Happiness is the gift you give to yourself!

Secret Valentine?!

2012-02-14T08:05:00.008-08:00

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY:)

I just love this holiday!

Want to hear a funny story?

So my freshman year of high school I didn't have a Valentine. I was pretty bummed because I felt like EVERYONE had their significant other. I was sitting on the bus moping in loneliness when we drove past my house and it looked like there was something at my doorstep. I was so curious and excited! I hopped off the bus and hurried home to find a SECRET Valentine...for me! I was so happy! For once I, ELYSSE ALLMAN, had a Valentine!

It was this cute white teddy bear holding a heart, with a Valentine's balloon, a box of chocolates, and a note saying, "To Elysse: XOXO". It was so cute and I was ecstatic.

(This is almost exactly what it looked like)

My day made a complete 180 turn, and I was no longer upset that it was Valentine's Day. I was actually quite happy. I had a VALENTINE!

It was a complete mystery who it was from. I asked everyone I could think of and no one would fess up! Years passed, and I still never knew who gave me this gift, until...

Last year I was in my kitchen talking to my mom when I asked out of curiosity, "Mom, I never figured out who that secret Valentine was from in high school! I wonder who gave it to me?"

This mischievous, smirk lit up her face. She began laughing hysterically.

I was completely dumbfounded. I then responded: "NO!! IT WAS YOU! YOU GAVE ME THE SECRET VALENTINE! YOU GAVE ME THE VALENTINE THAT I HAVE BEEN WONDERING WHO IT WAS FROM FOR YEARS! I WAS SO EXCITED TO HAVE A VALENTINE AND IT WAS YOU THIS WHOLE TIME?!?!"

She finally caught her breath from laughing so hard and responded: "I don't know what your talking about!"
She gave me a devious smile, laughed some more, then walked away.

(I felt so stupid, and especially felt like this picture above) haha

Ladies and Gentleman, that is correct. The one Valentine I have had was from my mother.

hahaha I am not going to lie, at first I was mad! For those 5 years I really thought that I had a secret Valentine! I thought someone liked me! But, in reality, the whole time it was my jokester mother.

So, if you are feeling alone today, just remember one thing....
YOU ALWAYS GOT YOUR MOM:) hahahah
(My mom haha)

Well I hope everyone has a wonderful day! Even though you might not have a Valentine, today is the day of love! Tell everyone you care about how much you love them. No need to be sad, just be grateful for all those amazing loved ones you have in your life. I promise that as you do that, your Valentine's day will be one of the best yet:)

2012-02-13T08:47:00.000-08:00

These past few weeks have been a roller coaster. Lets just say a lot has happened, both good and bad, but it has all been great because what I have learned.

This General Conference talk has really stuck with me lately.

I love this part:

"God the Eternal Father did not give that first great commandment because He needs us to love Him. His power and glory are not diminished should we disregard, deny, or even defile His name. His influence and dominion extend through time and space independent of our acceptance, approval, or admiration.

No, God does not need us to love Him. But oh, how we need to love God!

For what we love determines what we seek.

What we seek determines what we think and do.

What we think and do determines who we are—and who we will become."

I especially love the part, "but oh, HOW WE NEED TO LOVE GOD!"

How powerful is that? God might not necessarily need our love, but we need to love him, and as we do, we will be blessed beyond belief!

HAPPY MONDAY!

I will be better at post pictures soon:) I promise!

Withdrawals

2012-01-31T07:37:00.001-08:00

I honestly am not a big fan of when people blog about missing their study abroad. I don't know why, but it has always really bugged me. Now I feel their pain. I was debating to write this post, but I just felt like it would make me feel better. So here is my I miss my study abroad rant. Sorry!

I am having MAJOR withdrawals. I miss the city of Vienna. If I had the choice, I would have stayed there, I would have lived there! If the opportunity would have presented itself, I would have enrolled in Wien University, and not come back.

I miss it so much. Not only the landmarks, beauty, and food, but the amazing people I met while I was there. I have blogged a lot about the people I met in Vienna, but I don't think anyone really understands what an impact they left on me. They were so strong in their testimonies. In Vienna, religion is not important. People don't need religion. Bad things are just the common way of life! The wonderful people I met at the Institute were so amazing. They were firm in their beliefs and were not afraid to stick out.

Do yall remember the first time I met the Lds Austrians? Well it was a total fail. I was determined to become friends with them, and let me just say, I am so glad I didn't give up. I made friendships that I know will last a lifetime. I know I will always have friends in Austria.

Ahh I could rant for hours on how amazing Vienna is. It simply is the best.

Thank you Oliver, Naemi, Samira, Raphael, Emanuel, Joel, Arnulf, Robert, David, Rebekka, Dago, Larissa, Marcella, Melissa, Magdalena, Marvin, Perry, and more, for making Vienna the wonderful experience that is was. IHR SEID DIE BESTEN!

2012-01-30T10:27:00.000-08:00

I had another tender mercy of the Lord hit me today:)
I babysat my sister's kids all weekend in Layton and I came back early this morning. I had work at 8 and left Layton later than I hoped, so I ended up missing breakfast. I rushed into work and one of the teachers I worked for came in, said hello, then handed me a clementine.

Tender Mercy?? I think yes:)

Happy Monday:)

and Remember...."It's a Beautiful Morning."

Play this sometime today and I promise you will have a good day:)

Valentine's Day

2012-01-29T14:34:00.000-08:00

Is it weird that I actually love Valentine's Day? I have never had a Valentine, but I think it is one of my favorite Holidays.

Okay I admit, I am a sucker for love and love stories:) haha

My nieces and I are watching the movie Valentine's Day right now. It is making me so excited. I already have so many plans and crafts in mind for the day! I can't wait:)

Ahh so cute:) haha

Tender Mercies

2012-01-26T08:48:00.000-08:00

After 3 weeks of Illness, I am finally back to good ol Healthy:)
What a wonderful feeling it is!

This past Tuesday I had the opportunity to go to the Provo Temple. I was running a little later than I expected, so I tried to hurry up to the doors. As I trudged up the hill from the parking lot, I looked to the left and saw one of my good friends, Kaitlyn Waters, from EFY. She is currently in the MTC preparing to leave to the Tuscon, Arizona mission. It was one of the happiest feelings to see her and her companion. Talking to them was so uplifting, and it made me even more excited to go do temple work.

I really felt like running into her was one of the Tender Mercies of the Lord. I left to the Temple later than I was hoping, and they decided to head to the Temple earlier than usual. These random acts of events led us to see each other! While talking to both of them, I was able to figure out a lot of things which I have been thinking about. It was just what I needed! Not only that, I entered into the Temple already having this feeling of peace and joy from the Gospel. Ah, what a wonderful experience that was. I love the Tender Mercies of the Lord!

David A. Bednar gave a talk about Tender Mercies, here were some of my favorite quotes from it:
"The Lord’s tender mercies are the very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support, and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Truly, the Lord suits “his mercies according to the conditions of the children of men”.

"Let me suggest that one of the ways whereby the Savior comes to each of us is through His abundant and tender mercies. For instance, as you and I face challenges and tests in our lives, the gift of faith and an appropriate sense of personal confidence that reaches beyond our own capacity are two examples of the tender mercies of the Lord. Repentance and forgiveness of sins and peace of conscience are examples of the tender mercies of the Lord. And the persistence and the fortitude that enable us to press forward with cheerfulness through physical limitations and spiritual difficulties are examples of the tender mercies of the Lord."

Ahhh so good.

Well Happy Thursday:)

SICK

2012-01-19T08:51:00.000-08:00

"I cannot go to school today,"
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
"I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox
And there's one more--that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut--my eyes are blue--
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke--
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in,
My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb.
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is--what?
What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is. . .Saturday?
G'bye, I'm going out to play!"


I love this poem. I also wish this is actually what I was doing,
but in reality I am still sick,
and I don't know what is wrong with me!
I mean I have been off gluten for 19 days now! Be proud!
So I feel like I shouldn't be sick. I ended up getting
about 3 hours of sleep last night,
because I was having these intense coughing attacks.
It was awful. I mean it gets to the point
where I am coughing so hard I want to gag. AHHHH
I JUST WANT TO GET BETTER!
other than that...

LIFE IS GOOD:)

Back in Action

2012-01-12T09:43:00.000-08:00

After the flu, pink eye, and some throat/sinus virus, I am finally getting better:)
I am almost wondering "What Illness is next?" I mean who seriously gets sick with 3 different things in one week? haha

I figured out my schedule and I LOVE it!! My classes are wonderful and I love what I am going to be able to learn in all of them. Not only that is great, but I love my new job and my work schedule! It is weird not reffing, but it is so nice having a job that makes you feel important, and not like you are the biggest piece of scum on the planet earth (Basketball boys got intense last year...haha).

Last year I worked Tuesday-Friday from 6:00-10:00 pm. and Saturdays from 9:00 am-1:00 pm. The hours weren't the best, but I didn't think it was that bad.

Now I work Monday-Thursday from 8:00am- 12:00pm. Some of ya'll may think that is early, but I think it is absolutely perfect! I love being able to wake up early and start my day off right. The professors I work with are great, and I also have some time to get my homework done. It has only been the 2nd week of school, but I have never been so on top of things in my life! I love it!

Not only do I not work on Fridays, I don't have class either! I didn't even try to make that happen, it just all worked out. It is seriously so great. I love the tender mercies of the Lord. I know he is watching out for me:)

Being back at BYU has been amazing. I feel so blessed to be able to attend this University. I love the spiritual aspect about it. In more than half my classes we start class with a hymn and prayer. I LOVE IT! What a better way to invite the Spirit? We also have incredible devotionals, teachers, and Christian experiences right in front of us! We are so lucky! I feel like I haven't fully taken advantage at what I can learn here at BYU, so now I am ready to learn as much as I can.

Speaking of not taking advantage of things...
I have never been to a club night at BYU until now... This past Tuesday Ali and I went to Hip Hop club. I know every knows I am really ghetto, and basically black, but I have never felt so white in my life until I went to Hip Hop Club. You know what? I loved every second. It was a blast, an Ali an I decided to make it a Tuesday tradition. Am I excited? Yes! Am I finally going to conquer my dream in being able to dance hip hoppy? Probably not, but it is worth a try:)

Not only am I loving attending BYU, I love my new roommates. They are so sweet. The first day they helped me feel completely comfortable. I feel as if I have been friends with them forever. We are going to have a lot of fun this semester. We have already made so many fun plans:) haha

Well basically things are great. Last weekend was an absolute blast, this week has been amazing, and I am excited for my new adventures here at BYU.

Here are some pictures from the past weekend..

Disco Skating!! Anthony and Mckay were awesome and took Kiersten and I to the store to stock up on some meds. Poor Mckay got sick because of me:/ Whooops.

Most of the gang. Have I ever told ya'll that Brady, Matt, Daren, Kepler, and that whole apartment is just the greatest ever?!?

Sunday night I felt awful so Kiersten made me go to Insta care. Her cousin and his friends were nice enough to take us without even knowing me! When we got there they put on those masks so they wouldn't get sick. The kept sanitizing their hands too. haha It was hilarious.

Well I want to end this with one of my favorite parts from a talk....

At the end of a particularly tiring day toward the end of my first week as a General Authority, my briefcase was overloaded and my mind was preoccupied with the question “How can I possibly do this?” I left the office of the Seventy and entered the elevator of the Church Administration Building. As the elevator descended, my head was down and I stared blankly at the floor.

The door opened and someone entered, but I didn’t look up. As the door closed, I heard someone ask, “What are you looking at down there?” I recognized that voice—it was President Thomas S. Monson.

I quickly looked up and responded, “Oh, nothing.” (I’m sure that clever response inspired confidence in my abilities!)

But he had seen my subdued countenance and my heavy briefcase. He smiled and lovingly suggested, while pointing heavenward, “It is better to look up!” As we traveled down one more level, he cheerfully explained that he was on his way to the temple. When he bid me farewell, his parting glance spoke again to my heart, “Now, remember, it is better to look up.”

