Regret.

"For all sad words of tongue and pen, The saddest are these, 'It might have been.' "

-John Greenleaf Whittier

I hate knowing that I have wasted so much time not living up to the potential for happiness that I am experiencing now. And I am Terrified that I will slip back into the "old" me without even realizing it.

This is a picture of me when I was really, genuinely happy. Probably one of the top 5 happiest moments of my life. I hope for more of these.

New Goal: Try and live without regret. I don't ever want to say "if only" ever again.

Yeah I realize how impossible that really is.

In other news...only five freakin' weeks until I start the most terrifying 12 weeks of my life: student teaching. Am I allowed to start crying yet? I hope so because that's all I do when I think of what is in store for me at Mesquite High School. Stay tuned.

Can this...

Become Ms. Royal?

Back on the Wagon

I am back from a 4 month vacation from blogging. I kind of lost interest in it until now. So here comes a quick re-cap of my life from the last 4 months. This is more for me then anyone else I think so forgive me if it is a little long...

I lived through another Rexburg winter. Yay! But this one was so different from the last one because it was seriously non-stop fun. I had some amazing vacations, met wonderful friends, and made memories & friendships that will last a lifetime.

I went sledding (thats what they call snowmobiling in ID) for my first time.

Me, Mike, and Jackie at the top of the mountain

Warm Springs

Jackie & I

I became great friends with my roommates and FHE Bros. Especially Kellie, Becca, Matt, Braden & Ben.

Our FHE Family eating our Sunday dinner together

Becca and I on a pony sled ride

Some of our FHE group at a dance festival

My best friends! I love/miss them more than words can say

Music became a huge part of my life this semester...I learned to play the guitar & watched my friend Braden play at Music Outlet. I even got a song dedicated to me!

Went to the Hare Krishna Festival of Colors in Spanish Fork UT

The group after the festival. We had purple boogers for a week.

I think they said 20,000 people came to this thing. Amazing!

Ben got a little colorful...

Had an AMAZINGLY EPIC Weekend in UT with Becca, Matt & Braden

The group at Krispe Kremes.

We did a little photoshoot at IKEA...

Family History Center

SLC Temple

Church History Museum

Just doing the nightly duties together. Don't tell BYU-I...

Went to a Jazz game for FREE & got to be on TV after the game!

American Outfitters needs this pic for advertising.

We kind of have an obsession with bubble gum...

Took a perfect runaway trip to CA for the weekend with Becca, Jackie, Matt, Braden, and Kevin

Needless to say there was a lot of In N Out on this trip

Yum!

The group at Six Flags

Yeah. We rented a 2010 Mustang Convertible

No Big Deal

I got to drive this thing all around downtown LA. Pretty amazing!

While Rexburg got hit by a snow storm, we were relaxing at the beach, playing the guitar, and getting tan. Rough life.

The group getting ready for the 16 hour drive home. yuck!

I walked in Graduation and start my Student Teaching in the Fall

The Royal Sisters

President Clark & President Jensen from the Seventy came to my graduation. That's me shaking their hands!

And now I am back in Rexburg for the Spring...my last three months in ID. Its been off to a rough start but after writing this blog...I know that the Lord will put the people I need to meet in my life!

Ooops

Good thing I don't mind showing off my nee-nee to everyone on campus as I walk to and from work in my super-blowy skirt in 20 mph winds. That would be really embarrassing. I sure am glad that I don't care if the whole of BYU-Idaho faculty and student population saw my rear when the wind blew my skirt up five different times today. Because I am pretty sure I would die of shame. If I cared that is.

The G-Man turns one year older

Happy Birthday to the best father ever! And I really mean it. He is the best at everything he does. Here is a short & incomplete list of his absolute amazing-ness...

1. He can flip his eye-lids inside out.

2. We never need a mechanic, electrician, home-builder, landscaper, or computer tech with him around.

3. He makes really good shish-ka-bobs.

4. He is the best provider ever.

5. He is a great motivator.

6. There is no better listener then him!

7. His advice would give Dr. Phil a run for his money.

8. He is worthy to hold the priesthood.

9. He loves and honors my mom.

I could go on all night but I won't. Because I should actually be doing my English homework at this moment. But Happy Birthday dad...

You make me proud to be your daughter!

It's the simple life baby

Some people wonder why I have chosen to live in Idaho. My answer for them?

1. Scenery

2. People

I don't think I will ever be able to leave. Sorry mom. 

Happy Halloween!!!

I really do love Halloween. Or at least I used to, because when I turned 15 it became uncool to dress up as a witch or a zombie without adding the word "sexy" in front of it. You know, sexy bumblebee, sexy pirate, sexy minnie mouse, sexy nun, etc. You all have seen that scene from the movie "Mean Girls" where the girl shows up to the high school party in a dead bride costume and was humiliated? Yeah I had one of those experiences too, and it taught me that I no longer had any right to celebrate Halloween.

However, this semester I have been blessed with roommates who like to act as ridiculously as I do and so we decided to dress up for our Halloween party. And we weren't gonna be sexy pioneers or anything like that. We decided to dress up like the family we have become...Grandpa Eugene, Grandma Eunice, Mama Peggy, Daddy Carl, and little Kelli & Raymond. We had a cat too but she got sick and couldn't go. We went all out for this thing, curlers in our hair, fake staches, blacked out teeth, big booties, the whole nine yards. And we looked just as ridiculous as we had imagined. But it was FUN! We got weird looks and didn't win any costume prize. But it was FUN! Dressing up for Halloween became cool again (well no we were actually very far from cool but...FUN!). Enjoy the pics and make yourself look like an idiot sometime...you will be glad you did :)

The Isha men...Eugene, Carl, & Raymond

The Isha women...Eunice, Peggy, & Kelli

Grandma Eunice w/ her cakes

The whole Family together

Mom and Dad sharing a moment

Eunice helping Eugene eat his chili

Jackie bobbin' for apples...this is how swine flu is spread p.s.

Grandma & Grandpa eatin' some donuts

Cuttin' a Rug

The whole extended Fam

Somehow Dad's costume turned in a Lester costume...she looked like she was fresh outta jail & ready to be-friend some little boys.

So it was only natural to take a pic like this...

Can you spy the creeper? 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN ALL!!!