WOW

some things i have especially loved lately:

"the two most engaging powers of an author are to make new things familiar and familiar things new."
-samuel johnson

seriouslysoblessed.blogspot.com. READ THIS BLOG. NOW. you will get hooked.

and this:



mind blowing. and scary. and so, so cool.

to-do lists

tommy and i made a list of things we are going to do before we leave utah (since we know that we are going to be leaving sometime this next summer). i LOVE making to-do lists because they make me feel more organized knowing that there is a plan.

this is a sample of the things we came up with (and that we WILL do):
-timp caves
-visit the capitol building in SLC
-camping at the state parks: zion's, arches, bryce canyon, etc. (one or all will do)
-visit the remaining UT temples (8, including the 2 that are off the beaten path and far away)
-swim in the great salt lake
-ride our bikes around on antelope island
-go to a session of general conference
-go to a show at the tuacan outdoor theater in st. george
-run a half-marathon
-go snowshoeing
-use up ALL the free things on our starving student card

we also plan on going to two family reunions this summer (murphy and leininger), graduating from college, and eventually moving at some time in the process. and alyse is going to visit a certain sister fairweather in NY when she gets back from her mission.

as you can see, we plan on being very busy this year. and i am soooo very excited about it.

goodbye, facebook

i just deactivated my facebook account because i'm tired of being a habitual facebook checker. i hate how much time i WASTE because of that thing.

it's kind of ironic because once you create a facebook account you can NEVER DELETE IT--you can always just sign in again and it'll be there waiting for you.

i'll probably end up reactivating it sometime (i'm being realistic), but it'll be gone for at least a month. and hopefully by that time, i won't want to reactivate it again. we shall see.

confessions

tommy and i may or may not have watched the entire LOTR trilogy this past weekend. well, 2.5 movies last weekend, and the final 2 hours tonight.

we may or may not have eaten an entire carton of ben and jerry's "everything but the..." ice cream while we watched it.
i may or may not have just bought a miley cyrus song using the itunes gift card tommy's parents gave me for christmas.

i'm not ashamed.

robert frost rocks my world.

I have been one acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain -- and back in rain.
I have outwalked the furthest city light.

I have looked down the saddest city lane.
I have passed by the watchman on his beat
And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.

I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet
When far away an interrupted cry
Came over houses from another street,

But not to call me back or say good-bye;
And further still at an unearthly height,
O luminary clock against the sky

Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.
I have been one acquainted with the night.

--Robert Frost, "Acquainted with the Night"

virginia woolf

as an english major, 87% of my homework consists of reading delightful (and some not-so-delightful) things. this is what i've been reading tonight, and i loved it so much, i wanted to share:

"There are people who, when they travel, wrap themselves up . . . in silence and suspicion . . . That is entirely the wrong way to set about it. We should start without any fixed idea where we are going to spend the night, or when we propose to come back; the journey is everything. Most necessary of all, but rarest good fortune, we should try to find before we start some man of our own sort who will go with us and to whom we can say the first thing that comes into our heads. For pleasure has no relish unless we share it. As for the risks--that we may catch cold or get a headache--it is always worth while to risk a little illness for the sake of pleasure. . . . Besides if we do what we like, we always do what is good for us. . . .
Every season is likeable, and wet days and fine, red wine and white, company and solitude. Even sleep, that deplorable curtailment of the joy of life, can be full of dreams; and the most common actions--a walk, a talk, solitude in one's own orchard--can be enhanced and lit up by the associations of the mind. Beauty is everywhere, and beauty is only two finger's-breadth from goodness."

--Virginia Woolf, "Montaigne"

p.s. i've been listening to michael buble, "i just haven't met you yet", on repeat. i don't even like michael buble. but i like this song.

buying textbooks

so far, i have spent $416 on textbooks. this is ridiculous. and i'm still going to be spending another $20 for books that have yet to be ordered. plus the $$ for the student health plan... hooray! i love the beginning of the semester!