First Day of School

First day of school consisted of:

Sleeping in until 9:30am

Going to ONE class

Coming home and laying out

Going to the gym to do a killer hill workout

I have forgotten how much I loooove the college lifestyle. If I just had to go to school the rest of my life, I would be perfectly content (as long as it wasn't in a cold climate such as Logan). School life is sooo much easier. No rigorous schedule. Memorizing and then forgetting. Sweet talking professors and sitting next to the smart kids. Easy peasy. I loooove my new apartment complex. Why you ask?

Swimming pool that will be used every Monday/Wednesday/Friday for 2 weeks until the first storm hits (boo Logan), Hot tub will be used nightly when it gets cold.

AND...an onsite gym so that I don't have to drive all the way to the fieldhouse on campus. LOVE IT.

Although I did learn one lesson...

The first time you go to a gym and you want to make new friends....don't do a hill workout that makes you look suuuuper out of shape. AND...don't wear gray when you sweat as much as I do.

Now I am off to teach little soccer stars how to correctly pass, dribble, and shoot. LOVE my life!

Weekend Cabin Trip

So this weekend, we decided to take a spontaneous trip on down to Scofield, Utah to a friend's cabin. It was the perfect little getaway, just what I needed as a little bit of "rejuvenation" before classes start up again. There is NOTHING better than being around people that love and appreciate you and just enjoying each other's company. We had a blast, and now I feel like I can tackle the first week of classes! Here's some pictures:

The general store

The Jail

Trying to peak into some random abandoned buildings. This was the moment that I gained an appreciation for cheerleaders! It was scary up there!

Some fun pics at the railroad tracks

Luke is really cool, huh?

These two were determined to catch fish

I was more concerned about drinking caffeine and getting a tan whilst reading running magazines

Sara and Hayley in the Canoe

Still tryin to catch just ONE fish. Talk about determination!

It was a great weekend, and I am really glad that I decided to go last minute. It was EXACTLY what I needed after a crazy crazy week!

Hello Logan!

I decided that my relationship with Logan is like my relationship with a bad boyfriend. I HATE LOGAN: the small town, cold, etc...but somehow I keep coming back! Kinda twisted isn't it? Mostly because I love my major (Family Finance) so so much and it's only offered at USU. Within 12 hours, we drove to Logan, moved me in completely organizing my room, got my books, got a meal plan at the school, and went grocery shopping. I was literally EXHAUSTED by the end of the day. We really have this moving thing down to a science (finally, by the 5th year). So here is my cute little room that I will be residing in for the next four months while I finish up my degree. I got a pretty small room, but we made it work.

Moving, looking pretty exhausted

Finally moved in, finishing up the major project by getting my parking pass

Cute cute little saying that I just HAD to have in my room

Jewelry Tree

Magnet board for pictures (kinda blurry, but you get the idea)

Cute little door sign

The table that I assembled all by myself!

Shelves that Luke assembled!

The final product: Cath is pretty worn out! We worked HARD!

So I am pretty excited that my room turned out well and cute! In case you couldn't tell, I am obsessed with all things pink and love having a well organized and decorated room! It makes being away from home muuuuch easier when you feel like you have a "homey" room to escape to when things get crazy!

Apple, Lemon

This is a fun game to play.....

APPLE:

LEMON:

Why in the world do I always take pictures late at night after I wash my face?? Thank goodness for tatoo eyeliner- best decision Cath has ever made for me.

Okay here we go:

APPLE: I only have one more semester until I GRADUATE!!

Lemon: Now I have to grow up in four months...am I'm not quite sure what I want to be when I grow up still....

____________________________________________________________________

APPLE: After being ridiculously ill for a week straight, I finally went running today.

Lemon: I had the worst sideache of my life and thought I was legitimately GOING TO DIE.

____________________________________________________________________

APPLE: Today was my last day at work for the summer.

Lemon: I am going to be poor again.

_____________________________________________________________________

APPLE: I get to see all of my classmates and teachers again after a summer away from the Family Finance family of Utah State!

Lemon: I have to do 150 hours of financial counseling and I am TERRIFIED that I don't know what in the world I am doing.

______________________________________________________________________

APPLE: Rosie comes home the EXACT same week I graduate!

Lemon: Tyler doesn't come home for two more years....

_____________________________________________________________________

Apple: I get to move out of the parents house and live the college life again!

Lemon: I don't get to see all of my cute nieces everyday :(

Okay, I just got all teary eyed. Time for bed. It's off to Looogie town in the morning!! AAADIOS!

