What a wonderful Nampa.

Okay, so I had high expectations for this past weekend, and it went a 100% better than expected!! It was AMAZING!!!!

So, I got to Nampa Friday night, and surprised Kyle at his house. He was so excited! Then Alex, Kyle and I went to see The Avengers again. So funny! Kyle passed out halfway through the movie, and was snoring like CRAZY, and Alex ate the ENTIRE thing of popcorn. It was the huge tub, and he ate every last kernel. So ridiculous.  But I love my boys. They really are like the brothers I never had, and I already miss them.

Saturday was my day to hang out with Laura. We had lunch at Tucanos (SO GOOD!) and then went shopping at the mall. I love the Boise mall so much. The Idaho Falls one SUCKS. The American Eagle is about the same size as my room, and there is no food court. FAIL! After shopping, I just chilled out for a few hours... And then, I got to see ALLYSON!!!!! I frikken missed her. We went to Kyle's farewell party, and got to see lots of our younger, newly graduated friends. It was great! I really missed my Nampa friends. I love my friends here in Rexburg, but there is nothing like the people from back home. People are so down to earth, kind, and have a great sense of humor. People generally understand how life works. Anyway, we hung out at Kyle's for a few hours, and then went to my house to just have girl talk. It was so awesome to hang out with her! And of course, we got Dutch Bros. What would a trip home be without Dutch Bros???

Sunday was busy. I slept in, and went to Kyle's farewell talk in his ward. It was really bittersweet, because it was the last time I'm going to see him for at least a few years. I went to my ward afterward, if I can call it that. The day I left for school, the ward split, and so I LITERALLY only know 5 families. Not enough. And there is nobody my age, and none of my Sunbeams are in that ward anymore :( After church, I went to my dad's parents' house for a birthday party for myself and Madi, which was fun. After the Marshalls, I went to party at Ken's!!!! I just LOVE my freaking kids. I already miss them too, and I saw them less than 24 hours ago. Apparently, Lou doesn't like being called Lou anymore. "I'm ADELAIDE." Good to know.

After our fun little sleepover, we all went back to Laura's for a BBQ lunch. So good! We ate, played football, got a little tan, and laid out in the sun. It was great. Until I had to pack my stuff and come back to Rexburg. Which took longer than normal, I didn't get home til 10ish. And of course, I had to unload groceries, clean my room, do laundry, study, etc. Clean checks are today, so I had to get up early to finish cleaning. UGHH.

Well, that's about it. I loved going home, and I really can't wait til this semester is over!!! 

J'ai dix neuf ans!!!!

Today was pretty dang fantastic, if I do say so myself.

I barely slept last night, as I kept getting text messages saying "Happy Birthday" and "You're old." Not bad, but woke me up several times. Laura called me at 8:30 to make sure she was the first to say it aloud, and she won! Love her. Went to my classes, which kinda sucked, because not a single person knew it was my birthday, even my friends from last semester. Oh well.

I got home a little after two p.m. and got my presents from Laura and Courtney and Brooke. Which were AWESOME! Laura got me a few shirts, candy, bread pans (which I desperately needed!), and wonderful hygiene stuff like my favorite soap. The girls surprised me with a bra that I really wanted (I debated saying this, but I'm 99% sure that there has never been a guy that has read this). I also got a call from Allyson, which was pretty awesome. So my day started to get better...

AND THEN (yes, I am making a reference to Dude, Where's My Car?) I took a long nap. I eventually got up at 5ish, and found my mirror decked out in post it notes saying "Happy Birthday!" with princess stuff from Elle. Love her! I ordered some pizza, and rented Pride and Prejudice from iTunes to watch later. Pretty much chilled out watching the Food Network with Alivia and Heather, making banana bread (In my new pans!), and talking to family. While the banana bread was baking, Elle and Makenna suddenly burst through the door with random strangers singing happy birthday with this beautiful thing:

How cute! It was delicious ice cream cake! It was pretty awesome. So we just ate it up as an apartment, and started to settle down. Alivia and I tried watching Pride and Prejudice, but it didn't work :( I can't get everything I want. AND THEN, Kyle and Alex called to sing to me! It was great. Kyle tried "convincing" me to come home for his farewell, and I totally convinced him that I couldn't! I'm so excited to see them Saturday.

