The List

Anyone who has ever claimed to be a fan of FRIENDS, will know what I'm talking about when I mention the list of famous people you're allowed to sleep with if you ever get the chance. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then watch this clip.

Well obviously I would never actually sleep with a celebrity. But I decided to make a list of celebrities that I would kiss if I had the chance. The action of me publishing this list, is basically the equivalent of Ross laminating his list. So here is my list (in no particular order)

Ryan Reynolds

Look at those beautiful brown eyes and adorable smile. How could I NOT put him on the list?!


Bond. James Bond (aka Daniel Craig)

He's British. He's suave. He's go piercing blue eyes. And have you seen his arms? I know he's a little older, but I'm allowed to have one older guy on my list.


Joseph Gordon-Levitt

What a cutie. I've loved him ever since I was a kid watching Angels in the Outfield. I liked him before it was cool.


Josh Turner

Josh Turner is the epitome of "tall, dark, and handsome." And his voice makes me melt like a popsicle on the Fourth of July. Don't believe me? See for yourself.

Will Smith

He's got a goofy side, but he's also got a classy side. He seems like a decent human being. I'd definitely say I'm a fan of Will Smith.


Alternates:

Bradley Cooper
Denzel Washington
Taylor Lautner

Masquerade.... Paper Faces on Parade

This weekend was phenomenal. It deserves to be blogged about.

I was lucky enough to attend a masquerade ball at the state capitol with a dear friend of mine. The ball was being put on by the Make a Wish foundation on behalf of an 18 year old girl who wished for a ball. I felt like I was going to the Prom or something. My roommates were all excited about how I was going to do my hair and makeup. I borrowed a formal gown from a friend, and bought a fancy mask.

When I got to the Capitol, I was speechless. It was my first time inside the Capitol building and it was breathtaking. The tall, strong stone pillars, and the beautiful artwork around the rotunda were exquisite. (They really put the Wyoming Capitol to shame) The people there were also breathtakingly beautiful. Everyone was really dressed up for the occasion. Every girl was in a gorgeous ballgown, and all of the boys were in handsome tuxedos. There were people of all ages; small girls to elderly couples, and everything in between.

Shortly after we arrived, there was a formal introduction of the guest of honor, Melissa. They introduced her, and she walked down the grand staircase with a boy, and then she had a special dance just for her. It was really sweet.

My date and I spent the rest of the evening dancing the night away. Fortunately for me, he is a great dancer, so we had lots of fun. There weren't very many slow songs to dance to. But one of the highlights of the night, was when they did finally play a slow song it was MY song: So Close, by Jon McLaughlin. If you don't know it, you need to.

My date was such a good dancer, that dancing to this song was unbelievable. I was basically on cloud nine.

We finished off the night by taking a walk around the Capitol and looking over the city that I love so much. It was a perfect ending to a perfect night. Honestly the whole experience felt like it was straight from a fairy tale. Everything was perfect.

Salt Lake City Temple

This summer I have had the amazing opportunity of living in the heart of Salt Lake City. I literally live down the street from the Utah State Capitol. That means that I live a convenient couple of blocks away from Temple Square. I have spent a lot of time there this summer. I have had opportunities to do endowment sessions, sealing sessions, and initiatory work. I also spent many mornings, afternoons, and evenings walking around Temple Square. On many of these occasions, I have enjoyed taking pictures of the temple. And now I want to share some of them with you.

North Visitor's Center

Reflection Pond

I love the temple. I used to think that the Salt Lake City temple was so overrated, but now I have a lot greater appreciation for it. It really is beautiful, and there is such a sweet spirit that surrounds it. It truly has been a blessing for me this summer.

Inside Out in Real Life

Here are some stories from the life of the one and only, Kelsey Simpson. I wrote this as a way to write down some memories, and I thought that doing it based on the movie Inside Out would be a fun way to go about it.

Fear

Once upon a time, I decided that I wanted to dress up as a mailbox for Halloween. It was brilliant. My mother painted a big box blue, and put the USPS logo on it. When I was inside the box, I couldn’t bend my arms. They just stuck straight out the sides. My mom sent me and my sisters around the block trick-or-treating before we hit up the rest of the town. When we came back from visiting all of our neighbors, my mom was waiting for us hidden by the garage door. As we walked up to the front door, she started banging on the garage door and screaming frantically. It scared the poop out of my sisters and they ran inside. But unfortunately for me, the door slammed shut behind them. And because my arms were sticking out the sides of the box, I couldn’t open the door. So I was screaming bloody murder, bawling like a baby, and running repeatedly into the screen door because I didn’t have anywhere else to go. It was traumatizing, but oh so funny to laugh about now. We all agreed that if we had gotten it on video, it would’ve been worth $10,000 on America’s Funniest Home Video.

Disgust

One time, my sisters had a bright idea to play Truth or Dare. That’s never a good idea. When it was my turn, they dared me to hold Emily’s hand for ten minutes. This was a big deal to me, because I really hated holding hands with people. But I did it. And the entire time, Emily was stroking my thumb with hers, really making me squirm. I give this experience full responsibility for my adolescent fear of physical touch.

