Many Marvelous Matters

Well almost 3 months later... I think it's time to blog again. I made it through another semester!! I'm so glad it's over :-) It wasn't nearly as bad as fall semester. Being over the worst of my mono was decinitely a help in that regard. My finals went really well and have been done for 3 weeks. I rushed through them and had my last one on Tuesday morning at 7. That means I took 4 finals on Monday. In 3 hours. I'm pretty stellar. and I did well on all of them too. Just thought I'd mention that little fact. So since school got out I have been working at Student Services some 6 hours a day. It's great I love my office. The people I work with are SO amazing and I love getting to know the ones that I haven't known so well in the past. So maybe I should actually start where I left off with my last blog and catch up a little bit. February nothing really eventful happened. In March I went to regional basketball in Cody, Wyoming and got to watch a lot of basketball. It was fun to watch Natalie and Landon play. Landon is a senior this year so I couldn't miss his last basketball tournament!! They played well and made it to state!! They haven't been to state since I was a junior. That's kind of a long time. It was my brother's very first time at state basketball as a player so I'm glad that he got to go. Also while I was in Cody I got to spend time with my BFF Randi which was super fun cuz we NEVER see eachother. Except at Christmas. SO that was really exciting. Well, I couldn't NOT go to state, so I missed some more school and work and went to Casper, Wy. The boys lost out in their first two games, but Lando had some awesome 3's. I was basicailly the most proud sister in the entire world. I love my little brother so much!! Also while there I got to spend some time with my friend Paul, whom I also never see so that was fun. I'm a popular person, what can I say? :-)

Also in March my roommate and very good friend Colleen started dating a boy... Aaron. They are super cute and have been dating for almost two months now. How exciting!! Too bad for me, it meant I got really good at third wheeling. Also at this time Arianne (another roomie) was dating Carter, and I love those two. They are so adorable. It's great. Well, a month later Cristina (another roomie) started dating SamCole. They're kindof perfect for eachother. They're super funny and a little weird but we love them. Thank goodness for Amber (last roomie) who was also not dating anyone. BUT then Amber and Arianne moved out at the end of April which was really sad and we miss them a lot. Also, it now means that 100% of my rooommates are in relationnships. and I'm a pro at odd-number wheeling. :-) Also, I get a lot more sleep now so that's good.

Another big change in my life is the splitting of the ward. It was really hard when I heard that the ward was going to split. I love my ward so much and I was devestated. But I knew that it is what the Lord needed to happen so I just had a little faith and went with it. The new ward met for the first time on May 1. Honestly, during Church I wasn't too fond of it. I was like... "oh my gosh. This is not going to be fun." But I did like the Bishopric. They're pretty cool, a lot of energy, and a lot of fun. That night I went to ward prayer and got to know people in the ward better and decided that this might actually work. Also, I met a new friend from England which was pretty awesome. He's traveling the world. He stole my life. Church yesterday was a lot better and Ward prayer was great again. I really do like this ward. It's way different than my old ward but I think it's a good change. Also, it's good because it's helping me branch out from my roommates. I love them dearly, but I need more friends too. I kindof isolated myself to my roommates and my ward and now the ward is gone and my roommates are always busy with their bfs so this is really good. I am meeting a lot of really cool people, and getting to know some from the old ward (who are in the new ward) a lot better. I love it. So hopefully I'll get a calling soon and be able to be more involved with the ward. This ward is going to be awesome. Well, it's already awesome. But it's going to keep getting more awesome. Count on it.

Well I think that pretty much brings everything up to speed. I though a couple of times that I was going to be able to make it down to Orlando (and DISNEY!) to work this summer, but plane tickets are so expensive and I need to pay for school. So that's not gonna happen :-( All my disney buddies should just come to Utah. I'll show them all a good time Mormon style!! (Mormon's really do have the most fun, trust me :-)) But hopefully I can make it to Powell this summer and see Randi and maybe be there when Cory gets home from his mission...that'd be fun lol. and Cristina and I want to make a trip to St. George (I have never been farther South in Utah than Spanish Fork, which is really sad.) Tuacan has the Little Mermaid and Grease there !! How fun would that be?!

