That's what Bre said

Movin' on up

2010-07-04T20:24:00.002-07:00

Oh, That's What Bre Said, you've been such a fun little blog.

But I can't keep living this double life. I get more crazy Chinese spam comments than actual readers. I can't choose between the two blogs all the time. And since I changed my name, it's difficult to justify this url. I'm a one-blog kinda girl these days, so, everyone, you're going to have to stop by

ryanandbre.blogspot.com

and visit me. Change your bookmark (Mom). Update your reader. Do what you have to do, but please, keep reading!

Sweet Stuff

2010-06-26T16:38:00.001-07:00

I got free frozen yogurt in the cafeteria yesterday.

If you guess the exact cost of your frozen yogurt on Friday, they give it to you for free. They even rang a little bell for me and everything.

I guess it's the little things that make life oh, so sweet.

It's all Greek to me

2010-06-06T20:46:00.001-07:00

I spend a lot of time on the bus. A LOT. Which means I do a lot of reading and take a lot of head-bobbing naps. I hear funny conversations between loud returned missionaries, see a lot of businessmen who get started on their work before they even ARRIVE at work, and even saw one genius Velcro his iPod touch to the seat in front of him and watch a movie.

But apparently, my listening skills are out of shape. Riding the bus has rendered me nearly incapable of actually listening to a conversation, whether I'm involved in it or not. Most of the time, I'm not. But I think I may have taken my tuning-everyone-out a little too far.

Last Friday, I was going home early and I was excited for the weekend. I had my book out (this week it's Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut) and slowly became aware of the obnoxious teenagers sitting across the aisle.

There were three boys and a girl who had really long blond hair. They were joking with each other, laughing, pointing at things on their iPhones and iPods. I smiled at them, guessed they must be about 17, and went on reading my book.

When we got to the point of the mountain, I realized they were speaking French.

My husband loves me

2010-05-22T20:29:00.001-07:00

... or maybe he just likes to eat. Either way, I'm thrilled.

This is my new best friend. We've spent a lot of time the last few weeks making bread, cookie bars, cookies, muffins, mashed potatoes... naturally, we need someone to eat it. Ryan is always happy to help.

We bought it refurbished but it worked like a charm. Except when it ate the measuring cup right out of my hand.

That was terrifying.

Hold my hand

2010-04-25T21:28:00.005-07:00

I talk a lot about how I'm so excited to graduate and move to Utah and start my internship and how thrilled I am that Ryan is starting at BYU and how wonderful everything is. And I am excited, and life is good, but to be honest, it's a little scary sometimes.

It's a little scary to go to church and not know anyone. It's kind of scary to stay home on the first day of school, to worry about having a job once the internship is over. None of it is terrifying, but it's unfamiliar, and that makes me a little uneasy.

This weekend, we spent a wonderful weekend with some of Ryan's mission friends and their wives at their mission president's house. We were finishing up a nice, relaxing break, but in the back of my mind, I was just worried about things. I have a gift for making little worries seem like the end of the world, and I was suppressing the urge to really let the stress of "What's going to happen next?" get to me.

It was like she was reading my mind. During scripture study, Sister Egan hit me with a simple statement:

"At some point, we're all like Adam and Eve walking into our own personal wilderness. And just like them, we hold hands and move forward."

What Ryan and I are doing isn't new. Through the ages, millions of men and women have shared my fears. It seems to me that those who lean on each other usually turn out all right. Better than all right.

Ryan and I aren't sure who initiated our first hand hold. I guess it doesn't really matter, as long as we keep holding on tight.
*wedding day pic by Camille

Thanks for the help

2010-04-07T08:13:00.001-07:00

Remember back when I found that ridiculous button on the new my.byui? I found another reason to love the information technology communications at BYU-Idaho:

Here's a closeup of the best part:

I'm glad they notified me that the e-mail wasn't working. Via e-mail. :)

The Reason

2010-04-05T08:20:00.004-07:00

In my Fiction Writing class last week, we studied six-word stories and how fabulous they are when done right. Example from Hemingway: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." They tell the whole story in very few words.

Last night, Ryan and I read the New Testament account of the Resurrection morning. It's a beautiful story. Maybe because of my class, I noticed this time that the heart of the story was contained in seven simple words.

While the Easter story is the furthest thing from fiction in the world, I think this seven-word non-fiction by Luke is infinitely more fabulous than six-word fiction from Hemingway:

"He is not here, but is risen."

Never have a more beautiful seven words been written! The Savior died for us, and because He was risen, He lives again for us.

Happy, happy Easter.

Life's funny.

2010-04-03T12:44:00.001-07:00

Sometimes it plays little tricks on you. Like when you think you're all grown up and you realize you're not. Or when you think you're not grown up and you realize you are.

That happened to me this morning. In case you didn't know, Ryan and I are bunking at my mom and dad's for a couple weeks because we had to be out of our apartment but, you know, have to go to class for another week.

Today we watched conference and I momentarily reverted back to my childhood — I ate potato chips and played MarioKart. Both were delicious. I thought I was getting another shot at being at little girl in my parents' house.

Then we helped my dad move things into my room. They've been painting and recarpeting and giving the whole house a little makeover (I'd post pictures, but my camera cord is waiting for us in Provo, along with 98 percent of our belongings). My room is now bright yellow with thicker carpet and looks so much nicer than the beige/beige combination I had growing up.

Suddenly, I wished I had painted my bedroom when I lived at home and still had walls I could paint. Mom kept asking me to, but I never did, mostly because it wasn't that important to me. Today, I looked at the back of a decoration I'd had on my wall for years and realized that I could have easily made more of them. I could have painted and made decorations and made my bed and made the whole thing really beautiful.

Oh, how I wish I had a wall I could paint now!

I guess it's one of those little tricks life plays on you. I started out this morning thinking I was a little kid. But I'm realizing that the desire to make a beautiful home and paint and decorate and CREATE has been in me all along. I just never nurtured it — until now.

Which (I think) means I'm
growing up.

Happiest Place on Earth

2010-04-02T10:33:00.003-07:00

One week from today, I will officially be a college grad.

Thank you, thank you. * bow *

You might be thinking to yourself, "Bre, you've graduated from college. What are you gonna do next?!"

Answer: "I'm going to Disneyland!"

Seriously. We are. Even though I've been (cough, cough, ahem) lots of times, Ryan has never been. He insists he has, but he was 1, so he doesn't remember and that doesn't count. We're really excited to get out of Idaho and get a little sun in the golden state. And, we'll get to see Ryan's sister Camille. And, best of all right now, it gives us something to look forward to during finals.

Couldn't be happier.

Twenty-two

2010-03-28T22:01:00.000-07:00

Birthdays are funny things.

I was thinking today about one of my favorite short stories, "Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros. I love this passage:

"What they don’t understand about birthdays and what they never tell you is that when you’re eleven, you’re also ten, and nine, and eight, and seven, and six, and five, and four, and three, and two, and one. And when you wake up on your eleventh birthday you expect to feel eleven, but you don’t. ... You feel like you’re still ten. And you are—underneath the year that makes you eleven.

Like some days you might say something stupid, and that’s the part of you that’s still ten. Or maybe some days you might need to sit on your mama’s lap because you’re scared, and that’s the part of you that’s five. And maybe one day when you’re all grown up maybe you will need to cry like if you’re three, and that’s okay. That’s what I tell Mama when she’s sad and needs to cry. Maybe she’s feeling three."

I can relate to the little girl in the story today. The only difference is that today I'm 22, not 11, so that gives me twice as many years to swift through when I act a certain way. And I'm figuring out the the more years you have layered under your age, the more complicated your actions get.

Sometimes, I get nervous to graduate because I don't know what's coming next, and that's the part of me that's still 18. Sometimes, I see Ryan and I get butterflies and don't know what to say, and that's the part of me that's still 13. Sometimes I drive like I'm 16, and I still feel like a 6-year-old playing house.

Today I went to Primary with my niece and I did the actions to the songs. That's the part of me that's still 7. Right now I'm procrastinating my homework like I'm 17.

I really feel like I'm still 21. And I am — underneath the year that makes me 22.

What I live for

2010-03-24T13:17:00.006-07:00

I know no one likes a grammar-Nazi schoolmarm. But I still kind of love finding grammatical (our punctuational) mistakes in writing that completely change a sentence's meaning. Case in point — this question on my assignment today:

How do side effects of Paxil effect consumers buying potential?

I didn't know that consumers could buy potential. Where can I find some? And how much does it cost?

Yes, that made me laugh. Yes, I thought I was clever when I spotted it. Yes, I spotted the wrong "effect," too, for anyone else who noticed.
And yes, I'm a TOTAL nerd.

Everything I need to know I learned at Falls Valley

2010-03-16T20:19:00.002-07:00

Blame it on my pending graduation, but I've waxed a bit philosophical about my education lately. Mostly, I've remembered Falls Valley Elementary School and the priceless lessons I learned as a little girl.

Last week, I was in the testing center painstakingly filling out my Scantron sheet. I always fill out the bubbles with obnoxious precision — I can't bring myself to mark them with light dots, and I find it equally annoying whether I go outside the line or fail to fill the entire circle. Why do I do that?

And then, I remembered. A long-stored memory pushed its way to the front of my mind with all the speed I wished the answers to my test questions could muster. I remembered sitting in Mrs. Holcomb's second grade classroom — the one that opened up to the coat room and also Mrs. Pickett's classroom on the south side. Mrs. Holcomb always had the date written on the board in numbers/dashes form (you know, 3-16-10), and I would always write "95" at the end of the date. I couldn't wait to be in 96. I thought the number 5 looked fat.

But the thing I remembered at that moment in the testing center had nothing to do with fat numbers or coat rooms. I remembered Mrs. Holcomb teaching us how to fill out bubble sheets for our big Iowa Basics test.

She put three bad examples on the board. In one, the circle was filled, but too light. In the next, the circle was filled, but the mark spilled over the edge. The last showed a bubble incompletely filled, and Mrs. Holcomb explained that the computer might not read these marks properly. I decided right then to never miss a question on a test like this because of something as silly as inappropriately filled Scantron bubbles.

So there I was, 15 years later, in the testing center at BYU-Idaho one month prior to receiving my bachelor's degree, and I was filling in the bubbles with ridiculously diligent accuracy. I'm sure I learned a lot of other things in my second grade class that I use every day — double-digit addition, for example — but most of those lessons apparently didn't take as well as that bubble-filling lecture. If I missed any questions on that test (or any other I've taken since '95), it wasn't because the bubbles were improperly marked.

Thank you, Mrs. Holcomb.

The rest of the story

2010-03-15T07:39:00.001-07:00

You know how I didn't vote for "Marc" because "I don't even know Marc"?

Yeah, he definitely won the election.

Shows what I know.

The Secret

2010-03-10T21:18:00.001-07:00

What's the best part of SRC elections week? Color-coded, Times New Roman-ed "campaign badges" that look like name tags? Being assaulted in the Manwaring Center? Poorly Photoshopped campaign posters?

None of the above. Answer: Awkward moments

I thought I had the best idea ever: vote early, and you are home free through the whole week. That way, you have an infallible excuse to rush past all the fliers pushed at you. Platform-pushing campaigners can't argue with "I already voted!"
It's not fool-proof, though. I tried it on Monday, and instead of out-smarting all the lobbyists, I just found myself in a really, really awkward situation.

CAMPAIGNER GUY TO UNSUSPECTING FRESHMEN GIRLS: Hey! Did you vote already?
GIRLS: No. Are you running?
ME: (laughing at their naivity.)
CAMPAINGER GUY TO ME A COUPLE SECONDS LATER: Hey! Did you vote yet?
ME: (feeling pretty smart) Yep! Sorry.
CAMPAIGNER: Did you vote for Marc?

I don't even know Marc. And I don't know this guy, either. But you can't just say "No," because that's rude. In my search for words, I inadvertently managed to say something even ruder.

ME: I ... don't ... think I know you.
CAMPAIGNER: All right ... see ya later.

And of course I've seen him twice. It must be a law of the universe that the people who witness your most embarrassing moments haunt you. At least till campaign week is over.

Happy voting!

A winning equation

2010-03-04T19:31:00.004-07:00

This:

plus this:

= my quote from Tuesday night's American Idol.

Ellen: "Most people would say, 'Don't take on such a big song.' But they also said 'Don't mix sleeves with a blanket,' and look at the Snuggie. It's huge!"

Love it.

