This week was of course Thanksgiving week, but I had the misfortune of not being able to go home. I think I did pretty well, though. My awesome Elder's Quorum president, Brandon Quinn, invited me to his house in Bountiful, UT, for the week. We had a great time together and it was neat to see beautiful Bountiful. It seems like a great place to live!
The beginning of the week was a little tough, though. I wanted to leave school so badly! It was just like having a short week in high school: there's not a whole lot going on and you just want to go home. I managed through my classes, though, and had some fun on my time off. Monday night, the night before we left, I stayed up until four with some of my friends. I didn't have any classes until two on Tuesday, so I figured I'd be okay. It was a fun night!
Tuesday, I left for Bountiful with Brandon. It was only about an hour away from Provo, so the drive was fine. After we unloaded our stuff at his home, we went to visit some of his friends and have some fun. Apparently, having fun in Bountiful is exploding water bottles with dry ice. We did that for a while with some of his friends, then headed back home.
On Wednesday, I helped set up Christmas lights at Brandon's grandparent's house. We did pretty well hanging lights on two big pine trees in their back yard. Afterward, we just hung out at his house and I got to watch the Pink Panther with Steve Martin for the first time.
Thursday was, of course, the big day! I missed getting to see my family and watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with them. We still had some fun at the Quinn's, though. Brandon and I finished hanging the Christmas lights and helped with a few other things at his grandparent's house, then went back to his house to get ready for dinner. They were hosting it this year, so there were a lot of preparations. We had all of the usual Thanksgiving fixin's, and it was like being in heaven! I didn't realize how much I missed real food until that night! Then, I got to be part of one of their family traditions. All of the kids went to their other grandparent's house to stay the night. We watched movies and socialized all night. Some of Brandon's cousins were painting toenails and were so thoughtful to include us. We had them painted BYU blue! It was a really late night, so getting up of Friday was a bit of a chore.
Friday evening was fun, though! As part of a BYU tradition, we had a Fri-date. Some of the other guys from school that live close by and we got dates and went laser-tagging. For a blind-date, it was pretty good! I went with a girl named Melissa that went to school with Brandon. For each game, we came up with fun code names. We were Maverick and Goose, Sugar and Spice, and Flynn Rider and Rapunzel. It was fun, but another late night.
The Quinns started setting up all of their Christmas decorations on Saturday, so we took all of their Fall things down to be replaced with Christmas things. I got to help decorate their tree and set up their train set. It was fun! After all the work was done, Brandon took me to Keva Juice of the first time. They make smoothie/milkshake drinks that are way good! I had a Tribal Princess with apple, mango, and orange flavor. It was really fresh and very yummy.
I had a really neat opportunity today at church. I walked in with the Quinns, then Brandon left to find someone. When he came back, Elder Neil Anderson was right behind him. He's a member of their ward and often gets to go be there. So, Brandon knows him pretty well and brought him over to shake my hand! I got to shake Elder Anderson's hand! I see this guy in General Conference! It was really cool!
I think this is my longest blog yet, so that is it. I have run out of things to say. Except that I really missed my family this week. I guess I didn't appreciate getting to go to all the dinners until I couldn't. So, during this Thanksgiving season, I am very thankful for my family!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Turkey Bowl!
The only thing out of the ordinary this week was our ward's Turkey Bowl. The two elder's quorums played full-contact football against eachother for a couple hours Saturday afternoon, Rogers Hall against Shipp Hall. It had snowed the night before, so we had to pick a spot that had already been cleared out for some intermural games. The ground was really muddy.
I got there and we only had eleven people, while Shipp had almost twenty guys. Things weren't looking too good for us. We had some really athletic people on our team, but all of their guys were big and strong. I started out on our offensive line and I didn't do too horribly. At least not worse than I expected. What was funny was that we had a guy that was 5'4" on the line with me. Our center had never played football, along with most of the team. My roommate, Brian, was our quaterback. He did really well and got us a few touchdowns before he had to leave. We did really well defensively, too. They didn't score once the entire first half, but they found their secret weapon at the end of the half. They had one guy that was big and relatively fast. He steamrolled over peple, but could never make it to a touchdown.
In the second half, we didn't do so well. We didn't make many more touchdowns and they got a couple on us. But, we did have some really nice defensive plays. I began playing as a defensive lineman and did well. I could slip through their line pretty well. I got in on a sack, held up their running back at the line of scrimage, and even helped stop their steamroller a couple times. Eventually, their linemen began double-teaming me, and they were not small either. I couldn't get through in the last quarter, so I didn't do that much. Our guys kept getting hurt because we were so much smaller than them, so I eventually stayed in for defense and offense.
Offensively, the best thing I did was probably my kick return. They made it look like they were doing an onside kick, so the rest of my team was close to the kicker and I was the only man in the back. Suprisingly, he kicked it straight to me. I was so suprised when I caught it, that I forgot to run for a second. But, I eventually took off. We just did two-hand touch on kicks, so I didn't get that far. If not, I think I could have done pretty well. I just wish that I could have run with the ball more. I don't think I could have caught it, but if it was handed off, I think I could have made my way through and picked up some good yards.
I think that it was really good overall. I got to learn a little more about me and the guys I live with. I got to really learn their names and share a fun experience with them. Also, I learned that I love playing football! Even though I'm a little beat up, I would gladly play again soon.
I got there and we only had eleven people, while Shipp had almost twenty guys. Things weren't looking too good for us. We had some really athletic people on our team, but all of their guys were big and strong. I started out on our offensive line and I didn't do too horribly. At least not worse than I expected. What was funny was that we had a guy that was 5'4" on the line with me. Our center had never played football, along with most of the team. My roommate, Brian, was our quaterback. He did really well and got us a few touchdowns before he had to leave. We did really well defensively, too. They didn't score once the entire first half, but they found their secret weapon at the end of the half. They had one guy that was big and relatively fast. He steamrolled over peple, but could never make it to a touchdown.
In the second half, we didn't do so well. We didn't make many more touchdowns and they got a couple on us. But, we did have some really nice defensive plays. I began playing as a defensive lineman and did well. I could slip through their line pretty well. I got in on a sack, held up their running back at the line of scrimage, and even helped stop their steamroller a couple times. Eventually, their linemen began double-teaming me, and they were not small either. I couldn't get through in the last quarter, so I didn't do that much. Our guys kept getting hurt because we were so much smaller than them, so I eventually stayed in for defense and offense.
