What have we been up to?

STUDYING!

Which means this blog won't be updated until after graduation on Saturday! So stay tuned for some dress shopping pics and graduation pics and a whole lot of good news! Once this week is over, we will be on Cloud 9!!!!

Life...

Nothing too exciting is happening here in Logan. Just school, work and study... We are gearing up for finals next week. We both have four finals. It is going to be one busy week but when it is over we are going to PARTY!!! I don't know if I have mentioned this, but I'll mention it again! Clark surprised me with a graduation trip to Cascade, Idaho. We are staying in a B&B and taking our bikes. It will be so so so relaxing.

Today I have clinic. Friday is my last session and it is a little bittersweet because I really am going to miss my client, but I'm ready to be done with this semester.

Today I also have Oceanography. Friady is my last day of that class and it is not bitter at all just very SWEET. I have despised learning about waves, sand, beaches etc. It just makes you depressed to study Oceanography. Why?
 #1- You have to study something you are not interested in.
#2- You wish you were at the ocean instead of in a class about oceans.

Today I also get to go to a COMD awards ceremony where I'm getting awarded for my scholarship I got for grad school. My parents and Clark are coming and then my mom, Addie and I are headed to Rexburg for the evening to watch Delaney try on WEDDING DRESSES!!!!  I'm so excited! This is my life right now and I love it.

Likes and Dislikes...

I'll start with the dislikes first because it's always good to end positive.

- I greatly dislike that the fan in my bathroom does absolutely nothing to help the steam reduce after taking a shower. This unhelpful fan causes the smoke alarms to go off almost every single day and is that pleasant? Not at all. How would you like getting out of the shower vigorously, jumping into your robe and fanning the smoke alarm until it turns off while you stand there dripping and cold? You wouldn't like it at all.

- I dislike fake eyelashes. Sorry if I'm offending anyone but I have 3 reasons why I detest them:
#1. They are fake. I don't like fake anything. I like seeing people how should be, as themselves. Adding 5 inch eyelashes to your face is really unnatural and not YOU at all.

#2- They make girls with real natural big beautiful lashes look like they are fake. Come on let's let those girls have their unique not-fake beautiful eyelashes!

#3- They make girls with short beautiful eyelashes (like me) feel like their short beautiful eyelashes are ugly. Well, guess what... I'd rather have my eyelashes than have to glue some on.

- I dislike group projects. I don't think I need to explain this one but really, even if I enjoy my group immensely it is the HARDEST thing to schedule 5 different lives to work on one thing at the same time.

- I dislike the weekend ending.

Now for the Likes...

- I like Clark. He is the perfect husband.

- I like when my family comes and we go to Olive Garden for dinner and hang out the rest of the night in my small apartment. I also like when I get to go watch JD perform in promenade and when my Mom, Addie and I all dance with J at the same time and he wants to do a triple dip. Triple dips are really awkward/funny.

-I like church and the spirit I feel when I go. We learned about immortality in Relief Society yesterday and it made me want to live better. I have come to the understanding that no matter what lesson I have in church, it usually results in me wanting to improve. I think this is a very good thing.

- I like Oreos.

- I like the beautiful trees in Logan. They emit this wonderful smell and it is making this campus one of the best places to be during Dead week.

- I like Dead week. It gives me time to prepare for Finals.

- I like that on Wednesday I get to see my parents at the COMD awards ceremony and that I get to go wedding dress shopping after with my cousin Delaney.

- I like Monday Morning runs!

- I like this song... This little girl is amazing. Price Tag

Have a Happy Monday!

A Shower, A Fire and A Saturday

Thursday night, my friend Brooke and I threw a shower for our friend Jessica, who is in our major. We had fun making treats and buying gifts. We had a purple and zebra theme so we made lime ricki's, grape popcorn, oreo truffles, hostess snacks and birthday cake popcorn. We played games and learned a lot more about Jess and her fiance Trevor. They are absolutely darling together and she is so incandescently happy. I love weddings.