Anger

When I was growing up, the punishment in my family for misbehaving was getting pepper put on our tongue. I remember one time in particular that I got pepper put on my tongue. I was so angry about it, that when my mom told me to go rinse my mouth out, I refused. I decided that I was going to wait in the bathroom and let the pepper sit there. I was sure that I was teaching my mother a lesson. Although now I look back and laugh at how incredibly irrational I was.

Sadness

When I was five years old my Grandpa Simpson died. I don’t remember too much about my grandpa. But I still remember when my mom told me he had died. It was early on a Sunday morning. Cortney and I shared the bedroom across the hall from my parents’ room. We slept in the light colored bunk beds that were actually separated at the time. I was sleeping in the top bunk next to the closet. My mom came in and sat down on my bed, and told us that Grandpa had died the night before. He had died with my aunts and uncles gathered around him to give him a blessing. I don’t know why, but I have always distinctly remembered getting that news.

Joy

I’ve tried so hard to pinpoint one good story that illustrates the emotion of Joy. I couldn’t pick just one. I feel like my life is filled with joy, every minute of every day. Even when I experience those other emotions, the Joy is always present in the background. Lately a very dear friend of mine has kept telling me how much they love how happy I am. Their theory is that my endless joy comes from the faith that I have in Heavenly Father and His plan of happiness for his children. I absolutely agree with that theory. I was told once in a blessing that throughout my life I will demonstrate that there is never reason to fear. I find so much joy in living the gospel of Jesus Christ. I find joy in doing the things necessary to maintain a close relationship with him. I find joy in being around loved ones. I find joy in helping those loved ones; whether it is with yard work, or emotional/spiritual support. I find joy every day of my life.

My Vacation in Salt Lake

Last week was fabulous!!! I had planned to visit Dallas, but when those plans were canceled I decided to still take the week off and vacation in Salt Lake instead. Here’s the thing, I’ve never lived near Salt Lake before, and so I had a whole bucket list of things to do this summer. So why not just take a week and hammer them all out? Here are all of the adventures that I went on:

Thanksgiving Point

            This was brilliant way to start off the week! I spent an entire day visiting the four main attractions Thanksgiving Point. The Museum of Ancient Life was really cool. Especially since I had recently watched Jurassic World, so I was feeling particularly in touch with my inner-child. My absolute favorite however, was the Botanical Gardens. I had no idea what I was signing up for when I arrived. It was phenomenal. Acres and acres of gorgeous land that was all perfectly groomed to match different themes. There was an Italian Garden, Secret Garden, Butterfly Garden, Rose Garden, Mountain Garden, and who even knows what else. The coolest part was the ginormous waterfall. My friend told me that it is the largest man-made waterfall in this hemisphere. From the perspective of someone who has spent an unusual amount of time around Civil Engineers, that is very impressive.

Salt Lake Bees’ Game

            This one was definitely on my bucket list. What kind of summer would it be if I didn’t spend at least one night at a ball park watching a baseball game? Does life get any better than that? I should think, not. Baseball games are fun. What I like about baseball games that is different than other sporting events, is the type of fans that the games draw in. Baseball fans are all just so laid back, laughing, chit-chatting it up, and just happy to be there. It’s just a different environment than you get at basketball or soccer games.

Rollerblading

            I had the super fun opportunity to visit my dear friend Lindsey in Ogden and go rollerblading. We went on a little bike trail that was at some park, up some canyon. It was a blast. There was lots of screaming, and frantic waving of arms, but boy was it fun. Then I got to try a “World Famous Mormon Muffin” I didn’t know those were famous. But they were pretty delicious.

Hiking

            I have had at least half of a dozen people tell me that I needed to hike to Donut Falls. With that many recommendations, I figured that it was probably a big deal. So I did it. It was fun. The kid I went with is super out-doorsy and likes to rock climb, so he was all over the place. I had to keep reminding him that I have extremely short limbs, and am very much not a rock climber. I made it to the bottom of the falls alive. But in the process of crossing the stream, my shoes got soaking wet. Normally that is enough to drastically ruin my mood. But this time I managed to keep my act together and stay happy. Although, I did opt to stop climbing at that point. All in all, it was a good experience.

Temple Square

            What would a summer in Salt Lake be without a visit (or a dozen) to Temple Square?! I woke up one day at the crack of dawn and did a temple session. It was really nice. Then I went on a tour of the conference center. There is a lot of really beautiful pieces of art there. And did you know there is four acres of landscaping on the roof? FOUR ACRES!!! Woah. I also visited the visitor’s center and saw the wall of nametags. It was pretty cool, I won’t lie.

