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While in the library today I came across a poem that I wrote not too long ago about cars...

 It is titled, "New Car Dreams"

Shiny blue

Italian leather

Custom polished rims  

Chrome muffler

Awesome stereo

Souped up motor

Here I sit

Waiting, wishing

For my new owner

To notice me

To walk by and realize
He cant live without me

At last!

We drive off the lot

With the sunset behind us

As we drive into my private garage

I know we have many great times ahead

Long drives up the coast

Drive-in theatres

Ice cream runs

Romantic evenings

He won’t be able to live without me

Years have gone by

We’ve drifted apart

Something else has taken my place

Now I’m relegated to the driveway

Soap and water are strangers

I’m thirsty for oil

Cobwebs are my constant companions

Riddled with door dings

Lonely as ever

He found a way to live without me

Dull blue

Ripped leather

Scratched rims

Dragging muffler

Broken stereo

No motor

Here I sit in the junkyard

Waiting, wishing

For my new owner

To notice me

To walk by and realize

He can’t live without me

To reflect on this and my past adventure with classic cars..

As I have been at school many things come up that I remember from home and we all seem to catch ourselves saying, “Well, back home…” or “In my home town we have this…”

One of the main things that I have realized that I miss from home is going to car shows with my dad. This journey of car shows goes back to as far as I can remember. I remember going to car shows kicking and screaming because it meant I had to walk around in the hot sun for hours upon hours. When in reality.. I just didn't want to like car shows because my brothers liked car shows and of course I couldn't like what they liked.. go figure. 

This then progressed into me being just "okay" with attending the car show just as long as I could ride in the red wagon and get a picture with the pink Chevy, or just any pink car for that matter. 

This has evolved into.... me being quite frustrated that I couldn't attend the annual "Show and Go" car show in downtown Riverside because I had to work. Also now because I'm away from home...missing the moments when Dad and I would roll up in the Farmer Boys parking lot for the car show, Dad driving the 37 and me in the mustang. Talk about the ultimate Daddy Daughter Date!

Often times I see a classic car out of the corner of my eye and I expect to hear my dads voice when he says “Hey Annie! Look at that! Do you know what year that is?” I can imagine my Dad and brothers getting a kick out of me saying this because when I was little my exact words were, “I don’t see what the big deal is, it’s just a car!” 

Of course over the years I have come to my senses. 

Freshman Year

End of Senior Year

No doubt in my mind I miss the moments when Dad would come into my room asking if I had a moment (which usually turned into a couple hours, but I didn't mind) to help him in the garage and I usually was just needed to hold a light or fit my hands into a small opening or hand him a tool he didn’t want to get up and get from the toolbox. 

Or the times when he would run into my room quite excited and say, “Annie! Cherry on Top (our favorite yogurt place) is calling our name and I know the mustang needs to be driven with the top down!”

Some of my best memories are of my dad and I going on drives in the mustang or in the 37. We talked about life, laughed about pretty much anything and sometimes tried to sneak in donuts to the kitchen drawer without mom noticing ;)

Oh the memories :)

Interesting college midterm

Today I took my first college midterm ever! And I must say... it was interesting, weird and insanely easy.  The test was for my Study and Effective learning class and it took me a total of 25 minutes to take the test. I was taking the test and feeling really good about it then I get to the last essay question and was so ready to attack it with two blank pages ahead of me. I read the question and read to the last sentence of the prompt and was quite confused. The last question on the prompt of the essay stated, "For full credit do not answer this essay question." WHAT! I read it over and over again and finally walked up to the front of the room to ask if it was a mis-print and he said that it wasn't and that I should do whatever I feel. 

I sat there for a little bit with quite a puzzled look on my face along with every other student in the class. I thought about it and thought about what he told me and struggled with feeling like i needed to turn it in without answering a question which is something that I don't ever do. Finally, I gathered up the confidence that I had and turned it in without answering the last essay question just like i was instructed!

I then walked out hoping I did the right thing and looking for someone in my class to talk to about the interesting situation that we had just encountered. I found several people and the first thing both of us said was "What was up with that essay question!" Of all the people that I talked to, no one answered the last question and we are all crossing our fingers that we made the correct decision. I guess we will find out!

I now have to focus on my ASL midterm that I have in four hours. Time to quarantine myself to the library and try to practice my sign language without people looking at me funny thinking I have some sort of crazy twitch!

OFF WE GO!

They missed me, so they came back

Mom and Dad came up to Utah for a short trip, they just missed me so much they couldn't stay away! ;)  They brought up a car that Adam bought and brought up my bike...among other things that I forgot at home while I was packing my life away at 3:00 in the morning. 