Offensively, the best thing I did was probably my kick return. They made it look like they were doing an onside kick, so the rest of my team was close to the kicker and I was the only man in the back. Suprisingly, he kicked it straight to me. I was so suprised when I caught it, that I forgot to run for a second. But, I eventually took off. We just did two-hand touch on kicks, so I didn't get that far. If not, I think I could have done pretty well. I just wish that I could have run with the ball more. I don't think I could have caught it, but if it was handed off, I think I could have made my way through and picked up some good yards.
I think that it was really good overall. I got to learn a little more about me and the guys I live with. I got to really learn their names and share a fun experience with them. Also, I learned that I love playing football! Even though I'm a little beat up, I would gladly play again soon.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
The Wait is Over!
I know it's been a few weeks since I've had my last post, but my Sundays have gotten significantly busier. Last week, I had a Book of Mormon test to study for, so I figured studying the scriptures was an appropriate Sunday activity. Things just got busier than I expected, and I didn't get to put up a post. The week before that, I was doing personal scripture study, then got caught up in other fun BYU Sunday activities. And, of course, I have to throw in a quick, or sometimes not so quick, nap in there, too.
These last couple of weeks have been pretty cool. On the Book of Mormon test, I got a 98%, so I felt pretty good. I also had to turn in a paper for chemistry about experiments I performed to figure out what a bead did. That was a fun assignment! I've also been working hard on my research paper on the Rough Riders. I think I could tell you just about anything you want to know about them now. For my Writing class, I also got to learn about analyzing art. It was pretty neat to learn how to talk about art more than "That's pretty," or "I like that one."
I got to take a nice break from academia this weekend, though. A group of guys in my hall invited me to go on a mall scavenger hunt for a date. It sounded pretty cool and I didn't have any other plans, so I went. I just needed to find my own date. I took a girl from my ward named Lindsey. On the date, we were in a group of three couples and had lots of fun finding and doing things in the mall. One of my personal favorites was having someone in the group wear the ugliest prom dress we could find. What made it stand out was that the person that wore it was a guy. After the scavenger hunt, we went home and each couple bought a half-gallon of icecream. Lindsey and I were the first to finish, but I think I was also the first one that said they felt like throwing up. Then we played a couple games and the date was over. I had lots of fun!
We've also had some pretty awesome speakers in the last couple of weeks. President Monson, leader our church, spoke at a BYU devotional a couple Tuesdays ago. I didn't get to be in the Marriot Center with him, but I watched him speak on the BYU channel. It was really cool to hear him speak about growing your testimony by reading the Book of Mormon. I also really liked hearing him quote The Lion King! Last Sunday, President Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles came. We left home early and got pretty good seats, but I was worn out and it was dark and warm in the Marriot Center, so I fell asleep. I heard it was a pretty good talk, but I haven't gotten to watch it yet on lds.org.
That sounds like all the highlights of the last couple of weeks. I hope you all enjoyed! I would be happy to hear from anyone. I feel a little out of the loop!
These last couple of weeks have been pretty cool. On the Book of Mormon test, I got a 98%, so I felt pretty good. I also had to turn in a paper for chemistry about experiments I performed to figure out what a bead did. That was a fun assignment! I've also been working hard on my research paper on the Rough Riders. I think I could tell you just about anything you want to know about them now. For my Writing class, I also got to learn about analyzing art. It was pretty neat to learn how to talk about art more than "That's pretty," or "I like that one."
I got to take a nice break from academia this weekend, though. A group of guys in my hall invited me to go on a mall scavenger hunt for a date. It sounded pretty cool and I didn't have any other plans, so I went. I just needed to find my own date. I took a girl from my ward named Lindsey. On the date, we were in a group of three couples and had lots of fun finding and doing things in the mall. One of my personal favorites was having someone in the group wear the ugliest prom dress we could find. What made it stand out was that the person that wore it was a guy. After the scavenger hunt, we went home and each couple bought a half-gallon of icecream. Lindsey and I were the first to finish, but I think I was also the first one that said they felt like throwing up. Then we played a couple games and the date was over. I had lots of fun!
We've also had some pretty awesome speakers in the last couple of weeks. President Monson, leader our church, spoke at a BYU devotional a couple Tuesdays ago. I didn't get to be in the Marriot Center with him, but I watched him speak on the BYU channel. It was really cool to hear him speak about growing your testimony by reading the Book of Mormon. I also really liked hearing him quote The Lion King! Last Sunday, President Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles came. We left home early and got pretty good seats, but I was worn out and it was dark and warm in the Marriot Center, so I fell asleep. I heard it was a pretty good talk, but I haven't gotten to watch it yet on lds.org.
That sounds like all the highlights of the last couple of weeks. I hope you all enjoyed! I would be happy to hear from anyone. I feel a little out of the loop!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
I just wanted to start off this post by saying that I LOVE SUNDAYS!!! Today was my first day teaching in Elder's Quorum, so that was really special. Tanner helped me with the lesson a lot. It was on service. We were supposed to ask a lot of questions, but there's not a lot of participation at 8:30 in the morning. There were plenty of people there, though! One girl in our ward made muffins and passed them out at the guy's dorm to make sure everyone was awake. I thought it was a pretty good idea, and it got a lot of people out to church on time!
Our Sacrament meeting was also really awesome. Our theme was also service. There were two really good talks, then one of the Elders Quorum presidents did a special musical number. He sang "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief," one of the best hymns on charity. Then, after another really good talk, Jared gave an amazing talk. Honestly, he knocked it out of the park! After church today, with all of the motivation to do good, I imediately washed the dishes. Which turned out to be a good thing. Jeremy's parents came in for parent's weekend and made lasagna for lunch. It was sooo good! And for dinner, I went to Julia Kirby's house and had some manni katti fixed by her mom. It was just a day of good Italian food!
This evening, I went to a fireside on missionary service, then ward choir, and ward prayer. Sundays just make me feel like a pro!
