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!

Hoe-down! (Throwwwdown)

Went to a Hoedown last night. Dressed up like a cowgirl. FROZE to death. Obviously, since I still can't even form complete sentences.

All I'm saying is, I got free food and I danced and had fun and I love hoedowns. Love them! I love when everyone wears plaid and feeds me pulled pork and chicken and potato salad and I love when people cheer because they announce an activity where four people straddle a wooden beam and then race across a field. I love lining up and dancing the cotton-eyed joe and I love being serenaded with an acoustic, slowed-down version of "Single Ladies" that sounds like Ingrid Michaelson is singing it.

The highlight of the evening for some people was when we all witnessed a proposal! This guy cleared the dance floor and danced with his girlfriend. I called it right as he was clearing the dance floor. It's like I have a sixth sense about proposals or something.

Anyway, they danced until someone stomped on the cord and the song came to a screeching halt. Taking it all in stride, the guy proposing just pulled out this big bouquet of blue flowers. Then he pulled out the ring, knelt down, and asked his girlfriend if she would marry him. She put her hands over her mouth and stood there for a minute while we all oohed and aahed and cheered.

I still don't know if she said yes but they were mackin on the dance floor in a few minutes, so whether she said yes or no, I guess he liked her answer. So it was a good time had by all.

All I'm saying is, this is the second proposal I have actually witnessed. The next one I witness had better be my own. Haha just kidding :)

PS. It's important, when speaking about the really fun event where people get together dressed up like cowboys and cowgirls and dance and eat food, that you spell it "Hoedown." Otherwise people get confused and think "Hoe [space] down? Where?"

Was your 2010 as Awesome as Mine?

Cuz mine was pretty awesome. Here are some of the awesomest parts of my year.....in chronological order, I think:

1. Going shooting with Uncle Brett! It was my first time shooting a gun and it was very fun. Almost as fun as the photo shoot we had afterwards.

2. My floral design class. I didn't love Winter Semester 2010, but this was one class I did love. I made all sorts of arrangements. Including, I learned how to make boutonnieres and corsages, which I made for Kelly's wedding :)

3. Finals week of winter semester. I had lovely roommates in the winter and we all separated in the summer :( To finish off our semester together, we pulled our mattresses out and had a sleepover, all week long. We got henna tattoos. And made smoothies. And watched movies. And kind of studied.

4. Nannying. I nannied the summer after my freshman year and I got to go back and nanny for the same kids again for about a month this summer. I love Malan and Owen so much, so that was wonderful!

5. Going to Trafalga. Chelsea worked there over the summer so she got me and some other friends in for free! We had a blasty-blast trick-riding on the carousel, racing the go-carts, and riding on all the rides past close.

6. Stadium of Fire. It was my first year going and it was awesome! I love Carrie Underwood and thought she did a fantastic job.

7. Lehi Roundup! Not long after Stadium of Fire I went to my first LEGIT rodeo in Utah. I was not disappointed! I went with my friends Brinley and Alyssa. I love cowboys so obviously I was in heaven.

8. Working. I had two great jobs this year that I absolutely loved. I started working at ColdStone in February and then at the BYU Writing Center in the summer (as an intern). I wasn't exactly thrilled with either job to begin with, but I quickly came to love them. The only pictures I have of Coldstone and the Writing Center are the ones I'm posting here....

At the Writing Center, Kylie and I are showing off our twin fingernails. On the wall behind us, please notice the thankful turkeys that everyone made for Thanksgiving.

At ColdStone, I am saying goodbye to Bruce, who was kind of my husband, because he decided to go to college.

9. Cornbelly's! This year was my first time going to Cornbelly's and I think I was converted. I love love loved it and will definitely be going back next year.

And finally,

10. Being the MOH at Kelly's wedding. I got to be home for Thanksgiving, give a speech, and dress up. Win win win. Not to mention, I think Dahl is the best brother-in-law ever, so all in all, their wedding easily makes this list.

I could put sooo many other things on this list. My birthday, for instance, was one of the best I've ever had. Halloween was amazing, as usual. I loved all the times I got to lay out by the pool just soaking up the sun and eating free hamburgers, and my trip to Texas was an adventure, to say the least. For the first time this summer, I enjoyed camping. I loved going to General Conference in Salt Lake, my trip to Park City to see Shawn White, and going to the Manti Pageant. It was awesome to see Nicole give the speech at her graduation and Sarah get baptized in May.

