Christine

Once upon a time, life was pretty good at Wyview Park. Everyone was making friends with everyone else. We felt so comfortable and content.

And then, we heard that a new girl was moving in. We wondered about her. We facebook-stalked her. We caught glimpses of her. And one day, just before Halloween, we met her.

One of my friends txtd me: "The new girl is here!" I grabbed my bowl of food and ran to her apartment.

"Oh hey, guys!" I said. Very casually. "How's everyone's day going?" Obviously no one would suspect that I was just there to meet the new girl and form an opinion of her. Especially not when she came out into the living room and I practically barked, "HI! Are you the new roommate? I'm Heather."

She kindly pretended like I was normal and said hi back and introduced herself. Her name was Christine.

She looked like this:

We loved her immediately. 

Freshman year was only made better by Christine moving into Wyview. One time, she organized an activity where we made caramel apples. And I'm not sure how, but somehow, this picture came out of it. And I'm so happy it did. For obvious reasons.

Christine is a super-fun friend to have because she is always up for a fun activity! The fall semester activity our freshman year was themed something princessy or knighty or royal in some way, so a bunch of us dressed up as princesses. Amazingly, Christine made her Sleeping Beauty costume. She is so talented and stuff!

Another time, we went to whiteout night at Studio 600 in Salt Lake. It was so much fun! Oh, even though half of us didn't get in because all we had for ID's were out student ID's. It was still fun dressing up for it!

Christine and I weren't roommates when we were freshmen, even though we might as well have been. (I think I slept in my own bed.....maybe 3 nights a week. The rest of my nights were spent on either Winnie's couch or Christine's.) But we repented of that and lived together our sophomore year! I remember flying back to Utah, walking into my room, and finding little post-it notes all over. They said things like, "All of this shelf space is yours" and "You can switch sides if you want, I don't mind either way :)" and "I missed you! Welcome home!"

Another point I feel like I should make: Christine is stylish and photogenic. Sometimes when she was my roommate she would have me pick her outfit for Sunday and it was always kind of like a grand privilege because she has such cute and classy dresses!

Christine is awesome because she is spontaneous. We did a ton of random fun things together, from dancing in the rain to Leggers on the couch to hitting up the Lehi Rodeo. And they were all so. fun. 

I am so happy that Christine went with me to Florida to work at Disney. We had an amazing time together! We danced with some Moroccans, went to Universal Studios, laid out at the pool to listen to general conference, struggled with the crappy internet, and got wonderfully tan. Christine was a lifeguard, so obviously she got the most tan. And the boys loved her. One beautiful Australian boy even took her to Universal Studios!

We were in Florida for Valentines Day, and when I got back to my apartment after work, I found a pink heart-shaped lollipop and a handwritten card on my bed from Christine. It was such a sweet card and you better believe I still have it! 

When we were in Florida, we weren't going to school. I love Christine as a student, too, but when she doesn't have school to worry about, she is only just fun. All the time.

I love these pictures because, look! Christine is always willing to make a face or do a silly pose for a picture with me. She doesn't act embarrassed or always offer to take the picture so she doesn't have to be in it. Which is valuable!

Tan tan, can you do the tan tan?

 Christine is wonderful because all of my other friends like her too! When Caitlin, Christine and I went to the Lehi Roundup, we all had so much fun together. When Nicole came out to visit a few weeks ago and Christine practiced how she could approach a random hot stranger on the beach, Nicole couldn't stop talking about how hilarious Christine was. When Christine met two of my guy friends, they thought she was hot. Obviously. 

Christine is inclusive and diplomatic. I love how she plans things and invites me to them! I also love how she is thoughtful of other people's feelings. One time, my friends were teasing me about how bad I am at directions. Just to put it out there, I am terrible at directions, and I didn't really mind the teasing. But then Christine piped up and said, "Actually! Heather really impressed me in Florida, she was good at driving there." It was just a simple thing to say, and even though I wasn't on the verge of tears or anything, it made me feel so good to get that little bit of credit!