Natural History Museum of Utah

            This activity was one of my favorites. The museum has a dinosaur exhibit that absolutely shamed the one at Thanksgiving Point. It was pretty epic. They even had a wall devoted to the different species of Triceratops (Which I know is NOT the scientific name for them). My favorite exhibit, however, was not the dinosaurs, but the Extreme Mammals. That exhibit was beyond awesome. I took about two hours to walk through just that part of the museum. I learned so much. Like did you know that Platypuses has a sixth sense that most mammals don’t? As if those little guys weren’t cool enough!!!

Well, why don't they call it The Big Chill? Or The Nippy Era? I'm just sayin', how do we know it's an Ice Age?

Miniature Golfing

            One night I had a blind date who treated me to miniature golfing and dinner. It was so much fun. Legitimately the best blind date I’ve ever been on (hope that doesn’t offend anyone.) My date was really good at coming up with fun questions to ask, like, “What is the most embarrassing song in your iTunes library?” By the end of the date, we were singing Backstreet Boys’ songs and quoting Winnie the Pooh to each other. It was a fantastic date. Also, he was a very nice gentleman.

Salt Lake City Cemetery

            This was one of my other favorite activities. I found a map of the Salt Lake City Cemetery, and I set out to find the headstones of some of the prophets and apostles. That cemetery is massive, and even with the map it was still a pretty good scavenger hunt. I found most of the ones I wanted. But I never could find Bruce R. McConkie’s. My friend and I spent forever looking for that one.

My last dinner date of the weekend canceled on me at the last minute. Which I was actually alright with. I was beyond exhausted. So I ordered some pizza and watched some X-Men. It was a nice relaxing way to finish off my exciting week.

God Thinks You're Wonderful!

It's been a while since I've written. And lately I've been feeling overwhelmingly grateful for all of my blessings. Especially special people that God has given to me. I've been trying to figure out the best way to express what has been on my mind. While doing so, I came across a book that I received while I was in Texas. This book expresses perfectly the way that I feel. It's as if the book was written specifically for me. I want to share with you the words of that book.

God Thinks You're Wonderful! by Max Lucado

God is fond of you... If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it. If He had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. He sends you flowers every spring, and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart. Face it, Friend. He's crazy about you!

By the way, it may be difficult for you to believe that God knows your name... But He does. Written on His hand. Spoken by His mouth. Whispered by His lips. Your name. Our hearts are not large enough to contain the blessings that God wants to give. So try this. The next time a sunrise steals your breath... Or a meadow of flowers leaves you speechless... remain that way. Say nothing and listen as heaven whispers, "Do you like it? I did it just for you." If we give gifts to show our love, how much more would He? He could have left the world flat and gray... but He didn't. He splashed orange in the sunrise... and cast the sky in blue. And if you love to see geese as they gather, chances are that you'll see that too. Did He have to make the squirrel's tail furry? Was He obliged to make the birds sing? And the funny way that chickens scurry... Or the majesty of thunder when it rings? Why give flower fragrance? Why give food it's taste? Could it be He loves to see that look upon your face? 

So promise me you'll never forget... that you aren't an accident or an incident... You are a gift to the world, a divine work of art signed by God. You were knit together. You weren't mass produced. You aren't an assembly-line product. You were deliberately planned, specifically gifted, and lovingly positioned on this earth... by the Master Craftsman. He thinks you are the best thing to come down the pike in quite a while. Turn to the sidelines; that's God cheering your run. Look past the finish line; that's God applauding your steps. God is for you. Had He a calendar, your birthday, your birthday would be circled. If He drove a car, your name would be on his bumper. If there's a tree in heaven, He's carved your name in the bark. 

Maybe you don't want to trouble God with your hurts, but... "He cares about you" [1 Peter 5:7]. He is waiting for you, to embrace you whether you succeed or fail. Your Heavenly Father is very fond of you and only wants to share His love with you. Unteathered by time, God sees us all. Vagabonds and ragamuffins all, He saw us before we were born. And he loves what he sees. Flooded by emotion, overcome by pride, the Star Maker turns to us, one by one, and says, "You are my child. I love you dearly. I'm aware that someday you'll turn from me and walk away. But I want you to know I've already provided a way back." You have captured the heart of God. He cannot bear to live without you. God's dream is to make you right with Him. And the path to the cross tells us exactly how far God will go to call us back. "Can anything make me stop loving you?" God asks. "You wonder how long my love will last. Watch me speak you language, sleep on your earth, and feel your hurts. Find your answer on a splintered cross on a craggy hill. That's how much I love you." 

God does more than forgive our mistakes; He removes them. We simply have to take them to Him. You can talk to God, because God listens. Let a tear appear on your cheek, and He is there to wipe it. He has sent His angels to care for you, His holy spirit to dwell in you... His church to encourage you, and His word to guide you. As much as you want to see Him, He wants to see you more. If you want to touch God's heart, use the name He loves to hear. Call Him "Father." He thinks you're wonderful!

My Divine Identity

Romans 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: ~KJV

I had a realization last night when I was visiting with and introducing myself to my new bishopric member and his wife. I realized that I am pretty dang awesome. I don’t say this to sound arrogant, but more as positive reinforcement so that I can look back on it to remind myself that it is true.

