50 questions

Well guys, it's Wednesday. Such a wonderful Wednesday. I have to keep telling myself that haha. And for this blog post, I'm gonna do a get to know you thing. Well, here goes nothing.

50 questions!!

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
No sir. No middle name either.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Uhhhh, last Friday I think.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Some days. I don't really care. Usually, I don't like taking the time to make it look nice.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Turkey...

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
No. And not for a while. Haha I haven't even been on a date for like six months.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Haha, um, yes??

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
Never... Ok, yes.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yup. We're like best buds.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
I'd like to think I would. If I got the chance.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Cocoa puffs. Or Reeses Puffs. Or Marshmallow Mateys. Take your pick.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Nope! I usually don't wear too many things with laces...

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
For a little person? Yes. Yes I am.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Cake batter. We're in love.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Smile. I like a good smile :) and then their eyes.

15. RED OR PINK?
I guess I'd say red, definitely not pink. I'm more of a blue/gray person.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
Eh, I'd say my hair. It's super thin.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
My friend in Hawaii. And the one at Utah State. I don't get to see them as often as others.

18. WHAT IS THE PAUL MCKENNA TECHNIQUE THAT YOU NEED TO WORK ON THE MOST?
I wouldn't know because I have no idea who that is. Haha!

19. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Brown combat boots.

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
A breakfast omlet: hashbrowns, eggs, cheese, and ketchup.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
I was listening to the life story of the girls down the hall. Very interesting.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Light Blue.

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
The post office. I used to walk in there just to get a wiff...

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
The stake president's secretary's answering machine...

25. MOUNTAIN HIDEAWAY OR BEACH HOUSE?
I'd say beach house. If I had the beach to myself, ha!

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Basketball. Love watching basketball. They can come back really fast, and it makes things intense. Also, I wish I could actually play it besides a game of horse with my brother (I win of course.)

27. HAIR COLOR?
Carmel-ish, brown-ish, blondish. Will probably keep heading towards blond.

28. EYE COLOR?
Greenish blue. With some weird yellow around the middle.

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Yes. I would be lost with out them. Literally, I wouldn't be able to see where I was going.

30. FAVORITE FOOD?
Chinese. But I'm starting to lean towards Italian.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings! I hate scary.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. Extended version.

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Blackish gray.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Summer. But I don't like really hot. It kills me. So let's say spring-ish summer or fallish summer.

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Uh, seeing as I haven't ever been kissed, I wouldn't know.

36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Frozen yogurt. Cake batter. With brownies. And fudge.

37. STRENGTH TRAINING OR CARDIO?
Cardio. Run, run, run.

38. COMPUTER OR TELEVISION?
Um, I'd say computer. Not too much of a TV watcher. I only watch movies and sports on TV.

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
I should be reading my nutrition textbook, but the last one I read was called Old Maid of Honor. Oh and the Book of Mormon. That's too important to forget :)

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Don't have one!

42. FAVORITE SOUND?
I love the sound of rain when going to sleep.

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles. But I haven't listened much to either.

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
I've been to Hawaii, and I've been to New York. I'm guessing Hawaii is farther haha.

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
Um... I'm a pretty good listener. And empathizer.

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Rexburg, ID

47. WHERE ARE YOU LIVING NOW?
Provo, UT

48. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR HOUSE?
My apartment complex is made of brick.

49. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR CAR?
I don't have one now (haha see my second to last post) but it was red. But I miss by gray geo. It was the best. Stick shift baby!

50. DO YOU LIKE ANSWERING 50 QUESTIONS?

Wasn't too bad :)

Well I hope you got to know me a little better :) Have a wondrous Wednesday! Eat your friuts and veggies.

A day in the life of an introvert.

All right. Let’s clear some stuff up first. An introvert is not someone who doesn’t like being social. An introvert is not someone who doesn’t like to talk. AND in case you didn’t know, an introvert is not a hermit who hides in a cave and is afraid of light. Thought I’d just throw that last one in there.

So. Hi, my name is Kristina, and I am an introvert… Glad I could get that off my chest (Name that movie!). Now let me just say, introversion isn’t a bad thing. It’s just how I am. Dictionary.com defines introvert as someone who is shy. But what I learned in my Family Processes class was that introverts are people who like solitude (running, reading a book, taking a shower) instead of socializing to recharge. Most people think that introversion is not being social or never talking. Not true. But sometimes it means you keep some things to yourself that some people don’t. I still love to visit with others and get to know others like anyone else. So I thought I’d share some insight on how it feels for me (not necessarily others) to be an introvert.

