exhausted...

This week, I haven't gotten much sleep, considering it is finals week, and I just have tons of things to do besides that.

Today, however, was really crazy. I had to move out of my apartment today, and clean for my check out today at 3:30. I did almost all of it alone, because Chris was still finishing finals.  He had a good reason not to help. Basically, I ran up and down stairs all day long, carrying lots of stuff. Then, I cleaned. After that, I ran about 5 different errands (which included getting my nails done for the wedding, haha).  I think I did some other stuff, but I forget. I was constantly on the move.

Needless to say, I am pooped.


I still have to finish packing for the next two weeks, and unpack all the stuff I dumped in the apartment, and finish laundry.  After that, I will pick up my sister Erica at the airport and then go to bed.

But my nails are pretty, right? Makes it all worth it.

Frightful Finals.

Finals.

The word that will strike fear into any student's faint heart.

 I think I seriously looked like this guy when I looked at my Infant Development study guide.  You think a final only covering the last half of class would be a little shorter.  Nope.

In addition to the dreaded finals, I am also finishing up wedding details, moving, packing, cleaning, and pretty much anything else that you can imagine.  Random things keep coming up (like the headlight burning out on my car). Thankfully, I have taken 3 finals already, and only a presentation and a final left.  Unfortunately, the final that is left is the horrid Infant Development.

However, there are a couple things that relieve me from all this stress. One is Chris, who made me laugh a lot today.  He's been watching Avatar: The Last Airbender episodes lately, and today he threw me a clementine and shouted "ORANGE BENDING!" I know, he said orange instead of clementine. If you've never seen The Last Airbender, then you probably won't get it. It's funny though - trust me.

Also, I have a wonderful sister named Erica who has introduced me to several fun blogs to follow. Such as, The Daybook, Clothed Much, and Kristine. Or Polly. Best thing about these ladies? They are all LDS and show off fabulous MODEST outfits, usually accompanied by giveaways and tutorials and just fun facts about their life. I enjoy blogstalking.

I have another wonderful sister named Jenna, who just had a baby 4 weeks ago.  She's gone through some rough patches, but now she's enjoying time with her son Landon, until they all fly out here for my wedding!  She's been putting up a few posts about Landon, and I love reading them, because I haven't seen my nephew for a couple days.

Anyway, the best way to cope with finals in my opinion is to have a couple distractions.  Not major ones, but little things that take up 10-20 minutes of your times, so that you can have short study breaks and not feel too guilty wasting a ton of time!

To all you students out there, good luck!

Hip Hip Hooray!

just as an FYI, I have "turned in" this project (my blog) so i'm probably going to get a lot more lax with my capitalization and stuff. I'd rather not have to press shift. even though I keep doing almost every time I type "I". weird.

Anyway, today is the last day of classes (insert huge sigh of relief). I have turned all my last projects and papers and whatever else.  All I need to do is take my 5 finals, make sure everything is set for the wedding, and move everything out of my apartment in the next week. Not too bad, considering everything else I've had to do lately.

I've also spent way too much time in the library today and yesterday. I think combined it was about 13 hours, based on how many hours I used on Pandora.

Also, I only got four hours of sleep last night, and I haven't found a job yet.

Life is awesome. And I'm being serious. Life is awesome when you are 12 days away from getting married.

Raging Rollercoasters

You're waiting in line.  It's hot outside and you've been in the same line for what seems like half an hour.  Screams pierce the air intermittently.  The people in front of you keep shuffling forward until you're first in line.  You start to feel butterflies in your stomach and get a little jittery.  The car comes to a fast stop in front of you, and you see people file off with windblown hair, and some a little shaky.  The attendant shows you where to sit and you pull the bar down over your head.  All of a sudden, the car takes off, gaining speed quickly, taking twists, turns, and flips at high speeds.  Everyone around you is screaming, and you realize you are screaming too, but with a huge smile on your face.  All of a sudden you're slowing down and come to a stop.  It's over, and you can't wait to do it again.

