*sigh* My heart doth flutter with the thought...

One of my more labor intensive classes this semester (and reason for most of my homework and tests) is the "fun" one I chose to take this semester. Yes, it does fulfill a requirement, and it is possibly on of my favorite classes I have taken. History of Apparel. *sigh* For any who know me, the name of the class alone speaks volumes about my personality.

How can a class be get any better than the professors introduction that she love to re-enact? Upon discovering the re-enacting in your past, we instantly found a connection... she is currently getting me the information of the group she re-enacts with and I am rather excited. Another plus is that there are only 15 girls in the class... which makes for a fun time...

Just when you thought it couldn't get better... it does.. (I know you are all sitting at the edge of your seats!) We spend lecture going over slides and pictures so that we can understand the history behind fashions, and memorize the endless terms for different parts of clothing. Sounds fun, no?

We spent one lecture while studying ancient middle eastern fashions of wrapping (Egypt, Mesopotamian, Greek, and Roman) with bed sheets. We were practicing the different wrapping techniques of these great ancient civilizations... then we had a mini fashion show... did you know the roman togas wrapped in a way to create two pockets?! I didn't until it was on me... :)


I am totally loving this "pumpkin" brays look... :)

We have made it through the middle ages of Europe when it is considered that fashion really started... and now through the American Revolution... which brings us to my personal favorite period... the 19th century! *girlish giggle* With each picture I want a new dress... the Romantic era is to die for... the Crinoline period is the one I have lived in... and we are about to enter into the bustle period next week. :D

During the very first class our professor told us about the historical clothing collection that BYU has. Its basically made up of historical originals for the students to study the construction and techniques used historically. She told us that one day this semester we might be able to go down there... (she also mentioned that there is an original Union jacket and cap from the Civil War... which of course made me weak in the knees)



Now for my favorite parts... The other day she brought up one of the original dresses that dated back to the 1840s. I washed my hands and was able to touch the fabric and look at the lining, stitching, and... everything. It was absolutely plain but the fabric was extremely light and airy... much more so than today's cotton... I now more fully understand the need for multiple petticoats as their dresses were rather see-through...

Then, to make things even better, she brought her copies of the Godey's Lady's Book (1842), and Peterson's Lady's magazine (1865)... original fashion magazines of the time... their pages so fragile, the fashion plates still in tact... the stories worded so eloquently... I was tempted, oh so tempted, to just... borrow it for a while to read all the way through it... but alas, my conscious won out.

So there you go, a positively excited post regarding my most passionate subject in life...

Major Changes

January started with a bang... that is, the bang of an imaginary track gun... and now I feel as though I'm in a race against... everything... the winner's prize? My time. With a busy semester schedule of 15 credit hours and a 3 hour lab, a job as a TA, a husband, and a house to clean... this race is a fast paced one and I'm not sure I was ready when the gun went off... regardless, I'm in for the win and don't intend to lag behind.

Last semester I was faced with some very difficult decisions while choosing classes. I had hit a major road block with the Social Sciences major and wasn't confident that its what I want to do with my life. After prayer and consideration, some discussion with my other half (Ica) and my better half (Bryce) (I know... complicated) it was decided that I was going to change my major... again. Strange how I thought that I would never change my mind, and I never thought I would differ as drastically as I have... I am officially a FACS ED (Family and Consumer Science Education) major and an undeclared minor of History Teaching. Meaning I will be able to teach sewing, cooking, nutrition, human development, finance,and marriage and family with a possibility of history teaching! I only have one class left to complete the minor... but as far as the "home ec" teacher path... its got a way to go. On the bright side, I am interested in learning the things included in just about every class! I am so excited to have the broad range of classes/experiences required.

This semester my class schedule is loaded with classes that complete requirements for my major. And so far I am learning so much and loving every class. However, my goal of taking a 'fun' class for a bit of a break fell through... so technically my 'fun' class is the 2nd half of the Old Testament (1 Kings- Malachi) with Sister Strathearn. I know, doesn't sound too fun, but if you knew the professor like I do (this is my 4th semester... in a row... with her) you would have planned your schedule around this class (this is not saying anything about how I did...)

