rough patch.

today was not great.

scratch that.

today was bad.

all i can say right now is that if there was a way to make it july 22nd tomorrow, i would make. that. happen.

i'm so ready to be done.

however, there is a silver lining behind every cloud.

so, in the way of good news:

-no classes tomorrow!

-no crapstone on thursday!

-the sun was out all day and it was warmish!

-i got to take a nap today!

-i'm going to the temple tomorrow!

i hope tomorrow is a better day.

la primavera

you know what the best feeling in the world is?

walking home on a cool spring night under a fragrant tree with snow-white blossoms covering every branch.

it's so wonderful, in fact, that it's tied with coasting down a hill [on a bike, of course] on a warm summer night, feeling the cool mist from sprinklers in nearly every front yard you pass.

i love spring.

an ode to my haven

i spend a lot of time in my room these days.

mostly because i choose to,

but partly because i have more homework than i know what to do with.

this semester has been a trying one roommates-wise.

they are all very nice,

but three of them are in relationships and camp out in the living room with their boyfriends/fiances basically 24/7.

when they're not napping/watching tv/doing homework/making out,

they're cooking in the kitchen in shifts, making it hard for anyone else to prepare meals.

needless to say, it's a difficult situation.

it really sucks [for lack of a better phrase] when you don't feel comfortable living in your own home.

but, i am so grateful for my room

and the fact that i don't have to share it with anyone else.

room, this one's for you.

brought to you by the incomparable beach boys

rexburg bucket list

taken somewhere along I-15

while talking to my mom earlier this evening, i was struck by the realization that i am almost halfway done with my very last semester.

UNBELIEVABLE.

in two short weeks, i will be halfway done with my career as an undergrad student.

which means, i have SO MUCH TO DO before the semester is over and i'm out of here forever and ever amen.

thus, my new rexburg bucket list was born.

i'm sure i've done this before, but i'm too lazy to find it/link to it, so here's my updated list.

feel free to add any recommendations in the comments if you have any good ideas!

1. drive-in movies in sugar city or st. anthony or wherever the drive-in theater is

2. harry potter vii part ii at midnight!

3. buy an "i love ramirez shirt"

4. visit yellowstone and see old faithful

5. go to mesa falls

6. swim in rigby lake

7. spend hours upon hours basking in the warm summer sun at porter park

8. go on as many bikerides as i can

9. hike r mountain at sunrise

10. pass all my classes and GRADUATE!

shout-out!

alright, dear friends.

i don't endorse products that often.

actually, i don't think i've ever done this.

BUT,

this miracle potion is a lifesaver.

i've had two really painful headaches this week.

before, i would just take some excedrin migraine and hope for the best.

sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.

my mom's friend told her about essential oils and recommended peppermint oil to help ease headaches.

and let me tell you...

IT.

WORKS.

if you suffer from migraines or any headache at all,

i highly highly recommend this.

in fact, i just used some five minutes ago, and my headache is already getting better!

pick some up!

you won't regret it!

God only knows what I'd be without you.

HAPPY PET SOUNDS DAY!

even though today has been a disaster, it's not a total failure

because exactly 45 years ago, the beach boys released this miracle of an album.

i'm going to celebrate by listening to it in its entirety on ye olde record-player.

there might be some sleepytime tea thrown in there, as well.

thank you, beach boys, for making this record.

it is my all-time favorite and it always makes me happy.

ps: here's a beautiful she+him cover of "wouldn't it be nice" to commemorate this joyous occasion.

enjoy!

it's a bowie kind of day

walking to class while listening to this song was probably the highlight of my day.

shawarma: zen in a wrap

as you all may know by now, i am obsessed with recipes and food and delicious aromas coming from the kitchen.

unfortunately, i live in a pigsty with a bunch of girls who don't know how to clean up after themselves. that makes it hard to have the desire to cook.

