Eight days & 20 hours.

 A L U M N I.

That's what I'll be. What?! No way! I'm not ready for that title yet. I'm not old enough, educated enough, wise enough, ready enough.

As each day passes me by I try to enjoy the little things:

Starting class with a prayer.

The peace that comes with the snow (even though I complain about it often).

Professors that actually care.

Being surrounded by so many people strong in the gospel.

Learning both temporally and spiritually. 

My calling.

This beautiful gorgeous campus.

The Spirit that dwells here so strongly.

The temple just a stone's throw away.

...along with countless others.

I'm feeling like my readiness for this chapter of my life to come to a close is slowly creeping upon me. I'm already planning my next move, educationally, which makes this step even more sweet and less bitter.

These next eight days will be trying extremely trying! It will be nonstop but I'm trying to savor every. last. moment. 

I know I'll leave this place with tears in my eyes but they will be tears of joy rather than sorrow. I've done here all that I can and it's time. It's time to move on.

Rexburg & BYU-Idaho.

Words. I hate words. Words cannot express the feelings I'm feeling right now. Every emotion in the book!

Leaving to go to Rexburg, Idaho (a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, Idaho) January of 2011 all I could do was cry. I was so sad because of the life that I was leaving. Stepping out of my comfort zone and out of the car at my *new* home my nose felt funny. My nose, you ask? Yes, my nose. Something I had never experienced before... My nose hairs froze! That was a first, but no where near a last.

That first semester was rough. Maybe rough is an understatement. I really struggled.

I hated the snow. I hated the brown scenery. I hated being away from family and friends.

I loved BYU-Idaho. So, I was torn. To stay or to leave.

I decided to leave. Best decision of my life.

Really, you ask? YES! From the moment I stepped on campus at Mt. Hood Community College back home in Oregon I knew without a doubt that BYU-Idaho was where I needed to go back to. So, I finished out at MHCC and swallowed my pride and applied and went back to BYU-Idaho, where I belonged. Was it hard? Absolutely. Do I regret it? Heck no! Why was leaving BYU-Idaho the best decision of my life then? I didn't know what I had until I didn't have it anymore.

I went back April of 2012 and haven't left since. Rexburg has a special place in my heart. It always will. 

What changed? My attitude. My attitude changed to appreciate the now, to appreciate and look for the beauty in all things. Even though I was away from family and friends I could make new friends and Skype my family. Even though most of south eastern Idaho is brown, campus is green and beautiful. 

“Cultivate an attitude of happiness. Cultivate a spirit of optimism. Walk with faith, rejoicing in the beauties of nature, in the goodness of those you love, in the testimony which you carry in your heart concerning things divine.”

-Gordon B. Hinckley

Now, I graduate with a bachelor's degree in 28 days and I'm not ready to leave this little Rexburg safety bubble I've learned to love. 

Not to mention the spirit so strong on campus that I take for granted everyday of my life. In 29 days I'll be on my way back to Oregon, where things are unsure, where I don't have a safety bubble, where I have to leave this amazing life that I live here.

Here's to: growing up and moving on, to starting the next chapter or phase of my life, to trusting in the Lord with all my might, to having faith that He will provide a way for me to become the daughter that I need to become, to leaving what has become my own personal "sacred grove". 

I know that this experience will make me stronger, better, and closer to my Father in heaven but that doesn't make it easy. I'm taking what I've learned and who I've become here and shining forth my light. It won't be easy but it will be worth it.

To my hands down favorite place to be, I love you and I will miss you but I will never ever forget you.

I'm a Mormon. I know it. I live it. I love it.

Click here! :)

T-time

I went through the Portland temple in August AND IT WAS AMAZING! I'm legitimately obsessed with the temple. I love it!

FaceTime.

Dear FaceTime,

What would I do without you? (Skype) You allow me to "spend time" with friends so easily! Thank you for all that you do!

I love you,

Creezy

Mr. Eli loves me! :)

 He's walking! What a big boy!

 Hil Bil!

She would KILL me for posting this.

Spring Grades...Fall Classes.