Besides Old Testament, I am taking Nutrition 100 (focusing on nutrition), Nutrition 250/251 (focusing on the food science of nutrition), History of Apparel, and Introduction to Family Processes. All of my classes are incredible. I am already applying a lot of what I have learned into my life and am excited and eager to learn more (honestly, I've not been this excited about going to school since... elementary school...)

Well this post is already really long, so I will have to expound on my classes as I get into the semester a little. (and make a few more laps...) But thanks for reading and supporting me in what I do! Happy New year!

BYU: ranked 9th (from 20) Oaklahoma: not in the top 10 anymore!

Can you believe that I am one month away from getting married?! I am having a hard time believing it myself! My check list is getting longer and more urgent... not because there's more to do, its just more specific now. We are moving past the general plans and focusing on (my favorite part) the details! Yay!!! Our announcements are in the process of the final edit, and will hopefully be ordered today or tomorrow, to be mailed out by next week... so *cross fingers* I hope you like them! :) (in case you wanted to see my engagements, check out Crystal's Blog.)

Life for me is crazy but I am enjoying it! How could I not be totally stoked to start my life with Bryce?! But its more than that, I just started school again and I am so excited for the semester ahead! Because of the nature of my life right now, I had a difficult time choosing a class load that I felt I could stay on top of, while planning a wedding, and missing a week in the middle of October. Ica and I had been planning on a couple of classes together that I wasn't sure I wanted to miss out on so I didn't want to defer... Finally, I have the best class schedule I could have come up with... but I admit, it wasn't all me... It just fits together so nicely that I know there was some divine help. Already, a week into the semester I have learned so much I can barely contain my excitement!

SFL100: Strengthening Marriage and Family.
This class focuses on and studies in depth The Family: a Proclamation to the World. I am absolutely loving this class so far and can't wait to dig in deeper. My professor's motto is "Get it off the wall and into your lives." And I fully intend to apply what I learn into my circumstances in life. Yesterday we discussed the great plan of happiness and how learning the stories of the Creation and the Fall, the Atonement really help us to better understand our divine potential. We talked about how important our bodies are and what a blessing we have. We should be grateful for the one we have and take care of it b/c we love Heavenly Father and want to show him that we are thankful. Worth and worthiness are not the same things... our worth never changes. God loves us no matter what. But our worthiness is dependent on our agency and how we use it.

RELA 312: Old Testament (GEN-2Samuel)
My favorite professor here at the Y is Sis. Strathern. This is the third class I have taken from her. I know I have posted about her before. Luckily I discovered that she is teaching one class of Old Testament this semester. Naturally, Ica and I signed up for this class first! Her classes are intensive in reading and recording. She expects us to think and reason intelligently in class and always pushes us to see if we can come up with something profound. Right now we are discussing the Creation and the Fall. Yesterday we discussed the great plan of happiness and how it was started, and moved along through the choice of Adam. Did you know that "Adam" in Hebrew means "Mankind"? there is no gender specific. So in other words, mankind made the choice to leave the garden and come into a mortal life. ... cool...
We also talked about how the Garden of Eden is a temple. In every temple, Egyptian, Hebrew, Muslim, Hindu, LDS there is one major purpose for it... That purpose is to be in the presence of God. Everything else is a means to get to that ultimate goal. In every temple there is a Tree of Life. The Garden of Eden had one but we compared it to the one in Lehi's dream... they are the same tree. Because we have both accounts we can better understand both a little better. Ica and I were giddy coming out of class discussing this fact. Cherubim was placed there to keep Adam and Eve from eating the fruit and becoming immortal in a fallen state. But Lehi and his family had proven their obedience by holding to the rod and making the journey to the tree... they were in a redeemed state and so were invited to partake of the fruit... wow... there's so much!!! I invite all to try reading both accounts (Gen. 3, Moses 4, 1Nephi 8, 11, and 15) then try to compare and contrast... you will be amazed!

Geography: need I say more?
Actually it was interesting to see. I have been so excited that my two above classes were tying in together so nicely. Both were giving me great insights from different perspectives. I admit I am not terribly excited about this class as I am about the others... but it is important that I take it. Last night however, we began to talk about (yes, you guessed it) the creation of the world. It was fascinating in the light of what I have been learning to get a whole new perspective on the "periods" of the creation. My professor read to us from a General Conference talk explaining an LDS standpoint on the scientific theories of the forming of life here on earth. God must really want me to get it... because I have now been hit with the same information three different ways in three of my classes... I guess I should really take it to heart!

