I was talking to Mom on the phone today and she mentioned that I haven't posted in a while and seeing as how it's been nearly three months I figured it was about time.
The winter semester ended on April 22, which boy was I glad for that. Matty left on the 26th to go home to Houston for the summer, and I must admit that it was hard for me to see him go. Two of my roommates, Jessica and Michelle, graduated in April with their degrees in Elementary Ed. and History respectively. I was so happy for them, they both deserve it! It kind of worked to just make me all that much more impatient for next spring though when I will be receiving my degree and having a similar experience.
The Spring term here at BYU started April 28th. I took three classes, Intro to Family Processes, Strengthening Marriage and Family, and Intro to Stats. It was 9 credits which is equivalent to taking 18 credits in a normal semester because the spring and summer terms are so compacted. Boy, did it keep me busy. Other than that not much else happened. Our new roomates Jenny and Lacey moved in in early May. They're both super sweet girls and I'm glad that I get to have them as roommates. I'm trying to learn as much from the people around me as I can and they have definitely taught me a thing or two.
For Memorial Day at the end of May Michelle and I took off for San Francisco which was uber fun. We stayed with Michelle's Sister-in-law's family who were very nice and hospitable. We did Fisherman's Wharf, and Alcatraz, and the beach. And it was just so much fun. The only down side was that the weathery was kind of cold and blustery most of the time we were there. But hey, what can you do?
After we got back from Memorial Day we only had about two more weeks left of spring classes which went by rather quickly. Sometime in late May/early June I went and volunteered in the TRC (teaching resource center) at the MTC for the first time. Basically you go in, they give you a scenario and you pretend to be an investigator so the missionaries can come in and teach you a discussion to give them practice with stuff they'll be doing in the field. I've made it a goal to try and volunteer there once a week but I haven't had any luck so far. One Friday I couldn't go because of Brian's wedding, once I'd been sick and they wouldn't let me volunteer so I didn't risk getting swine flu (they've had outbreaks in the MTC), then I was out of town, and then this last week the TRC wasn't open because it was mission president week.
Mom and Dad came in for the weekend of June 5th-7th for Brian and Laurie's wedding. It was really good to see them, I just needed some time with my parents. On June 8th Michelle and I volunteered to give blood. It was the first time for both of us and we both admitted that we probably would've backed out if the other hadn't been there. I was a little nervous going in just because needles freak me out, I got through the screening just fine, but the freak out hit hardest when I actually sat down in the chair and they started prepping to shove a needle the size of a capri sun straw into my arm. The technician taking my blood was good natured about it though and talked me through it. I was surprised to find that it actually didn't hurt that badly, in fact the finger prick that they did in screening hurt worse. And it was actually kind of cool to see my blood running through the tube and knowing that my blood could actually help save someone's life. I've since set a goal for myself to start donating blood every eight weeks (which is the least amount of time you have to wait between donations). Also one Saturday earlier this month I went and volunteered at Habitat for Humanity. The house that they were working at that day was mostly completed so I got to spend 3 hours out in the sun shoveling rocks but it was still rewarding to know that I was helping someone, and Habitat is something that I've always wanted to do. I've since decided that that's something that I'm going to try and do more often as well.
Jessica finished her first year of teaching as an intern on June 12th, and so to celebrate she and I went and got Manicures and Pedicures...guess where...Wal-Mart! Haha That just makes me inordinately happy! They didn't do a half bad job either.
Spring classes ended June 15th and finals were scheduled for the 17th and 18th. Two of my finals were in class/take home so I got to knock those out on the last day of class. Which meant that I only had to take one test (Intro to Statistics.) in the testing center during finals days. I took my Stats. final the morning of the 17th and then jetted off later that evening to go spend the weekend with Cherstin, Dan, Abby, and Emmet in OKC! It was really good to see them. While I was there we went to a science museum, a water park, and an amusement park, and basically just spent time together. Which I was having a bit of Provo-itis so it was good to get away. Dan also was kind enough to give me a blessing while I was there, and in it he said some stuff that I really needed to hear. It's amazing to think that those words came from the Lord. I've counted and I have had four blessings so far this year...and it's only June. I really am quite dependant on the spirit and the priesthood. It just makes me that much more appreciative of the gospel and all that much more determined that I want in my home when I have a home of my own some day.
I got back from OKC last sunday night and summer term classes started the next day! haha
I was up early the next morning trying to get into my last english class for my degree but it was full. I then went to another section that afternoon again trying to get the professor to add me....still no dice. So I'm taking a Critical Inquiry research class, and then my English class I'm taking up at the BYU Salt Lake Center. It's kind of a pain having to drive all the way up there but in the long run I think it'll actually be better. For one thing it's a TTH class along with my other one so I'm completely free from classes MWF, so say hello to four day weekends. Plus it'll put me up in SLC more often so I'm hoping to stop in and see G-pa more often, which is something that I've been slacking at. My classes though this semester are worrying me a little just because I anticipate them being A LOT of work. But I think I'll pull through. I just found out yesterday that I got two A's and one A- in my spring term classes, which I was pretty stoked about.
I've recently set a new goal for myself to try and go to the temple to do baptisms every week, and I've decided at least one of those weeks I want to go to a different temple around here other than Provo. There are so many around here and why not go to them while I'm in the position to do so. Yesterday I went to the Mt. Timpanogas temple (Provo's closed for cleaning and it's the closest). It's a beautiful temple, but a lot different from Provo. It's interesting to note how different each temple is in architecture, design, layout, and decor. I was pondering that yesterday as I sat inside the Mt. Timpanogas temple but then it hit me that though each temple is different, each is still considered the house of the Lord, and the work done in each is the same. It was a real testimony to me that this gospel really is true.
I have this pair of pants that I bought back in February and a few weeks ago I noticed that the hem in one of the legs had completely come undone. I was at loss as to what to do, when Jessica mentioned to me that she could teach me how to fix it. I bought some thread and she loaned me a needle and yesterday morning I fixed the hem in my pants all by myself! It was kind of a crude job, I'm not going to lie just because it was my first time and such but I was quite proud of myself! I figure that no one is going to be concentrating that hard on my ankles anyway. But it kind of got me thinking that sewing is one of those things that I fought my Mom on when I was growing up, but it's a nice skill to have, especially when you're a wife and Mother I'm sure. So I asked Mom if she would teach me how to sew when I go visit in August! I'm really excited. I've also decided that I want to teach myself Spanish. It's not going so well but I'm not going to give up!
So far this summer I've read Massacre at Moutain Meadows, The Miracle of Forgiveness, Go Forward with Faith:The Biography of President Gordon B. Hinckley, and am working on reading Jesus the Christ. Matty kind of got me into reading churchy non fiction books and I must say I'm rather glad that he did. Reading them has opened my eyes and expanded my view on so many different gospel subjects, it's amazing. Jesus the Christ is a beastly book, 700+ pages but I'll get through it. It's a really good book!
So, there's an update on my life!
PEACE!