But really… I am actually a pretty exceptional human being. I am pretty well rounded, I have high moral standards (compared to the rest of the world), I have a super solid testimony and a fairly good working knowledge of the gospel. I am intelligent and ambitious. And I even have a decent personality to mesh all those things together.

I might not currently be a sports fanatic, but I was at one point. That has given me the ability to appreciate a good sporting event here and there, especially attending live events. I also know how to work hard and get dirt under my fingernails. Don’t mistake me for a complete Tom-boy though. I also love to cook. That is a talent that I hope to develop more in the future. I am also passionate about the piano. I don’t pretend to be an amazing concert pianist, and I don’t need to. I’m perfectly happy playing for my own pleasure and sharing with others when the occasion calls for it. I love to dance. I’ve learned nine different dance genres before. Again, I don’t pretend to be a professional performer, but I won’t lie; I’m a pretty decent dancer. And most importantly, I enjoy it. I like to relax and watch all sorts of movies. But I have learned my lesson before and do not enjoy watching sleazy reality TV shows, or even crude sitcoms. I do have some standards, and I like to keep that trash out of my brain. But don’t worry; I’m not a couch potato whose life revolves around movies. I LOVE school and can’t get enough knowledge. I have high hopes and want to gain as much education as I possibly can. I spend a disgusting amount of time at the library studying and doing my best to earn good grades. I’m not a complete book worm though. I thrive on positive personal relationships. I love to be around friends. I love to listen when they need to talk. I love throwing parties and playing games. I’m not shy about making new friends.

I served a full time mission for my church. The list of skills and character traits that I developed from that experience is endless. I’ll let you fill in the blanks. But the most important thing is that I have a firm testimony of my Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that because of him I never have to walk my path alone. He makes it possible for me to leave my sins and mistakes in the past and become better from them. I know that He restored his church to the earth through a young man named Joseph Smith. I know that part of that restoration was restoring precious truths and guidelines to help us through the trials of life and prepare us to live with God forever someday. I know that God has more in store for me than I can even imagine all because I am a child of God. I am the daughter of a divine King.

I know that I am in no way, shape, or form perfect. I have just as many flaws and weaknesses as the next guy. I could write a whole blog post about them (although that would a depressingly stupid idea). I’ve always seen those flaws as carrying more weight in my character make-up than they really do. I’ve always seen myself as exceptionally average. And in some ways I am. But last night I had a stroke of insight where God allowed me to see in myself all of the great things that he sees in me. It was a very empowering moment, but also a very humbling moment. I know that the life events that define me were divinely orchestrated by a loving Heavenly Father. I am who he wants me to be right now, and I am becoming the person he wants me to be in the future.

The Value of Kindness

Today I had the great opportunity to see the effects of a good deed I did a few weeks ago. I don't tell this story to toot my own horn, but to make a point. Here's how it went:

Once upon a time, I went to Chick-fil-a at least once a week for the first half of the semester. I noticed in all my times going, that there was one girl who worked there who seemed extra special. I know that Chick-fil-a is known for their friendly employees, but this girl was really something else. Her kindness was more sincere than the required politeness. And she had the most beautiful smile that I've ever seen in my life. So a few weeks ago I went into the restaurant for lunch. I decided that I wanted to tell that girl that I thought she had a beautiful smile and that I appreciated how sweet she was. So I did. When I was finished eating, I asked her to refill my cup, and then I gave her the compliment. I just did it because I figured that it would make my day if someone said something like that to me. I went on my way hoping that I had brightened her day a little bit.

Now fast forward to today. I went back to Chick-fil-a for the first time since that incident. It just so happened that this same girl was the one that took my order. She didn't say anything about our last interaction, but I could tell she remembered. This time she treated me like I was her friend. We talked about our weekend plans while she was taking my order and getting my drink. Then as I was leaving, she went out of her way to come ask me if I wanted her to tip off my lemonade before I left.

I don't know if I did this story justice, or accurately described the tenderness of the whole thing. But the point of the story is this. Three weeks ago, I extended a little kindness to a stranger, and I had no way of knowing that nearly a month later, I would still be able to see the effects of that. So never hesitate to be kind to someone. You never know what it will mean to them.

PS- If you haven't seen the video "Validation", you really should. The link is on the side of my blog.

Dancing Queen

Who is the dancing queen? That would be me. I am the dancing queen. I love to dance!!! I don't know which style is my favorite. Ballroom is elegant and beautiful. The Tango is my favorite ballroom dance. That passion is so fun to get into. Then there's Big Band Swing. That genre is just fun and challenging. It also looks incredible when you do it well. And last of all is Country Swing. This one is just fun and super social. Also, it is the only genre that I would dare try to sing along to while I danced (just saying...) So I'm going to tell you all about my Country Dance class and the project we just did.

