Life.

School is killing me. I wish I could just hide under a rock until next Thursday morning. That would be nice, but of course not practical in the least. I have red spots ALL over me and no they're not chicken pox spots. The doctor doesn't know what they are. They itch in the most inconvenient times, like when I'm trying to study/do homework. I have a wonderful roommate, Kilee that bought me an oatmeal bath kit, so hopefully that helps along with the not so helpful medicine I was given as well. Its just really annoying and embarrassing. I do wear a swim suit for about 4 hours a day and it would be nice not to look like a walking disease. But I don't want this post to be written by Negative Nancy. Here are some things and I soo incredibly grateful for. I have a wonderful family that I get to go home to super soon!! They are so good for me and I love spending time with them. It's going to be a long summer not going home this year. I'm looking forward to the random vacations we have planned this year. I'm so grateful for my boyfriend, Harper. He is soo good to me and treats me like a princess. I couldn't ask for anyone better. :) I'm grateful to be able to live my dream of coming to BYU and being on the swim team. Ever since I was born, I feel like, BYU was in my blood. I don't know what I'd be doing with my life if I wasn't here. It definitely wouldn't be the same at all. Swimming was a random talent I somehow acquired. It definitely didn't come easy and there are those days I wish I didn't have to wake up at 5:30, but its been such a dream come true and I love all my teammates. I need to focus for finals now and escape the wonderful world of blogging. Here's the start of my facebook/blog fast. Merry Christmas!

I Love Temples!

Washington D.C

Nauvoo, Illinois

(Pageant time)

St. Louis, Missouri

(forever favorite)

Nauvoo, Illinois

Provo, Utah

(Weekly Favorite)

Provo (again)

Newport Beach, California

Oquirrh Mountain, Utah

(newest open house attended)

Recently my best friend, Chelsey and I set yet another lofty goal. I don't know what it is about being with each other, but somehow we always set high standards for each other. She makes me want to be a better person and I don't know what I'd do without her. So the goal: This summer we want to try to go to as many temples in Utah that we can to do baptisms. Utah has quite the plethora of temples these days with new ones, like Payson, sprouting up every year. I don't think there will be another time in our lives that we will be able to have this opportunity and I'm so glad I have such an amazing friend to accomplish it with. Of course, all who are interesting can come with us. The more the merrier. I can't wait for it to be spring/summer so we can get started!!

Thanksgiving

My thanksgiving was absolutely wonderful. I love coming to Grandma's house and spending time with family. There was a small group of us this year but it didn't stop the fun. We made fun turkeys out of apples and helped Grandma cook all day long. We had some mishaps along the way, which wouldn't be normal if they didn't happen in the Fuller household. The oven wouldn't turn on until 12:30, causing a late start to our turkey. I think at some point the stove wouldn't turn on and the dishwater had a leak. This leak was not just a small dribble of water coming out the bottom, but a nice stream. Luckily all those problems either stopped or were fixed and none of the food was burnt or tasted bad. (with the exception to sweet potatoes that aren't that good anytime) I made my favorite Thanksgiving dish, green bean casserole, and it turned out AMAZING, just as it should taste. I had some help from Abby :) Creamed corn is a new favorite food of mine. Sooo good! The second best part of all this food was that we got to eat it all again the next day! Sometimes I don't know which is better: actual Thanksgiving day with all the hard work and cooking or the day after Thanksgiving with no work and the food is just as good as it was the day before.

Grandpa did acquire some new pets on Thanksgiving as well that he is NOT thankful for. The night before Thanksgiving the front door was accidentally left open and the 4 degree weather (I'm not exaggerating) was exposed to the house. I hadn't gone up there yet cuz I had swim practice that morning, but I can imagine having to wake up to a freezing cold house. Horrible. The furnace was trying to work so hard to heat up the house that the fan broke and a very helpful, nice guy had to come and fix it. The plants inside by the front door were frozen and a new pet was found. A stray cat. Enough said...ew. Grandpa took it by the neck and chucked it out the door! Now it's name is Chuck and him and his other stray cat friend have yet to leave the perimeter of the house. Ellie, loves them, of course, and will play with them for hours if she could. We think that they were kicked out of their house or something cuz they look pretty young and clean for being strays. I named the other stray cat, Scat. Needless to say, they are not very welcome at the Fuller household. haha.