That's what every rollercoaster ride is like for me.  I love rollercoasters so much, and I've been hooked on them for years.  I can ride them over and over and over, and never feel sick. I do get nervous and scared right before I get on a ride, but I don't really know why.  I guess it's just part of the experience.  The thrill of being on a speeding hunk of metal, twisting this and that, is really one of my favorite things.  I love the feeling I get in the pit of my stomach as I fly down a huge drop.  Normally, my life is kind of boring and I don't really do any "thrill-seeking" stuff.  Even riding my bike on the street scares me a little.  I always think that I'm going to get hit.


So, when it comes down to it, a rollercoaster is where I can pretend like I'm facing danger and overcoming it. 

Blessed to be at BYU

At this very moment, I'm sitting in the Periodicals section of the Harold B. Lee Library.  This is often the dreaded area, where you only come to sit and study for hours.  But this time, I'm looking around a little differently.  I see people with their heads bent, cramming in all the knowledge they can.  I see a few people chatting, and one person who has given up, asleep on top of all their books.  We're all different, these people and me.  Some are married, and some have served missions.  Every one of us is from a different place and has a different life story.  There is one thing though that connects us all though, and it is our religion.

BYU is truly a unique and special place.  There are tons of silly stereotypes and stigmas (such as being a freshman bride).  When you really get down to it though, we're all here to gain an education in the best way possible.  I've lived on the East Coast my entire life (and I'm not saying that I'm such a stronger and better person that you for it) where there are few members.  I remember going to girls' camp for the first, and just marveling at the fact that we were all LDS.  I couldn't believe it - so many people my own age who believed the same thing I did!  I loved having that, and I knew that's what I wanted for a college experience too.  People I know from high school have posted pictures on Facebook which show that the weekends are full of drinking and who knows what.  I'm glad I'm not a part of that whatsoever.  I love being on this campus and feeling like I belong.  Even though there are thousands upon thousands of people here that I don't know, that's okay.  They all bring something wonderful with them.

Another awesome thing about BYU are the classes.  The religion classes I've taken so far have been wonderful.  Where else could I take such in depth Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants classes?  Besides the religion classes though, most of the classes work religion in somehow, even if it's just saying a prayer to begin the class.  I've learned so much since coming here, and meet some of the most amazing people.  If I had to choose it all over again, I would still come to this school, without a doubt.

Drama? Definitely!

Now, I don't mean drama as in "oh my gosh, he totally broke up with her last week and he's dating some other girl already!" No. I don't like that type of drama.  In fact, I don't think many people do. But, I digress.

Halfway through my junior year, I decided on a whim to try out for the school musical (which happened to be High School Musical. Don't mock us too much please) and I didn't get a big part or anything, but I was in the chorus.  We spent months rehearsing, and it was during rehearsals that I started to make really good friends.  I was the new kid in school that year, and making friends in a town where no one ever moves in or out can be a little difficult.  The musical really blessed my life in that way.  It made me happier and more comfortable in our new life in Massachusetts.  Also, it was just fun!  Even though the last week leading up to it, performing the show was a BLAST! I had no idea it would be so exhilarating.

This experience lead me to try out for the fall play, beginning of my senior year.  Much to my surprise, I got one of the leads!  I had never had lines during a play before, so it was nerve wracking.  The play, "You Can't Take It With You" was so much fun to perform.  Being on stage as a different person was something still new to me, and I was enjoying every second of it.  For the school musical my senior year, we performed South Pacific.  I didn't have a huge role, but I had a few lines and a short solo, which was fine by me.  Once again, it was just a great experience for me.

I do miss performing now and then.  Being up on stage is just something very unique.  But, I've made room in my life for other things, to enjoy other opportunities.  I do know that drama was one of the best things for me during high school.  It brought me so much happiness.  Have you ever been up on stage?  If you haven't go find something to get you up there! It's a wonderful experience.

Enthusiastic EFYers!