Well, that's about it. I didn't have some spectacular party, or get asked out by some mega-hot guy, but I couldn't have asked for a better birthday. I spent my day with newer friends that care about me, and  all of my family and best friends called, and I get to go home tomorrow. Wooo!

Vingt quatre mai. (May 24th)

Well.

Today is my little sister Madi's birthday. She is turning 14. Apparently, we are now the same shoe size, and she is starting high school in a few months. Tomorrow, on the other hand, is my birthday. I'm turning 19, and this doesn't make me feel old. Madi makes me feel old. I remember when she was born. She can't be turning 14 already!!!

I'm at the point in life where birthdays are simply another day, one that other people are more hyped up about than you are yourself. This doesn't mean I don't love the gifts or the cake, it just isn't exciting anymore. Just reminds me how much more stress I've gained since the last birthday. Reminds me how much I've  changed. It also makes me think about how much more stress I will gain before my 20th birthday. That will be weird. Just thinking about tomorrow stresses me out, I've got all of my classes, laundry, packing, and homework... UGH.

Oh! Packing reminds me, I GET TO GO HOME!!!! Not for a long time. Just Friday night through Monday. Which is great! I've only told a few people, just to get plans in order. Definitely going to hang out with Laura, since I didn't get to do that the last visit. Going to Kyle's farewell party with Allyson, I'm so excited! He doesn't know I'm coming, and it'll be good to see him before he leaves for PA. FYI, Kyle is one of my closest friends, I've know him since we were ten. Almost a decade ago. WOW! I'm also going to see the Avengers again with Christian, since he's pretty much my favorite movie buddy ever. I am practically going crazy from being so anxious to go! WOO!

That's about it, folks. I'll probably be pretty busy the next few days, so until next time, enjoy life!

eff.

Well, today was a regular Tuesday. I woke up nice and early (9am) had my American Fd class, Science Fd, and Book of Mormon class. I took a few tests, pinned on Pinterest, went to Bdubs, and then it wasn't a regular Tuesday.

We were driving home, and I knew I was going to throw up. Having grown up with being carsick often, I've learned the signs and how to control the pain. So I ran up my stairs and threw up like crazy. Probably the worst time of my life, got a bloody nose from throwing up so much. So, I have the flu. Yum.

So, to entertain myself in bed, I started to watch the series finale of House. For those who don't know me, I LOVE House. Not just the show, but the character. He is my all time favorite character. So, in the finale (Warning: SPOILER ALERT!) House dies. Or appears to die, and fakes it. But you don't realize that it was fake until the end. So I pretty much was balling my eyes out like crazy. But I was very satisfied at the end. I just got Hulu Plus, so I think I'm going to start from the beginning. I just love it! A not-so-bad addiction if I do say so myself.

That's it. I'm out. I've got a killer headache from crying and my stomach is still upset. Au revoir!

13x9

Well, today was pretty good. I went to church, skyped with Ney, and made food. Yummmmmm.

So, my family makes this chocolate cake. There aren't any eggs in it, which make it thick and dense, just perfect with milk. Anyway, it is home. You know? Your home has that feeling of peace, the smell of something in the oven, the feeling of a regularly vacuumed carpet, and slivers of grass by the door from the wiping of shoes. This cake is what home tastes like, because it will never be the same if anyone else but the family made it.  ANYWAY, I made it today, and it's totally bumming me out.

That's pretty much all that I had to say. Oh, other than the title: when I called Laura to get a recipe, she told me that if I wanted to make a smaller serving, I could cut the recipe in half where I would use an 8x8 pan versus a 13x9... "That's what we've been doing since you left." Which means "We only make half of a cake, because normally you would eat the other half." Go me.

In the course of a year...

Well. Today is the last day of high school for most of my friends back in high school. So it got me thinking: What has changed in that course of a year? Have I grown to be better, done any good, or progressed in any way? So I've decided to make yet another list... Just to see what has changed.