Pros and cons of being an introvert (+being a girl):

-You don’t tell people your real feelings very often. You can talk to anyone, but putting yourself out there is kinda hard.

-For me, this makes me really loyal. As in, if I tell someone how I really feel, it shows you how much I trust them.

-You make friends easy enough. It’s just hard to make best friends easy enough.

-If you like a boy, you never tell him. Or anyone.

-Also, it’s hard to flirt. For some reason you don’t want him to know you like him. Act normal. Which really doesn’t make any sense once I think about it…

-It is so hard to talk to the boy face to face. It usually comes out as, “Hey, you did good.” “Thanks.” End of conversation.

-When you do actually say something or text him and he answers, you want to skip around and do laps around your house or something.

-When he doesn’t answer back, you think, “I’m an idiot. *echo* You’re an idiot.” Like from How the Grinch Stole Christmas

-You over analyze. A lot.

-If I smile at you, that’s a good sign. A really good sign.

-You know that one comment that totally would have made the conversation and everyone would have laughed and thought you were witty? Ya, you don’t say it. *Palm to the face*

-You are probably really hilarious. Just no one knows it.

-Boys usually go for the extroverted, friendly girls. And when a boy does like you, he usually stops cuz he thinks you’re indifferent.

-This can be nice when you’re trying to get rid of a guy…

-The center of attention is not the place for you.

-This means you’re pretty good at people watching.  

-And this makes you really good at reading into people’s emotions and actions.

-That makes people ask you for advice a lot. “You know how that feels?” Yeah…

-You’re a really nice, friendly person, but not everyone knows this. I promise I don’t think I’m too good to talk to you, it’s just cuz I’m a little bit shy.

Well I hope you enjoyed this little insight on what it feels for me to be an introvert! Some of it is being an introvert, some of it being a girl, and some of it just me. And even though sometimes it is hard, it is for anyone, and we just have to push through it. Everyone has their own challenges. We are all unique, and whoever you are, you are just perfect the way you are. Come back for more soon!

A broken car, a short night, and a train ride

First of all, let me start out by saying that I had a wonderful weekend. On Friday after getting home, I went and played soccer with some pretty awesome friends. Then, I woke up Saturday morning with my brother Stephen telling me to get up so we could go play in a futsol tournament at BYU-I. That was so much fun, even if we didn't get that far in the tournament. We played two games to determine our seeding in the tourney (we lost one, and then won one), and then after getting our seed, we played our first game and won! It was pretty exciting seeing that the team was thrown together the night before.There were some amazing players on the team, so I didn't feel like I did a lot, but it was great to be a part of. We lost our next game to the team that won it all, and we only lost by one! So that was pretty neat. The rest of Saturday was pretty chill, and on Sunday my brother and I went to our home ward to listen to a farewell of a good friend of ours. After church and an amazing dinner (homemade lasagna really hits the spot) we (Stephen, my roommate, and I) headed out. This is where stuff gets interesting.

So Stephen and I talked most of the time while Kacy napped in the back.

(Stephen in all his cool-ness. Aka, he has some sweet shades)

After passing Pocatello, our conversation kind of died. I decided to do some stuff on my laptop and Kacy... I have no idea what she was doing. Anyway, the farther we headed down the road, the worse the roads got. Stephen went to pass someone, and of course slush was kicked up all over the place from crossing over the dotted line, and a few minutes later Stephen noticed our once three-quarter full tank was now at empty. After Stephen vocalized this, we all kinda looked at each other and were like Oh crap. We debated for a bit, wondering whether to try and make it to Tremonton (we were just over the border), but the needle continued to drop lower. We pulled off the freeway into a middle of no where (literally, I don't think there was even a name for it) and Stephen hopped out to check under the car. At this point, the smell of gas was pretty strong, so we knew it wasn't just the gauge that was broken. We drove back on the freeway and were only going around 40 mph due to the road conditions, so we knew there was no way we would make it to Tremonton. We had to find a gas station as soon as possible. And we did. In Plymouth, Utah. We had just gone under the over pass on our way to the Sinclair just off the I-15 and the car just stopped. Great. So we attempted to push it. This was pretty much how it went:

For some reason, I found it quite hilarious. Either the fact that we were so close to the gas station and there was no way we were going to make it, or because Stephen wanted to wring my neck. Both were pretty comical. 

