Soaking Up the Sun in SoCal

After lunch at a beach front cafe, completed with shared sushi and a mahi mahi bowl (heaven in my mouth), me and Haley made our way to the waves and white sand of Newport Beach. The cold west coast water is SO different than the warm, clear Gulf that is similar to bath water that I'm used to in Florida. However, the huge waves were like nothing I've ever seen. It was fun to lay out, watch the surfers and attempt to brace the forceful current. So Cal is quickly stealing my heart... <3

SIX DAYS! (and a wedding reunion)

...until I'm off to CHINA! I am so excited that I don't know what to do with myself. I can't wait to visit three huge cities (Shangai, Beijing & Hong Kong), learn and immerse myself in a new culture, experience new foods, visit ancient historical monuments and do lots of shopping on the black market!! (Helllooo knock off designer bags/watches/jewelry) ;)

Don't worry, I promise to come back with lots of pictures and memories ready to be documented on here for everyone to see!

In completely off-topic unrelated news, I went to a wedding Friday night with Stephen and Rachel who knew the groom. Ironically, his bride was one of my really good friends from elementary school. How crazy is that?! Their reception was held at a huge mansion with BEAUTIFUL grounds. There was a swimming pool, fountain, tennis courts, beach volleyball court, etc. Talk about an amazing home! Anyway, while there I ran into my childhood best friend Erin Hunt!!! She is such a sweet girl and I have so many memories with her that I will always cherish. It's so fun being back here in Utah living around my old stomping grounds again ;)

Inspiration from Elder Holland

Elder Holland is definitely one of my favorite general authorities and I'm so glad he was chosen to speak at the CES fireside for young adult's! His words are inspiring, thought provoking, humbling, sometimes humorous and always powerful. Notes I took away from his beautiful message tonight:

-We no longer worry about Zion and WHERE we will live. It's about HOW we are to live.
-For the establishment in the 21st century, you never check your religion at the door. Not ever. {He really stressed this}
-We must stand as witnesses of God at all times, in all things, in all places and in all circumstances. Not just some of the time, in a few places or "when our team is in the lead". No true disciple of Christ can check his religion at the door.
-It’s easy to be righteous when things are calm, life is good and everything is smooth. The test is when there is real trial or temptation. When there is pressure and fatigue, anger and fear or the possibility of real transgression. Can we be faithful then? That is the question. 
-How we respond in any situation has to make things better, not worse. 

-You are individually loved of God and you are central to the meaning of His work.

-We are all Heavenly Father’s sons and daughters. We must always try to help whenever and wherever we can. 

-Reach out generously with your words and deeds.

-To be Christian at all times is the model of integrity. 

-He [Jesus Christ] will find us doing our best, trying to live the gospel, trying to improve our lives and our church & society the best we can. 

-When He comes, I so want to be caught living the gospel. I want to be surprised right in the act of spreading the faith and doing something good. I want the Savior to say to me “Jeffrey, I recognize you not by your title, but by your life; the way you’re trying to live and the standards you’re trying to defend. I see the integrity of your heart. First and foremost by trying to be good yourself, and then declaring my word and defending my gospel to others in the most compassionate way you could. I know you weren’t always successful, but I believe you honestly tried. I believe in your heart, you truly love me." 

-God loves you and He needs you in this last and greatest dispensation, when everything is accelerated and more and more is expected.

-Serve impossibly. Stretch. Allow God to work with you and do great things through you.

-Be true to each other and be friends with the Savior of the world. Know him personally, and have confidence in His company.

I just love Elder Holland so much and the messages he shares!

Rackin' Up Raspberries

I'm home (sounds weird to say that...) in New Mexico for only a week, so today my parents and I decided to head up to the Salman Raspberry Ranch in Buena Vista (about 2 hours away) to pick some of our own raspberries! Raspberries definitely rank high up on my favorite fruit list so I love having these berries in the house. There were rows and rows and rows of raspberry bushes that were all available and it was a fun day with the parentals :)

Hello homemade raspberry jam!

Ode to the Birthday Girl

20 years ago today, one of my best friends was born! Happy birthday to one of the best people I know! Thanks Brooke for being an amazing roommate and friend. I'm grateful for our friendship and I don't know what I would have done had I not met you last summer!

I love that you'll always go to Horkleys at night whenever I'm thirsty or need a snack. You always have my back and support my love of coke zero (and I support yours of Dr. Peppa & Gatorade) ;)

I love that you watch & love all the same tv shows as me, especially the Bachelorette! It makes my addiction to netflix/hulu seem not so bad and I love talking about the latest episodes with you.