Happy Thursday!!!

VENT SESSION

2012-01-06T16:21:00.000-08:00

First the flu....

NOW PINK EYE?? in both EYES?!?!

WHAT THE GOSH?!?!?!

well...school is good. Just changed my schedule...A LOT.

I hate it when people make me feel dumb. that is the worst.

PEOPLE ARE DUMB IF THEY MAKE YOU FEEL DUMB:)

everyone is smart in their own way...kay?!?!?!

hahah I am a little tense. Sorry!

Resolutions

2012-01-04T21:13:00.001-08:00

I feel like everyone has done a post about their resolutions! So I thought I would do mine to!

1.) Stay off gluten for one whole month, then gradually add a month. I am pretty determined this time. I have been off so far for 10 daysish? I have no desire to eat it right now which is pretty amazing.

2.) No Soda for a year. I started drinking Soda a lot in Vienna because it has the most wonderful fanta, but now it's time to cut the sugar.

3.) Run the Thanksgiving Point Half Marathon and Ragnar. -Got fitted for the running shoes, am already signed up...so I am stuck!

4.)Get out of debt! Vienna slashed my wallet, so time to start paying it off.

5.) Get all A's and B's. I know a lot of yall think..."Elysse! That is so easy!" Well not for a A.D.D student! Getting all A's and B's is so hard!! This semester, I am making it happen though.

6.)Volunteer with something once a week.

7.) Attend the Temple once a week.

8.)Cook dinner more often.

Welp, those are my resolutions for now. I have more written down. I feel like I am always constantly writing down new goals and resolutions. Goals are my favorite. I am pretty excited about this list because I have so much determination. More than before, so I think it will be a good year.

Happy Wednesday!

BOO-HOO FLU:/

2012-01-01T16:26:00.000-08:00

I have the flu. The achy, chilly, awful flu.

My whole body is in slow motion, and has this numbness, tingling, achy feeling. It is so horrible and I would not wish the flu on anyone.

The brightside is that it was perfect timing. I would much rather be sick now, then when I am at school. Now that would be terrible.

What also is so great is that there is marathon of My Fair Wedding. O my goodness it is what is keeping be sane. I love watching him plan weddings and turn them into such a beautiful, magnificent experience. I am not going to lie, it is also making me really excited to plan my wedding though:) I can wait for that though! haha

2012-01-01T11:34:00.001-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR:)

-This year was such an amazing year. I couldn't ask for a better year of fun, laughter, and adventures.

January-came back to BYU with some wonderful roommates, made some AMAZING new friends, and began reffing, dun dun dunnnnn.... Basketball. (O dear..)

and Best of all...FOUND OUT I WAS GOING TO BE AN EFY COUNSELOR!!!!!

February-JIMMERMANIA-need I say more?

March-Cruise to the Caribbean with my family and Ashley. What a blast. Also, my birthday and the color festival!

April-Sophomore year ended, went to Vegas with some great friends, and moved in with Jenaca and Stephen.

May-worked for Catering, my brother, and my sister, enjoyed my last few moments in Provo

June-EFY in St. George and Georgia

July- Said goodbye to a friend leaving on a mission, EFY in St. Petersburg, Florida, Ogden, Utah, and West Jordan, Utah.

August-LAKE POWELL, got ready for Vienna, visited Provo for the first day of school, and said Goodbyes.

September-VIENNA-THE BEST PLACE EVER! Met amazing new friends, experience new things, fell in love with Manner, explored, went to Budapest, Hungary, Went to a concentration camp, Salzburg, Austria, Munich, Germany, and went to Oktoberfest, also, I bought a dirndl!

October-watched conference in a foreign country, went clubbing, traveled to Hallstatt, Austria, Dresden, Germany, Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic, Prague, Berlin, Germany, did temple work in the Freiburg Temple, went to an European Soccer game, and dressed up for Halloween!

Novemeber- Traveled to Florence, Pisa, and Venice, Italy, snowboarded in the SWISS/AUSTRIAN Alps, hitchhiked, had a yarn ball incident, explored Vienna, went to Christmas markets, planned and Austrian/American Thanksgiving dinner, and strengthened friendships.

December-Said Goodbye to Vienna, was surprised at the airport, learned a lot, and celebrated Christmas with a lot of family, and made New Year's Resolutions.

What an amazing year it has been. I feel so blessed for everything I was able to do and accomplish this year.

Here's to a GREAT NEW YEAR!

I saw this on someone's blog. I love this..

2012

A chance to become better.

An opportunity to fix mistakes and move forward.

A clean slate.

A new year means another chance to recommit yourself to becoming who you want to be.

And perhaps this will be the year you decide what kind of person you want to be.

We'll be given more opportunities, be placed in new situations, and be faced with harder decisions.

And we will get to prove to ourselves that we can do hard things.

This year is bound to contain happiness & heartbreak, goodbyes & reunions, inspiration & discouragement,

but we get to decide how we let it affect us.

HAPPY 2012

Self-Discipline

2011-12-28T22:38:00.000-08:00

I really have been working on my self-discipline lately. Most people know that I am a nail biter---disgusting I know. For almost a month now I have not bitten my nails. They are the longest they have ever been and I am so please. I have to keep it going. Having long nails makes me feel prettier? Weird, but it gives me this sense of confidence.

Also, most people know that I am allergic to gluten. I am so bad at staying of wheat/gluten products. I mean come on, GLUTEN is just so good! I know this may sound like a little amount, but I have been off gluten for 3 days and I am so proud. I seriously am going to have to take this one day by day and have major self-discipline. Right now I have a small goal to stay off gluten for 30 days. My sister told me that if you make it to 30 days, you can break a habit. That is my goal for now. I am pretty driven and I am going to do all that I can to accomplish it.

Next thing:

I know I have talked about running so much in this blog and plans always fall through. Well now there is no turning back because I am signed up for a half-marathon April 28. Yes, I have paid for the race which means I am stuck with it! You know what that means? Training, Running, Sweating, the whole kaboodle. I am excited though. I was fitted for running shoes today and I love them. I know it is going to be tough, but in the end it will be totally worth it.

Self-discipline goes with New Years Resolutions...

Resolutions are not easy, they are generally hard, but with time they will get better. I feel like I can do well with these things. I feel really driven, and now there is no turning back. Well...we will see what happens!

Also, I deactivated my facebook. I just got sick of it. Too much time is wasted on the site when I could be doing better things...like pinning on pinterest! haha just kidding. But right now I should be using my time for better things..not facebook. Who knows I will probably be back soon! Lets see how much self-discipline I have for that? haha

2011-12-25T09:20:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!! I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas morning with the family. The best part of Christmas is the true meaning behind it. The birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. Remember him and all the wonderful blessings we have not only this Christmas season, but ALWAYS:)

The best way to spread Christmas Cheer, is singing loud for all to hear.

2011-12-20T19:10:00.001-08:00

It is Christmas break and I have absolutely no energy to do anything. It is actually kind of nice to be able to relax and watch Everwood episode after Everwood episode. I love Everwood. I was introduced to it by my Aunt Jan who plays a small role in it as Nurse Louise. I may have already gone through the first 2 seasons and may now be on my 3rd. Waste of time? No way! I have enjoyed every second of it:) It has made all this time of relaxing really fun! I love watching the journey between to star crossed lovers. It is so entertaining.

Ahhh it is so good:)

So other than watching Everwood, I have been doing a lot of scrap booking. I am making a big Vienna book:) It looks like it is going to be way bigger than expected. O well:) I am excited for my memory book to be complete!

Well, MERRY EARLY CHRISTMAS!

Reunited

2011-12-16T08:33:00.000-08:00

It is blowing my mind that friends are beginning to come home from their missions. Has it seriously been two years?

Last week I went to a YSA dance and I got to see some friends that I haven't seen for two years. What made it so great was the fact that it feels like they were never gone, and we picked up right where we left off.

I can't wait for everyone else to start coming home!

To-do Lists

2011-12-14T18:06:00.000-08:00

Since I have been home from Austria I have have had some much time to ponder and contemplate my life. What is my new adventure? It is so weird because I feel like for the longest time I have been looking forward to something or counting down to something, and now I don't know what to count down too! IT IS IS SO WEIRD.

I guess I will count down getting back to BYU??

I wish I was counting down going back to Austria!! I can't say this enough but Vienna is seriously the greatest place in the world. I cannot wait to go back.

So since I have had so much free time on my hands I have made so many to do lists.

I love to do lists. I think they are so much fun!

Well one thing on my to do list is to begin running for at half-marathon because guess what? This girl is running one on April 28th and I couldn't be more happy!!

The rest of my to-do lists consists of reading a few books, scrapbooking, and writing a few letters. I feel as if I am doing pretty well on checking these offs!

Also, I love this song so much.

tschüss!

EUROPEAN ATL SHAWTY

2011-12-08T04:04:00.000-08:00

I think I am going to change it to AUT SHAWTY!! Austria is the best

Auf Wiedersehen Wien

2011-12-07T05:50:00.000-08:00

All I can say is that Wien ist der beste ort von der Welt!!!

I love Vienna. The past 3 months have been some of the great 3 months of my life.

I had adventures I could have never dreamed of and met the most AMAZING people that I will never forget.

Lyndsi and I got about an hour of sleep, said our goodbyes to our House Frau, then headed to the airport at 4:00 am. We had SO MUCH LUGGAGE. We were packed into the taxi and it was hilarious. As I was sadly and slowly checking into my flight, I tured and saw that Dago, Raphael, and David had all come to the airport to say Goodbye to us. I was so happy. Then I turned my head to the left and saw Naemi, Samira, and Marcella are coming to us with a sign that says in German "We will miss yall AUT SHAWTY." It was like a movie and I was so happy to see all of them. They then performed a little Austrian song about how an Austrian went Yodeling. I was so surprised and it was the perfect way to leave Vienna. I love my new Austrian friends so much and I am so glad I got to meet them.

After around 14 hours of flying I made it to Atlanta. I was greeted by my Mom, Dad, and little brother holding a "Welcome home" balloon and flowers. I have the best family.

Them performing the song

the sign:)

everyone! I am going to miss them so much!!!

Skiing in the Alps? Or should I saying rolling down the mountain in the Alps!

2011-11-28T06:46:00.000-08:00

So last week I went to Ishgl. Where is Ishgl you might ask? It is in Tyrol, Austria, where I definitely went and snowboarded on the Swiss and Austrian Alps. Well kind of snowboarded.

It was a fun adventure involved with puffy one pieces and a pro snowboarder.

The snow was pretty icy, which didn't mix well with my fear of falling on hard ice, so I definitely rolled the mountain more than a couple times. What a great adventure it was, even if it involved much soreness and bruises.

I was lucky enough to borrow my house frau's ski suit. IT WAS SO DANG ATTRACTIVE! I have never had so many people laugh at me or make fun of me in German. I am not going to lie it was pretty hilarious, and definitely enjoyed my time in the purple puff suit.

Well here are pictures...enjoy!!

The Pro-Snowboarder we met on the train!

We were excited

I know, I know, I am dang hot

I'm thankful for...

2011-11-20T06:55:00.000-08:00

This weekend in Vienna, Raphael, Naomi, and I put together a Thanksgiving feast for the Austrians. They had never experienced anything like it!

We met in the morning to play football and let me tell you, it was a HOOT! Austrians do not know squat about football...and it was hilarious.

After football we began cooking and decorating. It was so much fun to be able to share our culture with the Austrians. They all enjoyed it and said they had never eaten so much food in their life.

Funny thing: The Austrians thought we had Thanksgiving songs. They thought for sure a song we sang at Thanksgiving was "This Land is your land, this land is my land..." They all started singing it for us. It was absolutely hilarious!

