'twas the night before christmas

CHRISTMAS is HERE!! woah. These last weeks have literally flown by! I’ve absolutely loved being back home & spending time with my wonderful family. There’s just something about the sights, scents, sounds, tastes, and overall spirit of Christmas. Today was absolutely blissful. My best friend Maura & I spent the day together decorating cookies, caroling, seeing lights galore, and enjoying christmas movies. We also made a clementine candle, thank you PINTEREST. There are some unique things that Vienna does around Christmastime that I completely forgot about. Tonight, it was such a wonderful surprise to see neighbors putting luminaries all over the sidewalks. It completely brightened up our neighborhood & looked like a winter wonderland. I’m so thankful that we were able to spend this time together, as I’ll be leaving again so soon. 

I hope your Christmas Eve was merry and bright as well. Merry Christmas to all & to all a good night!!!!

the sunshine state, we're here at last!

Due to hurricane Irene (which was predicted to be the worst east coast hurricane to hit the US in decades), we left for our family vacation two days later than planned. After church, we spent a few hours packing everyone and the car up, and we hit the road to FLORIDA!! I’ve been quite excited for our beach trip, especially since Hunter is flying into Orlando just for the week! Hunt & his friend JC got to our resort on Saturday and have been keeping the fort down while we prepared for the hurricane.

The car ride wasn’t too bad, I finished reading Goblet of Fire while my Mom drove for the first few hours. I took my turn rockin’ the packed mini-van from North Carolina to South Carolina. It only took about two and a half hours & I was singing along to Coldplay. We finally reached FL around 6:30am and each enjoyed a steak, egg, and cheese bagel. From there, I drove to our resort where we unpacked and met up with Hunter and his friend. While the boys got groceries, everyone else went to the beach. 

It’s so beautiful here and the waves are far calmer and more enjoyable than Dewey beach. In the summer, honestly what is better than a relaxing day at the beach? Grant and I enjoyed jumping the waves together, I read on my kindle, and walked on the warm sand. The beach hat that Maura, Sarah, and Ariana gave me for my birthday is so perfect for this vacation!! Thanks again:) 

After they got back from the grocery store, we all took a break from the tides. Since we drove through the night and couldn’t really get the best nights’ rest, I took a cat’s nap. When I came back outside, the boys were playing football on the sand, so I went on a nice run. Then we started making our favorite chipotle-style family dinner. Everyone has their specialty that they prepare; Mckay grated cheese, I made yummy guacamole and put cilantro in the rice, Clark cooked the meat, and Grant was in charge of the refried beans. It was delicious!

Since it’s a Monday night, Hunter and JC planned our Family Home Evening lesson. We watched & talked about these great mormon messages, found here and here. I love the first one, “What Matters Most,” it reminds me to forget the small annoyances in life and focus on the big picture. We ate cookies n’ cream ice cream for our dessert. For the adults that were still awake, we watched one of our favorite movies, Down To Earth. That movie is hilarious! JC fits in just perfectly with our family & is more than helpful with everything. We call him Jay-Z! Our family's so gangsta that we got a rapper on vacation with us!

I love sharing laughs & sweet memories with my family. I can’t wait for more sun, sand and serenity tomorrow. Happy summer & family vacations! 

letterpressing!

Megan’s family has a letterpress machine & I’ve been dying to learn the art. I was surprised by how easy a simple design is to set-up. 

Here’s the process-

1. Arrange the desired imprint design

2. Mix different inks to achieve a beautiful color

 3. Pedal until the color is evenly spread.

4. Place card so that design is centered

Letterpress away!!

In this case, I made “rachel anne” stationary, using a teal blue color. 

I absolutely loved learning how to letterpress from the pro! Thank you so much megan elizabeth for teaching me. I’ve loved using these flat cards for cute little notes. 

the help.

Megan gave me a hardcopy of the help for my last birthday & it’s been one of my favorite reads! Since it was announced that they were making a movie, we became excited to see the different characters and overall plot. So tonight meg, courtney, and I saw the movie & loved it!! They did a fantastic job filming such a fantastic bestseller! We laughed, cried, and our hearts were touched. 

1 year old!

Today my blog turns one year old, my first post being A Nautical Adventure. I love sharing my adventures and experiences on this & hope I will have many more to blog about!

Happy Birthday to “Rachel’s Road To Bliss!”

side by side or miles apart, dear friends are always close to the heart.

I am so grateful for two of my best friends, Maura and Trianne. It’s been hard being so far away, I miss them dearly. We can relate so well to each other and spending time with them is always so wonderful. We are practically like sisters.