It's been about a month since I posted so I figured I had better get at that.
Not a ton has really happened, though, just a college student's life I suppose.
March was any other month really, it had its lows and its highs. April so far has been the same but I think the highs have slightly outnumbered the lows.
The last weekend of March, I was feeling a little blue so I did what I do best and went shopping. Desi and Mike had given me a $50 giftcard to DSW for boots as my Christmas gift that I still hadn't used so I went and bought myself a cute pair of church boots because even discounted the snow boots were expensive. I also went shopping at Kohls because Mom and Dad gave me a Kohls credit card with $200 for Christmas and I had only used like $45. I bought a cute new outfit, which I call my "hooker outfit" no worries though, it's still modest. That weekend too, the Hindu Temple in Spanish fork was having the 'festival of colors' it's a hindu tradition where they light a fire and have dancing and things like that and then everyone begins to throw scented chalk as a symbol of unity and to help keep demons away. It was pretty fun! I also had an interview with my Bishop for a limited use temple recommend. Which is nice to have. Jessica and I went to do baptisms that week and it was SO nice, it just brings such peace.
The first weekend in April was conference. Matty was able to score tickets for himself, me and his friend Dave for the Saturday afternoon, and then my ward got tickets and I was able to get a hold of some for the Saturday morning session. Because we thought Dave was going to be spending that Friday night in SLC with a family friend and because we had to be there so early to get into the Saturday morning session, Matty and I went up and spent the night at my Grandpa's house in Murray which isn't too far from Temple Square, and then just took the UTA there. The Saturday sessions were amazing! We got to be there when they called the new apostle, Neal L. Anderson! Dave took us out for Thai food in between sessions which I had never had before but was shockingly good! After the Saturday session we had to haul keester back to Provo, so that Matt and Dave could make it to the Priesthood session. While they were there, I, having had conference leave me with such a wonderful feeling decided to see if I could maybe procure any extra tickets from my ward for the Sunday afternoon session (I already knew there was no chance of gatting any for the sunday morning session). I went and asked my relief society president if she had any tickets left and apparently she and her roomates had decided that they wouldn't be able to make it to the sunday afternoon session and she gave me their tickets! I was so thankful. It actually worked out quite well because my roommate Michelle had gotten a ticket for the Sunday Afternoon session but thought she wouldn't be able to go because she didn't have a way to get there. I called Matty to see if he wanted to go and he was game, my RS president had given me three tickets so I told him he could invite his sister Molly if she were interested or Dave again if she wasn't. We also decided that we would head up there uber early and get in the standby line and hopefully get into the morning session as well and we took lunch with us for in between sessions. We were in the Standby line and they had cut off a group of people right at us and were waiting for them to call another group in when this lady came up and told the attendants for the line that she had four tickets that she wasn't going to be able to use, and when the attendant made the announcement, Matty, Molly, Michelle, and I were all like 'right here!' It was so cool! I got to be in the conference center for all four sessions! I'm really glad we made it into the Sunday Morning Session too because I got to hear Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (my favorite apostle) speak! It was just so amazing! If you go here http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2253593&id=17811758, there are pictures on Matty's facebook from conference!
We got back to Provo that night and it was after the Canon Center (the campus cafeteria) closed so I invited Matty and Molly over for dinner. I decided to make them my specialty, pasta. Matty asked is he could help. I had a partial box of Penne and a full box of Elbow, I gave them both to Matty and told him to mix them thinking he would use what was left of the Penne and part of the Elbow. Nay. He used what was left of the Penne and ALL of the Elbow! LOL I swimming in pasta for like a week!
The next morning Matty and I decided to go to the temple, he wasn't sure if they'd let him do baptisms with me though because it's so busy so we went pretty early, but they did.
Last week was a little stressful just because it was the last full week of classes before finals and I had a paper due which I procrastinated terribly. Matty and I went to the temple again on Monday, it's amazing how much better my week is when I go, I still have my doubts, concerns, worries, etc. but it isn't overwhelmingly terrible. Yesterday was the last day of classes, today and tomorrow are days to get caught up on studying and then finals start Friday. I'm going to die this summer, I have a four day break between when finals end and when the spring term starts, finals for the spring semester end the 18th of June and then the summer term starts the 22nd of June! I talked to Mom and Daddy though and I may try to fly out and visit Cherstin and Dan in OKC for those few days in June between the spring and summer terms but who knows what'll happen.