It was a great weekend and I loved being able to share culture differences:)

You learn something every day if you pay attention

2011-11-16T06:40:00.000-08:00

I have realized that I have not taken the advantage of all the learning experiences that I have had throughout my life. Vienna has opened my eyes to so many different things. Last night I was able to go to the Vienna Phil-Harmonic and it was absolutely PHENOMENAL. When I was younger I listened Classical music all the time, but when I got older I acquired the mentality that I was "too cool" to listen to it. DUMB..I know. I am kicking myself that I didn't take advantage of such wonderful music for the past few years. What I am trying to get at is that I have made a new goal. That goal is to really take advantage of my learning and learn all that I can. Having said that, I decided that everyday I am going to learn of a new peice of art, a new classical song, and a new word. Nerdy...I know, but we are suppose to learn all that we can in this life aren't we?

So I figure I could share with my new learning's here! Here it goes!

Song of the day:

Brahm's, Piano Concerto No. 1

This was a composed by Johannes Brahms in 1858.

Heard this at the philharmonic last night and it was breathtaking. Watching the musicians move play was amazing. They get so into and every note they played sounded like a little piece of heaven.

Art of the day:

This painting is by Gustav Klimt and it is called " The Kiss" or (Der Kuss). I had the opportunity to see this painting today at Belvedere Palace. This painting is all over Vienna and will probably always remind me of the city. This painting has definitely grown on me. At first I didn't really take the time to look at it, but after a while I began to see so much beauty. I love this painting because I feel like it is showing two people who really care about each other. It seems to me as if the two are embracing each other and are sharing a tender moment. I just really feel the love from this couple. You may not think that because everyone interprets painting differently, but this is how I feel. I also love this because of the diverse colors and geometric shapes. I loved being able to get close to the painting and see the texture from the paint and the metallic colors.

Word of the day: SUPERFLUOUS

adjective

being more than is sufficient or required; excessive.

unnecessary or needless.

Obsolete . possessing or spending more than enough ornecessary; extravagant.

example: I have had a superfluous amount of Manner cookies since I have been here.

So there is the awesome girl on the trip here named Ashley Curtis. She is the most entertaining slash surprising person I have ever met. She has a rather extensive vocabulary so she has definitely been a factor in me wanting to learn more. I hope one day I can be like UH-HUH from Little Rascals when he says "Actually, I've always had a rather extensive vocabulary, not to mention a phenomenal grasp of grammar and a superlative command of syntax. I simply chose not to employ them."

It's been a while

2011-11-13T05:50:00.000-08:00

I have been really bad at updating. I just don't want to waste any time here that I have in Vienna. Time is running out, and I have to live up every last moment that I have.

Well a lot has happened since I last posted.

I traveled to Bratislava, Slovakia for a day...

Then I went to Florence, Pisa, and Venice-it was beautiful. I have a new thing added to my bucket list, and that is definitely backpacking through Italy. I loved Italy, the people, the food, and most importantly the gelato.

What an Adventure is what. Italia is bellisimo!!

As time is running out in Vienna, I cannot help but think about the past few months I have had here. It has been an absolute amazing experience. I know that I was suppose to come here. I just know it, and I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to have this experience. I seriously feel so blessed.

Well Vienna has been so beautiful during the fall season. I don't think I have ever enjoyed fall so much until now. There have been so many times where we have just had leaf fights and jumped in huge piles of orange.

Now the leaves are falling, and Christmas has begun. Who says you can't start celebrating Christmas until after Thanksgiving? Luckily, here in Austria the Christmas markets have begun, and it is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! I love Christmas.

I am excited for Thanksgiving though, Raphael and I are putting on and American/Austrian Thanksgiving dinner for the YSA. I am really excited. We are going to play football before and then eating a traditional American Thanksgiving meal.

I have truly fallen in love with Vienna and the amazing YSA they have there. I was so happy that I have had the chance to get to know all these wonderful people. They have had such an impact on my life. They have touched me in such a way that I will never forget. I love Magdelena’s shyness, or Joel’s funny smirks, I love Naemi’s sarcasm, Oliver’s cockiness, Marvin’s laugh, Dago’s style, Robert’s kindness, Marsella’s reservedness, Arnulf's craziness, David's corkiness, Emmanuel's goofiness, Rebecca’s friendliness. They are all so amazing. They have seriously left an impression on me. I am so happy I came to Vienna just for the opportunity to meet them.

Emmanuel and Me

Naemi and I showing our Austrian pride

David, Emmanuel, and Oliver using ATL SHAWTY

Eric, Oliver, Emmanuel, Robert, Ashley, Ali, Naomi, and I clubbing

Eating Dinner at Arnulf's

O they are so great. They have made Vienna truly a special experience.

Something else I love about Vienna is the musical culture. Vienna is full of music. I love it. Everyday I go to class we hear the "Blue Danube Waltz" as we ride up the escalators to have a view of the beautiful opera house. Here is a clip of the way we walk to school everyday. I am constantly hearing beautiful sounds of different instruments and operas. I love it. We have so many opportunities to see different ballets and operas. My favorite was when we got to see the Opera Carmen. It was amazing. From all these musical experiences, I have grown to love classical music, and even jazz.

Here are some of the songs I have grown to love:

Carmen-Haberna

Carmen-Prelude Bizet

Johann Strauss II-The Blue Danube Waltz

Johann Strauss II-The Vienna Waltz

Louis Armstrong-La Vie en Rose

then this is not a classical song or jazz song, but this is the song I am most obsessed with since I figure Vienna is my Paradise.

AUF WIEDERSEHEN!!!!

Vienna Rapid

2011-10-27T05:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was able to go to a Vienna Rapid Soccer Game. It was seriously such a blast!! O my, the stadium wasn't that full, but the fans were crazy. I wondered if they were ever going to get sick of cheering! It was such a blast and something that I have been wanting to do for the longest time. I learned two things at the soccer game, 1.) European soccer games are crazy and so loud and 2.) Soccer guys are freaking HOT!! hahah Lets just say we all had a blast being there at the game.

Also, yesterday was Austrian Independence Day! There were lots of festivities throughout the city. It was a blast and made me love Vienna even more!!

Happy 26th of October!!

Freiburg Temple

2011-10-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

Guten Tag:)

I have been bad at updating, but all I can say is I am loving every second of this experience.

Right now we are on a 10 day trip and we have stoped in Cesky Krumlov, Prague, Dresden, Freiburg, Berlin, and soon Brno. It has been a wonderful trip and I am falling in love with the German culture.

MY ABSOLUTELY FAVORITE THING YET HAS BEEN THE TEMPLE TRIP.

THIS CHURCH IS TRUE! IT IS THE BEST THING IN THE WORLD AND BRINGS ME SO MUCH HAPPINESS!!:)

well...I LOVE AUSTRIA AND GERMAN AND JUST EVERYTHING.

Have a marvelous day:)

The Minert's and I. Best session directors ever!

Ali and I in front:)

I like this picture

2011-10-06T13:56:00.000-07:00

Us outside the Branch in Haag.

2011-10-03T06:50:00.000-07:00

Come What may and love it:]

2011-10-01T03:23:00.000-07:00

Today we woke up early, hopped on a train, and headed to Melk, Austria. When we arrived we took a tour of this beautiful monastery and then rented bikes for a 20 mile bike ride. The bike ride was beautiful. It felt like a story book. We rode through vineyards, apple orchards, pear orchards, all along the Danube River. It was seriously one of the most beautiful rides I have ever been on. We ended up getting lost when we were trying to drop off our bikes, and lots of people got angry. We were trying to catch the 4 or 5 o’clock train so we could make it back for the ballet we have tickets for. With us getting lost, we probably biked 5 more miles, and we missed both trains. I thought it was hilarious. It really reminded me of Elder Wirthlin’s talk “Come What May and Love it.” He talks about how he and his family would be road tripping and would make a wrong turn and end up 2 hours the opposite direction. Instead of everyone getting angry they would laugh instead. That is how I felt with today. So many people were getting angry, but I just decided to laugh. I thought it was funny and helped us grow closer together. It was a fun adventure, and we still made it back to catch the last half of the ballet!

The Ballet was so beautiful. It was at the Vienna Opera House which was surreal. Honestly, I was really worried that I was going to be so bored at the ballet, but I was completely wrong. I felt like I was in a fairytale watching it. The main ballerina in the pink tutu was amazing. Her legs were so straight and elegant. She was the most graceful thing I had ever seen. The last dance was so amazing it brought me to tears. It was magical. I plan on going to a lot more ballets while I am here. So many things here in Vienna are magical. I love this experience.

After the ballet we met up with Robert, David, and Oliver and went Salsa dancing. All of us were so exhausted from the bike ride, but the club was free so we decided to try it out for a bit. We walked in the club, walked underground, and I literally felt as if I had just walked into a movie. It was the coolest feeling ever. It was like I was watching “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights,” but I was in the movie. The club was totally Cubano and everyone was dancing the salsa or cha cha. We got there and we were all trying to learn the steps, it was a blast.

What we rode our bike through

All the grapes we saw:)

Beautiful View

Me in front of the Ballet

The Most Beautiful Dance

Most Elegant Dancer I have ever seen

All of us after the ballet

Salsa Dancing

2011-09-28T13:40:00.001-07:00

Today was a very adventurous day. I really enjoyed it.

Lyndsi and I woke and and made our way over to the Hundertwasserhaus.

I absolutely love this building. It is this apartment complex against all norms.

Then we just explored the area finding fun random places.

After exploring we went shopping...and H&M had the best sale ever!

Then we had class, but after we explored the

Schönbrunn Gardens. O it was soo beautiful.

Then we ended the day with Institute. What a great day.

Have I ever told yall that I love Vienna? Well I do.

Excited to be at Hundertvasserhaus

Isn't that cool??

ATL SHAWTY

I had too.

The Palace

Pictures from our 5 days trip from Salzburg to Munich

2011-09-25T14:10:00.000-07:00

So these past 5 days have been spent trekking through Austria and parts of Germany.

We went to a concentration camp, Sound of Music sites, Salzburg Castle, "Holy Week" in Salzburg, A water palace, Munich, A BEAUTIFUL PALACE, climb over 300 stairs to the top of a church, Oktoberfest and more. It was exhausting trip, but such a blast. Here are some pictures from the adventure.

OKTOBERFEST

Us at Mozart's Birth house

Chris creamed me with his creme puff..

It really is the BEST PLACE IN THE WORLD

Me in salzburg

the cute town of Mondsee

After the water palace. They all got wet besides me:)

Us with our German, Lederhosen friends

Overlooking the Alps in Germany

I am now a complete Austrian.

2011-09-24T13:24:00.000-07:00

I bought a Dirndl.

Yes a Dirndl.

What is Dirndl you might ask?

It is the traditional Austrian dress.

I had too. It was kind of pricey but it was worth it.

I love it too.

Well here it is!

I was hungry in Budapest, Hungary!

2011-09-20T03:25:00.000-07:00

We woke up really early to get to the train station for our adventure to Budapest. There were 12 of us from the group going. I was so excited to leave there, especially since my friend Trevor Bouck is serving his mission there. I felt like a backpacker with my backpack and it was so great. The train ride was about 3 hours. We tried to sleep but it didn’t work. The seats were too uncomfortable, so I just watched out the window at all the different sites. I really love Europe.

Around 10:30 am we finally arrived in Budapest. Culture Shock definitely set in. The train station was in a really ghetto part of town. It was really Dodgey. No one spoke English, the buildings were so run down, and they didn’t even use Euros. We began to freak out. We headed over to the closest bank, exchanged our money for Forint’s and tried to figured out how to get to the center of the city. We all began to wonder why we came to Hungary. It seemed old and ghetto and scary. We got on their underground transit system, (straight out of communist times) and headed that way. Their transportation was so old. I loved it. The train cars were like an aqua color, and shaped really round/squares just like out of the olden days. I really felt like I was in a different country. It was the weirdest feeling. I definitely did not feel that way when I arrived in Vienna. I was seriously hit with culture shock.

We got out of the train station and were shocked to see one of the most beautiful buildings in front of us. It was the parliament building. We all then realized to not judge a book by its cover. We walked around a little more by the Danube river and was able to overlook the whole side of Buda. It was so beautiful. I was seriously in awe. The city of Budapest was probably the most beautiful city I had ever seen in my life. I was so excited to explore the city the next 2 days.

