Mama, I'm a big girl now!

I said goodbye to these girls! It was pretty hard.

I am officially a full-time college student! Somebody pinch me. This whole thing still doesn't feel real. I'm attending Utah State University and seriously loving every second of it. I've been up here for about two weeks and the party hasn't stopped yet. Every night there is something going on. From an 80's dance to high stakes bingo, there is just always somewhere to be and new people to meet. My classes have been going easy on me for the first little bit and I'm hoping they don't get too impossible by the end. I have 5 of the cutest roommates in the world! Over the past two weeks these girls have quickly become my best friends. We are constantly teasing each other, freakin' out because someone (mostly Kenzie) got a letter from a missionary, or just laughing until we cry. I feel so blessed to have gotten roommates that I am able to connect with so easily.

 I can already see my classes getting harder and harder which kinda scares me to death but I just cannot wait to be framiliar with everything. I still get lost on campus and I still cannot remember anyone's names but slowly I know this place is going to feel more and more like my second home.

Now let's talk about the ward. Oh boy! There are 84 girls and 8 boys. Yes. I said 8. At first I looked at this situation and said "This is three hours of relief society where are the boys at!" then I changed my thinking and started saying "Man, that MTC must be full of so many guys!" It's so cool to see such a big difference. One of the Bishop's councilors mentions that he thinks I would be a good Sunday school teacher and told me to expect a phone call in the next little bit. This scared me to death but not I'm actually flattered by that comment. Hopefully that calling will help prepare me for my own mission while helping me meet more people in my ward!

Here are the pictures from my first week of school!





 

These are the "First Day of School" pictures! Rachel made us all pose before we were allowed to go to class.
 

A life long Humanitarian

Vietnam. I cannot stop talking about that amazing country. I spent the last two weeks of July learning so much about Vietnam, service, love, and myself. We flew out there and I was instantly learning new things about how other people live and how grateful I need to be.
The first thing I was taught to be grateful for is driving laws. Let's get one thing straight. I love driving. I love being able to get in my car and just go. Not in this town! Vietnam has one driving rule. Don't get hit. That's it. That's all you focus on. Those roads are every man for himself. There are so many motor bikes zooming every direction in intersections. Cars go into head on traffic to change lanes. Horns are used non-stop. If you aren't using your horn it must be broken! (I'm not exaggerating at all) I could go on and on about how scary those streets are. You cannot even imagine crossing the street! Yes. I was screaming!
While in the main city we went to a war museum. It's crazy how much my history books left out. I never realized how I was clearly being taught one side of the story. That museum really proved how horrible everyone was to each other.
Our team did a number of projects but my favorite by far was working in either of the schools. Being around kids that have so little was the most humbling thing I've ever experienced. The people were so loving and giving towards us. A number of times when I exited the bus I found girls waiting for me ready to fill my hair with flowers and hold my hands as we hiked the 10 minute walk up to the old school. Their favorite thing in the world is nail polish. By the end of the trip I think everyone in the group had at least 6 layers of nail polish on both fingers and toes.

Walking through the town at night never got old. Everyone sits outside of their houses and just enjoys the night. Some are selling stuff and some are just hanging out. Within a couple of days of being there all the people were saying Hello to us. It felt like a daily parade. I loved it! Kids would sometimes follow us but mostly we just smiled and said Hello. I'm not sure if they were laughing at us or with us but it put a smile on every face!
I'll never forget going to the house construction. The day that I was assigned to house construction was one of the rainy days. We had just finished dancing in the rain when we headed over to the house site. By the time we got there the workers had gone home so instead two men gave us a tour of the small community. About 50 families live around the salt farms. At one point the woman let us help them scoop up salt and put it into bags. This is way harder than I had every expected. How did these skinny woman lift up such heavy bags! At one point they asked me to put one of the bags on the scale. Joanna and I struggled to lift it a foot onto the scale. It weighed 100 pounds. Shoot, those things were heavy!
The stories are endless. From swimming in the ocean during a huge rain storm to playing soccer with grown adults who actually know what they are doing. I loved being in Asia and just being part of something great. I am so ready to spend so much more time traveling the world and being a life long humanitarian.

Here are just a few of my favorite moments of the trip aside from the pictures above:

 

I WAS HERE!

