Cleaning the Sink at Angies

First off, I would like to welcome McKinsie Barker to Logan! WOOT WOOT!

 So excited to have her here! 

In Logan, there is one thing that every college student must do to REALLY be able to call themselves an Aggie. And that is... drum roll please...to clean the sink. Angie's (a local restaurant) challenges anyone who eats there with the famous kitchen sink which includes: 1/2 gallon of vanilla ice cream, 4 bananas, massive amounts of thick whipped cream, and topped with cherries and 3 toppings of your choice. Steven and McKinsie had never accomplished this amazing task and received the coveted bumper sticker, so Allie and I thought we should take them for their first experience. Here are some pictures.

This is ONE of the SIX attempts at a serious picture. I thought I should spare you the other ones. haha

Finally! 

Kinsie was really excited! 

Seriously though. SO MUCH ICE CREAM. 

Steven was getting boxed out the whole time. I'm pretty sure Allie was on her knees so she could have some leverage on the ice cream. It was hilarious. 

YUM.

So pumped to have her up here in Logan with us! 

Steven finishing it off with a straw. Obviously I was disturbed.

So those of you planning on visiting Logan anytime soon, go to Angies and clean the sink! Its guaranteed to provide good memories, laughs, and stomach aches. You know you want to.

ROOMIES!

YAY!! We're back up at school and most importantly we are back TOGETHER!! 

Don't worry, we missed each other so much we put all our beds in the same room. 

In the process. This is what happens when four girls try to move extremely heavy beds. ha.

Needless to say, I love them and I couldn't be more excited for them to be back in Logan so I'm not living by myself. Yay Hooray!

Guaranteed Laugh.

hahahahahahahahaha This is honestly the funniest thing EVERRR. Guess who it is singing? Yep. You guessed it. Elder Nicholas John Searle himself.

Disconnected.

Lately I feel like I've been living 2 lives. Two lives that are completely disconnected. One of them involves living in Logan, working at Kneaders and going to school. But whenever I visit home (Pleasant Grove) I feel like the girl that was living in Logan wasn't me. I feel like I'm two completely different people. It's the weirdest feeling ever and I'm really not sure what is causing it.
Maybe I feel this way because I feel like the next year and a half away from my best friend are almost...well, worthless. I know that is a horrible thought, but it's hard not to think it. I want him to be here with me experiencing everything so I'm afraid to do anything too exciting.
I guess I need to just be happy where I am. I need to always remember to serve others before myself, keep God involved in all that I do, and to never stop taking chances. I need to learn that it's okay to have experiences without Nic. I need to remember that we'll have plenty of memories to make when he gets back and that this is our time to grow on our own and figure out who we are individually so we can grow together once we are reunited.

Now that it's written down, let's hope my brain can actually remember it. 

Days 1-5

HOOOLLLLAAAAA! We have made it through the first 5 days of 2012! And I have been successful with my goal of taking a picture every single day this year. Here is the first 5:

January 1st--Watching Josh open his mission call 

January 2nd--Tiff and her friends hanging out in the kitchen

January 3rd--Went to the temple with Kelsie Daniels to do baptisms. Missin' our Missionaries!

January 4th--Being artistic in my room. ha. 

January 5th--Went and got Tiff and her friends (Maddy and Kylie) to go to JCW's for lunch. YUM.

Lately.

Here are some pictures from the family reunion this past week:

Twinners!

We kinda like oranges.

Cute little Kels

Skiing with Carly

At Soldier Hollow 

Seesters

Ash was really excited to see me? haha

Carly, me, and Gail

Annual Ali Carly picture!

Most of the kids  at Soldier Hollow

The kids at a frozen yogurt/hot chocolate place. DELICIOUS.

Tonight, January 1 2012, I had the amazing oppurtunity to watch one of my best friends open his mission call. Josh Gibb and I have been friends since 5th grade and we've always been super close. Now I have a missionary and he has a girl that will wait for him while he is on his and we're all grown up! Crazy how that happens. He was called to serve in the New York Utica Mission and I couldn't be more proud of him. Love ya, Josh!

Josh and his lovely gal!

You could call us the 4 musketeers. 

And of course, we HAD to get a normal picture. 

Growing Up. Moving On.

                    For as long as I can remember, my New Years Eve experiences haven't been the greatest. They have always consisted of me fighting my parents to let me stay out longer, leave family parties for friend parties, or some other teenage issue. I've just never been content. Until this year. I honestly was perfectly fine being up in a cabin in Heber with my family. (Unlike my sister Tiffany, who is currently in the stage I was just talking about.)
                  Yes, there was family drama, little kids screaming constantly, and nothing super fun to do. But there wasn't anywhere else I was wishing to be...(other than the obvious--with Elder Searle--which would be impossible.) I realized something this year. I realized that everything you think is SO incredibly important when you're a teenager, really isn't important at all.  Sorry Tiff, but barely any of your friends are going to remember that you missed the New Years party at Sarah Collins house for 2012. Even YOU really aren't going to remember that in a few years.
                  I've learned that I need to just take advantage of the moment I'm in. Don't let a single smile or laugh pass you by.  You're never gonna get that moment back.  And although I'm not the best at taking my own advice and being grateful for where I'm at, I'm working on it.  It's gonna be part of my New Years resolution. So here's to growing up. Here's to 2012.

Ping Pong Tournament Babaaay

Savannah and Brayden

Tiff's game face for ping pong

Tiff, Sav, Allie, and Tami

Father vs. Son Duel

OCHOS! 

Mmm...Chocolate!

Matching sweats (:

2011 Memories: 

-Turned the big 18

-Being there when Nic opened his mission call

-Got accepted to Utah State

-Supported Nic at the State Championship Baseball Game

-Graduated Seminary

-Graduated High School

-Nic and multiple other friends left on their missions

-Shaver Lake with the family

-Worked, worked, and worked even more all summer long

-Got through the longest summer of my life

-Got robbed in Las Vegas

-Moved out 

-Was blessed with great roommates who are now some of my best friends

-Hit the 6 month mark of Nic being gone! Woop woop! 

-Finished my first semester of college

2012 Ambitions:

1. Read my scriptures every single day

2. Lose 20 lbs. by summer (and really be committed to it)

3. Write in my journal every night

4. Be the best support to Nic I can be

5. Learn how to crochet

6. Take a road trip with my sisters

7. Study/Serve abroad

8. Donate blood

9. Participate in a choir

10. Get a 3.5 GPA

11. Save $2,000 by the end of the year (Only spend 40% of every paycheck. Save half + tithing)

12. Make 10 new friends

13. Only go out to eat twice a month (my roomies and I have an issue with that...ha.)

14. Be grateful for where I'm at and make the best of every moment

15. Take a picture every day and keep a book of them 

Well, looks like I've got a lot to do. Here we go! 

                    CHEERS TO 2012 BABY!