I love that you'll randomly leave notes for me. You're always kind and know how to cheer me up whenever I'm having a bad day!

I love that we always send pictures to each other...even sometimes when we're in the same room

I love that we'll make any excuse to get dipped cones from Micky D's or shaved ice..."you did good on your test? congrats! let's go get a cone" or "oh, it's raining...I think we need a dipped cone" 

Most importantly, I love that you are SUCH a good friend. I hope this next year is the best one yet for you and I can't wait to be reunited and create tons of new memories together! Love you and HAPPY BIRTHDAY again!!!

Rebels in Rexburg

How these pictures didn't make it on the blog earlier?? No idea and I have no excuse. At around 2 a.m. on Savannah's last night visiting me at school in June, me, her & Brooke thought it would be fun to make a music video and film ourselves dancing in front of Rexburg landmarks (aka the temple, BYUI signs, Walmart, FatCats, Porter Park, etc.) After filming a few, we decided to just take pictures instead. (Way less work). We were the only people out and about in the middle of the night, blasting music from the car...hence the title "rebels in Rexburg" (side note: the city of Rexburg actually has a rule stating that quiet hours are from 11 p.m.-5 a.m...we were breaking the law people!! Not to mention BYUI's curfew. Shhh ;)) We celebrated Van's last night in style and I only kinda regretted it the next morning when I had class after getting only an hour & a half of sleep. It was worth it. (Actually I lied, I might have really regretted it...and what's up with the amount of parenthesis' I'm using today?) Whateva.

These Girls

do and always will mean the world to me. I'm so grateful for their friendship and I'm excited to only live 35 minutes from Provo until January! Let the good times roll.

Back in the 813 (and some other area codes too)

Remember how I flew home to Florida right after Spring semester for two weeks?? Well, I'm FINALLY blogging about it. The sunshine state truly is the best, and if I wasn't already obsessed with it enough, after living in Rexburg for 7 months, I am convinced that great state is the closest place to heaven. Being there reminded me even more why I need to move back as soon as possible.

While there, I seriously lacked in the picture taking department! Instead of focusing on snapping pictures, I tried to really just enjoy the moment so even though there's not many photos to prove it, I have wonderful memories which are worth a lot more! (Right?!)

Being home included several trips to different beaches (Howard, Sand Key, Clearwater, Fort Desoto and even Cocoa on the East coast), obvious food outings to Keystone Korner, Tiajuanas, Checkers and Panera, attending the church at the Odessa Ward for two Sundays, visiting with some of my favorite ward families, a large amount of Olympic watching, jet skiing on the ocean, Rays game attending, sleepovers at various friends' houses, Greys Anatomy watching with Taylor, tanning in various locations such as the beach, back yards, drive ways and pools, Beth's 19th birthday celebration, a road trip up to Tallahassee, back down to Gainesville and then over to Rockledge,  etc, etc, etc.

(Thankfully Sam likes to take pictures or else I wouldn't have any of these!!)

finally got my checkers' fries!!

one of my favorite families! (missed you SO MUCH Savannah)...and yes, I'm an outfit repeater. Don't worry, I did laundry so it was clean :)

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. These three lovelies were my airport shuttle crew who walked me in and sat in the airport with me since my flight was delayed because of a nasty storm and lots of thunder and lightning outside. 

It was a WONDERFUL two weeks back in Tampa and I'm so grateful that I could go back and see some of my best friends before they all headed back to school for fall semester. I love them and couldn't ask for better friends. Until next time, beautiful Tampa Bay....

Instagram Overload

My life over the last month, according to instragram photos...

My trip home to Flo-rida!

watching little Elle & Grayson do jumps into the pool/beautiful parking lot sunsets/subbing primary & matching church outfit with Kels/visited FSU with Sam

me & Taylor in the car/cutest little girl ever that Taylor nannies/my favorite building full of some of my best memories/loving life at Sand Key beach with Bethany

Rays game/Hellas Greek Bakery, yummm/at church with quite possibly the most adorable baby to exist/the beach...heaven on earth

Back in the good ole' West..

Fam reunion time: View of the all-day hike that almost KILLED me/me & cute Payton at the farmer's market/quality family time (and naps on Lindsey)/cousins taught me how to play Risk...called for some very late & intense nights

so true/finally joined the bare minerals "club" and loving it/delicious peaches that came from the neighbor's yard, SO good/supporting the little entrepreneur's at their lemonade stand in Park City