Highly Recommended

2010-03-03T07:44:00.006-07:00

I mentioned a couple posts ago that I love being a comm major. Here's reason #2,782: Out textbooks tend to be more of the Barnes & Noble variety and less of the Rip-Off Bookstore variety. Case in point:

I read this for my Media Management class, and it was outstanding. I think the main reason I love it is because it's written for everyone — not just business owners, not just advertising creatives. It teaches about how to make ideas stick, and everyone has an idea they need to stick.

If you are a mom trying to teach your child not to hit, this book is for you. If you teach a Sunday School class, this book is for you. If you are a leader of a group or if you like to tell stories or if you are giving a sacrament meeting talk or if you write fiction or if you just really, really want to help someone remember something, this book is for you.

Try it. I think you'll like it.

This is a pretty good post

2010-02-26T21:17:00.001-07:00

Remember when people paid 15 cents per word for a classified ad in the newspaper?

Does anyone remember when there were classified ads in the newspaper? Anyone?

Remember when Craig's List stepped in and suddenly newspapers were making billions of dollars less than they were before? Remember how everyone figured out selling things online was SO much better than selling it in a newspaper? That was a good idea.

But I'm a little bit afraid that people aren't using online ads' free space to its full effect. Case in point — this ad that Ryan found on BYU-Idaho's Bulletin Board:

Excellent. I think I'll take it.

Still old.

2010-02-23T07:44:00.003-07:00

Yesterday, this guy came into the office when I was proofing pages before we sent Scroll to print. This guy came in and was trying to get my attention.

Me: Can I help you?
Guy: I have a question, when you get a minute.
Me: Go ahead.
Guy: But first — how old are you?
Me: (thinking, huh?) Twenty-one.
Guy: Oh, you're only 21? OK.
Me: Why?
Guy: Oh, I'm doing a project on alternative students, and I thought you could help me.

Alternative students? That's the word people use for moms who didn't finish school and come back later. Alternative students are old — though, I admit, my bad hip wasn't helping me out on this one.

Me: You thought I was an alternative student?
Guy: Yeah, well, 24 or 25 at least.
Me: Thanks?
Guy: Yeah. Uh, you're welcome. I'm not sure if that was a compliment. My wife would slap me if I told her that.
Me: Yeah ...

Thus ended the most awkward conversation of the day. And thus I became self-conscious the whole time I was getting ready this morning. "Ryan? Does this make me look old? Do pearl earrings make me look old? Should I put a little bow in my hair?"

Maybe I should skip getting a job and jump straight to retirement.

Disclaimer: I realize that 25 is NOT old. It's just the idea of "You're only 21? You look like you're WELL past that!" that bothers me.

Old.

2010-02-20T16:42:00.004-07:00

I feel sort of like this picture today.

Yesterday, my co-worker brought his adorable little girl into the office. As I was getting ready to leave, I bent over and said, "Hi, Ellie!" I tickled her belly and then ...

My back burned. It pinched, it cramped, pain shot all over. I stayed bent and somehow scrapped my way into a chair without using my legs or lower back too much.

Ryan's uncle Jeff, who's a chiropractor, gave it a fancy name for "your hip is rotated too far forward." He popped it around and back into place, gave me some medicine and told Ryan he had to do the dishes today.

My family does have a history of bad hips, but I'm already laying on the couch waiting for my left hip to heal. And I don't turn 22 for another month.

I am officially old.

A little bit obsessed

2010-02-10T09:49:00.004-07:00

So I kind of get on "kicks" about things, and I had to share these two little bits of YouTube that I can't get enough of.

First: Michael Bublé's new single. This song has been in my head for 48 hours. And I'm not tired of it. I know it's about waiting for love to come along, and I've already found Ryan, but somehow listening to this song makes me relive it or something. Basically, this song is amazing even if you HAVE "met him yet."

The video is good too. Isn't it refreshing to see a girl wearing jeans on one of these videos? She's, like, normal. Except that she's ridiculously beautiful. But I'm willing to overlook that.

Second: Google's Super Bowl ad. This is the first time Google's EVER advertised in TV (or advertised, period?) and I think it's awesome. Some of the guys in my Media Management class thought it was lame, but I LOVE IT. And, yes, we do watch and discuss Super Bowl ads in my Media Management class. Being a comm major rocks.

I hope you like these as much as I do. :)

Vowels

2010-02-07T16:42:00.010-07:00

I've decided every mispronunciation and "hard word" in the English language can be traced back to one part of out lovely English language — vowels. Two epiphanies led to this realization:

1. Our last name is exactly half vowels and half consonants (count: Olaveson).
2. No one can say our name.

If I had a nickel for every time I heard, "What is it? Oh-lay-vuh-son? Oh-love-son? Ah-lay-vuh-son? Lav-en-der?" (Yes, someone really said that) we'd be eating at Applebee's every night. I think everyone likes hard and fast rules, like the sound for "r." They always know what sound it's going to make. People are so crazy about "r" that they toss it haphazardly into our name all the time. "Oh-law-ver-son?"

I learned in my New Testament class that the Hebrews (or Greeks, or someone like that) didn't use vowels, and that's why we're not really sure about what some Bible names are. For example, we call the Old Testament Christ "Jehovah," but all it really translated to was "JHVH," so it's more of a best-guess sort of thing.

I think the Hebrews had it right. Just call me BRNN LVSN from now on.

(Oh, and for the record, you say our name "Oh-LAW-veh-son.")

We Thank Thee, O God

2010-01-30T20:19:00.001-07:00

As some of you may know, we got to have lunch with Elder Russell M. Nelson this Tuesday. This is a column I wrote about it that will be published in Scroll this Tuesday. Enjoy. :)

------

Last Tuesday, Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stood in devotional and said, “If I had my preference, I would hear from each of you. I would like to get to know every one of you. I would like to learn of your faith, of your goals in life, and of your challenges.”

He obviously didn’t get his wish, but he did sit down to lunch with some students — 14, to be exact. I was one of the lucky ones.

My husband and I met with the other 12 students in the Manwaring Center before we were led to the conference room where lunch was served. When we sat, I saw Elder Nelson without a pulpit between us. There were no Teleprompters, no satellite transmissions to make communication possible. He spoke to us face to face, and something about his candidness made me feel at home.

Elder Nelson and his wife spent the hour answering our questions. One student asked him what it was like to work with the other members of the Twelve. He smiled, and responded, “I still have to pinch myself.”

That was funny, because I was doing the same thing. I took the occasion to ask him how we could learn to best balance our time, and as I phrased my question he looked at me directly. I was suddenly uncomfortably aware of my grammar and word choice, but he took my fumbling in stride. I felt that if any BYU-Idaho student had asked him a question just then, he would have listened with that same intensity. (And by the way, his answer was, in essence, “Schedule the important things first and everything else will fall into place.”)

More questions followed. We asked him how we could help make the Apostles’ job easier (“Be part of the solution”) and what kinds of challenges the Church will continue to face in coming years (“Growth”). His answers were thoughtful, and he took time to explain them. It felt more to me like we were having a conversation than a question-and-answer session.

As he answered our questions, I watched him eat. Though I knew members of the Quorum of the Twelve had to eat, something about seeing it made him seem more human to me. Elder Nelson is a prophet, but he’s also a man, and seeing that side of him somehow endeared me to my leaders. The sacredness of his calling was apparent, and he was simultaneously quite personable.

As members of the Church, we sometimes maintain a relatively flat image of the brethren. We see them as well-dressed men standing behind a pulpit and we somehow imagine that’s how they really are. But there’s more to the brethren than we see at General Conference. They are living, breathing men with families and concerns.

When we finished our lunch, Elder Nelson asked if he could take time to shake our hands. His humility and kindness were incredible and his love tangible.

If I could put into simple terms everything I learned from Elder Nelson, it’s that when he said, “We love you!” he really meant it.

I think I found a way to get rich

2010-01-27T20:06:00.006-07:00

I have a cluster (that's "half-a-minor" to you non-BYU-Idaho folks) in English, and I'm finishing it up this semester. I'm taking Advanced Creative Writing — Fiction. The funny thing is, I've never actually written any fiction. Except a couple little somethin-somethins in second grade called "The Ghost at Julie's House" and "Amber's Bike," but my mom was the only one who read those (I sold them to her for 75 cents apiece.)

Anyway, this fiction class is AWESOME because I can write whatever I want. I can throw all that "maintain journalistic integrity" and "check three sources" caution to the wind and make stuff up. And it's encouraged.

I've found that most of my "fiction" is just like my non-fiction, only cooler. I can tell stories about my elementary school days that are 95 percent true and then throw in some extra humiliation and call it fiction. It rocks.

The best part is that you can get rich doing this. And your stuff doesn't even have to be that good. You can just have a weird dream one night and then write about it the next day and make bajillions of dollars when they make your weird-dream (bestselling) novels into movies that gross $72.7 million dollars on their first night (where have I heard that before?).

And for the record, I wasn't making that last part up. New Moon really did gross that much on opening night. I still have SOME journalistic integrity.

I may have taken this metaphor too far ...

2010-01-18T19:39:00.007-07:00

... but you'll get the idea.

In April, I'll graduate from BYU-Idaho with a bachelor's in communication and clusters (for you non-BYU-Iers out there, a "cluster" is half of a minor. Two clusters equals one minor) in English and Political Science.

I have love-hate relationships with both of these fields. And today while I was trying to swallow 34 pages of "Chapter 4 — Political Attitudes and Participation: Venting and Voting," I decided political science is a lot like peanut butter.

I like peanut butter. I especially like it when it's in a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup — like political science all candied up and wrapped in something delicious, like storytelling. If I can weave something I learned in a political science class through a terrific story, I'm so glad I'm studying it.

I also like peanut butter on PB&Js. Storytelling here is like one piece of bread, journalistic objectivity the other, and good design is the jelly. The peanut butter of political science adds credibility and interest to a good news package. It's a happy little conglomerate of four wonderful fields.

But who can stand to sit and eat jars and jars of peanut butter for hours at a time? Who shoves giant spoonfuls of peanut butter into her mouth without even a drop of anything to wash it down?

Gross, I tell you. Absolutely disgusting.

That's cold, man

2010-01-08T22:30:00.006-07:00

One thought has dominated approximately 85 percent of my brain activity this week. At any given moment since school started, I was probably thinking, "It's cold" or "I'm totally freezing right now" or "Is the AIR CONDITIONING on in here?" or "I think my nose hairs just froze."

Since things probably won't warm up around here until at least April, I've created a scale to measure coldness (at least I'm channeling my creative energy somehow, right?). The generic "cold," I've decided, can be classified into one of three categories. "Cold," "cold," and "really cold."

Cold

This is the general term that begins circulating sometime in October, generally. It's commonly associated with the complaint that you can't wear a short-sleeved T-shirt with no coat while walking to the store. It's what people say when the Fourth of July fireworks start and they grab their sweaters. It's sissy stuff.

Cold

When it starts to snow, you really start to remember what cold means. It inspires scarves, heavy coats and gloves. It requires windshield scraping. It makes you re-route your walk to class so you can pass through heated buildings. It's not fun.

Really Cold

This is the worst thing, on this planet, ever. EVER. It's too cold to snow and there's no cloud cover to keep the temperatures up. It's the cold that penetrates to your muscle fibers and makes your ears sting. It's caused by deceptively clear, blue skies and dry air. It cracks the skin on your hands and chaps your lips. Cars won't start. Frostbite develops during a walk to class, even with the warmer re-routes. Don't even get me started on the wind chill.

It's what we're living in this week.

What kind of "cold" are YOU experiencing?

I thought the Rocky Mountains were a little rockier than that

2010-01-05T20:43:00.007-07:00

I know people are always complaining about the BCS (that's "Bowl Championship Series," for those of you who don't have ESPN on in your house more often than the heater), but what it should be understood that what I'm about to say is not a complaint.

It's an honest, flabbergasted question for anyone who can explain.

But first, a little bit of background. I remembered this morning that Boise State University played Texas Christian University in the Fiesta Bowl last night. I've been around enough sports fans to know that that was a big game "because there's a Mountain West team playing." I also know that Ryan and I cheer for Mountain West teams when they play in a bowl game (even if it's the Utes, if they're not playing BYU ... don't tell).

So I asked Ryan if BSU won like we hoped they would.

And he told me that THEY'RE NOT EVEN IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE.

I know the BCS does things in weird ways, but in all the planning and deciding what teams belong to which conference, did no one interject, "Wait a minute. Texas doesn't have any mountains!"?

