Halloween

I'm not really big into the halloween scene at my age. It was a fun holiday when you were a kid and got candy, and I imagine it will be fun when your a parent and you get to dress your kid up, but as a young single adult, I'm not a huge fan. Basically its just an excuse for girls to dress skanky... and for boys to dress, head to foot, in Gorilla suits and scare you! Actually that hasn't happened this year (thankfully!) I guess I'm just not really into the partying scene, and I'm not as creative as most people to come up with a good outfit. Last night there was a lot of halloween parties going on, but instead I went to my Best Friend Gaby's house and we watched TV and talked for hours into the evening.

I'm not really sure what my plans are for the big day tomorrow. But we do have FHE at the Bishops house, so I'm sure we will do something Halloweenie there! If not I won't cry over it. Its not even a real holiday, we don't even get the day off school/work! So lame...

In other news, the real beginning of the Holidays starts in 18 days... thats when I go home for Thanksgiving! I have a whole 10 days off!!! Then I will come back and just finish up my internship, and then before I know it, I will be taking classes and working as a receptionist again! I'm so excited you have no idea!!!

Don't Judge...

Ok, don't judge me... but I love this guy!!! This song is so cute! I listen to it probably every day since it came out. And I know I'm not the only one, who else can get 20 million views in 7 days. One of my roommates (cough, Julie, cough) has this weird Scrooge attitude and doesn't like Christmas music playing right now! I think she's a little on the crazy side, but whatever! I don't care! I just love this song, and Justin Bieber, and Christmas, and this video!!!!!

Iron Man, again...

I know what you are all thinking... dang this chick blogs A LOT! Well it has somewhat to do with the fact that I don't have a ton of other things to do, and the fact that even though I blogged 2 days ago, Tamazine told me I needed to update my blog again! So here we are, at another blog update from Tara!

As some of you may recall, my school does a lazy man iron man once a semester! This is a month that you have to run 26 miles, bike 112, and swim about 3. I accomplished this in Spring 2010! It also was when I was taking a class that required me to work out 5 times a week, so I was in pretty good shape that semester. I tried again in Winter 2011. I was in goodish shape then, but I got sick towards the end of the month and didn't ever finish it. Well here I am, Fall 2011... probably the most out of shape I have been in all my college years, and I am attempting to do it again! How crazy is that! Here's how it went down.

Rachel, "Tara, the iron man started today, so we are working out after FHE."
Me, "Ummm... I have to do laundry then."


after finishing my laundry and feeling really guilty...

Me, "Rachel, are you still going..."

So we got all signed up last night and are going again as soon as Rachel finishes her homework assignment. I decided to keep a tally on my blog like I have done in the past just to make myself more accountable to all my loyal readers (mom) and to help me remember where I'm at and how much further I have to go.

Biggest thing about me starting to work out again. I decided I can't do it with the entire goal to lose weight. What has happened to me repeatedly in the past is that I work really hard to lose weight, never see any progress, and quit. Well my purpose this time has changed. Losing weight will be an advantage, but I really want to be in shape for 1) Snowboarding season, and 2) My mission!

1) Going snowboarding for an entire day when you are out of shape is pretty miserable. As much as I love snowboarding, I would hate to not get the best out of it because I am too fat and tired for it.

2) Rachel brought up a good point while we were at the gym. I am going to be a full time missionary soon, and I don't want to be huffing and puffing just from walking down the street. I want to be in shape so that I can ride a bike all day, or walk around all day! I want to look healthy for when I'm teaching people about the Word of Wisdom. I want to be an example of one who can run and not be weary!!!

So here is to me starting over! Its going to be a long road... but I'm just going to take one day at a time. Also, Rachel has forbidden me to eat out or drink soda while doing the lazy man. Today was day 1 of that since I did both yesterday. Lets just say nothing is worse than my want for a coke zero. I did have some crystal light today! I just have to pretend that that stuff is just as good! *Ya right!

Never Will I Ever...

Today in Relief Society, someone quoted Sister Dalton. "Make a list of things you will always do, and make a list of things you will never do. Then live those lists."

Well first thing on that list is: Never go to a haunted house EVER AGAIN!!!

Yesterday was my first experience in a haunted house. I was just lying in bed watching The Last Song (since I had JUST finished the book) when my neighbors Aubrey and Brooke came by. Brooke was very sweet as she tricked me into going to Dr. Slaughters. I finally agreed to go just because I didn't want to be a loser on a Saturday night, but man do I wish I hadn't. We picked up our friend Josh since none of us wanted to go without a guy, and made our way over to Idaho Falls. 2 and a half hours later, we were at the front of the line to get in. Lets just say as impatient as I was, waiting in line was the best part of the whole evening. Then we got in...

Basically, Josh went first, with my holding on to him for dear life, while Brooke was twisting my arm as she held my hand behind me, and Aubrey was behind her. I would push Josh to go faster when I knew something scary was about to happen, and then when someone did jump out at me, I basically stopped where I was and screamed! SO LOUD! I would almost fall over sometimes I was so scared. Poor Josh, I think I about killed him! One time though, he let go of me right as a chainsaw guy came after us. Lets just say I was NOT HAPPY at him! That entire house probably took us 20 to 30 minutes to go through. It felt like 3 hours though. I have never been so scared in my entire life.