Yesterday, I texted my little bro JD to come do a fire with us in the canyon and bring a date. He agreed instantly and I was so ecstatic. Clark and I never have anyone to do things with. (This is partly because we're anti-social) Anyway, JD brought Laken and we all went up the canyon and had dinner, played marbles and played would you rather "roommate style" because both Laken and J are going to college in a few months. I think my best would you rather question was... "Would you rather have a roommate who had nasty back hair and slept with his shirt off and it got in the shower drain or would you rather have a roommate who had a nasty wart on his nose?" Both of them replied the nasty back hair because they wouldn't have to look at it all the time. HILARIOUS. Clark and I had a blast with those two! We love when people come to Logan to see us.

Today, we slept in. Now, Clark is working and I'm doing laundry and homework. Tonight we are going to watch JD's promenade and have dinner with my mom, dad, Addie and Brigham. We CANNOT wait! Weekends are the best. Oh! And I graduate in exactly 2 weeks from today!!!!!

The Joys of being an SLP

As many know I'm training and getting an education to become a Speech Language Pathologist. Currently, I help a little boy in clinic. He is awesome. He has improved SO MUCH from the beginning of the semester and pretty much has remediated the problems he had with his articulation.

Today we had a session. We were playing a game, saying some words and just talking. I told him my little sis would draw a cheetah for him and then he said, "Well, how are you going to get it. Do you even know where her house is?"
I reply, "Of course I do. I used to live there."
"Wait! Are you the mom or the sister?"
"I'm my sister Addie's sister."
"Are you the biggest in your family, cuz you're pretty big."
"(snickering) Yes I'm the biggest kid in my family but I have a mom and a dad that are bigger than me."
"Oh... but are you the mom"
"No I'm married but I'm not a mom yet. I don't have any kids. Now let's get back to work. K?"
I thought this was so funny. He cannot grasp the concept that I have a family and I'm not a mom yet but I am a sister and a wife. He is darling.

Then another funny thing happened today in the session. My client says, "Hey. Do you know where I live?"
I reply, "I don't but that'd be fun if I did, we could hang out and play soccer huh?"
(PS he loves soccer)
He says, "Ya, that would be fun but you would lose."
"Why would I lose?"
"Because you can't play soccer in high heels."
"Well, I have tennis shoes. I would play soccer in my tennis shoes."
In an accusatory voice he replies, "You don't have tennis shoes! All you have is high heels."
(I usually wear heels to clinic because we have to be in business attire.)
I reply, "I have tennis shoes, they're even pink!"
"Well if you do, you should wear them tomorrow."
"Maybe I will." (I really am thinking I will wear them tomorrow.)

I was dying laughing at this point. This little guy just sees me as the speech teacher. The girl that goes in there and just tells him how to say his /s/'s correctly. I don't have a family or pink tennis shoes.

Sometimes...

- Sometimes you wish the days were minutes because if they were... you'd only have 18 minutes until graduation.

- Sometimes you wish you had a personal chef that created planned meals for you that kept you full all day long because the granola bar and orange you had this morning aren't holding you over until the 5:00 dinner you have planned to go to.

- Sometimes you leave your cell phone at home and have a bad case of phantom cell phone all day. You reach for it and it's not there. You wish someone would text you so you're not so bored but wait! You don't have your cell phone.

- Sometimes you just need two big homemade Oreos and a giant glass of milk.

- Sometimes you realize in June you will be in class from 8:00-5:00 Monday through Thursday and you kind of have to mourn the death of your summer yet celebrate the fact you're even in graduate school.

- Sometimes it feels like it should be Friday but it's Tuesday

- Sometimes your little brother goes to prom and you have a date planned to go watch the promenade and go out to eat with your lovely parents and adorable husband on Saturday. And you are SOOOO Excited!

Just Sometimes...