Oh, I also changed my major OFFICIALLY!! It's been quite the journey getting there. I was declared in Elementary Education. Halfway through my first semester I decided that I didn't actually want to go into that. It would be a lot of fun, but I don't think it's for me. So then I was thinking about biology, which is way awesome but what would I do with it?? I would want to go into Marine Biology but I decided that that wasn't right for me either. Also...way to much physics. gross. But I never actually changed my major. Next was Business. Entrepernurship. But I would hate my life with all the math involved. Another strike, with no major changed. Next, Family and Consumer Science Education. sewing and cooking. Honestly, this would be a lot of fun and I was pretty set. I was really close to going in and officially changing my major. But then I decided that that is such a hobby that I don't want to ruin it by HAVING to do it. So last week I went in and officially changed my major. Which I think is a pretty big deal And I'm really excited about it. And I have my graduation path, 2.5 years. I can handle that. It's almost right on to 4 years. I will have been in school for 4.5 years so that's okay. I'm a junior in college now. and JUST FINALLY decided my major. But I'm really happy about it. I have really been stressing about figuring out what I should major in and what I want out of life so this is a huge burden lifted. What is the new major you ask?? RECREATION MANAGEMENT YOUTH LEADERSHIP with an emphasis in COMMERICAL LEISURE SERVICES MANAGEMENT. my favorite words...recreation and leisure. Ya, I'm majoring, going to school for, recreation and leisure. Beat that. Coolest major ever. I'll be taking a lot of event planning classes, travel/tourism classes (which I'm super excited about!!) and outdoor recreation classes. My favorite class in High School was Project Adventure (scuba diving, cross country skiing, rafting, fly fishing...) so now I get to do that stuff in College too!! I'm stoked!!

Well, this blog has been pretty long so I'm gonna sign off now. hasta!! :-)

My 20 Birthday

Oh my goodness, I'm 20 years old. I no longer have 1 in front of my age. I'm officially old. Although, according to my friend now I am out of the "taboo age" where anyone can date me becasue I'm not longer a teenager. Well, I guess I better start going on lots of dates. Ha. like that will happen. BUT my awesome birthday, here is what happened. I went to school, work, nothing exciting. Then I came home and we got all pretty (it felt like it was prom night at our house). Amber sent me to my room for a loong time. When I was finally allowed to come out, I had an awesome surprise, organized by Amber. I love her!! So I turn the corner and Jared R is standing at the bottom of the stiars with a rose. So he reads this paper that began "Princess Annie LaMae Webb, by royal decree I declare..." then he escorted me to the next guy...and the next... and all of them read similar papers saying why different people love me. And I got a rose from each of them. 7 guys, 12 roses, it was pretty awesome. Then the limo (!) got to my house and we all, 12 of us, piled in. It was way tight. We went and got pizza and cruised aroudd a little bit. We went to a park and took pictures, it was a lot of fun, then we got ice cream and headed home. Me and Colleen stood out of the sunroof in the limo from University Mall to home, which is quite a ways, it was probabaly about 20 minutes, going 45 mph in Utah, in February. We were SO FROZEN by the time we got home. but it was way fun and definitely worth it!! Then we just chilled at home and played games and stuff. It was super fun. Just as epic as my 19 birthday, it a totally different way!! Well, that's all for now!! hasta!!

