I haven't written on here in in a while, so I thought I would. just an update to everything. the picture to the right is my cousin's baby, named River. this was back in February when I very first met him, but he's gotten even chubbier and cuter since then. I saw him again last night, along with all my family, and even despite him being grumpy, and tired, and overstimulated, he was still a pleasure to have about as we celebrated my uncle's birthday. it was also great to see all my family, because I get to see them so rarely.

can I just say how much I love going to school at BYU? it really is spectacular, all the creative, nice, funny, people I am surrounded by at all times. sometimes it's almost a little overwhelming because they all seem like such cooler people than me, but sometimes it just brightens your day to find something like a "found" poster for velociraptors sitting on a lunch table in the terrace.

I was shopping a few weekends ago with two of my favorite people ever to hang out with: Deidra and her brother Hans. we went to Ross because Deidra wanted some cereal bowls, and Hans wanted her to get some of her own so she would stop using his. while we were there, I found this mug, and it at least made me smile, and once again consider teaching as a viable option. I have started to say that my dream job would be to work with archaeoligist, and dig stuff up and read the inscriptions on things, but I don't know a) if there is actually a job like that and b) if archaeologists would actually like me being there. I talked to a girl in my ward who is studying archaeology, and she kind of looked at me blankly when I said I wanted to do something like that, and almost seemed offended when I said I wanted to work with archaeologists and tell them what they were digging up. so.... ya. don't know if my "dream job" would actually work. but teaching is a good back up job.

last weekend my roommate's sister-in-law brought her puppy down for the weekend for a change in atmosphere and all that jazz. but once she got down here, they all realized they wanted to go shopping, and didn't know what to do with the puppy. I didn't have any plans for the day, besides staying at home and doing homework, so I offered to stay with her and "puppy-sit". it was the best few hours of the weekend. she wasn't as rambunctious as Buster was at her age, which I was expecting, so she didn't play as aggressively as I wanted to. but she was adorable when she fell asleep, especially since she didn't want to go to sleep, so she would sit there, and then her head would start to droop, and then she would realize she was falling asleep and wake up again. finally, she just gave up and went to sleep, although she still woke up to loud sounds.

I realized some cool things this weekend. first off, my grandma told me my family is planning on coming up for General Conference, and bringing some of the Young Men, Young Women with them. I remember when I did that, when I was a junior in high school. I'm pretty sure it was at that point that I decided I really wanted to come to Utah for school, so I'm hoping it will be a good experience for those who come up. the second thing I realized, which I hadn't really realized until I heard my family was coming up, is how much I miss my family. I'm genuinely excited to see all of them, as long as the visits stay brief... and I'm kind of hoping they'll bring Buster up with them, although that is way less likely to happen, just it being such a short trip and such. and the last thing I realized today, as I was thinking about my family coming up and listening to all the amazing men talking at our stake conference (we got a new presidency today, so we heard from all the old presidency, all the new presidency, and then from the two elders of the Seventy who were there to do the reorganizing) that I am really really excited for General Conference this time. not that I'm not normally excited, but I didn't do a very good job of listening to Conference in October, because we were in Italy, and it was new surroundings, and it was later at night, and it was...just...way different. so I feel like I haven't really heard from the Prophet and apostles in a really long time, and I'm way excited for the spiritual experiences I'll have.

this weekend has been such nice weather, and I'm starting to get so pumped for spring and summer, i'm going to loath when the weather turns cold again, as I know it will, because it always has in my experience. but I'm enjoying the good weather while it's here. and I'm looking forward to the cruise I'm going to go on in April, and I"m going to sign up for the "lazYman ironman" event on campus, and swim 2.6 miles, run 12 miles, and bike... I don't know how far in a month. I'm hoping I'll be in amazing shape by the end of it, and have better exercise habits. I just need to get running shoes and a swimsuit and I'll be good. I'm planning on getting those this week though, and I can get started. I'm way excited and telling my blog about it so I"ll actually follow through with the activity. but that's my life right now. I'll try to take more pictures, but based on the past few months, I don't think I"ll take that many more. hopefully just a few will be good. :)