Nothing much has been going on here. I've been a little stressed with school and such lately. I have two tests this week, and a tap evaluation, then next week I have three tests. I know that I need to get moving and start studying but it's hard to find the motivation right now, I don't know why.
On the up side I think I have finally figured out what my major is going to be. When we were living in KY, Suzanne and Nathan were there too and their kids were diagnosed with some developmental disorders. They use to have specialists who were sent by the county that would come in and do therapy with the kids, and I always thought that it was fascinating. Well, here at BYU they offer a degree in Family Life Emphasis in Human Development. I think that's what I'm going for and then I can hopefully get a job working with kids who have disorders and stuff. I'm pretty stoked about it, I took a Child Development class at Front Range and really enjoyed it and that counselor that I talked to said that that was a good sign that I'd enjoy the major. For this major too, they offer internships that still count towards my degree so that I can get my foot in the door while I'm still a student and whenn I'm actually graduated I can say that I've already had some experience, so that's a big leg up. And added bonus if I work really hard this spring and summer I can graduate in a little over a year!
I've maybe with toying with the idea of a mission after that, but I'm still pondering it. I was considering it before but lately I've been questioning whether or not it really is that right thing for me, I don't think it'd be bad if I went, quite the contrary it could be excellent, but I guess I'm a little unsure and still have a lot of counseling with the Lord to do. I've been doing a lot of that lately.
There are only five weeks left in this semester and can I just say that I cannot wait! This semester hasn't been all bad, in fact there have been some of the happiest times of my life, but there have also been some not so great parts. I have the same teacher for two of my classes and he is this cute old man, but good gracious as a teacher he isn't the best I've had, I've actually pretty much dreaded his classes all semester because they're so dry. I know you can find anything interesting if you really try, but this semester I haven't really been up to it. I know that's my own problem-o. But suffice it to say, I'm ready to be done.
That's really all that's going on in my life as of right now.

