MLK, JR Day

The first week of school ended in sucess.  We had a ward mingle on Sunday after the block and we decided to serve yogurt parfaits.  It was a huge hit.  We had about 18 extra quarts of yogurt, yeah lots of free food for college students!  One of these days we will plan it perfectly where we won't run out of anything and we won't have extras either.  Ha good luck with that one!  The only bad thing of this week was that I went running on Tuesday and I'm pretty sure my right foot has stress fractures.  The worst part is that if it really is stress fractures, it takes about 6-8 weeks to heal and I'm suppose to stay off it.  However, that is not going to happen because I'm not going to quit my gymnastics class or Zumba.  Yes, I am that stubborn. 

This past weekend was pretty great too.  We had roommate + friends game night on Friday, had a Paraguayan Food and Signs party on Saturday and had another game night on Sunday night after Ward Prayer.  I'm so grateful for the amazing people I have met up here at college.  Lots of fun times!

Today being MLK, JR Day, my favorite little brother in the whole world came up to play with me.  He is such a stud.  It was pretty fun, we went ice skating, ate at Costa Vida, played games with my friends, watched the super cute Princess and the Frog movie and made some chocolate oreo cookie goodness.  It was a wonderful Holiday Monday.  I love three days off school weekends.

Monday Moment

We'll see if I can write about something every Monday.  It may be a good tradition or something I fail at even before it becomes a habit.  Oh well, here goes nothing. 
Today was the first day of school, well for Spring semester anyways.  I think I'm happy with my classes I'm taking, but I won't know for sure until I actually go to all my classes.  My classes are as follows:

1. Abnormal Behavior
2. Sensation and Perception
3. GYMNASTICS
4. Ethnic Minority Families
5. Social and Personality Development
6. ZUMBA (It won't start until the second half of the semester)
7. Doctrine and Covenants sections 77-138

In the summer I took a class and there was this really weird guy in there who would always look at me strangely.  About 6 times a class period.  I smiled at him, nothing.  I glared, no result again.  I looked at him with a blank face, nothing worked to make him even say a word or stop looking.  I was kind of creeped out but it wasn't a big deal.  The class was ending soon anyways. 
Then last semester he was in my research methods class.  My friend always sat by me, and the looks escalated to about 12 looks and then decreased to maybe 4 times within one week time frame.  Then he stopped completely.
Unfortunately, he is in my Sensation and Perception class this semester.  I about died when I saw him looking at me.  Again.  And again for the fifth time in about ten minutes.  I'm going to have to try and get there earlier so I can sit in front of the Creeper.  As I was telling my friend that the Creeper was in my class, he laughed of course, but he also told me to be careful because he may be a murderer.  I laughed at first but then realized I am so skeptical and possibly naive about how scary people can be.  I highly doubt the Creeper is a murderer, or even crazy. But it's true, you can never be too cautious and it's okay to have your guard up with complete strangers.

SkyWest

(So sorry this is such a long and boring post)

I’ve had wonderful experiences flying through SkyWest Airlines and only one negative experience. This past week was exceptionally awesome. On December 28, 2010 I went back up to SLC to work a couple days. Once I was on the airplane, I pulled my drivers license out of my pocket, along with my boarding pass and thought to myself, “I need to put this in my backpack so I don‘t lose it”. Well, I don’t know what happened exactly after that, but I remember seeing a white piece of paper on the back of the plane, just out of my reach so I assumed it was just trash.
Fast forward to Thursday, December 30, 2010. I’m packing at my apartment to come back home to St. George, when I decide to grab my license out of my wallet and put it in my backpack for quick and easy check in through security in SLC airport. It’s not there. It’s not anywhere. I search frantically but I know deep down exactly where it is… on the SkyWest EMB 120 Brasilia aircraft in the back.

Once I finally checked through security, with my expired driver’s license and school ID and debit cards, I went down to the E Terminal. The flight to St. George was full, and delayed, and my mom didn’t think we’d make it on so we decided to catch the flight to Cedar City.  My brother spent the week with his friend in Washington so we decided to meet up in SLC and fly down together.  His flight was delayed from Washington and our flight to Cedar was suppose to leave at 4:40 and that's just about when he landed.  I was on the phone with him while I was talking and begging and pleading and giving a play by play to the woman at the gate.  She got a phone call from a very important executive to hold the airplane for his son.  Well, he got on the airplane like 2 minutes before Chipper came running in. She decided to start boarding other non-revenue flyers while I kept pleading and giving her a play by play.  We made it on the flight, by no small miracle.  I was so relieved and my mom was actually shocked that we made it.  It was the perfect ending to my emotionally-intense Thursday.

