd I taught Chelsea Bloomquist and Daniel Peterson to paint ...sorta. It's been fun having people over and having good clean fun, cause that is how I roll.

( ^_^_^_^I made this but uhh ... it isn't wonderful, but I'm planing on working on stuff this weekend! ^^^^)





(^^made this for Daniel Peterson because he loves swing dance so much and it was a good stress reliever to make^^)
*










So...I've been trying really hard to NOT write on myself...it is pretty hard. It is different being in an LDS enviorment and having people comment on you not treating your bodice like a temple. Anywhoo, I bought groceries yesterday and drew faces on most of what I bought, good news is I did not write on my self!

The better news is that I have happy food that brings smiles to people's faces.

Hmm what else is there to say?

So I have this class it is called art seminar. You have to take it for four semesters I believe.
I'm on my second semester. There was this guy that came and he talked about how he graduated from here in 2007 and then took his old art teachers job. I don't know if I would want to be in a school I use to go to, school wasn't a pleasant experience. For about 4 to 5-ish years now I've harbored a desire to teach art. It'll be good that I have to take education classes that way I can see myself being cut out for it. I think my determination to do it will help me over come my shortComings. I really enjoy helping others to learn. The art he showed for his high students were not as good as I was in high school.. maybe that sounds like I'm full of myself... but I swear I'm not. It's just nice to have something to compare to because I have yet to take an art class in years and it is nice to find some form of critique. I feel like alot of my past experiences have helped prep me to be a better art teacher... Which came to mind when he said that Heavenly Father already knew he was going to be an art teacher. Am I suppose to be.. well after last night it made me feel like I wanted it more. I was going to ask him a question but the lady in front was taking forever and I had to get some where. Lame saucey.. so ::shrug:: we'll see!
I've learned more recently of the high-horses people ride on.
Yes I get it people think they are the shiz... and maybe they are... possibly not.
I think it is a bit messed up that people invest time in you for a while and then suddenly don't. People pass judement so quickly and some people I've met are amazing! I love that good out weighs the bad :).
And well ya know if there is anything I've learned lately...
ya know uhh.. Don't keep all your eggs in one basket they'll brake (well actually I have raised chicken and thier egg shells are pretty strong unless they're a N00B when it comes to laying but still...)

decide to not allow discouragement and disapointment keep you from the sunlight of truth and cloud your self worth ...
oh and Life most certainly always goes on and if you're doing you're best the new twist to your life is better than ya thought :).
So... yep... I may have missed something but I'll prolly post next week still.

Anticipation of my old lap top charging.

My older lap top's cord had issues time and time again.
The pin that holds the part that holds the end of the cord in is lose once again.

I was doing math at the library and thinking about the gigs upon gigs of music I'd love to switch out onto my Ipod.

This song is one of my favos


Enjoy it, I know I do.

*Just as a side note school is kicking my trash but I've been trying.
*I'm suppose to be teaching a lesson for my missionary prep class.
*I have a blind date tomorrow.
*My friend Nate comes home from his mission in a couple of days...yes...days..not years, or months..or even weeks. It's crazy. The distance did change alot and we don't talk a lot anymore but it'll be nice to have my friend to talk to in person again.
*I've been trying to do swing dancing. I took it thinking that it wouldn't be a big deal annnd that it was a easy choice..and now that I'm not so great I've been going about weekly to get better.
*I am amazed in many ways in my life right now. Faith, the good of people, the fact that my life does go on, the fact that I meet people that amaze me more and more every day.

my room.

It's hard for me to study on an empty stomach and a dirty room.

Here's my half of the room.

I recently did the little clay face, it's suppose to be my roomie it's only the seoncd one I've done but it is decent. I also have recetly for fun did the yellow and blue spray paint thingy and the weird tiger thing... I sort of think it's ugly but then again I still like it.

Now all I need to do is eat and I can get back to studying, mid-terms week is coming up.
Study study study.

hmm//

I basically JUST got done finishing my art history 2 exam... lets just say I'm glad there will be four other exams to help it all balance out. I do incredibly well in my intro to visual arts class infact I tutor someone in that class... alot of the same material overlaps... and so I thought I'd do well... yeah...no. There is always next time. I studied before the exam and ralized I had not really retained much... I had intended on studying last night annnd well I didn't. I'm glad I didn't because I wasn't remembering anythign and it is more important that I worked on my other school work. last night I went to the burger king/gas station with Scott. Scott and I were buddies before he left for the mission and now we're still friends. It was great to just sit and talked about what ever with him and not worry about the people around me. Although the topics are typically the same it was still nice. We ended up staying for 4-ish hours. My roommates are pretty great! We had FHE this past Monday and did little skit things which was a little silly and embarassing, but I got over it. I am actually a FHE "mother" (group leader) but if you don't know I am more on the quiet side. I really don't like competeing to be heard over a group of mostly loud extra-veerts. I wish I could upload pictures but I can't find the file. You can always check the facebook... but really if we're not facebook friends then why aren't we? If the answer is you don't have a facebook well then you should just get one. My life is updated more often on there. facebook doesn't include all the stuff I type in with the pics, well, that is if you read it.
Umm... other than art history 2 my classes are going pretty well. I recently dropped my architecture class. I just don't need it for my major. After taking this class I know I couldn't be an architect, and I am tired of people trying to pedal it on me just because I can do it. If I'm going to force myself into 4+ years of school I'm going to need to really like or love what I'm doing.

