I Love Being a Girl

(from Sergei)

I know for a fact that boys don't do all the great things that make being a girl awesome.

First of all, they don't live with my cute, fun, stunningly gorgeous, and amazing in every way roommates.

They don't sit on the couch watching movies swooning over attractive people (like Matt Damon or Gilbert Blythe). They don't have dance parties to "Here in Your Arms" by Hellogoodbye in the kitchen at 9:30 in the morning while eating breakfast. They don't steal each other's clothes and try to put together the best outfit possible. They don't connive to leave two cute people alone together on the couch watching a movie. And after something cute happens, they don't giggle and scream and all get together and cuddle on one bed and hold hands with each other and talk and be ridiculous until 1 in the morning. All aspects of that are very important: the giggling, the screaming (even if it's groaning-screaming...it's still happy), the cuddling, the hand-holding. Also, acknowledging the fact while watching the movie, like Kate the other night: "I'm so glad we're girls! Guys don't do this!"

Also, fact, which has been proven over and over and over again by the fabulous girls in my apartment (both past and present) and which was once again proven TWICE this week: Not showering equals dating success.

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Inspiration

I am in dire need of some illumination. A muse.

In other words, I have the tingling in my fingers that means that I want nothing else but to write. And yet I don't know what to write about. It seems as if all my thoughts are dried up. I haven't written anything long on here in ages. I looked over my last essay to see if I could fix some of the things I needed to on it, and yet even that--where I know what I need to write and what I need to fix . . . it just wasn't coming. I hate this feeling--where I want nothing else but to write, and yet I have writer's block. It's not like I have the itch and the words flow and I know exactly what I want to write and what I need to write. And it's not like I just have nothing to write about and am fine with that. This is the awkward stage where I want nothing else but to write but am stuck.

I AM STUCK!

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But besides all that, my life is quite wonderful. It's been a good week.

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My Weekend

• Break a world record? I'll make it even better--get drenched and have a blast while doing it? Oh, no big. Check it out. 'Twas awesome.

• Work, of course
• INCEPTION! (So good. Please see it.)
• Hiking and reading and burning and freezing and eating and water-fighting and wading at this beautiful place.

• Seeing this live in concert, while dancing with two of my favorite girls. Let's just say it ended with them playing Devil Went Down to Georgia about 2 feet away from my face.

Hair Adventures

The time has come for Rachel to start possibly trying to do something with her hair.

It all started with headbands. I saw girls--coworkers, friends, random people on campus--wearing these really cute headbands. I decided this was a trend I could get behind; headbands are cute, come in many different varieties, (most of the time) are completely painless, and they make it look like I'm doing things with my hair without actually really doing anything with my hair! The first one I bought in Vegas, when I was adventuring with Tracy, kind of on a whim, but it sold me to the headband idea. The next two I bought at the farmer's market.

Then today I decided to attempt something I'm pretty sure the world thought it would never see. Instead of just pulling my hair back, as was the plan, I curled it first. I didn't really put all that much effort into it, as I knew it was just going back anyway, and it really takes forever to really truly curl my hair. So it's more wavy than actually curls. And really, it doesn't look the best. But considering that this is the first time I've curled my own hair all the way through . . . not too shabby, I say.

Apology and Question

My dear friends and blog, I must ask for your forgiveness. I have been majorly slacking on my blog. I haven't posted much in the way of actual words lately, which is good, and bad. I having a nice balance of text and pictures and videos and the like. And I feel like that just hasn't been happening. And for that I am sorry.

But unfortunately, I don't really have anything I'd like to talk about on this public of a forum right now. However, I do have a question. For those of you who know of the color code test, what color(s) do you perceive me as? I was having an interesting discussion about this the other day with someone I didn't know very well and who also didn't know me very well. Even if you know what color I am, what color would YOU say I am?

Also, enjoy this picture. :)

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This is why my school rocks

Original:


HBLL:

All This Really Happened. Except the Dreams. But I Really Dreamed Those in my Sleep...

For the past couple nights, I have had the weirdest, most vivid dreams I've had in a long, long while. Here are some excerpts.

• Buying rice from a sketchy old lady in a tourist bus, who ends up being a vampiress who tries to eat me. A very thrilling, exhausting, interesting definitely-not-real persuit ensues.
• Being called to the Ireland/Scotland mission. (And then waking up with the distinct feeling that I will get my call in 2 months and be called to Sweden).
• Taking a test (which was actually a graded crossword puzzle...Friday skill level) in the HFAC, which was burning down, while playing Rhapsody in Blue. Ian Fornshell, my arch-nemesis/friend from elementary/junior high/high school was there--dreadlocks and tie-dye jumpsuit and flute and all.
• And a couple others, including the World Cup, and one I told Sarah about that I can't remember.

Also, this weekend I witnessed the magnificent events of Caber toss and and Sheaf (although I could have sworn they were saying SHEEP, which would actually be quite awesome) toss. Who knew that Payson, UT had a Scottish festival? And I've decided headbands are a trend I can get behind. That way, I'll actually be doing something cute with my hair without actually doing anything with my hair! AND good food is still going on--Guru's, Landie's pot pie...yum. And Beth and I had a great time meeting Raine. Yes. That actually happened. All of it.

I'm Running Out Of Creative Blog Titles.

Please listen to this playlist while perusing this post.

Despite Germany losing to Spain, today has been rather awesome. Like doing the dishes while rocking out to these songs with the roommates.

Or eating this: http://simplyrecipes.com/photos/baked-brie-a.jpg

And creamy tomato soup made by Sarah. And dutch oven sour dough bread. Made by Sarah. And cake. And crepes. And Landen's birthday. And possible temple later on in the week. And joy.

Moral of the story: Eat baked brie and dance and sing Beyonce and Journey and Cascada while doing the dishes. And check out The College Genealogist. It's a blog full (well, soon to be) of tips and tricks, advice, etc. for family history done by my friend Garin who just finished serving a mission doing all that awesome stuff!

More Happy Independence Day

Quite possibly the Best. Video. Ever.

And then some music clips from the movie I've been wanting to watch all day. A bit long, but totally worth it. Please note that John Adams is played by the one and only Mr. Feeny.

Land That I Love

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness . . . That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness . . . governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security . . . We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states . . . And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor."

These words were penned by Thomas Jefferson and then signed on July 4, 1776 (234 years ago) by 56 delegates to the Continental Congress. These men truly risked their lives and fortunes by signing this document, as they were committing treason against King George III. I am forever grateful for their courage and dedication to God, freedom, and their people--both of the Founding Fathers and of those who have served America in the years to come. As much as I love England, and long to be back there, I will always, first and foremost, be an American. I am so glad that 234 years ago, those 13 colonies broke away from England, no matter how green and pleasant that land is, to become their own nation--a nation of freedom and equality, where the church could be restored, and where people could work and strive to be happy.

I realized last night while watching the fireworks from Stadium of Fire that this very well could be the last 4th of July I spend in the states for a few years. In a few months I will be getting my mission call, which very well could be to somewhere across the globe. I will love wherever I go, but when faced with the thought of spending a year and a half outside of my homeland (no matter how much I want to share the gospel and serve the Lord and love to travel and be abroad) I was filled with so much gratitude and love for my nation. My heart will always beat "U-S-A! U-S-A!" My voice will always sing refrains of our national anthem, God Bless America, and Battle Hymn of the Republic. No matter what my country does, who is running it, or where else I am in the world, the United States of America is, and always will be, my home. I'm proud to be an American; may God bless this nation.

Happy Independence Day!