Recently, my mom got into a bicycle accident and broke both bones in her left wrist. An ambulance came to our house & she was taken to the hospital ER immediately.  After a few hours, an orthopedic surgeon manipulated her bones and put her arm in a splint. In a few weeks, she’ll undergo surgery on her wrist. Naturally, she’s been in a lot of pain and former household tasks are more difficult to complete. I really wish I was at home right now to help my mom and family. I’m sure it would be difficult trying to get rest, while so much household work needs to be done. But I know that she’s in good hands, my dad has been playing “Mr.Mom” by trying his best to keep everyone on their normal schedule. In addition, so many loving members in our ward have shown kindness with prepared meals and thoughts of rest & recovery. It’s always nice to know that one’s family members have so many others that deeply care about and love them just as much as we do.

Anyways I was so thankful that Maura & Trianne came to visit my mom and see how she’s doing. They love my family & my family absolutely loves them. My mom was really appreciative and really enjoyed seeing them.(and enjoyed the freshly baked breads and croissants too). I’m so lucky to have such caring friends that I didn’t have to ask them to do anything, but that they just knew that they could brighten up my mom’s day. I’m so envious that they could’ve seen her, I wish so badly that I could be there with them right now! Thanks marcy and tracy for all your love and support, you all are the greatest best friends any girl could ask for!!

meet eleanor.

Rexburg is absolutely gorgeous this time of year! I’m loving the dry heat, it’s so much more enjoyable than virginia’s super humid heat. Walking to class in the beautiful sun and seeing everyone studying outside makes me so happy. The campus looks completely transformed from the cold, dark winter season. I bought a beautiful mint green beach cruiser bike!! I named it eleanor, ellie for short:) Having a bike on campus is so convenient & I love going on bike rides with friends! My friend Liz’s little pup even got to ride around in my basket. happy cycling!

easter dinner

My roommates and I each prepared a dish to share for our Easter dinner together. Kyra prepared chicken, Chelsea made fruit salad, Haley made salad, Holly made mashed potatoes, Alicia made her famous rolls, and I made easter themed cupcakes! It was a wonderful meal that we shared together & brought us together as a roommate family. It's our home away from home. I’m so thankful for them and all of our fun adventures together!

Happy Easter!

Grandparents for the week.

With the winter semester just ending, we have a one-week break until the spring semester starts. I wanted to do something fun, but really had no clue what...My awesome roommate Dex invited me to spend the week with her Grandparents in UT. And boy am I glad she did! It was really fun, relaxing, and I enjoyed meeting so many of her family members. Home-cooked meals was a big treat too!! Here's what I did over my spring break-

Sunday

I finished packing everything up & checked out of my dorm. We left for UT and got there in the afternoon. Her Grandparent's house was very beautiful, they had beautiful flowers in the front yard. We barely missed them, as they had just left for church. So Dex and I went on a walk around their neighborhood, after we dropped our things off. There was an elementary school close by and we played on the playground. By the time we got back & looked at family pictures for awhile, they came back home. Her Grandparents are adorable & so kind. They started cooking and gradually more family arrived for their weekly sunday family dinner. It was yummy. Dinner rolls and delicious dessert is the best! Afterwards, everyone headed over to the same playground that Dex and I played at just a few hours earlier. Her cousin Liz & I were on the swings together and at some point she said we're best friends. YES! Five-year-olds are seriously the best.

Monday

No alarm clock to wake me up. such a nice feeling. After breakfast, Dex and I helped out with the garden. I love that people with gardens, especially elderly people. After, we walked to a local thrift shop called Savers. I got stationary and she got a really awesome pair of jeans. High-waisted, dark wash, vintage look. For lunch we went to Iceburg and shared a philly steak cheese, french fries, and a vanilla cake batter shake. When we got back to their house, her sister-in-law Kayde picked us up. We went shopping at Plato's closet where I got two cute tops and a yellow summer tote. She treated us to red mango where I got froyo with mango, strawberries, and blueberries. We munched on popcorn while watching When In Rome & episodes of Veronica Mars when we got back to their apartment. It was funny seeing how much her and her brother David looked so alike. Dex and I crashed on their couches and slept over for the night.