Some other Thanksgiving festivities included Black Friday shopping, seeing the movie Tangled (which I highly reccomend), taking looong naps, and doing crafts. I couldn't have asked for a better Thanksgiving. Although, I did miss my entire mom's side of the family in St. Louis, as they were all there for Papa and Grandma's homecoming. I am soo blessed to have loving family wherever I go.

My Favorite Things

Here are a few of my favorite things! (sing in a Julie Andrew's voice similar to Sound of Music)

My Family!

The Temple!

Missouri! (mostly St. Louis though)

Teaching Swim Lessons!

Purple and Beaches!

California!

Elementary Education!

The Cardinals!

Swimming!

Country Girl

When I tell people I'm from St. Louis half the people think I'm from the south. This is incorrect. You'd think at BYU people would know their geography, but sometimes not so much. I'm actually not that offended by this much at all because I think I would be proud be a southern girl. I recently realized how much a REALLY love country music, plaid shirts, and cowboys. Some of my favorite songs are country songs by people like Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, Kieth Urban, and Brad Paisley. You can't have a good movie without a good country song in it. AND I new obsession of mine is cowboy boots. I want some, but they're not practical so I don't NEED them. Maybe someday when practicality doesn't really matter. Here's one of my favorite Rascal Flatts songs.

So, so you made a lot of mistakes

Walked down the road a little sideways

Cracked a brick when you hit the wall

Yeah, you've had a pocket full of regrets

Pull you down faster than a sunset

Hey, it happens to us all

When the cold hard rain just won't quit

And you can't see your way out of it

CHORUS

You find your faith has been lost and shaken

You take back what's been taken

Get on your knees and dig down deep

You can do what you think is impossible

Keep on believing, don't give in

It'll come and make you whole again

It always will, it always does

Love is unstoppable

Love, it can weather any storm

Bring you back to being born again

oh, it's a helping hand when you need it most

A lighthouse shinning on the coast

That never goes dim

When your heart is full of doubt

And you think that there's no way out

CHORUS

You find your faith has been lost and shaken

You take back what's been taken

Get on your knees and dig down deep

You can do what you think is impossible

Keep on believing, don't give in

It'll come and make you whole again

It always will, it always does

Love is unstoppable

Like a river keeps on rolling

Like the north wind blowing

Don't it feel good knowing

Yeah

CHORUS

You find your faith has been lost and shaken

You take back what's been taken

Get on your knees and dig down deep

You can do what you think is impossible

Keep on believing, don't give in

It'll come and make you whole again

It always will, it always does

Love is unstoppable

Love is unstoppable

So you made a lot of mistakes

Walked down the road a little sideways

Love, love is unstoppable

At Texas Road House for Lauren's 21st Birthday! I requested every single Rascal Flatts song I could on the juke box behind me. :)

Halloween

Halloween this year was a blast!! A group of friends and I went up my aunt and uncle's house in Salt Lake to be in their spook alley, a fun haunted house in their basement. It was legit and sooo much fun! There was a Harry Potter room, Pirates of the Caribbean room, Star Wars room, and Indiana Jones room. And of course we got to eat DELICIOUS homemade food thanks to aunt Cammy. I loved seeing all my cousins and getting lots of hugs. I also went to our ward Halloween party dressed with my roomies as Powerangers! It was soo much fun and our costumes were legit! I was the pink Poweranger, Kim. I also taught Sunday School on Halloween and it went alright. The candy I gave out was a big hit so that was good. haha. Overall, it was a exciting weekend and I decided I really like Halloween EXCEPT for watching scary movies. I could be just fine in life without watching scary movies ever again.

Cooking Habits

For some reason this year has been really hard as far as being willing to take the time to cook. I think it may have to do with the fact that I have no real time and am completely content with cereal most nights. I really do like to cook though when I have the time. I may not be the best, but I have a few favorite recipes. I need to make a collection of recipes that I can make in 20 minutes though. Cooking would probably get done a lot more with that. There was a unique time in my life when I thought about being a chef and own my own catering business. That didn't last very long when I realized I would probably eat all the food I made, making myself fat, and cooking gets tiring after awhile. On my bucket list I have a goal to take a cake decorating class one day though. I think that would be really fun. So here's a new goal: make one legit meal every week. Now this may seem stupid to all those moms out there, but I'm not a mom yet. Maybe next month it'll be two meals a week. We'll see!

