Sunny Days

Do you know how wonderful it is to walk out of the library atrium after work when you are surrounded by Effies (Tristan's name for EFY kids) and people wearing backpacks who are probably going to go do homework AND YOU ARE NOT TAKING CLASSES? Pretty darn good.

My friends, summer is officially here.

It's been very successful so far too, involving sleep and showers and sun and making ice cream and watching the condensed version of Carousel and getting Bedknobs and Broomsticks from the library and wonderful scripture reading and the writing/sending of 6 missionary letters and Greek food made by my fabulous roommate Sarah and looking at wedding stuff while at work (as Tristan and Naarah are both getting married and it's contagious and Lauren, Sarah, and I just do it all the time) and playing soccer and frisbee at the same time and anxiously awaiting the Deutschland-Argentina Fußball game. Kate and I are seriously divided about this one, but my heart lies with Deutschland, especially now that USA and England are both out. On the agenda for tonight: Kate's mission call, eating the ice cream we've been busy making, reading, sleep, friends, folding laundry, and lots and lots of love.

(I love this dress and a couple others from Abella Bridal. Only beef is with the abundance of cap sleeves. Oh well--there are really some gorgeous dresses)

Content

Although my adventures were fun, it's good to be back.
It's good to be at the desk again, at my usual computer, watching a frozen World Cup game screen while waiting for the next game to start.
It's good to laugh and talk and pray and love with my roommates I've missed so much and tuck them into bed and hug them.
It's good to know that my family loves me and to have spent the past week and a half with them.
It's good to have the day ahead of me to be productive and check off my to-do list, but not be stressed out.

Crazy Times

Sorry I haven't posted in so long. This is probably some sort of record or something. I've been driving all around California and Utah and Mars. I've been painting vases with Tracy and saying bye to her for about 2 years, going to weddings and wedding receptions and luncheons and matrimonial things, seeing Toy Story 3, living out of a living room and one bathroom with 20 people, surviving 7 boys ages 3-11, laughing with cousins, telling family about mission plans, playing Nertz and Rook and Uno and Speed Scrabble, lots of hugs, cookies and good food...

I love road trips and family reunions. I have the best family in the world, on both sides. Really, you can't beat my cousins and aunts and uncles. We rock. More details later, perhaps. But for now I must sleep because I am driving to Twin tomorrow for Marc Thomas Allan's homecoming! Goodness, I have missed that boy.

Tracy Nicole Allen

I am at her house right now.

Be jealous.

Ich Schreibe

"I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle with human emotions." ~James Michener

(via)

Writing is my soul. It is how I let myself out of the box, release my ideas and emotions. It's how I figure out what I'm thinking and tell others what I'm thinking. It's how I see how I've changed and grown and, in the process, change and grow again. Whether writing personal essays or something for academia, I hope that people see my vision, and that it catches. I feel and grasp for that right combination of words, and when I find it . . .

When I write, I feel like I can truly change the world.

Wonderment

Remember these posts? Well. I started my papers this morning. I am going on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. :)

Which led to Bishop and President Bateman asking me to bear my testimony spur of the moment when we had extra time at the end of Sacrament meeting. I heard that my face when President Bateman said my name was rather funny, but it was a good experience that I enjoyed and needed, even if I was shaking for 5 minutes afterwards. Moral of the story: if you start your mission papers and then think during Sacrament meeting that you need to bear your testimony more often, you'll probably get called on without warning to do so. But you know, practice makes perfect.

And then remember this one? Well, summer is almost here! Tomorrow is the last day of classes, and then we have finals. On Thursday I get to spend the night at Tracy's, and then continue driving down to California for my Uncle Nathan's wedding. Then it's a couple days at Grandma Day's and then Jeff's wedding in Manti. Then Marc gets home from his mission. And my summer will be full of concerts and events and work and temples and relaxation. My roommates and I just sat down and planned time to go to all the temples in Utah within a 2 hour radius. Sadly we can't make it to St. George, Vernal, or Monticello, but the other 9 currently operating temples in Utah will soon be visited by Katelyn, Sarah, me, and maybe our roommates who will be moving in. I am in a writing group. I will be seeing my family and having fun and living the awesome life of wonderful and not taking classes until Fall! Whoo!

I love life. I hope you do too.

George Herbert Sunday

I was feeling like George Herbert (or feeling like I imagine George Herbert felt at times, and wishing I was really more like him) today during church. And so after break the fast, I lay on my bed, pulled my Norton down from the shelf and read George Herbert's poems for a couple hours. One word: Beautiful. Please read this poem. The first three stanzas talk about writing the song, and the last three are the hymn itself. I love it on so many different levels.

Easter

Rise, heart; thy Lord is risen. Sing his praise

Without delays,

Who takes thee by the hand, that thou likewise

With him mayst rise,

That as his death calcined thee to dust,

His life may make thee gold, and, much more, just.

Awake, my lute, and struggle for thy part

With all thy art.

The cross taught all wood to resound his name

Who bore the same.

His stretched sinews taught all strings what key

Is best to celebrate this most high day.

Consort both heart and lute, and twist a song

Pleasant and long;

Or since all music is but three parts vied

And multiplied,

O let thy blessed Spirit bear a part,

And make up our defects with his sweet art.

I got me flowers to strew thy way,

I got me boughs off many a tree,

But thou wast up by break of day

And brought’st thy sweets along with thee.

The Sun arising in the East,

Though he give light, and the East, perfume,

If they should offer to contest

With thy arising, they presume.

Can there be any day but this,

Though many suns to shine endeavor?

We count three hundred, but we miss:

There is but one, and that one ever.

(Syd White, via our group photobucket, cropped by me)

Summary of the Week

Monday: Star Trek with Garin the Trekkie and an awesome drive back down to Provo

Tuesday: Awesome things I can't remember?

Wednesday: Pizza party, complete with throwing dough (lessons by Google, pictures taken on Jessie's camera, and therefore not available at the moment) and pizza covering every inch of surface of our kitchen. Then Alice in Wonderland in the Dollar Theater with Jessie and Sarah.

Thursday: A wonderful day in the temple

Friday: Seeing the wonderful Mr. Kenneth Daines in the flesh, shopping with Sarah Snow and getting great clothes, running into Mare at her work, having a "small, round-things" party with Jes, Sarah, and Emily while watching Stranger Than Fiction. Listening to Kate be cute about a date she went on (and will be going on).

I love my roommates. I love my other friends. I love looking cute. I love good movies. I love laughter. I love life.

Pictures from...temple, Star Trek, Pizza, Alice

June is Busting Out All Over

March went out like a lion
A whippin' up the water in the bay
Then April cried and stepped aside
And long came pretty, little May
May was full of promises
But she didn't keep 'em quick enough for some
And a bunch of doubtin' Thomases
Kept predictin' that the summer'd never come

Unfortunately, it's raining outside. This is unfortunate because it's chilly and I want it to be summer, and my Rocketdogs just can't take the rain. It's supposed to be summer. And June also means that some people will be leaving me for a long while. But June means many happy things. It means friends coming home. It means sunshine and warm (hopefully). Every day I can't wait for the day when I'm only working and am not taking classes, where I don't have to spend every day on campus and can just chill out at home and do things that I want. June is weddings of an uncle and a cousin, of seeing best friends, of California and Grandmas. It is books and reading. It is colorful and letters. It is starting my mission papers and it means feeling like this: Vibrant and relaxed and happily dreaming.

(via)
And we can't forget this. This will always be June for me.

Fresh and alive and gay and young
June is a love song, sweetly [seductively] sung