If you know me, you know that I LOVE Beyoncé. I love her confidence, her music, her family values, but mostly I love what that woman stands for. Lately one song in particular has meant the world to me. It's called "I was here". The song was written about humanitarian work. It bothers me that most people think Beyoncé is just about shaking her hips and rockin' out. NOPE! This song has really made me think about how I'm spending my time. Last week my best friend lost someone very close to her. I went to her house that night and tried to comfort her. We cried ourselves to sleep and ended up waking up an hour later on her bedroom floor. When I got home this song wouldn't stop playing in my head....It's amazing!

I wanna leave my footprints on the sands of time
Know there was something that
Meant something that I left behind
When I leave this world,
I'll leave no regrets
Leave something to remember,
So they won't forget

I was here...
I lived, I loved
I was here...
I did, I've done, everything that I wanted
And it was more than I thought it would be
I will leave my mark so everyone will know
I was here...

I want to say I lived each day,
Until I die
And know that I meant something in somebody's life
The hearts I have touched,
Will be the proof that I leave
That I made a difference
And this world will see

I was here...
I lived, I loved
I was here...
I did, I've done, everything that I wanted
And it was more than I thought it would be
I will leave my mark so everyone will know

I was here...
I lived, I loved
I was here...
I did, I've done, everything that I wanted
And it was more than I thought it would be
I will leave my mark so everyone will know
I was here...

I just want them to know
That I gave my all,
Did my best
Brought someone some happiness
Left this world a little better just because...
I was here...

I was here...
I lived, I loved
I was here...
I did, I've done, everything that I wanted
And it was more than I thought it would be
I wanna leave my mark so everyone will know
I was here...

(I lived, I loved)
(I did, I've done)
(I lived, I loved)
(I did, I've done)
I was here...

I thought about this song as I was graduating high school, when Becky passed away, as I'm headed off to serve the people of Vietnam, and as I'm preparing to serve an LDS mission! I'm so ready leave my mark and make a difference in someone's life! Vietnam here I come! Just 11 days 16 hours and 58 minutes but who's counting?

Cancer Sucks!

Every summer I get to be part of something amazing! I get to go volunteer at a camp for cancer patients and their siblings. The point of the camp is not about cancer. It is about being an average kid. It's about not having to worry about your sister who is in chemo or not being able to swim like everyone else because infection is too risky. This camp is all about making these kids feel like kids! This camp changes lives.

Throughout the week I get to watch the kids learn how to be confident with themselves and become best friends with everyone in their cabin! I get to be a part of healing these kids! I'm 100% convinced that this camp heals these families. It gives them the hope they need to never give up on their fight against cancer. Camp shows them that they aren't alone. They have hundreds of people who want to help them! That, my friends, is healing! 

The stories from camp are endless! They range from a mouse having 4 babies in a girls suit case while we were sleeping; to the various amounts of pranks that the kids loved to pull- more than half involved me getting soaked from head to toe. I was in the Arts and Crafts cabin most of the time which means I got to spend time with each kid learning something new about them every time. Those kids are hilarious. I was known as the "Justin Beiber Lover". All the kids would either mock me for it or love me for it. One Cabin of boys ended up naming their cabin the Justin Beliebers! Those kids never stopped handing out the surprises and laughs. They were all so fun! Everyone at camp seemed to be best friends. We were cracking inside jokes in a matter of hours. It was awesome!

One hour a week is set up to remember the people who we have lost. Every year I've thought of someone to plant a flower for. This year was a little closer to home. I planted a flower for Tyler. He lost his fight to cancer about 5 months ago. It was amazing to be able to feel Tyler with us all throughout camp. I believe Tyler was constantly sending us hints that he was there! Maybe that's why this years camp was just a little bit more special.....
This month there is a 5k called Millie's Princess Run! Go be a part of it! Trust me, it's worth getting up early for!
http://www.milliesprincessrun.org

1

Me!

The biggest part of growing up is figuring out who you are and what you want to be. Lately my friend, Jen, has been asking me this a lot! Who do I want to be? Who am I now? What do I see myself becoming? These were really hard for me to answer because at first I had no idea..Slowly I've started to figure out bits and pieces though. This is what I've come up with.

-I see myself as good person. I like doing things for others and being part of something great!
-I see myself as being smart and good at math and science.
-I see myself as being a good friend and having some of the greatest friends I could ever ask for!

 

-I see myself as a determined athlete. I know I'm not the best figure skater or runner but I really strive to be better every day.

-I see myself as a strong member of the LDS church

-I see myself as a happy person!

-I see myself as a leader. I love being in charge of planning group activities or anything like that!

-I see myself as being a pretty hard core dancer/singer!

Things that I hope to be:

-I want to graduate from Utah State University!

