Mele Kalikimaka

The Family Home Evening Crew!Me and Jboy opening presents!
Well, I've been celebrating Christmas as I can with my friends here before we all split up for our holidays. Our Family Home Evening group decided to have a Christmas Party after the Christmas Devotional Broadcast on Sunday. We had Santa bring us all t-shirts with a picture of our "family" and we had a gift exchange.
Our Stockings all hung by the chimney!! This week I decided to introduce Jboy to gingerbread houses. He's never decorated one before. We used whatever sweets we could find for cheap and my left over graham crackers and made a house and shop. "SAnta" brought my house a REAL lil Christmas pine tree, which I decorated with snowflakes. As this week is coming to a close, we have had a huge rain storm since last night, flooding the island of Oahu. I woke up this morning to a lake outside my door and to news that PCC and the school were completely flooded. All the roads here in Laie along with cities all over the island have turned into rivers. Kids on campus are boogie boarding in the flooded hallways of the dorms and cars are filled with water up to the dashboard! Rain is supposed to continue for the next couple days, and we are hoping the roads will at least open! Kids today that have flights to go home can't get to the airport because of the bridges that are blocked off. The end of this semester has turned into an exciting one, but I still had hoped for some sun before I come back to the snow!


These are pics of todayof the streets here in Laie.
It's still raining, and it's only 1.

This is the street in front of the temple

This below is the temple parking lot and the front of the temple grounds.

The Visitors Center is flooded

More of the roads around campus...

Thanksgiving!!

Too poor to go out, so weekends are spent testing my artistic abilities..

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone, and now it's time for finals, but here's a lil overview of what has been going on...

I've been taking a makeup class, and have made myself look old with makeup, make a bigger nose, and recently we had to do a nonhuman object, so I painted a football on my face. That class is alot of fun!

Grr!

For Thanksgiving I went to the waterpark with a bunch of kids from school for a discount price, and the next day had a dinner together, only AFTER waiting in line outside of Wal Mart for 3 hours to shop the Black Friday sales!

Me N' My roomies

12:30 AM....Headed to Wal Mart!

Lately, with no money-I am a college student after all- I've been just spending time at the beach, and enjoying the Laie Temple, which will be closing for 18 months starting December 28th.

I'm trying to just stay busy with school and enjoy Hawaii before I come home to cold for Christmas break!

Fall Ball

Last friday was the Fall Ball in Kaneohe, a town near by, at the country club. I hadn't planned on going because it had come up so fast. Usually it's in November. Well, anyways, the night of the ball, at 9:35, me and J (Jaliz) decided that we didn't want to be the only ones not going, and so we hurried to put some sunday clothes on, and went to the dance. It was alot of fun to be dressed up for once and to see everyone. Here are a few pictures from that dance... Me and Jay

My group of friends!!

Best friends...and roomies

Kat and I

Me and Jay around 10pm after we decided to go to the ball...

ALOHA!!

Wow, So much has happened and there's so much always going on.....I'm FINALLY going to update!

I'm back in Hawaii, Laie to be exact, for my second year of school. I'm still taking generals, wish I knew what to go into! I'm working back at the Polynesian Cultural Center as a "GReeter"..."Aloha! Welcome to the Center!"...I lei people all day and have my picture taken with people. Super easy! I'm living in a Beach house with 3 of my best friends at school! We have such a blast! We also have a girl living with us from Alaska that we have been able to become good friends with. We are always having a blast at our house. Our house is bright blue, and has just been remodeled. There is another group of girls living above us in a studio, and others living in another "house". In total there are thirteen girls living in the house, but we have a downstairs area to ourselves. We have a cute lil kitchen and living room. Our bathroom is a "luxory" bathroom, our landlords are tilers so they went ALL out with nice tile, and a tile portrait of dolphins in our shower. Haha.

I've just been busy with school so far, and work, and lots of play on the weekends. People still think I'm a local, and it's nice to be back and already know where everything is and what to do. My girls and I have made a tradition of going to the beach together Saturday mornings, which has been a nice way to get rid of stress. I've been missing the fall colors, but I appreciate this beautiful place that I get to live in. I can't wait til mom comes to visit me and I think everyone else should plan to come too!

Sunday Drive....

Yesterday Alana and I needed to get out and see the rest of the world, instead of just the people we worked with so we went and looked in all the cute little shops and took some fun pictures. Here are a few shots from Saturday...