Christine is always there for important events. She is super-busy with work and school, but she has come every year to Tucano's for my birthday. When we plan something, she is there. I love that I can count on her :)

Christine is cool because she is lots of different things. She is fun to go dancing with! She is easy to have deep conversations with. We have great conversations and boys and kissing! Then we sit next to each in church and be reverent. She is a great mom at amusement parks! She also takes the best pictures on the teacups. She looks great with blonde hair! She looks fabulous with dark hair! She can't be stopped!

Christine is an example to me in so many ways. One way is her selflessness! Check out this recent blog post of hers for proof of that. And then follow her blog, because it is greatly entertaining. 

 New girls don't always become lifelong friends, but with Christine, I would say we all got incredibly lucky. Next year, we will both be graduating, and I can't wait to take a million more fun pictures together in our caps and gowns! Especially because I'm sure they won't be the last pictures we take :) Happy birthday Christine! You are awesome!

Lost and.....not found :(

So when you are an elementary school teacher, you need to have a plan book. This plan book is where you put all of your lessons, the seating chart for your classroom, the schedule for the day, everything. I had one last semester and used it perfectly, just like I was supposed to. Then I put it somewhere where it would be really easy to find it this semester, since I was going to need it again.

Does anyone know where that place might be?

I looked around today for it. My search started out pretty casual as I skipped through my room, glancing here and there. After a few minutes it became a little bit more methodical. When I still couldn't find it, I became annoyed, and then frantic. I went through every box, bag, and tupperware container in my closet. I moved everything out from under my bed. I checked in all of my dresser drawers.

I found:

*five rotten, dry, hard, deformed clementines. They had to be at least 8 months old.

*a long-sleeved shirt I'd been missing

*a sweater dress I'd been missing

*2 pairs of never-been-worn boots still in their boxes with the tissue paper around them

*1 pair of black Sunday shoes, similarly in a box with tissue paper

*my bottom retainer

*my sleep mask that I sometimes wear

*some face wash I got in the summer.

*some shirts that belong to a friend from freshman year

*a moth that was way too friendly. IHATEMOTHS.

*a math textbook that I thought I just hadn't gotten

*2 empty never-been-used 3-ring binders

*a prom dress (another thing I have never worn)

*a long-lost stash of tampons

*my 72-hr food kit from freshman year

*1 spiral notebook with like 4 dividers that has not a single word written in it

*a necklace

*a mirror Sarah made for me

*I think that's it.

Are you wondering where my plan book is on that list?

......Me too :( I'm also wondering where it is in real life.

Guys, I don't know how this happened. I have moved how many times since freshman year? Not only have I moved apartments in Provo - let's not forget that I have been home for the summer, or a large chunk of it, every year. I also lived in Florida for 4 months so I am really not sure how I overlooked these things and re-found them just now. It's not annoying that I'm re-finding long-lost items, just that everything I have hoarded since Freshman Year is suddenly resurfacing and my plan book, which I need tomorrow and which I had last semester, is nowhere to be found.

In happier news, I'm so excited about fourth grade! I love it already. I will post more on how great today was with my class later. If anyone has any advice, I'd love to hear it!

Under the Influence

You know how sometimes, someone says something, and it is said in just the right way and at just the right time, so that it has an everlasting impact on you?

Here are some things that people have said that you might not think would influence me so strongly, but they did.

1. "Time to wake up and get pretty for school!"

My Aunt Carol said this to me one morning when my parents were out of town and she was staying with us in their absence. Something changed in my brain right then. I thought, "Oh. Getting pretty? I love getting pretty!" I realized then that I have the opportunity to get pretty every. Single. Morning. I jumped out of bed and made my way over to the mirror, beaming. Getting ready for school was no longer a chore, because I wasn't just getting ready; I was getting pretty.

2. "'Will you marry me' should be the easiest question you ever answer in your life. If it's not the easiest question, it's either the wrong guy or the wrong time."