I think our school systems need a bigger emphasis on geography.

Why do we even HAVE that button?

2009-12-18T07:56:00.008-07:00

If you've been on BYU-Idaho campus lately, you've probably heard (or noticed) that something's different about my.byui.edu.

Personally, I really like the change and am excited to use it (in my last semester ... weird ...). But there's one button that made me laugh out loud. Seriously — when I saw it I got a bad case of the giggles.

If that's hard to see, I'll make it easier for you.

Ryan: "Avoid that button when you're having a hard day. 'School sucks!' (click). 'What did I just do?!'"

I guess BYU-Idaho's making it really easy to put yourself out of your misery during finals week. Merciful, I suppose, but still.

Don't tempt me.

(Also - if you can tell me what movie that title is from, you get 10 points.)

Half-iversary

2009-12-13T22:20:00.001-07:00

Happy six-monthiversary to US!

We've been a family for six months today, and we're so excited! We're generally finishers, but in the half of a year we've been married we've done a lot of things halfway. We have:

1. Finished half of school year
2. Driven halfway across the U.S.

3. Read half of the Book of Mormon
4. Been married longer than half the people in our ward
5. Endured half of a Rexburg winter
6. Bought each other half as many Christmas gifts as we got last year
7. Bought everything marked half price at Broulim's
8. Gone to half the temples in Idaho
9. Learned to get by on half the closet space we used to have
10. Made half as many phone calls as we did while we were dating
11. Gotten Bre halfway up on waterskis (SO close ... next summer ...)
12. Worked two part-time (half-time?) jobs
13. Ruined half of our laundry (the darks, to be exact) with an exploding pen (thanks for your help in recovering them, Mom!)
14. Scored half as many points as my dad in Scattergories
15. Changed our class schedules half a dozen times so we could eat lunch together on some days
16. Forgotten to pack lunches on the half of those days
17. Had the best half-of-a-year ever.

We love life. We love each other. And we love being married.

Heading South

2009-12-02T09:11:00.011-07:00

It looks like Andy Bernard knows what he's talking about. I got the internship. :)

This summer, I'll write for the news section of this magazine (it might look familiar):

And some of my stuff will also go on these glossy pages (look carefully — they're different):

And if I understand correctly, I'll write a little bit for lds.org.

Can you say "Dream job"? Ryan's transferring to BYU and I'm graduating in April (yipee!) so we were headed South anyway. Also, if any of you know Ryan Kunz, I'll be doing the same internship he's doing right now. We'll move to Utah next April and live the BYU dream (even if I will be working mere inches from the U for the first few months) for the next three or four years until Ryan finishes his degrees.

Good thing we love Utah.

Interviewing 101

2009-11-09T22:09:00.004-07:00

I had an interview for an internship last Friday, and I want you all to know I totally got advice from the best source possible: The Office. It taught me to ...

1. Use my brain to my advantage (when advantageous)
2. Tell myself they "saved the best for first" when I found out I was going to be the first interview of the day.
3. Make my weaknesses sound like strengths
4. Have a five-year plan
5. Wear a feminine business suit

Not that I did all that, but it was some pretty good advice.

You don't want to miss out on ...

2009-09-22T17:54:00.003-07:00

Another blog! :) Doesn't it look fun?

Yes, I'm trying my hand at photography. And it's wicked-fun. This is the blog I'm keeping for my Custom Images course, a class that focuses (no pun intended) on photography and Photoshop. It's fun to post them and even MORE fun to get feedback, so if you know anything about photography, or if you don't, you might want to check it out. It's right here.

Not to be a cheapskate ...

2009-09-12T11:37:00.003-07:00

but really. Yesterday, I brought soup to work with me to eat for lunch but didn't have a spoon. So I went downstairs to Café Kimball and asked for one.

And they charged me eight cents.

Eight cents. For a plastic spoon.

I know the economy is rough, but I still kind of think it was a joke.

Still a "City Beautiful"

2009-09-09T14:59:00.004-07:00

The other day, Jenny said, "When are you going to blog about Nauvoo? I've been checking for it." And you know how I feel about blog requests. (They're my FAVORITE!)

So, way back in August, Ryan and I (and his parents, and two of his sisters and their families) boarded an "upgraded" RV that Ryan's parents rented. 36 hours and one visit from Roadside Assistance later, I first laid eyes what Joseph called "The City Beautiful." He was right.

Ryan's grandparents are on a mission in Nauvoo, and it was great to see them (and to get to know them — they left before we were engaged). Ryan has a great family and we had a blast!

Sister Olaveson showed us around the Pendleton Schoolhouse.

Carthage Jail

We went to the Nauvoo Temple with Ryan's parents and Tracy and Jeremie. It was even prettier on the inside.

Elder Olaveson took us on a trail ride. I kept the sneezing to a minimum (I'm allergic to horses)

Did you really think I'd miss this?

Some fun facts I picked up on the way:
1. The Nauvoo Temple faces west. Most face east.
2. The whole area was a swamp when the Saints came. They built a giant ditch to drain it.
3. The early saints used animal lard to make candles (who THINKS of that?)
4. Lucy Mack Smith was really, really short and petite.
5. Joseph Smith, Sr., was a barrelmaker by trade

Something Blue

2009-08-05T13:16:00.000-07:00

They say history repeats itself. If that means I'll turn out anything like my Grandma, I'd say that's a good thing.

My Grandma Scott (or just "Grandma," since she's the only one I've known) passed away last week. All of the family was there and the funeral was lovely. And it got me thinking, not so much about death, but about life, and the life well lived. It also made me think of blue dresses.

Grandma wore a blue dress to her high school graduation in 1936. Lyle Scott, who she had met at a Gold and Green Ball, gave her an engagement ring for a graduation gift and they were married three days later. She wore the same blue dress to her wedding that she wore to graduation.

Almost 30 years later, Lylene Scott went on a date with Ron Bennett. He took her to a dance at Rigby High School and she wore a blue velvet dress. Dad teased her that night by singing a popular song: "She wore blue velvet ... bluer than velvet was the night."

A generation later, I pulled on my favorite dress — you guessed it, in blue — and curled my hair for a dance at BYU-Idaho. Ryan Olaveson had asked me to go after I saw him country dancing at BYU-Idaho, and LeaDawn and Daniel said they'd tag along.

Little did I know then that it was the day I'd eat my first meal at my in-laws' house and dance for the first time with my husband. I had no idea that I would follow in Grandma's footsteps and marry the boy I met at a dance.

I guess it's history repeating. Grandma started something wonderful with that blue dress. She married a wonderful man, and as they followed in her footsteps, so did her daughter and granddaughter.

I think I'll buy my daughter a blue dress one day.

Country music and drybeds

2009-07-14T14:21:00.000-07:00

I'm not a big fan of country music, but I am in the summer.

I think it's because of what this article on medicinenet.com says:

"The memories and emotions that people associate with familiar songs can be traced to the medial prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain where the wiring for memories and thoughts about music appears to be linked, a new study says."

When I went to pick up my parents from the airport yesterday, my medial prefrontal cortex was going nuts.

Someone (ahem, Becky?) had left the radio on a country music station, and this time I let it stay. It always makes me feel nostalgic to get an earful of Garth Brooks or Tim McGraw when it's warm outside. I think it's because I only listened to country music when I was with my friends, and I was only with my friends much if it was summer.

Country music reminds me of Laura's Toyota Corolla and Sno Cones,
of Craigo's and rock shows. It reminds me of teaching friends to drive stick shift and going to Disneyland. Country music means it's time to float the drybed and check the Playmill schedule before it's too late. It was in the summer that I first met my future in-laws and fell in love with Idaho's sunsets. Summers are wonderful.

I think my favorite part of summer, though, was anticipating fall.

I loved going to football games and back-to-school shopping. I loved getting a new locker and going to cross country practice.

Maybe it's the future that's makes the present that much better.

Alert: New blog in the family

2009-07-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

So, I have this predicament.

See up there in the url of this page? It says "breannabennett.blogspot.com." But I'm Breanna OLAVESON now, so I kind of have a problem on my hands.

Solution: this blog. I know you all love my *sparse* commentaries on life's oddities, but you've gotta have that super-cute journal-type family blog, you know? So, at least for now, I'm keeping both blogs.

But to make the transition a little smoother, I'll put a little teaser of our new blog's first post here. If you want to keep reading, come on over! Add it to your reader, your blog list — whatever you've gotta do. We'd love to see you!

So, without further ado:

-----------------------------------------------

This month, we:
1. Got married! (pictures still pending. See this post for links to awesome pictures)
2. Honeymooned in Vegas

3. Hung out with some cool characters while we were there,

4. Made a blue friend,

(three, actually)

5. And ... click here

Help!

2009-06-26T12:13:00.000-07:00

I need your help! Since my life took a fantastic turn a couple weeks ago, I've had to learn ALL SORTS of things I never needed to know before. For example:

1. Striking a balance between girly and boring. When I was single, my room was girl EVERYTHING and that was completely acceptable. But Ryan wasn't thrilled about sleeping under a flower-print comforter, and I wasn't crazy about making him. It took a while, but we finally decided on with this bedding from Target which I think we both like.

2. Cooking for two. I can cook for one, and I can cook for six, but two is just hard. I'm sure Ryan's getting tired of my "Are you still hungry? Are you getting too full? Is this too much? Did I not make enough?" but he's patient. And he's only gotten up and cook himself another quesadilla once.

3. Cooking IN GENERAL. This is where you come in. I can find my way around free font Web sites and online magazines, but when it comes to finding good cooking blogs/Web sites, I'm hopeless.

What are your suggestions? What are your favorite food blogs? I need to know!

Have you missed me?

2009-06-23T20:18:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't blogged in what seems like weeks, and that's probably because it's been a few weeks, but I have an excuse.

No internet.

Did you know apartments even CAME without internet these days? Apparently when you're married they expect you to pay for every little thing. But you know what? It's wonderful. We bought couches the other day. (And they're ADORABLE. But not here yet. Don't worry, I'll post pictures when they get here.)

I know that to be a good little newlywed blogger I need to get on the ball and post a million pictures of our adorable wedding, but luckily I have a wonderful family (old and new ... and both!) that already threw some out into cyberspace. Check them out here (sorry, it's a private blog) and here (at my wicked-talented sister-in-law's blog) and here (see post "My Cousins Got Married." McKenzie is hilarious).

Someday, when we earn enough money for Internet, I'll post pictures and everything. For now, my random ramblings will have to suffice.

I LOVE BEING MARRIED!

When you marry in June ...

2009-06-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

Did you really think I'd let the opportunity pass?

I watched this movie over and over (and over and over) when I was younger. My family can attest. My nine-year-old heart went pitter-patter for some of those brothers, and I think I decided I'd get married in June sometime between the barn-raising and spring, spring, spring.

Don't they look so happy to be getting married in June? It's perfect. I don't plan on dancing around my room in my underwear next Saturday, but I may have to consider it. They do appear to be enjoying themselves.

P.S. I'm sorry that the dialogue is in Spanish. I thought it was really annoying until I heard the random "Dorcus!" and it cracked me up. But at least the song is in the original English.

Tuesdays just got better

2009-05-20T21:57:00.000-07:00

I've never had a good relationship with Tuesdays. I think it started in high school when I had piano lessons Tuesday mornings at 6:15 a.m. — yes, you read that right. 6:15 IN THE MORNING. It was especially disgusting in January.

Have you ever noticed what a "nothing" day Tuesday is? It's not Monday, so it doesn't have the whole "fresh start" thing going for it. It's not the middle marker like Wednesday, it doesn't have good TV and it's not the weekend. It's just a nothing day.

But yesterday, well, it was a really, really good day.

I had an interview with my bishop, and I got my recommend. So now I can go here:

with him

in 24 days.

Maybe Tuesdays aren't so bad after all.

Have you seen this?

2009-05-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

I fell in love with Jon Schmidt when I was in high school. I can still put my fingers on auto-pilot and play a recognizable (though by no means beautiful) Waterfall. But now, the whole world is getting a taste of this delicious red-headed composer — this video has had almost 900,000 views in the month since Jon posted it.

Taylor Swift never sounded better.

Treat Your Mother Right

2009-05-11T13:55:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day! Have you noticed that Mother's Day is one of the few holidays that really gets the celebration it was intended to get? It's in good company — Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year's, Independence Day and (perhaps) Halloween are about the only other ones I can think of that really get the celebrations they warrant. And I'm not so sure about that last one, because last Halloween I was one of TWO people that dressed up in my office. And there was no candy involved.