A Little Jr. Miss Story

Clark thinks he's funny sometimes. I was crossing my fingers, praying that Hannah would win Jr. Miss. I had been texting my brother to tell me about the awards and if she won. All of the sudden, I receive a text saying SHE WON!!!!!!!!! SHE WON!!!!!!!!!!!. I proceed to call my brother and I get an answering machine saying, "hello? hello? if you haven't figured out by now this is my voice mail leave me a message!" The voice on the other end was not my brothers. It was my niece's. My devious husband had changed my niece's name in my phone to my brother's. I got my hopes up for nothing. I then proceeded to be mad at him for 10ish minutes and I then receive another text saying Hannah won! I turn to Clark and say calmly, "Really? She did! This isn't funny anymore!" He replies, "She really did Brynne! Aren't you so happy!?" It took me a while to really get excited but then I called my brother's real number and confirmed it and now I'm more excited than ever. My cousin (McKayla) and one of our great family friends (Hannah) are both going to State Jr. Miss. This gives two really good reasons to skip school in October and go!

PS... Here's a little bragging sidenote. My mom was Laken's (the recent Jr Miss) hostess and she was Hannah's (the new Jr. Miss). Saturday night, two Preston parents asked her to be their daughter's hostess too. Lance Hemsley (Laken's Dad) came up to her and said, "I'll be your agent, we can go big!" She is very modest and says to everyone, "It's not me! It's 17 years of parenting that create these talented and confident girls!" I think she is right about that but I also think she knows how to polish and fix the little details perfectly. She is one great lady that sacrifices a lot of time to help others. I hope I can be as wonderful and talented as she is someday.

The Sunday Blues

When I was growing up in the Cook house on most given Sunday evenings you could hear my mom say... "I have the Sunday Blues." What are these you ask? They are a disease, a curse, a blessing, a longing, etc. etc. My mom passed these blues to me. These are the blues you get when the excitement of Friday night is over, the catching up on everything on Saturday is finished and when Church is done for the day, dinner has been cleaned up, the muddy buddies have been eaten and you're finishing your movie with your family and getting ready to go to bed. These are the blues you get when you realize Monday is coming faster than you know and you will have to leave your comfy home and fun family and venture out to school again. I had a bad case of these blues last night.

Friday night, Clark and I drove to watch Hannah in Jr. Miss Dress Rehearsal and she was beautiful. Her talent was so good, she walked and talked perfectly and above all we knew she was a great girl with a positive/sweet personality and a strong testimony. We wanted her to win! After Dress Rehearsal, we went to my parents house and chatted and watched a Psych episode until 1 AM! Poor Clark drove us home and let me sleep most of the way. I love how he takes care of me.

Saturday morning, Clark had to work. I selpt in. We went to breakfast with Brooke. Then we drove to NSL where I met Claudia, Jayleen, Aspen and Brielle and we went to a shower for our cousin-in-law Katie. The theme was popcorn with the saying "she popped!" She had the baby earlier than expected, hence the "she popped" and not "she's going to pop!". It was darling and the baby was so tiny and sweet with beautiful olive skin. Meanwhile, Clark was rock climbing with his big bro Dave. We met back at the Evans residence to celebrate Dave and Aspen's birthday's with Mandrin food. It was so delicious. Then we stayed up chatting and laughing a lot.

Sunday, we went to church, ate, napped and drove home. When Clark and I got home we unpacked and watched a show and that's when the Sunday blues hit hard. I started crying. I know... I'm pathetic. I know it's cliche but I sincerely don't like Monday's. They are really hard for me to get through. The thought of going to work, school, doing homework and taking care of the details of my life just bombards my thoughts and I stress out a little.

I have found a good cure though: a good night's sleep + a run on Monday morning + saying over and over, "Friday is in 4 more days." These things can get you through any Manic Monday.

Five Favorites Friday!

So here are 5 things I'm lovin' on today...

