Just.. be happy :)

Oh my good golly! What a loooonnnggg week! This session of swimming lessons seemed to last f-o-r-e-v-e-r. seriously. It was rough. But I made it and that's all that matters :) I decided earlier today that tomorrow... I am going on a spontaneous adventure. I don't know what I am doing nor where I am going but I feel like I need a little more excitement right now. I haven't done anything spontaneous this whole summer. It's killing me! Another bit of wonderful news! My roommates and I finally have our travel plans together to get up to school! yay! AAAANNNDDD I might get to see my best friend Lillie when I go to Utah! so many exclamation points! Life is finally going the way I'd like it to go :) which never ever happens. Well.. I better cherish this. This summer has flown by pretty fast, but now that it's the end of July.... well time is taking its....time? Mer. I cannot wait to be back up at the Burg :) My classes are going to be so much fun this semester! I have two labs: Neurobiology and Chemistry. I am more excited for the Neurobiology than the Chemistry but... I get to do what I love and that's all that matters :) I've decided that this semester... I am going to soak in my college experience. Last year, it went by SO fast. I barely remember it. But this year... I am hoping to make memories that will last a lifetime. My roommates are the sweetest girls you will ever meet! I am so blessed to know them :) 


I was talking to an old friend and she was having a hard time being happy... I find that weird because I rarely am ever unhappy. But when I am... I feel like a big hurricane is over my head. I was scavenging around my word documents and I stumbled upon a list that I made when I was super stressed. it's call my happiness list :) I felt the need to write down everything that made me happy and granted.. some of it is really weird. I find the littlest things make me the happiest. So here is the list:

Things that make me happy:

ü  Rexburg, Idaho

ü  Airplanes

ü  My family

ü  Getting a text first

ü  Singing in the shower

ü  Peanut butter

ü  Brushing my teeth

ü  Catherine

ü   Sarah

ü   Lillie

ü   Mandy

ü   Aimee

ü  Patrick

ü  Awkward smiles

ü  Making up the lyrics to a song you don’t know

ü  Old books

ü  Dancing in the rain

ü  Staying in the library for hours

ü  Uncontrollable laughter

ü  Deep conversations

ü  Camping

ü  Camp fires

ü  Seeing cute old couples that have been together for a long time

ü  Cheesy 90’s movies

ü  Music

ü  Spontaneous adventures

ü  Sleeping on the spine of the couch

I go back and read this and I laugh at myself because they are so random but... they are what make me who I am :) I highly recommend writing down what makes you happy. Sometimes we all need a little bit of reminding :)

I

One year older, another year wiser...right?

Well, I am officially 19 :) The gang and I went to go bowling... which was fun. but the best part was when I thought that Eric had my keys... so I jumped out of the Euro van and ran to his car, as he is driving away, and jumped onto the hood of the car. It was really epic. But honestly, it's not as fun as they depict. It was actually  seriously terrifying. agh. but I get to cross that off of my bucket list! Other than that, I worked on my birthday. Which is fine because my kids sang happy birthday to me and of course... I melted. it was the CUTEST thing I have ever heard. It also made me randomly really  miss my brother. Ben Chase. He is has been on a mission for 1 year and 4 months. It has gone by SO fast. Lately, the time is slowly ticking by. I miss my best friend. I am super happy that he is out serving the Lord and doing what is right... but both him AND my best friend Patrick are on their missions. I can not wait until they are both home :) It shall be legen--wait for iiiitttt....DARY.

This birthday, I actually did feel older... which is weird. I felt like I was finally growing up and becoming mature. Aaaaand then I went and had a sword fight with my Storm Trooper mask on with my sister. The maturing is a work in progress ;) But the more I grow up, the more I start to think about my future. I mean, yeah, when we were all little we wanted to be doctors and firefighters and teachers.... but I always seemed to have a plan. which is odd because those who know me know that I rarely ever plan anything. Now that I am in college and I am actually putting this plan to action, reality kicked in. I have come to terms that things aren't going to go as I had planned and it frustrates me beyond reason. I mean, I have my WHOLE LIFE set. Get my bachelor's in Neuroscience, go to the University of Pennsylvania and get my PhD, and then move to Chicago to fulfill my dreams of performing research and being in the Chicago symphony and then after a couple of years settle down and have a big family. big dreams. I tend to think "Go big or go home." But I have met some people and thought some thoughts that have completely changed my view on things. I was so OBLIVIOUS. Why would I think that I could just waltz along life and do everything that I had planned? God doesn't work that way. He has His own plan for me and I need to do what He asks of me. I am so stubborn and ridiculous. I guess it's the Irish/Scottish in me ;) Heavenly Father knows exactly what is best for me. He knows me better than I know myself. His eternal plan of happiness is what I need to focus on.

 I am still having issues letting Him take the driver's seat... but no matter what thoughts pop into my head or what people come into my life, I always think "remember your plan..." and I push them aside. But Heavenly Father never stops trying... which is great because this could take awhile..

One Crazy Summer...

Man... This summer has been pretty crazy. Like I am feeling like John Cusack. Nothing is going the way I thought it would. This summer was supposed to be relaxing. No boys, no school, no problem. Yup. Not what I had planned... but that's life right? just one big adventure :) 
        In the words of one young Ellie Fredricksen "Adventure is out there!".  

I work as a swim instructor... that should just sum it all up. My kids are great though. I love every single one of them! I definitely found my calling in life. I love seeing the looks on their faces as they swim on their own for the first time. so rewarding :)

 Other than that not much has happened...

 I tend to miss my best friend, Lillie Covington,

 more than anything right now. She has to spend the summer in Utah..

lame sauce to the MAX.

 It's been challenging not having my partner in crime always around.. but that's why I've got Mandy ;)

I have really kind of discovered myself this summer. dramatic much? yes. Here is what I have found out:


1) I really love making up songs to everything I do.
2) I tend to treat inanimate objects like they are people by saying "sorry" as I run into them.
3) I have an addition to water.
4) I need to get out more because I read WAY too many science articles.
5) I am a complete nerd.
6) I make stupid mistakes because I am impulsive. 
7) Those stupid mistakes make GREAT stories.

So far it's not a lot... but I'm sure this list is going to expand once I go back to school. fo sho. dawg. 


But I have finally figured out what I want to do with my life. Who I want to be and where I want to be in 5 years. I have never been so sure of anything before. It's a little scary. This "growing up" thing is challenging... I'm not sure I like it right now.. but I will come along for the ride. It's gotta get exciting sometime :)