And the best part is, my life is only going to get awesomer! I am so ready for 2011 and all the awesomeness it promises :)

Meanwhile, back at the ranch....

I was talking to Nicole on the phone the other day, and I told her that I wanted to put up a new blog post. I asked her what I am passionate about, but she couldn't think of anything.

Last night, I re-discovered something that I am truly passionate about: cowboys.

Apparently my extreme love for cowboys is not readily apparent to a lot of people, because Sarah didn't know, either. I talked to her on the phone a few days ago and here's how our conversation went:

me: Sarah. Guess what I'm doing on Friday?

Sarah: um.....what?

me: Guess. What's something I love? Just, lovvve?

Sarah: shopping!

me: I do love shopping. But no.

Sarah: Dancing!

me: not dancing....OK, think about what kind of boys do I like?

Sarah: Oh! Cute boys! You're doing something with cute boys?

me: um....kind of! But ok. These boys all do the same thing. It's like a job. What kind of boys do I like?

Sarah: Um.....

me: Cow....

Sarah: .......

me: Cowwww-bbb.....

Sarah: Oh! Cowboys!

me: Yes! What do cowboys do?

Sarah: Dancing? Are you going to a dance? You're going dancing with cowboys! Who are they? What are their names? How did you meet them? I love cowboys! Can you send me pictures? Ahhh!

me: Not dancing! I'm going to watch the cowboys do something.

Sarah: They're just going to dance?

me: No! Sarah! I'm going to a ro.....

Sarah: ......

me: Ro....de.....

Sarah: ......

me: Ro-dee......

Sarah: Oh! A rodeo!

Clearly, it took too long to get to this point in the conversation. I was surprised that I hadn't done more to impress on Sarah my love for cowboys. So allow me to explain

Why I Love Cowboys:

1. It all started when I was little, and I was in love with horses. Like, embarrassingly obsessed. For years. I slept with a big stuffed horse and had actual dreams about having my own horse. I think this love naturally transferred over to the men who trained and cared for them.

2. When we went to Utah for a family reunion, we went on a trail ride as a family. I don't think I've ever been that excited. I instantly loved my horse. We were riding along a trail that was familiar to our horses, but one of the trail guides was riding a horse who was newer and not used to the trail. I think he was training it for later groups, but it was in the early stages of training and his horse would occasionally try to buck him off, go the wrong way, or gallop ahead of the group. Each time his horse misbehaved, our trail guide would grasp the reigns tighter and somehow, the horse would eventually calm down and they would continue along the trail with us. I was enamored.

3. On this same vacation, we also went to a rodeo: my very first rodeo. They had everything - barrel racing, calf tying, bull riding, lassoing, etc. I was captivated by the whole thing. At one point, they had a whole string of events for kids. Each event was done three or four times, once for each age group. There was a bunny race, a game where the kids could lasso a baby calf, one where they had to catch a baby foal. The winner of each event got to keep the animal.

I begged my parents to let me try to catch the horse. I had dreamed of it so much that surely this was my chance. I would go out into the arena, the horse would trot up to me and I would slip my lasso over it's head. The other kids didn't stand a chance because the foal and I would have such an undeniable bond.

Unfortunately, my grandma crushed my dream by saying that these were kids who had grown up on farms and knew what they were doing. I didn't have a clue how to catch a horse, and it would be pointless to try. I watched as a little boy ran up and threw his lasso over my foal's head. It struggled to get away, obviously because I wasn't there, but to no avail.

Even in the midst of my disappointment, I admired that boy who had robbed me. Here was a cowboy who was my own age. I remember whimsically thinking that maybe one day we would get married and then I would get my horse after all.

4. In my 8th grade history textbook, I was flipping through the pages one day and spotted a cowboy hat. I flipped back a few pages and found a glorious picture of three cowboys sitting on a bench next to an elderly Navajo woman. They were leaning in to hear what she had to say. They were all wearing blue shirts tucked loosely into their jeans, boots, and cowboy hats. They were beautiful. I read the caption and learned that they were from Utah. I think it was that day that I decided I had to go to BYU. Campus must be swarming with cowboys just like the ones in my textbook. It was a textbook, after all. I felt very educated.

5. When we were younger, I'm not sure how old, my dad brought home "The Man from Snowy River" and sat us all down to watch it. I don't remember much of the story. I do remember that it was about a cowboy from Australia who runs around being a cowboy so that he can marry the girl he is in love with. Now cowboys had Australian accents too? And they were romantic? Fabulous.

