here we go! haha

Some of my favorite songs!!

It's a small world after all

Try to follow along! This story is kinda confusing. Especially if you don't know any of these girls that I am about to talk about. :) So I met this girl up here at college. Natalie Gilbert. She lives with my cousin Teresa! So that's how we know each other. Anyway, she is a way awesome chick and we get along great! So then Natalie introduced me to her cousin Kjersti. Kjersti just happens to be in a lot of my music classes! So now we are friends too! She is a way cool girl and super duper funny! So then I find out that Kjersti is cousins with Kristine Butler and Karli Engebretsen both of whom I met on my church history trip over the Summer! It's completely crazy! What a small world eh?? Now, the pictures of this story are in order of appearance from this post. Try to keep up. First Natalie, then Teresa, then Kjersti, then Kristine, and lastly Karli. Super crazy stuff! I know. It's insane how people know each other and then you meet them and find out that you know the same people. Some of whom live ALL the way across the country! Crazy stuff. When I found all this out, I was freaking out! I called Kristine right away, but she was super tired and WAY loopy, so I told her to go take a nap, crazy. She was laughing all weird like she does. haha! (Don't worry Kristine, you are prolly the only one who ever looks at this blog thingy, so not a lot of people will know that you laugh funny when you are oober tired. haha!) It's a small world after all. Isn't it crazy how all Mormons are some how connected in this strange world. haha!

Darryl Banez!!

Darryl Banez has been serving a mission in Wisconsin, Milwaukee for 1 year! Sara, Royelle and I were able to sing "The Olive Tree" a year ago at his farewell. He has been doing wonderful in Wisconsin. We write each other regularly and send each other pictures. I am so proud of him for being out on a mission! He has a lot of fun with his companion and serving the members of the church. This is a picture of him in some corn fields! I love him and miss him so much! He has been a huge part of my life.

Darryl and I became friends because I didn't have a date to my Junior Prom. He found out from my friend Megan and we ended up going together and loving every minute! We had a blast together! We went to see Stomp Out Loud in Las Vegas and we went to a really fancy place called Sedona for dinner. After Prom, we continued to see each other up til he left for his mission. He made a collage of our pictures from Prom and from my birthday. He decorated my truck like crazy! We really had an amazing time together in the Summer of 2007.

He comes home in 1 year and I can hardly wait! :)

College life... so far

Well, believe it or not, I am now in college. Here is a picture of all the JUNK I brought from my home. It was interesting trying to find a place for it all in my new place. I am really going to miss my truck...
It's crazy! I cannot believe it myself that I could be old enough to be living on my own now. I'm in Cedar City attending SUU. I've got a nice apartment with 5 other girls. The location of it is just incredible! Right across the street from the campus, right across the street from the church, and most importantly, right across the street from the institute building! :) It's pretty amazing!! It was hard to say good bye to my family when they left from dropping me off up here. I am without a car for the first semester up here, but if I feel like I truly need one at the end of it, then my parents said they would pitch in to get one for me so that I can go places. My roommate, Royelle has a car and she has been gracious enough to haul me around where ever we go. lol.
It still hasn't hit me that I actually live in Utah now... Like, what??? Utah?!? I feel like I am just on some vacation and that I will be home in just a few days, but it's not like that. I just have not gotten used to everything yet I suppose.
I signed up for an institute class yesterday afternoon! Latter Day Saint History! I am way excited about it! Ever since my church history trip that I went on this Summer, I really just can't get enough of it! I love it!
I am a music major on piano and trumpet...for now. Then I have a random Engineering class that should be interesting. I have always liked math, and I like to figure out how things fit together, so I will see how it goes. I hope that it won't be so hard that I flunk or something... If I end up really liking it and understanding everything, then I will make Engineering my major and music my minor.
Today we went on a tour of the campus with a group of people who are in our same college. We went all through the music building and met the orchestra teacher, the voice lady, and the band director! They are all 3 very very nice individuals and I am looking forward to spending a lot of time with all of them! The music secretary lady is Donna. Kinda like my new Jackie, but no one can replace her! :) She's simply too amazing!
I do not have Internet access at my apartment (which we nick-named "the swamp") so I have to come sit on the lawn at the school or go to the lab in the library in order to do computer stuff. But that's okay because it's really not very far of a walk! Plus, it's good for me! :)
College is going to be one incredible experience with hard times and with fun times and meeting new people! I love new friends, so this is going to be awesome! I just hope I can stay involved with a lot of things!! :D

Uraguay, Montivideo

Tyler Snowden is gone on a mission. He reported to the MTC Wednesday, August 20th. He has been just amazing. It was so hard to say goodbye, but I know he will be serving the Lord 24/7 for 2 years! It will be the best two years of his life! I have been writing him letters all the time. :) I just hope he starts sending me pictures of him with his hair swooped over to the side! (That's my favorite!!) He is one fabulous missionary! His farewell was Sunday, Aug. 17th at 9am. I was privileged to sing The Olive Tree with two of my best friends, Sara Snowden (his sister) and Royelle. The 3 of us were hardly able to make it through the song without balling. We all miss him. <3
Over to the top right of this blog page are a couple videos of "The Olive Tree" song if you are interested in listening to it. :) And for some reason, a weird bible video turned up too... It's totally random but I don't know how to get rid of it... lol

efy

One week with people you have never met, but you grow to love them and never want to leave them once the week is over. If you've ever been to efy, you know exactly what I'm speaking of. ;)

The theme this year was "Steady and Sure." All week the speakers, devotionals, and morning sides seemed to be focused in on Christ. We sang songs about Him, we talked of Him, we learned of Him, and we certainly felt His love for each of us. He knows us one by one. He loves us one by one. He knows each of our names. He is the one true friend we can turn to when nothing in the world makes sense. When no one else seems to understand, He does! He is my best friend, and I love Him! :)

~Christie Gifford~