Life is just a-movin!

Check this kid:

This is an Adam. He's awesome. And he's my broski. Love this guy. And check that stache. And guess what's happening today?! Yeah, he's getting his mission call.
I know exactly what you're thinking, "What the heck?! I thought your other brother just barely left on his mission." And to that I respond, yeah, TELL ME ABOUT IT. I'm freaking out!
Ryan has only been gone for 9 months and here Adam is just being an adult and graduating from high school in few months and getting ready to go on his mission! Blows my mind. I'm so proud of him; of both of them. I definitely have the best brothers in the entire universe.
Here's a great pic of all of us:

Halfway there.

9 months have come. 9 months left to go. Here in the middle of things, I appreciate experiences more than I used to. Also, I can even almost see the end. That's thrilling.

Let's just see how the next 9 months turn out. Should be interesting.

Growth.

Alright, here's the deal: I've learned SO MUCH in the last 6-9 months or so. Honestly, I don't think I've ever had such a defining half year in my entire life.
There have been so many events, both big and small, that have changed me and changed my life. Here's just a few of the things I have learned in 2012:

• No matter how far away they are or how long we go without speaking, my best friends will still always be there for me
• Missions are awesome
• It is so hard to have those I'm closest with leave on missions, but I wouldn't have them anywhere else in the world right now
• I am loved.
• I am not perfect, and that's okay
• It's more important to be humble than hilarious (though there is nothing wrong with also being hilarious)
• I love hearing mission stories
• How to ask for help and advice
• Love is not something that I can control. But if I allow it, I have the capacity to love everyone.
• The importance of studying
• How to be more open with others
• Being vulnerable is not a sign of weakness
• I have to rely on the Lord for my confidence; I can't rely on myself.
• Fear is not something that belongs in my life.
• Hiding my thoughts and feelings does not benefit anyone.
• I am surrounded by the best, most inspirational examples and it is the biggest blessing I could have right now.

The joys of reading days.

Hello world. I'm alive. Mostly.

Yesterday was the last day of classes for the semester. Celebration.

Today was one of the reading days; those blessed days when you're supposed to have nothing to do except sit and study your head off for finals. Finals start on Saturday.

Here's how today was supposed to go: go to work, be productive, work on some take home finals, do a decent amount of studying, go to a ward party, and then chill for the rest of the night.

This was a great plan. It wasn't overly busy, just the right amount of school work. Sadly, this is not how today actually went.

Let me just give you a little look at what I did today:

Worked all morning. Success. This is the only thing that went as planned. 

At noon I settled onto a computer to start my paper, but then got a craving for Chinese food.

I proceeded to drag my roommate to Rice King to watch me eat said chinese food. She had already eaten, so she sat there studying Spanish while I ate. It was delicious. Definitely satisfied that craving.

By now it was 2:30 in the afternoon and I was back in my apartment, ready for action. Then what was supposed to be a 30 minute pre-studying nap turned into an hour and a half sleep-fest. Don't ask how that happened. My day was quickly slipping away from me. I couldn't handle anymore distractions. I REALLY needed to get working on these things.

So naturally from 4 to 6 I sat and watched my roommate cook chicken and I plotted and chatted and did other generally unproductive things.

Needless to say, it is now 11 at night and I have no idea where my day went or how I possibly came up with so many ridiculous ways to procrastinate my studying. And naturally I am writing this blog post instead of attempting to get a little bit of headway on my work. 

Such is the life of me, your typical, procrastinating college student. I know I will end up studying my butt off and I'm pretty sure I will do decently well on my finals, but I just like causing myself more stress by procrastinating things until the last minute. Yeah, how fun.

Wish me luck on finals. I'm going to kill them.

Jennie out.

Late

Welp. I can't sleep tonight. Hence the reason for 2 blog posts in one night. This has never happened before! Crazypants.
Time goes so fast. I was just about to go off on this topic, but then I remembered that I already have. THIS blog post speaks to part of how I'm feeling right now.  I can't believe how much I have done in my life, but I also can't believe how young and inexperienced I am. I feel like a baby, but somehow I think I've grown up somewhere along the way. I look at my 13 year old brother and I wonder when he stopped being a baby and became this teenager who is taller than me and sounds like a man. That blows my mind. And the real baby of the family is 7. SEVEN years old! He thinks he's a regular adult! Wow, time is so weird.

I am a nut case sometimes. Today is one of those times. I was going to write everything that I'm thinking that is keeping me up tonight, but I promise that no one wants to read my word vomit. And that's exactly what it would be. Just let it suffice to know that I love life. I freak out a little bit sometimes, but that's not a bad thing. I adore where I am. I adore the people I know. My life is a win.