All Of The Lights All Of The Lights

This Sunday was an extra special day.  It was so fun to be in my home ward, and by fun I mean familiar and comfortable and easy and awesome.  I made dinner for the family: Spinach Enchiladas, Orange Winter Salad, and Cheesecake.  Shake and bake, booyah grandma!  And I went to the Mesa temple lights with my brother lover James, my best friend Erin, my baby boo Makayla, and my favorite tall man Scott!  And that's about all the preparatory description you get.  PICTURE TIME.

Now if those don't get you in the spirit of christmas I don't know what will!

So I Was Like, "Shore"

This was the weekend of the visitors!  Yes, that's visitors with an 's'.  It all started with James visiting, and then my BFF Erin and her Idaho friends Addy & Becca came down to sleepover for the weekend.  Friday was Makayla's birthday, so my friends from summer semester Erika and Kendall flew up to celebrate.  AND THEN, the best visit of all, my dad showed up and surprised me on Saturday!  Honorable mentions go to the 3 boys of BYU basketball who came over to my place and church leader M. Russell Ballard who spoke at my stake conference.  I guess when it rains it pours!

Highlights include:
. singing Yung Humma in the back of a truck with James on our way to Dominoes
. free Sprite at Dominoes
. seeing half of my high school at my old housing complex #gotoros
. standing in the back of the boys dorm {at my other old housing complex} even though it was past curfew because it was freezing cold. we "welcome home"d all the boys until someone showed up without pants on... that was awkward.
. james making us waffles in the morning
. my dad's surprise visit!  i was so happy i burst into tears.  so embarrassing.  what can i say, i'm a daddy's girl.
. Dad taking us out to dinner at California Pizza Kitchen
. shopping at F21 after searching for the "new" H&M in vain, turns out it was in Salt Lake
. an intense round of the game Signs with Becca's twin brother Isaac
. Bridesmaids and laughing our heads off, don't worry, we clean-fixed it by skipping the sex scenes and such
. summer friends surprising me and coming over!
. BYU basketball boys coming over as well, along with a round of "deep conversation"
. falling asleep to White Chicks
. M Russell Ballard speaking at my Stake Conference, he kept us all laughing
. mini birthday party for Makayla back at Julie's place complete with Texas Sheet Cake
. and finally, I'M MOVING INTO LINDSAY'S APARTMENT IN THE WINTER!  sing praises of joy!

Now I miss everyone so much.  Come back?  Please?

List

1.  Chantel sent thank you notes to her wedding guests a while back, including me.  Said thank you notes featured my mosaics as the artwork.  SO incredibly honored.  And hey, free advertising!

{front}

{back}

2.  Have you watched this yet?  Do it now.  She is my hero.  My inspiration.  I'm not kidding.

3.  My drawing class is pretty cool, minus the fact that I need some serious help.

 4.  En route to BYU-I, Erin slept over!  Of course, a Miranda tribute was made.

5.  I could talk about the weight I've gained and how my thinking has shifted toxic again, but I won't.

6.  I watched What A Girl Wants tonight.  Takes me back to third grade.

7.  A couple weeks ago Lindsay and I pranked our fri-ends with the babies in honor of the PLL finale.

{we thought we were pretty clever.}

8.  Guess who's teaching Gospel Doctrine on Sunday?  Yupp.

9.  My communications class is amazing.  Finally somebody understands me!

10.  It needs to rain soon.  I miss it.

As We Go Onnnn

I got out of bed long enough to graduate this past weekend.  First came Seminary graduation, or in my case Seminary certification.  I leave for a semester and don't get to graduate?!  Outrage!  Ahh welllll.  After graduation with the stake, our ward had a little ice cream social thingymajig.  This isn't all of us, but some!

The next day came around, and I officially graduated from high school!  Pomp and circumstance my friends.  Too bad I was feeling sick to my stomach, though i believe it was spurred by a sickness in my head.  I mentally could not push out of my mind how bad I looked.  And I wanted to cry.  And then I had a bad attitude, took little to no pictures on the field after the ceremony, booked it to my car, and sat in an empty parking lot and cried my eyes out.  Oh what fun!  And then instead of participating in all of the graduation parties and sunrise watchings I went to bed.  At eleven.  If only things could've been different...  Eh, I do it to myself. 

These are the announcements I sent out, this one to my new roommate Lindsay!

 Brielle greeted me with a kiss

 ohh, just caressing my rose

 the parentals

 the babe finally graduated!

 happiest baby known to mankind

bike ridin' Blake

 My dear Tanner!!! {and Sydnee and Tait in the background}

 Skyler

 Erin caught me on my way out, thank goodness

Even though I wasn't too physiqued to come back and walk, I really am glad that I did.  Despite being an emotional mess.  I blasted Pumped up Kicks by Foster the People on the last drive over to Mountain View.  One of my high school crushes walked in my line {cough, Parker, cough}.  I finally became friends with Melanie who I blogstalk all the time.  I passed the time sharing funny comments throughout the ceremony with Ashley.  The speakers gave great talks, and all was well!  I even got to wear the NHS stole and the gold honor tassle for a high gpa.  {Oh yeah, and when I graduated in December, I was top 8% of my class!  Just throwin' that out there}.  Oh the perks of being smart again...  Get to college and it's ripped out from under ya!  Gotta love it.

