guys... just listen.

Want to know what I love? When Chase sings this to me. HAHA he knows all of the words.
I am not going to lie, we have had it stuck in our heads all week. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. I think Mariah Carey single-handedly rocked the 90's with that song. If you didn't listen to it, go back. At least wait until the chorus ends... but by then i know you won't be able to stop.
Like it, love it, listen to it everyday... we have!
Anyway, can we talk about this week? OK. So, it has been extremely busy because, guess what?! We're going to California fourth of July week. Yes, I said WEEK. We are skipping school for a week to go spend time on the beach and perhaps Disneyland. Am i sad? No. Am i stressed? Yes. But don't worry guys.. I bought a new swim suit! It's all going to be ok.
So, about this California trip, it'll be us, Claire and her tummy, TJ, Perrold, Erin, Jake, and Tom and Jennifer. We are so excited. I almost wet myself just talking about it.
But we are sad the Berglinds won't be joining.
Anyway, so in lieu of school we will be beaching it up. The only problem is, that means i have a whole week of schoolwork to get done in the next week. It's going to be ok. Don't worry. It's just a little stressful.
BUT i do have a picture for you guys....
A SELF PORTRAIT?
Preface: my assignment for photography this week was portraiture. I decided to use a picture of Brandon and Rachel, but didn't know what to do for my second one. Self portrait was an option but i felt weird and conceited thinking about it... but guys... i did it. So, Chase and i went to an alley in Rexburg, I found this old piece of wood, I set the camera to the settings i wanted, and then gave it to Chase to press the button. Yikes. I felt like an idiot. Cars and people were going by and it was somewhat horrifying.
But alas, despite the embarrassment and me trying not to let anyone see my computer screen in the photo lab, I will show you guys
.
It looks a little harsh in some areas, but i had to do it that way so that the print would come out like i wanted it to. Believe you me... it looked pretty good as a print.
Anypoops. Let me know what you guys think. I'm having alot of fun, and i feel like i'm doing well. I think :)
Guys also, just one more thing. This week has been such a spiritually fulfilling one. I have been reading in John about the last day of the Savior's life, and it is just amazing the insights i have had. Perhaps I'll write about that tomorrow, but it is amazing to me that Christ could have stopped Judas, but he told him to go, not only so He could perform sacred ordinances with the worthy disciples, but so He could atone for us. I love the gospel, and I love you all... What are you grateful for?

Hey p.s. check out my father's-in-law blog Standing All Amazed. I promise you'll learn something new. :)

Brandon and Rachel

Okay everyone. I'm pretty excited to show you all
these lovely models. I'll just give you one sneak peek photo because i'm working on a logo to put on all of them so no one can steal my photos without giving me some cred ha... since i'm so famous. So, Brandon and Rachel have been engaged about a month and will be getting married in August in the Los Angeles LDS Temple. Brandon is one of Chase's best friends, and they've known each other since high school. They were even called to the same mission on the same day! They were so fun to take pictures of; especially because of all of the laughs and silly faces. Despite all of the silliness, i don't think we got even one bad picture... that's why it's so hard for me to choose which one to show you guys. BUT... here is the sneak peek...

Go ahead... click on it. It'll make it nice and big!

We are SO excited for them. More to come later... :)

click click!

I love the sound of the shutter... Ok... so sorry about not posting pictures like i said i was going to... so i shall post.... now!

Motion Assignment:

I'll now be taking guesses on what this one is!

Celebrating the
Commonplace Assignment:

Light and Shadow Assignment:

I have been so frustrated so far this semester.. mostly because i just haven't gotten any feedback, so i didn't know how i was doing. BUT last week, after our commonplace assignment was turned in (the one of the laundry basket), I didn't get my mounted print back. I then found out that it had been put on the best of class board. I was the only person to get 100%. Whoa. Now, it was a little more edited than the one i added here, and it's contrast was awesome. I was so happy. Now that i know i'm doing well I am having so much fun with it! I just took those motion ones over the past week and just turned them in today. I'm pretty excited about them.

On the first day of photography we talked about various types of art, and how photography is debated on whether it tells the truth about its subject, or lies about its subject. I think it can be both. Many pictures are taken to show exactly what the eye sees. But as my motion assignments show, many show something much different, and perhaps more interesting. I prefer the lying type. :) But i think in any case photography always lies a little.. it always aims to make something more beautiful than you ever thought it could be. It can make a tap dancer's feet into a painting.. like my motion photo i said you should guess about (thanks Syd!). I'm finding such joy in learning to display such creativity and emotion.