"When you know, you know"

Dear my fabulous friends of Utah County.

I am sorry in advance. This post may or may not make you feel suuuuuper uncomfortable, offended perhaps. The reason, is because I am going to go against what you have been taught and believed since your first day in Sunbeams. Something that gets on my nerves more than anything else in the world. The ol’ Utah County fairytale saying of, “When you know, you know”.

I HATE THIS.

This is what people say when they are trying to justify being engaged to each other after dating for 2 months or less. THIS IS SOOO UTAH COUNTY. Why? Because we grow up and are taught to get married to a returned missionary in the temple. It doesn’t matter what his education background, financial status, family situation, etc is. If he is a returned missionary and you get married in the temple, you will live happily ever after.

How do you reach this fairytale? You go to your singles ward, find the first attractive male that you see, and “when you know…you know” and there is no sense in dating longer than 2 months to MAKE SURE that you know.

I know, I know…there was this ONE time when your brother’s wife’s cousin met someone after 10 days….got married…and they lived happily ever after right?? NEWS FLASH- THAT IS THE EXCEPTION. That is the ONE IN A MILLION situation that most likely WON’T happen to you.

Being the logical person that I am…I just DON’T understand this. Last time I checked, forever was A FREAKING long time and a pretty big commitment. Why not date someone for a year?? See them in EVERY SINGLE POSSIBLE situation i.e.: family parties, finals week, vacation, church basketball, etc. See if you still “know” when you find out that your significant other is a big spender and has a ton of debt. See if you still “know” when they come on a family vacation and don’t seem to get along with anyone in your family. If you date someone for just a month or two, there is absolutely NO POSSIBLE way that you can see that person in every single type of situation that is telling of their character. We have all had those great friends or roommates that we were really tight with for about 90 days…their true colors come out, and you think “wow! Who is this person??” Someone can fake who they are for a maximum of 90. They can convince you that they are prince or princess you have always dreamed about since primary.

And why rush into things? Seriously…you’ve waited your whole life…why can’t you wait and see after a year of dating? Is it because you don’t want to slip up and have sex outside of marriage? So you are going to make the dumbest decision of your life, get hitched, have a bunch of kids…and be miserable the rest of your life? Just because of the fact that you couldn’t keep your pants on for a few months longer and really get to know the person? COME ON PEOPLE!

All I’m saying is…take your time. DATE. Get to know each other. If you do “know” after 3 months, then that’s GREAT! You both know that you have found the person that is perfect for you. BUT STILL DATE! Marriage can be the best or worst decision of your life. It’s TOTALLY up to you. Don’t rush it. Forever is a reallllllllllly realllllly long time, enjoy being young and single free of the responsibilities of marriage. It will actually make you a better spouse if you get into the marriage a little older, wiser, and more stable!

Okay, there you have it. My Utah County rant is over. I will move to Logan now.

Thank Goodness for Great Friends: Megan Story

One of the coolest people you will EVER meet!

I have a quote on my mirror that I got in Young Womens during a time when I was struggling with finding good friends. I read it DAILY and LOVE it.

"Choose your friends carefully. It is they who will lead you in one direction or the other. Everybody wants friends. Everybody needs friends. No one wishes to be without them. But never lose sight of the fact that it is your friends who will lead you along the paths that you will follow." -Gordon B. Hinkley

This quote is SOOO SOOO true. And the older I get, the more I realize how difficult it is to find TRUE friends who love and accept you no matter what. I have A LOT of really great people in my life and many people that fit the "true friend" category, but today I would like to introduce you to one of my HEROS: Megan Ruth Story.

This girl has been there for me through thick and thin. Every.SINGLE.milestone. We have been great friends ever since we were in Jr. High. Megan was there when I had my first boyfriend, first kiss, first heartbreak, first loss of a loved one, when I got my driver's license, we texted for the first time on our very first cell phones...you get the picture.

There is not a more genuine or true friend in this world than this girl.

I was SOOO excited when she got home from her mission in March, and we have been having a riot ever since! Although we are both busy, we always find time to play and have a great time! She is in my category of "low maintenance friends", meaning we can go days or weeks without talking, but we are both so secure in our love and appreciation for each other. We both would do anything for each other at the drop of a hat, and when we lose touch we know that it is just because life gets busy.

She even convinced me to go to a singles ward this summer in Utah county. THAT'S A BIG DEAL! There is nothing I hate more than going to a church that feels like it is designed to get me hitched, BUT Megan got me there and we had so much fun laughing about all of the funny times together. Besides my family, I will definitely miss seeing Megan so much when I move back up to school. She is always there to lift up my day or just listen to my whiny self when I am having a hard time.

