Saturday, August 4, 2012

Freshman Year Revisited

I have learned about myself over the last few weeks that if I try to journal or blog with the purpose of catching things up from my last post, it gets way to daunting, and I simply won't do it. Instead, I'm just going to write when I want about whatever's on my mind. 

Another Fall is coming, and I am so stoked. Not the least of all because that means IT'S ALMOST HALLOWEEN AGAIN!!!!!

 It's the start of my Senior year, but more importantly, the start of my little sister's Freshman year. It is so strange to me to think that I've been here this long. I definitely still feel like a n00b frosh, but every now and again I get glimpses of how far I've come, like when I actually know where the buildings are, or when I think of how lonnnng ago high school was, or when I meet up with an actual freshman on campus, holding a map and confused. 

Still, it's very strange. I miss my freshman year, most especially my FHE family. 


These. Guys. Rock. 


Most of the guys are currently on their missions, and I'm lucky enough to be on the e-mail list for most of them. And the guys and girls that are still around I run into on occasion (I was excited to find that Danielle, Sidney and I all moved into the same ward after leaving Wyview!). 

I actually had a dream about a big FHE reunion a few nights ago. That combined with finding the puzzles we completed in the first planned-by-me FHE activity has set me into waves of nostalgia.







Outside of this family, I was so blessed to have met friends in my Y group that I carried throughout the year. I miss Nick and Cody so much. I'm so proud of both of them for serving the Lord abroad, but getting their e-mails home has me torn between pride and counting the days until they come home. So much has happened, so much to catch them up on! I'll have to write them soon (I'm awful at that).



I was also lucky to have the best roomates ever, and even more lucky that I still get to call them friends - best friends.




The World of Wyview was not one to be missed. 


My freshman year was amazing. It was so neat to learn to live on my own (mostly - I was definitely calling my mom every day for advice), and to figure out how to survive in college. In spite of the messed up wrist, the drama, and the difficult classes, it's a year I'd love to live over and over. 



  

Cassie, Melissa, and Brett left me this fantastic love note on my whiteboard. It's covered with all my favorite things - to help me feel better after messing up my wrists. 

It was also a blessing to have a roommate who could make me look gorgeous in any picture - even one with a broken wrist, sleeping on the couch.

I miss Wyview. I miss sharing a bunk with Cassie. I miss walking in on Melissa in the middle of a crazy art project. I miss being excited for FHE, for everyone being excited to sing Popcorn Popping as an opening hymn and.... what was it? Lean On Me? That we all argued wasn't really a hymn, but we finally gave in one day and sang anyway? I miss bottle-filled windows and Austie's gumbo and Kyle's sink full of dirty dishes.

I miss Friday night pizza night. 

Dagnabit, I even miss Halo. 

You guys made my freshman year one of the best of my life, and I don't know that I ever properly thanked you for it. 

I just hope Chrysta has as much of a blast as I did. 

Memory Lane

I have learned about myself in recent weeks that if I journal or blog with the intent of catching up from my last post, I will never do it. So, instead I've been writing about whatever's on my mind at the moment.

My younger sister is coming to BYU this year, and I'm about to start my Senior year. And it's blowing my mind. I have no idea how I got here - I still feel like a scared frosh. But when I think back to high school (a milllion years ago) or meet up with new freshman on campus, I realize that maybe I have actually been here for a couple of years now.

I had a dream a couple nights ago about my freshman FHE family. We had something really special, something that I haven't been able to replicate since (mostly my fault - I set an impossible standard for future FHE groups :) )

On top of that, I found some puzzles that I used in the first FHE activity I ever coordinated. I think I need to throw them out - they're kinda a silly thing to take up room with. But I've taken pictures of them so that I can have the memories forever.


I miss those guys. A lot. Especially my family/friends that are still out on missions. It has been so precious to me to get weekly emails from Kyle, Nick, Cody, Scott, etc. I've also been blessed to run into Sidney and Danielle a few times in the ward I moved to, and run into my other sisters. I am so proud of all of us, but sometimes I'm sad that we moved in such different ways.

I'm so excited for Chrysta to come and have the freshman year that I did.