After lunch we got on our way to explore. Our first stop: Hiking Gellert Hill to see the Liberty Statue. The statue was built in remembrance of the Soviet liberation of Hungary fromNazi forces during WW11. We walked up a hill/mtn. It was like hiking Kennesaw Mountain. The view of the city from the hike was beautiful!! At the top of the hill were a ton of little booths with Hungarian Souvenirs and goodies. We looked through them and I bought a beautiful scarf. I love it. We tried to take short cuts down the hill, but we failed miserably. I ended up sliding down the hill and getting covered in dirt. It was hilarious. We were all laughing so hard as we almost rolled down this steep hill.

We then walked the streets of Budapest and ended up at the Budapest Castle. It was this huge palace. We rode the funicular up to the castle. It was fun, and at the top of the hill was a beautiful of the Pest side of Budapest. We walked around the cobblestone streets, went through some markets, and enjoyed our time. After walking, we ended up at Fisherman’s Bastion. I loved this so much!! It reminded me of a castle from a Disney movie or Rapunzel. We stayed there for a while just taking pictures and looking around. It was surreal. I felt like I was back in medieval times.

We started heading to the Hostel to check in, and we ended up at a beautiful church. I wish I knew what is what the name was. We walked in and the walls were high and blue. There were sculptures of cherubs and gold outlining. We sat in there for probably 45 minutes to rest our feet and just listened to the organ concert going on. I just sat their feeling so humble and grateful to be here in Europe.

Here is where our walking adventure began. It was close to the end of the day and our feet were KILLING. We were on the lookout for Home to Home Hostel where we were staying that night. We walked everywhere!! We were so tired, and we all had to pee, but we were lost. We couldn’t stop laughing at how tired we were. We started to get loopy. Finally after an hour of searching we found it. I was excited for my first Hostel experience. The Hostel was very homey and the owner’s name was Jeno. He was very friendly and made us feel at home. We all rested a bit then got ready to head out to dinner when all the sudden we had a huge conversation with Jeno about the church. We talked to him for 2 hours and it was amazing. I really felt like he was going to be baptized! There were times in the conversation where I felt the spirit so strong. It was an amazing bonding experience for us.

We headed out Va’roshaz Street. It was this huge street with lots of shops and restaurants. It was definitely a hopping place. We were all so hyper and happy after our conversation with Jeno, so we were going crazy. We ran into someone playing the saxophone and we all thought of the “Sexy Sax Man” youtube video. He ended his song and played some Michael Jackson for us, and then the fun began. We all started dancing to him playing “Billie Jean.” To all dance in unison, we did the EFY PB&J dance. It was hilarious. We had so many people stopping and filming us and taking pictures. After it ended everyone applauded us. We got a kick out of it. We got dinner at this café in the middle of the square and just laughed at the day we had. Afterwards we headed to the bridge to see the Buda Castle lit up. Right by it was this fountain where there were many people doing some kind of waltz. It was beautiful. We all just sat around the area and watched couples dance this seductive waltz. As we were watching these Polish boys came up to us and started taking pictures of us. When they snapped a photo they said “CHINESE.” (Since Chinese people always take pictures of white people haha) It was hilarious. They were rather drunk and didn’t speak English so we kept laughing at how dumb they were. We got a picture with them and decided to head in for the night. Overall this day was a HUGE success. My feet had blisters on the bottom of them, my legs were sore, I knew I had accomplished a lot that day.

9/18/2011

We woke up around 9:30, said our goodbyes to Jeno, and then started our new day in Budapest. We went to the Japanese shop right next to our hostel which sold clothes for really cheap. We all had the goal in mind to get some parachute pants. This is the huge style out here in Europe. Everyone wears parachute pants. At first I thought they were hideous, but now I love them. I bought a floral pair of them at the Japanese store and decided to wear them for the rest of the day. After shopping, Naomi, Lyndsi, Ali, Ashley, and I headed to the baths. These are supposedly a really popular place to go to when you are in Budapest. They are these baths where the water comes from underground springs. We rented swim suits and put them on and couldn’t stop laughing. We had these old one pieces that barely covered our body because they were too small. We realized that this trip was going to make us really comfortable with each other. The baths ended up being just like a places with lots of swimming pools. It was nice to relax in the sun and play in the baths. One of the baths had waves and we had a blast body surfing in them. We were there most the day then headed to the huge market. The market had most the same things at every booth, but it was fun looking around.

After browsing the market, we went to St. Stephens Bascilica. All I can say is that, that is the most beautiful church I have ever been into in my life. There was gold trim everyone and the most beautiful designs. Words cannot even describe it. All I know is that everyone has to visit that church if they have the opportunity. It was cool because when we went inside a wedding was going on. That is what made the church even more special.

We had a few hours left in the city so we decided just to take it slow and walk around. We found many different monuments and took lots of fun random pictures in the street. Our favorite sight we found was a statue of Ronald Reagan. We had fun taking pictures with him. We went and saw the Jewish monument of the shoes representing WW2 times with the Jewish had to take off their shoes and jump into the Danube or get shot. It was sad.

It was time to leave and we all headed to the train station to make our train. Sadly, lots of us didn’t validate our ticket, so we ran into a problem. As we got off the underground train to get to our train station, this mean Hungarian stopped us and was mad. We had done something terrible in his eyes since we didn’t get our ticket validated. It was a mess. He ended up fining us 25 Euros. We were all so angry, but I couldn’t help but laugh. I thought it was hilarious how the whole thing happened. Luckily it wasn’t something worse and thankfully we all got on our train back to Vienna.

BUDAPEST WAS A BLAST, BUT I AM GLAD TO BE BACK IN VIENNA

I have fallen in Love...

2011-09-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

With Vienna that is.

I feel so blessed that I have the opportunity to be studying for the next 3 months in the city.

O it is so wonderful. Words and Pictures cannot even describe it's beauty.

Every time I walk outside I get so happy. This city has stolen my heart.

I love the architecture, the people, the colors, the weather, the ubahn.

I love everything about it.

I cannot even begin to describe the feeling I have here. All I know is that being outside around the city makes me the happiest girl in the world. I really love it here.

Well here are some pictures:)

We went to Budapest, Hungary this past weekend. Next post I'll blog about it!

The top of the ferris wheel at Prater Park.

At the Volleyball game Oliver got us tickets too!
Institute with our new friends!
ATL SHAWTY
VEINNA!!

9/13/2011

2011-09-14T02:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday started out to be a little rough. Lyndsi and I woke up late so we were in such a hurry to get to class. For our Art History class we went to the Wein museum. It probably would have been really interesting, but my teacher focused on the same thing. I felt like we looked at 1000 different maps of Vienna and how it expanded. My feet killed and I got really bored. I wished I could have just looked around myself. It is hard for me to always be with the big group because sometimes I just want to be independent and look at things myself on my own time. Plus, when I am in big groups and there is someone talking with a strong English accent, my A.D.D. tends to kick in.

After the museum we headed back to the Institute to figure out our travel plans for the weekend. We were planning on going to Cinque Terra, Italy, but it got to complicated, so we decided to change that to another weekend. I think we are going to head to Budapest, Hungary and Bratislava, Slovakia this weekend. It should be fun.

After German class we decided to come back to our house and do a little grocery shopping. Lyndsi and I were proud because we accomplished our first Austrian grocery trip. The cashier even thought we were Austrian! We got back to our house, cooked some dinner, then spent some time outside with Frau Alfons. She is so great. She is so good to us already. She makes our beds every morning and brings us treats. She is the cutest. She also is such a good help with German.

Last Night was exceptionally fun: My favorite night in Vienna so far. Lyndsi and I went to Prader Park with some new Austrian friends. It is like an amusement park/carnival? There are a ton of rides that you can pay to go on. Lyndsi wanted to go there because her boyfriend Buck said we HAD to ride the swings. When we first got there we rode this ride called the Black Mamba. It was so scary! You would be flung up in the air and spin around all at the same time. It was hilarious hearing everyone scream. There was a time that we all thought we were going to fall off it. It was probably the scariest/fun ride that I have been on. After, we walked around the park looking for other fun rides. We would dance and listen to all the American Music that was playing including “Party Rock Anthem.” There was a point where we did the shuffle in the middle of the park. It was a blast. Before we left we rode the swings. This was probably the coolest thing I have done in Vienna. The swings were so tall. Way taller than your typical swing ride at an amusement park. You were up so high that you could see ALL of Vienna. It was beautiful, especially since we were riding the swings at night time. It was almost surreal. It really hit me that I was in Vienna, Austria! I was finally conquering one of my dreams! I was filled with gratitude. I am just so thankful I am here and that I have already been able to make Austrian friends! O it was so great.

After Prader Park we got on the Ubahn they took us to their favorite ice cream place! It was off Schwedplace? I loved this stop in the city. There were people everywhere and so many shops with beautiful architecture around it. I really felt as if I was in another country. The ice cream we got was amazing. I got three flavors: Mozart, Momo, and coconut. It was so yummy! Mozart was this flavor based off the Mozart chocolate balls, a popular candy here in Vienna. Momo was this peanut butter, caramel type flavor(this was my favorite), then coconut was nice and creamy! O it was delicious. We walked around the rest of the city and explored with our ice cream. We walked around Stephan’s dome. Then they showed us an amazing part of the city! O it was so beautiful. It was just what Lyndsi and I had wanted to explore. We saw the Habspurg Palace and went to the Museum quarter. O it was so beautiful. They also showed us this area where all the locals hang out at night and just visit. I felt so artsy being around there. It really was such a wonderful night. I loved every moment of it. I just feel so lucky to be here studying!!

Tonight we are going to the circus with some new Austrian friends! I am excited!

us in front of the Rathaus and the circus we are going to!

the best candy/food in the whole world. O my it is delicious. It is this Austrian candy called Manner

Me on the Ubahn on the way to the city!

I taught some Austrians ATL SHAWTY. HAHAH ya boi!

us on the swings at prater park:)

the yard i live at!

the yard!

more yard

first day of school pictures

i got on the austrian institute's bulletin board!! hahaha success!!

there I am on the bulletin board!!:) wahoo!!!

for party people...aka us! haha

ice cream!

the street right by my school!

exploring vienna at night

My adventure at Church in Vienna

2011-09-12T01:40:00.000-07:00

Today was such a good day. It really made me fall in love with Vienna and its people. We woke up and walked to the Ubahn station for our first “independent” experience on the transportation system. Luckily, we got on all the right subways to get us to the institute right in time for church. Church was different today. It was celebrating the beginning of the institute so church was held at the institute like a stake conference. (Generally, there is not a singles ward in Vienna.) We walked in and there were so many Young Single Adults. I loved it. It was so amazing to see. All around there were about 100-150 kids there. There were kids for Salzburg, Vienna, Gratz, and more. I really enjoyed sacrament. Luckily we had translators, so I was able to understand everything they were saying. I couldn’t stop smiling or laughing during it. I was just so happy. Not to mention the YSA rep for Vienna was beautiful. He sat at front with the speakers and I just stared at him the whole time. Hahah Lyndsi and I both noticed though that the WHOLE time he was staring at us. It was funny because every time we made eye contact I would smile real big then start giggling. He would smile and laugh back. It was fun. Haha He was so cute. I learned from someone that his name was Johannes and he is the YSA rep for Vienna. After sacrament the Institute had prepared lunch for all of us. We set up the tables and waited for about an hour for lunch to be ready. That is when the mingling began. I was so ready to become friends with some Austrians. That is one of my goals while I am here. I want to be able to make Austrian friends so I can really have a cultural experience. I was so nervous, but I decided I was just going to go up to them and try speaking German to them. (None of the other kids in my group were trying to meet other people. They just kept to themselves.) I got all the courage I could then went up to a girl with brown hair and a big nose and a boy that looked like her brother, and looked at the girl and said “Wie Heisst du?” (What is your name?) She gave me the meanest look, rolled her eyes, said something in German to her brother, then quietly said Sarlina (something like that). I didn’t hear it at first and asked again. She seemed annoyed. After that I just sat and silence… Her brother then asked “Are you from America?” I said yes. Then they both just stared at me. I shook my head up and down and then walked away thinking… OKBYE! Haha I was shocked! They were sooo rude to me. They completely shut me down. I went back over to the kids in my group with me and they all were shocked. They could not believe that happened. I laughed it off. I was not going to let them get me discouraged. I was not giving up. I WAS going to make friends with these people. I told everyone in my group “I AM GOING TO MAKE THESE PEOPLE LOVE ME WHETHER THEY LIKE IT OR NOT!” haha I was so determined. We sat down at the table and there was a boy a seat away from me. I looked at him and said, “Ich mag diene Krawatte.” (I like your tie) He gave me the weirdest looked! Looked around. I pointed at his tie and said it again. He still looked at me so weird, then turned away. I was shut down AGAIN! I couldn’t believe it. I WAS going to make a friend. I HAD too.

