Last weekend some girls off my team and myself went and saw Footloose. To be honest, I wasn't that excited to see it but what do ya know... I LOVED IT!!! Like really, it was so good. And for those who haven't seen it, go see it. Now. Haha well, maybe not now but definitely soon! Maybe it's just me but I think that the movie was a million times better because of Kenny Wormald a.k.a. Ren MacCormick! Gosh he is so freaking hot I can't even stand it. I mean look at him, ah!! I want him.So Footloose is a definite must see.

So since we are talking about Footloose, I have been watching the show The Sing-Off on NBC where there's this group from BYU called Vocal Point. It's an all guy group and if you haven't watched The Sing-Off it's basically all acopella! (I think I spelled that right) Butttttttttt, here's a video of their performance from Monday where they sang Footloose.

http://youtu.be/5pwrWYmUkUA

They are pretty dang good.

Can you believe it's already October? I can't. I feel like it was just the beginning of the year, but nope. Halloween is just around the corner! Time just keeps flying by and I feel like I am just non-stop going. For reals.

Let me just tell you, I am staying busy. Very very busy. I'm taking 16 credit hours plus an online photography workshop. Then there's volleyball. Oh volleyball... definitely starting to drain everything out of me. But on the plus side, we are 15-2! Our only two losses are from EA (Eastern Arizona College). Dumb Eastern. We totally could have taken them. Now on a not so happy note, we only have 7 games left. This season seriously has gone by so fast! Maybe a little too fast...it makes me so sad to think that this could be my last season playing. I better not think about it or I most likely will become depressed.

Also, my BYU application is in! Yay! Definitely a little stressful and frustrating at some moments but I'm grateful for the people who helped me get to where I am and support me in my decision. So for now, we wait. Everything is just all up in the air at this moment. I will have to make a decision once I know if I got accepted. There is so much I can do! Haha it's all so exciting yet so nerve raking. I can't even explain. You can say I'm a bit overwhelmed.

Last night I had a few girls off my team over and I decided I was going to make some dessert for us to eat while we watch movies. Well I made us some cinnamon roll cake and you bet it tastes just as great as it sounds. Plus! It is super easy to make. Especially coming from me, the only person on this Earth that can't cook to save her life, I did a darn good job! With moving out within my grasp I realized I won't have mommy there to cook me dinner anymore. Sooo, with that I am definitely going to try and fend for myself starting by making my family dinner from here on out! So today, for Sunday dinner I made Queso Chicken Pasta. At first I was worried it was going to be too spicy for my liking since I'm a complete wimp with hot/spicy food but it wasn't bad at all! It was so good! Like really good, and let me tell you, I am quite proud of myself! I definitely feel accomplished:)

(I didn't take these pictures though) Here's where you can find the recipes:
Cinnamon roll cake

Queso Chicken Pasta

P.S. My team, ya...us girls over at CGCC...you know, those really cute volleyball players...yeah they just so happen to be 12-1!!! Sooo sick.

We are 9-0!!!
'nough said.

What a weekend...

My volleyball team flew up to Colorado this past weekend to play in a tournament in Lamar, CO. It's this little nothing-of-a-town place 3 hours out of Denver. So basically we hopped onto our plane, flew about two hours, and drove another 3. But this trip was way different from last years trip because the sophomores were on a completely different flight then the freshmen and our coaches! So, they all had a flight at 8:45am while our flight was at 9:45pm. Us sophomores didn't arrive to Denver till a little past midnight Colorado time. We hardly got any sleep that night, with arriving to the hotel and getting settled in bed around 2 in the morning and having to wake up at 6:30 to pick up and head out for Lamar! (Let me just tell you now, I slept the entire three hours haha.)nSo once we got to Lamar we didn't even stop to check into our motel (yes, i said MOTEL) and drove straight to the gym. Fortunately, the motel was right next door to the campus.

In the tournament we played Lamar CC, Dodge City CC, Trinidad CC, and Pratt CC. You'll be very much impressed to hear we left Lamar with the record 4-0. Can I just say we absolutely destroyed our competition?! Oh cause we did:)

Oh and did I mention my team is down-right hilarious? Like, seriously... I cry laughing all of the time. There are just about a million new inside jokes we have amongst ourselves. I love my team.

CGCC 2011

Brooke and Stacky

Pictures? Nooooo thank you.

Attempting.....

Accomplishing:) (Owling)

Notice me howling hahahahaha

Our first game of the season is Wednesday. MCC best be watching out!