If there's anyone that I strive to be more like each day, it's Megan....and I am pretty sure there are a lot of people that agree with that statement!

Love ya Megs!

Be Your Own Best Friend

Yes, this is me hugging myself!

So I don't normally write my deepeest darkest thoughts on the ol' blog. Mostly cause I don't feel like that is what the purpose of my blog is. I write to keep a record of my life and to entertain people that I don't get to see very often. But tonight I feel like I should write down a few of my thoughts....so bare with me here...

This summer has been a reallllly weird summer for me. I am someone who seems like a very confident person, yet I am actually SUUUPER insecure. Why? Because I feel this need to be absolutely perfect in everything in my life. If something feels like a "failure" to me, I can NOT let it go. So at the beginning of the summer I ran a marathon. I didn't get the time that I wanted. I felt like an ABSOLUTE failure, and it has actually been nagging at me all summer. I haven't felt exactly like myself, because I have felt so bummed out by this failure. On top of that, someone (whose opinion really mattered to me for some reason) told me that they thought I wasn't good enough, I was fat, and I wasn't going anywhere in life. WOW. That realllly hit me HARD. On top of that, I have had friends tell me that they don't want to be my friend and basically view me as someone that causes too much drama and isn't sincere.

For a perfectionist, those are some hard words to digest. When I am already struggling to feel confident, it's hard to hear what other people think about you. BUT, just because they believe that, you don't have to believe their words. You have power over what you are going to do with those words and how you are going to react.

So to say the least, this hasn't been the greatest summer. I didn't tell you those things to make you feel bad for me, because feeling bad doesn't change them or take them back...

So where do I go from here?

I learn and move forward.

I have made a new goal to work on this school year, and I think that it's something that we all should work on.

This year, I am going to BE MY OWN BEST FRIEND!!

I am really going to treat myself like I would treat my very best friend. If my best friend got my marathon time, I would be TOTALLY stoked for them! So why not give myself that same love? Why are we always so hard on ourselves, thinking that we are not capable of even our own love? We deserve our personal love first and foremost. So I challenge everyone who reads my blog, BE YOUR OWN BEST FRIEND. Talk nice to yourself. Treat yourself good. And be more positive about who your are and your capabilities. Because despite what ANYONE else believes, if YOU believe you are capable of something, YOU can do it!

Today when I was listening to church music, I heard a line that really jumped out to me, "Will I want to be the person I've become, when all is said and done?"

I sure hope that I will want to be the person that I have become!

Ok, sorry for the deepness and mushy gushy of the blog.

I promise to be funny tomorrow!

True Confessions

This picture was the day I got suspended from Orem Jr. High School

STILL SICK.

Wooof.

You don't even wanna know how violated I feel after going to the Dr. today. Let's just leave it at that. I suffer from a condition called Ovarian Cysts and it is something that I wouldn't wish on ANYONE, even Mr. Grover who suspended me for wearing the outfit in the photo above.

Soooo I may or may have just taken a percocet. Now it is time for some confessions.

1. I believe in lucky pencils. I take EVERY test with my lucky pencils. I have two of them and put them both on my desk before the test begins.

2. When I am suuuuper irrationally hormonal and have weird cravings, I go to the movie theater...buy extra fattening buttery popcorn...and walk right out the door and eat it in the comfort of my own home.

3. I LOOOOOOOOOOVE working out to Britney Spears.

4. I have watched every single season of The OC, One Tree Hill, The Hills, and Grey's Anatomy.

5. I secretly HATE having sleepovers and REFUSE to cuddle with a guy whilst I am sleeping. I HATE touching other people when I am asleep.

6. When I am overwhelmingly stressed, I throw up. I threw up twice last week when I was studying for a final, and during my evolution final when I felt like I didn't know any of the answers.

7. I have never successfully eaten a full meal all at once from Cafe Rio- except for tacos. Weak sauce- I know.

8. Nicholas Sparks books are my #1 guilty pleasure. I cried when I read Dear John.

9. When I worked at Sport's Authority, I was nicknamed "Tough Guy". They would call for "Tough Guy" to come help a customer in shoes....the customer would be expecting this major tool body builder to come help them and then I would come strolling along.

10. When I can't figure out or understand a math problem, I go to bed and literally DREAM about the problem and figure it out in my sleep. The next morning, it is all totally clear to me and I get the problems right on my homework/tests. This is more of a "gift" than a confession. But still a weird quirk.