#1-

I'm lovin'...the thought of being a college graduate in 22 days! It's a life long goal that is finally being accomplished. I cannot believe I will have my degree in less than a month. It is so surreal to me. It's bittersweet but definitely more sweet than bitter! Oh and Clark suprised me with a graduation trip a few nights ago. He booked a B&B in McCall, Idaho. It is right by a lake with a bike trail so we are going to hike, fish, bike and sleep!!! I am so excited to go have a little adventure/road trip with him!

#2-

I'm lovin'... that I get to see this cute girl perform in the Distinguished Young Women Program (Jr.Miss) tonight. I only get to see the dress rehearsal but I'm so excited for her. By the way, this is Hannah. This picture was taken one year at state basketball. My mom asked her to come be our nanny and in return we would take her to the games and to stay in a fun hotel. She was happy to do it and tended a billion of my cousins and was still happy by the end. She is one of the most pleasant and genuine girls I know and I'm really plugging for her to win so she can have a fun state experience with my cousin McKayla!

#3-

I'm lovin'... the fact that in 3 hours I will be headed home to Clifton for the evening to hang out with these people. And I absolutely love this picture minus the fact that Clark isn't in it. I don't know why he isn't but I love it. They are the best!

#4-
I'm lovin'... that on Saturday I get to see my in-law's and go to a baby shower for my cousin-in-law's sweet little girl. We also get to celebrate Dave and Aspen's Birthday with Chinese food from The Madrin and some Michael Jackson Dance Experience on the Wii. It's fun having older siblings.

#5-

I'm lovin'... that Becca, Brooke and I bought tickets and are going to an Ingrid Michaelson concert in JUNE!!!!! I gotta start memorizing all the songs now so I can sing the whole entire time! It is going to be one extreme Girls Night Out!

True Blues...

So... I'm a little sentimental sometimes and I considered not writing this but I want to talk about some people who have made my life a little easier and a lot better. I call them my true blues, no they aren't my family (although I love my family). They are some of the best people I know and they are true friends.

When I was in high school, I didn't have the best experience a girl could have with friends. I know a lot of girls have this same experience. People can be mean and interpret who you are trying to be as someone you're not trying to be (hope you get my drift). This post is for the girls out there who don't feel like they have anyone. Guess what, YOU DO! Somewhere in this world there is a true blue friend out there whose mind, goals and spirit resonate with yours. You will find them, it may not be when you want, but they are there. So, here are mine, in no particular order.

1- Wyatt and Korby

                                          

These two guys saved my life my senior year. I had an extreme case of SENIORITIS. I needed some friends and here they were.

Wyatt and I ate our sack lunches in the hall together almost everyday of high school. We would write notes during class about the most random things you could think of and he truly is one of the kindest, most genuine people I have ever met.
Korby came with Wyatt. He played basketball with JD and became good friends with him too. The best thing about Korb was he was willing to do whatever crazy thing I had concocted in my mind whether it was hanging out at the edifice at the cemetery or eating cinnamon roll after cinnamon roll at my house, he was always there.

The thing I loved the most about hanging out with these two is that they were nice and easy to be with. We never argued and if we did it was always about something dumb. We truly enjoyed each other's company and we supported each other in everything. We all had the same standards and helped each other live up to them too. And every time we got in a car to go somewhere we would turn up "Hands Down" by Dashboard Confessional and sing it as loud as we could. I'll always be grateful for these two guys. They are the best. They both are on missions right now. GO Wy and Korb!

2- Camden

 This guy was really meant to be my brother. He is one of the best guys you'll meet. I told Camden when we were little he had to take me on my first date because our birthdays we're together. Well guess what... he kept his promise and took me on my very first date. We dressed as cowboy's and rode in a covered wagon with a bunch of other people to a camp fire. It was the funnest most unique first date ever.