This week has been pretty good. I've been doing lots of reading about the Rough Riders, mostly from Teddy Roosevelt's book about their campaign. It's been really interesting to learn about the "Splendid Little War" from a first hand account. One of the main themes President Roosevelt brings out is the men's pure desire to serve their country and prove that they have what it takes to be called the best. The Rough Riders were some pretty macho guys.
In Chemistry this week, we got to talk a little about organic chemistry. I've heard some horror stories about o-chem. It's the class that makes doctors not want to be doctors any more. I think it's pretty fun, though! It seems like the only thing in chemistry that has rules, but no confusing exceptions to the rules. It's just been basic naming and construction of molecules, so I'm sure it'll get harder later. I think I'll be alright. In my recitation with my TA, we were doing some o-chem drawings on the chalkboard. I decided that it originated from aboriginal cave-paintings. They look just like that if you have no idea what they mean.
After the football game (which BYU dominated by the way, 56-3), Tanner and I kept a tradition we've had. We'll race down the stairs by the Marriot Center. So far, I've won two, he's won one, and we tied the last one. We decided to race home after that, and he smoked me. I am way out of shape, but, to my defence, he had a bit of a headstart and I had jogged up a hill to the stairs. I am determined to get back in shape, though. School gets in the way of fitness.
On Friday, I went on my very first blind date. A couple of my neighbors and I were asked if we wanted to go on a date with some girls from a different apartment. They're in my stake, but not in my ward. We baked cookies and played Balderdash. It was a really fun date! We kept it short and sweet.
Just a little heads-up, next week will have some pretty exciting things. A few fun things, a few scholastic things, and a few crazy things. Stay tuned next week!
Our Sacrament meeting was also really awesome. Our theme was also service. There were two really good talks, then one of the Elders Quorum presidents did a special musical number. He sang "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief," one of the best hymns on charity. Then, after another really good talk, Jared gave an amazing talk. Honestly, he knocked it out of the park! After church today, with all of the motivation to do good, I imediately washed the dishes. Which turned out to be a good thing. Jeremy's parents came in for parent's weekend and made lasagna for lunch. It was sooo good! And for dinner, I went to Julia Kirby's house and had some manni katti fixed by her mom. It was just a day of good Italian food!
This evening, I went to a fireside on missionary service, then ward choir, and ward prayer. Sundays just make me feel like a pro!
This week has been pretty good. I've been doing lots of reading about the Rough Riders, mostly from Teddy Roosevelt's book about their campaign. It's been really interesting to learn about the "Splendid Little War" from a first hand account. One of the main themes President Roosevelt brings out is the men's pure desire to serve their country and prove that they have what it takes to be called the best. The Rough Riders were some pretty macho guys.
In Chemistry this week, we got to talk a little about organic chemistry. I've heard some horror stories about o-chem. It's the class that makes doctors not want to be doctors any more. I think it's pretty fun, though! It seems like the only thing in chemistry that has rules, but no confusing exceptions to the rules. It's just been basic naming and construction of molecules, so I'm sure it'll get harder later. I think I'll be alright. In my recitation with my TA, we were doing some o-chem drawings on the chalkboard. I decided that it originated from aboriginal cave-paintings. They look just like that if you have no idea what they mean.
After the football game (which BYU dominated by the way, 56-3), Tanner and I kept a tradition we've had. We'll race down the stairs by the Marriot Center. So far, I've won two, he's won one, and we tied the last one. We decided to race home after that, and he smoked me. I am way out of shape, but, to my defence, he had a bit of a headstart and I had jogged up a hill to the stairs. I am determined to get back in shape, though. School gets in the way of fitness.
On Friday, I went on my very first blind date. A couple of my neighbors and I were asked if we wanted to go on a date with some girls from a different apartment. They're in my stake, but not in my ward. We baked cookies and played Balderdash. It was a really fun date! We kept it short and sweet.
Just a little heads-up, next week will have some pretty exciting things. A few fun things, a few scholastic things, and a few crazy things. Stay tuned next week!
Sunday, October 16, 2011
The Week Consistency Died
I had been doing so well! One blog every Sunday! I apologize for not filling you all in on what happened last week. Now, I don't even remember what happened. It shall be known from hence forth as The Forgotten Week. Anyway, I'm sure I had some fun times, some hard times, some growing experiences, and plenty of lazy experiences.
This week was again full of lazy experiences. I have relearned how to waste time watching TV and playing on the internet. However, I have created a plan and am excited to execute it to ensure my success! I wrote some guidelines on how I'm going to spend my time. I am also going to do better with my planner. I know that it works, I just need to use it!
I also started to learn how to play Eidelweiss, from the Sound of Music, on the guitar. It's not great, but I'm getting there! With some consistent practice, I think I'll get it down!
I had my second Chemistry test this week. I worked really hard to memorize the things I had to know and learn the principles. It definitely payed off! I felt very good about my test, but I won't find out my grade until Tuesday or later.
I learned the value of old horror films on Friday evening. I got to watch The Cat and the Canary with Tanner. It had lots of suspense with plenty of humor, too. It's a great, classic film! The only thing that would have made it better is a cute girl I could have held onto!
Saturday was also pretty fun! I dropped eggs off of a parking garage on a date! I was working with Michelle Bury and Tanner was with Mariah Smith, both from our FHE group. We wrapped them up in wrinkled newspaper, popcorn, Santa hats, and zip-lock bags and dropped them three stories. Suprisingly, neither of the eggs broke after three drops! We made pizza at home for dinner. They were super yummy!
Today, I'm going hometeaching for the first time here! I am so excited! Hopefully, everything will go well!
And that just about wraps up this week. Sorry I couldn't tell you about last week. I'll definitely do better to keep writing!
This week was again full of lazy experiences. I have relearned how to waste time watching TV and playing on the internet. However, I have created a plan and am excited to execute it to ensure my success! I wrote some guidelines on how I'm going to spend my time. I am also going to do better with my planner. I know that it works, I just need to use it!
I also started to learn how to play Eidelweiss, from the Sound of Music, on the guitar. It's not great, but I'm getting there! With some consistent practice, I think I'll get it down!
I had my second Chemistry test this week. I worked really hard to memorize the things I had to know and learn the principles. It definitely payed off! I felt very good about my test, but I won't find out my grade until Tuesday or later.
