The doorstep.

***24 March 2012*** 

Life is short.  90. short.  On Sunday morning I woke up early to finish Daughters in My Kingdom, but I instead found myself on Virginia Boyce's doorstep.  I parked my car as usual, this time without gift or treat or even a carol to sing -- just me.  I rushed out in the flurry March morning.  I stood on the doorstep and noticed the details in the glass.  It looked different… I think I used to be able to see through her window with her children and their children and even their children on the wall, so I'd always know when Virginia was home.  But this time I just waited on the doorstep… And while I waited on the doorstep, I waited for my knock to be heard, and the doorstep brought me back to the fall leaves, and the fifty of us singing, and our one-on-one visits.

I was no longer on the doorstep.  I was in a love story at BYU; she loved him, and I wanted to love just as she did.  I was in Nevada riding horses to school, but really I was just on the doorstep… and when the door cracked opened it wasn't Virginia.  She simply wasn't feeling well.  "Tell her I came by…" smile. I turned with tear-filled eyes, because somehow I knew that would be the last time I'd be on her doorstep.

Virginia said "she had learned enough" and wondered when Heavenly Father would ever allow her to "stop learning and learning and learning"...  I think Virginia is a teacher now.  And I'm now learning, and one day, I'll meet Virginia again on her doorstep, and it will be the greatest of all visits.

This week: I looked out the window.

Currently Loving:

These are a few of my favorite things… 
because they occupy my life.

1. Count down paper chains.
2. Skiing in the deep.
3. Mr. President and his day of sorts.
4. Hearts (that my mom willingly cut out for me to decorate my apartment slash sit on my desk? If you're interested?)
5.  Vacuuming. When the vacuum is up for it?
6.  That photo up there.
7.  Making that high-pitched noise, because it's just oh so cute.
8.  Thinking about graduation = too, too far away.
9.  Lady Gaga.  As much as I want to hate her (music), I can't.  It's impeccable. Guilty pleasure? maybe.
10.  The undersized heart-shaped wreath that hangs on the door.  I don't want February to end… because heart-shaped wreaths are only for this month of love?
11.  Kodiak.
12.  Warming my hands on the lamp at my desk, because it's impossible to have warm hands (studying) ever.
13.  Instagram. What's better than something so instant?
14.  Elder Holland's talk on the Missionary Work and the Atonement… because Elder Holland is my favorite and the gospel is omnipresent.

 

I should never….

I should never… think I'm going to get homework done over a weekend trip with these girls, and the best part is that I didn't even care.  This weekend all my London girls drove down to Las Vegas to see Miss Stephanie become Mrs. Seth Probert.  She was engaged the whole time we were in London and is finally married! She of course looked flawless and unbelievably happy.  After her wedding we ran down to the strip, and I made myself go on the ride, "Big Shot" on the top of the Stratosphere.  (yes, I had to make myself), and I'm so glad I did.  :)  

I should have never… changed my weather updates on my phone to Las Vegas' weather.  I was way too excited and confused when I saw it was 65 degrees and sunny this week. And my mistake also cost me a very cold day in just a sweater.  Oops...

Speaking of weather… I should never… think it's okay to make assumptions about international weather conditions to my physics class. My very loud claim: " It's hotter than China in here"… The Chinese boys in front of me didn't appreciate that… and honestly I know mostly nothing about the weather in China, but apparently it might be hot?… 

Just for fun?  Today's forecast in Beijing - low 25 F high 46 F - so it's not too hard to be hotter than China (Beijing) these days.

We had matching long skirts.

The Las Vegas Temple.

Seth prepared a dance for Steph = classic. :) 

Sometimes Maggie and I just want pictures together. 

(Haunted) House

*In the lateness of night slash in the adrenaline rush I failed in getting a real picture of the place, but this is what I'd like to think it looked like*

Just over a week ago a couple of friends and I decided we needed to celebrate the superstitious Friday the 13th.  It only comes a couple times a year, so it's a monumental day (the day of my birth).  A scary movie didn't seem fitting, mostly because I don't love movies - especially the scary kind, so instead we attempted to explore an abandoned church/house that was probably very haunted.  After trying every door I was convinced we couldn't go inside, and I wasn't too heartbroken, because we could claim our fun to Friday the 13th without really doing anything - dangerous… illegal.  But just around the corner an open window was all too inviting.  It was really dark and really dirty and really dark, but mostly dirty.  And logically Naomi and I were terrified that we were all going to die from toxic waste as learned from our chemistry 201 teacher when he made us watch a horrid twenty minute youtube production about death stories involving chemicals we work with in the lab. (don't watch it… or do). I was positive this was the next love canal.  But thus far, there have been no repercussions, and we even made it up all four creaky floors before getting too scared.  

The next Friday the 13th is in April…and I might be ready for another adventure by then. 

Anyone that knows me...

knows how much I love taking showers.  There is no better feeling/look than straight-out-of-the-shower.  Showering in London though, became quite a difficult task because one: everyone made fun of me for my shower habits, which were apparently way too frequent, and two: I had to refrain from straightening my arm in my little box for fear I'd open the shower door… Oh, and the showers were completely transparent = not so good in a communal bathroom.

Anyone that knows me… knows I sleep talk.  I can't help it.  Last year I'm positive I terrified Kelsie with my nightly talks and one time scream/gasp.  And two nights ago proved to be no different when a falling picture in the middle of the night prompted me to say, "keep the change you filthy animal" twice. And then I sporadically hummed for the next few minutes while Kelsie laughed and got her entertainment for the night. 

Anyone that knows me… knows I love Christmas the most, so this Christmas break was especially filled with Christmasy things, because I was gone for most of the month of December.  And before I was even home I constantly checked up on my countdown for Christmas. I made a homemade gingerbread house and went Christmas caroling and read children Christmas books out loud with Skyler.  I wrote Santa a letter and made Christmas cookies with Lala from London.  I slept in (as late as nine somedays… Oops), because it was Christmas time, and I saw the beautiful lights in Salt Lake at Temple Square and loved the omnipresent lit "U" sign that lined the salty streets -- something I hate admitting.  BYU needs a lit up logo lining all the streets in Provo for the Christmas season.  But now… there are only 347 sleeps until Christmas (and that's not even that many).  

Anyone that knows me… knows that I love math, but I don't love that Mr. Howard Anton dedicated his linear Algebra textbook to his wife and children... as sentimental as he thought it might be, it doesn't seem appropriate to dedicate something of that nature (something so constricted by theorems/laws…platonic?) to a human being.

Anyone that knows me… knows how much I love to travel, so here are a few favorites of mine. 

Big Ben from the London Eye.

Prague taken from Charles' Bridge

New York, New York.  This just screams freedom to me.  

Jerusalem, Israel.  Overlooking Bethlehem.

Istanbul, Turkey.  The only city divided into two continents.

Athens, Greece.

Santorini Island.  Favorite memory = running up the all the stairs with my dad/ the donkeys and sailing.

Santorini at night. Better than the pictures.

Sailing in the Santorini Caldera for my dad's birthday.

Paris - What a view!

Nyhavn - Copenhagen, Denmark.

Buckingham Palace - London England.  The Queen's Palace.

London, England - the business district. 

Kenya - I just want to cuddle with him.

    Bryce Canyon, because I'm a Utah girl.                                                  Sevilla, Spain.

This girl and I start school tomorrow..

*The picture sums up our emotions*