So way back in the day I took the beginning county swing class twice. I won't lie. I was a pretty good dancer by the end of all that. Then I left on my mission. When I came home, I signed up for the intermediate country swing class. It's basically the same class, except this time around you learn the moves a lot quicker, and learn a few extra lifts that are cool. The big thing with the intermediate class is that you get to choreograph a dance and perform it at the Fun Park. So my teacher assigned partners. I got paired up with Steven who is definitely one of the best dancers in the class. The class split into two groups and we started choreographing to the song Looking for a Good Time, by Lady Antebellum. Steven and I were put into the most advanced group within our group. The two of us choreographed the routine that we used in the chorus'. That was great, but when it came our advanced group's routine Steven and I struggled. We were doing a move called "Set Your Sails". To do this move, the girl kicks her legs up, and basically just holds them up in the air while the boy holds her upside down on his shoulder while he spins around. Steven could do it with anyone else, I could do it with other people, we were just struggling to do it together. It was rough. But somehow we were able to pull it off beautifully in the performance.

We also struggled with the very end of the song. We legitimately didn't learn that part until the day of the performance. Whoops. And the very last move was a killer. It's was this weird lift where the guy basically breaks his wrist and squeezes the girl's ribs until they snap. It was brutal. Combine that with being sick and achy, I thought I was going to die. My ribs are still in extreme pain from the experience. At the very last minute someone showed us an alternative move that basically looked about the same, but was a ton easier. We choose to do that one instead. And basically, we knocked it out of the ball park. It was fantastic. Everything came together perfectly. We got both parts down so no one would ever know that we had been struggling. Go team go!!!

Blessed Assurance

Today has been a sweet Sabbath, filled with lots of tears. Sad, pitiful tears. But such is life. I went to church this morning and invited a visitor to sit by me. She was sweet, and it was much needed for both of us, I think. I was fine during the first hour of classes, but in the second hour of classes, things started to go downhill. I found my thoughts wondering as I reflected on the last four months of my life and reviewing some of my happier memories from that time frame. But then I found myself wondering how long it is acceptable to keep doing that. I know that a natural part of mourning is to reminisce and think about good times. But at what point to do you need to let go and not think about those things anymore? I'm not sure. I'm also not sure if I want to hit that point anytime soon. But at the same time, I want nothing more than to be done with the heartache and sorrow and be able to feel completely happy again.

By the time that I made it to Sacrament Meeting, I was feeling a little somber. I sat right in the middle of the chapel on the edge of a long bench, hoping that someone would come fill in the middle section and therefore, sit by me. But nothing.... as Sacrament Meeting got closer I found myself starting to feel even more blue. And then this super sweet girl left her row of friends and asked if she could come sit by me. That was so sweet of her. I didn't know who she was, but I kept thanking her for coming to sit by me so I didn't have to be alone. During the Sacrament, I pulled out a hymn book and read the words to the hymn "Reverently and Meekly Now." I like that hymn, because it is written from the perspective of the Savior talking to us. As I read the words to that hymn, a few tears slid down my face as I felt like He really was talking to me. I pulled myself together to listen to the speakers. The first speaker addressed the topic of gratitude even in our trials. If that wasn't applicable, then I don't know what is. Then the next speaker addressed the topic of happiness. Again, nothing more applicable to my life. Then finally the high council member stood up and spoke about how we will face hard times in life and how it is alright to ask questions in those times. But he said that we should make sure that we are asking real questions. We should not be asking rhetorical questions as a way to moan and groan about our circumstances. That hit home with me. His whole talk was really inspired, and again I had tears streaming down my cheeks.

When Sacrament Meeting ended, I had the opportunity to meet with my Stake President. He had been my bishop who assisted with my missionary application, and therefore someone that I felt particularly close to. I went into his office and sat down. He asked me a question or two about my mission, and then about my life since. I gave him a brief overview of the last few months of my life, with a little more detail put into the last month. We discussed the nature of my current situation, and what it meant for the future. I shed quite a few tears during that visit. But I was glad that I was able to sit down and talk to an ecclesiastical leader, or really any sort of leader. I appreciated the perspective, wisdom, and compassion that he was able to share.

Now here I sit, still feeling heartbroken and numb. But at least I feel the spirit more today that I have in a very long while. I have been able to see the Lord's hand very clearly in the trials that I have been handed lately. But today I was also able to see His hand in supporting me through those trials. The days may be dark, but there is light ahead somewhere. I just need to keep moving forward until I reach it.

Having Fun Isn't Hard...

Did you know that having fun isn't hard, when you've got a library card?! Fact. I learned that from the children's show, Arther. And I've proven it.

The best thing about public libraries is that they usually have a nice collection of movies... that you can rent for FREE!!!! Why pay $1.29 at Redbox or even $4.49 at Hastings when you can pay nothing at the library. Yes, the pickings may be slim, because the library doesn't have as many copies of the same movies as the other places do; therefore you might have to wait a little while for the movie you want. But that's fine, because while you're waiting, you can rent a movie that you've never been exposed to before and broaden your horizons.