I learned the value of old horror films on Friday evening. I got to watch The Cat and the Canary with Tanner. It had lots of suspense with plenty of humor, too. It's a great, classic film! The only thing that would have made it better is a cute girl I could have held onto!
Saturday was also pretty fun! I dropped eggs off of a parking garage on a date! I was working with Michelle Bury and Tanner was with Mariah Smith, both from our FHE group. We wrapped them up in wrinkled newspaper, popcorn, Santa hats, and zip-lock bags and dropped them three stories. Suprisingly, neither of the eggs broke after three drops! We made pizza at home for dinner. They were super yummy!
Today, I'm going hometeaching for the first time here! I am so excited! Hopefully, everything will go well!
And that just about wraps up this week. Sorry I couldn't tell you about last week. I'll definitely do better to keep writing!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
General Conference Week!
This week has been pretty good. I've done well keeping up on my homework, BYU won their football game, I've rediscovered how awesome mac-and-cheese can be, and this weekend pretty much ended things on a super note!
I didn't do anything very exciting, except for go to our Ward Talent Show. We have some really talented people! One guy did movie quotes, lots of people played guitar or piano, and one guy did push-ups.... with his feet behind his head! It was pretty insane. On Friday, Jared gave Tanner and me a little intro to breakdancing class. We both still have a long way to go!
This weekend was definitely the best thing this week. Our church had General Conference: a world-wide meeting for members of our church. The leaders, male and female, will speak on whatever they feel inspired to talk about. Tons of preparation and prayer go into General Conference, and the results are amazing! You can feel the Holy Ghost giving you inspiration and telling you that what the speakers are telling you are true. I had the unique opportunity to be in the Conference Center for three of the five sessions. It was truly amazing!
One of the themes that stuck out to me was service. It is so important to serve others. I haven't done a lot yet to do service, but I am changing that! I am going to check what I can do in the Y-Serve office and get started as soon as possible! I'm also really excited to get to serve people with home teaching. At least once a month, I'll get to visit people in my ward and give them a short lesson. Every time, I'm going to ask, "Is there anything I can do to help you?" I am pumped to serve!
Another big chance I'll have to serve is to go on my mission! I love thinking about devoting two years of my life to serving Jesus Christ as his representative! There were some really good talks about missionary work. Another one of my favorite talks was given by Sister Dalton about being a good father. I loved thinking about showing my love for my future children and wife. I want to be the best dad in the world!
General Conference really helped me out. I feel so good about life right now! I know that Heavenly Father loves me, and I want to do all that I can to show my love for him! I know that this is the true church, the Book of Mormon is scripture, and there is a prophet acting as God's mouthpiece today! This church's doctrine is a doctrine of hope and love for everybody. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and he wants me to succeed. He has atoned for me, died, and rose again. This is my testimony, that I have gained for myself. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
I didn't do anything very exciting, except for go to our Ward Talent Show. We have some really talented people! One guy did movie quotes, lots of people played guitar or piano, and one guy did push-ups.... with his feet behind his head! It was pretty insane. On Friday, Jared gave Tanner and me a little intro to breakdancing class. We both still have a long way to go!
This weekend was definitely the best thing this week. Our church had General Conference: a world-wide meeting for members of our church. The leaders, male and female, will speak on whatever they feel inspired to talk about. Tons of preparation and prayer go into General Conference, and the results are amazing! You can feel the Holy Ghost giving you inspiration and telling you that what the speakers are telling you are true. I had the unique opportunity to be in the Conference Center for three of the five sessions. It was truly amazing!
One of the themes that stuck out to me was service. It is so important to serve others. I haven't done a lot yet to do service, but I am changing that! I am going to check what I can do in the Y-Serve office and get started as soon as possible! I'm also really excited to get to serve people with home teaching. At least once a month, I'll get to visit people in my ward and give them a short lesson. Every time, I'm going to ask, "Is there anything I can do to help you?" I am pumped to serve!
Another big chance I'll have to serve is to go on my mission! I love thinking about devoting two years of my life to serving Jesus Christ as his representative! There were some really good talks about missionary work. Another one of my favorite talks was given by Sister Dalton about being a good father. I loved thinking about showing my love for my future children and wife. I want to be the best dad in the world!
General Conference really helped me out. I feel so good about life right now! I know that Heavenly Father loves me, and I want to do all that I can to show my love for him! I know that this is the true church, the Book of Mormon is scripture, and there is a prophet acting as God's mouthpiece today! This church's doctrine is a doctrine of hope and love for everybody. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and he wants me to succeed. He has atoned for me, died, and rose again. This is my testimony, that I have gained for myself. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Busy, busy, busy
I donated blood this week! It was the very first time that I ever gave blood. I was super excited and nervous about it, but everything went well. It didn't hurt too bad, and didn't take too long. So, all in all, it was a really good experience. I had a really good nurse, too. I expected my arm to be really bruised and sore, but the only mark was from the needle. I tried to be really careful with my arm for the next couple of days, so I didn't get to exercise like I wanted to. I missed doing push-ups and pull-ups!
On Tuesday, I had a fantastic dinner. Alyson Holloway, one of my FHE sisters, helped me make chicken cordon bleu! It was way good! Jeremy took it to his choir try-out that evening and all of the guys said, "What kind of college freshman makes chicken cordon bleu?!?" He just said, "The awesome kind."
Speaking of the choir try-outs, Jeremy made it into Familiar Ring: an acapella choir that sings with Vocal Point. He was the only one of about thirty people to make it into the group. He was so excited that he couldn't sit down the rest of the evening!
I tried to be like Tanner on Thursday. I spent all evening, from about six to midnight, in the library. I didn't think it would be that good, but I got a lot of homework done and had fun listening to the Lord of the Rings soundtracks. They make doing homework epic! Every time you finish a math problem, it's like you just saved Helm's Deep from getting overrun with Uruk-hai.
Friday was Awesome Roommate Appreciation Day! I still had a lot of things to unpack and my side of the room had gotten kind of messy with all the things that are going on. So, I decided I would finally clean up my mess. Our room looked pretty good! I even folded Tanner's laundry because he was busy all day. He was pretty excited to come home to a clean room and pile of folded clothes!