PWS112: Floral Design
A general education requirement filler and possibly the best class ever! In this class we learn flower and plant names, how to design floral arrangements in a variety of different styles. We are going to learn confidence in our own style, and have a skill that we can use for the rest of our lives. Today she went through our ID quiz list and she showed us each flower that will be on it. I got to bring home a teddy bear sunflower... a special, dyed variety of sunflower that looks pretty cool. It makes me happy... :D


Our football team created a huge upset in the ranks this last weekend. Before playing the 3rd best team at the Dallas Cowboys stadium we were ranked 20. Now? We are ranked 9th! Oklahoma is no longer in the top ten... :) Thousands of BYU fans were partying at the Lavell Edwards Stadium on Saturday night... wish I had known... ;) My SFL 100 Professor missed class last week because he went to the game in Texas... and the ranking was announced in the middle of my floral design class... :) so... GO BYU!!!!!

Anyway, that's life for me so far... a new update soon!!!

Catch up!

Hello again to anyone who actually reads these random ramblings. :) With the hustle and bustle of the Holiday season I had much happen and no time to tell about it! A quick catch up is in order [insert here]

Christmas was great! We had to wake my brother up to go downstairs to where the tree was. I got a wonderful memory foam pad for my apartment bed... its like sleeping on a heavenly cloud and my roommates are all pretty jealous. But I also got an electric blanket! Good bye shivers, Hello good night's sleep! :D Christmas day was probably the most lazy day I've ever spent but it was nice as I didn't have any school to worry about.


Ica and I did go sledding with Dan and Phil one day. It was quite the adventure... Phil took us to a hill that not many know about and let me tell you, there is a reason... I sled down it a grand total of 5 times and I face planted at the bottom (or middle) every time! :) It was fun though. This picture was taken just after Ica went head first into a bush at the bottom... she told me it wasn't all that tasty... I was so wet that I had iceicles in my hair! This is also before Phil pushed me through a bush and off a cliff... yep, good times...



The fam and I partied it up for a few days, Mom and I hit our "after Christmas" stores, and Ica and I finished up our roommate gifts. New Years Eve came and with it my boy came back from Roosevelt. We stayed up late and I was up and ready to go at 7. Bryce was actually brave enough to come down to the ranch in Kanab with my family and I. It turned out to be a lot of fun! I whooped him in Rummy 500... and the stars were pretty amazing at night. :) There was ice on the lake and naturally the boys spent at least an hour and a half sliding around on the ATVs. The hardest part of going down there is the hard reality of school starting again... *sigh*

As it always does, vacation ended and now we're back in school. I have a new roommate who bought Kerry's contract... she is way nice, a little crazy, and super fun. I think she will fit in nicely here. :) All of us crazy girls are back safe and sound. And so far we have survived the classes of the first week. My schedule is pretty intense but I am excited for it too. I start classes on MWF with Geography 101 at 8:00 am, ASL 102 10:00, Social Psychology 11:00, History 202 12:00. Mondays I have an evening 2nd half of the New Testament class from 5:00-6:50 to get home in time to run FHE. My Tuesdays and Thrusdays start at 9:00 with World Dance, and ASL at 10:00... so yeah, I will definately be kept on my toes this semester. I am also hoping that one of these job interviews will end with me getting a job... so cross your fingers and pray for me! :)

In world news (as far as I know anyway): The missionaries are all working hard. Xander just had his first transfer and is doing really well in Indonesia. The work in Europe is progressing forward, both in Spain with Jonathan and in France with Travis. In Japan, our Elders Stufflebeam and Badger are finding good things to write home about. In all honesty, there is not a whole lot of news from Brazil... I hope its still there! :) And finally from the MTC, Elder Raynor is finishing up his last two weeks there and will then be on his way to Mexico! The church is true where ever you are and I am so proud of them all!

Well thats it for now, hopefully I'll have a more exciting story to tell sometime soon! :) Tschau!