Camden was in my ward all growing up and I always enjoyed his company but as we grew older I loved being Camden's friend. He was nice and respectful and he knew how to have a good time. Life was never dull if you were doing something with Cam. Oh and he's a dang good cook. He lived down the street from me when we came to USU and I would make sure to check in with him to see if he was making something tasty that day. Bottom line... this guy is great. He's always treated me like a sister and been the best to me and because of that he is a TRUE BLUE. (He's on a mission now too. Go CAM!)

3- Becca 

I love this girl. We met at State Jr Miss. She was Aberdeen's I was Franklin County's. We had the same host family and were rooming together. One night at state, I got icy hot in my eye and we became instant friends. Our friendship has always been a long distance one. As I said, she lived in Aberdeen. I lived in Clifton. During high school, we would set each other up on dates and enjoyed all the boys West Side and Aberdeen had to offer. I made a lot of fun friends doing this. We would go to each others plays, Jr Misses, Proms and even grandparents funerals. College came and so did all the decisions. I decided to go to USU and she decided to go to BYU. She soon found a boyfriend and got engaged and so did I. We both got married the summer after our freshman year and we kept in touch. Now, I'm staying at USU for Grad School and she's going to Texas to help her husband start a business and finish her schooling.

Becca and I are kindred spirits. We have had many similar experiences and I have truly learned and grown from being friends with her. No matter how far we are, we can talk on the phone, have a conversation and pick up right where we left off. She is my true blue because she has always been there when I've needed a friend most.

4- Brooke

This, my friends, is Brooke Elise Rice. I met her here at USU. She is in my major and just this year we have become great instant friends. I have never clicked with someone so fast. We spend almost every day with each other and even finish each others sentences. Brooke is an amazing person and I look to her for advice and example every single day. She is high class and so much fun to be with. She is willing to do crazy things, like pick up and go on a road trip in one day's notice, and I love that about her. She listens. She talks a lot. She is hilarious. She has high standards. She is a hard worker. She is brilliant. She is one of my BEST FRIENDS. Some lucky guy is going to snatch her away from me one day. Brooke has seen me at my best and seen me at my worst and still likes me through it all. That is what a true blue is supposed to be.

5- Clark Saville

Ya, you might think this is mushy but this guy is my truest and bluest. I'm so glad I found him. He is all my other true blues packed into one. He is the entire package! I love him so much and am grateful everyday for who he is for me and what we have together.

I know my list is short, but if you have these six people and your family in your life, you don't need anyone else!

Not Doing My Homework

As I am still sitting here at work not doing my homework, I was reading my friend Katie's blog. I found out she nominated me for an award. This award...

That was sure nice of her considering I just decided to be a blogger again! Thanks Katie. So with this award comes some rules and commitments...

THE RULES

Each Nominee Should:

1. Nominate 15 fellow bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award
2. Add an image of the Versatile Blogger Award
3. Thank the blogger who nominated you in a post with a link to their site
4. Share seven completely random facts about yourself
5. Include this set of rules
6. Inform each nominated blogger of their nomination

So I'm going to nominate two people instead of FIFTEEN!

1.  Becca Densley at Densley Family
2. My Aunt Kathy at Sentiments from the Support Staff

And here are my seven completely random facts about myself...

1- I try to abbreviate as many words as I can during the day. (My mom says it sounds unintelligent... I say it saves time) For example I say N for no or maybs for maybe or tots for totally. Ya, I'm beginning to rethink this habit. I sound like a 14 year old. Oh, well.

2- I have a mole right between my nose and my mouth on the left side of my face. My dad always called it my beauty mark and my little sister has the exact same one!

3- If I could I would live in Cozumel, Mexico for a while. I would only eat fajitas and snorkel and probably never leave my swimsuit or put on make up.

4- I love Speech Language Pathology but let's get real. I just want to be a party planner when I grow up.

5- I wish I had a dog and a horse. I'm going to name my dog Charly and he'll run with me everyday and I'll feed him bones. I'm going to name my horse Lulu and I think she'll be black but I haven't decided yet.