Friday was also BYU's football game. We played against the University of Central Florida. We did a whole lot better this week, too! We actually one! Everyone was in a much better mood this weekend than last weekend.
All of the hard work I did during the week took it's toll on Saturday, though. While everyone else was out hiking the Y, going on dates, or just being generally productive, I was at home sleeping most of the day. I was only up until 12 the night before, so I didn't think I'd be that tired. However, I woke up at nine, stayed in bed until 11, and fell back asleep at noon for a couple hours. I felt useless!
I was supposed to have my first teaching assignment in Elder's Quorum today. But, Tanner, Bryan, and I all slept through our alarms. We didn't wake up until after 8:30, when church starts. Luckily, our awesome quorum president taught the class. I felt bad for not fulfilling my calling, but I guess I'll just have to do better next time. We also got our home teaching assignments this week! I am so excited to start doing that! My companion is Brandon Quinn, the quorum president. We're going to meet the people that we're teaching today, and I am looking forward to it.
All in all, this week was really busy. There were a lot of things for me to do, but it all got done. I felt so good being able to work hard!
On Tuesday, I had a fantastic dinner. Alyson Holloway, one of my FHE sisters, helped me make chicken cordon bleu! It was way good! Jeremy took it to his choir try-out that evening and all of the guys said, "What kind of college freshman makes chicken cordon bleu?!?" He just said, "The awesome kind."
Speaking of the choir try-outs, Jeremy made it into Familiar Ring: an acapella choir that sings with Vocal Point. He was the only one of about thirty people to make it into the group. He was so excited that he couldn't sit down the rest of the evening!
I tried to be like Tanner on Thursday. I spent all evening, from about six to midnight, in the library. I didn't think it would be that good, but I got a lot of homework done and had fun listening to the Lord of the Rings soundtracks. They make doing homework epic! Every time you finish a math problem, it's like you just saved Helm's Deep from getting overrun with Uruk-hai.
Friday was Awesome Roommate Appreciation Day! I still had a lot of things to unpack and my side of the room had gotten kind of messy with all the things that are going on. So, I decided I would finally clean up my mess. Our room looked pretty good! I even folded Tanner's laundry because he was busy all day. He was pretty excited to come home to a clean room and pile of folded clothes!
Friday was also BYU's football game. We played against the University of Central Florida. We did a whole lot better this week, too! We actually one! Everyone was in a much better mood this weekend than last weekend.
All of the hard work I did during the week took it's toll on Saturday, though. While everyone else was out hiking the Y, going on dates, or just being generally productive, I was at home sleeping most of the day. I was only up until 12 the night before, so I didn't think I'd be that tired. However, I woke up at nine, stayed in bed until 11, and fell back asleep at noon for a couple hours. I felt useless!
I was supposed to have my first teaching assignment in Elder's Quorum today. But, Tanner, Bryan, and I all slept through our alarms. We didn't wake up until after 8:30, when church starts. Luckily, our awesome quorum president taught the class. I felt bad for not fulfilling my calling, but I guess I'll just have to do better next time. We also got our home teaching assignments this week! I am so excited to start doing that! My companion is Brandon Quinn, the quorum president. We're going to meet the people that we're teaching today, and I am looking forward to it.
All in all, this week was really busy. There were a lot of things for me to do, but it all got done. I felt so good being able to work hard!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
This week was fun! BYU had their first home football game, and even better, it was against our rivals! Yeah, we lost (which in this case means: got horribly trampled), but it was still fun to be in the "game day" atmosphere! Unfortunately, I was working as part of the event staff and didn't get to watch the game that much. Instead, I got to watch people and tell them not to throw paper airplanes, climb over railings, stand in the walkway, and other common sense things. I did get to wear a super bright orange polo and jacket, though!
I feel like I'm starting to do better at organizing my time. At the beginning of the semester, I didn't really have a plan for my day. I just floated along. But now, I started using my planner and it seems like things are starting to get done! I'm still not great at using it, but I finally see the benefits of having a great schedule!
I also took my first two tests this weekend. I was a little scared to go to the big testing center, but it's not that bad. It is absolutely silent. Someone compared it to the wizard prison, Azkaban, in the Harry Potter books, so I get a nice little laugh out of it now.
Last week, I told you that Elder Oaks and Elder Anderson were coming to campus. It was so cool to listen to them! The neatest thing was when Elder Oaks walked in. My group got to the Marriot Center early so we could get decent seats, so we weren't that far from the pulpit. As he walked in, everyone stopped what they were doing, stood up, and stayed silent. No one said a word until he motioned us to sit down. It was so cool! He talked about truth and tolerence. I'm a little scared to think about some of the things I'll have to stand against in the future. Elder Anderson talked about honesty. He stressed integrity and honor a lot in his talk. I am so grateful to my parents for teaching me to be an honest person!
I am really grateful for the opportunity I have to be at Brigham Young University. I feel like I am starting to grow (at least I hope I'm growing). It's been really good for me.
I feel like I'm starting to do better at organizing my time. At the beginning of the semester, I didn't really have a plan for my day. I just floated along. But now, I started using my planner and it seems like things are starting to get done! I'm still not great at using it, but I finally see the benefits of having a great schedule!
I also took my first two tests this weekend. I was a little scared to go to the big testing center, but it's not that bad. It is absolutely silent. Someone compared it to the wizard prison, Azkaban, in the Harry Potter books, so I get a nice little laugh out of it now.
Last week, I told you that Elder Oaks and Elder Anderson were coming to campus. It was so cool to listen to them! The neatest thing was when Elder Oaks walked in. My group got to the Marriot Center early so we could get decent seats, so we weren't that far from the pulpit. As he walked in, everyone stopped what they were doing, stood up, and stayed silent. No one said a word until he motioned us to sit down. It was so cool! He talked about truth and tolerence. I'm a little scared to think about some of the things I'll have to stand against in the future. Elder Anderson talked about honesty. He stressed integrity and honor a lot in his talk. I am so grateful to my parents for teaching me to be an honest person!
I am really grateful for the opportunity I have to be at Brigham Young University. I feel like I am starting to grow (at least I hope I'm growing). It's been really good for me.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Paper, after paper, after paper....