Tuesday

We left David & Kayde's apartment in the morning, David let us borrow his car. By the time we got back to the Grandparent's house, it was lunchtime so we had some leftovers. Kayde let us borrow some books in the Hunger Games series, I read some of Catching Fire. Dex & I drove to Spanish Fork to do some shopping & exploration. When we were ready to head back, she let me drive back to Orem. Man it felt so great driving again! I miss the freedom & independence that I had driving around my parent's cars at home. Especially driving on the highway! When we got back, Dexter's cousin Laura picked us up and we went to Provo. I spent time with Megan, Alissa, Courtney, and Audrey for awhile. I really miss these awesome girls & I'm so glad that I can always stop by for a visit:)

Wednesday

This morning we helped out with the garden again. We had to spread broken eggshells all over the garden to use as a snail exterminator. There were so many!! We went to David & Kayde's again to return the car and watch some Veronica Mars. I got Dex hooked, it's such a great show! When we got back, Dex's sweet Grandpa had made sausages in a blanket. They were yummy. He also made a DELICIOUS banana cream pie. Hmmm my favorite.

Thursday

Dex's sweet Grandparents were out at a doctor's appointment, so we made dinner. It didn't compare with their wonderful meals they make every night, but our spaghetti, french bread, and salad were quite good too. Dex's cousin Laura had some friends that were having a waffle party, so we brought some toppings to share. There was homemade ice cream, whip cream, fruit, syrup, and pretty much anything else you could imagine. Afterwards, we went to Laura's boyfriends' house and played Beatles Rock Band. It was so fun!! I don't think I could ever get sick of listening to the Beatles, they are my favorite all-time music group. It was really late by the time we were done, so we spent the night at Laura's house.

Friday

I finished the second Hunger Games book & loved it. My dear friend Megan wanted to have a photo shoot while I was in town because she's in a photography class. We invited Audrey & it was really fun! There are huge books in the library that made great props and I was really impressed by all of the architecture on campus. These were some of my favorites-

After workin' the camera, we got everyone together at the Cannon center and had dinner together. It was fantastic seeying everyone & getting the chance to catch up! Especially since it was the last time that I would see Alex, Will, Duncan, and Isa for 2 years:( On our way back to Orem, Audrey and I made a milkshake stop at In-N-Out. I had always really wanted to go there, but we just got dessert since we had already eaten dinner. Dex's parents had made it to the house by the time I got home & it was great seeing them again, since the day we all moved into our dorms.

Saturday

Originally we were going to head back to campus on Monday, but I wanted more time to move in to my apartment and get ready for the semester. My friend Dillion and his roommate were also in UT for the break and were heading back on Saturday. It was a perfect opportunity, so we rode back with them. We said goodbye to her Grandparents. I am so glad that I could spend our spring break with them, they are unbelievably kind and so hospitable to have me stay with them. Just merely spending time with them really made me think of and dearly miss my own Grandparents. I only have small memories of when I was younger, but I still remember how kind and supportive they were. Dexter & I had such a fun week and it was wonderful not having to cook, clean, study for a few days. AND sleeping in every day was pretty sweet too. We stopped at Panda Express on our way back and arrived in good timing. I left most of my things at my dorm, so my friend Jenni helped me move it into my apartment. Kyra still thought that I wasn't coming until Monday & I wanted to surprise her-so she had no idea. I walked into our apartment and surprised her from behind. She was shocked and so happy that we could spend our first weekend in our apartment together. I'm glad we returned earlier than planned, otherwise it would've been a hassle trying to rush and get everything done in very little time.

I met my roommates as I was unpacking & they all seem really nice. Chelsea & I both really like watching Bones. Holly made us all cookies. I'm looking forward to getting to know them throughout the semester. But more importantly, it's also awesome to have Kyra as my roommate!! She's a blast and we get along really well. I'm excited for all of our adventures together:)

Sunday

This was our first Sunday going to our new single student ward. Since people are still returning from the break, our church was a combination of three different wards. Our bishopric seems really kind and loving. I'm really excited for this semester to start!! It's gorgeous outside & I'm anxious for my classes to begin. 

Happy 10th Birthday Mckay Gordon!!