• Last summer, I worked full time. So boring. Definitely proved that I do not want to work a minimum wage job ever again.
• I watched Ken's kids more than ever. I could definitely call myself a pro.
• I moved away from home... Not too difficult of a feat, but a trial nonetheless.
• I lived with people I've never known before... Which was interesting. I really learned how to compromise and to get along with people that are very different from myself.
• I kinda dated an older guy... for a week. Tells you that older does not always mean more mature. 
• On the other hand, kinda dated someone my age... for a week.  Again, maturity is a huge issue with guys.
• I learned how much I miss home. Or, I should say family. They really are everything.
• I got decent grades last semester... nothing below a B, but I learned how disappointing a B can be. 
• I made many new friends... and lost some old ones. I really learned how to determine if something is worth keeping.
• I learned how to cook... ALONE! I've always just been on the side, chopping vegetables, not doing the whole process. It's been great! 
• I've learned that getting 6 people to cooperate for dishes may be the most difficult task. EVER.
• What else... Life is expensive! 
• Physically, I've gotten a wee bit taller... and rounder.
•  My hair has lightened and lengthened, my face has slightly changed. I have gotten glasses, which I personally think makes me look much more serious. 
• As weird as this is, my taste buds have matured. Panda Express is no longer the treat it once was, but rather greasy disgustingness. 
• Oh, here is a BIG one: I eat cheerios, without the honey flavor, or without added sugar. Why? Apparently, it has vitamins that I need at this stage in life. And it's healthier. I guess I'm saying that food priorities have changed. 
• I can pull all-nighters anymore. If I get a wink under 8ish hours, I'm dead. 
• My taste in guys has changed... A lot. 
• OH! I turned down that offer from Disneyworld... Big step. Learned that sometimes the exciting option isn't the right one. 

There are sooooo many more things that I could list. I've made a handful of mistakes, but generally, I feel that a year has done me well. I don't know if I have grown towards who I want to be, but I think I've figured out who I want to be, which is a big step in itself. I guess now I can only imagine how much I will grow in the next year... Yikes!

Thyroids.

Today was a beautiful day. I slept in, only had one class, had no homework (by no homework, I mean no homework due tomorrow), and got to stay home all day. As awful as this is, I pretty much was in bed all day long. I took a nap, helped my sisters with homework, and pretty much died watching this last House episode. This patient had one of those super expensive sex dolls, and they had an elaborate scene where they treated her like a real patient giving her surgery and wheeling her around the hospital. It was HILARIOUS! I highly encourage you watching it. I also learned how to make this:

 Chocolate pudding! From scratch! So good. I ate one while it was still warm... So great. I also learned how to make taco soup yesterday, which I ate again today. I just love food!

Anyway, life is great. Courtney and Brooke are home from Mexico, which is wonderful since I have been dying of not talking to them. The highlight of my day was talking to Ney, and the conversation went like this:

K "I got my lab results back..."
C "I know, something with your thyroid."
K "Right. I just found out dad has hypothyroidism, too."
C "Kalie, that's not possible. Men don't have thyroids."
K "Uh, Courtney, they do."
C "That's not what Brooke said."

YES! I was laughing so freaking hard. Elle can attest to that. Anyway, Love y'all. Hope life is blessing you as much as it is me!

Yay for being healthy!

Well, last week was pretty stressful. I woke up Monday with a HUGE bruise on my leg that just showed up overnight. I called my doctor, and was pretty adamant that I got checked out... So I did. Tuesday I went in to get some tests done, and after a week of anxiety, got the results back. The doctor was concerned that it was something along the lines of blood or autoimmune diseases, but the tests came back wonderfully! The only concern there was left was my thyroid levels, which were pretty low. To be honest, I wasn't really surprised at all, knowing that I have it on both sides of the family. So, I have to go run some tests later next month, but that's about it. Yay for being healthy!

Other than that, life is pretty slow. My friends and I went to a park along a river (the park was called Beaver Dick, just in case you were wondering. I know, so weird.) It was so fun! I ran in, and practically froze to death. Oh well.

