10x2=20!

Ok so this post is a little over due, but I am twenty! Whoa! It feels great! I am finally in the same decade as all of my friends. It also feels kind of weird. I mean I'm in my twenties, that's closer to being a real adult. Strange...

So basically I had the best birthday ever. It was so full of birthday texts, facebook messages, and surprises. Thanks to everyone who showed their love!

On my birthday I knew that my roommates were planning something, but I didn't know what or when. As a result the entire day was spent in anxious anticipation. The only plan that I had was that we were going to dinner at my favorite Italian restaurant, Terra Mia. So upon arriving home from work I began to get ready to go to dinner. I complained to Kathryn about not having any cute shirts to wear and she just politely laughed at me... About five minutes afterwards my roommates and Kevin surprised me with a shirt that I have wanted for months, but had decided was too expensive to justify spending money on. I screamed. And I thought that was the only surprise...

After that my roommates, Kevin, Andrew, and I headed off to Terra Mia. I got my entire meal, a side salad, and gelato for free!! All because of my free entree card and birthday. And it was all SO yummy!

At Terra Mia in my new birthday shirt.

On the drive back from Terra Mia I started to get a little suspicious.  Jordan kept trying to distract me by pointing out every little thing we drove by and I saw Chad attempt to run stealthily across the parking lot with a strange bucket. But I knew that we had FHE next so I figured the surprise must not be until afterwards. Wrong! I showed up at FHE and the whole ward was there! People that I didn't even think knew who I was were there. They sang to me and presented me with a cake designed to look like the leaning tower of Pisa and a giant birthday card. Then we had the most epic water fight (shout out to Dan for acting as my noble steed). We ended the party with a couple rounds of sushi tag. After returning home bruised, beaten, and soaking wet I ended the night at the Mancave. 

My first week as a twenty year old has not disappointed. After coming home sick from a work camping  trip things were not looking up, but they ended up being quite awesome. Some highlights included game nights, roof climbing, fort building, and LLAMA FEST! Can I just say that llama fest was awesome? Not only did I get to pet and feed llamas, but I got a sweet llama shirt and a maxi skirt from a Hindu temple. Score! I feel like I am really living up to my hippy roots.

They call me the llama whisperer.

Next adventure: roadtrip to Washington!!!

Like a Plastic Bag

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag? Well actually, no, I don't. However, the song "Firework" reminds me of the 4th of July and that's what I'm blogging about. So, yeah...

Life has been quite good to me lately. I honestly cannot remember a time when I have been this happy. Well except for in Disneyland, but that's a whole different category of joy. So I guess it's time for an update.

The 4th of July was a most excellent day. I started out the day by watching the parade out of my bedroom. How convenient is that? I got a front row seat without having to camp out! Then I made my way to the Mancave BBQ. 'Twas nice to hang out with my friends and enjoy the sunlight. I spent the majority of the day at a BBQ with my friend's family. It was fun and nice to be around a family even if it wasn't my own. After the BBQ I headed up to the Y to watch fireworks with some friends. I ended the night with my first trip to Sonic. The shakes were good, but I was not impressed with the food.

The beautiful view from our spot.

Nat and I watching fireworks!

Thursday brought rain!! It was beautiful! Also, quite literally the answer to prayers. With all of the fires in Utah it was certainly a blessing. The best part of having a roommate who also loves the rain is that you get to dance in it. 

We love rain!

I love this chica.

Friday brought the much needed weekend. To celebrate we attended the rooftop concert in downtown Provo. It was a Tom Petty cover concert. Shockingly it was actually really good and Neon Trees performed! However, the opening "rappers" were not so hot. "I'm throwing gangster signs, but I don't know what they mean." What. The. Heck.

Il Grupo

Feet!

Saturday was one of my friend's birthdays. Her roommate threw an epic party. It was a paint war! I have to say I much prefer paint fights to food fights. There was no puking involved this time and the smell was much less toxic.

Today was just a wonderful and relaxing Sunday and my last day as a teenager. I am so excited to finally be twenty!

Life is beautiful!

Officially Summer

The wonderful season known as summer has officially begun. Hallelujah.

After working two insanely long weeks I had a three day weekend! It was an incredible break and exactly what I needed to recharge.