It was a really weird feeling to have both of my parents here “visiting” me. They both came and saw my apartment and Dad walked into my room and had this weird look on his face and I said, “Weird huh? I live here now!” Several times Dad has said “Annie, I walked into your room today and you weren’t there! What’s up with that?”

As Mom and Dad were here I could find myself saying “Hey! Guess what I learned!” Or “Want to know what I have discovered?” I just loved how Many times Mom and Dad just sat there almost in awe and I could just see the wheels in their minds turning.

The things I have discovered while living on my own…

 1. I really don’t like clutter

2. I am so much like my mom

3. I really don’t like having to pay to do my laundry

4. Leftovers are a gift from above

5. Making the bed on a twin bed rather than a queen is so much easier

6.  Ultimate Frisbee is a fantastic game that I could play every day and never get bored

7.  When your bored on a weekend…don’t hesitate to have a grocery kart race in the parking lot

8. Why does everything have to be so expensive!

9. I seem to get quite excited when I make my own complete meal

10.  Doing dishes really isn’t that bad

11. Having a Dad that was “Ultimate Mr. Fix-It” was an amazing thing! My future husband better be able to fix things like my Dad

12. You really don’t need that much space. Just the essentials and your good!

13. I really miss having my Dads nice camera around. Looks like I'm just going to have to settle for the IPhone camera

14. Not having a TV is a fantastic thing!! It is not needed! When I shared this with Dad he pulled out his phone and recorded me saying it so that he will have proof for later haha Oh Dad.

It was so fun to have Mom and Dad here and be able to show them and tell them about my new adventure that I am having. I also caught myself saying, "Wow guys, Im a college student. Thats weird!" 

Mom and Dad left this afternoon but we were able to fit in a Kneaders trip before they left and of course fit in some shopping while we were at it. 

Aaron showing his French Toast

 While furniture shopping I made the decision that I should just move my bed out of my dorm and move this fancy chair in. Who needs a dorm bed anyways? This thing would do just fine!

Mom and Dad were getting in the car to leave and it was really weird to be saying goodbye and not getting in the car with them. The same feeling I got when I was preparing for school and Mom told me she wasn't booking me a return flight back to California. Weird feeling that I am going to have to get used to. 

Love you tons and tons FOREVER! See you in August :)

BYU Life

College has really begun and I am finally settled. Adjusting to college life certainly has been...interesting. I have had quite a few moments where I can hear my Mom or Dads voice in my head saying.. "Now you know how I felt!" or "See.. I told you!"

For example, I have recently learned that one of my major pet peeves is clutter around the apartment. I'm not sure that I had this pet peeve while I was living at home.. sorry Momma. I find myself going around the apartment constantly and cleaning and feeling like it never ends. I can just imagine that this is how my Mom felt at home when my things were just scattered around...again...sorry Momma. I have also learned that I am not very fond of dirty dishes in the sink, especially when the dishes just seem to be a mountain in the sink. I have also become a number one fan of paper plates, plastic utensils, and plastic cups! These are a college students best friend!


A quick recap of my first two weeks of college included...

1. Enjoying my first Sunday in the Provo YSA 129th ward! I have had a hard time realizing that I am actually in Relief Society and there is no going back to Young Women's..unless I am called into Young Women's later in life..crazy huh! My Relief Society president and I have alot in common. I saw that she had brought cupcakes for all of us and my thought was.. She and I are going to be friends!

2. What happens on a Sunday at midnight? We sticky note our friends cars. This I cannot even explain haha I can surely say that our "logical thinking" at midnight goes out the window. An idea pops into our head and we go for it!

3. Of course hiking the Y! Classic BYU Freshman activities!

 4. Every day in between my two classes I go into the Tanner building to study and to finish homework while Aaron and his best friend Brad study for their CPA exam. What I have found with Aaron and Brad is that every once in a while they love to reward themselves with a "quick" foose-ball game in the MAC lounge before having to return to the next section of studying. I don't think I have ever seen two guys get as competitive with foose-ball as these two! Surely keeps me entertained! :) Especially when Aaron parades around the room after winning and Brad says "Okay next game!"

 5. Last but not least was enjoying 4th of July with my two favorite people, Aaron and Caroline

 I am so blessed with such great support systems and great family that surrounds me here at school.

I am so grateful for Aaron and Caroline! I look forward to every day that I get to see Aaron in the Tanner Building and get to see his excitement when he finds out that I brought him lunch that day. Also when Aaron and I drive up on the scooter to their apartment and Caroline is there in the living room with such a bright smile on her face and she says.. "Welcome Home! How was your day?" I feel right at home every time she asks me how my day was and how my classes are going. Plus I never have to worry about not having a ride to the grocery store! They are quite eager to take me haha

I love those two!