My Miamaids teacher, Sister Obering, said this in one of our many many lessons on marriage. It gave me a good deal of comfort, because I always thought that getting married would be such a stressful decision. But really, shouldn't it be easy? Shouldn't you just know that you are saying yes to the right person, and it's the right time? I like that idea a lot.

3. "You're just so comfortable in your own skin."

My roommate Olivia said this to me a few weeks ago. I'd never thought of myself in that way, and when she said that, it made me think that maybe other people don't think I'm as awkward as I think I am. Not that I think I'm so awkward or anything....I just never realized that people might think of me as someone who was obviously confident and comfortable.

4. "Heather. What if, tomorrow, you get all ready for church. And you have a beautiful dress, you do your hair all pretty, everything. And you sit down with your family and you're waiting for the meeting to start, when in walks Prince Charming. And he is so handsome, and so perfect. And he sees you and just thinks, oh, that is the most beautiful girl. I must have her. And he starts to walk towards you. And you see him coming towards you and you just think he is the best thing since toilet paper. And you can't wait to meet him. And then, right when he's about to get to you, you smile at him, and your teeth are all black, and they're falling out of your head, because you didn't brush them. And that perfect Prince Charming just thinks, Oh my. What a mistake. And he walks away. Wouldn't that be sad? Don't you think you ought to brush your teeth?"

My dad said this to me when I was about four years old. I might have been five. Regardless, for some reason that night, I didn't want to brush my teeth. And after that, I never didn't want to brush my teeth again. I mean, how traumatizing! What if my teeth did turn black? What if Prince Charming did walk away when I smiled? How awful!

I've also found myself subconsciously applying this to other things in my life. Like, when I don't want to shave my legs.

5. "You'll want a pair of headphones."

My sister Kelly said this to me when we were stuff-shopping when I first arrived in Provo for school. I didn't have an iPod then, and still don't, and I never listened to music while studying, so I didn't think I would need headphones. But hooooly cow was she right. I got a pair of headphones and used it every single day of my life after that.

6. "Sometimes, it's best if you've gone on a few dates with someone and you still don't really like them, it's best to just tell them, 'you know, maybe we shouldn't go on any more dates, I think it would be best if we were just friends.' That's okay, you know."

Sister Giles, another one of my Young Women's leaders, said this when she and her husband participated in a panel about dating for one of our activities. Sister Giles was beautiful, intelligent, and sweet, and I remember thinking that she must have had millions of boys wanting to date her at college. Of course she would have to come up with something to say to eliminate a few of them.

I was certain then that my situation at college would be far different, that I would never utter those words. I couldn't imagine that many people were as popular as Sister Giles had been. Maybe one of my friends would be that popular and I would hear stories about her turning down dates. As for myself, it didn't seem very likely that I would ever avoid a date, much less tell someone straight out that I wasn't even interested in being asked out by them again.

But now I understand that it's not even really a matter of popularity. Everyone doesn't always want to go on a date with everyone else. It's not a big deal if you realize that it's not going anywhere with one person and you tell them so. You'll both just move on and get over it. Now I think it's funny that at one point, this was such a foreign idea to me.

7. "You've got a good sub-conscious."

My Grandpa Hammer was everything from a teacher to a military man to a scientist to a hypnotist. Obviously, my brothers and sisters and I were the most intrigued by his history as a hypnotist, so we all let him hypnotize us when he came to visit us and was feeling up to it.

After one time of hypnotizing me, my grandpa said those words and gently tapped my arm, where he always tapped me to get in contact with my subconscious. I was immensely pleased, and since then, I have felt an impressive sense of control over my thoughts.

If you ever have the opportunity to be hypnotized, I highly recommend it. Your brain is capable of so much, and exploring that is a unique and invigorating experience.

8. "No projects."

I think it's pretty safe to say that this is my dad's favorite thing to say. It's the one phrase thing I've heard him say with the most frequency, other than like, "I love you" and "What's for dinner" and "Oh! Girls....Stop it. Now I mean it. Oh.....MELODY!" and stuff like that. It's in reference to boys, and the kind of boys he wants us to date slash marry.