I saw another boy. I decided to tell him the same thing. I looked at him “Ich mag deine Krawatte.” He looked at me, smiled, and said Danke schone! (Thank you very much!) I got one person to be nice to be! I was so happy. I felt successful. Then there was another boy who was serving us the drinks and water. He came up to me and said something to me in German. I had no idea was he said and just responded “Nein!” (no) He then kept speaking to me and I had no clue what he was saying. I then looked at him and said “Meine Deutsch ist awful!” (My German is awful! ) He responded in German. I just nodded my head. I found out that he said “I don’t hear any bad German!” Isn’t that nice? He didn’t even look at me the rest of the day but I didn’t care. He said something nice to me! That made me happy. For lunch we had Schnitzel. It is this fried chicken type thing that is an Austrian delicacy. Everyone loved it, but I thought it was okay. Austrians take a LONG time to eat. They sit at the tables and eat for hours so we waited a while for the next activity to start. After lunch we split up into teams and have a scavenger hunt in a BEAUTIFUL park in the north of the city. A lot of us BYU student were not too excited for that. They didn’t really feel welcomed and wanted to leave. Like I said though, I was determined to make friends so I was staying for the scavenger hunt. I was on team blue. They did not seem too thrilled to have me, or 2 other girls from BYU on their team. I felt like everyone thought we were dumb Americans. Our group consisted of Amanda, Torey, and me (From Byu), and 5 other people. The beginning of the scavenger hunt was bad. They did not seem at ALL interested in us so they did not talk to us. I was starting to get a little discouraged, but then I just decided to be positive. I was going to be friendly to all of them and go out of my way to talk to all of them! There were 2 girls in are group from Salzburg who I talked too who were actually really nice. Their English was really good as well and helped me with my German. Their names were Rachel and Leisel. Rachel was 24 and Leisel was 18. They were very friendly and made the trip a lot more fun for us. Then as we were on the ubahn to the park, I sat down to another girl in my group. Her name was Sabrina. I think she was 26? She was an artist from Vienna and was actually very nice as well. We spoke for the whole train ride until the park. Then walking to the park I met David. David was probably my favorite in the group. He spoke broken English but was so friendly. He had so many questions to ask me. He made me feel really welcome to the group. I really enjoyed talking to him. He was 26 as well. The YSA in Austria are very old compared to the ones in Georgia I felt like. There was one person left in my group who I was determined to talk to. She always looked at me like I was crazy. Her name was Magdalena. It took her a HECK OF A WHOLE LOT of time for her to warm up to me. I finally did it though. I mean it wasn’t a huge warm up, but she finally cracked a smile at me and would kind of talk to me. I felt so accomplished. The park we went to was called DonuPark? It was absolutely beautiful. It was so big with so many different playgrounds, paths, ponds, bridges, huge chess games, tennis courts, it had everything. I really loved it. I plan on going back there a lot this semester. We ran into Lyndsi and Ali’s group at the park. I tried talking to the people in her group because they were speaking English. Their names were Oliver and Emmanuel. They thought I was crazy. It was funny because I would try and speak German to them, but I would then laugh because I sounded funny. Oliver actually served with Calvin Roberts in London so we talked about that for a bit. After talking with them they thought something was wrong with me. I overcame all my fear talking to the Austrians though. I decided I didn’t care what they thought about me. I wasn’t going to let them affect my experience in Vienna. Lyndsi told me that after I left Oliver looked at her and said “Is she okay??” And pointed at his head. I just laughed. I thought it was hilarious. Every Austrian I have met thinks I am crazy because I smile and laugh so much.

For one part in the scavenger hunt we had to sing a hymn out of the hymn book. We chose “Love One Another” since it was short. We had a lot of fun with that hymn. We ended up singing it at so many different places just to be funny. When we got to the front of the train station we sang it, we were waiting for the ubahn we sang it. We had a lot of fun being weird. After finally becoming friends with the Austrians, I learned so many interesting facts about them. Rachel told me how she actually lived in GA with her mom after her parents got divorced when she was 13. She told me how she was baptized 3 years ago, and her dad did not approve. David then told me how he was not yet a mormon. He told me his story. He told me that his friend was always so ‘magnetic’ and he always wanted to be around him. He moved to Vienna to be closer to his friend because of that. They ended up being roommates and his friend invited him to church. I thought that was so cool. It really goes to show that you seriously can be an example to those around and really shine the light of Christ. I loved it when he told me how his roommate was magnetic. I thought that was so awesome. We then headed back to the institute for a little dessert, then the BYU kids left for the Minert’s house for dinner.

All in all today was definitely an adventure. I learned a few things from it... 1.) Austrians don’t smile that much. 2.) Every YSA Austrian thinks I am crazy in the head. And 3.) Austrians are not nearly as friendly as Americans. Surprisingly, It made me love the Austrians so much!! The fact that it is so hard for them to give me the time of day is such a challenge to me. It makes me want to open them up. I love it! I know I am going to meet some really good friends here. They might not think that they would ever be friends with me now, but o they just wait and see.

I am so excited to be here. I already love it. I am so happy for this cultural/learning experience I get to have. It is going to be a great 3 months.

I'm here!

2011-09-09T12:20:00.000-07:00

I am finally here.

We arrived around 1:30, but half of our group lost their luggage, so we didn't leave the airport until later. Luckily I got my luggage.

We checked into our hotel then began our way to exploring the city. Our school is set in the middle of a busy area. I love it. Right across the street is the Opera House, and a little farther are tons of shopping and eating areas. It is amazing.

I meet my host family tomorrow and will learn more about the city, transportation, and school.

Well.. I am exhausted...I'm off to bed! Good Night!

It won't let me upload pictures:( Hopefully tomorrow!

Amsterdam

2011-09-09T00:30:00.000-07:00

Well I made it! Almost:)

I am here sitting in the Amsterdam airport waiting to meet up with most of the group. I cannot even begin to tell you how happy I am. As soon as I walked off the plane I could not stop smiling. I love European culture. I seriously am so mesmerized by all the people here. I love their style and the way they present themselves. And o my, are European men suave. I have only been here about an hour, and I have already seen so many (male) Dutch workers work their magic on girls going through the security lines. I couldn't help but laugh watching them. What is also so amazing about being here is all the different languages being spoken! It is amazing. Everywhere I turn I hear something different and new. I love it. AHHH I am just so happy:)

O and this airport is HUGE!!! O my goodness. Maybe it isn't that big, but it seriously took me 45 minutes to get to the gate I am at now. I mean I always fly out of the Atlanta airport, and that is a huge airport, but this one seems a heck of a whole lot bigger? haha who knows.

Well in a few hours I will finally be in Vienna:)

Tschuss!

So long, farewell, I'm off to Austria:)

2011-09-07T19:00:00.000-07:00

I leave for Austria TOMORROW!!

WHAT?!?!

Time has seriously flown by.

I am kinda beginning to freak out.

I mean REALLY beginning to freak out.

It is mostly because it has come so fast, and I feel like I do not have everything ready.

Packing has been crazy. Really crazy.

I have decided I really hate packing.

It stresses me out. haha

I am so excited the time is finally here. I finally get to embark on such a wonderful adventure!

I am going to have so much fun rooming with Lyndsi. We both are ready to see, taste, and experience all Europe has to offer.

I seriously cannot believe that next time I update will either be in Amsterdam or Vienna!

Austria....Get ready for Elysse and Lyndsi:)

Auf Wiedersehen!!!:)

If you want to keep in touch you can email me at elysse223@gmail.com:)

SEC...WHAT?

2011-09-04T16:52:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a blast.

It stared off with my family and I packing up the car and driving to Tupelo, Mississippi. What a beautiful drive it was! Gosh, I just love the South. The trees and greenery are beautiful!

It was about a five hour drive. We got to our hotel, got dressed, then headed to the nearby stake center for the BYU Football team fireside. We got there and it was PACKED! Luckily, we had seats saved for us. The stake center held 650 people, but 1,500 people showed up. It was amazing to see that we were thousands of miles away from Utah, but there were SOO many BYU fans!

When we were there I was able to meet up with a lot of my EFY kids from Florida and Georgia. It made me so happy.

The fireside consisted of the BYU football players, Bronco, and his wife, bearing their testimonies and giving us a spiritual thought. Not only was the fireside fun, but it was very uplifting. It definitely got us all excited for the big game the next day at Ole Miss.

We woke up and left to Ole Miss around 10:30. We didn't get there until 12:30ish. The tailgating at Ole Miss was insane! Tailgaters and Ole Miss fans everywhere! It was amazing. I wish BYU's tailgating got like that. We went to the BYU tailgating section where we met up with the Thorderson's. That is when the painting began. Mckay, Gunnar, and Dugan were painted completely blue. They looked like smurfs. We then walked through The Grove (Ole Miss's tailgating area) and headed to the game. What a game it was! I am not going to lie, the majority of it was boring. It was not an exciting game, we did not do well. The 4th quarter was when it got crazy. O boy did it get insane. We ended up pulling through and beating an SEC team! Hotty Toddy what?!? Hahah it was so great. OLE MISS fans were not too happy. After the game I was seriously shocked at how nice they all were to us. I thought people were going to be talking trash! I mean they were, but everyone was still so nice. They would tell us good game, or if they would start to smack talk they would apologize. One girl even came up to us and said "I hope everyone is being nice to yall!" O my it just made me miss the south so much. I seriously love Southern Hospitality. Everyone at Ole Miss was so welcoming and kind. I loved it.

It was a great weekend! I feel so lucky that I got to experience a little bit of fall semester before I leave to Vienna. I got to go to school, see all my friends, and then experience a BYU football game. I leave in 4 day...Crazy eh?

Welp...GO BYU:)

The Human Experience

2011-09-01T11:03:00.000-07:00

I just watched such a powerful movie.

It seriously just changed my life.

Yall should definitely watch it.

Watch Trailer Here

Back to School..

2011-08-29T22:47:00.001-07:00

I am not going to lie, but I really was not looking forward to driving back to Provo this morning. I didn't really want to go to school.

But I AM SO GLAD I DID.

Today was wonderful. A perfect way to end my time in Provo.

I thought I might get sad going to campus, seeing everyone, feeling the excitement of a new year, but it actually just made me even more ecstatic to go to Austria

I loved walking around campus, going to the periodicals, and walking around the Wilk, running into so many people that I love and missed this summer. It was a blast seeing everyone. There was one point while I was in the Wilk where I felt like I knew EVERY single person who walked by. It was fun. What was so bizarre to me was that I kept running into friends of mine that had just gotten off their missions! Running into someone after 2 years on campus is so weird! It is only weird because when I see them, it feels like they never even left. I love that feeling. Not seeing someone for so long, but then when you finally do, it is like nothing has changed.

That made me feel really peaceful about leaving. 3 months is not a long time at all.

Today I was reminded of all the wonderful people in my life. I am truly blessed.

I have the most amazing friends. I really do. I will sure miss them.