6- I am DYING to learn how to play the ukelele. SOMEDAY I will, maybe after I finish all the homework I'm not doing right now.

7- Take me to Kneaders, buy me French Toast and I'll be one happy girl.

The Little Brother and The Grad Student

I just wanted to write about my good news before it's old news. I got into Graduate School. I was accepted to BYU, the U and USU. It was a very prayerful long journey to get to this point in my schooling and finally I have gotten accepted and decided to go to Utah State to finish off my schooling. I start in the summer and will finish May of 2014! I am very grateful for the opportunity to go and I pray that I'll be able to endure it all. It will make me better, I know it.

On to other news, my little brother JD amongst his many awards and honors he has recently been awarded the President Monson Scholarship at BYU. In other words, his schooling is paid for. He has worked hard and deserves this break. I'm so happy for him but I'm sad he won't be here at Utah State with me. I'll miss him lots. I already do and now he'll be another 2 hours away from me. I'll live I guess.

Today was uneventful. I did a therapy session, went to my classes, went to the temple, laid out on the quad, ate dinner with my husband and NOW I'm at work the rest of the evening. Nothin' much to journal about, no random thoughts in my head, so this is the end.

Journaling, Jr Miss and Easter

This is going to be a crazy, random post. I'm kind of a crazy, random person. Initially I started this blog to be a way to tell my story about Clark and I and keep track of our married adventures. Then I thought I'd change it to something different and then I thought I'd change it again and then I quit writing. I have never been good at keeping a blog or a journal or a scrapbook or any record of that sort but now is the time. I want my kids and myself to know and remember all the happy/sad/exciting/simple moments that Clark and I have had as married kids and hopefully I can really and truly make this blog my journal.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to go watch and help my cousin McKayla do Jr. Miss. Pictures will be coming soon. I was backstage with her and got to help her get ready for all the numbers. She did fabulously and won every single category except for be your best self and spirit. She really deserved to win too because she put in some HARD work. From her pink and green outfit in the opening number to her stunning pink dress in self expression she not only acted but looked like a Jr. Miss should look. In October, we get to go to state and support her there. State is in Idaho Falls but my fun family will still rent hotel rooms and make the whole deal a grand excursion.

I want to share something kind of strange/amazing that happened during the program. McKayla and I were backstage getting her dressed for talent. I heard someone say her name. She asked me if I had heard her name and I replied yes. I was sitting there doing her hair and thinking about it and I thought to myself,
"That wasn't a girl's voice."
There were no men in the dressing room though. I then said to McKayla and I'm not sure if she heard though,
"Grandpa is here."
I had a strong impression that he was there and that he was proud of her.
I was proud of her too.

This past weekend I also got to meet my cousin Delaney's fiance, Chris. He is a great guy and I am so excited and happy for her. My Richardson cousins are going to have a really big year with the combo of Jr Miss and a wedding. I'm so proud of Delaney for being worthy to get married in the temple and for all the good decisions she has made in her life. She will be a great wife and love Chris to pieces.

After the long Jr Miss weekend, Clark and I ventured back to Logan. We got home at about 2 AM and crashed. We were exhausted at church but still seemed to learn from every lesson that day. I learned about keeping a record in Sunday School and I learned about the Savior in Relief Society. I am so grateful that we have a Savior and for the sacrifices He made so that we can repent and live again. I am also grateful that if any heart ache ever leaves me feeling alone, I know that my Savior has experienced my pain and that I am not alone. I can't even imagine the day I meet Him again. I often think about that day and hope that I will be able to do and say things adequate enough to express my gratitude.

After church, we ate cereal and took a nap for a few hours. We woke up and ate crepes AND breakfast burritos, good combo. Then we fell back asleep for a few hours. After our 2nd nap ate Oreos and went on a walk, then went to bed. Sounds like a good Easter huh?

Hopefully I can start journaling better from here on out. I have a story that is unfolding itself everyday and I'll be sad one day that it isn't recorded. So wish me luck!