A project is someone who you talk about and you say, "Oh he would be so perfect, if he would just stop smoking," or "control his temper," or "go to church." And then you date them with the intention of being so good and perfect yourself that you can get him to stop smoking, or control his temper, or go to church. Girls sometimes get this "Beauty and the Beast" mindset that has us convinced that the beast we are in love with will miraculously become a prince. But that isn't really true most of the time, and it causes a lot of heartache for girls who believe that they are the exception.

He started pounding it into my head at such an early age that now, I don't even consider dating boys who would be "projects." Sometimes I see my friends dating "projects" and it stresses me out.

Last year in my mission prep class, Brother Bott put a little addendum on this mantra. He said, "We are all works in progress, and we are all going to marry a work in progress. You just have to decide if this person is someone you want to work with as you both try to attain perfection." I think that is quite profound.

9. "Everyone is a potential friend."

This was my sister Nicole's piece of advice that she said when I was about to go to college. It changed my life! I got on the plane and saw potential friends. I got off the plane and saw (30 hot Utah boys and) potential friends. I went to Freshman Orientation, where I met one of my very best friends to this day. My classes were chock-full of potential friends.

I've learned to remind myself of this idea whenever I'm about to embark on a new adventure. Coming to Florida was hard, because I was leaving behind some really good friends, but it was easier, because I just reminded myself that everyone is a potential friend. Since being here, I've made friends with the people I work with. I've become friends with the people in my ward. I've met people on the bus, at the pool, and in the parks who are now my friends (on facebook, at least).

So remember this, whenever you are about to go to a party where you don't know anyone, or you are about to start a new job. Everyone is a potential friend. You never know where a friendship might form when you have this attitude.

Please don't be offended if you didn't see yourself on this list! It's just a short list, and I'm sure it is incomplete. In fact I know it is, because I don't even have anything that my mom said. My point is, you have all influenced me in more ways than I could even begin to enumerate here. Thank you :)

Awkward

Today, I went to the Creamery on 9th. This is what I needed to buy:

and .

Oh, also:
.

Whatever. I am a twenty-year-old woman. Making this kind of purchase does not bother me. I am far too mature to be fazed by such a responsibility. Except, I have never had such an awkward experience with it as I did today.

My first priority was getting paper plates, for a class party we are having on Wednesday. Then I picked up some conditioner. Then, as I walked confidently towards the section for feminine hygiene, it happened.

The creamery was suddenly swarmed by all the freshman boys currently living at Heritage. Seven of them, all about eight feet tall, nonchalantly set up camp right in front of my targeted purchase. They looked around, discussing how they should be at Subway instead. I couldn't have agreed more. I wanted them to be at Subway, too.

After idly looking over the hair products for a few minutes, I got tired of waiting. I marched up to them, determined not to be awkward. "Excuse me," I said.

"Oh, sorry," said one of them, and started to meander away. His friends turned to look at what I needed. Twelve eyes fell on the tampons, six necks turned red, and six awkward freshman boys scattered to all corners of the store. I might as well have been buying the antidote to the plague.

Still, in my earnest desire to avoid awkwardness, I took my time to make an educated decision about exactly which brand and box I wanted. I then walked up to the cash registers, where I was rejoined by the six giant freshmen, still talking about how great it would be if they were at Subway instead of the Creamery. I don't know what was keeping them there.

I put my conditioner, paper plates, and tampons on the little conveyor belt. The lady at the register snatched the tampons off the belt, scanned them, and threw them in a bag. Then she smiled sympathetically at me. "How is your day going?" she asked, her voice oozing with compassion.

I smiled. "Great!" I said. She smiled knowingly and started scanning my other items. "How's yours?" I asked.

"Pretty good," she said, and told me my total. I paid, thanked her, and left the Creamery.

Never to return again, because I just don't think I can handle it.