I didn't speak much on the ride home because I had lost my voice from all the screaming. Then... when I thought it was all over... I got home. I walk into my apartment and the light in the living room was on, but all the other lights were off. I saw that Julie wasn't in her room, but I also saw that my door was closed and the light was off. I was a little confused, because I figured Julie was probably in my room with Tamazine, but our light was off. (Oh, and I was about a half hour late for curfew, since we didn't get out of the haunted house til midnight anyway.) I open my door and see 2 figures just standing in the dark in front of me. I reach for the lights and its just Tamazine and Julie. As you can imagine, I freaked out and screamed again! As they begin to ask me what time it was, I started to cry. And not just like, oh tears are coming out, like I was sobbing, grasping for air, and weeping. For a solid 5 or so minutes I was inconsolably crying. They felt bad and hugged me, got me some water, sat next to me... but nothing was helping. I was crying harder than I ever have. It took me so long to calm down from what had just happened. It was a combination of being really tired, scared earlier, and then scared again. When they asked me what was going on, I just told them I was so scared!!!

I laid down in bed and kept the lights on, which Tamazine eventually turned off, and I just tried to calm down. I was breathing heavier than ever, I was still super jumpy, and I was straight up scared. So... lesson learned! I am never going to go to a haunted house ever again!

Rexburg Fall

Today as I drove home from work, I found myself looking at the trees more than the road (Don't worry, I was still driving safely). I was just hypnotized by the colors of the fall! When it snowed a few weeks ago, I was so mad that winter was approaching. But that was just a little fluke, and it is back to fall as it should be. Then I realized that this is the last fall I will spend in Rexburg. I only have 277 days until I graduate. (I know that might seem like its a far way away, but I know it will come fast!) The winter will be long, I know this for a fact, and then by the time spring rolls around, I will basically be done! I figured out today which classes I'm going to take in the winter, and then in the spring I will only have to take 3 classes. And even though I won't be taking 14 credits, the school will still give me a scholarship and I will be able to work too! Anyway, what I'm most excited about right now is for my 21st birthday... because (drum roll please........) I will go on a mission!!!!!

My roommate Tamazine just got her call last Thursday! She is going on a cruise with santa... oh wait, I mean she is going to Santa Cruz, Bolivia! How awesome is that! I have been extremely covetous the last couple days as she went to mission prep and received a copy of Preach My Gospel and made an appointment with the Bishop to get her temple recommend! I have been wanting this since I was 14, and I'm so close, and yet still so far! Ahhh....

Tonight for FHE we shared our favorite scripture with everyone. I thought maybe I could share it with ya'll. I read this in the 10th grade in Brother Goettl's D&C class. When I read it for the first time, I marked it up and wrote next to it: My Missionary Scripture. I decided that day that I was going to serve a full time mission and that when I do, this scripture would be on my mission plaque that would hang in Vintage Ranch's ward for 18 months.

D&C 15:6
And now, behold, I say unto you, that the thing which will be of the most worth unto you will be to declare repentance unto this people, that you may bring souls unto me, that you may rest with them in the kingdom of my Father. Amen.

I can't wait to be a full-time missionary! It's more exciting to me than anything else right now! Only 178 days until I can submit my papers! Then I will be off to Mesa to go through the Temple for the first time, and then I will be off to where ever I am called!

So anyway, I started to write this blog about how pretty the fall is right now, and got a little off topic! Maybe I will get called to serve in Pocatello and will be able to see the fall again! Maybe not ;) Either way, I'm excited!!!

Be Happy Now...

In President Uchtdorfs talk in the General Relief Society Conference a few weeks back, he told us 5 things to Forget Not. One of them was to be happy now! A lot of time people are always waiting for their "golden ticket" to be happy, when they should really be finding things in their life to be happy about right then! Well I'm not saying that I'm not happy now... I'm more like bored now. Don't get me wrong, I love my job! Just working all day is a heck of a life style. I can come home at 5 and be done for the day. But I miss the library, I miss having assignments and studying for tests. I would rather spend hours on blackboard rather than facebook/pinterst. I want to go to the testing center and buy myself a candy bar because I got an A on a test I studied hard for. I wish my life was revolving around something other than my television shows...

Here are things I'm really really excited about... (my golden tickets you could say)

Thanksgiving - 44 days!
David's Concert- 59 days!
Christmas- 75 days!
School starting again- 85 days!
The day I submit my mission papers- 184 days!
The day I graduate- 283 days!
My 21st Birthday- 306 days!

Don't get me wrong, I am happy... I just sometimes feel like I am at a standstill because I'm not in classes. I just honestly don't know what to do with my time. I am sad to say that today I came home, got on computer, and alternated between facebook, pinterest, blogs (which ya'll should really update btw), and youtube... I think what I'm trying to say is... I need a life!