This is what happens when Lauren and I cook together!

Friends

I'm really grateful for wonderful friends in my life. Sometimes its hard to be away from family so much, but my friends definitely make life that much better. They listen to me about everything (or at least they pretend to) and give me advice on just about anything. Lauren, especially, has been a wonderful roommate and deals with all my imperfections daily and still loves me. I'm definitely the messy one of the two of us. I love spending time with people that make me laugh. (except for when Chelsey makes me silent laugh...horrible) The best memories of my college experience has been when I'm dying laughing. I absolutely love it when Lauren goes to the dentist to get her cavities filled or when Chelsey and I people watch. I love the friends that tell me the truth and give me hugs or notes just because. I am so blessed to have so many wonderful friends that make college one of the greatest experiences of my life.

Owwie

I officially hate injuries. I am so injury prone, its ridiculous. I rolled my ankle again and yes its the same one I had surgery on almost 6 months ago. I just hurt it in a different way. Now I have to wear my ankle brace ALL the time. I'm pretty sure I'll have to wear an ankle brace for the rest of my life at this rate. Maybe I should just ask for a new ankle for Christmas...if only. Then there's this new injury, also on the left side of my body. The ever wonderful shoulder that I now causes me more stress then just trying to find clothes to fit it. I hurt my bicep tendon or something....I don't know exactly how its hurt, ask Leslie, my wonderful trainer. So lifting things like heavy backpacks, high fives, or swimming hurt. Yay I feel like an old person!!! :( This is me venting starting and stopping here. Thank you ever so handy blog. May my future days be painless.

Pancakes

Recently I forgot how much I absolutely LOVE pancakes. Not just the add water to the batter kind and get a soft, bread like substance...but real pancakes. The kind that when you spread butter or honey on them, it just melts before your eyes and slides down the side. The kind that makes your mouth water before they're even cooked all the way in the pan. The kind that buddies up with syrup with such beautiful composition. So last night I had a pancake craving. Kilee magically had wonderful pancake powder stuff that was sent straight from heaven. A few eggs, oil, and water later....the craving was satisfied along with the rest of the apartment that soon became addicted to the scent. Breakfast should be served anytime of day. Those restaurants that only serve breakfast til 10 are making a big mistake. 9:30 at night is a great time for pancakes and might even be better than 9:30 in the morning. However, I'd like to publicly apologize to Fred (Lauren's friend) who somehow ate a piece of plastic along with his pancake. No idea how that got there.

Still Life

So I was just looking at pictures online....a hobby of mine. I love seeing people's creative side through photography. One of my things on my bucket list is to take pictures worthy of hanging on the walls of my future house. For now I have little options but maybe one day my artsy side will blossom. I love portraits mostly because of the character and personality that can be seen in just one picture. Here's one that I absolutely ADORE!

On a Cloud

Can I just say that college is SO fun! Granted I have a good work load school wise, but the fun on the weekends and even during the week totally makes up for it. It was always a dream of mine to go to BYU, ever since I was born practically. I have no idea what or how my life would be like if it wasn't for the opportunity to go to BYU. I am living my dream. This weekend we had the annual swim camp out up American Fork Canyon, floated the river with some people from my ward, and had a fun game night. Definitely one of the top weekends of my college life. I am so excited for the swim season this year, because I really think that this year will be so much fun with the amazing people on the team. I have amazing roommates and friends and I couldn't ask for anything better. I teach my very own PE class on Thursday at Art City Elementary for my PETE class. Its going to be scary, but exciting at the same time. I'm finally getting some real teaching in! Wish me luck :)

Joy.

I think the best part about this year so far is just the random fun times that magically happen. Last Thursday we had a Relief Society Garden dinner and in the backyard of the house we had the dinner at was this amazing field. You would have never thought that this field was actually super close to a suburban area. So cool so we had to take some pictures even if they were just with our phones. I love times like this.