Welp, another semester of school has started and I am extra 'anti-school' this term. (and it's only the SECOND day!) Ugh. Man this is going to be such a long semester. Maybe it has something to do with the 16 credit schedule I'm taking along with volleyball, volleyball and some more volleyball! You also can't forget lifting twice a week. May I just say, it.gets.tiring! I usually can't keep my eyes open that late at night. Poor Miranda, I feel like I never see her. (For those of you who don't know Miranda is my cousin who moved in with us about...a month or so ago.) But it's definitely been great having her here. We are just 6 months apart and it's great! I always have a friend with me:) The other night we went and saw Crazy Stupid Love and Ohhh Myyy it was hilarious! Seriously we were dying laughing! At one point during the movie we found ourselves both gasping and holding our hands over our mouth and then looked down our row and no lie, every girl was doing the exact same thing! But truthfully, go see it. Do it do it do it! It's so good!!!

One last thing... Last Sunday Miranda, Shalai, Taelin, and I had a little photo shoot on Miranda's MAC and it was hilarious! I tried uploading some, but for some reason it isn't working at the moment. So next post, be prepared:)

loves.

Okay, it's been awhile since I've last blogged. Sooo quick update, volleyball... is kicking my butt! Literally. Today especially, the team was at the gym from 8:30-3! That's 6 in a half hours! Yeah I know what you're thinking. That's crazy long! You're telling me... Yayyyy for college volleyball! Also, school starts next week. And let me tell ya... so not excited! But I just have to keep reminding myself just one more semester at Chandler-Gilbert then I am free to go wherever I want! Yay:) Now that's something I am excited about.

On another note, I watched this movie the other night called Changeling. I loved it! I mean, it was so sad and I could hardly believe that it was a true story but I completely loved it! And I definitely recommend you watch it.

Everyone has a best friend during each stage of their life, but only a select few have the same one.

I can honestly that this quote applies to me 100% and that I have been lucky enough to grow up with the absolute best friends. No matter how drastically life changes for us; whether it's dealt with moving, or marriage, or going to different schools, or whatever else it may be I know I can

always call them my best friends.

Stacy VanBeekum Louden
I can't picture my life without her. She's been the one I've been inseperable with for years and years and I'm okay that she is now married and has replaced me with her hubby;) I will never forget the thousands of sleepovers we had and the millions of memories I've created with her. She is an amazing example to me and is so hardworking. I can't even think of a time that I've ever beat her on any assignment we have ever had. haha. I know that if I need her, I can text/call her up and she will always be there to listen. I'm so happy that she is happy. Amrie Brooke Stapley
She is probably one of the funniest people you will ever meet. NEVER a dul moment when you are with Amrie. haha. It's hard to imagine life without her, because then life would be so dang boring. She brings the goofy side out of you, and makes you realize that you shouldn't care what others have to say about you. She is more than comfortable in her own skin, and that mentally spreads when you are around her. She is an amazing athlete and is very competitive. I loved the times I got to play with her, and having her as my setter. She gave me the confidence I needed and is always very supportive. I love the times I spend with her without a doubt.

Then there's...
Coach Jaime

No lie, she is THE funniest person I have ever met in my life. You are never bored when you are with Coach, and I am usually crying from laughing so hard or nearly peeing my pants from the stuff she says. She is someone I look up to so much, and she has helped me alot. Like, alot alot. I thank her for the player I have become. For the effort she has put in to help me grow as a player, and all simple things she has said to me to make my skills become so much stronger. I miss her as my coach more than anything and am grateful for the years I had her expertise to guide me. But I am especially grateful for the friendship that grew over those years.

These girls will forever be important to me.

Well recently I have just been ITCHING to get away so bad. I mean, a vacation would be absoutely lovely, but I'm sort of feeling like I just need to get out of the state of Arizona for a while right now. You know, spread my wings... live on my own for a bit. All that good stuff. I love my family don't get me wrong. They mean everything to me! I just feel like, right now...it's what I need. But unfortunately, I still have a good 6 months here before I can do anything about it. I'm excited for volleyball season coming up. Well... moments of it. Other parts, not so much. (But that story is for another post.) I'm graduating a semester early from Chandler-Gilbert which come Decemeber I will have this newly found freedom I've never had before! My life for the past 7-8 years has been consumed by volleyball. From school ball, to club, to summer workouts, to off season training, to preseason training, and so much more! I haven't had a summer to just do whatever I wanted. And I'm not saying I haven't loved playing volleyball because I don't know what I would do without it! But at times... I just need a little time to step back and take a quick breather from it all. Phew.