BUT, the next time i'm home [or the next time my kitchen's clean and i have all the ingredients (which will be never at this rate)], i'm for sure making this.

this lady, titli nihaan, is delightful and kooky and hilarious.

she's like the julia child of indian food.

and i love her.

every single recipe she makes looks delicious [except for the one she did on homemade ghee... ew]. i can almost smell that shawarma now...

fotografia

my sister, kirsten, called/begged me last week asking to see some photos i've been taking in my photography class.

so, here you go, sis! here are two photos i took for our second assignment, which focused on everyday objects.

kiko kiko, burning bright, in the forests of the night

kiko kiko jorgensen (1996-2009)

i miss her.

to the woman who gave birth to me.

my beautiful mother and sister

my mom once told me that my birth was her scariest of all six [!!] of her labor experiences.

you see, the umbilical cord, the very source of my survival as a fetus, was wrapped around my neck a few times and was quickly transforming into a deadly weapon.

luckily, the doctor was able to remove the cord, and i emerged into this world, gasping for air, ready to experience this new journey of life on april fools' day in 1987.

my parents didn't plan on having a sixth child, but they had me anyway.

and i'm forever grateful they brought me into this world [as scary as it was to do so].

throughout the years, my mom has been a constant pillar of strength and support in my life, just as she was more than twenty-four years ago when i was still in the womb.

she has endured millions [no exaggeration] of tearful phone calls from me [most of which have occurred in the last five years. thank you, rexburg, for having the propensity to make me cry on an almost-daily basis] and is always, always patient, supportive, and encouraging.

she has been the ultimate example of a truly Christlike individual by giving her time, energy, and talents to those who are in need of them, oftentimes at a moment's notice.

she is the BEST cook/baker and is never afraid to try new things.

she is an incredible listener and always knows the right thing to say to make me feel better.

she has rock-solid faith in the Lord and is always telling me to turn to the scriptures and pray when i have a problem.

she has stood by my dad and supported him in all his endeavors and even packed up and moved with him [and many small children, by the way] multiple times throughout their marriage.

she is a nurturer and has this innate ability to make any child feel at ease.

she is a strong supporter of gaining a good education and doing your best in all you do.

and she is the strongest woman i know.

mom, i love you so much. thank you for always being patient with me and helping me through my oh-so-difficult-woe-is-me days. you are a saint and i aspire to be like you when i have a family of my own [far, far away in the future].

you are the mom of all moms!

the world's greatest mom!

mother of the year!

and i love you.

three days late.

happy may, everyone!

in my life, i've loved them all.

when i was a highschooler, i was a major choir nerd. i ate my lunch in the choir room every single day with my fellow choirfriends, became a TA for my choir director senior year, and spent hours practicing the songs we were learning in my spare time.

even though it was at times a trying and frustrating time in my life,

i loved it all.

i loved singing the national anthem with my friends at basketball games,

travelling to different schools all over the pacific northwest [and even the gigantor mall in edmonton, alberta, canada],

accompanying the jazz choir,

participating in musicals,

and, most of all, just singing and expressing myself through music each day.

my choir teacher, mrs. fennessey [or "fenn" as we liked to call her], had this tradition where the junior and senior choir members sang a song together for graduation each year. when i was a junior, i got to perform "in my life" by the beatles with some of my closest friends. i remember feeling so sad that high school was almost over [i LOVED high school] and scared that soon i'd be living on my own.

i had so many fears and insecurities about the future and, as crazy as it sounds, i just couldn't fathom ever being as happy as i had been in high school.

almost seven years after that experience, i saw a beatles tribute band perform on campus with my friend stilts.

it. was. awesome.

it was my very first tribute band experience and these guys were truly incredible.

they sounded exactly like john, george, ringo, and paul and even kind of resembled them from far away.

me and ryan danced the night away, laughed at the rapport between the band members, and marveled at how accurate they sounded.

then, they started playing that song.

and there i was, twenty-four years old, about to graduate again [this time from a university], feeling the same feelings i felt seven years before.

waves of emotion washed over me and it took all the energy within me to keep those tears from rushing down my cheeks.

i took a mental trip through the past seven years and i realized something interesting...

i didn't remember the bad times.

the photos i saw in my mental photo album were photos of laughter, joy, fun, and enlightenment.

even though going to byu-idaho has been the most trying and frustrating time of my life, much like those choir days of yore, it has also been the most wonderful time of my life [thus far].

all the anger and annoyances i've felt in my time here in rexburg simply don't measure up to all the happiness and joy i've felt. i've learned so much about myself, my beliefs, and what i'm truly passionate about.

and, in the end, i wouldn't trade those lessons i've learned for anything.

when it's all over, as the beatles say, i know i'll often stop and think about the times i've had up here.

and it helps to know that i will look back on those times with a smile, not a grimace.