Greetings, programs! How's that for a TRON reference! It feel like this week, we have found our groove. Nothing really extraordinary happened.
Except.... I had to write so many papers this week! For my english honors class, I had to write four papers, all at least three pages, in six days. Not to mention the paper for my chemistry class. Or the five hours of reading for the same english class. Or the online homework assignments for my math and chemistry. Or the daily reading for chemistry.
But, everything turned out ok. I have definitely been able to grow my testimony of daily scripture study here! I remember a promise we were given at the beginning of the semester that said the hours will seem lengthened so that we can do all of the things we need to do. When I start my day with a prayer and good scripture study, I can accomplish so much more! I am amazed at all the work I can do and how good I feel throughout the day! Next, maybe I should work on my testimony of going to bed early...
This week, I think I finally settled on a career. I know that I still have lots of time to, and probably will, change my mind, but I think a doctor sounds good for now. I wanted to take a lot of different classes this semester. Some that I haven't taken in a long time. During my freshman and sophomore years in high school, I was in a lot of math and science classes and enjoyed them. They were easy for me. But, my junior and senior years, I took more english and history classes and enjoyed them as well. My senior year, though, I took a human biology class and that really fascinated me. I also got to spend time with some great people in medical school or a little farther in the process. I saw how hard it was, but the things they did were so amazing. So, I wanted to test which I enjoyed most this year. I went back to math and science to test an engineering career and discovered it's not for me. I think I'll stick with bones and muscles, thank you very much.
I love the devotionals here. Our first one was given by President and Sister Samuelson, the president of BYU and his wife. Today, I get to listen to Elder Dallin H. Oaks, and on tuesday Elder Neil L. Anderson! I am so excited to get to listen to these leaders of the church!
BYU also played their second game of the season this week against Texas. We won our first against Ole Miss by only one point. However, we were Ole Miss in our second game. We dominated the first half, but Texas came back with fire in their eyes and beat us by a point. Still, I think we played well. My favorite part was getting to spend time with my roomies and our fhe sisters. It was tons of fun!
I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have to be here. I am constantly being lifted up by the people around me. They are so great and help me to become better. Overall, BYU = a good experience.
Except.... I had to write so many papers this week! For my english honors class, I had to write four papers, all at least three pages, in six days. Not to mention the paper for my chemistry class. Or the five hours of reading for the same english class. Or the online homework assignments for my math and chemistry. Or the daily reading for chemistry.
But, everything turned out ok. I have definitely been able to grow my testimony of daily scripture study here! I remember a promise we were given at the beginning of the semester that said the hours will seem lengthened so that we can do all of the things we need to do. When I start my day with a prayer and good scripture study, I can accomplish so much more! I am amazed at all the work I can do and how good I feel throughout the day! Next, maybe I should work on my testimony of going to bed early...
This week, I think I finally settled on a career. I know that I still have lots of time to, and probably will, change my mind, but I think a doctor sounds good for now. I wanted to take a lot of different classes this semester. Some that I haven't taken in a long time. During my freshman and sophomore years in high school, I was in a lot of math and science classes and enjoyed them. They were easy for me. But, my junior and senior years, I took more english and history classes and enjoyed them as well. My senior year, though, I took a human biology class and that really fascinated me. I also got to spend time with some great people in medical school or a little farther in the process. I saw how hard it was, but the things they did were so amazing. So, I wanted to test which I enjoyed most this year. I went back to math and science to test an engineering career and discovered it's not for me. I think I'll stick with bones and muscles, thank you very much.
I love the devotionals here. Our first one was given by President and Sister Samuelson, the president of BYU and his wife. Today, I get to listen to Elder Dallin H. Oaks, and on tuesday Elder Neil L. Anderson! I am so excited to get to listen to these leaders of the church!
BYU also played their second game of the season this week against Texas. We won our first against Ole Miss by only one point. However, we were Ole Miss in our second game. We dominated the first half, but Texas came back with fire in their eyes and beat us by a point. Still, I think we played well. My favorite part was getting to spend time with my roomies and our fhe sisters. It was tons of fun!
I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have to be here. I am constantly being lifted up by the people around me. They are so great and help me to become better. Overall, BYU = a good experience.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
The Adventure Continues...
And we made it through week 2! I still don't have a camera, so there are still no pictures. Sorry, everyone. This week has been really tough! We started our classes, and boy are they different from back home! I took college level classes back home for the last two years of high school, so I thought I would be ready for the work load here. I was sorely mistaken! It doesn't help that I've forgotten a lot of the material for the classes I'm taking. I am excited and ready to work hard and do well in my classes, though!
At the beginning of the week, I felt very homesick. I went from being the "big fish" in the little pond called Huntington. Now, I'm a small fish in a very, very big pond. It's been tough not knowing very many people here, and then not seeing the people that I know very often. On Monday, I said I was homesick on Facebook. The next day, one of my roommates, Jared Crystal, found some letters in our hallway and they were all for me. They were encouraging letters from my Family Home Evening group "sisters"! They helped me feel sooo much better. I really felt like I owed them one. So, I fixed them popcorn and visited them for a little while, just so they knew I appreciated it. I taped them on my wall and look at them whenever I feel alone. It helps a whole lot to know that there are people here that care about you!
The guys dominated the service-war this week! We were practicing all week, then Friday came. We took all of our stuff over and set up in the lobby of the young women's dorm. They all came out and we played "Hey There, Delilah"! I played on a keyboard, Jeremy Romrell played acoustic guitar, Jared Crystal played electric guitar, and Tanner was our awesome announcer. They said it melted their hearts! Big score on that one!
I also had a neat spiritual moment this week. It didn't come while I was reading scriptures, praying, or any other typical spiritual moment. I was studying for my chemistry class. In my book, it said that scientific laws are rules that nature follows. Instead, they are descriptions of how nature works. I thought that statement sounded like how Heavenly Father works. He isn't restricted by the laws of nature, they just describe how he works. We, too, should follow the commandments so that they aren't a list of do's and don'ts, but they should just be a part of how we do things.
Well, that's about all that happened this week. A lot of going to class, studying, and hanging out with our FHE sisters. As usual, I would love it if you asked questions, or sent me messages, or comments or anything.
