MTC Provo, UT 84602

Ok, so don't throw up, but I got some bug bites two weeks ago that have turned into quite the nasty rash. I fear that I may have a flesh eating bacteria that is slowly consuming my right leg. Not. Fun. I wouldn't even tell you this, but I have to tell you what this experience led me to find:

This morning I got online to schedule an appointment at the BYU Health Clinic - and when I logged in the system automatically filled in my address:

MTC Box 188
Provo, UT 84602

Wha? The last time I was registered with BYU Health Care was when I was a missionary! Who knew? That is just adorable. It has been 7 years since I was in the MTC, in fact, 7 years ago last week I flew out to Philly as a brand new little missionary. I felt so grown up then. It was an incredible year and a half and I am grateful for the Health Center's little reminder. Memories of my first week in the mission include:

• Getting kissed by an 80 year old man while tracting
  
• Translating the discussions that I had learned in broken Spanish back into English(they came out just as broken as my Spanish)
• Seeing my first Delaware sunset (They may not sound like much, but I promise that it is)
  
• Longwood Gardens for Sister's Conference
• Seeing My Mom sing with the choir for General Conference and feeling truly home for a moment

Miss you Philly!

Tuesday, September 21

On Tuesdays I have class at 8:00am. Today I slept through my alarm and arrived to class at 8:06am. That was unfortunate.

Class finished at 9:15am. My next class will begin at 2:00pm. This leaves lots of good time for reading and doing homework. However, I don't know anyone who can do homework for 4 hours and 45 minutes straight. I certainly can't.

This is how "homework time" has recently gone for me:

- Open gmail to get the most recent communication from the MPA program and my classmates (Responsible, no?)

- Open google docs (God's gift to grad students)

- Work on homework

- Login in to yahoo account just in case someone sent something important to my other inbox

- Log out of yahoo and see that Drew Carey is back for another season of The Price is Right and that he has lost a bunch of weight















- Watch video on Drew Carey's weight loss

- Discuss Drew Carey's weight loss with my roommate. Was it natural? (It was) Should this show even be on now that Bob Barker is gone? Why does that contestant look like Snooki?

- The video continues with a segment on Rachel Ray visiting the Kardashians. What has TV come to?

- Close out of video

- Back to homework

- Open www.m-w.com to learn how to spell a big word

- Open www.people.com as long as I am on the web. Gold! The Breakfast Club stars reunite!















- Finish homework!

- Work on homework

School is fun!

Best Friends

We had a fellowshipping fireside today. Being as I am a fellowshipping co-chair, I was there. And I spoke. Yikes.

While I was up on the stand, my very dear friends made lots of faces at me. I can't tell you how grateful I am to have friends who will make faces at me. They are the bestest friends in all the world.

Here is a list of a few of my friends and why I am particularly grateful for them right now:

Amber - For saying that I am like Santa Claus and meaning it in a good way.
Jessica - For baking billions of cookies and being so blasted funny.
Megan - For her sass. And for leaving the money - Cause the kids, they like the money.
Oliver - For his fake hugs - and for telling me that I looked hot today.
Rob - For his top-notch complimenting skills.
Angela - For always being genuine.
Camilla - For not actually getting angry if I only have sliced onions on hand at a dinner party.
Kathryn - For making things happen and for rescuing me in style when necessary.
Andrew - For always saving me a seeta in class.
Heather - For orange juice, ice cream, and natural remedies.
Hali Lyn - For being a grad school sage and reminding me that this is possible.
Natalie - For coming over early!

I know that I missed a lot of people, and I promise that I am grateful for you too - these folks just happened to rise to the top of my gratitude list today. I am so incredibly blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life who so genuine care about me.

Thanks Loves!

Follow up to my last post and BYU's cruel joke....

I attend church in the JFSB on BYU campus. I would just like to shout out a big thank you to BYU for leaving at LEAST 5 of the stalls in the women's restroom on the bottom floor of the building WITHOUT toilet paper.

Thank you!

I am really starting to cherish these experiences.

Really BYU, really?

One of the new and exciting things about attending school at BYU is Tuesday devotional. Elder Hales came and spoke today, and it was absolutely phenomenal. Even though most of campus shuts down for the devotional and it is broadcast on almost every TV in every building, we decided to go to the Marriott Center to see Elder Hales speak. We made our way through a sea of freshman and made a little pit stop at the ladies facilities once we got inside the building.

Inside the resting room there were a few stalls that were not being used. Weary of such stalls, I kept my distance, but heard a few people saying that there was no toilet paper. No big deal. I just waited my turn.

I entered an open stall once it was vacated and a moment later I heard a voice next to me asking for toilet paper. I looked to my TP dispenser to give this poor stranded soul some relief and found that mine was empty too! A chorus of voices went up saying that they had no toilet paper. There were at least 4 stalls in a row that were clean out of toilet paper.


*spoiler alert* Everything ended up good and right.






But what happened to the people right before us?

And those after us?

I felt like I was in China again. Only this time, no one warned me.

Note to self: Never stop carrying those little packs of tissues.

Note to BYU: Next time you have an event where THOUSANDS of people are congregating, be sure to stock your restrooms.

Day of Caring

So, we down at the BYU MPA are out to change the world. It truly is an incredible (and often intimidating) experience to be around so many do-gooders all the time. One of the pluses of such an environment is that, after no more than a week of school, we canceled classes to go serve at the United Way Day of Caring. There were 6 or 7 groups of us that spread out all over Utah County to spread a little love. My group went to paint the mobile home of a couple who had lost their house after experiencing health issues that had brought incapacitating medical bills. We had a great time and it was nice to be able to get to know some people a little bit better. Our program is full of rock stars. Every person I meet makes me want to do a little more, do a little better.

This is why I decided on an MPA. I love that you can major in making a difference.

No turning back now...

I am almost to the end of my first week of grad school. You would think that this would make me feel all grown up and responsible, but instead I feel more like a 7th grader than anything else. I have a backpack, a locker and I pack my lunch daily. I have secret handshakes with two of my classmates and I am intimidated by the second-years(second-years...that makes me feel like I am at Hogwarts).
The first week of school hasn't been too bad - they have only started hinting at the tidal wave of homework that will be hitting us soon. One nice thing is that almost all of our work is done in groups. The same group. My team is made up of 5 other students and we are called...drum roll please...TEAM JACOB! I think it is hilarious. Not everyone in the program agrees. They'll get over it. I want to buy a Taylor Lautner cardboard cut-out and bring him to our team presentations. That would be awesome. I'll have to see just how much I can get away with in this place.
Bring at BYU is an interesting experience. Talking about church in class and sometimes starting class with prayer is nice, but takes some getting used to. It does add some flair to our team name though. Our team scripture is Jacob 6:12, O be wise; what can I say more? We will put it at the end of all of our presentations.
I think we are so funny.