Any way, we eventually gave up because we kept losing our footing, and man it was cold. And snowing, which definitely didn't help. Stephen ran to the gas station and was able to borrow a 2 gallon gas container from a nice trucker guy, and we got enough gas in there to get it started and to the gas station. While Stephen called Mom, who was doing her duty and being extremely worried, I filled up the tank with about 4 more gallons. We were hoping to attempt to gas station hop our way back to Provo, but we soon found out that wasn't going to work. Stephen started the car and checked underneath and look what surprise we found!

I don't know if you can tell, but that is a very large puddle of gas. Bad news: Beula popped an artery. More bad news: no one around was a cardiologist, so we resorted to trying to find a ride back to Provo. Luckily, we had a cousin who lived in Logan who was oh-so-kind to come and pick us up. Meanwhile, we had to wait inside the gas station for about two hours. Let the waiting begin.

So that's my roommate. You see those shoes? Ya those are Stephen's. Kacy only had some flats and Stephen who had like three pairs of shoes (he's such a girl... haha) lent her his. They look pretty funny, but hey they worked. And I think Kacy became kinda partial to them. Second thing about this picture. What she's doing... she's looking at her phone, which is plugged into the wall by that pop machine. And the process to find that outlet, at least for me, was a little embarrassing. So we looked around Subway thinking that they would have an outlet that we could plug our phones into. Nope. Nothing that we could see at least. And then I got this brilliant idea to look behind that big cupboard thing and, wouldn't you know it, there was an outlet behind there. The problem was plugging it in. This definitely wasn't one of my finest moments, but I tried to squeeze behind that pop cupboard and plug it in. I was to determined to get that thing in the wall because I was so close. And the result was me almost getting my head stuck back there while my legs were flailing trying to get traction on the ground. This was when a wonderful employee came by and noticed my distress and allowed Kacy to use an outlet in the office. I got unstuck and to my distaste, Stephen had video taped all of that. Well that's just great. I guess if you really wanna see it, you can ask him. But we found an outlet a little later. Right on top of the cupboard. My attempt was in vain, but hey, I guess I provided for some good entertainment! :)

 It was starting to get pretty late, and the condition of the roads was pretty bad, so after making some calls we arranged to stay at my other cousin's house near Ogden. My first cousin finally got there and we headed out. At this point, I need to express my gratitude for my cousins. They were really wonderful to get us out of that bind and go out of their way to taxi us, feed us, and house us. We would still be at a little gas station in the middle of no where if it wasn't for them. 

That night we decided to take the Frontrunner from Salt Lake where my cousin-in-law worked to Orem where my cousin could pick us up. That would mean getting up at 5:30 in the morning. Ew. Definitely not a morning person. Anyway, after having a fun night with the cousins, we went to bed. We hitched a ride to Salt Lake, which took longer than expected because of the road conditions, and were dropped off at the UTA station. 

At this point I felt like a homeless person. We had our bags thrown on the bench, and we were all huddled around this tall, lamp-post-heater thing. It was like sitting around, having a causal conversation around a fire in a garbage can. Yup, definitely felt homeless. Anywho, we waited around for almost an hour (because our train was delayed. Of course.) and finally boarded around 8:20. The trip took about an hour because of all the stops on the way. Thankfully, we got picked up around 9:20 by another oh-so-wonderful cousin and were dropped off at our apartments. I then had to leave for class 40 minutes later, and, well, here I am! This over here --> is some cool drawing that was drawn on the glass of the canopy thingy. I thought it was pretty great and should be shared haha :)

Well, that was my adventure. I'm really tired, and kinda sore but hey, it could have been waaaay worse. And the experience really wasn't that bad. I never got anxious or worried; to be honest, I was pretty calm the entire time. Sometimes even laughing :) I feel so blessed. Really. The car could have stopped while on the freeway, and that would have been a whole different predicament. And the gas leak could have been elsewhere and started a fire, and I might not be here right now. So I am extremely grateful for the safety and protection God has granted me. I have amazing friends and family who love me, and were there every step of the way. And to look at the bright side, I got to ride a really fast train :)

Wanderlust

 Yeah. I'm one of those. I mean, who isn't right?? I really really really want to travel. Like more than I want some BYU creamery ice cream (that's saying a lot). I have always loved learning the history of other countries. Every country has their own unique story, and I just want to read all of them. Doing it of my own free will and not being tested on it would also be nice. There are so many places I want to go, and these are some of them on my bucket list:

The Thames and London Bridge

The cliffs of Ireland

Ride a Gondola in Venice

Visit the Parthenon in Greece

See the Tulips and Windmills of Holland

Go swimming in Spain

See the lights of Paris

And really, the list goes on. I would love to visit these places someday. Maybe with friends, maybe with my future husband, maybe just by myself. It's amazing how beautiful and diverse this world is. There is so much to see and so much to learn. But even after the many exotic and exciting places that I want to experience, it always feels good to be home, ya know? This is where I grew up. This is where my whole life has been up 'til this last year. And you know what? I miss it. A lot. And even though there are lots of more interesting place outside the little bubble of Sugar City, I will always cherish this as my home.

