Everything is AMAZING - But nobody is happy

OK so the other day i was walking back to my dorm during freetime at EFY to try to round up my twelve girls for the week. It was pouring rain. I was freezing cold. I had not slept all week because my girls are crazy and love to stay up. My nose would not stop running and my throat was killing me. I was thinking to myself - My life is LAME. I am twenty years old. I am single. I live in a dorm. I play with teenagers all day long. I am a terrible counselor because my girls are running ramped around BYU and they are they only ones that cannot seem to walk from place to place behind their counselor (ME) in a straight line. BAHHHH!
Then i went to a class on gratitude with my girls. I realized something. MY LIFE IS PRETTY FREAKING AMAZING. I go to Brigham Young University! People would kill to go there. It is the best school in the history of EVER. I studied in Jerusalem. My family is perfect and for the most part healthy. I have the best job in the history of the church and get paid to read my scriptures and dance with fourteen year old boys. Here are a couple videos the teacher showed in the class. ENJOY!!!!

Princess Melissa

For the past ten days Princess Melissa has stayed at our house while her mother was back east at Harvard visiting her younger brother Jared. I have not really mentioned Melissa much in my blog. I first met her when i was about eight years old when she and her family moved to Royal City. I remember meeting her at church. Our moothers set up a play date for us. I had never spent much time with someone who had Downs Syndrome before she came to my house. I just knew that she had long, beautiful brown hair and that she still loved dolls, dress ups, and Disney Princesses. Those are three things i will never grow out of for as long as I live. We got along great. She started coming over more and more often and staying at our house sometimes when her parents had to work after school. WE LOVED IT.
Melissa is such a little celestial being. She is so bright and happy and everything is better around our house when she stays with us. Even Big Mr. Jace can't help but smile when she says "WELCOME HOME HANDSOME!"Alot of people think it would be hard to entertain her for ten whole days but i loved every minute of it. She notices all the small things in life. I LOVE HER SO MUCH. She is brilliant. She remembers everything and we quote our favorite movies to each other all day long. I love it when she sings an entire Shainia Twain CD on her Princess Microphone Machine or when we go to the park and play on the swings. I love it when we race or when we pretend to be mermaids at the waterpark. I love that she accepts me 100% for exactly who I am. She never tries to make me different or change me because she thinks I am awesome just as I am, but at the same time she brings out the best in me. I MISS YOU BUDDY! Be Good for your Mother. I know I know, you always are....

Back to Blogging

SORRY GUYS! Things have been pretty crazy these past few weeks. Finals and moving sucked all the time and energy out of me. Now that i am done with test and officially moved into my new apartment i finally have some time to blog.
This past weekend my mother and I - along with my aunts and a couple of friends from Royal City went to Womans Conference at BYU. My grandma was one of the presenters, which was really neat although not surprising because she is an AMAZING person. She is so cute and did a wonderful job. Nicely Done Grandmary. I LOVE YOU! It was an awesome weekend just spent with some of my favorite girls. I learned alot and am glad i had the opportunity to attend.
Saturday my brother Riley and I drove home with mom. I am going to be working for Especially For Youth as a counselor this summer but i do not have to be back in Utah until the end of this month so i am going to spend a couple weeks chilling at home and enjoying the small window of time where all six of us will be here together. I am also working on my mission papers and can turn them in next month. EXCITING STUFF!!!
I am excited to be home and to blog about all my adventures on the farm. You should all be excited to read them. More to come soon i am sure. LOVE YOU! Hope summer is going AWESOME! Enjoy the pictures of me, my grandma, my mom, and cute aunts - along with the Ladies Of the Night, or LON as they like to be called (my grandma's group of friends) who came to support her. A couple of them also presented. Between her daughters and friends - and most of all her FAVORITE grandchild my grandma had quite the little support group.

MY GIRLS

The other I came home and was doing normal things as i normally do. Something around the apartment was different and i could not figure it out. I was cleaning up the living room and putting things away. I went back to Ali and Steph's room to put some things on Ali's bed when i realized that all the fantastic artwork we had made over the past year was taken down. The room also had a few big tubs full of clothes. Suddenly i realized that slowly but surely we are all starting to pack things away. It hit me that the semester is coming to a close. I have been counting down the days FOREVER but when i realized that i will no longer be living with my roommates i was very ANTI-HAPPY!