E - F - Y!

Those three letters bring a lot of joy to my heart, along with thousands of memories.  You may ask, what is EFY?  Well, it's a program called Especially For Youth, and it's a week packed full of awesomeness!  It's a 6 day program, filled with dances, classes, games, service, laughter, and friends.  I attended four weeks of it as a youth during high school, and this summer (as mentioned in a earlier post) I worked on BYU campus as an EFY counselor.

Being a counselor was probably one of the best things I've done.  Now, don't get me wrong, it was also the dang hardest, plus the pay kinda stinks.  Waking up for 6:30 am meetings when your youth refuse to go to bed until 11:30 and when you're on your feet all day is not fun.  But, I did it.  I (mostly) refrained from yelling when I was upset when the youth were just ridiculously out of line.  I managed to wake up on time, which is a huge feat for me.  All my past and present roommates know I have issues getting up in the morning.  Some days I was really stressed, frustrated, and just plain down.  Some nights I wanted to cry because I felt like I wasn't doing my job right.  But that's okay.  There are so many other things that make the week worth it.

I loved Thursday nights during a week of EFY. Why's that? Two words: testimony meeting.  This was a time where we got to hear the youth's true feelings about the gospel, what had really stuck with them through the week, and what they want to change.  I heard so many teenage boys reaffirm their decision to go on a mission.  I heard teenage girls proclaim with a strong voice, that they, no matter what the world things, are daughters of our Heavenly Father.  Every Thursday my heart swelled with joy and the Spirit.

Thursday nights weren't the only enjoyable part by far.  Dances were fun, games night was always a blast, pizza nights were amazing, and meals were amusing.  Seeing the youth bond together and really become true friends was another amazing thing.  If any of you have the chance to be a counselor, do it, even if it's just for one week.  It's an amazing learning experience, for the youth and counselors, and such a testimony builder too.

Music Moves Me

I have loved music for a very long time.  My mom tells me about the times I would be in the bathroom, and they would hear me belting "Somewhere Out There" at the top of my lungs (don't worry, I was three).  My mom has a great part to do with that.  She is very musical, and would start us on piano very early.  I started to learn how to read music as I was learning how to read books.  I grew up learning piano, and then started learning flute in middle school.  In high school, I also started doing choir and musical theater.  Music basically is a huge part of my life, and why shouldn't it me?

In D&C 25:12, the Lord tells us that the song of the righteous is like a prayer unto Him. To me, that tells me that music should have a big part in my life.  There have been a few times where music has helped me feel the Spirit so strongly.  This summer, as an EFY counselor, I was able to attend a few of the classes taught by CES educators.  One was extremely talented at the piano.  During one of his classes, he gave all of us a few minutes to write in our journals about what we were feeling.  While we were doing so, he sat down and played an absolutely beautiful arrangement of "Be Still, My Soul". I felt so at peace because of the music he played.  It helped boost my testimony of why music can play such an amazing role in a person's life.

Music doesn't necessarily have to be spiritual for a person to enjoy it.  When I'm doing homework, I often go to my Pandora radio and listen to my Broadway station.  It helps me feel relaxed and helps me work harder.  I love going to all sorts of concerts, whether by the Utah symphony, or student recitals.  I took Music 101, and I enjoyed so much listening to all the clips of music.  I know that my love of music will stay with me always.  I hope that all of you can feel the same about the power music can bring into a room.

Finding Faith

I think this post will be a little different than my previous ones, but it's about something I truly care about.  Awhile back, I heard about Stephanie Nielson, and the tragic plane accident that she and her husband suffered from.  As a result, she was in a coma for about 3 months, and suffered burns over 80% of her body, drastically changing her appearance.  However, that doesn't stop her from leading a normal life, and she blogs about her inspirational everyday life at http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/.

Back in May, the LDS YouTube channel MormonMessages made a video about her - called My New Life.