When someone you love becomes a memory...

the memory becomes a treasure. This blog is dedicated to my wonderful grandmother, Thelma Hilda Ringdahl Webb Nov 6, 1919-January 28, 2011. I don't really know what to say about my grandma, she was just so wonderful. I have so many amazing memories of her, with her. I am fortunate enough to look like my grandma. She was a beautiful woman. She had so many trials in her life, losing her husband and daughter over 50 years ago being the tip of the iceberg. She always seemed so happy and positive, and she was, but today I was reading a book that my cousin put together a couple of years ago that has the history of my grandma and grandpa and it had some journal entries from her. I always guessed she was lonely, 51 years is a long time to be alone. But seeing her entries, so many riddled with "lonesome" was heartbreaking. My grandparents were so in love and had such cute memories. I wish I could have seen them together. Tomorrow at her funeral I will be reading a parable with four of my cousins:

A Parable for Mothers
The young mother set her foot on the path of life. "Is the way long?" she asked. And the guide said, "Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning."
But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than those years. So she played with her children and gathered flowers for them along the way and bathed them in clear streams, and the sun shone on them, and life was good, and the young Mother said, "Nothing will be lovelier than this."
Then night came, and the storm, and the path was dard, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle, and the children said, "Oh, Mother, we are not afraid, for you are neard, and we know no harm can come," and the Mother said, "This is better than the brightness of day, for I have taught my children courage."
And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary, but at all times she said to the children, "A little patience and we are there." So the children climbed, and when they reached the top, they said, "We could not have done it without you, Mother." And the mother, when she lay down at night, looked up at the stars, and said, "This is a better day than the last for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage. Today I have given them strength."
And the next day came and strange clouds darkened the earth- clouds of war and hate and evil. The children groped and stumbled, and the mother said, "Look up. Life your eyes to the lgiht." And the children looked and saw above the coulds an everlasting Glory, and it guided them and brough them beyond the darkenss. And that night the mother said, "This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God."
And the days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and the mother gerw old, and she was little and bent. But her children were tall and strong and walked with courage. And when the way was hard, they helped their Mother, and when the way was rough, they lifted her, for she was as light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill and beyond the hill htey could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide.
And the mother said, "I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know that the end is better than the beginning, for now my children can walk alone and their children after them.
And the children said, "You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gaves." And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after. And they said, "We cannot see her, but she is with us still."

This parable describes my grandma. Even when times got tough, she showed such amazing strength. She raised 7 wonderful children, who I am prviliged to have as aunts and uncles. She was always willing to serve others and put them before herself, no matter what she, herself was going through. She is such an amazing example. If I can be 1/100 as good as my grandma, I will be an amazing woman. I miss my grandma a lot, but she was 92 and ready to go home. I'm so grateful for the Gospel, and for the knowledge that I have that my grandma is not gone. I will see her again. I am so happy for her, that she was reunited with her beloved husband and daughter. I'm sure there was a rockin' party when she died. I don't know what I would do withough the knowledge that the Gospel gives. Life does not end with death. Death is only a gateway. A new beginning. My grandma is not gone, she is with me still. I can forever hold her memory and the memories that I treasure, close to my heart. I'm so grateful for the Plan of Salvation and the knowledge that someday I will be able to meet my aunt and my grandpa. That someday I will be with my grandma again. That knowledge makes losing her now a little easier. It gives me something to look forward to. I hope to live my life so that she can be proud of me when I see her again. When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure. I love you grandma.

Maybe if I start...

So nobody is blogging and it's making me sad because I don't know what is going on with anyone!! It's very sad. So maybe if I blog... I can start a chain reaction and then everyone will blog!! yes?? no?? i hope so!! So the semester is basically over, it's been crazy and I can't wait for it to be done. With classes, work, projects, mono, money, post-florida depression, it's been a rough semester. BUT with the amazing friends, constant partying at my house, whether its with the roomies or with other people, Church activiites, and lots of movies, it has been a lot of fun!

We finally got our 5th girl in the house. Her name is Arianne Judkins and we love her! She is so much fun and normal, we needed some normalcy. So now there are a total of 6 of us living in our house. Me, Colleen, Amber, Cristina, Arianne, and of course, Nate. (Don't worry, all BYU housing standards are being followed). We like to watch movies at our house, and we watch one every night basically. Ever genre. Horror (although not too scary) like "What Lies Beneath" and "Red Eye" SciFi like "I am Legend" and "I Robot" (yes, we love Will Smith) movies like "Johnny Lingo" and "The Other Side of Heaven" chick flicks of course "You've Got Mail" (Colleen's favorite movie)and "Letters to Juliet" and animated movies "Mulan" and "Space Jam." I watched Space Jam for the FIRST TIME ever last night!! It was great. So that's a very short list of movies, but those are some that we have watched recently.