6. "The Big Country" is another movie my dad had us watch when I was little. It is a cowboy movie, and the plot again escapes me. All I know is that two cowboys have to fight each other for a blonde girl who is a total brat. One of the cowboys is crude and abusive (obviously the product of a warped imagination), and the other is the quintessential gentleman of a cowboy. The good-guy ends up winning the duel, but refuses to marry the blonde girl, because he is in love with another girl, who is much nicer and, in my opinion, prettier. When he tells the blonde girl that he's not going to marry her, she slaps him - slaps him! I don't know where she gets off, but I would never do such a thing to such a wonderful person.

7. What really sealed the deal, I think, is when I saw "Shanghai Noon." I know he is a little older, and his nose is a little broken, but I fell madly in love with Owen Wilson when I watched that movie. In the scene where he is introduced, Owen and his gang of outlaws are robbing a train. He kindly takes the time to talk to a young lady on the train who has never been apart of a train robbery before. He is charismatic, funny, sensitive, and (mostly) loyal. He also becomes religious by the end of the movie. I think, if I were on a train that Owen Wilson and his gang were robbing, I would be happy to let him take my pocket watch and my locket or whatever. Also the rest of my clothes. What?

8. My love is a rational one, too, decided by more than just an animalistic attraction to strength and manliness. Cowboys grow up on farms or ranches. They are used to hard work. They wake up early to take care of what is theirs. They are raised to be gentlemen, to respect women, to tip their hat and hold the door. They are charming and complimentary. They work outside, so they are nicely tanned and muscular. Because they work with animals, they learn to be sensitive to the needs of others. Animals can't talk, so cowboys have to know how to anticipate their needs and help them. This ability transfers over to relationships with people.

Cowboys work hard for everything they get. Where do you think the phrase, "Get back on the horse" comes from? They know that success is not always immediate. They know how to keep working on something after they have experienced a setback. This also means that they will be willing to keep trying for a girl after she originally rejects them. Since they are respectful, they aren't pushy about it; they just know what they want and are willing to work hard for it. This is important. Especially if they want a girl like me.

Although they are typically humble, considering their circumstances and that they have to work for what they have, cowboys can also get a little cocky sometimes. Which is cute. When they tame a particularly aggressive animal, or win a competition at the rodeo, they may experience a rush of pride. This is not a bad thing. It can be quite a turn-on.

So as you can see, my love for cowboys is entirely justified.

Which is why I was so blissfully happy at the rodeo last night. I decided, after watching Shanghai Noon, that I wanted to marry a cowboy. This desire waned a little in high school with so little exposure to cowboys, and my ambition to marry a cowboy became an offhand wish to simply date a cowboy.

After last night, I'm back on the horse. I'm going to marry a cowboy. We're going to live in a cute little house. I'm going to take ballet lessons and learn how to make cream puffs while my husband works. We'll go to rodeos and he'll win all the prizes and I'll win the Miss Rodeo crown, and we'll take our victory laps together.

When the weather is nice, we'll sleep under the stars in a hammock. I'll have a book club and invite all my friends who are also married to cowboys. We'll have beautiful children. I'll be constantly - connnstantlyy - attracted to my husband's carefully stubbly chin and perfectly sculpted abs and arms. He will be consistently awed by my bikini body (the result of me doing exercise videos every day) and the delicious meals I make for him and the ranch hands.

After a long day of hard work, we will play cards and sit and talk with the ranch hands. We will drink lemonade and watch the fireflies. I will play matchmaker for the ranch hands and encourage them in their romantic endeavors.

I will make a wonderful lunch for the boys every day and either take it out to the field where they are or invite them inside to eat. They will compliment my cooking and my husband will brag about me to all his friends. Sometimes I will go on romantic picnics with my husband. We will ride our horses to a little spot just for us and eat strawberries and chicken salad sandwiches on croissants and maraschino cherries, and then we'll make out on our checkered picnic blanket until the sun goes down.

In my spare time, I will learn tricks with the horses. I will practice standing up, riding backwards, jumping off fences and onto a horse. My husband will think my tricks are the hottest thing since nudity. He'll try to do tricks to show off for me. I will think he is hotter than Taylor Lautner.

When we get old, we will be just as in love as ever. We will hold hands and sit on our porch swing and talk and never become tired of each other. He will kiss me gently. We will have grandchildren who love to visit us and run around and play on our land. I will make them cookies. I will be on Gene's Golden Girls. We will travel far and wide and spend a whole year on a cruise ship.

I'm so excited for my life.