Well, I've been here for a week and today after a fabulous afternoon in my new single's ward, Alana, Shanae, and I went for a drive to explore a little of Jackson. We went towards Yellowstone towards the Tetons and headed west towards Jenny Lake. We realized that we didn't want to PAY, so we took a different road to circle back to Jackson. It took us towards Teton Village where the Four Seasons Hotel and condos are. We saw three moose and two elk on the way. Everything was SO beautiful! We were in awe that we are so lucky to have the opportunity to live in such a beautiful place! We can go there whenever we'd like because it is so close! Here are some pictures from the drive. ...

Cowboy time!

Well, the rest of my Winter semester at school was AMAZING and VERY busy! I was able to do alot of things! I went hiking, went to the Kokua Festival concert where Jack Johnson and Dave Matthews played, I made an AMAZING Easter Dinner, had a blast at my two jobs, I went to the School Ball which was held on a cruise ship over by Waikiki, played tourist at the Polynesian Cultural Center, at breakfast at the REAL Hukilau Cafe, went snorkeling and got to swim with turtles, and MORE! It was awesome and I LOVED it. I even got okay grades!

When I left school to come home I still wasn't sure if I wanted to go back or transfer to Utah State. As soon as I landed in Idaho Falls after more than 12 hours of traveling, I KNEW I wanted to go back. While I was at home for the month of May, I received an email from BYUHAwaii stating that I once again would be receiving the same scholarship for this next year at school so I will be lucky enough to not have to pay for schooling again! It is such a blessing! I am very excited to go back!

During my time at home I spent time at home and went to Utah a few times. I was able to finally meet the new babies in the family! Stan and Aub's twins and my dad's new baby boy. It was so fun! It was really good to spend time with my friends when they got home from school also. We had alot to catch up on. It was nice to have my friend Sheena and Billy in Blackfoot so we could spend time together. My friend Alana left after just a few days after I got home for Jackson Hole to work on a ranch. The first few days I was home was exclusively spent with her because I didn't know when I would see her again.

After searching long and hard for a job something came up at the ranch that Alana is working at in Jackson Hole and they were hiring a few extra hands. Alana called me and referred me and I was able to talk to the owner and get a job. I found out last Friday that I was hired and Monday I drove up to Jackson Hole and here I am! I am working at Bar T5 Ranch right in Jackson Hole. I am a dutch oven cook and I help prepare food for the show at night. In the evenings, I put on my cowgirl attire, my real RED cowgirl boots, levis, belt with the big buckle, western shirt, wild rag around my neck, and my levi jacket, and SOON a real cowgirl hat, and I go help load up the covered wagon with food. We drive up to the mountains to a place where the show is and we start cooking in dutch ovens. The guests are pulled in covered wagons and horses and when they arrive, the show starts, and the food is served. Then we haul everything back down and clean up and do it again the next day. VERY LONG day! But it is alot of fun! We all live in the house on the ranch and everybody gets along and we have alot of fun. It's fun to be with all these cowgirls and cowboys.

My first night on the job, there were some people that were from Hawaii and my boss told them he had an employee that went to school to BYU Hawaii, so when they had a minute during dinner, the lady came and found me and talked to me and told me how much she was enjoying herself. She was from Pearl City and she was thrilled that I was able to experience Hawaii and Jackson Hole. She gave me a large tip and wished me success in life. It was an awesome experience. It is amazing how some people can share such sunshine. It was really neat.

I live in the same room as my friend Alana and another girl Shanae from Blackfoot and we all get along great. I don't know how we all fit our things in one tiny room, but we do. I sleep on a homemade bunkbed, and I'm definitely getting a workout getting in and out of it if not anywhere else! This is such a different experience. It is so much hard work and I am so tired all the time, but it is very rewarding. I think this summer is going to be alot of fun!

Kuhio Day

Well, the last week has been busy!! Easter Sunday was alot of fun. My friends and I decided to have an Easter dinner, so we all pitched in and had the first real Sunday dinner since we got back here. I made some potatoes, and was in charge of the ham. I made close to 10 calls to mom and dad on Saturday and Sunday, but the food all turned out great! It was alot of fun to have our own little celebration. Unlike there, it was nice and sunny. It was a perfect Easter Sunday.