Fast forward again to Tuesday, January 4, 2011.  I'm all packed and ready to go back up to the airport.  I have like thirty seconds to throw my stuff in the car and take off so I'm not late to the airport, but I'm not too concerned since the airport is so small.  My mom just vanishes while I'm saying bye to my sister.  Great.  Perfect timing.  "Miss Dani Shay, you almost missed your mail", my mom calls out when she walks back inside.  I cannot believe this.  I know exactly what is in that envelope before I even see it.  I know it's my driver's license.  I completely tear the envelope apart and pull out my driver's license.  The best thing that could happen this day actually did.  Sweet success.

mmx - mmxi

It's 2011.  It's still really weird to say that because 2010 passed by WAY too quickly.  Overall, it was a challenging but great year.  TEN events of [twenty10] that changed my life:

• Moving to SLC, by myself, in January to study psychology at University of Utah
• Getting a job at a social work office in March, and realizing how blessed I am for the amazing life I have, and for not having to deal with or worry about a 1/4 of what some teenagers have to deal with.
• Surviving my first and second semesters and finals week at the U.
• Moving from a dirty, cluttered apartment to an adorable little house with cute and awesome roommates in July. 
• Getting called as the Mingles Committee Co-chair in my ward in August. 
• Hearing and participating in missionary discussions with my ex-roommate, Wenjun Wang, from China.
• Deciding to work out with friends at 6am every morning. 
• Learning a lesson of Gratitude and true meaning of Thanksgiving by being stuck in the Salt Lake Airport during Blizzard 2010 and giving a talk in Sacrament meeting about Gratitude.
• Meeting people and creating some strong friendships that forever altered my life.
• Deciding that I really do want to become a high school counselor and I will be going to grad school after I graduate with my Bachelors Degree of Psychology in December 2011.

I'm glad where I am at this point in my life and I'm excited for what 2011 has in store for me.  I'm grateful for the memories I have of 2010, the friendships I've made and the joys I have had from living the dream.

Hello twenty[11]. 

WELCOME!

Few Different Things

1.  I am finished with my second semester at the U of U  (not counting the class I took in the summer).  It feels soo great to be done for a few weeks.  I hope next semester rocks.  Each semester here continuously gets better and better.  It's weird to say that I've been in SLC for almost a whole year.  It doesn't seem that long at all.  On a sidenote, I know I got an A in at least one psychology class, but I have to wait longer to see what I got in everything else.

2.  My cousin's wedding was yesterday in Provo.  She looked beautiful and soo happy.  Kyle and her are a great couple, I'm so happy for them.  Allie's friend Marie said the only word that describes Allie is Perfect.  I can't agree more.  She's just basically amazing.  :) It was a lot of fun to spend time with my family and extended family.  Wish we could have family get togethers more often but I've been very blessed to see many relatives the past two holidays!

3.  Christmas is only six days away!  I'm so excited to go home for Christmas and spend so much time in St. George.  There is no greater place that I know of.  But even better than spending Christmas at home, is spending it with my family.  They are the best.  I love the holiday season and reflecting back on the year I've had and how to become a better person.  I love thinking about our Savior, Jesus Christ and His humble birth.  I love how people change at this time of year and how generous people can become.  I love the quote we have out every Christmas season... "Wise Men Still Adore Him".  It is a very true statement.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

U of U Gymnastics...

RISICKULOUS!!

I'm so excited I joined the U of U Gymnastics MUSS.  Gymnastics is soooo much fun to watch and it's my favorite event of all Olympic sports.  I will be going to every home meet possible, I cannot wait.  I'm even taking a gymnastics class the first half of next semester.  It's kinda pathetic I arranged my whole class schedule around that class, but seriously, the U offers gymnastics.  I gotta take full advantage of that while I can! :)

Picture Overload

erin brooke wade hafen's wedding, Utah- TCU blackout game, thanksgiving bowling adventure.