wait what.

so according to facebook and twitter, school is in session. and it is crazy. and i am confused at my feelings. 

do i want to be back in school? do i actually miss it? do i want to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for books? do i want to pretend to be super cool on my first day of classes slash church while i scope out the hotties? do i want to have billions of pages to read for each of my classes? do i want to have to choose between socializing and sleep and school and money and sleep and food and exercising and sleep? do i like the anxiety of studying and taking tests and walking out of the test center, avoiding the blazing glare of the test score screen? do i like these things? do i?!

nope. i don't.

but i do.

no i don't.

i kind of do.

i like it because it's the only way i have lived, the only way i know how to live. i have always been a student, getting through the next four months, the next year, the next four years. i have lived my life in segments, with clear cut deadlines and finish lines. i knew that every january, april, august i would get a fresh start. i would meet new people, make new friends, get a new calling, new classes, new teachers, new schedule, new new new. i had the people i could always count on. i knew smith's like the back of my hand. i had all my running routes memorized. even though it didn't feel like it sometimes, i had it all and i had it all figured out.

but. here i am. living on my own in dallas, texas. figuring things out as i go. on my own. one day, one week, one month at a time. i have learned a lot about myself, a lot about life. mostly i've learned that some things will take me for ev er to learn and some things i will probably never figure out ever. and that's ok. being here at this place, at this time in my life is great and i love that i get scared and that i figure things out and that i still get help from my mom and people love me even when i get crazy.

good luck to those going back to school. enjoy it, revel in it. it won't last forever.

four years ago. my freshman roommates. our very first bonding experience. night games in the rain. huzzah.

so this happened.

more pics to come.

look out will and kate. there are new dukes in town.

one time my best friend got married and it was the best day of my life. true story.

waiting patiently for the newlyweds.

this was a fun moment. they came out looking all celestial and happy and beautiful and then i started to cry like a child and then the photographer decided that was great and got up in my grill taking pictures of my tears. super.

 got the gang back together. i swear i have at least two other versions of this picture.

 snagged the beautiful bride for a quick pic.

 we had so much fun dancing, eating, and catching up. so many sweet moments throughout the day. i am so happy for the dukes and i can't wait for the memories we'll make in this next stage of life!

spring break: byu style

sarah tweeted that general conference weekend is byu's spring break. it's so true though.

everything stops for general conference. it's kind of awesome. everyone knows that everyone will [hopefully] be watching conference. and doing fun things in between.

saturday morning i went to my ward breakfast, then i watched the first session with sarah, jen, katie, leslie, and some other friends. between the first and second session sarah and i hiked the y. it was such a beautiful day [75 glorious degrees]. we decided to listen to the afternoon session on top of the y[thank you mormon channel app]. um hi, most brilliant idea ever. the best part [besides elder nelson's talk] was when the choir started to sing 'high on a mountain top'. motab knows what's up.

after that, we went home and had a huge super awesome girl's night during priesthood session. it was so fun to be with my favorite girls doing what we do best: eating pizza, indulgin in golden spoon, telling funny stories and watching 'sabrina'. i guess you could say we know how to party hardy. true story.

sunday i listened to the morning session while i cleaned my room [i be productive] and then i went over to my grandma's house for the last session. man, i am always so sad when conference is over. it just flies by every time. i'm so excited for the general conference ensign to come out next month so i can read them all again!

make do or do without.

i was cleaning my room last week when i realized i had a lot of clothes that i either a) have worn maybe twice in the many years i have owned them or b) have worn so much it has led to their imminent death and for some reason i thought there was a chance for their resurrection. so before i could justify or think too much, i grabbed all the clothes that fell into these two categories and threw them onto my bed.

it was definitely a liberating and cleansing feeling getting them all out of my closet [not to mention i finally have an even hanger to clothing ratio]. on saturday i finally took them to deseret industries and checked it off my to do list. it's refreshing to look at my closet and know that i would actually wear every single thing. i highly recommend it.

here are some favorites that needed to go:

target. 2006. i love this shirt. the color, the cut, the design.

here it is in action at an allred concert with megan, katie, and jen. and my crazy face.

brass plum. rubbish. circa 2007. the buttons are my favorite.

as seen in my senior pictures. no judging please.

brass plum. 2007. all i know is i want to be one of those women. they are so cool.

last day of high school. this kid is getting married now. crazy.

please ignore the greasy sick nastiness that is my face. oh to be in high school... never again.

memory lane is just so darn fun.

the best of

i love my friends.

it was a fluke i moved in to the apartment that i did freshman year.

but i'm pretty sure it was very deliberate and more than meant to be. these girls are my best friends. they know me better than anyone here, the good the bad and the ugly. i wouldn't trade them or our experiences together for anything in the world.
tonight we are having hot cocoa and chick flicks. who could ask for more.

friends and food.

i love sundays.

i started the day off early [yay early morning meetings] and caught the sunrise.

after lots of church and meetings and visiting i went over to devonshire to make dinner with my best friends.

we made cucumber cream cheese sandwiches, little baguettes with tomato and cheese slices, sweet potato fries and lime water, finishing it off with some yummy pie. it was delicious [and healthy] to say the least.

then we watched 'toy story' slash tanner and bennett.

i'm kind of in love with them.

being with people you love can be the best cure for anything.

a year in the life of arg

january - long

 february - soul mate friends

 march - remember me

 april - fresh start

 may - lots of play

 june - golden

 july - friends

 august - thirteen point one

 september - love and marriage

 october - golden spoon

 november - brandon flowers

 

december - "shower the people you love with love"

thank you 2010. bring it 2011.

baby. it's cold outside.

with finals finally over, a trip to see the lights at temple square was in order.

leslie, jen, katie, sarah and i drove up friday night for a much needed girls night.

we ate at blue lemon, right across the street from the temple. very good, i definitely recommend it.

then we crossed the street to check out the lights around the temple.

missed this girl.

something about lights... i don't know, their magic never disappears.