But I digress. Mother's Day is perhaps one of the most well-founded holidays we have. I know my mom deserves a holiday all on her own. I guess it's all right that she shares with all the other moms in the world, and I know it's really not feasible to give all the stellar moms in the world their own day. But if I could, I'd make Lylene Day the next national holiday.

This year, Mother's Day fell on May 10 — I feel a top 10 list coming on.

TOP TEN REASONS MY MOM DESERVES HER OWN HOLIDAY:
1. She has the six best kids and 18 best grandkids around
2. She works harder than anyone else I know
3. She would do anything for anyone — she's the most service-oriented person I've ever seen. It's become a joke in our house that you have to make sure that soup isn't for the Sick and the Afflicted before you can eat any.
4. She can cook, sew, play the piano, hook up TVs, braid hair, paint fingernails and get grass stains out of baseball pants like no one's business.
5. She's a great teacher.
6. She's a people person, and that makes her so fun. There's always something to talk about and something going on.
7. She can shoot a gun like Annie Oakley. I've never actually seen it, but I've heard about it. Even the mental picture makes me proud.
8. She can keep a mean baseball score book. I've actually never seen anyone better.
9. She keeps the cleanest house I've ever seen. I use to think that was normal, but as I've gotten older, I've realized she really is one of the most tidy people I know. I think it's related to #2.
10. She's the happiest, cutest, sweetest, funniest, hardest-working lady ever.

I LOVE YOU, MOM!

[ P.S. As much as I wish my words were enough, I still think Mr. T says it best: Mr T. Treat Your Mother Right]

Viva Las Vegas

2009-05-07T22:52:00.000-07:00

A conversation between Ryan and his sister Camille (who's from Las Vegas) on the phone yesterday:

Ryan: You're flying home after the wedding? I thought you were driving.
Camille: Yeah, we were. Change of plans.
Ryan: So, you're flying out of Idaho Falls?
Camille: Yep. On the 15th (laughs). There are only two flights that week, and the other's not till Friday.
Ryan: So, you're ...
Camille: Flying with you and Bre to your Honeymoon? Yep.

Nothing like bonding with my new sister-in-law right out of the gate, yeah?

How time flies

2009-04-30T22:21:00.000-07:00

So, remember how I completely adore Bri? And how it's my dream to be able to write like her one day? Well, I saw this on her blog and thought it looked so fun that I couldn't resist:

Twenty years ago I...
1. Got my first sister-in-law
2. Was still bald and chubby
3. Was a living, breathing doll for my sister

Ten years ago I...
1. Moved to Rexburg
2. Had my first piece of writing published (thanks, Scroll!)
3. Had seen every episode of Saved by the Bell at least a dozen times and persisited in the habit. It may have been unhealthy.

Five years ago I...
1. Was Sophomore Class President
2. Got braces (long after all my friends had gotten them off, mind you)
3. Got myself a State Championship Ring in softball

Three years ago I...
1. Met LeaDawn (yay for taking chances on roommates and getting SO lucky!)
2. Went to Disneyland for the FIFTH time (I know, I'm the luckiest girl alive, right?)
3. Discovered The Office (life has never been the same ... in a good way)

One year ago I...
1. Met a nice boy named Ryan when a friend invited me to go country dancing
2. Climbed Mount Borah (that's the tallest in Idaho. Yeah, you should be impressed)

3. Was in love with David Cook and sincerely believed David Archuleta would baptize him so I could be the next Mrs. Cook (OK, maybe it wasn't a SINCERE belief ...)

So far this year I have ...
1. Produced two magazines (look for Academic Guide, still on stands at BYU-I! It's my favorite of the two)
2. Made a happy agreement with the above-mentioned adorable country dancer

3. Been to New York City (thanks, Mom and Dad)

Yesterday I ...
1. Finished designing wedding invitations
2. Ate dinner with the future in-laws (thanks Bonnie!)
3. Put gas in the Beetle

Today I ...
1. Proposed a messaging rubric in a meeting (yes, it's every bit as exciting as it sounds)
2. Ate for free at Johnny Carino's (thanks again, Bonnie!)
3. Bought a book I've been dying to read. You should read it. And read the others in the series. I promise you won't regret it.

Tomorrow I will ...
1. Go to Natalie's wedding reception (yay for Natalie! And yay for weddings!)
2. Fold patterns for Cotton Way
3. Take a long lunch with a girlfriend. So fun.

In the next year I will ...
1. Get married (I. Can't. Wait.)
2. Graduate from college (thank you, thank you)
3. Live an entire year in the same apartment with the same roommate. *sigh of relief*

Dodged a bullet

2009-04-26T14:48:00.001-07:00

Hey, did you hear about this crazy flu thing going on in Mexico City?

There's an article on it at this site. From what I gather, there's a new strain of flu called swine flu that's making a lot of people sick in Mexico City, and the WHO (World Health Organization) thinks it may be spreading further than that. There are a few other suspected cases of it in Texas and California. But it's biggest now in Mexico City, where over 1,000 people supposedly have it, and no one anywhere has a vaccine at this point.

I don't mean to be the bearer of bad news or anything, but I'm feeling particularly blessed at this point. A month ago, I was scheduled to fly into Mexico City this morning. An unexpected turn of events and a wedding to plan kept me in Idaho, and now the tour I was going on is "postponed." I'm glad I got someone to replace me and got my money back when I did — it's shaping up to be a big mess.

So, instead of getting too upset, I'm feeling lucky. I'm a little more thankful to be healthy, to live in a clean, small city, and to be with the people I love.

You're in my prayers, Mexico City.

If love at first sight is real ...

2009-04-16T14:59:00.001-07:00

Then Ryan should have fallen for me a long time ago. I have proof. See?

Can't tell what's going on? Allow me to expound:

When Ryan and I figured out that we were running Cross Country at the same time, I got out my old pictures CD to see if we'd ever crossed (no pun intended) paths. And this is what I found. I guess I'm not surprised he never asked for my number after a race ... but seriously, what are Ryan and his friends doing? Don't teenage boys know what kind of damage they can do to a girl's self-esteem by lining up like that to see her sweat? Sadistic, I tell you.

Maybe it's good we never really met in high school.

Dreams Deferred

2009-04-14T12:37:00.001-07:00

Two summers ago, I sat in Brother Mark Bennion's "Fundamentals of Literature Interpretation" class and read what Langston Hughes had to say about dreams deferred.

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore —
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over —
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
Like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

Of course I thought it was beautiful. How tragic, I thought, to defer a dream!

I don't want to be irreverent, especially toward one of my favorite poems, but I think Mr. Hughes might have been a little over the top with the whole explosion thing. I'm starting to think that, maybe, it's best if all our dreams don't come true.

When I was a little girl, I had it all figured out. I was positive that I was destined to do one of three things with my life. I either wanted to be a a checker—

a waver —

or, what I thought EVERYONE wanted to be:

A writer.

When Ryan and I registered at Target last weekend, I got to use the little scanner and feel the thrill of the beep. It wasn't as exhilarating as I thought it would be. And as good as I am at keeping a beat, conducting the music definitely isn't my favorite Church calling. But I couldn't live — I might, I daresay, explode? — without my daily dose of well-constructed sentences.

If I were to give a high school graduation speech this spring, I wouldn't tell anyone to chase all their dreams. I'd tell those 18-year-olds to dream, and to dream big. And I'd tell them to choose carefully which of those dreams they'd defer.

So they don't explode.

21

2009-04-06T13:15:00.000-07:00

I turned 21 a week ago Saturday. Horray!

I remember when LeaDawn and I moved into our first apartment at Heritage Manor across the street from Hogi Yogi. We said — I'm not joking — "I hope we don't get any old, 21-year-old roommates who aren't any fun anymore." Now I'm 21, Leo's 21-and-a-half, she has a husband and I have a very, very cute fiance.

Definitely old and boring, yeah?

Who knew making donuts could be so fun? We made 21 of them, to be exact.And since I've been the big 2-1 for over a week now, I've pretty much got it down. There are a few definite perks to being so old:

1. My driver's license is now horizontal. I went to renew it and finally had that dreadful "under 21" removed from around my face. The lady at the DMV said, "Congratulations, you have a big girl license now!"

2. Ryan has three engaged roommates, and of the four of the fiances, I'm the SECOND-OLDEST. Not just another statistic, my friend ... I've got one of them by THREE YEARS. Totally brag-worthy.

3. Honeymoon in Vegas, anyone?

Miracle

2009-03-25T21:19:00.000-07:00

Hello, everyone.

I'm scarce these days. but I have some SERIOUSLY good news. Seriously.

I'm finished with my homework for tomorrow. And it's only 10:20 p.m. Guitar Hero, anyone?

That's what he said

2009-03-20T22:20:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, it's Ryan.

I think it's about time I share the story of how I became the luckiest guy around. Bre doesn't know I'm writing this, by the way. She's in NYC. I miss that girl.

So, the engagement ring came into my possession (from a jeweler in Utah) on Thursday, February 26th. I knew it would burn a hole in my pocket, so I made plans to give it to Bre pronto. I wanted it to be a surprise, so I did all the things that would make our Friday night date seem like just any other Friday night; I bought her flowers, wore the shirt she likes me in best (it's brown), just happen to have made a CD of all our favorite songs and took her to Bajio, her favorite place to eat in Rexburg. No, nothing special. Nothing at all. I think she caught on pretty quick. That, and I'm sure she could tell that I was more nervous than I was on our first date.

For example, enjoy a couple of classic "Ryan Moments": Mishap # 1. I usually go to the ATM before a date, just in case my card doesn't work for some odd reason. I forgotten to go today. But I'll be ok, right? When I tried to pay, I was denied. I later found out that apparently, when you get a new card in the mail you have to call the bank and have them validate it... I'd somehow missed that little tidbit. So, I scraped every penny out of my wallet and still came up a dollar short. I had to ask Bre to ask her friends mom, who just happened at Bajio, if I could borrow a dollar. Mishap # 2. Bajio recently changed from using the tin pie pans to using actual plates. On our way out of the restaurant, that fact somehow slipped my mind and I threw the dishes in the garbage; the fun part was digging through to get them out. I was on a roll.

So, dinner is over. The exciting time has come. I'd hoped to go to for a walk in the hollow (a place where we would walk sometimes and it was just us), but it was covered in snow. So, I decided on a different special spot. We took a drive through the dry farms, like we often do. I had it all planned out. There was a spot up there where Bre and I had gone a couple of times during the summer - a little patch of grass with a swing set, where we could sit and talk and overlook Rexburg. It'd be the perfect place to pop the question. It, too, also buried in snow. So, casually, I flipped a u-turn and headed back into town... Bre was on to me by then.

A few minutes later, we pulled into the Rexburg Temple parking lot. We talked for a minute while looking up at the lights. I asked Bre if we could go for a walk around it. We walked and talked, and when the time felt right, I slipped the box into Bre's hand. Her eyes got big. I dropped to one knee, told her how much I loved her, and asked her to be mine.

The rest is history.

Did you hear?

2009-03-13T18:13:00.000-07:00

I'm getting married!

Blame it on my full credit load, the magazine or even Ryan himself, but I haven't devoted nearly the time to my blog it deserves (oops! Sorry, blog ...). But since I got my SECOND-EVER blog request from Natasha (thanks Nat!), I'm again happy to oblige.

THE PROPOSAL
Of course, my favorite part is that it came from that cute boy in the picture and that it ended with this:

but I have a feeling that may not appease you. So, for your blog-reading pleasure, I've invited a GUEST BLOGGER to tell you all about how he did it. Take it away, Ry:

See next post - Duke is playing. But I sure am happy!

:) That's my Ryan. He's a keeper. I guess you'll hear that story later. But I'm a little less interested in the game, so while I pretend to pay attention for his sake, I guess I'll answer the other questions people usually ask:

THE DATE
June 13, 2009
THE PLACE
Rexburg Idaho Temple (the reception is in Rexburg, too)
THE COLORS
Brown and light blue (yes, that's North Carolina blue ... I call it "baby blue" for Ryan's sake)

Ryan= the best ever
Me= very very happy!

By popular demand

2009-02-16T18:43:00.001-07:00

And, by "popular demand," I mean "The demand of my sister."

To all you Facebookers out there, I apologize. You've probably already seen this. But my AWESOME sister Jenny isn't part of that world, and she said she loves "25s" and requested that I put it up there.