I have watched this video many times, and it strikes me each and every time.  The gospel and the knowledge we have of our Savior Jesus Christ is one of the best things we have in this life, and we are so blessed for it.  I love this gospel from the bottom of my heart, and I know that it has shaped me to be who I am today.  It is intertwined in every aspect of my life, as it should be.  It affects my schooling, my family, the way I conduct my self, who I am marrying, and so many other things.  It is so deeply rooted within me, it truly is part of me.

Beautiful bounties of books!

I have a secret. I love to read. I mean I really really really love reading.  I love to read so much that I once even got grounded from reading for leisure. Crazy, right? I would sometimes stay up until about 2 am reading, just because I was unable to put the book down.  I had to know what was going to happen!  That's part of the reason why I was grounded from books. I didn't have the self control when it came to reading a new book.

Why are books so fascinating?  Well, mostly because they provide a sort of escape from life, and you can pretend that you are part of this other time and world.  It's so interesting to read about different characters and see how they develop.  I also really enjoy history, and I think reading historical fiction books is such a fun and interesting way to learn about past and important events.  The World War II time period is really intriguing to me, partly because my paternal grandfather served in the Army in WWII.  I've read so many different books about that time period, some focusing on soldiers' lives, others focusing on the effects in everyday American society.

Finding a new book is like finding a new friend.  I want to get to know them and learn all about them right away.  Books entertain you and serve as a trustworthy companion, especially on long trips.  Some people don't really like rereading books, because they already know the plot and sequence of events.  However, I view rereading a book as a comfortable safe haven, or visiting with an old friend.  There are so many books that are worth reading over and over again, and they never get less exciting.

Do you like to read? If not, ask yourself why, and make a goal to start reading more! I promise you'll enjoy it.

Fantastic Fiance

I have a wonderful fiance name Chris. Here he is:

He truly is a wonderful person, and I love him for many reasons. He impresses me over and over with his selflessness.  When we first started dating, I got really sick with two different things right in a row. I got a bad stomach virus on the Saturday of this past April General Conference, and I called him to cancel our plan of making lunch between the sessions.  Fifteen minutes later he showed up at my door with ginger ale to settle my stomach. Even though I was sick, he stayed with me all day and helped me feel better. The next day, I started getting a horrible cough, which then developed into sore throats and I lost my voice for a week. The Monday night following conference I felt just plain awful, and he came to my rescue again.  He bought NyQuil and Chloraseptic throat spray for me and gave me a back rub until the NyQuil took effect.  That is only one example of all the things he has done for me.

He is also a very active person, which I love.  He's done musical theater, soccer, choir, folk dance, clogging, tap, student government, and skiing.  I'm sure I've even left a few things out.  All of the things he's done often leads to interesting conversations, where I can learn little interesting snippets of his past. I've done some similar activities as him, so it also gives us a good common ground.

Another thing I love about him is that he is wonderful with children. I've gotten to watch him humor his nephews for hours on end, and he never seems to tire of it.  He would also help me with my babysitting job last year, which was so good for the little boy, since his father passed away the year before.  My siblings could tell that he really enjoyed playing with them. My youngest sister would wake Chris up at 6 am when he was visiting my family, just so he would play games with her.  It is so endearing all the things he does for others.

There are so many other things I love about him, but then this post would go on too long and everyone would get bored. Trust me though, there are so many good qualities about him.

Fall foliage is fetching!

I've decided that alliterating post titles will be a theme, even though it might get difficult sometimes. However, I can do it! As you can gather by the post, I love fall and the colors that come along with it. Here's a sample:

 Isn't this just gorgeous? 

 I never really appreciated fall and how beautiful it truly is until I moved to New England. Fall is absolutely magnificent in the tiny town of Lakeville, where my family now resides. There are only about 10,000 people in my hometown, and plenty of windy roads lined on both sides with trees. When fall is at its peak, and the colors are rampant, I love driving around.  It's amazing to see how trees that were once all green, are now orange, red, yellow, and sometimes even plum. 

