Jamaica bound!

That's right, ladies and gentlemen! My best friend in the entire world, Sam {here's her blog}, is going to the Kingston Jamaica mission!! I am so proud of everything that this beautiful girl has accomplished! What will I do without her for 18 months? I'm not exactly sure... but that's beside the point. She will be sharing the gospel in Jamaica for a year and a half!

 

What an AMAZING example she is to me. Her testimony is so strong. I cannot believe that my best friend is going on a mission! Saying I'm proud of her is such an understatement!

Sincerely,
Erica Michelle

p.s. I'm back in Utah now! Only 2 1/2 weeks left till Christmas break! But this week will be great (: A concert, going to temple square to see the lights with my ward this weekend, and who knows what else!! Happy monday!

thanksgiving 2013.

Have I told you that this is my favorite time of year?? Snow, christmas music, and a reminder of everything I have to be thankful for!

So... the picture aspect of the holiday is somewhat lacking, but just believe me when I say that there was so much food and so much laughing. I was so glad that Danielle and Jayson got to come for the holiday {and of course bring the cutest niece and nephew ever}!

I arranged the flowers... and complained the whole time because, well, floral arranging is harder than it looks!

our family thanksgiving tradition (:

Dessert on thanksgiving is THE BEST.

Such a great day! I'm so glad I've been able to spend the last few days in Colorado! Yesterday I was able to go to Coffee Trader to catch up with Kelsey, Sam, and Kelly. It's weird thinking that we don't live close anymore, but it felt just like any other time... like we hadn't been separated for months. Anyways, I'm so grateful for those girls! I'm not sure what I would do without best friends like them (:

On another note... SAM GOT HER MISSION CALL!!! But. she hasn't blogged about it yet, and I think that's something she should do before me. So... let me just tell you. I am so excited for her! Tomorrow I'll blog all about her opening her call and where she's going (:

Sincerely,
Erica Michelle

catching fire times 3.

guess where I am?

I'm sitting on my bed. in my room. in my house. in colorado. I highly recommend it... so great.

Tuesday I got to spend the day with Kelsey, then do the traditional Qdoba dinner with Katie. I was so glad to catch up with them! I've facetimed/called Kelsey a few times... but it's not the same as laughing over our soft pretzels and caramel! Plus driving around town with Katie... she's been out to Utah a couple times, but I missed her more than I can say! The adventures we've head... I can't even explain. I missed these girls!

Then we all went to Catching Fire {yes, it was my third time seeing it} Also, since I'm planning on working at the theater I'm still considered an employee and get into movies for free (: You know what's better than watching a movie in a theater?? Watching it for free. I've decided that I really do just love the idea of theaters. Especially little theaters. Not like the huge, impersonal ones that they have in Utah {or I assume any bigger places}. I think the theater is one of the things I missed the most about Montrose.

Here's a throw back to last Saturday night's adventures with the lovely Cady and Hunter and Harrison! Everyone needs to go to the movies, laugh through 90% of the movie, then spend 45 minutes in a McDonald's drive-thru at 2 a.m.

I am so glad to be home with my parents! Danielle, Jayson, Evan, and Caitlin are all here too and everything is just wonderful! My mom's cooking. And the stars. and Colorado in general. I just love all of it.

Since it is thanksgiving I just thought I'd make a very shortened, unfinished list of what I'm grateful for right now...

my parents, my siblings, the gospel, best friends, homemade cookies, beautiful stars, hand-written cards, queen beds, soft sweatshirts, winter weather, good smelling candles, chapstick, inspiring quotes, good movies, Target, infinity scarfs, laughing until you cry, inside jokes, riding boots, washing machines, cell phones, music, snow, christmas music, hot chocolate in cute mugs, sewing machines, cameras, Joshua 1:9, Zach's good example, waterbottles, rain coats, new college friends, cute little puppies, blogs, praying and knowing someone is listening, BYU, new shoes, hairdryers, heaters

...and I feel like this list could go on for awhile. Long story short, I am so blessed!

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving {the second best holiday... next to Christmas of course!}

Sincerely,
Erica Michelle

blogger craft fairs & the week in general.

this week has been crazy!

The last couple of days have flown by! First off, I'd like to say that I am so grateful for a sister that lives 45 minutes away! On thursday I drove up to Salt Lake and went to dinner and The Hunger Games with Danielle... sooo great (:

This week was also Kayla's birthday! I decorated the room, and a group of us went to breakfast on Wednesday! Then a huge group of kids from the ward surprised her with cake (: What would I do without an awesome roommate like her?!

Last night I went to sleep at 11. Do you hear that? ELEVEN P.M. Definitely a record. and Cady and I watched The Paradise {once again. so great}. Then I woke up super late. And let me tell you, sleeping is the greatest.

Today Sam and I went to the Bijou Craft sale! Everything was sooo cute. And now I'm pretty convinced that my life calling is to make cute printables... sadly I'm only kind of joking. everything just made me want to decorate a place of living that's larger than a dorm room. seriously.