Courtney and Brooke are in Mexico right now, which pretty much just sucks. Who else am I going to call every day??

That's about it, folks. Life is boring, but I guess that's how I like it.

Well...

It has just been one of those weeks. You know? It's just a week where one moment you are super happy, things are rocking, and the next you just want to throw up and punch people in the face. Ya...

Highlights from the last 3 (maybe 4?) days...

I got my glasses! I look super awesome in them. Just kidding. I look older though, and my headaches have disappeared.

I got a 98% on my science test. Which was super exciting, until I found out that 14 people got perfect scores. It kinda ticked me off, as vain and prideful as that is.

Today, there was a power outage on part of campus, so class was let out. YAY!!

I'm just really tired and sore... for no reason whatsoever. We (Meaning Gavin, Riley, Makenna, Elle, Alivia, and myself) just got back from BDubs. Yum!

I really don't have anything exciting to say. Life is okay, stressful, but when it comes down to it, I wouldn't trade my life for anyone else's. Unless there is someone Jack Johnson sings to sleep every night. Then I would be them. Here is my new favorite song:

I think this is it... It isn't a cool video or anything, but this song is so relaxing. 

...

I'm really not in the mood for extreme catching up, so it will be nice ant brief. Last week, all I really did was do homework and hang out with Makenna, Elle, Alivia, Gavin and Riley. (Gavin and Riley are friends that live in the apt. complex next to ours). We went to see the Avengers on Saturday, which was GREAT! And went to Five Guys afterwards. Really awesome.

As for today, I had a doctor appointment this morning, and three of my classes. So I was on campus for six hours. It SUCKED. I am so exhausted. I think I'm just going to crash right now. Peace out, love ya, remember who you are, Bla, Bla, Bla.

A Chocolatey Confession...

Hello my friends. I thought I should share with you an amazing revelation. These are the best cookies ever. SERIOUSLY. So check it out, RIGHT NOW!!! P.S. I totally copied and pasted this from http://kelseysappleaday.blogspot.com , so I should probably give them credit....

Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

barely adapted from Anna Olson, Food Network Canada

Ingredients: 

3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened 

3/4 c. brown sugar 

1/4 c. granulated sugar 

1 egg 

2 tsp. vanilla extract 

2 c. all purpose flour 

2 tsp. cornstarch 

1 tsp. baking soda 

1/2 tsp. salt 

1 c. bittersweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy and light in color. Add egg and vanilla and blend in.

3.  Mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chunks.

4.  Using a standard-sized cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop dough onto a prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges.  (The tops will not brown, but do NOT cook longer than ten minutes.)

5.  Let cool, on the sheet, on a wire rack for five minutes.  Remove from baking sheet and let cool completely.  Makes approximately 3 dozen.  Try not to eat them all.

MAY!

So, it's 1:43 in the morning, and I'm avoiding homework and sleep like the plague. Sleep has become miserable, with tossing and turning, and forgotten nightmares. It's a place of misery and sadness. So I stay awake, and listen to Jack Johnson, and watch movies like Say Anything or other movies that really don't apply to me, as I'm pretty much forever single. Oh well.

Good news though, it is officially May! Soon I shall be NINETEEN, the age where I am no longer considered a baby in school. Which is wonderful, because the cute boys don't like babies. It is really weird coming to this age, as I don't know where life is supposed to take me. I have a plan, but let's be honest, how often does life go according to plan? Never.

I really have no point in writing this, in all honesty. Who knows, perhaps a year from today, I will look back at this and laugh at how crazy I am (was?). I just know what is going to happen tomorrow, and even I don't know every detail. It is almost scary to think about how little we know going into each day. I went to a fireside the other night with my old stake president, who is amazing, and really blew my mind. He was talking about reading scriptures in the morning, and about the Liahona... Nephi didn't look at it at the end of the day's journey, he looked at it before he even started. I just loved it, forgive me for not saying it as profoundly.

Anyway, I might as well go do homework. YAY!