And the verdict is... 2 A's, 1 A-, and 2 B's. Not totally stoked  on the B's but I'll take what I can get. That's not too bad for spring semester and being the R.S.P. Always room for improvement. I'm better after taking those classes than I was before and I learned a ton and I go to school to learn... Not just to get grades. :)

Next semester, fall semester, my LAST semester... Weird! Sad! Exciting! So many emotions that I'm feeling about graduating so soon. It came too fast (even though I'm 25 and finally graduating with my bachelors degree, haha). Here's the line up for next semester. It's 15 credits. I'm R.S.P. again. I'm playing on a rec softball team. Five new roommates that I've never met. And hopefully keeping my sanity! I am so blessed for the opportunity that I've had to attend such an incredible university, one that is led by the Lord. Every time I think about leaving BYU-Idaho it makes me sad but I know that I have bigger things ahead of me that will change my life for the better. I'm incredibly grateful for the time I've spent in Rexburg and I look forward to my last few months! :)

An Oregon Sunset.

One thing I always forget to watch for here in Oregon are their sunsets. There are so many trees and Portland is mostly mountainous so usually that's in the way of seeing the sunset. I walked out of the church after home evening on Monday and saw this. I couldn't resist a picture taking moment! I love Oregon so much.

Quarter Of A Century.

The celebration for my birthday was spanned out over a few days but it was low-key and fun! It started a couple days before my actual birthday with an family tradition of camping for my birthday. Growing up we went camping every summer over my birthday. I'm not sure how it got started as a tradition because I don't LOVE camping. I do enjoy camping, don't get me wrong, but I don't love it enough to want to go for every birthday! Ha!

I drew "I heart Oregon"!

 On our way to McIver State Park... Mt. Hood in the background.

 Nasty camping feet.

 The girls did very well around the fire!

 Garrison decided to add Cheetos to his hot dog... He comes up with the weirdest combinations.

 Statue of Nathan.

 Looking up through the trees... I love trees.

 Tif got my birthday hats... I felt five again!

 I got a huge real diamond!

 If you look closely there's a deer that was SUPER close to our campsite.

On my actual birthday I spent the day with Andrew and Sara and we stopped by the temple. I love this place.

 Got a birthday snapchat from Emily Sheffet. :)

 Went to Ellen and Nate's Oregon wedding reception/ceremony.

 The cookie favors. Hand made!

 Hanging out in the TV room at Andrew and Sara's.

 The Monday following my birthday my, Jenn, Janice, and Sara went and got pedicures. So relaxing!

Two Weeks

Can you believe it? I only have about two of the semester left! WHAT! I have so much to do and so little time but I'll fight until the end to make sure everything is complete and complete to the best of my ability that is! In ward council last Sunday the bishop talked about serving until the end. I never really thought about that but it's so true. We need to finish out our task until it's complete. In that case it's fulfilling our callings until the semester it over. I have a feeling that I'll be RS president next semester as well. Which I'm fine with but it's my last semester and I hope that I can be able to balance everything. I know the Lord will help me through, He always does!

Right now I'm in Logan, Utah visiting my friend Camille and her husband Micah. They're going to school here at Utah State University.  I drove down yesterday in the 90 degree weather and got burnt! I don't have AC in my car so I had the window rolled down and it was quite windy for three straight hours. Ha!

On Thursday I'm driving to Boise to spend some time with Bri and her family at the Ward family reunion. I'm so excited. I don't get to see my best friends but a few times a year... *sigh* growing up is hard sometimes. ;)

Forms/APPS?

When I first started a budget I found it incredibly helpful to use the Dave Ramsey forms to write everything down. I prefer writing things down but sometimes I use an APP on my iPhone called Budgee.

 

The Budgee icon looks like this and it's free and really easy to use!

 

 

There are a few different forms you can print out and use:

- Quick-start budget

- Monthly cash flow plan

- Irregular income budget

 

*You can access all three of those forms by clicking here*

 

Snowball

It's important to avoid debt. We have been counseled by prophets of God to avoid such a thing.

 

 

If we're dealing with those circumstances we can use the "snowball" effect and minimize it quickly!

 

 

YNAB

For one of my classes this semester we've been assigned a practitioner project. My topic is... budgeting. I know I know, you're probably thinking "blah blah blah! I don't want to hear about it." But really, once you get the hang of it it's really fun and like a game. As a college student, with not much of an income, I still have a lot of fun budgeting. I hope that a few of my budgeting posts can get you excited about managing your finances!

You NEED a budget! (YNAB)

Why do YNAB?

Four Rules:

1: Give Every Dollar A Job

2: Plan For Those Bigger, Less Frequent Expenses

3: Roll With The Punches

4: Learn To Live On Last Months Income

Some of the People I love...

Today.