Thursday, May 22, 2014

summer goals:

so I was stalking Sam's blog and I decided that one of my summer goals is learning to make videos! Because why not, right?

Look at this video she made!


Yeah, I just thought I'd throw that out there. Happy {almost} Friday! This weekend we have a ton of family in town for Zach's homecoming. Including the cutest nieces and nephews, so I'm looking forward to a great few days!

-Erica

Monday, May 19, 2014

if this is summer, it's here.

Hello!

Last weekend my mom and I went hiking in Ridgeway! Man, have I told you how much I love Colorado?



I got new running shoes! Life is good, friends.


Today I got this awesome package from Hunter! Ahhh... I love it! Hunter, you're the best. Plus... it had paint and chocolate and harry potter and tiger t-shirts. What else does a girl need??


Guys, as soon as you get a full time job plus a part time job plus violin students plus an office to clean... you realize that your only social activity is the ongoing facebook group chat with your friends from BYU. And that's ok. kinda. and a little sad, but whatever. 2 years and we'll all be back at BYU!

-Erica

p.s. LOOK AT SAM'S MISSION BLOG!!! READ IT. DO IT. AHHHH

oh, and I OFFICIALLY STARTED MY MISSION PAPERS YESTERDAY!! t-minus 105 days until I can turn them in (: and two days later I will be...

flying to london.

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Zach's home!




Two years later and he's home! ...and I'm pretty dang happy about it.

-Erica

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

"did you like your freshmen year?"

I can't even count how many people have asked me this in the last couple weeks. And here is my {attempt at a} short blog post to explain why I had the greatest 8 months.


Brigham Young University
It's my favorite place in the world, thanks to all the memories it now holds!

First off, I made the most amazing friends. In high school I had a really, really close group of friends. I went to college thinking "oh, I'll make lots of friends but nothing can compare to the awesome girls I had from high school!"
And the number one thing I learned at college is that all friendships are different. They depend on where you are in life and what you need. Kayla and Cady were everything I could have asked for. They are the absolute greatest and without them, freshmen year would have been pretty darn dull!

Look at these two! How could you NOT just love them??
KAYLA:
Another question I get is "did you like your roommate?"




Yeah. Yeah I really did. I lucked out! We had so many crazy memories and deep talks. She is hands-down the most caring person I have ever met. She is always there to listen and has great advice. She will be the best missionary ever and her testimony is so strong! She was such an awesome support to me, from cooking me pre-econ-test breakfasts {I'm not exaggerating} to making fantastic posters for my ceiling to motivate me in econ { (; } to being the biggest birthday planner ever. From the first night bawling about wanting to go home to the last day bawling in the SLC airport because we didn't want to go home... this girl became my best friend! I mean, you should have seen some of our crazy nights in 2116.

CADY:




I'm not sure when it happened, possibly after the M&M mess or the random late night talks that started at the beginning of the year, but somehow the girl across the hall from me became my diet-coke-loving, library-going, daily-running, advice-giving, speed-walking, loud-talking partner in crime! {no, actually some people, cough cough, couldn't comprehend that once in a rare while, Cady and I weren't together!}

CADY & KAYLA:

Where do I start about the three of us? Dance parties at two a.m.? Good night talks that lasted a minimum of two hours EVERY SINGLE NIGHT without fail? Our epic social plans? Our lists? MOA cafe lunches? Our addiction to subway cookies? Our endless laughs?






THE HALL/RELIEF SOCIETY:

from the very first night at college^^^
our epic music video
to our sleepover/girls night^^^


1. There was NO DRAMA in my hall. unbelievable right?! We all got along! (:
2. It's fun living in the dorms because it also means you have 40 closets. I'm pretty sure I never wore my own clothes. ever.
3. My hall was also my relief society. It's hard to explain how fantastic it is to see these girls every single day then see them at church. You watch them live their standards. You know that they actually care when they ask what's new. just... ahhhh I loved my hall! These girls were SO FUN!