We (my roomies and I) are trying to work out whenever we can...we do decently, but we could do better. We use a Jillian Michaels workout video. It's intense. It's pretty awesome, we didn't have weights, so we used cans of Progresso soup. But me and Colleen bought weights, so no more soup for us. Good thing, cuz it's getting cold and I want to eat my soup!!

Halloween was a lot of fun. I had a ward party and a work party and I was Belle at both. I made my beautiful Belle dress (thanks mom) and I love it!! It was a lot of fun to be Belle. I even dyed my hair... darker brown. I like it. But it's only temporary so it is going away...fading... but that's okay. Since Halloween is over, and we tend to skip Thanksgiving... okay, thats not true, I love Thanksgiving, I'm quite excited for Thanksgiving, but CHRISTMAS IS COMING!! I have been listening to Christmas music in my car and in the kitchen, it's a wonderful time of year!! We have a Countdown to Christmas chain and it's getting shorter!! Oh, we also have a Nate chaing (how many days in a row Nate has been at our house) and that one is getting longer. By now, the Nate Chain may be longer than the Christmas chain!! For Christmas for all of my roommates (Nate included) I am making footsie pajamas. I'm so excited! I have one pair done, except for the button and butt flap, and another cut out. They are basically going to be awesome!! I can't believe it...I'm sewing...all by myself. I made footsie pajamas all by myself. Where did that come from? Mom is thrilled becasue I'm sewing, Megan is sewing, Natalie is sewing. All those years of her twisting our arms to sew have finally paid off!! I am so glad that my mom took the time to teach me how to sew. Although I didn't appreciate it at the time... I sure do now!!

So for Church, I got called to be on the Family Home Evening Committee, and I am loving it. We plan really fun activities. Last week we had a magician come and we are going to do a lot of fun things for the rest of the year. It will be great. Also, for church, on December 11 we are going to go to Salt Lake and go to Savior of the World. i am very excited, it is supposed to be amazing!! We are going to have dinner catered at the church and then take some busses to Temple square. We'll go to the show and check out the lights, I AM SO EXCITED!!

Anyway, I think that kindof catches up my life for right now... I can't think of anything else terribly exciting...so I'm gonna wrap up. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!

School is in session!!

So I'm still getting into the groove on being in provo and back in school. I have an amazing schedule this year!!I work Monday-Friday 8-11 at Student Services again. So, financial aid, scholarships, admissions, financial services, any questions let me know maybe i can help lol. Mondays and Wednesdays I have political science at 11 (I have to run CLEAR across campus in 10 minutes. 1:00 is Jazz dance. I love this class. It is kinda rough cuz I haven't stretched like this since dance camp with Misty! its crazy!! but it feels so good!! By the time this semester is over I will be way more stretchy! Maybe ill even get my left splits!! I've never been able to do those ones... anyway. 3:00 is biology. i LOVE my biology class. It's really interesting and the professor is so funny!! i have never laughed so much in a class as i do in that one!! it's really fantastic!! some of the things he says... or does...or wears. hawaiian shirt and camo pants and a purple belt. fashion statement?? i think so!! Finall at 5:00 is American Sign Language. I love this language its so cool!! I'm not amazing at it and I can tell I haven't signed for a while but I love learning it and using my hands to talk. I can say twice as much!! lol. Tuesdays I don't have anything after work until 5 (so its a great opportunity to do homework) and then I go to Book of Mormon. I love this class. It is so great to get to know more about this wonderful book. My teacher is great. I was really apprehensive about a femal BoM teacher, but I think she really knows her stuff and I like her so far. Thursdays I have staff meeting at 11 and then at 12 I go to a Political Science lab. which is fun. I like the group im in and I think it will be really helpful for the class. At 2:00 I go to ice skating!! so muchfun!! i have falled a couple times and banged up my knees pretty good, but its still way fun and im excited to learn to ice skate better :-) Fridays i go to work and DONT HAVE ANY CLASSES!! i love it. so i can run errands, come home, do homework, chill, whatever. its great.