At the beginning of the week, I felt very homesick. I went from being the "big fish" in the little pond called Huntington. Now, I'm a small fish in a very, very big pond. It's been tough not knowing very many people here, and then not seeing the people that I know very often. On Monday, I said I was homesick on Facebook. The next day, one of my roommates, Jared Crystal, found some letters in our hallway and they were all for me. They were encouraging letters from my Family Home Evening group "sisters"! They helped me feel sooo much better. I really felt like I owed them one. So, I fixed them popcorn and visited them for a little while, just so they knew I appreciated it. I taped them on my wall and look at them whenever I feel alone. It helps a whole lot to know that there are people here that care about you!
The guys dominated the service-war this week! We were practicing all week, then Friday came. We took all of our stuff over and set up in the lobby of the young women's dorm. They all came out and we played "Hey There, Delilah"! I played on a keyboard, Jeremy Romrell played acoustic guitar, Jared Crystal played electric guitar, and Tanner was our awesome announcer. They said it melted their hearts! Big score on that one!
I also had a neat spiritual moment this week. It didn't come while I was reading scriptures, praying, or any other typical spiritual moment. I was studying for my chemistry class. In my book, it said that scientific laws are rules that nature follows. Instead, they are descriptions of how nature works. I thought that statement sounded like how Heavenly Father works. He isn't restricted by the laws of nature, they just describe how he works. We, too, should follow the commandments so that they aren't a list of do's and don'ts, but they should just be a part of how we do things.
Well, that's about all that happened this week. A lot of going to class, studying, and hanging out with our FHE sisters. As usual, I would love it if you asked questions, or sent me messages, or comments or anything.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Journey to the West
Hey everyone! I wanted to start this blog so everyone from home can keep up with me here at BYU this year. I'm really excited to be here and to share my experiences with you with this blog. I'm sorry I don't have any pictures in this one, but I don't have a camera and my dad took his with him. Next time, hopefully, I'll be able to put some up of my dorm and my roommates and any other cool things about campus.
So this week has been jam packed! I left early Monday morning to start my modern-day trek to Utah. My dad stayed a little while to talk to my sister and get a few last minute things. Because I was waiting for him and was super excited to get going, I left some pretty important things at home: the scriptures for my roommate, Tanner Schenewark, and me. There were a few more things, but I think I can live without them for a little while. We left Huntington, WV, at about 11 in the morning and got a quick bite to eat. We took turns driving until late in the evening. Before we stopped for dinner, we noticed that none of the town names looked like the ones on the map. I turned out that I had taken us on an hour detour north.So, we stopped for dinner and adjusted our schedule accordingly. we stopped for the night in Davenport, IA.
The next day was super long. We woke up early to make up some time and tried to make it to Winterquarters for a short stop by lunch. We made it to the town, but a road we needed was closed with no detour. My dad drove in a circle for about an hour until he got frustrated and had to get out of the car. We had tacos, then kept driving. We drove through some of the most boring land I have ever seen. Everything was flat and corn. There was no civilization for miles. Trying to stop was the worst, though. We tried to find a place to stay in several towns in NB, but all of the hotels were full. We ended up driving until 3:30 in the morning and stopped only about an hour from Salt Lake City.
Wednesday was a really nice day. We drove the last hour to SLC and visited Temple Square. I was so surprised by all the traffic and the huge lanes. It's very different from driving down a two lane road in downtown Chesapeake with two other cars behind you. Apparently, people in Utah don't believe in speed limits either. They were flying! After visiting Temple Square and Deseret Book, we headed off for Provo. It didn't take too long for me to unpack my things and make my apartment home. My dad and I made a very much needed Wal-Mart run (I think my dad was going through withdrawals). We picked up almost a hundred things for my dorm and food to cook. For dinner, we met up with Tanner for a some In-n-Out Burger. Tanner's father recomended it to my dad, and I am very glad he did! They're hamburgers and fries are so fresh you can taste it! That is definitely a date-stop. My dad stayed the night in my dorm while I slept on the floor.
I woke up early on Thursday to take my dad to the airport. We said our good-byes and a tear or two were shed. It was cool to find out that he was flying with Elder Holland! I had to drive back to Provo and get ready for New Student Orientation. I was a little late and didn't get to meet with my Y-group before they left, but got very lucky and ran into them on the way to the Mariott Center where we were have Convocation. We listened to the University President and Student Body President. Next, we had lunch in our groups. They were huge lunches! Even I couldn't finish it all. We took a tour of campus after we had finished eating, and I was thoroughly exhausted. I almost went back to my dorm and went to bed. I decided instead to go to a meeting about the honor's program and selecting a major. I cooked spaghetti and meat sauce for my roommates that night. I think I have already won their hearts! One of their friends said she was jealous I couldn't be in her dorm. After dinner, we went to a Tradition of Honor presentation that talked about BYU's Honor Code and explained some of the reasons why we set such a high standard for ourselves. Finally, we headed to LaVell Edwards Stadium for a really cool pep rally. Our whole class was seated in the shape of a Y and we had our picture taken. It was the first time in over a hundred years a class had their picture taken like that. It was also the first time that I got to see Cosmo the Cougar! Everyone got pumped up for the upcoming sports, especially football. Everyone just went crazy! I slept well that night.
We started out the day on Friday with our first devotional. We heard from the head of the religous studies classes. He shared some really nice insights. There were some more presentations about things to do at the Y and we met with our Freshman Mentors. Mine is a really nice girl named Erynn Scott. I think I'll be able to learn a lot from her. There was a vollyball game going on in the evening, so they had a big party at 4:30. They ordered 900 pizzas. They had so much that people were taking multiple boxes with them. I took 2, but saw a guy take 5. After some pizza, I took a nice nap. It felt so good to rest.
Saturday was a day to get things ready for school to start. I got all of my books. I got as many used as I could and even rented a couple. It ended up being $313. In the afternoon, I (poorly) played a little basketball and worked on some laundry. I was worn out and took another nap. Then I made another Wal-Mart run and made a menu with Tanner. I got back late to an awesome dinner Tanner made. I also ended up going to my first BYU dance. They were having it outside, but it got rained out and everyone moved inside the Wilkinson Student Center, where they were having a comedy show, karaoke, and had a few games set up. I got to meet some people and had a pretty good time.