I am suppose to be in Austria this semester, I just know it. I feel like it is going to be so good for me to have an adventure, to learn and grow. Last year was a hard year. It was a REALLY hard year. My confidence and self-esteem were at an all time low. I have been building it back up. This summer I really re-evaluated my life and have worked on getting my confidence back up. I feel a HUGE improvement. I am FINALLY happy again. I FINALLY feel like I am back to the good old me. My confidence and self-esteem are back, and I am loving it. The Elysse I always loved is back.I feel like going to Austria is really going to help me solidify the person I am suppose to be. It is going to help solidify my confidence. This semester is going to help me stay the person that I love. It is going to help me be me.

That is what made today so great. The time I spent on campus was full of confirmations that I need Austria. I am suppose to be there.

I have a feeling it is going to be a great year.

2011-08-28T22:26:00.001-07:00

So I have one day left in Utah.

Tomorrow I am headed to Provo for the first day of school.

Do I really want to go to Provo? No, but there are still some people I want to see and some things I need to pick up. I just really hate the drive down to Provo. Especially now that my sister lives even further away.

It will be fun to pretend to be a student though:)

It is weird, I have spent the past few days in Provo and it just doesn't feel right. I know I am supposed to be in Vienna this semester. I just can't wait to leave.

So here are a few things I was able to do before I left:

-Slept over at Kate's cabin in Sundance with Kate and Kaile

-Hiked Stewart Falls

-Finished Sara's Key

-Lupe Fiasco concert

-Hogle ZOO

-Tubed down the Provo River

-Went to a Demolition Derby

-Went to a Rodeo

-Tandem bike ride with Jorden, Brandon, and Karina

I say I was pretty successful at doing the things I wanted to do? I mean I didn't get all of them but I did do a lot of things I wanted to.

Plus there is still one day left...

Waiting..

2011-08-22T21:41:00.000-07:00

I feel stuck.

I just am waiting and waiting and waiting to leave.

I'm starting to get a little envious of everyone coming back to BYU, getting ready to start a new year. The first day of school is always so exciting. Getting all cute, hoping you have a cute boy in your class, or just hoping to meet some new friends. That is what I love about the first day of school, ANTICIPATION.

I am bummed I am going to miss fall semester of BYU...

but then I think about the AMAZING opportunity I have to fulfill one of my dreams and all the envy goes away.

Right now is just hard. I am stuck in a place of forced patience.

Patience to leave on a jet plane for 3 good months.

3 months of adventure and traveling.

I am so ready to leave! Right now I just have to wait. Wait and have patience.

It is hard to be patient. 17 days feels like forever.

Can't it just be September 8 already?

Happiness

2011-08-20T23:18:00.000-07:00

Don't Worry..Be happy:)

Remember...Happiness is the gift you give to YOURSELF!

It is your CHOICE whether you are happy or not!

Dreams

2011-08-18T22:08:00.001-07:00

I have a lot of dreams. Random, crazy, things that I consider my "Bucket List."

The list is long. It changes frequently. Some dreams big, others small. I am constantly adding new dreams to my list.

Sometimes I am impatient. I feel if I wait too long I won't be able to accomplish them. Thinking this drives me crazy. I have to be able to check off these things on my bucket list. I HAVE too. That is the plan at least.

I worry sometimes that I let fear get in the way. Fear of the unknown, fear of missing out, fear of failing. That is why lately I have been trying to live by the famous Eleanor Roosevelt quote: " Do one thing everyday that scares you." I have it in embedded in my mind. Each day when I run into a roadblock of feeling awkward or being to nervous to do or say something I think of this quote. It has helped a lot this week. This quote is going to be my motto. I don't want to let fear get in the way of me checking off EVERY thing on my Bucket List. There has been too many times in my life where I have let fear hold me back. NOT ANYMORE. I'm going to do one thing every day that scares me.. and replace fear with faith!

Here's to new beginnings!:)

Tom Boy

2011-08-17T22:50:00.000-07:00

Growing up I classified myself as a tom boy. Most of my childhood was spent with four brothers who taught me to love and appreciate sports. I remember going to their baseball games, basketball games, football games, and track meets every weekend. Sports, sweats, and baggy T-shirts were what I loved. I looked up to my brothers, especially Shaun, who excelled at every sport he played. I wanted to be just like him.

When I was young, I had gorgeous, long, thick hair that went to my waist. It was my mom's pride and joy. Every day she wanted to curl it, braid it, or do something to it. Not only that, she wanted to dress me up in frilly dresses like an American Girl Doll. Sadly, I fought her every day. I wanted to put my hair in a pony tail and I wanted to wear what I wanted to wear! (Which consisted over huge T-shirts and sweats or basketball shorts) I am pretty sure it drove her crazy. I vividly remember one afternoon where she was brushing through my hair trying to do something with it and I had had enough! I then packed my bag and proceeded to run away. (Only to come back a few hours later.)

I remember my 8th grade year I was on a Metro League Basketball team. One of the rules we had as a team was that every day we had a game, we had to dress up for school. I did not like this idea one bit. I always wore jeans and a sweatshirt to school, no one ever saw me dressed up and I didn't want to change that. I remember nervously approaching school in my black skirt and pink top. I thought for sure everyone would whisper and stare at me. I, Elysse Allman, did not dress up, not in skirt or dresses at least. Humiliated I walked into homeroom where my best friend Erin Nesbit was sitting. She was on my basketball team as well and commented on how nice I looked, along with my Homeroom teacher Ms. Martin. I looked at the embarrassed and said, "I feel like such a girl today." They laughed so hard and made a big joke out of it after that. They proceeded together to get me a "Pink" teddy bear with that quote on it.

High school started and I began to try and dress nicer. It would last the first week of school, then with early morning seminary I stopped caring. With basketball season taking up most the year, I found myself frequently wearing sweatpants. Almost everyday my hair was thrown up in a bun or pony tail. I ALWAYS had a sweatshirt with me and mostly everyday wore a T-shirt. At least I started dressing like more of a girl on the weekends right??

All in all, I was a tom boy. I dressed like one and acted like one. Sports were my life. Being one of the guys was my life. I didn't care about fashion or how I dressed. All I cared about was being comfortable.

So now it blows my mind that I actually am into fashion! I used to HATE shopping. I hated it so much. Now I find myself walking through stores, yearning to buy cute knit tops and flowy dresses. I actually want to look nice every day. I want to shop at all these name brand stores. It is so weird. I find myself feeling a little uneasy when I am just in jeans and a sweatshirt with my hair in a pony tail now. It is so weird to me. As I walked through the Gateway mall tonight looking through different stores I stared in disbelief at how many clothes I loved and wanted to buy. I wanted to buy all these different items so I could put together different outfits. It was weird. This is not the Elysse I am used to.

Don't get me wrong, I am still way less girly than lots of people I know. I still find myself reverting back to the jeans and sweatshirt all the time, but as of right now I kind of want to be better at dressing my best. I have noticed that when I am actually put together I have more confidence. We'll see what happens. All I know is I love the feeling of a nice big sweatshirt:)

Here are some pictures exemplifying my love for comfort

2011-08-15T21:18:00.000-07:00

I am back again. Twice in one day...shocking eh?

I like to run. Actually I have a love/hate relationship with it. Sometimes I enjoy it, some days I loathe it. There was a time in my life where I loved to run every day. It made me feel great, and so accomplished. I was able to push myself and overcome distances I never thought I would conquer. I want to get back into it. I was lucky my freshman year because I had a great running buddy who kept me on track. Not only was he someone who kept me motivated, but he also was my best friend:) Justin is on his mission right now, so I will have to learn how to run on my own. Hopefully I can make him proud, and get into a habit of running again on my own.

Justin and I (J-money and E-squeezy)

Well back to running...my sister and I decided to do a 5K on Saturday. I am really anxious/excited for it. We did a 3 mile run tonight overlooking Bountiful. It was beautiful and so relaxing. Running in the calm, mountain breeze made me really want to get back into running. Even though it was hard for me to do, it was so relaxing and made me feel so good.

I am excited to do the Davis Dart Saturday morning. It should be fun, even though I may be way slow.

I like this quote though...It doesn't matter how slow I will be this Saturday, I will still be beating someone:)

So time is ticking and I am getting closer and closer to leaving on my new adventure to: VIENNA

I'm getting really anxious. I feel like I am stuck in this weird standstill right now just waiting to leave. Yesterday my roommate for Austria and I started planning our weekend trips. We so far have planned weekends trips to Cinque Terra, Venice, Rome, Florence, Budapest, Denmark, Switzerland, and Slovenia. Then we are going Czech Republic, Salzburg, Germany with the whole study abroad group. I cannot fathom that I am actually going to be abroad in Europe for 3 months. I have always dreamt of this and now it is coming true. I'm ready to have this adventure. 24 days..

So I am in Utah for another 14 days... so i figured I could make a list of things I want to do before I leave:

Mona Rope Swing
Read Sarah's Key and The Help
Hike Timp and see sunrise
Tandem Bike ride
Hike Stewart Falls
80s dancing in SLC
Cook as much as possible
Bee's game
Davis Dart Run
Focus Four Run
Tube down Provo River
Go Four-wheeling up at Hoble Creek

Basically just as many outdoorsy things possible.

I'll check them off as we go..so lets see how I do.

Well here are some pictures from my Lake Powell trip. Lake Powell was absolutely BEAUTIFUL and it was such a blast being with these people.

Driving down to Powell

The girls and boys at Rainbow Bridge

Andy and I on the boat

Sadie and I

I know this post is kinda of all over the place, but here are some things I saw on pinterest that I loved and thought I'd share.

Remember... no matter what...Life is Good:)

Reggie Rocket

2011-08-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

I want to be REGGIE ROCKET.

She seriously is so cool...even though she is a cartoon. haha
That is my goal for this upcoming year. I am going to become my own REGGIE ROCKET.
I may not be as legit as her..but I'll be close.

Before Surfer:

After:

Before snowboarder:

After:

Before Long-boarder:

After:

Okay maybe not as drastic as that..but you get the point:)

I WILL BE REGGIE ROCKET ONE DAY!

Random Thoughts

2011-08-04T21:30:00.001-07:00

Tonight we had testimony meeting with a great bunch of kids. Every single person in my company (Our name is the FRIENDLY TABERNACLE NUNS haha) got up and bore their testimonies. It was amazing. We still had 15 minutes left to spare which was even cooler!

Gosh, the gospel is just so amazing. I love it. I love my job. I love seeing the Lord's tender mercies every day. I love this church and this gospel! I just love life in general!

Soo maybe I have been thinking a lot about serving a mission lately...
and lets just say it is freaking me out.. hmm...we'll see. Right now I am just kind of thinking I might as well start preparing just in case?

Well the session director this week is the BOMB. She is definitely my new role model.I hope I can grow up to be just like her one day

I AM GOING TO LAKE POWELL SATURDAY!! I AM SO EXCITED!!

welp...sorry for this scatter brained post.

Shout out to Tom:) Thanks for reading my blog! you are the best!

Where have the days gone?

2011-07-31T13:02:00.000-07:00

It seriously blows my mind to think that I only have a couple more weeks left until I fly off to Vienna. It feels like it was yesterday that I met the group I was going with. Summer is almost over?!?! Crazy to think. It has gone by soo quickly.

I guess it is true..time really does fly when you are having fun.

This summer has been an absolute blast. I have been able to do so many fun things!!
Las Vegas, Hilton Head, EFY, Florida, Alabama, and pool time.

Tomorrow I start my last week of EFY. It is so weird to think that it is going to be my last. I was so lucky to be able to do a total of 7 weeks. Through these 7 weeks I have met so many wonderful people and counselors. I will have gone through 4 different EFY teams once this week is through. I love the people I have met. They are all amazing..so strong and such great examples. Not only that, but I have a blast with them!

After EFY ends, Saturday I am headed to Lake Powell. I am beyond excited. I have heard so many fun things about it and I am so excited I get to experience it for myself.

Then after that I will have a few weeks left in Utah to hang out and then I am off to Vienna until December...
CRAZY.

I'm excited for what the future holds and the adventures I'll have.

EFY=MY LIFE

2011-07-12T20:26:00.000-07:00

I love efy. I love it so much. I know yall probably get so annoyed with me saying it, but it really is so amazing. It makes me the happiest girl in the world! The kids make me happy. The kids are amazing. They are such an example to me and teach me so much! I honestly think efy as a counselor is better than being a participant.