I said goodbye to my very food friend lyndon orton on monday. He is now in the MTC getting ready to go to Guatemala. I can't believe it!! I miss him!! as i miss all the other wonderful missionaries in my life. They are such wonderful examples and I am so grateful for all of them, especially the ones i know and love. and...should write lol. maybe ill catch up on that tomorrow.

I can't really think of a lot else. Oh last weekend i went to wyoming with jared, sean, and nick and went to a football game (go eagles!!) rendezvous, and camping. we ate delicious food and had a lot of fun. SO, beyone that I can't really think of anything else... perhaps thats because im sooo tired. so i think im gonna end this and go to bed. i think that sounds like a wonderful idea. and im pretty sure i can hear my bed calling me "Annie!! come to me now!!" so im gonna heed that call and catch some z's. PS we got a fish and his name is Alejandro!! ya!! okay, good night all!! :-) hasta!!

Quick Walmart Story that Needs to Be Shared

Okay, hopefully i'll do a real post soon (cuz i have internet now!!) but this is just a quickie post. Me and Colleen went to walmart and on the way inside we got purred at. Then we were walking past the cash registers and a guy in line totally checked us out. Didn't even try to hide it. and then we were in movies and these two guys got in a conversation with us/hit on us and it was totally random and very funny. They asked where we lived. we gave them a rock on center street by the lake. they were going for our phone numbers....but something about them (like the fact that they had 2 loaves of bread, hamburger buns, a bamboo makeup brush and a box of tampons in their cart AND one of them had two of his fingernails painted purple) made us think that that may not be the best idea, so we didn't. but it was great. epic trip to walmart?? i think so. hasta!!

Home sweet... I MISS DISNEY!!