I first met Alison, Jaimie and Stephanie two years ago when we were all randomly put together as roommates in Fox Hall at Heritage. I say random, but really it was an act of God and huge blessing. That summer was, putting Israel aside, the BEST semester i have ever had a BYU. We all just kind of got along really well and had such a good time. They really helped me through my first few weeks away from home and we figured out together how college works.

Two years later we have all learned and grown so much. We have been there for each other through it all. Now Jaimie is getting married, Ali is transferring to Boise State to get into the Social Work program, I am getting ready to serve a mission, and Stephanie is coming back to BYU in the fall to graduate in Illustration. Life is taking us all in different directions. I know that we are still going to be good friends, but i am going to miss the everyday things that we do. I feel as though i have not taken complete advantage of having these AWESOME girls in my life. They have been my support system and my family away from family. They make me dinner when i am super busy and have no food. They leave me adorable little notes on my mirror and hide them in my room. They are the ones i cry to when i do awful on a test and talk to for hours every night. I AM GOING TO MISS THEM SO MUCH!!!!!!!

Favorite Roommate Memories

* Ok, so i am a little bit sensitive to touch. Actually, i am down right the single most ticklish person i know. I have no idea how i hid this fact from Ali and Jaimie and Stephanie for almost a year and a half. One day i sitting up on my top bunk and my little feet were dangling down. Jaimie tickled them for fun and i FREAKED OUT!! BAD IDEA! I do not think that they were expecting that kind of reaction. Before i knew it all all three of them were up on my bunk and ATTACKING ME!!!! They find pleasure in my pain and enjoy seeing me distressed. They have used this against me to commandeer my room and get me to drive them to the airport : D. Even Stephanie, my own little confidant, is infamous for attacking me until i either a) cry b) accidentally kick someone in the face or c) cant breath.

* I have a mac computer and one day Alison and I were avoiding our studies and decided to take a picture of us to put as the background of my computer. On MacBooks there is this program called PhotoBooth, which is like the photo booths in the mall. We ended up modeling for my computer for an entire hour. Jaimie joined in on the fun. It was a blast. I cannot bring myself to delete the pictures. THEY ARE CLASSIC!!!!

* Steve Young * When we lived together in the summer of '07 we decided that our festive apartment needed a cardboard cut out of an attractive man. We ended up picking Steve Young, although Richard Simmons was a close second. He is quite the attention getter and every semester since then someone has stolen him. The latest sneaky thief - MY OWN BLOOD!!! Riley took Steve and left us a full on ransom note threatening to burn him. We snapped into action and broke the screen off the window of D and Riley's place in order to get him back. We also may or may not have thrown our garbage all over their apartment. NOBODY MESSES WITH THE FOXY GIRLS OF VIRGINIA 1!!!

* When i was in Jerusalem Stephanie requested a belly dancing costume, i am not sure if she was kidding or not, but i definitely brought her back a sparkly, pink, belly dancing outfit that jingles a WHOLE lot when you move. We have have some good in this outfit. It is a great stress reliever. Just put on the belly dancing costume, grab the sponge bomb tambourine, and crank the Shakira. I may or may not have some excellent blackmail footage of a certain roommate who will remain nameless : D You'll never know.

* Basement Dungeon Apartment = ants and crap internet. GOOD TIMES!!!!!!!

* Sunday morning dance parties while getting ready for church.

* Passing entertaining notes to each other during church.

* Ali and Stephanie letting me sleep on the floor of their room when Jaimie is gone. LOVE IT

* Our festive nail parties and our coloring parties.

* Ali and I once went through this painting phase and bought like ten canvases at WalMart to paint our feelings and frustrations. HAHAHAHA! Steph actually hung them on her wall.

* The girls always come to my Gospel Doctrine lessons and are so encouraging.

* THE WALL OF QUOTAGE!!!! This is the BEST quote wall in the history of EVER. Not even kidding, although i will deny certain quotes with my name on them until the day i die - SOME THINGS ARE MEANT TO BE JUST BETWEEN ROOOMMATES!!! HAHAHAHA! I wish everyone knew the hilarity and history behind each quote. If i had time i would explain each of them to you.

I think thats about it for now. I LOVE YOU ALL GIRLS AND I WILL MISS YOU SO MUCH! Thanks for all the good times and for being there in the rough times. You are the best.I have learned so much from each of you. ENJOY THE PICS1 ARE WE NOT SO CUTE???