Last week I spent a lot of time watching movies that I rented at the library. And I tried really hard to pick good movies. I picked ones that everyone else in the world seems to have seen, but I have somehow dodged for 22 years. Here are some of my favorites.

Cinderella Man
I loved this movie. It was incredible. I can see why it was a
winner of so many awards. It was beautifully done. I know that
Russell Crowe isn't the most liked actor in Hollywood; however,
I do have to give him the credit that he deserves for this movie.
He did a remarkable job. I was more absorbed in this movie, than
any other movie that I have watched in a very long time.

Sabrina

This was my first time ever watching an Audrey Hepburn movie. 

I was not disappointed. She did a beautiful job. She is so 

elegant and graceful. She was So classy, especially compared 

to some other leading ladies of her day, such as Marilyn 

Monroe (whom I also love). Also, I love Humphrey Bogart. Super

classy as well.

Breakfast at Tiffany's

This is one of those movies that I feel everyone needs to watch 

in their lifetime. I am now proud to say that I have done

so. It was absolutely marvelous!!! I LOVED Holly! She reminded

me so much of my best friend, Elysha. It was almost unrealistic

how much she reminded me of Elysha. Oh it was so wonderful.

Now I know why this movie is such a big deal.

Leave the Past Where it Belongs

Since being home from my mission, I have noticed that some fashion trends have changed significantly since I have been gone. I'm going to tell you about them, and just how ridiculous I think they are.

First trend: Leggings

A couple of years back leggings came back into style. You know what I'm talking about, the spandex pants that people wore in the 80's? At first people just wore them under dresses, or long sweaters. I didn't think they were cute, but they weren't repulsive either. But oh how the tables have turned... People no longer just wear them under dresses and long sweaters any more. Now they are commonly accepted as pants that can be worn with anything. And everyone wears them. It's not just the skinny girls, or the non-so-skinny girls. EVERYONE. To all of these people, I want to say "Hello. As cute as your butt is, no one wants to see it jiggle when you walk. Are you aware that those tight leggings make your butt look exceptionally large?" It's true. Even skinny girls look like they have massive butts when they wear leggings.

See, What about this is cute? Nothing. Nothing about this is cute...

Second trend: Man-buns

First off, I don't even think it is very attractive when guys have really long hair to begin with. Secondly, I don't know when it became socially acceptable for guys to pull their long hair up, nonetheless when it became "cool". Isn't long hair kind of a feminine trait? I mean even the bible talks about long hair. It says that WOMEN are supposed to have long hair.  I’ve always thought ponytails were for when your hair is greasy and you’re trying to hide it. Combine those two factors, and you’ve got an extremely greasy, feminine man. Not exactly my idea of attractiveness.

Again... nothing cute about this.

And there you have my opinion on the latest fashion trends. I know that these things were cool in the 80's. But that was 30 years ago. I think that these trends should be left in the 80's. It's 2015, people. Let's be a little bit more creative and progressive in our style choices.

Love Confessions

Once upon a time there was a missionary named Sister Simpson. She really was a good missionary. But unlike other missionaries, Sister Simpson didn't exactly lock her heart. She loved talking about love. Most of all, she loved the idea of playing match maker. So she started a business of writing love confessions for people. These weren't just any love confessions, however, they were musical love confessions. They all had bits and pieces from love songs fused with more personal words of affection.

Since this week is Valentines Day, (and we all know how much I love Valentines Day) I thought that I would post these love confessions so that everyone could enjoy them. I hope that y'all have a wonderful valentines that is full of every kind of love imaginable.

Love Confession #1: From a Sister to her best Elder friend

[Elder], lately I've been thinking about how everybody, wants to love & everybody wants to be loved. I've realized that I love the way you say “good morning” and you take me the way I am. Ever since I realized that, I feel like I see the light & it’s like the fog has lifted. And now I know that this is love. Yes, this is what makes life complete. The more I think about it, the more I can’t help falling in love with you.

If I’d never knew you, if I’d never felt this love, I would have no inkling of how precious life could be. But the fact is that I do know you. And I do love you. So [Elder], Come what may. I will love you until my dying day. And I know that this will be an everlasting love. This will be the one I’ve waited for. So won’t you please stay with me? Baby, stay with me. Tonight don’t leave me alone.

Love Confession #2: From an Elder to his secret Sister crush

Dear Sister ______

A few months ago, I was living in my own world. I didn’t understand that anything could happen if you take a chance. Then I met you and I found myself thinking “It’s her hair and her eyes today that just simply take me away.” Then I got to know you even more and realized there was more to you than pretty eyes and hair. I like that because I don’t want another pretty face. I don’t want just anyone to hold. I don’t want my love to go to waste. I want you and your beautiful soul. And I want to wrap you up. Want to kiss your lips. I want to make you feel wanted. Because one thing I know for sure is that if anyone can make me fall in love, you can.