-I hope to be a better communicator. Right now I'm just not good at saying what I think.
-I'm striving to be a successful adult and find the carrier that will make me the most happy! SCARY!
-I want to be an LDS missionary! (turning in my papers in a year!)
-I want to learn to be one of them healthy eaters!
-I want to be a worldwide traveler! (GOING TO VIETNAM IN JUST 90 DAYS WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL GIRL!)

-I want people to see me as an example!
-I want to be a wife to someone like my dad and brothers. Those boys are the most perfect boys I know. All are return missionaries and just so fun and hard working. I love them to death! They do so much for me!
-I gotta be a mommy someday! Kids are my life! It for sure is going to be the hardest job in the world but I couldn't be more excited for the day when some freakin' chubby baby calls me mom. AHHH (yes, that picture is me)

-I for sure want to be more like the amazing women in my life (All of them..heather and megan included!) These ladies are smart, strong, confident, independent women that I never stop looking up to and trying to keep up with!

I know that I have the potential to be something great! I am so excite and scared to go to college and figure out who the real Carly is. The other day my brother told me that the best thing I can do is be myself, the real me is going to work for some people and not for others no matter what. So why not just be yourself? I've got nothing to lose. 

Sorry I've been so bad at blogging lately! One of these days I will figure out a story that is worth telling. For now, enjoy my random ranting about life!



Temple or Bust.

          Confession time.....I am not very good at going to seminary. Today was no different. Once again Claire and I tried to avoid going as long as possible by trying to talk to our seminary principal, Brother Sweat. This trick normally helps us avoid a couple of minutes of seminary and get a note from him excusing our tardy. Who knew that this simple childish act would end up being a blessing.
          Today we walked into that office and started asking every question we could think of. At first the questions were stupid and just a waste of time but slowly the questions turned into really cool topics in an hour we covered these topics.

 

1. Joseph Smiths marriage and how hard it was for Emma

2. Polygamy in general

3. Temple marriage

4. Worldly marriage

5. The work inside of the temple (he couldn't go into much detail)

6. Cloning

7. The lost plates

8.The sealed plates

9. John and The Three Nephites (These guys are legit!)

10. Resurrection

11. Going on a mission

12. There is only heaven

13. Temple names

14. Divorce

15. The priesthood

16. How much the Bible connects with the Book of Mormon

 

          I have a testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This church is the one and only true church! Without it I really believe that I would be lost and unhappy. The joy that it brings me everyday is incredible. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love me! The Holy Ghost touches my life in small simple ways daily! Everything in the church just.....WORKS! God seriously has timed everything in history perfectly! He is obviously a genus and creator. Don't take my word for it. Go read those books! I'm so excited to go on a mission in just a year and a half. Being able to show people what they are missing will be amazing! Being able to go to the temple in about a year is so humbling. I'm going guys! I'm not settling for anything less than the temple! I'm blessed to have a family that raised me in the church. I was baptized by my dad! How lucky is that? I love having three priesthood holders in my house. This church is everything to me. 

Life is Good!

          You know that moment where you finally accomplish a huge goal and you suddenly feel like you're on top of the world? That happened yesterday. It started out being a normal day. I woke up, ate a bowl of Special K cereal, took notes in first period, read and analyzed an article in second period, skipped third period, thought about skipping fourth period then ended up going, had the usual lunch group over at my house for pizza, then went to fifth period where I failed to run more than a mile thanks to the pizza. All of that was fun and average. The amazing part was next.

          Every Tuesday I have a lesson with one of my coaches, Merna. She is for sure my strict coach and most of the time I end up getting frustrated in my lessons with her. Yesterday was different! I finally got a smile out of her! The whole lesson was working on my footwork and somehow after every element she would smile and say something like, "Wow! Carly I can see your improvement." or "Those are looking so good!" IT WAS JUST WHAT I NEEDED! This may not seem like a big deal, but for me it was a huge blessing! The rest of my ice time was spent vigorously working on something else to impress Merna with next week! Who knew those simple sentences could mean so much!

          Somehow, that lesson really got me thinking. I have a lot to be grateful for! Today I spent the entire day choosing to be happy and make the most out of everything that happened. Here's what I noticed.

 

I get the most joy in serving people.

If you make an effort to say hi to someone they will say hi first the next time you see them.

You decide if your day is good or bad.

Making some one's day can be so easy!

The Lord times everything perfectly.

I absolutely adore my friends and family.

 

 

Have a good week! The weekend is quickly approaching! What am I going to get myself into next!?!?!