wedding and reunion.

This week has been absolutely the busiest and chaotic thus far. I didn't realize how stressful and time restraining college would be, but somehow I survived! Personal Narrative? check. American Foundations paper & power point project? check. Math exam? check. Skeletal Lab Exam? check. Math group project? check. American Foundations exam? check. Anatomy & Physiology lecture quiz? check. I've learned what not to procrastinate & how to take one day at a time. It just seems like there's so much to get accomplished throughout the day, that it seems like two. From when I wake up(7:15 7:30) to 5pm is day one & from 5pm to when I finally get to bed(12:30 1:00 2:00am) is another day. Plus when fhe, devotional, my tutor group twice a week, and track practice every day-it gets a bit crazy. You get the point, I don't mean to be a complainer-but its just a lot to juggle.

Anyways, it only made me more excited & thrilled for our three day weekend-thanks to President’s Day! My cousin Henry was getting married on Saturday & I made plans a few weeks ago to attend. I haven’t seen the other Boodys, my Uncle Rob and his family for the longest time & I was really looking forward to seeing them. I also got really eager and thrilled to see some of my close friends who go to BYU in Provo. I secretly talked with Megan’s roommate & also a great friend of mine, Alissa. Her family recently moved to Utah & she was planning on going there over the weekend, so it was perfect. I had a place to stay & would be Meg’s roomie for the long weekend-whoo! And Megan had no idea, boy was going to be shocked.

friday

After my last exam for the week, it was time to leave for UT! I tried to be a responsible adult & I even made a detailed packing list and everything. But as always, it’s a chaotic scramble at the very last minute to get everything to fit in my weekend duffle. The five hour drive was beautiful. The snowy mountains in Pocatello are a gorgeous sight & they got even better once we crossed into Utah. I love the way the tops of the snowcaps harmonize with the sky.  I loved when we drove through downtown Salt Lake City, there were so many brilliant shops & beautiful buildings. On our way to Provo, we had to make a donut run at Banbury Cross. Strawberry glazed. Delicious. And oh so savory.

When we arrived in Provo, I met up with a relative of mine. Christine’s dad & my dad are cousins, so I think that makes us second cousins once removed or something. She was so kind to let me crash on Friday night. I dropped my things off at her house & admired the vintage décor. One of her roommates was away, so I took over her room. I was anxious to surprise Megan and see my friends, so Christine dropped me off at the dorms on campus. Alissa sneaked out of their dorm room & their RA helped us with our plot. She made up a story about their smoke detector being defective, while I was hiding to the side. After a minute of Megan being a bit suspicious, I jumped into their room & the excitement began. We were both screaming & jumping with happiness. She was so astonished and I was so thrilled to reunite with one of my best friends. 

After the shock initially wore off, I thought we should do the same thing to another great friend of ours, Courtney. We stopped by her room, but she wasn’t there. Meg sent her a text asking if she stop by & borrow her hot glue gun. Court said sure and a few minutes later there was a knock at their door. I panicked & hid under Megan’s bed, squished next to storage containers. She spoiled our plan with being so kind & had brought the zebra printed glue gun. I was sure she had spotted me and I came out of my hiding spot & greeted Courtney. Not the ideal reaction I would’ve liked, but it was great to see her!

Awhile after catching up, we went out to Café Rio for dinner. I had heard of this tasty Mexican restaurant & wanted to try it out. It was delicious!! I love chipotle, it’s my favorite place to eat at and their burritos are the best! But Café Rio cannot even be compared, it has a completely different flavor. I ordered a steak salad & was entranced by its taste. Their tortillas are homemade & make the salad.  I’m so glad they are opening up a few new locations in VA! After the delicious dinner, I went back to Christine’s owl house. She made yummy chocolate cookies & I saw some photographs she was editing from a photo shoot. She photographed the engagement pictures for Henry, and his fiancé, Lily.  They are so beautiful. I was excited for more timeless photographs at their wedding the next morning.

saturday

Christine made me a delicious egg sandwich for breakfast & we left for the wedding. It was raining and we got a bit lost, but we made it just in time to see the bride and groom! They are so adorable together. I got to see my Uncle & boody cousins. It felt fantastic to be able to catch up, since the last time I saw them was quite a few years ago. Henry & Lily were just glowing and they couldn't stop smiling. Ah wedding bliss. Christine took plenty of photographs of all the family, just his, then just hers. It was so precious. I can't wait to see all the pictures from the lovely day. 

 Before going to their reception, Christine & I had a craving for a churro. Naturally, we went to Costco. I also bought a huge bag of waffle mix, clementines, and a pack of healthy choice frozen dinners. I desperately wish there was a Costco close to campus, that place is the best. 

The reception was held at the Velour, in downtown provo. The atmosphere was upbeat, but also tranquil. There were many guests, the majority surrounding the food tables. It's always so hard to choose what desserts to indulge in, so why not try all. There were seven trifles, so naturally I made a trifle of some of the different trifles. The oreo cookie crumb & chocolate pudding definitely made my top three, up there with the strawberries n' creme. I loved all the Beatles songs that the band Timber played, as well as their band's music. It was so cute, Henry got up on stage and sang a special song for Lily with the band. adorable. 

After the fantastic reception, I moved into my dorm room for the weekend. Megan and I caught up for a bit and another one of our great friends, Audrey came over. We all then went to Courtney's room and hung out. My friend Will & I then met up to go running. Utah is significantly warmer and has nicer weather than Idaho, so it felt great to run outside. Towards the end of our 5 1/2 mile run, it started to snow. I should be completely acquainted with this, but it was awful. My eyes got so irritated, but at least we were almost back to campus. We were soaked, but at least had finished running strong! I managed to dry off before our girls' night in at Courtney's friend, Dana's house. We enjoyed delicious cookies & popcorn while we watched "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers." I can't believe I hadn't seen it before, it was such a great movie! It was a wonderful evening. 

sunday

After going to church with Megan, we were both exhausted. We finished our Café Rio leftovers & enjoyed our 2 1/2 hour sunday nap. It was much needed & felt rejuvenating. Afterwards, we invited Court over for a jumping photo shoot. priceless.

 monday

Court, Meg, Will, Isa, and I ate breakfast together at the cannon center. Breakfast foods are my absolute favorite, it was delicious! I stopped by Audrey's apartment to say goodbye & poor thing twisted her ankle:( I was so thrilled I could spend time with her over the weekend, she's hilarious and I miss spending time with her. Megan & I had a sentimental dance party right before I packed up. I miss our dance parties together & this one was especially delightful. 

The drive back seemed much shorter & I was was looking forward to my return. My roommates were happy to see me and I was glad to be back home. Back to the reality of freezing weather and Anatomy & Physiology lectures:)