And the view's not too shabby :)

And look what Facebook led me to...

I got on Facebook today. Like usual. And while I was looking around (*cough* stalking) it made me realize how blessed I am. Really, I know I say that in like every post, but I am. I have these wonderful friends, awesome roommates, a warm apartment, an education, enough food to satisfy my ever hungry stomach... but most of all I have the Gospel. It is so wonderful. And what I am most grateful for is the comfort and knowledge that it brings into my life. Like the knowledge that no matter what happens, it's gonna work out. If I don't get that application done, it's gonna work out. If my laptop crashes and doesn't save that paper I've been working on for five hours, it's gonna work out.

If I trip and fall down these stairs on the way to class and break every bone in my body... hey, it's gonna work out. If that one guy doesn't ask me out... then he's stupid, but it's still gonna work out. If I lose my signature card while walking home, well it totally did work out. And if that one decision that could change my life is just nagging and hanging out in my head distracting me from all else, just keep praying and He's gonna help me work it out :)

I guess ya'll can see where I'm going with this. God has a plan for all of us... But we don't always understand that plan. We're kind of incapable of that, at least right now. I've always been a stubborn person, and I am not always willing to let go. We like to call it the Burg-Woman Syndrome in our family.

For example: If my brother tells me that I should wear shoes instead of slippers while it's snowing... then no, I'm going to keep on wearing those slippers cuz I want to, even if my toes are icicles and may have to be amputated later on. If I missed that PK during a soccer game, then I am going to practice for hours and hours to get it right even if I never get a chance to take one again. So as you can tell, I don't like being wrong and I don't like letting go. But I have to. That's what I've learned from this gospel, and especially what I've learned from being on my own. It's not all about me. What it's really about is doing the dishes for your roommate, babysitting your cousin's kitten, letting your brother use the washer first, being a listener, going easy on that one kid in soccer, giving up that one argument, listening to that still, small voice... Humility. Meekness. Charity. Forgiveness. Love. Trust.

 "Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence. Ask and ye shall recieve; knock and it shall be opened unto you. Amen." 

Doctrine and Covenants 4:6

God loves us. He wants the best for us. All we have to do is look outside ourselves and be a little humble, and He will answer any prayer we send His way. It may not be the answer we want, but that's when we have to let go and just trust. "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6) Even though I think I know a lot, well, he knows more. Infinitely more. He's there, always waiting, always there to help it "work out." All we have to do is just knock...

Crazy Weekend.

Can I just say, I love my family? They are the best. This weekend my parents and two brothers came down to visit me. Well, technically they came down to move my brother in to Grandma's and watch Phantom of the Opera. But I'd like to think it was for me :) 

And speaking of the Phantom of the Opera.... It was A-MAZING! This guy named Preston played the Phantom and his voice was gorgeous! I wouldn't mind having a man like that to sing to me. Like all the time. So we went in the auditorium, and don't get me wrong, I loved the whole thing, but when that organ started playing and the lights went all strobe-y and the fog machine started up I got the chills. Like majorly. It was SO cool. Definitely recommended, although it will be hard to get tickets, they are sold out until the show ends in February. Darn :/

So I have read some blogs and they do all these cutesy things like "letters on Friday" and "you know you live in..." stuff and well, I wanna jump on the bandwagon. But instead of every Friday, I'll do it every Wednesday. Just to spice things up. So here goes nothing!

Dear Kindle,

We've been seeing each other for a while and I think it's time to take have a DTR...

I wanna break up. 

Love,

Homework stricken 

Dear Lemon/Egg white Mask,

You're like using Botox. I can't show emotion for another hour and a half.

Thankfully,

My Clearer skin

Dear Snap chat,

You are the best thing ever invented. Thanks for not showing my face for more than five seconds.

Fondly,

Kristina

Dear Homeboy,

You're totally are stuck in my head. Get out! 

Questioning my preferences,

Kristina

Dear JFSB basement,
You are my dungeon. Not only because I get no cell phone service, I am also trapped down there for 5 hours. Without food. DEATH.
Thanks but no thanks,
My grumbling stomach

Dear Open Major,
I think I finally solved your mystery. Totally pulled a Sherlock Holmes on you.
Triumphantly, 
A future teacher

Dear Sugar City,
This long distance relationship isn't working out. Let's get together ya?
Lovingly,
I'll see you this weekend

And lastly

Dear Application Status,

Stop using red and saying required. It's stressing me out.

