Finals are Dumb

Well you guessed it. I am in the middle of finals. I have two more to do and I just wish I didn't have to do them. This semester has been the hardest so far and at times it has not been fun. Tomorrow after 6pm I will be done. Actually I have a band final tomorrow night at 7 but does that really count? I am going to wake up on Friday morning without any worry except packing because on Monday I leave for San Diego!!! I can't wait to be in sunny California. Being in the marching band has it's perks. It will be 4 eventful days and I can't wait!

Before then I have two more finals. I have to clean and pack. Not to mention treating myself this weekend with a much needed manicure and pedicure this weekend. So there's lots to do before Monday. 

Then next Friday I will be on a plane on the way to Oregon. I can't wait until I go home and spend Christmas with my family. I'm looking forward as well to the new year. I have some goals I want to try to achieve this coming year. I will blog about those later. Well as for now I have to go study. Tomorrow night I will go to bed without any worries about school. 

Home Sweet Home

No I am not home yet. I first have to go California then I will go to Oregon but I just want to take some time to reflect on home. 

The other day I had someone tell me they were jealous of me because I get to live in Oregon. They thought it was such a beautiful place and wanted to go back there someday. After that conversation I began thinking about good old Oregon. Oregon is not where I was born actually. I was born in Southern California and lived there the first 12 years of my life but I don't call it home anymore. Oregon is my home now. 

I remember when I first moved to Oregon I hated it and I just wanted to go back to California. I didn't take the time to appreciate the beauty that was around. Well thank goodness I grew up and realized the amazing place my parents dragged me to seven years ago. 

So what makes Oregon the best the place to in? I shall try to convince you but maybe you might have to go see it yourself....

Green EVERYWHERE
Well in the area I live in there is green everywhere meaning there are endless fields, trees (big and small), mountains in the distance and moss everywhere (even on the trees!) It does rain a lot in Oregon but then that makes everything green and beautiful! Especially after spring showers you get to see all the pretty flowers blossom. I didn't see that much of that in Southern California. It's really different than another place I have been at. I currently live in Provo, Utah and let me tell you Utah doesn't have anything compare to Oregon. I personally think that the mountains look ugly without snow and there isn't green scenery. If I wasn't busy with school and marching band I think I would be depressed from the view. I guess people would think that about Oregon because it rains there a lot and it's always cloudy that people get depressed. I never felt depressed living in constant rain. I actually love the rain! Well Oregon rain that is. Utah rain is just gross. I love the smell after it rains and how the air feels. If you haven't been to Oregon you should take a trip there to really experience what I'm talking about.   

Unique and WEIRD

Maybe you have heard but Portland is weird. And yes there is really the thing of "Keep Portland Weird". Have you seen Portlandia yet? Go watch it. It's on Netflex. It's really accurate on how weird and unique Portland is. I know I'm not from Portland but hey it's still Oregon and I love it. 

So while you are exploring Portland in the near future stop by and get some Voodoo! That is Voodoo doughnuts. They are basically the most unique doughnuts I have ever seen and the store is one of kind itself. While my older sister visited Oregon this past summer we stopped in downtown Portland to grab some Voodoo. You at least have to go once in your life.

Tillamook

When I came to Utah I had to have my Tillamook cheese. All the other cheese tasted gross to me. I eventually started to buy Tillamook ice cream, butter, yo gurt and even butter. If you haven't heard of Tillamook cheese where have you been? I remember growing up there would be TV commercials in Southern California about happy cows coming from California. Yeah don't believe that. Tillamook dairy products are much better. Oh and the Tillamook cheese factory is pretty awesome too! I love the free samples:) I love going to the cheese factory because they have every type of ice cream flavor. My favorite so far? Grandma's Cake Batter but sadly I haven't found any here in Utah. I did buy some Oregon Strawberry the other because I was feeling a little homesick. Oh there's nothing better than Tillamook ice cream. BYU creamery can't compare. 