Today is my brother, Mckay’s 10th birthday! Here are the top ten things I love about the lad, especially today-

1. When my mom was expecting Mckay, I went with her to the sonogram to find out what gender the baby was. I really wanted a little sister & was sad when it turned out to be another boy. Regardless, I was excited to have a newborn brother to teach, play with, and help take care of. My mom kept many of my cute little Ralph Lauren dresses when I was a baby & one day my mom and I put little baby Mckay in a navy blue and red one. We called him “Mckayla” and took a polaroid picture. For those few hours, he was the baby sister I had always wanted. My dad flipped when he got home from work, “what did you do to my son!” Sorry Mckay. I just wanted you to be a girl. 
2. He speaks japanese very well.
3. Mckay has fantastic facial expressions. I'm always excited to tell him something awesome, because he naturally gets really animated about it.
4. He’s the only blonde in our family. I never let him forget it.
5. moc man is an ace fisher. 
6. He’s a really smart fourth grader. I’m always impressed by how much he knows that I didn't at that age.
7. He’s a hard worker & will assist with any projects you need help with. 
8. Mckay is a sick basketball player, as are all of my brothers:)
9. I love that he's such an avid reader, he enjoys reading Hunger games just as much as I do.
10. We'll be reading a book together and out of nowhere, he'll start reading in a british/russian/australian/scottish accent mix.

HAPPY HAPPY 10TH BIRTHDAY MCKAY!! I hope you enjoy your day:) 

roommate photo shoot

A photography student named Kayla wanted more material for her portfolio, so we had a roommate photo shoot. Even though it was chilly outside, we had a wonderful time. 

These are some of my favorite photographs that she edited.

Kiana.

Dexter.

Emily.

Rachel.

We're roommates & I'm so glad that we are. Countless laughs, jokes, smiles, and cookies are shared.

conference weekend!

In our church we have what we call "General Conference" twice a year. It is a time we get to listen to many of our spiritual leaders and I'm so grateful for the opportunity. I love the reminders that help me keep in mind what is really important in life. These messages help me become a more dedicated friend, sister, daughter, student, and daughter of God.

Conference takes place at the conference center in Salt Lake City, UT. Thanks to modern technology, these messages are broadcasted worldwide and can even be streamed via the internet by clicking here. Growing up, I’ve always watched it at home with my family. My mother would catch up on ironing and we would always draw portraits of the speakers and take notes on the spoken words. 

However, this year I was lucky enough to be able to attend conference live at the conference center!! I’ve always wanted to & was beyond excited for it. My friend, Kyra, got us tickets and we were on our way to UT on Friday. 

Her sister, Crystal, picked us up in SLC on friday and we were headed to her apartment in Orem. We were really hungry by the time we started to unpack so Kyra drove us to Panda Express for a late dinner. She hadn’t driven since January and was a little apprehensive, but she was a great driver! That is, once she figured out how to turn on the lights....haha. We slept well & were really excited for conference the next day.

Saturday

We had tickets for the afternoon session, so we had plenty of time in the morning to get ready. Kyra’s friend, Jade, kindly drove us in the busy traffic to salt lake city. There was a HUGE line of people waiting to get in the conference center outside & somehow in the crowd I spotted a family from my home ward.  It was wonderful seeing them!! I love any small reminder of home, even if I’m thousands of miles away. Since we arrived later than expected, they gave up our nice floor seats:( However, I was still so excited to just to be there-even being on the highest tier. One of my highlights was that BYU-I combined choir provided the music for the afternoon conference session. It was awesome to know several of the students who were singing. 

Afterwards, I met up with several of Hunter’s friends from California that he got to know very well on his mission. They were all coming for the weekend to attend conference & I thought it was a perfect opportunity to meet them, since I would be in town too. We ate dinner at Red Iguana, which was incredible!! It was Gina & Amanda's birthday, so we got the awesome musicians singing for the lovely twins. 


We then went to a friends' house for a surprise birthday party for the girls. I spent a lot of time just talking with Lisa, Gina, Mandy, and Amanda. The way they talked about Hunter was so kind, they respected him so much and had the same kind of love that I have for my bro. I'm so glad I got to meet so many awesome from California! 

Sunday

Kyra & I were also able to attend the afternoon session of General Conference on Sunday. It was wonderful! We went to our friend Mckay’s house after and enjoyed a delicious meal with his family. I love General Conference & felt so fortunate that I was able to spend a wonderful weekend with Kyra! 

After we got back to Rexburg, my roommates welcomed me home with delicious red velvet cake. I love life!

IDR reflections banquet

The Indoor Distance Running winter season has officially ended & tonight was our reflections banquet. Our league ate dinner together while we saw a picture slideshow of some highlights from the season. Afterwards, a few coaches and athletes said a few words about how much they enjoyed the season and how much they’ve improved as a runner. Then awards were given out. All of the coaches stood together and announced the recipients for the three awards: “Most Improved Runner”, “Runner of the Year”, and “Spirit of Ricks.” For each of the awards, one was given to a girl and one to a boy. I was surprised and humbled when my name was announced for earning the “Most Improved Runner” award. I thanked all of the coaches and the athletic director. 