P.S. All my photos have to be in black and white for this class... it's not that i prefer it... although i do love the contrast don't you?!

holy life lesson and a half

I must admit that i am a bit down in the dumps today. Life has felt really hard, even though i know it's not. One of the two photographs i turned in today just didn't turn out the way i wanted it to. Blerg. I just want to go home and sleep all night. I suppose we always feel like our lives are hard when things just don't go the way we imagined them to. I guess that's what this life is about though. Learning to be happy when things don't always go as planned. In New Testament class yesterday we talked about Christ calming the waters. We looked at the story as told in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In Luke it is said a bit differently, "And they came to him, and woke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was calm. And he said unto them, Where is your faith?" Christ, rather than yelling over the storm as in the other gospels, he stops the storm and then turns to them and asks where their faith has gone. Just like a parent to a child, which is more affective? Which pierces the heart more directly? How prevalent this seems to be in all of our lives. We turn to the Lord when things go wrong; we want Him to fix things now, for we feel we are in some kind of danger; whether emotional, spiritual, or physical. The thing we have to realize is that sometimes the Lord calms the sea, but sometimes he calms the sailor. I know that i have had to put this into my life in many ways lately. It's amazing that the Lord can tell you just what you need if you really look for it. I feel so humbled to know that sometimes there are bigger things than my problems, even when it doesn't feel like it. I need to sit back, be comforted by the Lord, and then work through it. And maybe, just maybe... ok most definitely i will learn something, which is far better than letting the trial be taken from me.

poop.

Ok so.... have i really not posted in over a month? Where has my life been? Oh yeah... burried in my 16 credits. No big deal. So, art classes are awesome. Stressful, but awesome. I have sooooo much due every week, but i love creating! I am having so much fun. My photography class is somewhat stressing me out, because let's be honest, i have no idea what my teacher wants. He says that we should create what we want, and not to just try to please him. But seriously, i'm going to try to please him. I want a good grade!
I need to pause here for a second... I am watching a show on TLC about the tiniest girl in the world.. she looks like a doll. Seriously. Here she is... Oh and here's a video. I just thought this was amazing.

Ok sorry for that little sidetrack. Anyway. Not much has been happening. I mean let's be honest. We are three weeks into the semester, working, and doing homework. I just got my hair cut today. This is good news. It was a shaggy mess. But here are some pictures i've been taking lately for my class. Perhaps i'll post some drawings as well. Sorry for the randomness.

coma

This is a real photo folks. Over the past week i have been living in gluttony in the most literal way. Today at work we had what we call a graze. The full time employees bring all of us student employees delicious food and we all indulge all day. Then, Chase had a safety council closing social... at CRAIGO's. Did i have a choice of whether i wanted to attend or not? Absolutely not. My stomach makes my decisions for me. Although i wasn't really hungry in the slightest, i ate. Not only did i eat, but i binged. I felt physically ill. I couldn't move when we got home. Chase kept making me laugh and i was almost in tears. I slowly began to feel the line between mortality and the after life blur. Food coma is real people. I just wish i would have had this man.

Speaking of men.. look at this hunk of burnin love.

Click it... it looks better when you do. Just sayin.
Also.. click again to zoom.. do it.
He has awesome eyes ;)

Oh and also.. here's some cute ones of abby, sage, and carson from this weekend :) cute kids!

Zoom in on these too. Especially on Abby and Sage.
Their eyes are gorgeous.

I'm having so much fun experimenting with my camera. It's just cool to see how lighting really is everything. Look at these photos.. best lighting to worst. It's amazing the life it brings to them. They are all cute, but look at Abby! Fun stuff. I can't wait to start classes.

The search is over.

As of yesterday, we are no longer searching for a place to call home. We sadly haven't secured a manager position yet, but have a couple hopefuls for starting in July. We debated moving to IF to live in my parents' basement, but we didn't want to commute. Then... epiphany. My grandma Pierson lives here in Rexburg, right up on the hill. It's literally like a minute from campus. She lives alone with many empty bedrooms. We made our decision. Over the crosswalks and through the campus to grandmother's house we go. We won't have rent, internet, utilities, nothing. I feel somewhat horrible though. I hate being a burden, but she said that she would probably bother us more than we would her. haha yeah right. Like that could ever happen. My grandmother is a saint. Anyway, we are pretty excited and should be moving in starting this weekend, but mostly next weekend.

Although our housing issues are solved, finals are this coming week. There is always so much to do, and i always feel as though i will never get them done. I always do, but yet the stress is still present. Why do we stress? It only makes matters worse. I have decided that stress is simply a tool of Satan. It just has to be. If it makes me feel rotten it can't come from Heavenly Father! Anyway, so there are many papers to write, tests to take, and songs to write and record. whew. This little blogging break can't last much longer!

After finals are over and we have our house all moved, we are hoping to head up to Enumclaw. This has been somewhat difficult though. There have been a few rides that we have found on bulletin board, but they are all charging about the same amount as it would cost for us to just go alone. So that's probably a no go. We may just end up driving on our own. We'll see!

BIG NEWS as well. Erin and Jake are going to be coming to live here in Rexburg for a few months. Words can't even describe how excited we are! It will be so fun to have them near us and hang out with them all of the time. They are coming from Hawaii to help with some basketball camps and jamborees with Tracy Peterson. We're so excited!

Just one more thing... Chase has got this super cheesy Mexican song stuck in my head and i can't stop singing it! "asi si siente Mexico!" Here have a listen. <-- Click on that ;) (I've never done one of those. It's kind of exciting.) Just wait for the chorus. It's worth it.

I hope finals are going well for all of you that have them.. just listen to the Mexico song. It will make it better. I hope everyone else is doing well too... you may also listen to the Mexico song.

Ali