I haven't been able to take an art class since high school and I am being left behind in the dust. I drew some stuff in my sketch book.

Kid with a boom box. Reminds me of someone I know. ^

I'm not sure where this was going and some orange blead through from another piece.^

in my intro to vis arts class they were talking about looking into and better undertanding art from your culture... which I don't fully understand... here's a cool tiger things that in seen often in Mexican folk art.^

I know the legs are short and other stuff.. but I don't know how ot improve and I don't like having to erase^

I hate this one... i like the spray can part.^

My grad plan

My old lady laptop has had problems lately... so Freckles in my main laptop right now.
It is another one of those non-stop snow days. It is cold out side but I get to see really pretty snow flakes gather on my coat and slowly melt away as I cut through campus buildings to get around.


I'm in an architecture class... even though I have recently decided the architecture program isn't worth a degree in architecture.... I find myself not dropping it.

My professor recently gave us the assignment to look through our catalog year and plan out our graduation plans.

I've learned that above all I mostly enjoy my art history classes (I have yet to take any type of drawing or painting class). Through my own experiences in helping people out in my classes I've realized that I shouldn't ignore wanting to have a degree in art education. Yeah... I'll make no money and the kids could be punks... but you never know. I find great joy in helpings others to learn.

I went to my administrator who sent me up stairs and then into a whole different building. After changing my major around twice and switching my generals to foundation courses ... I am now pursuing a degree in Art Education. It is a composite degree so I don't have to worry about a minor. I am currently taking 17.5 credits and it is not killing me so as I made my grad plan I kept in mind a 14-18 credit limit in mind. My track for school is winter/spring. I go to school from January til July. Then I have that next half of the year to earn money and have fun. I'll be taking classes up until Winter 2013 and completing my student teaching in spring of 2013 annnnd I'll probably throw in another religion credit so I can have financial aid, if I need it then.

It is kind of frustrating because many people my age only have about a year left, and I had always imagined I'd have more school behind me by now...and also that I'd be preparing to send in my mission papers. With all my set backs and not really wanting to be in school ...I am behind. I guess plans are there to be broken and reworked.

I don't know how successful I'll be at teaching art.
Art is something I've come to love and enjoy. I feel like you can learn anything from looking at art: a piece of a biography, our history, the emotions of others, how out of the box some people are, color schemes, religion, false interpretations of doctrine ( moses with horns), you can understand an artist's work ethic by what they do to their piece and their mastery of the medium, you can learn an artists point of view on a certain time or place or situation, it can take you to places you could never think up yourself, an art piece can strike an empathetic view in hardship..and it goes my list goes on.
An image is more memorable to me than a bunch of words. An image makes me wonder and gives me the initiative to figure out how, why, and when. I hope that I will be able to bring the joy of art to others through completing my degree and teaching others.

So ... here's to making plans and hoping I'll be able to complete school around 2013!

21

yep. I'm 21.

Halloweeeen 2009

Me and Alex after the party^

I went with Alex and these kids went with us to. They're from McKinney... I hardly remember them. I guess that is how it goes.

Heather, the little Devil!

Ethan, Bri, Carmen, and Heather while Jared fails at scaring them.

Carmie the Zombie

Larry Taylor one of the best men you'll ever meet.

Carmen and her nephew Ethan

Me and Carmen with our pumpkins

A really awesome house!
I didn't wake up til about 4pm on halloween because of the shift I worked the night before.
When I got up we carved pumpkins. Every one made their own designs. After wasting a lot of time trying to decide I made a rooster. Afterwords, got ready to go trick or treating.

Carmen's mom, Carmen, Jared (Carmen's brother) and his family, and I all went out to Carmen's old neighborhood and went with them to houses.
Eventually Carmen had to go off to work, and I met up with my friend who I've known since middle school. Alex Tromanovich was the monopoly guy.
I got my costume the morning before from walmart. The 'tatterd witch costume'. I felt like the dress was really short of I added black tights and biker shorts. I was going to wear nicer shoes but my tennis shoes were way more comfortable...and because it was cold outside I wore a cape. From living in Idaho I've bcome very use to being more coverd up...and so I felt exposed...which of course I was a pretty conservative lady compaired to what I saw for the night.
The shirt I borrowed after we got back to Alex's house was longer than my witchy dress. I can't fully understand why all the girl costumes were so slutty.
We went to some party that consisted of seniors from mckinny high and mckinney north until about the class of 06.
As you may know how those things go... I didn't really feel I could take any good pictures that I would want to post online. Of course I don't drink either so I was just hanging back watching people act ... well not differently than they normally would. It was still neat to see everyone. Later on we stopped to get some taco bell and I stayed at Alex's with friends til Carmen got off work at 6am.
I went up to the petsmart that we both work at. I 'got' to show some people my costume.
My night was actually more eventful than this...but I guess that is all I feel like sharing.

I also recently visisted my nephew, my brother Zeniff, and his wife Tiffany to celebrate. It was my nephew Skyler's birthday.