   

Family 

But most importantly the reason why I love Oregon the most is my family. We are just missing one person in Oregon and that is my older sister. We all wish she was up there with us. Recently we had a new addition to our family, my baby nephew Jared! I'm just going to be honest I have the cutest nephew:) I miss my family the most and I can't wait to go back home to see them along with beautiful Oregon. 

It's Almost Over

Life has been crazy this past week. Classes ended yesterday but finals start on Monday. At this point I'm thinking "I want this to be over now!" These past two weeks since Thanksgiving has been the most stressful. This week I have written 3 papers and had some nights where I only got 1 to 4 hours of sleep. On Wednesday night I just crashed on bed. I didn't change out of my clothes. That's how tired I was. I honestly feel like I am going to explode from all the stress but thank goodness a week from today my winter break will start!

This winter break is going to be really fun and I can't wait! The marching band is going to California for the bowl game and we will spend 4 days in sunny San Diego. We went our the schedule last week and we to do so many things. It's going to be a very busy 4 days but  I can handle that. One thing for sure that will be an adventure is the night after the game. I get to spend the night at the airport with other band members who are flying out. Hopefully I can sleep that night. Not to mention my flight is not until Friday at 12:30 in the afternoon. 

One thing is for I can't wait until Christmas! I can't wait until I get to see my amazing family and see my baby nephew again. I will be spending two weeks in Oregon before the semester starts again and it will be a glorious two weeks where I don't have to do any homework or papers. Although I will be honest I'm already looking forward to next semester and all the crazy things that will happen. 

Well my fellow readers the times has come to part for now. Wish me luck on my finals. And remember as Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "We are wiser than we know." (Finals are going to make us think other wise) 

When is it going to end?

So next week is the last week of the semester and I'm not ready. I have 3 major papers due next week. I have a guitar final next Wednesday and then finals the following week. Oh and I just got back from Oregon yesterday. Not to mention I had a 3 hour layover in Reno. I don't like airports now. I think the next 3 weeks I am going to live off caffeine and sugar to get through each day. On December 15th I am going to wake up with no homework or finals to worry about and I will be so happy!! Then it's off to San Diego for the bowl game and then Oregon for Christmas! I'm just trying to look toward the end so I get through this. I am going t go crazy but that's okay I am in college it's acceptable. So I am off now to study and write my papers. Oh life is crazy but I'm trying to love every second of it. 

A Day of Thanks

So today is Thanksgiving. I can blog about how American's do not really know about the true Thanksgiving and how we believe in such myths but I rather not. I rather blog about what I am thankful for and Why I am thankful.

I am currently home in good old Salem Oregon with my wonderful family. I arrived in Portland from Salt Lake City on Monday night. The past two days have been just relaxing and enjoying each other company. I was able Tuesday afternoon to meet me baby nephew Jared! He is the cutest little baby in the world! I was so happy to finally meet him in person. Skype and pictures are not the same. 

At the moment I am waiting for dinner to be ready so I can gobble down all the yummy food! This year like many years int he past we will be having the missionaries from my parents branch over for dinner. Along with them my grandfather should be here but he must still be traveling. My family as well are expecting my aunt and uncle who are probably flying into Portland as I type this. Then tomorrow, well I will just leave at that....

Today a lot of people talk about what they are thankful for because it is Thanksgiving. I just want to say that today should not be the only day out of the year to express how thankful we are for our many blessings. So now the question is what I am thankful for? Oh the list can go on and on. One thing that I am thankful for is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Through the restored gospel I am able to be blessed with so many things. I am thankful for my eternal family. I am thankful I have been given the opportunity to go to a school and for those people who has provided that opportunity financially for me. I am thankful for my friends especially at school who have helped in ways they may not even know. The list can go on and on so how about I do one....

