Coincidence? I think not! Well, maybe... um...

So. Let’s talk about coincidences, shall we? Okay, for real. This might sound weird.. but I need to get it off my chest. I feel like in the past year I’ve become this coincidence Nazi! That probably doesn’t make sense. What I mean is… coincidences have been flagging me left and right. It’s INSANE! I know they happen to everyone, but I seriously feel like they happen to me so much more often than the normal person. It could just be that I’m extremely observant (which, okay, I am) but I don’t know… there is something fishy going on. I’ve decided to start documenting the coincidences that happen to me regularly, because they are just that frequent and crazy! Although it wouldn’t surprise me if they stopped happening now that I’ve finally decided to share them with the world. Wouldn’t that be an “of course” situation?

So, because I like to make things pretty whenever possible … :) … you will now see this awesome COINCIDENCE ALERT banner whenever I have a coincidence to document. You love it, I know. It makes life more exciting, right? So… here’s to the first documentations. I’ve been keeping a mental list of some that happened just recently.

• I have to start with the one that pushed me over the edge and made me seriously consider writing my coincidences down. A few months ago I was at my grandparent’s house for the usual Sunday dinner. We were talking about my cousins’ dog and how he chews up everything he sees, namely shoes. I proceeded to tell a story of when my lovely yellow lab Daisy chewed up my favorite pair of red flats from Target that I had bought years ago. The very next day, walking to class, I see a girl wearing the EXACT. SAME. PAIR. OF RED FLATS. I’ve never seen anyone else with them. It had been years since I purchased them. I had just talked about them the night before. COINCIDENCE???

• A few days ago I was hanging out outside with Kari and some of my other friends. Kari randomly started singing “For The Longest Time” by Billy Joel. The very next morning, my friend posted the same music video on her Facebook wall. It's not like that's a new popular song or anything! What are the chances of two friends singing the same oldie within 12 hours of each other? COINCIDENCE???

• A few days ago my friend Laine posted her wedding pictures to her Facebook. She got married 2 summers ago. The day after looking at her pictures online, I decided to take some time out to decorate my walls. I used to have this really pretty flower calendar, and since I loved the pictures so much, I decided to cut them out and use them as wall décor. I first used them last year in my freshman dorm and I’m still using them. I never ever read the backs of the pictures (which would be a calendar month) when I’m sticking them on my walls, but this one time I just happened to actually look at the back of one I was about to hang up. The exact and only date I glanced at said “Laine and Paul’s wedding!!!” COINCIDENCE???

Don’t get me wrong, I love coincidences and I seriously feel like they’re kind of magical. I’ve heard many different phrases like “Coincidences are God’s way of staying anonymous” which I think is the greatest. :) But I can’t get over how insane it is! I can’t wait to one day understand if it really was all just coincidence or if there’s some meaning behind them. Don’t you ever wonder that? Sometimes I think that before I came to Earth I made a deal with God and said “Okay, Heavenly Father. Let’s make a little deal. I know I need to have faith that you really exist, but can we please do something fun where unexplainable things happen to me and that’ll be my little way of knowing that you exist? Wouldn’t that be cool?? And then in Heaven we can laugh about how crazy I went! Even though all along I knew it was you.” :) Maybe I’m insane… I don’t know. I just love to solve things and understand them, so coincidences truly fascinate me! So now it's your turn - tell me some of YOUR coincidences and we can marvel at them together. =)

PROCRASTINATION.

Sigh. Sigh sigh SIGH. I procrastinate way too much. I need to blog! It would help me feel so much better to write out all my worries, but then I worry that I won't have enough time to write my worries... or that I don't yet have enough worries to write about.. or I figure I'll just do it tomorrow. Well, NO! I have no idea what this post will be about. But it will be about SOMETHING! I'm just going to write...! But not for long.. because I'm a bad girl and have loooots of homework to do. Heh heh.