11. The other day, I ran 3 miles and then came home to lift. I literally did ONE set of bicep curls...got bored...and went on another 3 mile run instead. Next morning, my biceps were the most sore muscle on my body.

No worries, I finally switched to a more sophisticated slash less trashy show. I am now watching Grey's Anatomy. This Hills was starting to give me a headache. Too many cat fights for me to handle.

Thank goodness for pain meds and Netflix.

PEEEACE OUT.

I'm SIIIIIIIIIIIIICK

Our best frowny faces

Well my little bloggy friends, today is a very sad day. I have come down with an illness and feel crappity crap crap. I'm really hoping this is a "one day" thang, cause I am going INSANE already. I was not made to lay around on the couch all day. I mean, I had to have Austin give me a tutorial on how to work Netflix on the TV. Clearly, I am a virgin Netflixer.

So here are my sickly thoughts (also, if you feel so inclined, feel free to drop by a treat to cheer me up).

1. The Hills is SUCH a waste of time. Yet, I am on episode 300 for the day. Ridiculously fake slash addicting.

2. Diet coke is the best medicine. What makes it even better is reading a letter from your favorite missionary friend while drinking it. Side note- I just realized I have been writing missionaries regularly for the past FIVE years of my life. Good friend.

3. My basement is bomb.com being dark and cold. Thank you Davey for making my sick experience somewhat luxurious.

4. Sleeping for 12 hours and still feeling crappy SUUUUUUUX

5. Hot baths are ONLY good when you're sick. When you are normal, they are just plain old boring.

6. Oversized sweats are a MUST HAVE comfort item when feeling icky.

7. Ummmm that's all I can think of.

I juuuuust don't understand! This literally came OUT OF NOWHERE! Yesterday, I was on top of the world! I ran a solid 6 miles and was feeling GREAT. I think it may have to do with the extreme amounts of finals stress + no sleeep. But I'm no Dr....

Okay, I better get back to the Hills. I have spent 5 minutes writing this post and Heidi/Spencer are on the rocks again....Lauren and Audrina hate each other again....ANNND someone got in a bar fight! I can't leave this show for a SECOND or I will be completely lost!

Is it too soon to start making my Christmas wish list?

Because I already have.

1. A year subscription to Runner's World magazine. I'm literally ADDICTED to reading about running. I think I am a little bit off my rocker, but I LOVE LOVE LOOOOOOVE it!! It makes me so excited to run and accomplish my future goals.

#2. A lifetime supply of Diet Coke w/ Lime. I submit that there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING better than laying out in my cool new backyard, reading running magazines, and drinking diet coke. I think I have died and gone to heaven.

....No, I did not buy this magazine just because there is a muscular half-naked man on the cover...although it WAS an added bonus :)

#3. A year of unlimited free Yogurtland!!! I don't have a picture for #3, because I have refrained myself from going there today to get a picture of me eating delicious Fro-yo in my backyard since I spent all of my daily allowance on running magazines (okay, after blogging about it, I might have to go get some. It sounds SOOO delightful!)

Today I realized that I am secretly an obese person living in a runner's body. I realized how lucky I am that I love running so much, because otherwise I would be one of those people on the biggest loser that their family made them go so that they can lose 200 pounds.

2 Examples of "Obese Kelli":

1. Last night I couldn't sleep (I know, shocker). So I decided to catch up on Pretty Little Liars (not recommended when you are alone late at night- it's scary!) So, I got a bag of chocolate chips and ate a good 1/4 of the bag. HOLY FATTY! Who does that? AND THEN, Austin walks along and accidentally knocks my remote on the floor. I was LIVID. Huuuugely overreacted and yelled at him that I can't believe he knocked it off the couch and now I would have to move .5 inches to pick it up to fast-forward through commercials. WOW.

2. I was sooooo hungry this morning at work. So hungry that I fantasized about the perfect lunch to have when I got off. I toyed around with different options and finally decided on Kneaders. I asked Davy on a date (so he could pay for me) and got soooo excited to eat! Any normal person would be excited to go to Kneaders for lunch. That's NORMAL. What's not normal is when you are so excited that you download the entire Kneaders menu and plan for a good 10 minutes what you are going to order for lunch. I am pretty sure I salivated in front of my computer screen.

WOW.

TMI? Probably

....Time to eat the rest of that bag of chocolate chips!

PS- The best excuse when you are eating too much ice cream or chocolate: Tell your family that you are hormonal and don't mess. It's been working for me for 2 weeks straight.