Since I've never had a post request before, I'm totally honored. And obliged.

25 Random Things About Me:

1. I'm the youngest of six kids
2. I really like going to the gym
3. I have 18 nieces and nephews. That's more than pretty much everyone I've met at college.
4. I've worked for the Scroll since I started college and was editor-in-chief when I was 19. Sometimes people think I'm a super-senior because I'm still around, but I'm really a junior.
5. I look a lot like my mom and act a lot like my dad
6. My eyes have no real color — they're, like, blueish-greenish-grayish with yellow in them. I wanted to get colored contacts when I was younger but my brother Kendall told me he thinks my eyes are pretty and I've never wanted to change them since.
7. I've played the piano since I was six
8. I'm a total Daddy's girl
9. My sister is my best friend, and we're 10 years apart.
10. Ryan (my boyfriend) and I share cousins, but we're not related. We're on opposite sides of our cousins' family ... get it?
11. I have a REALLY high forehead, but I'm not balding. I was born that way.
12. I use to have really dark hair, but my dad said I looked "kind of gloomy," and he offered to pay to have it lightened up. He said he needed to "keep me marketable." Good thing I know he loves me. :)
13. I have the AP Stylebook pretty much memorized
14. I'm a closet bubble-gum pop music fan sometimes. My iPod has a bad habit of coming out with a Jonas Brothers or Taylor Swift or, sometimes, Miley Cyrus song. Don't judge me.
15. Sometimes I write stories in my head while I walk to class. And headlines.
16. I obsessively clean my ears. It's not unusual for me to do it at least once a day. And yes, I know that's not necessarily healthy.
17. I could eat string cheese and drink Viva chocolate milk with every meal and not get sick of it for at least, I daresay, a year
18. I really like reading. And it's a good thing, because I'm reading about a novel a week for one of my classes.
19. I've been to Hawaii twice
20. I choked on a penny when I was a year old. My mom slapped me on the back and it came flying out. Apparently you're not suppose to do that because it can lodge it deeper, but it didn't that time. I'm glad.
21. I played the violin in orchestra all through high school and, looking back, it's one of my favorite memories.
22. My favorite roommate just got married and I miss her sometimes
23. I've never seen Mary Poppins
24. I'm going on the MesoAmerica Tour for study abroad this summer.
25. Brown is my favorite color.

10 things you really want to know about

2009-02-05T13:26:00.001-07:00

I have about a hundred million things I want to write about, but I have a mid-term tomorrow and about a million pages of political science/The Great Gatsby/Media Law cases to read before the weekend, so I'm going with the classic random list of what's in my brain/life as of late:

1. First and foremost, my friend Lindsay Law and I (both of us are former Scroll editor in chiefs) were given the FANTASTIC job of producing BYU-Idaho's firstever student-produced magazine, Bride's Guide. The Bride's Guide has been a special section of the newspaper in the past but we got all fancy this time with glossy pages and all that. We sent it to the printer yesterday and it will be next to the Scroll on racks across campus by Feb. 12. But if you're like me and just can't WAIT to hold it in your hands (try to contain your excitement, please), here's a teeny tiny sneak peek of what the cover might look like:

And an inside page/"my favorite thing I designed" might look a little something like this:

Keep your eyes out for this fantastic little piece of journalism.

2. I've been thinking a lot about the First Amendment and freedom of speech and all that because I'm in a Media Law and Ethics class this semester. It really is a total double-edged sword — the same thing that protects me from being arrested for going to church protects stupid people from being arrested for saying REALLY stupid things. Sometimes it's hard to live with it, but we most certainly can't live without it.

3. I got a new phone today. :)

4. You know how everyone makes a big deal out of missionary's shoes? How they're all worn out when they get home and everything? Well I have this pair of shoes that I bought for my high school graduation, and I'd put them up against ANY missionary's shoes. I wore them to Chicago in Summer 2007 when I worked at a camp for inner-city youth. I wore them to Washington, D.C., for a journalism conference that fall. I wore them through weeks and weeks of EFY counseling this summer. I wore them at the Hill Cumorah pageant. I wore them to school nearly every day — they've walked HUNDREDS of times from the Spori to the Ricks.

Anyway, I literally WORE A HOLE IN THE BOTTOM OF THEM. I was walking to the Smith last week, and I felt a wet spot on my sock. Another step, and it spread. More and more water came into my shoe, and by the time I got there the entire bottom of my sock was soaked. Yeah, I know. Pretty impressive, yeah?

5. Have you tried Burger King's Ketchup & Fries Flavored Potato Snacks? As far as we can tell, they're ONLY sold in BYU-Idaho Bookstore. Ryan Kunz found them and I'm hooked. They taste EXACTLY like ketchup and fries, but they look like Fritos. Whoa.

6. Have you ever noticed that love and hate are kind of the same thing underneath? We just finished the short story unit in my Fiction class and we all voted on our favorite and least favorite stories. Interestingly enough, Mark Twain got second place for "favorite" and won "least favorite." How many people do you know that are honestly neutral when "Twilight" comes up? Everyone has an opinion, whether it's good or bad, and as far as I can tell, they're often pretty similar when you really look at it. (i.e. "I hated Twain because he didn't describe enough!" "I loved Twain because he said exactly what he meant without any fluff!" See what I mean?)

7. I still love (OK, live for) The Office.

8. I REALLY need a new camera. Just a little snapshot camera. Any suggestions?

9. I'm totally getting into this Family History thing. SO cool. I highly suggest it.

10. Confession: I'm taking a internet design class (i.e. html and CSS coding). And I LIKE it (Sandlot, anyone?). I'm a total nerd.

Locals are people, too

2009-01-15T23:59:00.000-07:00

So I wrote a column for the Scroll this week, and I liked it. It was all about the inauguration and stuff and I thought I'd put it on here. But I wrote it on the office computer and in the grand tradition of i-Comm, it's not online yet. Or, more likely, it's online but extremely difficult to find at this point. But I did find this one relatively quickly (it was published March 27, 2008. Go figure) and since I DID just help publish the "Rexburg Living/Welcome Back" special section of Scroll, I thought this would work.

So, without further ado ...

Rexburg really isn't that bad — seriously

I’m from Rexburg. And, no, I’m not apologizing for it.

I love watching people’s faces when I answer the standard questions:

My name is Breanna. They smile. Sometimes they even say, “Oh, that’s a pretty name.”

I tell them I’m studying communication. That usually gets a good reaction. “Ohh … are you going to be a journalist or something? That’s cool.”

And then, the clincher: I grew up in Rexburg. Silence.

Or, sometimes it’s worse than silence. Just last week, a visitor in my apartment got to that point in our conversation and promptly turned to my roommate. He asked, “So, is she normal?”

I’m not kidding.

Reactions to my hometown in my time here have ranged from laughter to expressions of pity to an awkward fumbling of keys in the attempt to say something humorous or consoling.

While I admit I find these reactions comical, they still lead me to ask: How did locals get such a bad reputation?

Maybe it’s because many BYU-Idaho students can’t imagine growing up in a town so small. But my roommate is from Paul, Idaho, and that’s not even big enough to put on some maps. And you don’t hear her apologizing.

Maybe people pity me because I grew up in a homogenous religious “bubble.” But most students here are LDS, so it doesn’t make much sense for them to hate something they helped create, does it?

But, more likely, we’re just misunderstood. So I’m here to debunk some rumors about locals and stand up for the land I love:

1. We’re not all potato farmers.

But, we probably know one. Several, even. We maybe even worked for one at some point during high school. And, yes, Madison School District really does cancel school for 10 days for potato harvest. You can thank us when you eat your Wendy’s French fries.

2. We don’t all live at home.

Yes, many locals DO move out of the house. And even if some don’t, they still attend a college ward and are part of the campus. But independence shouldn’t stop anyone from taking advantage of free laundry.

3. We don’t like the cold, either.

My friend recently told me as we walked across campus, “Breanna, no offense to you or anything, but Rexburg is really cold.”

I found this, too, amusing — it was as though he expected me to either 1.) Not realize it was freezing, or 2.) Prefer the cold. Since the second is absolutely ludicrous, let me debunk one last misconception:

4. We’re not Eskimos.

No human being could possibly acclimate to the Rexburg tundra. We just know how to dress. You should have seen me last January — I wore four sweaters at a time and legwarmers for days.

And we have beautiful summers, by the way.

So next time you meet someone from Rexburg, skip the stereotypes. Forget about them for everyone, for that matter, and focus on the individual.

Forget about Texans being egotistical. Forget about giant Utah hair. Forget about Oregonian tree- huggers. Forget about Californian surfers. Forget about fiery redheads. Forget about dumb blondes. Forget about east coast snobs.

When you really think about it, we’re all pretty similar despite our license plates. Get to know individuals — you might discover there are more “normal” people than you think.

I didn't do it

2009-01-09T14:49:00.000-07:00

.. at least, I don't think so. But I'm starting to think that my uncanny ability to unwittingly rid myself of roommates is bordering on phenomenal. Let me demonstrate my recent transformation into the apartment black widow:

September 2008: LeaDawn gets engaged. Roommate #1 = gone

November 2008: I agree to move into American Manor apartments with Madison, a friend of mine from Scroll.

Early December 2008: Madison's health takes a turn for the worse, and she defers classes for winter semester. Roommate #2 = not anymore

Mid-December 2008: I agree to move to Royal Crest with my friend Chanae Wilson. A week later, she gets an internship. And engaged. Yep, both. Peace out, roommate #3.

Late-December 2008: Becky Leach (who was going to live with me and Chanae) also gets a little sparkler for Christmas. So long, roommate #4.

The moral of the story? If you're looking for a dramatic change in life, sign up to be my roommate. Major life changes guaranteed (satisfaction not guaranteed — see roommate #2).

My Best Friend's Wedding

2009-01-05T11:43:00.000-07:00

December 20 was the day I've dreaded for the last three months.

Actually, the last two years.

OK, so I'll cut out the "Father of the Bride" drama. But I must admit that going to LeaDawn's wedding, as exciting as it was, was a little bittersweet. We've had a lot of sleepovers, and we had our last one the night before her wedding. It was strange to realize exactly what was happening. It seemed so easy, so natural, so perfect that she'd be eternally part of Daniel after the ceremony. But I also realized that she wouldn't be my roommate anymore, and that was hard to swallow.

(LeaDawn and I on our last night at Heritage Manor back in April of '07)

Anyone who's "lost" a roommate this way knows what I'm talking about. The next day's ceremony meant no more calling her to get the plans for FHE. No more late-night chats evaluating dates. No more questions like, "Wait, are you Bre or LeaDawn? I always get you two mixed up."

(Looking a little better at Shoshone Falls this Spring)

But I also knew that, if she weren't to get married, she'd be missing out on all the best parts of life. It would mean no home building. No burnt dinners, no living on love. No "I'll stay up with the baby, you go get some sleep." None of the things that really matter.

So even if it was a little lonely driving home from Rupert and even lonelier moving into my new apartment without my favorite roommate, there are three things I know for sure:

1. LeaDawn has never been happier
2. Things will never be the same
3. I wouldn't have it any other way.

So long, farewell

2008-12-17T23:57:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is my last day as an official resident of Provo, and I have mixed emotions about it. I guess it's true that the one constant in life is change, and I'm just dealing with it like I've learned to.

I packed all of my stuff in less than two hours. It's crazy how empty a room can get in such a short amount of time. Tomorrow at circa 2:30 p.m., my manager will come and check to see if I adequately scrubbed the baseboards and got all my stuff out of here, and I'll hit I-15 running.

It's a funny thing, dealing with change. I went to visit some friends in the ward tonight and to say goodbye, but I wasn't sure how to do it. Do I tell them thanks for the good times? Do I take a Christmas gift? Do I stay and chat? Do we hug? I thought of sending them an e-mail or Facebook message, but if I'm going to do that, couldn't I do it just as well after the fact when I'm already home?

And I don't even know that this is goodbye. I remember when I said "goodbye" to my friend Jake — the first of my friends I graduated with to leave on his mission. I saw him over Thanksgiving break and he was pretty much the same (except with a couple years on his face and a hint of a Spanish accent). Back in August of '06, I didn't tell him goodbye at all. It's more of a "see ya later."

So I guess there's no reason, really, to be sad. No reason to say goodbye, even.

See ya later, Utah.