Wednesday was Kuhio Day, a Hawaiian Holiday, so I didn't have work or school. My friends and I went to the beach, Waimea Bay, and we were lucky enough to be there when the dolphins were there. There was probably around 100 dolphins in the bay, jumping, doing backflips, doing 360s in the air. It was SO awesome! When I thought there couldn't be any more excitement, we saw two whales also. They jumped completed out of the water. It was SO SO amazing! It was awesome to be able to see it, because it is the end of whale season, so they won't be around much longer. It was a fun way to spend my Hawaiian holiday!

I talked to the lady about the nanny job in ALaska today. It's a go! I am going to be living in Sandpoint with the family in May, and then travel with them to the fishing lodge that they own in Sitka Alaska in June. It should be amazing! It looks beautiful there! I'm very excited! I will come back in August. I still haven't decided where to go to school. I WAS thinking that I would go to Hawaii again if I got this job, but even though I now know that I will be in Alaska for the summer, I still don't know if I want to come back. I am the most indecisive person I know.

But, it seems that things are finally working out and hopefully I will be done with all these decisions soon! Well, that is the latest! Love and miss you all!

March Madness-

Well, March has been even more crazy that February. The weeks are flying and I'm going to be done with this semester before I know it! I have been busy working, finishing midterms, and going to school activities. Work is going well. 2 weeks ago I saw a married couple, just a year older than me, that I went to school with while I was working at the luau at the PCC. Again yesterday, I ran into the brother of my friend Raimee from home. He recognized me before I recognized me! It really IS a small world! What are the chances! My job at the PCC is so easy it shouldn't be called work, but I make up for it at the Seasider Snack Bar. It's tought stuff, and I am learning for the first time how to cook all different kinds of eggs, and am again cooking hamburgers, sandwiches, fries. I had past experience from Rupe's. It's hard work, but it's okay. I am custodian one night a week there, so I DO have to get down and dirty. So, I have the best and worst jobs at college right now. haha. I went to the "BYUH Got Talent" the last couple weeks. It's supposed to be like "America's Got Talent"-the tv show. So all the talented people at school showed what they can do. Last semester we did a BYUH Idol-there were some AMAZING singers. So many people from all over the world, with so much TALENT! Our school is probably one of the most enthusiastic schools you will ever meet. People are singing, and dancing, and cheering, SO loud. Everybody get's into the program SO much! And the performers were AMAZING! Dancers, TONS of dancers and singers, from all over the world singing songs and dancing from all over the world. It's VERY entertaining. It's so awesome. My friends lip synced to Bon Jovie, and dressed up, not really a talent, but very entertaining. I haven't had much time for other things yet. Things are getting crazy with the end of the semester and projects and papers piling up. There is a Winter Ball in a few weeks, which is going to be held on a cruise ship! It will be awesome! I'm very excited! I think I will go even if I don't get a date, but I think it would be more fun with a date, so I'm crossing my fingers and winkin' at cuties on the way to class these days. haha. I'm still trying to decide where to go to school in the fall. I am looking at houses to live in for fall here, just in case. My friends and I want to live together so in order for that to happen, we need to find a place now. Laie has no apartments; students live in houses. It is very expensive-ranging from 375-450 for a shared bedroom. I guess that is Hawaii. I know that to have an entire apartment in Logan for a married couple (meaning only TWO people) is only 425 or so. I think this is ridiculous. The houses usually hold 5 girls also. And these houses are old, and not in very good condition. It's funny that the expense isn't enough to make my decision on where to go to school. I still don't know. STill writing pros and cons, still praying. If anyone gets a revelation on where I am supposed to be, let me know. Also, I am not sure what I am going to be doing for the summer. If I am going to attend here again in the fall I need to make alot of money this summer in order to survive, so I was thinking about nannying somewhere. I don't really want to be gone for the summer if I am going to be gone for another school year though! I want to be close to home so I can enjoy being around everyone. If I go to Utah State, I don't mind if I go away for the summer, but I don't really need to because I won't need to be putting away so much money. I have talked to a few families that are interested in hiring me, but nothing is set in stone. I have recently been talking to a family that wants me for May to July in Alaska at a fishing lodge that they own to take care of their kids, and possibly work at the lodge after I finish nannying if I choose. Alaska would definitely be the opposite of here! I am not sure though. More praying to do. If anyone has input on job ideas let me know please! Chelsea here is a mess with all of this decision making! Those are the things that have been going on with me, crazy as always, alot too. I'll keep you updated on any changes-if I ever decide on anything! Miss and love you!