Sweet 15

Once upon a time, 15 snowy Christmases ago a little princess woke up to a surprise present. In it was a simple handwritten note from a nurse that said "Santa's Little Angel this year will be a litte - GRIL!!!" That was the first time i ever heard of the soon to be little creature that would shortly become my sister, little Miss Lindsey McCall. After years of Heros in Half-Shell - Turtle Power and Star Wars with my two favrite boys, Riley and Jace, I was SO EXCITED TO BE GETTING A SISTER

Fast forward to this exact day 15 years ago. I was sitting in the living room, playing with my new Easter toys when dad came in and told me that my little red-headed sister was here at last. We went to the hospital and finally i got to meet her. My dad took us to the nursery and said to pick out the prettiest baby. Yes, i remember that. I was sure right. Those big blue eyes and little dimples had me first glance.

I am so lucky that Heavenly Father sent this sweet little spirit to our family. She is so so so so so much fun. The older we get, the more alike we become and the closer we grow. This little fashion diva spices up my life. I love that she is such a perfectionist. She is so cool and so sporty, two things that i am NOT. I miss her ALL THE TIME. I have loved watching her grow into such a beautiful young lady and i cant wait to see what the future has in store. If any of the children of Michael and Lisa Christensen accomplish something in their life it will be my sister. I look forward to so many more happy times. I LOVE MY ONE AND ONLY SIS!

Mamma Mia!

Today is the day of birth for the woman who gave birth to me AKA - my mom's birthday!!!!!! I hope it is a lot more sunny for you in Washington today than it is in Utah Mom.

I just love this woman SO SO SO MUCH! She is seriously my hero. What a great example to everyone around her.

Things i love/miss about Living with Lisa....

1) OUR WALKS! Everyday around 10 or 11 at night my mom would come and find me and ask me to walk with her. I MISS IT! I miss our little chats about life while walking around the elementary school. Some of my best thoughts and ideas came from those little daily walks.

2) I miss having a diet Pepsi to drink at all times. They don't sell it on campus and I actually have to go somewhere and find one if I want to drink it. Usually I just mooch off my mom.

3) She is the cleanest roommate I have ever had, although little Miss Heather Mitchell DID give her a run for her money ; ) I always feel so cramped and pressed for space in my little Provo Apartment, but at home everything is organized and life just makes sense.

4) She is the only member of my family who is not ashamed of me and will always bust out in random cheers and songs while walking throughout the mall or in a store. She will talk to anyone. She is not afraid to ask questions or let someone know if they get her order wrong. She instilled this in me. My siblings have yet to learn this skill.

5) Bless her little heart, she tries SO hard to have everything perfect all the time. I blame her for my unrealistic expectations of other people. She is kind of a superhuman. I forget that not everyone can make things happen and make them happen well the way she can.

6. She is so witty and clever. She taught me to love books and be intelligent. Most people in high school outside my group of friends just saw me as quiet and nerdy. THIS WAS SO FRUSTRATING! Ok - i am a little bit nerdy, BUT THERE IS MORE TO ME AND MY MOM SAW IT! She always knew the real, determined, beautiful, and smart Katelyn. It was so nice to be able to come home from middle school and the early years of high school and have someone to have a real, clever, conversation with that went above and beyond the brain an 8Th grader.

7. I miss her enthusiasm and vest for life. Her pretty little eyes just sparkle. I need some of that right about now, as finals are quickly approaching.

8. SHE IS SO WISE. I don't have to say anything. I look at her and she just knows what is going on in my mind. I don't understand it. She can solve ANYTHING. It kinda freaks me out.

9. She is so classy. Despite my current slovenly appearance, I DO know What Not To Wear (even though I sometimes wear it anyways because I'm in college and it is easy and cheap), but my mom taught me better I PROMISE. - and just so she does not have a heart attack while reading this, I WILL clean myself up before i go out in public and fix my hair JUST LIKE SHE ALWAYS TOLD ME.

10. She is my best buddy ever and i miss just hanging out with her and going to town with her. NEVER A DULL MOMENT WITH THIS ONE!

CONGRATS TO THE SHAMIE!

SEAN AND JAIMIE ARE ENGAGED! Jaimie Jones is my roommate. I just love her to death. She is one of my favorite people - and she found someone who makes her smile, besides me, but it would never work out between us.I am still trying to overlook the fact that they didnt EVEN SAY ANYTHING when they got home last night and that we had to pry it out of them, but i will get over it. I adore this girl and i wish the happy couple all the best. CONGRATS GUYS! I love you! Have fun polishing your ring or introducing people to "your Fiancee", or whatever it is people do when they get engaegd James : D