A few of my favorite things

2008-12-07T16:33:00.000-07:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year, and yesterday I left my mistletoe-clad abode and ventured to the holly-jolliest place in Utah County — University Mall. Finding a gift for a co-worker was harder than I thought, so I thought I'd give y'all an early Christmas present — ideas! Here's my 2008 gift guide: (Note: These are probably best for the teenage/twenty-something females on your list. Not that your son won't LOVE a Flirty Apron)

1. So I'm a total sucker for anything with an Apple sticker, and when my iPod completely lost its mind (after three long years of heavy use, by the way) and started playing any song in its library completely at random and ignoring my futile attempts at contolling it, I decided it was time for something new.

And if that doesn't make you drool, watch this.

(*Note: My dad just got and iPod Touch and has been listening to the music I left on our home computer. He said, "That band called Weasel is pretty good. I really like the one song 'Say it Ain't So.'" He meant Weezer. I love my dad.)

2. I'm not exactly a domestic goddess. Have you seen "Father of the Bride"? Remember when Brian gives Annie a blender for their anniversary and she flips out? I can relate to her a little. But that doesn't change the fact that I think these are completely to die for:

I'm a sucker for blue and brown anyway, and that just makes me want to bake up some banana bread, stat.

3. I'm kind of a bookworm, but even if I'm not reading a book, I still like to own it. My apartment never feels like home until I have at least a dozen books lining the shelf, and I'm taking a Fiction to Film class next semester, so I get a whole new collection. You can never go wrong with a nice book.

4. Games, games, games! LeaDawn and I used to have Sunday Game Night every weekend, and we played more games of Nertz than you can imagine. Variety is wonderful — have you ever heard of Settlers of Catan? It's addictingly delicious ... and (speaking of delicious) so is Apples to Apples. And Cranium. And others.

5. And if you're buying for someone who already has #1 (or something with similar capabilities), a CD is always a fine choice. Let me offer some suggestions:

I saw a Limbeck show in Salt Lake City last Saturday, and I'm totally in love. I couldn't stop smiling the whole time they played. You won't hear them on the radio, but you should.

Sondre Lerche makes me smile — and he did almost every song on here.

I haven't fogotten. I've been waiting for this since May.

Merry Christmas to all!

English 318 and skydiving finally have something in common

2008-12-02T20:53:00.000-07:00

I registered for winter semester classes a few weeks ago. I was busy the evening before looking at my Grad Plan and what classes were offered and who taught them, and when, and how long it would take me to walk to class from my new apartment. I was basically stressing out over life. Have you heard of The Color Code? I'm pretty much true blue, and I go into checklist-addiction relapse when registration time comes around.

By the time I finished, there was nothing left of my Grad Plan. Choosing classes for the MesoAmerica tour, adding web design courses to my emphasis and otherwise adapting to changing circumstances turned my schedule into a strange mix of the classes that actually turned out much better than I had planned.

I guess life is kind of that way. Graduation won't be the last thing I accomplish despite my best efforts. I made a list when I was 12 describing my future husband, and as much as I wanted a tall, movie-quoting guitarist at the time, my priorities have changed. I made another list when I was 14 of things I want to do before I die, but somewhere along the way I've lost my enthusiasm for skydiving and added things like "write a novel" and "get a Master's degree."

As far as I can tell, change is paradoxically constant. I think Steve Carell said it best at the end of one of my favorite movies, Dan in Real Life:

"Instead of telling our young people to plan ahead, we should tell them to plan to be surprised."

A Post-Thanksgiving "Thanks Giving"

2008-12-01T19:47:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are a few things I'm extra thankful for after an extra-awesome Turkey Day.

1. Dodgeball with the fam at Madison Middle School 2. Ice Skating at Tautphaus Park 3. Real mashed potatoes 4. Big, comfy couches and good movies 5. Christmas carols 6. Black Honda Accords 7. New Fong's Chinese Restaurant 8. Little boys 9. Little girls 10. Mario Kart 11. Being a Madison Bobcat 12. Volkswagen Beetles 13. Dimples 14. Not being "out on the street" 15. Chex Mix with candy syrup and nuts 16. Trips to the grocery store to buy lemons 17. Sleeping in 18. The Rexburg Temple 19. Selling housing contracts 20. A good life

A Pre-Thanksgiving "Thanks Giving"

2008-11-25T21:45:00.000-07:00

I'm all packed and ready to go home for the break tomorrow and I'm totally stoked about it. I miss my Idaho! I feel like I'm in The New Amsterdams' song that my friend dedicated to me:

She says
Idaho
Is calling her home.

The rest of the song is, unfortunately, pretty depressing. But I like that first part.

Anyway, I was thinking today about all the little bits of happiness that come with the holidays and all the good things in life itself. It is Thanksgiving, right? This summer at EFY, I started making mental notes of things that "light up my life" and thanking people for them ("Amber, your smile lights up my life!"). It kind of became a habit (minus the awkward compliments you can only get away with at EFY), so in the spirit of Thanksgiving I made — you guessed it — another list! Here are some of my favorite things in no particular order:

1. PEZ dispensers
2. Symphony bars (the blue ones with almonds and toffee)
3. Little kids
4. Movie nights
5. Falling asleep on the couch during movie nights
6. Looking through old photo albums
7. All-new episodes
8. Taking pictures
9. Birthdays
10. Home videos
11. Converse/Vans shoes
12. Sleeping in
13. Clean sheets
14. Free continental breakfast
15. Clothes warm right out of the dryer
16. No-bake cookies
17. Haircuts
18. Running with an iPod
19. Shooting stars
20. Going home

I think sometimes I'm thankful for the things I miss — the old "you don't know what you've got till it's gone" philosophy. I'll let you know in a day or two what I'm thankful for at that point. Until then,

"Idaho is calling me home."

I know. I'm lame

2008-11-22T22:02:00.000-07:00

So I have about a hundred million ideas of awesome things to blog about, but I'm not feeling particularly creative tonight (Max Hall broke my heart when he collapsed on himself like a dying star). Perhaps tomorrow or the next day I'll get the motivation, but since I'm wallowing in BYU's sorrow I've resorted to a blog cop-out. Here's the tag that Natasha sent my way (thanks Nat!). And McKenzie, I'll get to yours next time I'm feeling down.

8 Things Tag

8 Things I am PASSIONATE About
1. Writing/Journalism
2. The gospel
3. Learning
4. EFY
5. Music lyrics/poetry
6. Grammar
7. Photography
8. My family

8 "words" or "phrases" I say often
1. What!?
2. Fetch.
3. Seriously?
4. Sorry, man.
5. Dude!
6. Oh ... my gosh.
7. Are you kidding me?
8. Sweet.

8 Things I want to do before I die
1. Go on a mission
2. Write a novel
3. Go to Fenway Park
4. Have a really cute family
5. Swim in the Mediterranean
6. Zipline through the jungle
7. Get a Master's Degree
8. See Les Miserables on Broadway in New York

8 Things I have learned from my past
1. It's OK to make mistakes as long as you don't repeat them
2. Everyone can teach you something
3. Always let people teach you
4. Forgive others and forgive yourself
5. Work hard, play hard
6. Don't bottle things up inside
7. Family is important
8. The gospel is EVERYTHING

8 Places I would love to see...
1. New York City
2. Paris
3. London
4. Rome
5. Boston
6. Australia
7. Africa
8. Guatemala

8 Things I Currently Need or Want
1. Scholarships
2. New clothes
3. Someone to drop out of the 9 a.m. CIT 230 class so I don't have to get up at 7:45 a.m.
4. My hair highlighted (I'm getting roots ...)
5. Someone to buy my housing contract
6. A headlight for my car
7. A letter
8. A new iPod — mine tragically died recently ... I don't want to talk about it

I'm not a professional ... yet

2008-11-15T17:06:00.000-07:00

So remember how LeaDawn is getting married? I think I'm having almost as much fun with this as she is (perhaps I'm living it all a little bit vicariously as well). I work for Utah Valley Bride from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and help LeaDawn BECOME a bride whenever she'll let me. What can I say? I'm a little wedding-happy.

And in the spirit of humoring me, LeaDawn let me take her ENGAGEMENT PICTURES!!! She's a smart girl and got a real professional as well, but I think some of these turned out pretty well and she chose some for the invitation. I just love these two. Oh, and a special thanks to Bonnie Olaveson for letting me use her camera and the small town (does it count as a town?) of LaBelle, Idaho for being so pretty in the fall.

Oh, and for more fun wedding plans (or ideas, if you're one of my friends who happens to be engaged) click on "LeaDawn and Daniel" over on the left. I talked her into starting a wedding blog. I know, I know, it's genius ... I'm thinking of starting a wedding consultation business.

Invitations coming soon!

Gotta love it

2008-11-11T20:17:00.000-07:00

I did a cool interview today with a lady who just opened her own furniture store. She majored in advertising/graphic arts in school and started her career with an internship in Atlanta working on the Coca-Cola account. She knows her way around design and fonts and color and branding. She did all the interior design for Omniture (an international online advertising and web analytics company headquartered in Orem).

Basically, this lady could do whatever she wants. She opened the store and does private in-home design consultation, and she talked to me about it for two hours. Her eyes lit up when she showed me the couch in the corner that she designed and had custom made and the artwork on the wall that was made entirely from fossilized beetles (and it was surprisingly beautiful).

That made me think — what am I passionate about?

A lot of things, I guess. I'm passionate about chocolate milk and corner brownies. I love writing and photography. I think The Office is hands down the funniest show ever and that Mario Kart is still the best video game ever made. But I'm making big decisions right now, and it would be really good to notice when things light me up like that. I guess it's a good thing for everyone to figure out. Basically, it seems like whatever you do, you've gotta love it.

Another Great Day in Happy Valley

2008-11-10T21:36:00.001-07:00

So, this weekend I had the BEST time in Idaho. LeaDawn's bridal shower was wonderful and it was so fun to see a lot of good friends I've missed.

I can't believe I'll be there for good again in just five weeks! But, on the flip side, I only have five weeks left in this valley I've started to call "home." And while I'm excited to start school, there are a few things I'm REALLY going to miss about Happy Valley.

While I'm still here, I'm determined to drink in every drop of Provo and give myself some things — and people — to miss. Here are a few things I'm going to be sad to leave:

1. The mountainsThey're beautiful. They're picturesque. They're grand. They're right outside my office window. Who could ask for anything more?

2. My roommates

(Halloween — I'm a Lone Peak High School football player, Jess is a pixie and Marissa is some character from a TV show I've never seen. I said, "Oh, so you're a nurse?" That wasn't satisfactory. Apparently, the girl she's impersonating is not your ordinary hospital worker)

(Natalie and me just before my first Institute Dance. It was an unforgettable experience)

They're funny. They're loud. They're goofy. And I love them.

3. The Provo Temple

When you come around the bend in University Parkway, it just POPS out. It's the highlight of my drive home.

4. Utah Valley Magazine

I have the Best. Internship. Ever.

5. My ward. I don't think I have any pictures, but that's because we're always too busy playing. My sister called last week and she said it sounded like I was at a party. I said, "Is that what they call it? We just call it Thursday."

It will be good to go home. But it will be REALLY nice to soak Provo in for just a little bit longer.

Maybe that's why they call it Happy Valley.

Susan B. Anthony would be proud

2008-11-04T20:12:00.000-07:00

So, today I totally rocked the vote.

Isn't that SUCH an 18- to 25-year-old-female-voter-ish thing for me to say? We're young, smart and TOTALLY in to politics and, like, what's happening in the world. RockTheVote.com reported today that "young voter turnout nationwide is showing significant increases compared to 2004 vote totals. Across the country, young people are voting at historic levels." We're definitely doing better than we were a few years ago, but I still think we have a long way to go.

Not that I'm one to talk. I'm guilty of justifying the laziness — My vote doesn't even count in Utah. One vote really doesn't make a difference at all I told myself this morning when I realized it was already November 4. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling of Susan B. Anthony and thousands of other dead feminists breathing down my neck all morning.

So to the polls I went. I wasn't looking forward to the long line all my co-workers (who are mostly over 30) were talking about, but I drove to BYU campus on my lunch hour anyway. This is SO worth the sacrifice, I thought, mentally patting myself on the back for my patriotism.

When I got there, I thought I'd come to the wrong place. I was the only one in line — the old man at the table seemed thrilled to have some company. While I thought it was sad, I wasn't terribly surprised. My precinct included BYU and UVU students, and we're SO busy all the time.