So far I have done 4 weeks of efy. I have loved every second of it. I first began in St. George where I had an amazing first week. My group and co counselor Andy were amazing! I saw so many miracles that week and got soo close with the whole group. We were called SECRET SERVANTS from the scripture Amos 3:7 and I had 16-18 year olds. I loved that age group. It was a really interesting week because we had SaH and Overnight combined. I loved every second of it though. It was a small session so it was fun that I was able to get to know so many kids and all the counselors!

My second week was in Ga! I loved going back to Ga because that is where I went to efy. It was so much fun being able to do it with one of my best friends Rebecca as well! I had 16-18 year olds again which I loved so much. My co-counselor Daniel was awesome too but afraid of me! haha He had just gotten off his mission so I always teased him:) He didn't like that I kissed him on the cheek very much.. haha I liked Ga though because the kids are soo excited for efy. There is just a different dynamic about the kids there. My group that week named ourselves BRING TO PASS. We definitely had a fun, crazy group. We were probably the loudest, most rambunctious group but I loved it. My girls were so fun and constantly were coming up with ways to make me laugh. My boys were all so strong and just plain cool.

My third week I was in Georgia again for the 2 session. I loved this week. Especially because my little brother and nephew were coming. I was so excited to be working as a counselor while they were at efy. It was so fun being able to see them. This week was different than I was used to. I had 14-15 year olds and two other co-counselors Matt and Rachel. I had such a blast with them. I was probably laughing at what they were saying 99% of the time. Our name was upon the earth. My girls were seriously angels. They were so obedient and so nice! I loved being able to be there counselor. It was fun too because I had some girls that used to be in my ward when they were just little babies!! So it was cool to see them at efy. My boys were as cute as ever. One pretended like he was afraid of girls to get their attention..and lets just say it worked. He came up to me after the friday dance and told me he had 45 girls talk to him, 1 marriage proposal, and 1 slap. haha What a genius. I especially liked the week because I felt as if I got a lot closer with the counselors. I love the SouthEast team so much. They are the greatest ever.

My fourth week was in St. Petersburg, Florida. It was a blast. I really got to know the other counselors and bc's the week. They are all seriously soo amazing. I love them so much! This week was amazing, especially seeing miracles wise. My kids were amazing. I ended up having 16-18 again which I loved! I had 16 girls and my co Adam had 16 boys. They were all so amazing. The boys were so cute. It was pouring one day and so they all pitched in and bought us all umbrellas!! How cute is that?!?1 On Friday it was pouring so hard and there were puddles EVERYWHERE! It was a blast because we played basketball out side then slid in the puddles. I had soo much fun. My girls were hilarious. They were really good at lights out because I made a deal with them..and they just always made me laugh because of that deal. haha Our group came up with a nick name for ourselves that week "The Goon Squad." You would constantly hear us yelling G-SQUAD and ATL SHAWTY. haha My boys were g's and taught me how to be a thug. They tried to teach Adam and I how to dance ghetto. haha Crimson Red was soo amazing.

Well now I am here at home missing all my kids and fellow counselors from these last four weeks. It has seriously been such an amazing summer because of it. I am excited for my next 3 weeks. It'll be fun because I get to do some sessions with Becky, Karina, and Andy! I am sure going to miss my SOUTHEAST counselors though. If yall are reading, yall are the greatest ever:)

Ooo and in case anyone was wondering.. I have taught everyone ATL SHAWTY! hahah

2011-06-03T17:40:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I leave to St. George for my first week of EFY. Then I come back to Provo to leave only a few days later back to Georgia to start a crazy adventure that will last 7 months. At last minute I found out that I was going to be a counselor this Monday.
I am scared out of my mind. I found out wednesday. Lets just say I am nervous beyond belief.
This morning I had a little melt down. It wasn't just about EFY though, I think it was just about the reality of everything that is about to change.
Change is scary, but it is a fun adventure as well.

I am sad I am leaving Provo two days after efy is over. I am going to miss my amazing roommates. It is going to be so long until I see them again. They are my best friends and have done so much for me. I am also just going to miss all my amazing friends that I have. seriously they are the best. But then again 7months will come and go with a blink of an efy, and after I come back from EFY, and Europe, I feel like when I see them it will just pick right up where it left off.

ahh well I hope efy is well. EFY was always the BEST week of the summer... hands down. Wish me luck!!
here are some pictures from some great efys!

2011-05-27T10:02:00.001-07:00

What's is it with country music and summertime? Since it should be feeling like summer, I have been craving the country tunes.
Some Brad Paisley, Lady Antebellum, Kenny Chesney, Tim Mcgraw, and so much more.
Growing up in the south I feel like summertime was constantly surrounded by the sweet songs of the south.
Not to mention that my favorite place ever is Stone Mountain
which is the epitome of the South and while you are there all you hear is the country twang.

If you can't tell.. Georgia is definitely on my mind. haha I am ready to go home to the warm summer sun.
I am also so lucky because we have a condo in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina so I am so excited to spend some of my summer days there.

Country tunes on my mind:)
Lady Antebellum-Just a Kiss
Billy Currington-Let Me Down Easy
Rodney Atkins-Farmer's Daughter
Tim McGraw-Southern Voice
Thompson Square-I Got You
Luke Bryan-Rain is a Good Thing
Jason AldeanBig Green Tractor
Kenny ChesneySummertime
Lady Antebellum-American Honey
Thompson Square-Are You Going to Kiss Me or Not
Tim McGraw-Felt Good On My Lips
Jason Aldean-Dirt Road Anthem
Colt Ford-Chicken and Biscuits
Blake Shelton-Who Are You When I'm Not Looking
and obviously..you can't forget...
Lynard Skynard-Sweet Home Alabama

O I love the sound of summer:)

Good Ol' Summer Memories:)

Let's face it, friends make life more fun!

2011-05-03T22:15:00.000-07:00

I really should be getting to bed, but I just have this urge to blog. I know, I know it has been a long time since I last updated. I got caught up in the crazy moments of life I guess. Speaking of my life..
Life is Wonderful.
Lately I have had just so much gratitude for everything and everyone around me. I am seriously one of the luckiest girls in the world. I just can't even begin to explain how wonderful the people are in my life. They are great, and they make life so much fun.

So a lot has happened these past few months. I was suppose to go home for the spring, but at last minute things changed. It's funny how that tends to happen. Now I am still here in Utah and I am as happy as a peach. Haha After lots of prayer and debate I felt like it was the best thing for me right now. I will be working for byu catering, with my brother as his assistant, and a helper to my sister. With all these wonderful job opportunities, I am left to hang out with some of the most wonderful friends and family!I do miss my mom, dad, and mckay, very much though. I thought for sure I would be home now for Spring term, so I miss mom, dad, and mckay, a extra whole lot now. haha Luckily I will be living with one of the greatest cousins ever! Jenaca and I are now officially roommates this spring. With Steven leaving for business, we thought it would be fun if I kept her company:) We have lots of plans while we will be living together, especially to get back in to running. I am excited to live with her, but I will definitely miss my marvelous roommates.

So this past weekend I went to Vegas with a group of way fun people.
We may have only been there for a short weekend, but I had a blast.
We got there Friday and just hung and went hot tubbing.
Then Saturday we relaxed in the warm sun all day. It was so refreshing. We just sat by the pool, play a little sports, and drank smoothies. It was wonderful. Night time came around and we hit the infamous strip. Although Vegas is known as "Sin City," behind all the dirtiness, it is so pretty. We went to the Belagio and walked through the beautiful gardens. We then watched the fountain show. I absolutely loved it. We strolled along running into many different kinds of people. I was sung to by a foreign guy who butchered most the words of "Everything" by Michael Buble, but I loved every second of it. New York, New York roller coaster was a BLAST! I was lucky enough to be able to ride it twice. I love roller coasters. They give me such a thrill. We kept exploring, and basically had a blast.
Sunday we went to church, then trekked back to good OL' Provo, stopping in St. George where we were able to see some beautiful rocks with a great view.

Overall, it was a fun trip. I learned 3 things while I was on the trip..
I miss the sun, I have probably the coolest friends ever, and Road trips are fun. haha

These pictures are just of lately and of Vegas. Good times for sure.

Until Next Time...

Gratitude

2011-02-24T16:01:00.000-08:00

Right now I am tucked away in the library with so much to do before tomorrow. I am kind of stressed and know I should be doing my homework, but I can't. My heart is just full of so much gratitude that I can't even focus on my schoolwork.

Today I was heading to the JFSB to pay a fee so I could take a test a couple of days early. When I arrived at the counter to pay, they said I needed 5 dollars cash. I was a little bummed because I had only brought four and I didn't have time to go home to grab an extra dollar. Then this random guy comes up to me and gave me a dollar. I know it may not seem like a big deal, but I thought it was the nicest thing ever. This random guy who I have no idea what their name is helped me out, out of the blue. I was so thankful because of him. After that, I just couldn't stop thinking about how lucky I am and the wonderful people who are in my life.

My heart is just so full right now. I can't even explain to you. I just want to smile so big right now. The past few weeks I have really noticed how many wonderful people are in my life. I am the luckiest girl in the world. I am constantly surrounded by so many amazing people that build and lift me up each day. They are amazing.O my goodness. I am just so grateful for all of you out there that have impacted my life for the better. I am so lucky.

First off, I am so lucky because my wonderful roommates. I left my apartment just so happy this morning because I was just thinking how great they were and how much they have done for me. Not only are they always there for me, but they always are making me laugh. It is always so random and fun in my apartment and I just love it. I just love each of them so much. They all have such strong spirits that make me want to be a better person. I don't know if they realize how incredible I really think each of them are. I am just so grateful for them and I am truly going to miss them so much this coming fall.

I am so grateful for my family as well. They are the greatest family I could ever ask for. I am so lucky so many siblings live out here in Utah and I get to see them. They have seriously done so much for me and I just love them so much. Even though my family may be one of the most DIVERSE families ever (not race wise haha), I am so glad, because it has made me appreciate so many things that I probably wouldn't if it weren't for them.

There are so many more friends that I am just so thankful for. Those from work, my ward, or just random encounters. I don't know if I can say it enough but I really am the luckiest girl in the world for all of you. Thank you for everything. You guys make me the happiest girl in the world.

Ah I am just overwhelmed with joy and happiness:) so just..THANK YOU:)

Patience is a virtue..

2011-02-06T13:09:00.000-08:00

Right now I think Heavenly Father is trying to teach me patience.
Although sometimes I get driven crazy by it, and just want what I want now, I think Heavenly Father has a greater plan. He wants to teach me the way of patience.
I am actually really grateful for that.
I know I just have to put all my trust and him and then like Gordon B. Hinckley said "It'll all work out."

Without this amazing gospel, I think I would be going absolutely crazy right now.
This gospel is wonderful. I am so lucky to have it in my life.

Here are some quotes helping me endure with patience. (All are from Dieter F. Uchtdorf)

"Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can—working, hoping, and exercising faith; bearing hardship with fortitude, even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!"

“Patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can—working, hoping, and exercising faith; bearing hardship with fortitude, even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!”

"Patience—the ability to put our desires on hold for a time—is a precious and rare virtue. We want what we want, and we want it now. Therefore, the very idea of patience may seem unpleasant and, at times, bitter.

"Nevertheless, without patience, we cannot please God; we cannot become perfect. Indeed, patience is a purifying process that refines understanding, deepens happiness, focuses action, and offers hope for peace."

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I GOT IT!