{This is called a lack of pictures from the week...}

What am I going to do once this girl is on a mission?! Who will go to blogger meet-ups with me?! SHE GETS HER CALL THIS WEEK!!

On another note. shout out to the Montrose High School football team for winning semi-finals after a double overtime! Headed to state! So proud to be an MHS Indian! {ok, to have been a montrose indian} My facebook feed is blowing up with "congrats MHS football" statuses.

Also, 2 days until I'm home! Having everyone text me/snapchat me about when I'll be back is making me approximately 1234 times more excited! I'm ready for a girls day with kelsey/dinner with katie/coffee trader with sam/breakfast with all the girls. and I'm ready to be at home with my family. oh, how I'm ready for that. I'm about to start counting down the hours. {but actually.}

2 days left and counting! Now... off to spend the afternoon on homework..

Sincerely,
Erica Michelle

one week, folks.

So here's a few things:

+ In ONE WEEK, I will wake up in Colorado, in my own room, in my wonderful queen bed. Did I mention in my own room? Because I'm really excited about that part. I may spend the first 10 minutes of being home just sitting in my room, doing absolutely nothing.

+ Next week will be the first time I've been home since I came to college.

+ I will get to eat food that my mom cooks. ummm... kind of ecstatic about that part.

+ I completely plan on cooking food. without having to rent the dishes. AND the oven will work. yes, yes indeed.

+ I'm going to do my homework at my very own real desk in my room.

+ I'll get to catch up with Kelly, Kelsey, Sam, and Katie. wonderful? Yes.

+ I'll have a coffee trader hot chocolate. {I've been wanting one for like a month now.}

+ I'm going to walk to the bathroom without flip flops on AND I won't have to take a room key everywhere I go.

+ I'm going to go to the theater and talk to all those wonderful people that I miss!

+ I'm going to look at the stars. Every. Single. Night.

+ I'm going to get to spend the week with my family eating tons of food. what more can I ask for?!

In one week, I get to go home. And I can't even tell you how exciting that is for me. It's a good thing that this week already seems to be flying by, because I cannot wait to be home!

Sincerely,
Erica Michelle

sushi and hang time.

this weekend was so eventful! Friday we celebrated Hunter and Liz's birthday by going to sushi then having cake! {yeah, I tried making jello poke cake... it didn't quite turn out, but we won't talk about that} First things first, sushi is gross. I went in with an open mind, I really did! I love seafood, but sushi was just awful. It was still such a great night though (:

these guys are studs! Hilarious I tell you.

So, remember Kayla and I's bucket list on this post? Eating sushi was on the list! One item crossed off (:

blowing out the candles! {let's not judge my phone's picture quality, shall we?}

Then Saturday was filled with playing pool, freezing at the football game, doing homework while Cady was at work, and then going to Hang Time and hot tubbing!

{last two pictures stolen from taylore}

Such a great weekend! And now Cady and I have found a new addiction hobby... it's a TV show called The Paradise, by the same company as Downtown Abbey so it's got to be great! Anyways, I'm off to FHE (:

Sincerely,

Erica Michelle

p.s. I forgot to tell you that after much twitter conversation... cady and michael and hunter and I {and dylan and zach} went on adventures to the rolled up cafe {still the best crepes ever}

We also turned styrofoam cups inside out... yes it's possible and we're kinda awesome sooo you know... 

happy friday!

Today is Friday and let me tell you, today is just wonderful (:

here is what's going on right now:

+I am beyond excited to go home for thanksgiving {hello sleeping in my own bed!} one week.
+This week was great... studying pays off, guys! that's what I tell myself at midnight in the library at least.
+I'm sitting at Sam's making a cake and blogging and watching videos. yes. fantastic afternoon. best friends for the win.
+I got to sleep in today... thank you classes that get cancelled! really, I just don't sleep often.
+Sam put in her mission papers and I am probably 100% as excited to find out where she's going as she is.
+I love finding new music! current obsessions:

+In humanities we're talking about visual art. aka, paintings and sculptures. but it also means architecture. which is my f a v o r i t e . buildings are cool, ok?!
+I made the greatest apple pie in my food prep class all by myself on wednesday. then we ate it at our science review. and let me tell you, not to brag, but it was delicious.

+I may or may not be addicted to spotify.
+I had my first j-dawgs this week! not too bad, I'd say.
+and now is a fun-filled friday night to celebrate Hunter and Liz's birthday! {more later}

this is going to be a wonderful weekend!

Sincerely,
Erica Michelle

i'm a mormon.

I finally made a Mormon.org profile a few days ago so I thought I'd share it with all of you (: As most of you know {if you've even read a couple of my blog posts} I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints!

Here is my profile:

http://mormon.org/me/DK2T

And here are some "mormon messages" that I absolutely love, and I think you will too! The church has a lot of these and they are all wonderful!

Create

Earthly Father, Heavenly Father

My New Life

Mountains To Climb

Last but not least, the picture at the beginning of this post is the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. It's basically my all-time favorite place ever. 

If you have any questions at all, I would love to help answer them! I hope you are all having a wonderful Thursday... I know I am (:

Sincerely,

Erica Michelle