But one other voter came while I was there — a young man probably not more than 25 — who caught my eye and changed my perspective. He was fully dressed in his Army Greens — or, rather, the Army Tans they wear today in Iraq. I couldn't help watching him as he signed his name and stepped up to cast his ballot.

I felt sheepish standing next to him. I had thought so highly of myself for driving an extra 12 minutes and sacrificing our office's daily MarioKart Tournament to do my civic duty. What was my sacrifice when compared to his? The very fact that I was able to stand next to him was because of him and people like him. And I thought I was the patriotic one?

He finished, nodded to the workers and left. I awkwardly took my sticker and saltwater taffy as I followed him — I left a little prouder of my country and a little more embarrassed for my generation.

It's a little late, but I'll still say it. Generation Y, get out there and rock the ...

Yeah, you know.

I Heart Creative Suite

2008-10-31T16:59:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't heard, my very best friend (and Idaho roommate!) is getting married on Dec. 20. Horray! (See previous blogs "Best Summer Ever" and "She's Been Domesticated" for events leading to the big question)

So, in true bridesmaid spirit, I'm throwing her a bridal shower next Saturday! I enlisted several of our friends to help with food, games and the other nitty-gritties, but if you know me at all, you know I reserved the invitation design for myself. What do you think?

Cute, yeah? I just love Creative Suite. I drew that flower in Illustrator (thank you, thank you) and laid it out in InDesign. Let me know what you think or if you have any suggestions. :)

Oh, and if you didn't get one of these and think you should have, send me your address and I'll send you one.

Happy wedding, LeaDawn!

¡Voy a México y Guatemala y Belize!

2008-10-27T21:06:00.000-07:00

Did you like that subject? Well, I'm going to be speaking a lot more (and better) Spanish than that by the end of next semester. At least, I better be, because of this little e-mail I got last week:

I know you can't read that, so I'll just tell you what it says:

"Welcome to the MesoAmerica tour and congratulations! (This is your official acceptance letter.)"

Horray! It's official — I paid my money and locked in to what will be my next big adventure and an unforgettable experience! I'll spend a month touring Mexico, Guatemala and Belize. I'll climb volcanoes and pyramids,

eat REAL Mexican food, sleep in mosquito nets, explore the jungle,

snorkle in the Carribean, stay with members of the Church in central America

AND earn six credits.

Can you think of anything better? After spending two weeks in April in the classroom (I don't know what I'm taking yet, but probably a Sociology class and an English class), we'll go at the end of April/beginning of May and come home at the end of the month. Basically, don't ask if I can do anything next May. I'm busy. :)

I don't know much more about it because I'm in Utah and haven't been to any meetings, but I do know it's going to be incredible. I'm saving up a lot of money.

Donations accepted.

(Note: All those pictures are from past years of this same tour)

In a nutshell

2008-10-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, I took myself on a date to see one of my favorite bands, Sherwood, who happened to be passing through Provo.

When I got home, I turned on my MacBook to see if the new episode of The Office had been added to NBC's Web site yet.

While the site was loading, I stopped by espn.com to see how the BYU game turned out.

That pretty much tells you everything you need to know about my priorities.

Say anything, but say what you mean

2008-10-13T17:45:00.000-07:00

I was going through an old binder last weekend that had some of my writings from last summer. I found this one and liked it. See what you think.

June 25, 2007

Sometimes the most annoying thing in the world is a sound.

It’s kind of funny that something as intangible as a sound can be so irritating. But when someone else’s alarm goes off and they’re out of town, or when steam sets off a fire alarm or a toilet won’t stop running, it’s enough to drive you crazy.

But sometimes, the nothings drive me crazier than the somethings.

Silences kill me sometimes. The phone doesn’t ring. There’s no knock at the door. Someone will mention the weekend but not ask if you want to be part of it. No compliments. No invitation. No letter of congratulations. The company you applied to work for doesn’t call back. Missionaries don’t write. The alarm clock didn’t go off. The radio doesn’t work. The air conditioning is out. No one’s home.

Those silences don’t go away. I think we all have one or two of those silences in our lives that we wish we could fill with something — anything.

But who says no news isn’t good news? Sometime I take it as a good sign if I don't hear from someone who's gone. If they were hurt, someone would have told me. If a guy doesn’t want to spend his time with me, he's probably not worth me spending mine. The phone's silence creates more time to think. And there’s nothing wrong with sleeping in once in a while.

Maybe silences are as essential as noises.

My Favorite Boy

2008-10-07T19:09:00.000-07:00

I'm kind of a Daddy's girl.

That much, I've known for quite some time. But it's my dear old dad's birthday this Saturday, and I realized the other day just how much he's taught me.

A couple days ago, I was putting oil in my car and a boy from my apartment complex came running over.

"Do you need some help?"

I slammed the hood shut. I'd just finished.

"No, thanks. Just putting some oil in."

"Oh. And — you don't, like, need help?" He didn't seem to know what to do with himself.

"No, it's cool. I just got done."

"Oh," he said, and left, finally convinced I really was OK.

I couldn't help but laugh as I walked to my apartment. My dad taught me how to check my oil — and what to do when it was low. Hadn't everyone's dad done that? Then I realized ... probably not.

I thought of other valuable things my dad has taught me. He showed me how to cook fried eggs (over-easy, of course). He taught me to appreciate fine cheese. He explained to me the beauty of Les Miserables and helped me understand Shakespeare. I learned from Dad that it's OK to not be a Republican and that funny movies are meant to be memorized for quoting later. He taught me the value of a simple, declarative sentence. He teaches me to learn from every experience when he asks, "So, what did you learn?" when I call and tell him a heartbreaking story.

(Me and Dad being "scared" of the Tower of Terror at California Adventure)

I took my groceries into my apartment and unloaded my lowfat yogurt, extra lean hamburger and orange juice. I realized that Dad had taught me to take care of myself. He was diagnosed with Diabetes when I was nine, so we traded all of our cookies for cheese (fine cheese, like I said) and our Coca-Cola for Diet. I used to joke that my parents were starving me to death with all the low-calorie foods, but when I see piles of junk food in my roommates' cupboards, I'm grateful.

Mostly, though, my dad taught me the value of people. I grew up watching my dad teach — first students my siblings' ages, then my own — and he genuinely cares about people. I love it when my friends tell me they think he's a great teacher. I love it when I overhear people at BYU-Idaho talking about their "favorite professor" and figure out it's him. Dad loves people.

I'm OK with being a Daddy's girl.
Happy birthday, Dad.

Twilight

2008-09-30T20:11:00.000-07:00

I like to give my opinion, especially on things that don't particularly matter. I've noticed this topic has come up a lot lately, and the odds are you have an opinion on it to:

Now, before you try to tell me either 1) that Edward is the greatest thing ever 2) that Jacob is the greatest thing ever 3) that Twilight is the best book in the world or 4) that you hate it, let me throw something else out there:

While I have to admit that I'm curious to see how well Hollywood can transform Cedric Diggory into Edward Cullen, I must honestly say I don't love him. I don't hate him either, but I think Stephenie Meyer destroyed any chance he and I had the thirteenth time she described his smell. Seriously. But whether our beloved BYU English department polished Stephenie's writing into something worth reading isn't really something I want to talk about (though I will mention that at least half a dozen people have promised me that if I can just make it to the last quarter of the book, it gets "better." Take that for what it is).

I think the more important matter at hand here is the question of making a book into a movie. I have friends who have made hobbies out of making movies (and have attended film school, for that matter) and we've talked about it, and I think I've come to a sound opinion on the matter.

When a book becomes a movie, it ceases to be a book. If you go in to any movie theather expecting to see what you imagined, even if you're the author, you're not going to get it. Think about it: In a book, you can say something that the main character is thinking, but how on earth can you depict it as clearly on screen as the author did in the book?

There are, however, certain things movies can do that are impossible in books. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a motion picture speaks volumes. No descriptions — if any medium understands "show, don't tell," it's film.

So on Nov. 12 the world gets a new movie. Thousands of Twilight fans will hate it and thousands more will love it.

I think I'll stick to Harry Potter. I like Cedric better than Edward anyway.

Horrah for Israel!

2008-09-10T22:17:00.000-07:00

You always hear that miracles still happen, but there's nothing better than when you see a sweet little tender mercy in your life — or in the lives of people you love, as the case may be.

I've sat through my share of mission farewells in the last year or two, and at every one of them a little piece of me has been sad to see the missionary go. Of course, I'd rather have my friends serving the Lord full-time than doing anything else, but it still hurts a little.

They say that sacrifice is giving up something good for something better. I felt like I was making pretty big sacrifices when two of my best friends were called to serve — Dave Page left for Portugal in June of 2007 and Nic Moseley went to Brazil a few months later.

(that's me, Dave, Nic and Laura Bessey [Sommer] back in '05)

But last Wednesday, a short e-mail threw everything into perspective.

One woman's life was changed because the Lord used two of his modern-day stripling warriors from Rexburg, Idaho to reach her. Here's the story in Elder Page's own words (complete with Portuguese influences ... When he spoke 100% English he was a much better speller):

"Italla is the daughter of Ivone, a long time investigator from Benfica that couldn´t be baptised because she was waiting on papers from Brasil to get legally married. Italla came to portugal to visit last winter and we taught her several lessons. At one point she got an answer to her prayer about the Book of Mormon and we marked a baptisimal date, but she wasn´t able to keep it because she decided she was going to go back to Brasil to study. She decided and left within a matter of 3 days and so we couldn´t do much about it. We mailed a reference card to the missionaries in Brasil but they never contacted her so eventually we had the mission office send and e-mail. Her mom, Ivone said that Italla still wanted to be baptised but couldn´t find the missionaries, and they never got around to finding her. We prayed for weeks that the missionaries would run into her but then I got transferred and it all just kind of fell through the cracks...What a tender mercy to hear that Elder Mosely found her."

Elder Moseley found her! Dave's dad gave me a little more background:

"When [Italla] heard Nick was from Rexburg Idaho she asked, 'Do you know an Elder Page who is serving in Portugal?' The rest is history!"

The tender mercies of the Lord really ARE over all His chosen people (see 1 Nephi 1:20), and He really DOES bless those people through "small and simple means"! He prepared Italla, and the odds of everything working out the way they did are slim — even close to none — and yet, they did. That's the miracle — that's my boys.

And suddenly, sending them a few thousand miles away doesn't feel like much of a sacrifice.

A Good Day

2008-09-08T20:19:00.000-07:00

I've had a lot of good days in my life, but yesterday was definitely one of the better. Let's just put it this way — I started it in the same room as these people:

Spent an hour in the same room as this man:

And finished it with four of my favorite people in the world.

(Note: That picture wasn't taken yesterday.)

All members of BYU stakes were invited to the Marriot Center for Regional Conference, and President Uchtdorf, Elder Packer, Elder Marlin K. Jensen (my brother's mission president and current member of the Seventy) and Ann M. Dibb spoke to us. Elder Holland spoke at the CES fireside for young adults, and because I'm in Provo I jumped at the chance to actually be there, not just watching a broadcast.

And I went to Kendall's and played with those four awesome people for an hour or so before going to bed. Kendall and Roxanne went to a wedding and I went over to make sure Scotty and Ty got showers and Devin and Kalli made it to school.

It was a good day.

What a difference five years can make

2008-09-03T18:00:00.001-07:00

Today while I sat at Sonic Drive-in waiting for my $3 order of cheddar bites, I found myself thumbing through my wallet. It's fun to do sometimes — I'm a bit of a pack rat.

I found my Dependent I-Card from when I was 16. I found my MHS Activity Card from senior year. I found an old iTunes gift card and a new one I haven't redeemed yet. But somewhere between my Delta SkyMiles Card and a Paul Mitchell business card, I found a small slip of paper that said this in faded ink:

Beehive Federal Credit Union
Date: 12/14/03
Time: 12:11
Location: 65 South Center
Rexburg, ID
Withdrawl: $60.00
From Savings
Current Balance: $120.58

I laughed a little when I saw "$120.58." I am a poor, starving college student. But — I strained to remember — was there really a time that I was that poor?

That got me thinking. Dec. 14, 2003, was only five years ago. I was just starting high school. I was sophomore class president and worried about putting together an awesome dance. I couldn't wait to be old enough to date, and it felt like 16 was decades away. I didn't worry about money or time or what I was going to cook for dinner.