10 Things

I'm all about lists lately. I can make a list for anything. So here is my "list" of random occurrences for the day:

1. Summer semester is DONE! I am soooo happy! I really feel like a huuuge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders! I instantly feel stress-free and happier. School is something that stresses me out BIG TIME, because I am so afraid of failing or not being good enough. I work my butt off to make sure I have no regrets at the end of the semester. Turned out GREAT, cause I got a 95% on my statistics final, and a 3.7 overall. ONE MORE SEMESTER!!

2. I have officially let myself go since I finished summer classes. My intense schedule is dissolved, and so is every ounce of my strong Type-A personality. Since Friday, I have not worked out....ate at taco bell...ate ice cream EVERY DAY, have yet to wash my hair, and basically look completely homeless. I don't even care. A few days without running, eating somewhat healthy, or paying attention to my physical appearance is JUST what I needed.

3. Little brother is "captain" of the Mountain View cheer section called the Bruin Crazies. Today, he surprised me with a MVHS t-shirt so that I can re-live my high school days and pretend that I am cool. We ran errands together in our matching high school attire. We are so rad.

4. I went swimming with the nieces today. LOVED it. You don't even know how much I have missed having a summer break. For the next two weeks, I will be laying out reading "The Help".

5. Since I don't have school, I decided to only work part-time the last two weeks of summer to maximize my summer vaca. Side note- When I was in High School, I was a "yellow" personality, meaning I LOVED having fun. When I got to college, I re-took the test and I turned Red which is more of a get er done and be focused type of person. After today, I think it's safe to say I am and will remain a yellow for the next two weeks.

6. Biggest guilty pleasure= Bachelor Pad. I'm OBSESSED. It is literally two hours of PURE JOY for me to watch. I know that it's not a great and uplifting show, but I just love the craziness and drama of it all. Since I knew it wasn't an appropriate show, I banned my mother from watching it so that she doesn't become a corrupted Bachelor Pad fan. Tonight, she called me to discuss what was happening and who was who. I LOVED IT! I think we may have to watch it together via Skype when I live in Logan this fall.

7. I have the bestest friends in the entire world. When I told my great friend Megan about my statistics success, she brought me my FAVORITE treat in the whole world. Frozen Yogurt. Best friend of the year award? Most definitely. Doesn't it just make your entire day when someone does something for you to show that they care about you and love you? I need to do that more oft.

8. This entire summer, my yard has been under construction. My dad ripped apart the whole front and back yard and re-did the whole thing. I AM OBSESSED with my new backyard. I have a feeling there will be many diet coke reading sessions occurring in the back yard for the next ten days I live at home. Although I HATED not having a yard all summer, it was worth it. Being back there makes me feeling like I am on some fancy vaca. Nothing less but the best for captain Davy.

9. I got to babysit Miss Rylie this evening. For a good hour we crawled around and spoke in her language together. NOT EVEN KIDDING. Sometimes (okay most of the time) I worrry about my sanity. But this really was SO FUN. Rylie had a blast and was LOVING the fact that she had someone to play with. There is NOTHING better than little kids. They entertain me for hours and hours. I kinda felt bad, because I put her to bed RIGHT at 8pm, cause I wanted to watch the Bachelor Pad sooooo bad. We had a good time though. I fed her looooots of Oreos. That's how you become the Best Aunt!

I think this is SOOO funny

Food Coma?

Chocolate face

10. I am SOOO happy right now. I don't quite know what it is, but things are DEFINITELY lookin up for me right about now. It really feels sooooo good to just take a little break and allow myself to do things that I want to do. I am walking around with a permanent goofy smile on my face, AND I LOVE IT!

Rylie's First Birthday

Little Miss Rylie turned one this week. I can't believe she is already one!! This past year has gone by sooo fast!! She had a monkey birthday party, because she loves to climb on things. She really could just climb up and down things for hours and hours! She is the cutest little gal, always smiling and giggling. She loves to cuddle when she is tired, and we all know there is NOTHING better than a little baby all cuddled up next to you trying to fight off heavy eyes. She really is the best baby EVER, very easy going. I just love this little girl so much!!

Here's some pics of the party

Woman of the hour

The great party planners

Ry and I

Time to strip down and eat some cake!

Rylie and her cousin have their b-days just days apart, they are very best friends!

The finished product: Rylie sitting on her cake

She was sad after, cause nobody wanted to hold her

Rylie and Grandpa Davy!

We missed Austin

Opening presents...can you BELIEVE how tan this kid is? I'm so dang jealous!

All of her presents!