I’m dying to know if you ever think when you’re all alone, all that we could be where this thing could go. Personally, I really believe that there’s not a star in heaven that we can’t reach if we’re trying. I know that all of this sounds over the top, [Sister]. But I swear that every word I say is true. This I promise you. All I ask is that when I go home, you think of me. Think of me fondly when we’ve said goodbye. Remember me once in a while; please promise me you’ll try. If you’ll do that, I promise in return that I’ll be with you. I’ll be there for you always, always, and always. I’ll be there Always.

Love,

Elder _______

Love Confession #3: From a Sister to her Elder crush

I’ll always remember those late afternoons. They lasted forever, and ended so soon. Let’s be real though. Here’s the thing, we started out friends. But then things escalated, and ever since then I’ve been spending all my time just thinking about you. I don’t know what to do. I think I’m falling for you. It’s hard not to, because everyone that sees you always wants to know you. Everyone that knows you always has a smile. Even I’m under your spell. You make me smile like the sun, fall out of bed singing like a bird, dizzy in my head. Every day I wake up thinking about how I’m lucky I’m in love with my best friend. Lucky to have been where I have been. But the timing isn’t ideal right now. Wouldn’t it be nice if we were older? Then we wouldn’t have to wait so long. I hate that you can’t hurry love. No, you just have to wait. It kills me to wait for the day that you’re in my arms and all the world is calm. Someday we’ll get there, but in the mean time I hope you know that you’re beautiful, every little piece, Love. I hope you know you’re really going to be someone. Ask anyone. So stay beautiful.

Love Confession #4: From a loving husband to his wife

Good morning, Beautiful. How was your night? Mine was wonderful with you by my side. I’ve been thinking about all that you mean to me. The best way to sum up my feelings is to say that to the world you may be just another girl, but to me, Baby, you are the world. And through this crazy life, and through these crazy times it’s you, it’s you. You make me sing. You’re every line. You’re every word. You’re everything. I can’t help but think every day about how you are so beautiful to me. Can’t you see? You’re everything I hope for. You’re everything I need. Even on the worst days, I see your smile and remember why you are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray.

We’ve had ups, and we’ve had downs. Through it all you’ve always stayed by my side. It’s because of you that I believe there are angels among us, sent down to us from somewhere up above. Annie, I know that you’re the answer to my prayers, and you’re with me everywhere. You’re my angel, my miracle. You’re all I need tonight.

I am so grateful that you are mine. I can’t wait to spend eternity with you. I love you more that I can say. And even if the sun refused to shine, even if romance ran out of rhyme, you would still have my heart until the end of time. You’re all I need, my love, my valentine. I love you to the moon and back, forever and ever.

Welcome to Real Life

The last story I told you was about the best party weekend of my life. Well... I'm glad I made that weekend happen while I still could. Since then my life has gotten significantly less fun.

Remember about two months ago when I was a missionary? My life was so simple. All I had to do was "Invite others to come unto Christ..." and be a good example to the members in the ward. Not hard, right? Not like I had too many things to keep track of. That was a good life.

Now I am back in reality, where I have real responsibilities. There are three main aspects of my life, School, Work, and my Social Life. Let's go through each of them.

School.
Holy smokes. I would definitely not recommend coming home from a mission and jumping right into 15 credits of senior level classes. That's a good way to kill yourself. I legitimately spend about 5 hours at the library per day, ON AVERAGE. Sometimes it's more, sometimes it's less. But still... That's a whole freaking lot of time. And somehow despite that, I feel like I am a mediocre student who is just barely keeping up.

Work.
First, let's just take a minute to celebrate the fact that I have a job. That's good news. I'm going to work at a group home like I did before my mission. Because of that, I had to spend all of last week doing training for my new job. That meant that I had to miss several classes. That really irritated me a lot; almost to the point of making me reconsider my decision to take the position.

Social Life.
This is the one aspect of my life that I wish I could devote more time to. It's definitely the one I enjoy the most. Most of the time that I spend with my boyfriend is spent at the library doing homework for our individual homework assignments. Once in a while we actually do something fun. Like a week and a half ago, he and I went to a masquerade ball that the College of the Arts sponsored. Then the other day we took a break from homework and went Country Dancing. I like when we do that stuff.

Throw these things into a pot, let them boil, and you end up with a really stressed out Kelsey. Last week when I was doing my training for work, I was stressed out of my mind. I felt bad for my boyfriend, because at the start of the week I apologized for my inability to be social for the week. Someday I'm sure that I'll be a master and juggling all of my responsibilities and then some, but in the mean time, I'm going to stop blogging and go back to trying to keep my head above water.

Party in Provo

I know that there is often a negative social image when one hears the word "Provo". Especially if you happen to live anywhere north of the place. But despite popular belief on Utah State's campus, there are a few decent human beings in Provo. And this weekend I was lucky enough to spend time with a few of them. In three days I visited 10 different people or families between Logan and Provo.