2011-01-27T15:59:00.001-08:00

I GOT THE JOB!
I AM GOING TO BE AN EFY COUNSELOR THIS SUMMER!!!
YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYYAYAY!
i am a little nervous because I found out so soon, they said it would take 4-6 weeks to find out, but i got the email today asking me if I accepted the contract and I said yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YAYAYAYAYAYYA

EFY Interview

2011-01-25T11:30:00.000-08:00

I just had my efy interview. It was a lot less nerve racking than I thought it would be. I was in a group of about 20 people at first, then we were split off into groups of four. That made it a lot less stressful. The three other people in my group were absolutely great though. They made me feel completely comfortable.
The interview consisted of two two minute sections.
The first section was questions asked about Efy and being a counselor.
The second section you had to pick out an object out of a bag and apply it to the gospel and teach about it right then and there.
I ended up picking out a puzzle.
I related to life on house sometimes we don't know how are lives are going to turn out. We feel life our life is just a jumble of puzzle pieces. I said that the Lord is our puzzle maker, and if we rely on him, he can help put our life together so we can see the big picture. I then encouraged them that as the efy week went on to write down any questions they may have and turn to the Lord for the questions to be answered. With trusting in the Lord our "puzzle" will be put together.

I think it went pretty well.
Lets just keep our fingers crossed that I can get the job.
Efy is such an amazing experience. As they were just talking and describing the week I was just getting so teary eyed. Pretty pathetic I know, but efy has been such a great part of my life. It is truely such a wonderful, uplifting week.

I hope everyone was able to go sometime.

Well wish me luck:]

2011-01-24T15:45:00.000-08:00

This semester has been a blast so far.
I have been hanging out with a lot of fun and wonderful people.
Have I ever told you how amazing my ward is? O my, the best for sure.

Today I started volunteering at Provo High School with an English class.
It was wonderful. It made me want to be a high school teacher even more.
I worked with a boy named Wyatt. It was pretty sad because he is fourteen and still did not know how to read or spell that well.
It made me really excited though when he finally got how to spell something, or read a word. It was wonderful.
I really feel like high school teaching is for me.
Now I just need to figure out if I should teach health or history?

Well hopefully starting now I will be better at updating! Here are some pictures from this semester thus far..

Auf Wiedersen!

Looks like I will be spending fall semester in...

2011-01-12T17:15:00.000-08:00

Vienna, Austria!
I am so excited. I got accepted into the study abroad program:) So as for now I am going from August 30-December 9. Hopefully it will all work out and in the fall I will be European bound.
yay:)

50 things about me:)

2010-12-02T15:50:00.000-08:00

50 things about me:]
1.)I love listening to people play the piano. My older brother Jason is an amazing pianist and so I grew up listening to him practice hours a day.
2.)I used to be obsessed with stake dances. I’d go to a different stake dance very weekend.
3.)I used to collect VW bugs when I was younger. They were my favorite type of car, and I wanted to have one so bad.
4.)My dream job would be to be Samantha Brown from the travel channel. Travel the world and tell people all about the places.
5.)I love pick-up lines.
6.)I love dumb little witty jokes.
7.)I am a huge Atlanta Hawks fan.
8.)I wish I was more creative.
9.)I really want to learn how to sew. My Grandma and my mom are amazing sewers. I would like to follow in their footsteps.
10.)I want to run a half-marathon and a marathon before I graduate from college.
11.)My room is light green with stripes.
12.)I am allergic to gluten but I eat it all the time.
13.)I set goals all the time. I am constantly writing new and old goals down.
14.)I love writing to do lists. I write them frequently.
15.)I have really started to love cooking. I am not able to do it as much as I’d like, but I do it as much as I can. I especially love baking and decorating desserts.
16.)I am a dreamer. I am constantly day dreaming about everything I want to do with my life.
17.)I want to be an efy counselor so bad. Keep your fingers crossed for me.
18.)One time I went swimming in a lake at a golf course to find golf balls.
19.)I like sushi..a lot.
20.)I also really like seafood.
21.)Mashed potatoes and strawberries used to be my favorite food.
22.)I tend to repeat songs…a lot. I get obsessed with songs and just play them over and over again.
23.)I want to have a huge garden when I get older.
24.)I used to wear jeans and a sweatshirt every day with my hair in a ponytail.
25.)I have been in love once.
26.)I have never read the Harry Potter books.
27.)I was my high school’s mascot.
28.)I love the movie Mamma Mia. It is definitely one of my favorites.
29.)I want to travel to the Greek Isle’s so badly with the cobblestone streets and white house with blue roofs.
30.)I love the song Little Lies by Dave Barnes.
31.)My absolute two favorite songs in the world are “Everything” by Michael Buble and “You are Loved” by Josh Groban.
32.)I went to efy twice in one year once.
33.)I am an ATL shawty.
34.)I tend to go all out for holidays. I always bake people treats for it and decorate as much as I can.
35.) Best concert I ever went to was Josh Groban…by far.
36.)I am really sensitive and I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve.
37.)I was Brittany Spears hit by a car for Halloween once.
38.)My favorite color is aqua blue.
39.)I love going on cruises and singing Bob Marley.
40.)I tend to fall hard and fast for people.
41.)I have always wanted to be a surfer.
42.)I have 18 neices and nephews and 2 on the way!
43.)I am an intramural referee for volleyball. Next semester I’ll reff inner tube water polo and basketball. I am scared out of my mind for basketball.
44.)I love the sound of when you step on snow.
45.)I absolutely love looking at the stars. I am most relaxed when I am star gazing.
46.)I want to have a boat when I get older.
47.)I love my nike lunar swifts. If I could, I would have a pair in every different color.
48.)I get cold so easily. I hate it.
49.)I want to marry a blue-eyed boy so we can play “The Sweetest Thing” by U2 at our wedding.
50.)I was named Elysse McKenna because my parents favorite movie was Somewhere in Time and the main characters name in it was Elysse McKenna.

DREAM

2010-11-26T14:39:00.000-08:00

I want to be an efy counselor soooo bad!!
ahhh it is driving me crazy.
I have wanted to be one ever since I first stepped onto the BYU Campus and went to my very first one when I was 14. I went five times, twice in two years even. I love efy.
O boy, I just really hope I can be a counselor. Shoot, dang. Keep your fingers crossed for me!!

homesick.

2010-11-05T11:15:00.000-07:00

I want to go home.
Byu is fun, but it has been really hard on me lately.
Really hard.
I'm trying to keep positive, I am trying to keep my head up,
but right now I just need some Tender Lovin Care from my mom,
I need to hear my brother string his guitar,
I need to see my dad and give him a huge hug,
and i need to just smell the Georgia air,
and see all the trees.
I miss georgia.
I miss my family.
Christmas break couldn't come soon enough.

sorry--just had to have a little vent session

2010-10-21T21:51:00.000-07:00

So it has definitely been a while. haha Lets just say I am so busy. My life includes eat, sleep, school, work, then sometimes play. Although it can get a little stressful, I love keeping busy. I feel like I get more done.
My job is the best job ever. I absolutely love it. I get bummed most the days I don't work. I have met so many fun/cool people from reffing. It has been a blast. The job has been a blessing really. I am so glad that I got it:)

Speaking of, I am now on a coed volleyball team. Our team name is ATL SHAWTY. haha It is great I am excited for it.

Sophomore year is so much fun. I love it. My roommates are amazing, my ward is amazing, life is good.

Well things are great. Just wanted to update yall:)
I'll be better..well at least I hope. haha

Late

2010-08-24T21:03:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been bad at this.
Lets just say summer term ended up being so much fun.
I learned so much about myself and met some amazing people that I will never forget.

Now I am just in the hiatus of Summer and Fall term. I am so excited/nervous for fall term. I absolutely cannot wait for my roommates to get to utah! I have missed them dearly. We are going to have a blast this year. I am going to make this year one of the best. It is going to be good.

Well this post is short, but here are so fun pictures from summer term.

I'm so bad at titles

2010-07-26T16:30:00.000-07:00

This weekend one of my close cousins got married. I am just so happy for her:) She looked absolutely stunning and so happy. It made me excited to get married. I just want to be able to find the perfect dress, look beautiful, and throw the funnest reception. haha

Although we were only in St. George for a day, it was definitely worth it.I love being with my family. I learn so much each time I am with them. I was able to learn so much about my wonderful grandpa and some of his adventures. My grandpa was such an amazing guy. I will always look up to him. The car ride was so fun. I was able to talk and laugh so much with my cousin Jenaca and Aunt Tammy. They are so wonderful. The car ride home really got me thinking about a lot of different things. Ever since I got out here for school I have been thinking so much about random things. I just feel so pensive all the time. I always have so many random thoughts about the many goals I want to accomplish. I am just having trouble sitting down and doing them. I get so distracted with pointless little things. I wrote down my goals the other day. They ranged from the type of person I want to be, to things I want to do.
I feel like I have grown up a lot in the past few months. I still am an immature little 19 year old, but underneath it all I have grown up.
Don't get me wrong, I am still crazy, ol Elysse, just an older version I guess? haha

Goals for the next couple months:-Read more. Me to We, Mother Thereasa/Ghandi, and Eat, Pray, Love
-Get off Gluten..seriously. -Become more crafty. (My roommates are so creative, they inspire me:])
-Get back into jogging. It is such a stress reliever!
-Focus more on my church calling
-Learn to cook! I mean, learn to cook a lot better. haha
-Be the person that I want to be.

So here are some quotes I found today that I absolutely love<3 Enjoy:]

"In the search for our best selves, several questions will guide our thinking: Am I what I want to be? Am I closer to the Savior today than I was yesterday? Will I be closer yet tomorrow? Do I have the courage to change for the better?"

“We are not measured by the trials we meet; only by those we overcome."

"True love is not so much a matter of romance as it is a matter of anxious concern for the well being of ones companion."

Three weeks

2010-07-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

There are three weeks left of classes. It is freaking me out. I feel like I just barely got here. This term has actually been really fun. I love living in an apartment and officially on my own. It is so different from freshman year, but I love it. Luckily, I have been able to meet some amazing new people and I have been able to do many fun and random things with them.
Some fun things I have done are
-go to a rope swing
-attempt to explore a corn field at night (soo scary)
-Go to Island Park
-Learn to water ski
-Go to a Playmill
-Float Provo River
-Have my first day at Hollister

Lots of other random things too!

An Adventure is Salt Lake

2010-07-09T18:18:00.000-07:00

So last night we were suppose to go to the free Modest Mouse concert in Downtown Salt Lake. Ya...that didn't end up happening. The line was like five blocks long to get in, so we deiced to just walk around down town and go to dinner. It was quite the adventure if you ask me. Salt Lake City was really relaxing and calm to me. I don't know why, but I liked being there. It was a fun night. Hopefully next time we will be able to go to the concert though haha

Fourth of July weekend

2010-07-06T18:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend was good....reeealll good. I finally have made friends:) hahah It is great. Nicole and I were able to meet lots of people this weekend.

Thursday I went to my cousin's wedding, She looked absolutely beautiful! It made me so excited to get married. haha I just want to plan a fun wedding party, that is all. That night all the girl cousins went up to my Aunt Tracy's beautiful house in Park City and Spent the night. It was way fun.

Then Friday Nicole, Alex, Bart, and I went to the freedom festival, then the owl's game and saw a firework show. It was way fun. Beside the fact I walked back to my car and someone had hit it and run!! They just left the bumper there sitting off my car without a note! How rude is that?!?! Other than that, the night was a success.

On Saturday, Nicole, Bart, Alex, and I woke up at 6:30 am and went to the hot air ballon festival! It was so fun to see all these hot air balloons. After that we came back to our apartment and made breakfast and ate it! I sure do love German pancakes. haha Then we went tubbing down the provo river.. Let me tell you.. that is so intense and cold! It was so fun. An adventure for sure. That night we watched fireworks then headed to sleep.

Sunday we made friends:) Nicole and I baked fourth of july cookies and gave them out to a bunch of people in our ward. It was way fun. We were able to meet lots of people. We got invited to play croquet with Jon and Jeff. I suck at it, but it was actually really fun.

Monday nicole and I went to the parade then came back to go play volleyball with Calvin and Cameron and met up with some other people in our ward. Volleyball is so fun! Even though I totally suck. haha I felt bad for whoever's team I was on. Then we just went swimming, and I headed to a bbq with Alex and Addie. haha

Well to sum up..It was a good weekend. I am finally really liking summer semester.
wahooo
Happy July