I haven't always loved fall, because it's also associated with the start of school. Fall still isn't my favorite season either, rather summer is.  But all the seasons are wonderful, aren't they?

Being here in Utah, strangely enough, has also helped me appreciate fall more. You might think that's odd, since Utah is a desert and has very few trees compared to New England. Consider this though: it's blazing hot outside, and you are wearing a backpack stuffed to the brim. You only have a few more minutes before your next class starts, and you are on the other side of campus, and so you start walking quite briskly. By the time you reach your class, you are out of breath and sweaty. You feel a little embarrassed and wonder how everyone can make it around campus without getting all nasty.  A few weeks go by of this, and suddenly, the temperature drops and it is so pleasant outside.  Merely walking around doesn't cause you to get sweaty, and sometimes you even need a light jacket!  Walking from class to class and back home no longer is a chore, because the weather is so nice. As an added bonus, the leaves around campus and on the mountains are slowly changing color and are so much more fun to look at.

This is why I love fall.  I love the color of the leaves and the change in weather.

 

Family is fun.

Welcome to my family! The word "family" has several definitions, but my favorite I have seen is "a person or people related to one and so to be treated with special loyalty or intimacy". President Gordon B. Hinckley read a proclamation in 1995 which said that the family is central to Heavenly Father's plan, and it is in the family where we can learn certain basic truths. Prophets and apostles have said over and over that the family unit is extremely important.

My family is pretty much the best one ever. Sorry if you feel differently. I love that people stare at us when we're all out in public together. Why do we get strange looks? Most likely because there are 9 of us, and 2 in laws (soon to be three). When we were taking family pictures a year ago, we definitely got a ton of looks. It isn't everyday that you see 11 people all dressed similarly. I love being part of a big family; I think it just makes life so much more fun. There are always people around, and definitely enough people with whom to play volleyball in the pool! It is sad that the entire family is together for about one weekend a year, since I'm at college, and two siblings are married and live away from home. However, when everyone is home, life is a PARTY! We play games, go swimming, have a cookout, play RockBand, and whatever else we want! It's so much fun!

Even when things are going badly, I know that my family is always there to support and encourage me. When I've gone through rough break-ups (trivial, but they seem major at the time!), my older sisters are especially good at helping, since they've also gone through things like that. I love playing with the littlest siblings, because their troubles don't go far beyond who ate the last bit of ice cream. Whenever I am around little kids, I feel like I get a huge reminder of what really matters in life. A bad test grade will only matter to me for so long, but playing and interacting with my family will have eternal consequences.

I know that I get annoyed with my family sometimes, but I'm only human. It happens to everyone. I am trying to change that though. Since I only get so much time at home now, I should always try to make the best of it. Family is a wonderful thing, and if you haven't discovered that truth yet, I challenge you to go discover it now!

My name is Andrea

This is me: Andrea Lynn Martin.

I have a confession to make. I get extreme blog envy. I love to read blogs, and learn about other people and the fun things that are going on in their life. Once I stumble across a cute blog, I get obsessed with reading it. I love the cute things they post about, the sweet layout, and the fun pictures! I hope that doesn't make me seem like a stalker. Anyway, I tried to start a blog once, but it didn't really happen. My family can attest to that fact. So, I'm starting a new one, so that I can get a fresh start. Why am I starting to blog again? Well, I will tell you.

This semester, I am in a class called English 313: Expository Writing for Elementary Education. We have a project to complete called Enjoyment of Writing. We get to choose what we want to do, and keep working throughout the semester to learn how to really enjoy writing. This blog is for that project, hence the name "Enjoyment of LIFE!" I want to post about things that are important to me, things that I love, things that I dislike, etc. and in the process, learn how to become a better writer and to enjoy the experience.

Writing has always seemed to be a huge drag to me, but when I thought about this project, I really did get a little excited! I do want to know how to express myself better through print, and I think this can really help. So, please bear with me as I explore myself and the wonderful world of WRITING.