And that my dears, was graduation.  Again.

All Grown Up

Hello.  This is the big girl here!  Natalie Grace Freshman College Girl.  Yes, don't worry, it actually did happen and I didn't hide under my bed and hold onto the bottom of the frame {reverse Matilda style} when the car was loaded up and ready to leave.  The drive went by extremely fast. Just pops and me.  I got sick which was no bueno, but the scenery was beautiful so 'twas a plus when trying to keep myself oriented to prevent any further sickness.

Upon pit-stopping in Sedona so dad could check on his shopping center {where btw he is lending a movie theater for the Smashing Pumpkins to rehearse in, top secret, omgoodness!, and I saw all their equipment ahhh}, I "loled" at the top wi-fi name.

<3 the grand can.

Upon arriving we drove straight to BYU.  This is when I started freaking out.  "I can't do this!!! icantdothisicantdothisicantdothisicantdothis." Over and over again.  But what a welcome I received!  The moment we arrived at my dorm, Tingey woot woot, all my girlmates were standing there and so excited!  And boys even helped me unload all my things.  It is sooo relieving that these girls are better than I imagined!  We hung around in my room and I was introduced to people, Rachel even made me a welcome sign.  The whole nine yards.  We had roomie prayer and a mini scripture for the day.  One was to become perfect as Christ, synonymous for complete, and they said with me here they were now complete.  Oh. my. goodness.  I just about died.  Basically I could not have lucked out more.  Brief description of the girls shall we?  Bailey: she's my actual roommate, tiny, so pretty, hilarious, quotes every movie on the planet, so fun, and easy to talk to which is exactly what I need as the newbie.  Rachel: half-japanese, speaks japanese, super creative, even tinier, her voice is adorable, goes on a lotso dates, so including, nice.  Riley: relief society president, speaks french, all the boys love her, super fun and spunky, amazing long lean legs, and a dancer.  Shayn: ohhh sweetest thing, "scandy", my twin {both early grads, and other things i cannot remember for the life of me}, speaks chinese, outgoing, hilar.  And last but not least, Haley: seriously the kindest girl in the world, sweet, cute hair, the longest eyelashes, our mother.

 My bed!  And pillow pet.

 Rach's welcome!  And I adddoooree the chainlinks above my corner.

Boot from Stacie and notes from the Laurels!  Frame from Erin.

The next morning, disgusting, but ready to go!  P.S.  Rach made me that cheetah bracelet too.

My first day of school really wasn't my first day of school.  I don't have class Tuesday or Thursday.  How'd I swing that?  For this glorious day I finished putting my things together then got ready and got groceries with my dad.  While getting groceries I basically got a job.  There was this cute girl with her adorable twin daughters that we helped getting her groceries to her car, annnd i'm her new babysitter.  Or so I hope.  Maybe even nanny?  We'll see.  But I'm stoked because her two year old daughters were already pointing out all the colors to me because they love me.  I met up with Tantor and David, met lots of people, including Wess, {and yes Skyler, even Jamison}.  They helped me get my ID, books, and even gave me a mini tour.  Then David made us panini's and tomato basil soup for lunch.  Wow.  I'm being super detailed, but all of these little acts of kindness mean the world to me!  Then for Haley's late birthday the roomies went out to Brick Oven Pizza!  Learned about Shayn's "scandy side".  I skpyed Erin too!!!  Man am I gonna miss that girl.  Then saw a bit of Despicable Me.  Now I am back on my little, yet surprisingly comfy, dorm room bed.  And I'm freaking out about tomorrow.  5 classes.  In buildings I most likely WILL NOT be able to find among the mass of people in coats with their earbuds in.  Seriously.  That's campus for ya.  

 Spencer was there to Skype too.  He leaves for his mission in Munich in 2 weeks!

She even saved a little paper I doodled on.  Unintentionally, but saved all the same.

And we did a mustache/Mr.StealYourGirl tribute to Tyler.  Had to.

New Years Resolutions have been readjusted to my new life: Do my homework stat.  Babysit whenever I can {most likely Tuesdays & Thursdays}.  Run after my Interior Design class MWF. Be outgoing/comfortable around my roommates.  Don't freak out.  Snowboard once.  Hike the Y.  Eat healthy {got muh soup, salad, and gluten-free cereal!}.  Get stellar grades.  Get a scholarship.

Wish me luck tomorrow?

It's a New Year!

 Sparklers with Erin's family {and Tyler}, bonfire at Tyler's {todd was there and awkward to me, oh need to fill ya in-- so he wanted to see tron last week, and i couldn't so he took a different girl and now they're together? still love him though, no biggie}

 The pig roast party, yes, that is hayles with a real pig head.  They meant serious business.

This is joey.  And that's me in the red blanket waving behind him!

As the clock struck 12, we lit more sparklers and fireworks.  It was so pretty!  The coolest sight to see.  Imagine the ginormous orange fire glowing and all these crazy lights sparking off with people dancing up and down in a circle around the fire.

May the highs of 2010 be the lows of 2011!

Happy New Year!