• Jesus Christ
• The restored Gospel
• Family
• The Atonement 
• An education
• Friends
• A roof over me head- in Utah and in Salem
• The Priesthood power
• Food
• My cozy bed
• My Shoes
• My warm coats
• Music
• Airplanes - they get me home to my family:)
• Running water
• Books
• My car
• Trials 
• My saxophone
• The ability to touch, smell, hear, and taste
• Movies
• TV
• Love
• Warm gloves
• a washer and dryer
• Marching Band

(I think I will keep on adding when I recognize more things)

Lets not forget all our "little" blessings and take President Eyring's counsel, "It is a challenge to count our blessings because we have a tendency to take good things for granted." 
Oh and Happy Thanksgiving!

Cold, Football, Marching Band

So I can now say I have marched snow, ice and in below freezing weather. Saturday was the last home football game and I was very happy it was the only game that was in such cold weather. I layered so much under my uniform but I think that wasn’t enough. At our practice field it wasn’t cleared as well as the football field. When we practice Pre Game it would have been very interesting to watch from above because it was horrible. We all focused on trying not to slip and fall instead of where we were going. Oh not to mention it was so cold that steam was coming out of my mouthpiece after I took it out of my mouth. It was a fun evening you can say. Luckily it did not snow until the end of the game. By the time I left the stadium it was snowing constantly. 

But good news…..the football team is going to the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego next month!! I’m so stoked! We’re going to be heading down there of course to cheer on the team. My parents said they wanted to go but also to spend time with Magy who as well wants to see me. At this point I’m really looking forward to the bowl game because that means it’s Christmas break and the semester will be over! But oh boy there is a lot to before then. I have 3 papers to write and not to mention studying for finals. It’s going to be a very long and stressful 4 weeks. 

On a happy note I’m going home on Monday to Oregon! I can’t wait to see my nephew and the rest of my family. Right now that’s the only that is keeping me going. Also at this moment I have very little sleep. I finished a paper at 3:30 in the morning and woke around 9. I am not in the mood to do anything right now but I’m at school of course. Later tonight you can find me on the couch passed.  

Life thus far

I have been working on a blog post for a while but it's not ready to be reveled. So what has been new you may ask? Obama is reelected!!! That's what's new! As an Obama supporter I am very happy that he will be the president of the United States for another four years. After it was announced that he received more than 270 electoral votes people were going crazy on facebook either very happy or disappointed. I attended an election party at school and I thought that Obama supporters would only be a small minority at this event but I was rather shocked. When Obama won Oregon, my home state, I was going crazy. Then when they announced he was reelected I went even more crazy. Obama won Ohio, Colorado, and Nevada which were 3 states that were a tossup. I do have to say that both Romney and Obama ran a really good campaign. Romney's speech later in the evening I thought was really good. Today the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints released a statement about the election results. They congratulated President Obama winning the election and asked members to now come together and pray for the president and other nation leaders. Once again another example the LDS church does not take sides but rather encourages it's members to be political aware. 

At school today people were "mourning" the loss of Romney. Seriously? It's not the end of the world. So the United States is not getting a Mormon President it's okay. President Obama is going to continue to help our country grow, well that's my opinion. I was just happy I was able to vote this year. I voted as an Oregonian and a proud one as a matter of fact! My vote of course would not have mattered in Utah at all. It's so red here and I don't mean the mountains. I miss my blue, liberal state. 

So as you can tell in the picture I was overwhelmed with excitement of the election results. Okay enough about last night events. 

School has been crazy, stressful and basically making me want to ripe my hair off (get the picture). In exactly two weeks I will be home with my family and that's what I am looking forward too. I also get to see my nephew Jared! I am one happy tia! After Thanksgiving everything is going to go by so fast. Two weeks of school and then finals! Not to mention California!

Oh the last home football game is this Saturday! I am so sad that the marching band season is coming to an end:( I have had so many fun memories this season but I am looking forward to more free time next semester. This season definitely topped last season! We performed James Bond! It was a blast and I am already excited about next season but a much needed break is good. 

Well my fellow readers it's time for me to leave you until next time. Look for next post which is a very important concern/topic to me. And remember as Fredrick Douglass once said, "If there is no struggle, there is no progress."