MY WARD {YSA 114}:

These people. ahhh. so great. Every single Sunday was amazing! You learn so much just by listening to them! And ward prayer?? One of my favorite parts of the week.


MY HOME:
I never thought that I would consider a 20 x 15 ft room, a bathroom shared with 40 girls, and a kitchen shared with the entire building as my home. But I do!




please excuse the mess, we were in the middle of packing to come home.
Coming home to that little dorm room every day was great. Taylor Hall really did become my favorite place. LIVE IN THE DORMS, PEOPLE. DO IT.

THIS AWESOME GROUP OF PEOPLE:








look at these studs! Also, please note that dylan and I were the intramural champs if you don't remember :D




BYU social life is crazy, guys. First of all, it is perfectly normal for social things to begin at 11 pm. Also, it's perfectly ok to schedule multiple social things in a row. Like, oh, I'll go to lunch with ..., then the library with {usually cady or by myself}, then meet everyone for dinner, then go on a date or something, then meet everyone in the lobby at 10:30, then maybe watch a movie with Cady and Kayla at 1 or 2. I'm telling you, I considered going to bed before two a.m. as "early". From crepes and in-n-out at midnight, to capture the flag, to the trampoline place, to dollar movies, to 80s nights, to card games, to spur of the moment adventures these people made my freshmen year. It was fun knowing that any time, these guys were ready for fun!

Within months they will be across the globe! From Canada, to Japan, to the Philippines, to Panama, to Chile, to Belgium, to Mexico, to who-knows-where-else, I can't wait for missionary mondays!! They are amazing and freshmen year would have been no where as fun without them!
{also, I wouldn't have gotten any birthday cards without them, so that's a plus!}

Ahhh... freshmen year was the greatest!


I won't be back at BYU for 2 years, but hey, this last year was a good way to say goodbye!

-Erica

Sunday, May 11, 2014

mother's day//birthday.

Have I told you how awesome my mom is?


She is the absolute best! I am so grateful to have such a wonderful example in my life. She is the most selfless woman I know. I couldn't ask for a better mom!!

Today we celebrated mother's day AND my birthday with lobster {they said it was my birthday dinner so I could choose!}, ice cream cake, and cinnamon rolls. Honestly, what would be better??



Also, there's only one candle because HAVE YOU EVER TRIED GETTING CANDLES INTO A FROZEN ICE CREAM CAKE?? Yeah. Also, are you proud? I've graduated from birthday chocolate pie to ice cream cake! Whooo! ...mainly because regular cake is nasty.

Hello there 19!

Wait, Kayla also got me a pair a jandals. I may never, ever wear other shoes again. never. jandals are THE greatest. and so is Kayla! Thank you girl (:

So, SURPRISE!!

I'm starting my mission papers. If you're still reading this post, I feel like you deserve to know! It's something I've been thinking about for a few months now, and I officially decided a couple weeks ago.  I can't turn in my papers until right before I go to London since you have to be 120 days before your availability date. I'll probably tell the whole story of why I decided that some other time, but yeah. I'll put my date as December 31st {a couple weeks after I get home from London!} Reason 1945468757 why I have to work a lot this summer. Guys, I am too poor for this! But SOOOO excited!

Who knows where I'll be celebrating my birthday next year!

-Erica

the last bonfire!

Hey there! I am actually alive, surprising right? I took a little break from blogging, but I'm here to say that my freshmen year was the greatest year of my life so far {there'll be a post for that}

But first, I'll tell you about the last little bit of the year!

Our last bonfire:




and I burned my aplia subscription!


And I'll save the rest for my next post! Have a great Sunday and Mother's Day! Oh, and we get to talk to Zach {WHO WILL BE HOME IN FOUR DAYS!!!} Happy birthday to me! ...actually it is my birthday today! This girl is finally 19 (:

-Erica