So I have been home since Saturday and that was an adventure. So, lets backtrack a little bit and work up to the getting home stuff. The last week of my college program were absolutely incredible (like all the weeks before it) I went to all the parks. I finished off Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios first (with Erick), hitting all the major things...Festival of the Lion King, Flights of Wonder, Finding Nemo the musical, Safari, Everest, Tower of Terror, Rockin Rollercoaster. I said goodbye to Downtown Disney that same day (with Keith) by walking around Once upon a Toy (my fav store in DTD i dont actually like World of Disney that much)eating at my favorite place to eat on property... Earl of Sandwich (they totally need to open one in provo. would make my life) getting some delicious ghiradelli icecream (agian...provo) and going to inception. which was amazing!! we'll get to the movie section later. On my last day of work I worked, said goodbye to everyone, cried a lot. Then got done with work (thanks Eusabio for the ER so I could play a little) oh and Eusabio (one of my fav coordinators) switched shifts with another coordinator (who im not as fond of) so that I had one of my favs for my last day/shift in Image. So I was meant to clock out at 6:30 which meant my bumpout would come anywhere after 6:15. I was in the show at 6:10 about to start a show, and I realized that it would be my very last show. Which, of course, made me start to cry. So i'm up on the podium and people are looking at me weird because, hello, im in the happiest place on Earth and im bawling!! So, i explain that it is my last day and my last show so everyone cheers crazy!! I tell them that im just going to try to get through the spiel so they can understnad me. I completely choke through the spiel,(more clapping) and get the show going. So im standing up in the back of the theater, hoping with everything in me that whoever gets my bumpout will be someone i like becasue I was planning on keeping my bumpout slip and how depressing would it have been if someone gave it to me that I wasn't as fond of?? Then I would have that as my last slip of paper from Image. Thankfullly, my friend (new friend actually) John had my bumpout. So he hands it to me and I cry. and I walk out of the theater and Erick is in show 2 and we both cry (it was his last day as well, but he lives in MEXICO!! so thats very sad) and I go to the breakroom and change my clothes and rip my work shoes apart (now that I have decent internet, hopefully ill get some pics posted soon) and kept crying, took some more pictures, cried, hugged everyone, and they all started singing "The sun will come up tomorrow" from Annie of course. So I cried some more. I rode Journey into Imagination and watched Caption EO (those things had to be the last things I did in the park. Walked around the showcase, got some food in France, and watched Illuminations, right on showcase plaza. You can , of course, see IllumiNations from anywhere around world showcase, but the show was just MADE for showcase plaza. It was INCREDIBLE!! After that, I walked out of Epcot, never to return. (this trip anyway) That night we (Me, Erick, Andrea, Ashley, Margaret, Bekka, and Tyler (if i forgot someone im sorry!!) went to Andreas house and Erick and Andrea made delicious mexican food. it was fun, we just ate and talked and took fun pics and said goodbye. more crying. Thursday I went to Magic Kingdom and said goodbye, but it looked like it was going to rain so I left MK. As I was walking out, Mickey's Dream and Dream Come True (the show in front of the castle) was ending so I walked down Main Street USA to the finale of that show, most epic way to leave the park EVER!!) and I went to downtown disney (but just pleasure island) and watched "Salt" Again, movies later. Friday was finishing packing, shipping boxes ($$$) and leaving Chatham. I went to Hutch and Caris and just kinda hung out with them, we watched a movie called "Possession" (ill talk about it in a minute). Saturday I hung out with Hutch and Cari and the girls somemore, we went canoing at Wachiwa (spelling...sorry) springs and that was fun. Then home, and off to the airport. Checked my bags, got through security, got to my gate, easy peasy. My flight was slightly delayed becasue the plane that was at the gate before my plane took longer to leave than it was supposed to, but only like 20-25 minutes so no big deal. When we were about to land in Denver, hello turbulance. like, bad. so it took us half an hour longer to land than it should have. thankfully, my gate for my next flight was the same gate that this plane landed in so I just had to hang out for like 20 minutes and id be on the plane. no such luck. flight delayed until 9:10 (it was supposed to leave at 7:40) so i pulled out the computer and settled in to watch hercules (i was not a happy camper by the way. not a hapy camper at all. and there was this newly wed couple who was on the same flight as me and they were all newly wedish and happy and it was sick. why couldnt they be upset about the delay, cuz i was, but no they were all happy and... happy.) another delay. 9:15 okay okay. Another delay. 9:40 AND a gat change. so we go all the way down to the end of the airport to another gate. FINALLY the plane gets there (story is, it was a direct flight to SLC from Pueblo and the plane got grounded in Pueble becasue of the weather) on the plane, and takeoff!! finally arrive in SLC around 11 and home. bed. Yesterday (monday) we (me, mom, landon, natalie, rachel) went and climbed Timpagogos cave (i didnt die!! even with the 7000 ft altitude difference!! I did get a lil' light headed tho.) but then we went on the Alpine slide and coaster, which was SO MUCH FUN!! then home. today, running errands, chilling. I was talking to someone about what we were going to do, and i honestly about said, we could just go to one of the parks. whoops. not at disney anymore. i cant get past that. its so sad :-( but ill be back in Utah soon, so that will be exciting :-)
Okay, movies. "Inception" SO INCREDIBLE!! loved it. I was worried I was gonna be super confused, but it wasnt as hard to follow as people made it sound, but it was so crazy awesome!! defs loved that movie!!
"Salt" was good, but not incredible. I felt like they didnt develop the plot enough to kill as many people as they did. And you really never knew who the bad guys were until the very very end. I feel like they left the end open for a sequal (speaking of sequals, i need to watch alvin and the chipmunks the squeakual)but I dont feel like they should, and I don't feel like they will.
"Possession" kindof an interesting movie, but not fabulous. It was just... way to cheesy. like... WAY. but it was not bad.
Okay, well I think that's it for now, so I'll blog again soon...hopefully :-)
HASTA!!