Well... summer at BYU has been pretty sweet so far. First of all, leaving Alabama was kind of hard. My mother and I are emotional, yes. When my dad hugged me goodbye at home, I had to try hard to hold back the tears. He gets me whenever he calls me "babygirl" and then kisses me on the cheek. Oh buddy. Then my mom drove me to the airport and started tearing up as I was about to get in line for the security check. Of course I'm trying my hardest to maintain my composure until she pulls a fast one and says "You're just a part of me" through her tears!!! Mom!!!!!! Not nice. Thanks a lot. Tears started flowing at that point.

Then I get to my gate, where I'm waiting for about a half hour. Right in front of me is this family exactly like mine - a mom & dad, 3 boys, and a girl. The dad is in his army attire and they're all standing around him because he's about to leave for who knows how long. I was trying SO HARD not to cry... because one of the sons was just holding his dad's hand and you could tell everyone was standing as close as they could, trying to soak in all the memories of his presence. So here I am trying so hard not to cry as I imagine what it would be like if MY dad had to leave. He's in the Air Force but thank goodness doesn't have a job that requires him to go across seas. So I'm sitting there, getting my act together, and then I see a mom say goodbye to her probably 6 year old daughter who gets on the plane with an assistant lady. AGGGHHHH!! The mom hugged her so tight and then watched her little girl get on the plane and put her hand to her mouth and was crying. Holy. COW PEOPLE! Are you trying to kill me?? It was an emotional morning. But I got through it. Yes I did.

So now I'm at BYU again! I love it here. But it does feel very different being in a new apartment and being at school during the summer. I had 2 art classes, drawing and 2-dimensional design, but after 2 days of each... I dropped them. I couldn't handle it. Each were every day except Friday and each were 3 hours long. 3 HOURS... of drawing a chair. Followed by 3 HOURS... of drawing some tubes. It was the most boring experience of my life. I felt like I was wasting away, and that I could be changing the world or something but instead I was drawing the same chair for the 4th time. I know I probably sound like a baby but I just couldn't take it anymore... I dreaded going to class, and I didn't want to hate my summer at BYU. Yes, the classes were pre-requisites to apply to the visual arts program (I would apply to the photography emphasis), so without them I can't even apply. But I'm not totally crushed over it. So many photographers that I love didn't even study photography in college. Many are self-taught, and I love it enough that I know I'll continue to pursue it even if I don't study it formally. So... unless I one day buck up and suffer through the pre-requisite classes, I am now a __________ major! Yes, undecided. As always. :) I did add 2 communications classes (mass communication and society and intro to advertising) and I'm pretty sure I'm gunna love 'em! The teachers are both amazing (unlike the monotoned art teachers.. I'm sorry but really, it was hard to tell that they loved what they studied...) and I felt like through studying communications, I could really make a difference somewhere.. at sometime. I'm just big at making a difference and helping others. And drawing a chair made me feel more worthless than anything. But sorry, sorry, I will stop dissing the art classes. :) I'm sure they'll be better in the fall when they're less intense, and maybe with some different teachers. Or maybe for people who actually like to draw (I can't stand that that is a pre-requisite for photography. Grr.)

ANYWAY!! :)

As of now.. I am eating a very cheap bean and cheese burrito and preparing to do some homework. I feel bad about doing it on Sunday.. but my procrastination really caught up to me this time. The goal though is still no homework on Sundays! Day of rest, people! I will reach that goal. :) I did fairly well at it last year. Heck to the yes. It will happen again.