I kicked the weekend off by filming a commercial thursday night. Jordan, Andrew, and I decided to participate in a shoot for a 5k that will be taking place in Denver. We figured that we would be a welcome addition. We have talents uniquely suited to commercial filming. My goofiness. Jordan's fun spirt. Andrew's photogenic nature. What commercial director could pass us up? Here is the super duper cool result:

Friday morning was wonderful. I slept in and did nothing. I can't remember the last time that happened! That afternoon I left for the coolest ward activity ever. We spent Friday and Saturday camping by Yuba Lake. Friday night was full of fried chicken, "bonfires," laughter, and embarrassing stories. I stayed up entirely too late talking, but it was oh so worth it. Saturday was spent on the lake!! There is just nothing like the feeling of being on a boat zooming through the water. It just means summer to me. It reminds me of all of the times spent at Bear Lake with my family. I got to try wake surfing, which I am assuming is really fun. I wouldn't know... I never got up. Although I am positive that is the water had been less choppy I would have! Most importantly I got to go tubing. Gah! Tubing is sure fun. Even if it beats your body up like nothing else.

Just chillin' on the shore

Can't you tell I'm having fun?

Hanging out.

Monday brought work... It was a very Monday kind of day. However, Monday night included a good game of sushi tag. Sushi tag is basically a race combined with wrestling. I am always amazed by how aggressive I become. This time I walked away with a black eye...

Another exciting adventure came on Tuesday night. A big group of us decided to climb to the roof of our apartment complex. A chair tower and few boosts later we all made it up. We hung out and laughed for a couple of hours. 

I live on the edge.

News Flash: In two months from today I will be walking the streets of Rome!!

Pensive

Disclaimer: Incredibly sappy post. You've been warned.

Home alone (well mostly) + time to think = a new blog post

I've been thinking a lot about how things change as time passes. One of my faults or gifts (depending on how you look at it) is that I get really emotionally invested in people. As a result I saying goodbye is really hard for me. And well it's that time again. Spring term is over and a lot of people are heading home or off on study abroad to see the world. Some of these people I've only known for two months and others I've known for almost a year. Some I know I will see again and others I probably never will.

I've said a lot of goodbyes in my life. Most of them are just little pangs at the realization that they're not going to be a part of my everyday life anymore. Others bring tears. And once, only once, a goodbye brought heart crushing pain. Another goodbye, the most nonchalant of my life, brought regret.

This time, however, the goodbyes seem less of an end and more like a beginning. Of course I will miss all of these people, but I know that there will be new people to meet. When I graduated high school I remember thinking that I would never find another group of friends to compare to the Nerd Herd. Those guys got me through high school. They were my everything for that time. But that's just it, they were everything for THAT time. I've grown up, I have new friends, and they mean just as much (if not more) to me. These friends are for this season of my life. There will be new friends for the next season. That doesn't mean that I will ever forget those friends. I'm not going to stop wishing them well. In fact I am quite certain that some of them will last into new seasons of my life. Perhaps others will  reemerge at later periods. I am just so grateful that I always seem to have the friends that I need for the moment. I am grateful to be blessed with friends who can support me and that I can support.

To everything there is a season.

Bad Decisions

Yesterday I made the worst decision of my life. I participated in a food fight. I thought it sounded fun, but I was oh so wrong. I should have realized that if I can't do the dishes without gagging I surely couldn't survive a food fight. Natalie and I set out armed with yogurt and pizza sauce. We returned covered in BBQ sauce, mustard, oatmeal, sardines, spam, sour cream, and a bunch of mystery items. We reeked so badly that our roommates had to air out the apartment. It was too much for my stomach to handle... Never again.

And this was after we hosed off... So sad.

California Dreamin'

An extra long weekend for Memorial Day? I think yes! In Southern California? How could I refuse?Basically this weekend was amazing. No one understood why we came back to Provo. I mean I guess we should make money, but really why couldn't we just lounge on the beach all day every day? So maybe (if I haven't bored you already) you want to know why this weekend was amazing... Well I'll tell you!

Day 1 (Thursday): Drive Numero Uno
Six of us Provo kids drove down to California. I rode in a car with Kevin and Andrew (aka Kevindrew). We had a lot of fun together. Andrew read The Hunger Games out loud, Kevin and I learned a lot about Andrew's taste in literature (supple leather...), and we had long talks about dating. Upon arriving in Yucaipa Natalie's mom greeted us with freshly baked cookies and sloppy joes. That is what I call rolling out the welcome mat!

They put up with me for nine hours! Unbelievable!