I am excited for our new team at Chandler-Gilbert. I think we have lots of potential! And I'm also hoping that I can be looked at my bigger schools and possibly get signed on to play further on. Would not give up that opportunity for anything.

I want to move. If I could, I would NOW. I'd be packing up my things and be on my way to live up in Provo, Utah. It's the place I've wanted to live for the past two years now! I love everything about the environment up there. Everything.

But wouldn't it be nice waking up near this every morning?I honestly wouldn't mind the thought of moving to California. Not at all.

Or even... Living on the East Coast in New York City. I think it would be interesting living the fast paced city life.

Can you tell I'm ready for something different?

Didn't think so:)

Okay, you have to know... I'm obsessed. I absolutely love this show. I love it I love it I love it. This is what I do on my Monday nights. Except, I think Ashley is stupid. She's not a very good bachelorette honestly. She has cried every single episode!! It gets old. But THANK GOSH she has stopped mentioning Bentley. My personal favorite is JP. I love JP. JP is sooooooooooo sexy. If I could have him, I'd be a happy girl. Or Blake:)
How could she let him go?!?!?!

Anyways... I'm starting a new project. I'm moving out within 6 months so there's no point in redoing my room so I'm taking on the challenge of fixing up my sister's room! Yep. You heard me! We are painting today. Woo! Wish me luck!

I may be a little blog crazy right now but I'm quite alright with it :)

Throughout the past couple of days I've watched the first 5 Harry Potter movies and am planning on watching the rest within the next week. I'm just getting myself all pumped up for the last and final HP movie!

If you didn't know,

it comes out next Friday.

Ohh.Myy.Goodness. I am excited :)

you have NO idea.

On another note...
I came across an old quote that I absolutely love:

"What I want is to be needed. What I need is to be indispensable to somebody. Who I need is somebody that will eat up my spare time, my ego, my attention. Somebody addicted to me. A mutual addiction."

Because one day I'm gonna find a love like this...

and this...

Mmm :) Yeah, Mr. Perfect no need to take your time :)

May I just say, that I am so lucky to have a family who absolutely LOVES the lake. Every summer since when I was a baby we have gone to Lake Powell. I have never missed a Lake Powell trip and I don't ever plan on missing one! You could say it's my escape.

This trip was different this year. Usually we have some MEN on the houseboat with us but frankly, no guys wanted to stay! As soon as my mother, Shalai, Miranda, and I had arrived my Uncle and his girlfriend were outta there. They did not want to stay! (And I don't understand how anyone could ever want to leave this place? I dread leaving!) Then just a day in a half later, my cousin Johnny decided he would rather go spend the 4th of July with his buddies rather than with the fam at the lake. PEOPLE ARE CRAZY!

So us girls decided that before Johnny left, we wanted to spend the day out on the lake rather than stuck on the houseboat. (Because there were no guys, we couldn't drive or move the houseboat so we were stuck on the buoy the entire trip. I still feel like I'm swaying from all the rocking on the houseboat!) Anyways, we took a trip up to Rainbow Bridge!

Here's my little sister Taelin. I laugh so hard when I look at this picture!

Did I mention that I love love LOVE Lake Powell?! Hm, didn't think so:) I am pretty sure I am going again the last week of July. Yay:) And the first weekend of August I'm going with this girl

to the happiest place on earth!! DISNEYLAND:):):)

This picture makes me laugh so hard. Everyone, look to your left at Coach Jaime. OHMYILOVEIT. I don't think she was quite getting the hang of it.

I definitely caved into starting up a new blog. I just couldn't help myself to be honest. I have an old blog but it hasn't been updated for over a year now, so let's just pretend it doesn't exist! (Cause frankly, it's a tad embarrassing haha). So moving on... a few weeks ago it was Shalai's prom and since I am trying to get myself out there and get into the whole 'photographer scene' I told Shalai I wanted to take her group out to take their pictures. Well, her group started out with 3 couples, which led to 6 couples, leading to the grand total of 9 couples! That's 18 kids right there. Oh myyyyy. (My thoughts exactly). Well I took their pictures at some run-down warehouse out in Queen Creek and though I felt rushed (because they were late and I only had an hour to shoot because they had to make it back in time for dinner) I enjoyed every second of it. I'm not quite done editing all the pictures just because I haven't had much down time with my busy schedule but I'm trying! You have to give me that.