Sunday came early. Church started at 8:30 this morning. We started in Elders Quorum and Relief Society. the room we were in wasn't nearly big enough. People had to stand or sit in the floor. We also took pictures for our ward directory. It made me think it'll get used as a dating menu. In sacrament meeting, we hear from our bishopric and their wives. It was a really spirit-filled meeting. In the afternoon, we had a meeting with all of the other guys in our building. Bryan, the Resident's Assistant and one of my roommates, led the meeting. They had a neat tem building game that was really fun to watch. Now, it's just time to relax until our ice-cream social tonight and ward prayer!
I'm going to update this next week, so watch for it! I miss all my friends and family from back east. You can write to me at my dorm or shoot me an e-mail or message on facebook. I'd love to hear about what is going on with everyone!
this is my mail address:
Stephen Welch
93 Rogers Hall
Provo, UT 84604
So this week has been jam packed! I left early Monday morning to start my modern-day trek to Utah. My dad stayed a little while to talk to my sister and get a few last minute things. Because I was waiting for him and was super excited to get going, I left some pretty important things at home: the scriptures for my roommate, Tanner Schenewark, and me. There were a few more things, but I think I can live without them for a little while. We left Huntington, WV, at about 11 in the morning and got a quick bite to eat. We took turns driving until late in the evening. Before we stopped for dinner, we noticed that none of the town names looked like the ones on the map. I turned out that I had taken us on an hour detour north.So, we stopped for dinner and adjusted our schedule accordingly. we stopped for the night in Davenport, IA.
The next day was super long. We woke up early to make up some time and tried to make it to Winterquarters for a short stop by lunch. We made it to the town, but a road we needed was closed with no detour. My dad drove in a circle for about an hour until he got frustrated and had to get out of the car. We had tacos, then kept driving. We drove through some of the most boring land I have ever seen. Everything was flat and corn. There was no civilization for miles. Trying to stop was the worst, though. We tried to find a place to stay in several towns in NB, but all of the hotels were full. We ended up driving until 3:30 in the morning and stopped only about an hour from Salt Lake City.
Wednesday was a really nice day. We drove the last hour to SLC and visited Temple Square. I was so surprised by all the traffic and the huge lanes. It's very different from driving down a two lane road in downtown Chesapeake with two other cars behind you. Apparently, people in Utah don't believe in speed limits either. They were flying! After visiting Temple Square and Deseret Book, we headed off for Provo. It didn't take too long for me to unpack my things and make my apartment home. My dad and I made a very much needed Wal-Mart run (I think my dad was going through withdrawals). We picked up almost a hundred things for my dorm and food to cook. For dinner, we met up with Tanner for a some In-n-Out Burger. Tanner's father recomended it to my dad, and I am very glad he did! They're hamburgers and fries are so fresh you can taste it! That is definitely a date-stop. My dad stayed the night in my dorm while I slept on the floor.
I woke up early on Thursday to take my dad to the airport. We said our good-byes and a tear or two were shed. It was cool to find out that he was flying with Elder Holland! I had to drive back to Provo and get ready for New Student Orientation. I was a little late and didn't get to meet with my Y-group before they left, but got very lucky and ran into them on the way to the Mariott Center where we were have Convocation. We listened to the University President and Student Body President. Next, we had lunch in our groups. They were huge lunches! Even I couldn't finish it all. We took a tour of campus after we had finished eating, and I was thoroughly exhausted. I almost went back to my dorm and went to bed. I decided instead to go to a meeting about the honor's program and selecting a major. I cooked spaghetti and meat sauce for my roommates that night. I think I have already won their hearts! One of their friends said she was jealous I couldn't be in her dorm. After dinner, we went to a Tradition of Honor presentation that talked about BYU's Honor Code and explained some of the reasons why we set such a high standard for ourselves. Finally, we headed to LaVell Edwards Stadium for a really cool pep rally. Our whole class was seated in the shape of a Y and we had our picture taken. It was the first time in over a hundred years a class had their picture taken like that. It was also the first time that I got to see Cosmo the Cougar! Everyone got pumped up for the upcoming sports, especially football. Everyone just went crazy! I slept well that night.
We started out the day on Friday with our first devotional. We heard from the head of the religous studies classes. He shared some really nice insights. There were some more presentations about things to do at the Y and we met with our Freshman Mentors. Mine is a really nice girl named Erynn Scott. I think I'll be able to learn a lot from her. There was a vollyball game going on in the evening, so they had a big party at 4:30. They ordered 900 pizzas. They had so much that people were taking multiple boxes with them. I took 2, but saw a guy take 5. After some pizza, I took a nice nap. It felt so good to rest.
Saturday was a day to get things ready for school to start. I got all of my books. I got as many used as I could and even rented a couple. It ended up being $313. In the afternoon, I (poorly) played a little basketball and worked on some laundry. I was worn out and took another nap. Then I made another Wal-Mart run and made a menu with Tanner. I got back late to an awesome dinner Tanner made. I also ended up going to my first BYU dance. They were having it outside, but it got rained out and everyone moved inside the Wilkinson Student Center, where they were having a comedy show, karaoke, and had a few games set up. I got to meet some people and had a pretty good time.
Sunday came early. Church started at 8:30 this morning. We started in Elders Quorum and Relief Society. the room we were in wasn't nearly big enough. People had to stand or sit in the floor. We also took pictures for our ward directory. It made me think it'll get used as a dating menu. In sacrament meeting, we hear from our bishopric and their wives. It was a really spirit-filled meeting. In the afternoon, we had a meeting with all of the other guys in our building. Bryan, the Resident's Assistant and one of my roommates, led the meeting. They had a neat tem building game that was really fun to watch. Now, it's just time to relax until our ice-cream social tonight and ward prayer!
I'm going to update this next week, so watch for it! I miss all my friends and family from back east. You can write to me at my dorm or shoot me an e-mail or message on facebook. I'd love to hear about what is going on with everyone!
this is my mail address:
Stephen Welch
93 Rogers Hall
Provo, UT 84604
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