Inevitably, I started reflecting on the season that I thoroughly enjoyed. Our first practice was rough & I felt like a rusty runner who was completely out of practice. However, I started putting in more effort and started to really enjoy the  practices and meets. I loved our weekly friday night team dinners and the support that I had from my coach. Through improving my meet times and endurance, I learned a lot about myself & became a stronger runner. But most of all, I’m so glad I became involved in IDR because I met Majken. She’s such a wonderful person who inspires me daily. We cheered each other through difficult practices and exhausting meets. Maj is naturally a really positive and upbeat person & we enjoy so many laugh attacks. Once one of us starts cracking up, it cannot be stopped. 

I’m so thankful I became involved in IDR this semester. I was able to improve my physical strength & make some great friends. I love setting goals, setting personal records, and improving through hard work.

sadie hawkins dance!

A few days ago, I asked my friend Andrew to the sadie hawkins dance. I washed out a Jones soda bottle & filled it with goldfish. I attached a note that said “Of all the fishes in the sea, will you go to Sadies with me?” How could anyone say no to goldfish, right? 

Tonight we went to pizza pie cafe for dinner, then headed to the dance. It was really fun & I loved spending the night my dear friends that were in our group. The ballroom was decorated to a circus theme and I especially loved the cotton candy and the balloons galore.

 It was a delightful event.

Family....isn't it about time?

Saturday

For the past week, my right ankle has been injured.It somehow got hyperextended or sprained during one of our IDR practices. While I was stretching one day at practice, I noticed how badly swollen my ankle was. It’s HUGE compared to my left ankle. I went to the trainer & they were unsure of what it was-most likely a stress fracture. I didn’t want to make it any worse, so I cheered on my team and sat out this week’s track meet. 

After the meet, Majken and I rode down to UT together. I was going down to spend the weekend with my extended family. My cousin Bennion just came home from his mission to Brazil & I wanted to hear his homecoming talk. Majken was going to hear her friends’ mission farewell talk. One missionary leaving into the field and one returning from serving. 

When we arrived in Ogden, I met up with my second cousin, Chaleste. I dropped my things off at their house & we went to a Pampered Chef party with some of her coworkers. I didn’t know what to expect, I can’t say I’ve ever been to one before. It was enjoyable. I liked all the samples of food that showed off the pampered chef tools. Yummy brownie bites & spicy salsa. 

I really wanted to get a few things at Costco & her parents were so kind to take me. It had been too long since I had some of my favorite snack, Pirate’s Booty. I miss Costco dearly. Their fruit is always so delicious. 

After grocery shopping, we made a quick run to KFC for dinner. They forgot the missionaries were coming over for dinner & what a perfect “home cooked” meal than some fried chicken. We had a lovely dinner. The Bennions are such a humble, kind, and hospitable family. 

Chaleste, her fiance, and I drove to Honeyville after dinner. Up until that point, I didn’t know or realize how much fun she is to spend time with. It was about half an hour drive and we enjoyed every minute by having a dance party. I love people that can scream songs to the top of their lungs and just go crazy. The alpine hot springs was worth the drive & felt so relaxing. It felt so wonderful on my stress fracture, the heat was the perfect comfort. I love hot tubs.

Sunday

Chaleste & I went to my other relatives’ home ward to hear my cousin Bennion’s homecoming talk. I love hearing about mission experiences and see how much people change in those 2 years. It was a wonderful testimony of our restored gospel. Afterwards, I saw my Uncle Mark and Aunt Margaret (Bennion’s parents). It had been way too long since I saw their family-5 years to be exact. Bennion has changed so much & everyone looks so much older. My Uncle said I was so cute when he saw me. Precious. 

There was a delicious luncheon at their house after church, where I saw more family on my mom’s side. My Aunt Ines, uncle Dave, and their five boys drove all the way from Oregon. Oh how fast boys grow up! It was so wonderful seeing them & having the ability to catch up with so much of my family. It made me only miss my parents and brothers even more than I already was. 

I especially enjoyed spending time with my cousins Bowen and Maxwell, who are Bennion’s brothers. Bowen is extreamly talented at basketball and Maxwell reminded me of how energetic Grant is. 

I loved seeing so much of my extended family and catching up with my cousins. I only wish that my mom’s siblings lived closer to us on the East coast:( 

In the picture in the upper left corner-my Aunt Ines is the one in the purple shirt & my Aunt Margaret is white, second last from the right. In the picture in the upper right corner, Bowen is the cousin who is taller than me & Maxwell is the cutie in the yellow jersey.