oh..for those of you haven't already heard from Mom, Matty and I aren't together anymore. I don't really want to talk about it, we just had some problems. No hate mail or anything though ok? The split was amicable and he is still my best friend.

Lots has been happening since I last posted. I got back to Provo from the Christmas Break on the fourth of January just in time for classes to start on the fifth! haha When I first started the semester I didn't think that it was going to be too hard, but now I realize that it may just be more work than I bargained for! My first week of school I had a test in Latin, I had two tests today alone, one in Latin and another in World Civ. Which would have been fine but my World Civ. test could have gone a whole lot better. It was an essay exam, which is fine except for I'm like the most verbose person known to man and I only had an hour to do it in, and when the TA's said that they were looking for detail and not generalizations, that's what I tried to give them. And I succeeded with two of the civilizations I was discussing, the only problem was that I was supposed to talk about four but ran out of time after the first two and had to leave it at generalizations as far as the last two were concerned. At the review session that I went to the TA's said that the average length of a paper is four to five pages! Oh, my gosh! When I talked to my roommmate Michelle about it she said that tests such as that are usually given in the testing center and that you would have to write really fast to crank out a four to five page essay in an hour. So that makes me feel marginally better about it but I still don't think I did very well at all. Matty was there for me, supportive as usual, although he mentioned that he didn't particularly like the fact that I worry so much and beat myself up over stuff that I can't change.
Which, by the way news there, even though I'm sure everyone who reads this is already aware, because I told Mom, and let's face it half of the United States probably knows by now! (haha love ya' Mom!) Matty and I have officially started dating. We had been getting closer just before we left Provo for the Christmas Break, and while we were gone we talked every night on the phone. The night I got back to Provo, he came over to visit, and I basically saw him everyday after. I introduced him to the comic genius that is Nacho Libre (XxOoXOxoXoxO haha) and he liked it, or at least didn't think it was utterly stupid like most people, which made me happy. Everyone could basically see me falling for him but myself. Earlier in the month my roommate Aurie said to me "The only one who can't see how crazy you are about him is you!" A few days later I got a taste of what it was like to go a day without seeing him, which I hadn't done in at least a month, and I have to say that I really didn't care for it. So after a bit more waffling on my part I realized that he's my best friend, he's sweet to me, and has been so patient because he's known what he wanted since at least November-December time frame but he's stuck with me through my indecision, he even told me that if I wanted him to stop liking me that he would because in the end he really just wanted me to be happy, he cares more about me and what I want than himseld and I finally admitted to myself how I felt and then of course I let him know. Today he took me out on a date, and as we were sitting at dinner he said to me "You know how they say you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink?" "What they don't tell you is that you can salt the horse's oats." Apparently, that day that I had to go without seeing him was planned, he was "salting my oats", trying to get me to realize how much I hated not seeing him. His plan worked.
Last Saturday I got to go to the open house of the Draper Temple. My roommate Jessica's family had bought tickets for ten and they were going to drive out here from CO to go, but the weather was too bad and they couldn't make the trip. So Jessica invited Matt and I to tag along with her and Ben. It was so beautiful in there! We got to go into the sealing room which is something we didn't have the opportunity to do at the open house for the Nauvoo temple, and it was really cool to look into the mirrors and see them reflect back and forth forever. It was so peaceful in there as well.
Well that's about it for updates on this kid!
P.S. Wanda and Hannah I'm learning a new routine in my tap dance class and will totally have to teach you guys! It's fun.

L: My New Years Eve Challenge.

R: Emily and I getting ready for the slide on Monday.