I started by visiting my friend Richard in Layton. Richard and I go way back. Six years ago, I never would've imagined that in 2015 Richard and I would be catching up with each other over dinner. You know you have a good relationship with someone when you can sit down and talk about each other's love interests, and be super excited and happy for each other.

After dinner with Richard, I made my way to P-town. I stayed the first night with my friends Elysha and Hannah. Elysha and I stayed up until 2:30 in the morning talking about missions, school, dating, marriage, fears, and the good ole' days. Only with Elysha could I do that. I now remember why she is my soul-mate. I feel more at ease and myself with her than I do anyone else on the planet. She's the best.

The next morning the two of us went shopping and then I met up with my friend Dillon. Dillon was my first zone leader on the mission, and one of my dearest friends that I made in Texas. There was a little communication problem regarding where we were supposed to meet for lunch. As a result I spent an hour driving all over Provo trying to find him. It was worth it though, because I thoroughly enjoyed having lunch with him. Then he and I went shopping. He is extremely fashionable and was fantastic to have around as I tried to upgrade my wardrobe. My mission companion, Ashley joined us, and the two of them picked out clothes for me to try on and told me which ones to keep and which ones to leave. As a result I now have a fabulous new wardrobe and am on my way to being considered stylish.

After shopping with Dillon, Ashley and I met up with another mission friend, Brayden. Ashley was nervous about having Brayden along because she didn't know him, and she didn't want to be a third wheel. It turned out fine though. The two of them hit it off really fast. I hardly got a word in edgewise over dinner. After being at Sizzler for 2-1/2 hours, we decided we'd better hit the road. Ashley invited Brayden to go country dancing with us. I'm glad she did. It was such a blast!!!! The first guy that I danced with was really good, and he could tell that I knew a thing or two, so he asked if I knew the can-opener. Then he threw me into it, and it went pleasantly well. I've only done that move like twice before in my whole life! I spent most of the evening trying to teach Brayden how to dance. I'm a good dancer, just not a good teacher unfortunately. I was super impressed at how well he learned the moves though.

Sunday I went to church with my oldest sister's family. Then I visited the family of one of my mission companions. They were really nice. They shared their Sunday-afternoon snack with me. It was a cheese bar. I tried some new types of cheese and was surprised to find that I actually liked some of them. The last stop of the night was my first trainee, Serisa. She is adorable!!!!! I love her to pieces!!!!! While I was at her house, she made me try this treat called a "Tim Tam Slam". It was actually really, good. And I promised her that I'd give a shout out to them on my blog.  So everyone listen up!!! If you ever get the chance to try a Tim Tam Slam, you'd better take it!!!!

Sunday night I made it back to Logan and met up with my boyfriend, Kevin. We spend the rest of the night playing games with our friends. What an utterly fantastic weekend in every way. I am so incredibly blessed to be surrounded by so many wonderful friends whom I love oh so very much. Life is good. Life is very good.

Land of Enchantment

Did you know that New Mexico is called the Land of Enchantment? Who knew?! I thought that was Agrabah! (Aladdin reference: "Welcom to Agrabah! City of mystery... and enchantment!!!")

Well surprise! Apparently New Mexico is also the land of enchantment. And that is where I went for New Years. My sister Jashley had a baby a little while back, so my whole entire family (minus one) caravaned to Albuquerque from Salt Lake City. It was quite the adventure. I caught up on some of the movies that I missed while I was on my mission. I also read a good chunk of the book The Fault in Our Stars. If you haven't read that book. Read it!!! It was incredible. The movie is also incredible, and surprisingly fairly close to the book. I'm impressed by that.

Back to New Mexico. While we were there, we got to see hot air balloons every morning right outside of Jashley's back window. How awesome is that?! The kids loved it. The highlight of the trip was when we discovered that NM has Blue Bell ice cream. Whaaaaaat?! Well, you know that we went and bought every kind imaginable and had a huge ice cream buffet. It was fantastic!!! We also went to see the petroglyphs. Jashley kept telling us to set our expectations low because they weren't that spectacular. Admittedly they really weren't all that impressive. But we did have a lot of fun interpreting what they meant. If I remember right, a lot of them had to do with the end of the world and someone dying. Knowing my family, that interpretation shouldn't be too surprising.

That day was when the trip started going down hill. My mom woke up that morning sick, so she didn't get out of bed all day. The next day, my niece Ali was sick, and threw up all night. Then the next day, which happened to be New Years Eve, I was the lucky one who got sick. It was terrible. I spent the day isolated to my nephew's room with only my phone and iPad to keep me company. I vomited five times throughout the day. What a way to bring in the new year, eh? The worst part is, that the same thing happened last time I was with my family for New Years Eve.

The next morning we packed up and started the two day trip back home. Whoopay. I was home for approximately 2.5 days, and then I moved back to Logan, UT. Utah State, here I come!!!!!!! Bring on a good semester!!!!!!! Right now, I only have two friends here, Jade and Kevin. But that's all I need. Just enough friendship to keep me happy, but not enough to distract me with parties all the time. Life is good.