Another five years before that, I was 10. My parents were building a house and I didn't want to move to Rexburg. I was afraid the other kids would be mean to me or that I'd get a bad teacher. I was trying to learn how to do my own hair — and failing.

Now that I'm older, I move at least twice a year. I've done my own hair thousands of times and I can hardly remember what it was like to not be able to date. But I worry about having enough money or good enough grades. I worry about where I'll live next semester. I worry about choosing a good man.

How much, then, will I change in the next five years? Ten? Twenty? Where do I see myself? Sonic was particularly busy today, so I had a lot of time to think about it. I have a plan, but if there's one thing I've learned in the last five years it's that life rarely follows even the best laid-out plan. I do know a couple things, though. I see a few specific things coming:

Internships ...

... graduation ...

... the Temple ...

... a family.

I think the best is yet to come.

High pain tolerance? I call it "insanity"

2008-08-25T22:40:00.003-07:00

I started my internship at Utah Valley Magazine today, and it went really well, considering it's my first day at a new job in a new city. I'm basically just transcribing an interview for Jeanette. It's important work, albeit terribly boring and tedious. But I guess that's the life of an intern.

The really crazy thing was the phone call I got after work. My friend Ryan had a doctor's appointment to check on his leg ... OK, it's time for a little back story:

Last Wednesday, Ryan and his friends were playing Ultimate Frisbee for the championship (have you seen the RM? Ryan from Rigby ... likes to play Frisbee!) and it was a really intense game. They were up by two with just a few seconds left in the game and Ryan jumped to block a pass that would have been a touchdown for the other team. As his feet left the ground, he says, he heard a pop. Not when he landed — when he jumped.

He iced it and took some ibuprofen, but he walked on it for days and it didn't discolor or swell enough to worry about. We went to Lagoon and rode roller coasters last Saturday. He just thought he'd better get it checked today to make sure it was all right before he leaves on a 25-day excursion to the east coast. The doctor said it was probably just a sprain but did an X-ray just in case. And you'll never guess what they found:

Yep. It's a compound fracture. He broke it in two places. It looks like it's about a quarter inch from slipping and sticking out of his skin. Gross.

He blamed his lack of previous concern on a "high pain tolerance," and that's just not human. But he's going into surgery in the morning, and I was extra careful during my Ultimate Frisbee game tonight — which we won. It's good to know things always work out.

Top ten reasons this was the best summer ever — hands down.

2008-08-18T17:02:00.000-07:00

I don't care how awesome any other summer has ever been in the history of the world — ever. This one tops it. Except maybe the summer when we became a country. Or when, you know, the Civil War ended or something. But I digress.

Seriously though, I've had the time of my life these last few months (as demonstrated by the lack of any recent posts — I haven't sat at a computer for longer than a half hour all summer). A lot of things made it great, but for simplicity's and brevity's sake, I've narrowed it down to the Top Ten Coolest Things That Happened This Summer.

#1: I Wanna Rock 'n' Roll All Night
Any time you start your summer break (which, of course, happens to be five months long) with a Jimmy Eat World/Paramore Concert, you're one lucky girl. Or guy, if you happen to be a guy. I went with my friend David Packard, and Hayley Williams winked at him. I'm not kidding. And Mitch Porter smiled at me, and Jeremy Davis gave me a nod. I'll take it. Cool things like that happen when you have floor tickets and the guts to push your way to the front. I got a lot of sweat on me and most of it wasn't mine, but the front-row spot was totally worth it.

#2: On An Island in the Sun ...
I went straight from the concert in Pocatello to Salt Lake City, where my family and I boarded a plane for Maui. I went with my parents; my brother Matt; his wife, Jeanette; and his two oldest kids, Nathan and Hailey. The kids liked jumping into the ocean — in swimsuit or in normal clothes — and letting the tide push them back to shore. Mom and Dad liked the weather. I liked the snorkeling best, and I didn't even get sunburned! It was a summer miracle.

#3: You and Me, We's Pals!
LeaDawn and I, of course, had our adventures. Even though I wasn't her roommate anymore, we still went to Shoshone Falls and hiked the R Mountain. I just love her.
I think Daniel might love her, too, which I guess I'm OK with. He's a pretty cool guy.

#4: Ain't No Party Like an EFY Party!
For five weeks this summer, I basked in the fabulous LDS-youth infested bubble known as EFY (for those not hip to the LDS-acronym jive, that's "Especially For Youth." And by "LDS," I meant "Latter-day Saint"). I loved being a counselor there. I loved the girls I was over, I loved teaching them about the gospel and I loved bearing my testimony so often — several times a day. And I'll never again hear anyone say, "All right, all right ..." without getting ready to clap. If you've been to EFY, you know what I'm talking about.

#5: Glad Tidings from Cumorah
I had a little break in EFY sessions in June, and I once again headed to Salt Lake and boarded a plane. This time, though, I headed east to Palmyra, New York to be in The Hill Cumorah Pageant. Of all the amazing things I did this summer, this sticks out to me the most. I played the role of a harlot, which was hilarious, and was one of the wicked people to cast the prophet Lehi out of Jerusalem. I hope they weren't type-casting.

But my favorite part was proselyting before each performance. We went out into the audience each night, and I've never felt such a sense of purpose before. Nothing else I've ever done has felt so important, so urgent, so fulfilling, so worthwhile or so rewarding. Bearing testimony of the Savior, the Prophet Joseph and the Book of Mormon strengthened me, and I didn't feel like I could do it enough. I had to do it, and I had to look people in the eye when I did, because I was THAT sure. And the best part is, when you give of yourself like that, you get a lot more than you give.

#6: "I Retired to a Grove of Trees Near My Home..."
While I was in Palmyra, I went to the Sacred Grove three times. There's a unique spirit there, and you can feel that something important happened there. It feels almost like the dirt, the trees and even the air can remember when God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith. That story sounds crazy, and I realized that when I told it to people. But when you really listen, it's very sacred, very true, and that feeling is wonderful.

#7: Slug Bug! Silver ...
When I came home, I knew a sad, sad day had come — it was time to say goodbye to the blue Geo Metro I'd driven since I got my license. I was going to buy my dream car — the one I'd wanted since it was introduced in 2000. My parents and I drove to Murray, Utah where we picked up my new silver Volkswagen Beetle. I bought my first car, and now I'm officially in debt. It's totally worth two years of payments, though, because it's pretty much the coolest car ever.

#8: Splish, Splash
In between trips, I managed to get my friends to take me wakeboarding twice this summer. I successfully got up once. My first time, actually. And I'm satisfied with that, because Ryan's mom got a picture of it and I got a lot of good snacks between tries.

#9: Just Keep Climbing ...
Toward the end of the summer, I climbed Mount Borah. I don't know why. It seemed like a good idea when we started, and I guess it's cool to say I climbed the tallest mountain in Idaho, but it hurt. For days.

#10: My Brothas and Sistas and Me
Overall, I got to spend a lot more time with my family this summer than usual. That made everything better. I have the coolest brothers and sisters and cutest nieces and nephews in the universe.

Sorry, Jim Halpert

2008-05-22T12:52:00.000-07:00

There's a new man in town — I've fallen in love with David Cook (and, I promise, I'm still a good Mormon).

That place in my heart used to be strictly reserved for The Office, but since the writer's strike, American Idol has completely taken over. Sorry, Jim, I'm all about David now.

I fell for David Cook the first time I heard him sing "Music of the Night" — and I even kind of think Phantom music is overplayed. His version of "Hungry Like the Wolves" was even better. Dad had to "mop me off the floor" that night, to quote my mom. Last night, I was totally crazy for that "Sharp-Dressed Man." I'm even willing to overlook the ridiculous cowboy boots as long as he's holding that left-handed guitar.

Seriously. Look at that face. How can you not just love him?

I told Hannah I was going to marry him. She believed me. And as soon as David Archuleta gets on the ball and baptizes him, I'm totally going to make it happen.

So, congratulations to David Cook. I can't wait for the CD.

Breaking the ice? Well, apparently, it was already broken.

2008-05-08T13:31:00.000-07:00

Jenny and I saw this really hot guy at Subway in Kaysville. I did the quick neckline/ring finger check (I mastered it at BYU-Idaho) and saw within seconds that he was, indeed, an unmarried returned missionary. Jackpot.

We both started talking to this guy in a feeble attempt to get him to notice me in the approximate minute and a half that it took to order a sandwhich. I was holding Molly, not Sadie, in hopes that he would realize the child WASN'T mine.

"What's that?" Molly asked, pointing to a mystery meat. I saw that opportunity and jumped on it.

"I don't know, Molly, let's ask," I said, and turned to the gorgeousness himself. "She wants to know what meat that is."

"It's salami," he said, and I nodded as though it interested me. Molly kept asking questions.

"What's that?" This time she pointed at something that, to me, looked like some sort of cooked black bean. It was black and liquidy and had little bits of something in it. I'm a big fan of black beans, but even I couldn't imagine someone wanting them on a sandwhich. I was curious about that one.

"And what's that?" I asked again, pointing and smiling what I hoped was a wry smile.

"That's ... water," he said, not looking up.

I think I might have said "Oh," but if I did it was barely audible. Had I seriously just failed to correctly identify water in a black container? I tried to say something like, "Of course it is!" or "Yes, Molly, I was right, it really IS water. You should have believed me" but, unfortunately, I'm not that quick on my feet. I just kind of stared at it, perplexed, while Jenn tried to cover for me.

"What's ... it ... for?" she asked, stifling a laugh while I still just looked horrified.

"To wash the tuna off the scoop."

Now we know. And I think I can honestly say that's the first time someone has been uninterested in me because I wasn't smart enough.

Answer: She's Been Domesticated

2008-05-08T12:27:00.000-07:00

I knew it when I saw the baked potatoes.

It happens to all of us eventually, I suppose. But when I moved in to an apartment with LeaDawn at the beginning of Fall Semester 2006, she was so independent and unattached. I didn't think the day would come this soon. But come it did.

I went to visit LeaDawn after I got finished at the temple the other day. Daniel was going on a retreat for Sports Activities that night and needed to bake some potatoes to take up to Victor for dinner. LeaDawn wanted to help him. While Daniel was in class, LeaDawn was working on some floor plans on her laptop. Many people wouldn't see anything out of the ordinary. But I know LeaDawn, and I saw something big happening.

She was working from home and cooking dinner for a boy. Do you know what that means? Answer: See Title.

That's Why I Keep Her Around

2008-04-10T08:05:00.000-07:00

I'm OK with the semester ending. Really. It really stinks that all my friends are leaving, but I think it's good to get a change of pace and scenery and especially workload. I won't miss going to class and doing homework and dealing with angry people at Scroll. But there are a few things I'll miss, and one of them hit me this morning.

I fell asleep last night with Essentials in Comparative Politics open next to me on the bed, my laptop open and my fingers on the keyboard. The light was still on at 7:40 a.m. when LeaDawn came and poked me.

"Um, Bre? I think you have a class in 20 minutes," she laughed. I jumped out of bed, pulled on some jeans and a sweatshirt and grabbed my backpack. I groggily said goodbye to LeaDawn, who was in the bathroom — I hadn't been in there yet. I was almost out the door when LeaDawn came and got me with one last thought.

"Hey, Bre? I know you're not getting ready before your class, but — you still might want to take out your retainer."

That's why I love LeaDawn.

Five semesters in a row is way too much

2008-04-07T18:35:00.001-07:00

Today is a sad day.
A few hours ago, I sent my last page as Scroll editor in chief to press. I almost shed a tear. Almost.

But honestly, I felt tired. Not just I-didn't-get-enough-sleep-last-night tired or I-just-ran-three-miles tired, but I-feel-like-I-just-got-hit-by-a-truck tired.

Then I realized why — I'm finishing my fifth semester straight! Let's do some math: That's one semester more than any of my siblings attended Ricks College. I've taken 63 credits — I'm a junior in college. I only have three semesters left. I've helped put out, like, a hundred Scrolls. I've probably attended roughly 75 FHEs — many of which were excruciating (I had FHE brothers who collected guns and machetes and were completely obsessed with World of Warcraft — and they tried to ask me and LeaDawn out. We were horrified). Dozens of devotionals. Dozens of FA 100 events. Five semesters of Rexburg Housing approved apartments. Five semesters of I-Everything. Five semesters of recreational sports and the Spirit of Ricks. Five semesters of marriage-hungry RMs and Wednesday night country dancing. I'm barely TWENTY! And I wondered why I felt tired.

I-Can't take it anymore. Summer break, here I come.