Well, it's nice to get that all off my chest. Oh, and have I mentioned my amazing new roommate Kari? She really is amazing. :) We were friends back in the day when I lived in Arizona (7th-9th grade) and I love her! She's so nice, talented, beautiful, and happy! Truly one of the nicest people you will ever meet. Love that girl. =] Check out her blog here! She's got some sweet music on her page too. :)

Alright... so yay for blogging! And boo for the homework I'm about to do. :( Love you all. If you're LDS, it might be cool (cool's probably not the right word...) to know that today is the anniversary of Joseph Smith's martyrdom. I'm so thankful for all the sacrifices he made in order to help the gospel grow. I do believe he was a prophet of God, and I just have no words for how amazing of a man he was! Here's a quote from his nephew Joseph F. Smith that I like:

"Oh, he was full of joy; he was full of gladness; he was full of love, and of every other noble attribute that makes men great and good, and at the same time simple and innocent, so that he could descend to the lowest condition...He was brimming over with the noblest and purest of human nature, which often gave vent in innocent amusements - in playing ball, in wrestling with his brothers and scuffling with them, and enjoying himself; he was not like a man with a stake run down his back, and with his face cast in a brazen mold that he could not smile, that he had no joy in his heart." <3

Okay, I can't talk about all of that and not share this link. Click here to watch one of my favorite videos EVER. Only 20 minutes long. It's about Joseph Smith and our belief that he restored Christ's gospel to the earth once more. It's a beautiful video and just makes me happy.

Okay for real now. Going to do homework! Until next time, when I shall write yet another lengthy venting post. Ahh. <3

P.S. Peanut butter and banana sandwhiches = YUM!

it's about time, eh?

Well.. I've started a blog and I'm already bad at using it! But it's probably because my days right now are filled with too many hours of mindless TV watching and one too many trips to the fridge. Not exactly enlightening blogging material if you catch my drift. However, I'm determined not to let this blog die, just like I let journal writing die in my first year of college. I was so good at writing in my journal practically my whole life... I need to get back to that.... sigh......

ahem, anyway!

Let's talk about my camera, shall we? My new baby. :) I have yet to name her. But she will have a name, for I name all important inanimate objects in my life. Like Desi, my car. And.. um... man. I guess I should take back that overly exaggerated statement. Well anyway, I shall name my camera! Eventually.

My camera and I have been through a lot already. I got her on Memorial Day (thank you vets!) and 5 days later dropped her in a puddle on the concrete while babysitting. Oops. (That is such an understatement. I bawled like a 2 year old.) The neck strap loosened up, the camera fell, the lens popped off, the kids kept fighting, oh my lanta.

So my amazing patient save-the-day daddy didn't freak out, and had my mom and I go to Best Buy to pay for Geek Squad protection the next day. That meant a lot more moola. I still feel guilty. =[ My parents are amazing. I owe them big time. And I hate neck straps forever now. Obviously I don't hold grudges.

So, long story short, we got my lens exchanged, and at a later time we'll hopefully get the body exchanged, because the flash still doesn't work.

Anyway, I've been getting some fun photography practice in. :) I've done photoshoots for a few of my friends as well as my parents! I have a lot more to learn and a long way to go, but I think these turned out pretty good for 19-year-old self-taught me.

Myra

Jessica

Maggie (Myra's mom)

Mom & Dad

The main reason I love taking pictures is because I love making people feel beautiful. I think everyone needs to be reminded of that. I love when people see their pics and say "You made me look so pretty!" and then I get to remind them that that's what they look like and they ARE pretty. =) Photoshop can't fix everything, folks! But It's crazy how much courage it takes to be a photographer. I'm always so aware of what people are thinking of me and how I look, and having to forget all that and snap pictures of someone in a public place took a surprising amount of courage for me. I know it sounds totally weird, but it's true. It's gotten much better though - I'm thinking it was just that first photoshoot I was nervous about.

Well, that's about it for this post! It has been and will continue to be an eventful day. A few hours ago I slammed a snake's head in my back door........yeah... I will for sure blog about that one later, my amazing friend Linda just came over and we had a nice venting session (the reason I'm not gunna go ahead and blog about the snake now), and in a few hours the rest of my girlfriends are coming over to my house to partay and have a humungoid girl sleepover! Indeed. Fun times are ahead. :)

Phew. I told you I was long-winded! I hope your Thursday is FABULOUS! Perhaps you should have a sleepover tonight too. :)