My Little Brother Is so COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here just look at this: www.woodsinthehood.blogspot.com

LIFE!!!

I get it, life happens, I feel like it should be slower, but it just keeps going by faster and faster it seems. This past year has been a good one for me. Sure there have been changes, some good some not, some hard and others easy. But what would life be without change and growth. This January 22 will be the one year mark of the passing of a very dear loved one. This saddens me that its already been a year, at times it feels as though it was just yesterday. I can remember the days before and after her death so vividly I hope they will never leave my mind.

But this January also marks another change in my life, one that I hadn't vocalized to my parents till right around this time, my desire to serve a mission. I can remember the late night conversation with my mom, what about school? is it possible for me to graduate before I leave on a mission? what about after that? It was one of those conversations that makes me grateful for my parents and their constant and never ending love and support.

That brings us to today. Tomorrow will be my last first day of a semester in college, freaky yes, but exciting. Also in the next few weeks I hope to be able to submit my mission papers, before I know it I'll be gone serving the Lord, and to me that is the most exciting thing in my life!!

. . . because its Thanksgiving. . .

I'm thankful for:

Family

Parents who support me in everything I aspire too

learning

love

friendship

faith

the gospel

brothers

leaders

sunshine

transportation

flowers

fresh fallen snow

cold to remember how good warm feels

set-backs

challenges

success

knowledge

vacations

just to name a few. . .

Hope your thanksgiving is full of love!!!

WEEKEND!!!

Weekends are so GREAT!!! This one was a particularly good one. First off I had little to no homework and second it was General Conference(which was great)!!

I went out to my roommates house to watch conference, they are great!! Anyways my roommate Amy has two younger sisters and we made some great duct-tape bags while we listened to conference!!! I realized this weekend that I don't have my camera up here with me at school, but I found this picture so you can get an idea of what my bag looks like.

Pretty cool huh!!

I've also had a deep desire this last month or so to make Caramel Apples. . .so Friday night when there was nothing to be done, I made some!!! They weren't anything fancy, because I think the first time you make anything you should keep it simple!! But lets be honest you don't have to be a rocket scientist to make these!
Next time I think I'm going to be bold and dip them in caramel and then drizzle some melted chocolate over them. And then maybe I'll even dip them in some nuts or candy or maybe even cookies. It should be fantastic!!

I can't wait to carve pumpkins!!!

FINISHED!!!

I, along with Preston & Katie finished our first marathon yesterday, Saturday September 17th. One of the hardest but most worthwhile things I have ever done!! It was nuts!!! It rained, hailed, rained again, at one point my shoes were full had at least doubled in weight from all the water. I finished in 4 hrs and 50 min, which met my goal to finish under 5 hrs. Someone asked me today what I thought about for that long. . .well for the first part i talked to those around me, then as we got further and more spread out i just thought about life, looked around the canyon, tried to enjoy the rain, but mainly listened to those around me who were talking. For one of the ladies yesterday marked the 126 marathon she had ran. . .SICK!!!! By then end the only thing going through my mind, One foot in front of the other.

Can I move today- sure, I at least made it up the hill to church, its coming down that was the hard part. . .hopefully in a week I'll be movin better!!!

Heres' the real question: Will I ever do one again???

Unfourtantly for me I'm competative and know that I can do better aka run it faster. So yes I will be running another one, maybe next year!!!

You wanna run it with me???

WHO KNEW. . .

Who knew you could have a foods class in college. . .i sure didn't!!!

Lets just say that today I went to the book store to pick up my chef's hat, apron and knife kit!!!!

I don't think I have ever been so excited for a class!!!

Food Literacy here I come. .. .first lab this Thursday to be covered: herbs/spices and garnishing!!!

SCHOOL!!!

Its that time a year! Every blog i read has mentioned it, school has started, no matter what age, its here. The end of summer and the beginning of learning(if that's what you call it). Its funny how time flies, just yesterday I was in 7th grade and now I'm a senior at Utah State!! I was talking to my roommate about this and realized that yesterday could have been my last first day of a new school year as a a student. . .WOW!!! Too bad I'm gonna go to graduate school, that takes all the fun out of what could have been a monumental day.