Day 2 (Friday): Disneyland :)

I LOVE DISNEYLAND!!! I can't say that enough. The first time I went with my family was the best week of my life. There is just something about that place. It is beautiful and magical. You just can't help, but be happy. Andrew commented saying, "Wow! Disneyland really does have an effect on Katie!" Yes, yes it does. Even though we only got to spend a day there I was completely, blissfully, wonderfully content with life. We started the day out in California Adventure. It was a ton of fun. For some reason the Hollywood Tower of Terror really freaked me out this time. Last time I thought it wasn't worth the hype, but this time I was quite shaken... After lunch we headed over to Disneyland and I became the happiest person on earth. It was really crowded because of Memorial Day, but it was still a blast. I got to ride Pirates which is my favorite ride ever. It is just so well done! Some day I will eat in the Blue Bayou! This time on Splash Mountain I got completely soaked. There was literally no part of me that wasn't wet. The only problem was that it was night and I never really dried. We road it at 6 and got home after midnight and I was still wet!! The best part of the whole was World of Color. Originally I didn't want to go. I thought (well actually screamed...), "Why are we here? To go on the rides!" However, Natalie convinced me and I am so glad she did. It was so incredible. It is a giant water/light/color show. They project videos onto the water. The whole thing was just so moving, romantic, and adorable. I am so glad I got to see it. Overall the best day in a long time!!!

Soaked!

The Awesome Group

Someday our princes(esses) will come.

So happy!

I thought the picture had already been taken...

I love this girl that made it all possible!

Las Chicas

Flynn had already gone to bed :( But I walked where he walked!

Ready for our intergalactic adventure!

Friends!

Pinterest wedding album?

Umbrella hats!

Day 3 (Saturday): Sand, Sun, and Sea

On Saturday Natatat had a wedding to attend and the rest of went to Huntington Beach. It was a perfect day. We played in the ocean, watched street performers, ate gelato, and laid out in the sun. It was a great way to recover from the exhausting awesomeness of Disneyland. I really enjoyed being at the ocean. Utah is just so land locked and it was nice to get away.

Stunning

8 eyes?

Gah! The beauty!

I LOVE GELATO!

Il grupo on the pier.

He had just come out of the bathroom and he still looks this good... It's ridiculous. 

Day 3 (Sunday): Rest

This was quite the relaxing day. We went to Natalie's home ward. It made me SO glad that all of my guy friends are 23ish. I had forgotten how ridiculous boys my age are. After church we had a barbeque and ice cream party. Then we went and met Natalie's adopted grandparents. They are hilarious! They joked around with us the whole time. We ended the night star gazing on top of a hill. Perferct!

Epic light photo from that night.

Day 4 (Monday): Homeward Bound

We left California :( What were we thinking?

The Screamin' Chicken. Our meeting place on route 66.

Sketchy or awesome?

Bucket List: Sand, Boys, a Little Smoke, and a Lot of Chlorine

The last week has been full of bucket listing (yeah, it's a verb now). Sadly no pictures were taken, but I shall commence my written report.

Sand: 
We have all successfully played volleyball. I played in the sand and I'm pretty sure that there was sand all over my body for quite a long time afterwards. I had a lot of fun. I haven't really played volleyball since my stint on our ill-fated young women's team. I had forgotten how enjoyable it was. However, I had also forgotten how much it hurts your forearms.

Boys: 
Well we did it! My entire apartment manned up and asked boys on a giant group date. It was probably one of the scariest things I have ever done. Something about stepping out of my societally assigned role was just terrifying. Although, I will say that I have gained so much respect for guys. I do not know how they are able to ask girls out over and over again. At first you're scared that the person will say no, and then you realize that even if they say yes they could just be doing it to be polite! I often complain about girls' inactive role in dating, but now I am so glad I am not a guy.

However, the date went really well. Originally it was just going to be the six of us gals and our dates, but by the time the date rolled around there were 18 people on the date! The plan was to play games, have a picnic, have a bonfire, and make peach cobbler. And I guess that was what happened... but lets just say there were a few mishaps along the way. First we realized that we forgot a can opener. Luckily, one of the guys went all cavemen and became a human can opener. Then we realized that there was no butter for our cobbler (never put guys in charge of getting supplies). The peach cobbler took forever and a day to cook. So while it cooked we went for a walk. On this walk we were told not to exceed a speed of 3 mph and were warned of the illegality of trespassing dogs. Just remember trespassing humans are ok! Finally the peach cobbler was all cooked. Then we realized that we did not have enough forks. So basically we all went a little savage and dug in with our fingers or faces, whichever was our preferred utensil. All in all it was a fun experience that I will definitely remember for a long while.

A Little (ok, a lot of) Smoke:
When we said we wanted to have a bonfire I don't think we realized that we would be having at least one a week. Luckily, I love bonfires, they are so summery and they just bring me so much comfort.

A Lot of Chlorine:
We put swimming on the bucket list and let me tell we have definitely been able to cross it off. Over the last week I have gone swimming or hot tubbing at least every other day.  It has been a ton of fun. I love the water and I love that his been warm enough to be to be in it. The only problem is that my hair really holds on to smells, for like a week... So between all of this swimming and bonfiring I now smell like a pool set on fire or a fire put out with chlorinated water, take your pick.

I love summer and can't wait to continue finishing our bucket list!!!