Sincerely,

Kristina

Have a wonderful Wednesday!!

Reminiscing.

Yesterday night after our 11 o'clock cleaning check (yes I was wrong) I sat around with my roommates messing around and surfing the internet (more like the usual Facebook stalking). I came upon some graduation pictures while looking on my laptop. So as a result, I went and looked at all my old pictures. And I came up with this conclusion: I am enormously lucky. I lived in a wonderful town with amazing friends and some fantastic memories.

From soccer and homecoming queen to graduation and dyeing my hair brown, I have some pretty stellar experiences. Now that I've been in college for over a semester and was forced to grow up, I look back with a new perspective. One that's grateful for all I've experienced, good and bad. Those high school times are past and gone--I've learned a lot from them. And now it's time for some new friends, a new place, and new memories. It's time to look towards others instead of me, time to mature and grow. And let me tell ya, I am grateful for this opportunity, even if it makes me uncomfortable. Like the quote from H. Stanley Judd, "Don't be afraid to fail. Don't waste energy trying to cover up failure. Learn from your failures and go on to the next challenge. It's okay to fail. If you're not failing, you're not growing." So let's go fail some more, shall we? :)

Happy-ness

Yesterday I got to talk to one of my best friends who is at BYU-H. I know right? She was sitting outside her dorm and it looked all sunny and what not... I was totally jealous, but in a good way. We talked for like 2 1/2 hours. Conversations with that girl never get old :) I was also snap chatting with my other friend all day yesterday (we can be pretty creative) and I just loved it. I think that's why I'm in such a good mood today.

Wow. I have got it so good. I am blessed like none other. I have beautiful friends who love me. I've got an awesome family who supports me. And even when we are all hundreds of miles apart, we still find out how to have bucket loads of fun. 

Days like today would normally be the epitome of ugh. Really. I have many assignments due over the weekend, a cleaning check at 8, and a soccer game at 9, so naturally at this point I would want to lay on the ground and moan. I can't do that because 1) I'm in the library so someone would probably think I'm dead and call an ambulance and 2) there's a really cute guy in the seat next to me. So that wouldn't have worked anyway, but today I'm really loving life so there's no use for a moaning-in-self-pity session. They're never really satisfactory in the end regardless.

So. I'll go to my family processes class, walk home, clean as fast as possible, hopefully pass the check, play some soccer, do some homework, and go to bed. Yup. Sounds like a plan. So here's to being happy! I would totally recommend it, along with using a credit card to get off hard water spots. Totally works.

It's a little chilly...

So right now in Provo it's 16 degrees. Some people call that cold, and some people call it really cold. It gets kinda old when people repeatedly say that they hate the cold or that they're freezing all the time. But hey, I understand that most of them are from California or some other deliciously warm state where it barely gets under 50. Actually, I think it's quite hilarious, just like this video. I walk about a total of an hour to and from campus, and I don't really mind it. That may be because I'm from Idaho where we're lucky if it gets above zero at night, but it may be because I just think it's beautiful. 

Cuz seriously, it totally is. And at least it's not freezing without this gorgeous snow to look at. It absolutely goes to show that there's a big man upstairs. I mean, look at the intricacies of snowflakes, how they're all individually different... It's kind of like us, all unique but amazing in our own ways. So let's enjoy this weather and take it as it comes, ya? Because really, everything has beauty in it if you just look. :)

Well hi!

Wow. This is crazy. I am totally new to blogging, so this should be an interesting experience (for me and for anyone who reads this). Hey, might as well try it out, right? I'd like to think that I'm good at writing, but this might make me realize that I'm terrible. Or that I have a real talent and will someday become a famous author. Yup. Sounds about right. 

So for my first blog entry I thought I'd introduce myself. Ahem. I'm Kristina. I'm a Utah college student right now studying who knows what. Yeah, I'm one of those guys. The dreaded open major. BUT I might have an area of studies picked out, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. But I digress. I am from the state of good ol' Idaho, the best state around. Not like I'm biased or anything... I am also a member of the LDS church, so if you would like to know more about that click here. Now look at that. I just created my first link. Yay! Well I hope to be entertaining or inspirational or whatever you came here looking for. Now let's go have a fun night, ya? (More like mine will be full of homework and procrastinating. Probably more of the later) Until next time... :)