Monday, I was sitting around with Desi, and I mentioned to her that Matty was going to Jack-in-the-Box because I had been pestering him to go because they have those in Houston and he'd never really been because he was one of those anti-Jack people because of the whole food poisoning thing a few years back (turns out that he doesn't particularly care for it anyway, and he also prefers Cafe Rio which is like half as good and twice as expensive to Chipotle! What am I going to do with that boy! haha). Well, at that point Desi and I decided that some Jack sounded pretty darn good so we drove about a half hour to get some. After that we took Emily to the park and let her run around for a little bit before going back to the house and running some errands.

So a few weeks ago, I was saying something to my roommate Jessica about how I'm terrible because I constantly sleep with my contacts in even though you aren't supposed to and it's really bad for your eyes. Well at that point Aurie (another roommate) overheard me and said that I really shouldn't do that and told me about how she had done that for a long time but then developed an astigamatism because of it and wasn't allowed to wear contacts for a year! Needless to say I've been trying to be better about removing my contacts before I go to bed at night and since, I've noticed that when I do happen to fall asleep with them in my eyes are always irritated the next day. Well, Monday night I was up really late and completely forgot to take my contacts out before bed! So Tuesday when I woke up my eye was a little dry and irritated and a bit pink so I took my contacts out to give my eyes a little time to breath. I spent the better part of Tuesday blind except for like maybe an hour when I went to get dinner at Chipotle for everyone and while we ate. And then I took them right back out. But, Tuesday night as I was talking to Matty on the phone my eye just started to burn and water like crazy and I couldn't figure out what was going on. I slept through the night but when I woke up Yesterday my eye was still just burning and watering like nobody's business and it wasn't just a little pink it was red. I immediately thought of Aurie and had this little freak out inside my head about how maybe I had an astigmatism. I spent the better part of the morning just trying to relax and praying that my eye would just get better. At around 11:30-12 ish Desi told me that I might walk down to King Soopers and purchase some eye drops so that is exactly what I did. I borrowed Desi's sunglasses and trekked down there and as I'm standing in the grocery store I can only imagine that I must look like the biggest crack addict or something of that nature as I'm standing there with shades on in the middle of the store with one eye bright red and leaking and I'm looking at eye drops. haha But I bought some and went back to Desi's and Mike's and had Desi help me put them in and thankfully they did the trick! Rather immediately actually.

For the past few days Desi and Mike have been getting this notification in their mailbox that there was a parcel waiting for someone with the last name Bainbridge down at the post office. Well the most recent notification said that the parcel was specifically for me. Now, I must say that I'm a little perplexed by this because I haven't ordered anything online recently without having switched the shipping address to my apt. in Provo and even if by some chance I missed switching the address over I just ordered the stuff on Monday so it wouldn't be getting her by now. I can't figure why any member of my family would be sending me something because Desi and Mike had me for Christmas this year and I spent Christmas with them and they already gave me my gift. Also, none of my family members have menthioned anything about sending me a package. But, no one outside of my family would have known to send me a package at this address. So I don't know who/where this package is from, why they're sending it to me, or what it is! I guess the only way to know is to pick it up and find out, but when we went to do that yesterday the post office had already closed early.

Last night Desi and Mike had people over for New Years Eve. Seth and Lexy Ludwig and their little girl Hannah and then Val and Nathan along with Lucas and Bridgette showed up. It was pretty enjoyable. We had burgers for dinner (grilling on New Years Eve!) and then played Would You Rather? I ended up on a challenge space and had a do it challenge, one of my options was go through two full player turn with a spoon in your mouth, it didn't sound too hard so that's what I chose. haha Desi tells me "OK go get your spoon, wait.....I'll get it!" so I'm sitting there waiting for my spoon when Desi walks back in with this huge metal serving spoon. Of course, I can't back down so I have to shove this thing into my mouth and just sit there while they continue to play the game. Everyone was laughing, including myself, but the bad part was that because I'd been laughing so hard and because I had the challenge of forcing something twice the size of my mouth into my mouth I had all this excess saliva that was just pooling in my mouth and then eventually began to dribble out of my mouth and down the handle of the spoon! It was so gross!!! And then to make matters worse, the game practically stopped because someone else hit a challenge space and had to perform their challenge. Fun times right! haha

Today, I've just been trying to figure out how I'm going to get all my stuff back to Provo. Let me tell you what it's looking like it might be a bit of a challenge.