New Mexico Football Game

It was freezing at the BYU v. New Mexico (thanks Cadence!) football game today. But Annie and I still had a good time!

Kiersten's Mission Call!

Today when I checked the mail there was a big white envelope! No, it wasn't an acceptance letter, but my dearest roommate's mission call! Since she's in the band, I had to wait until the football came until I could tell her! She was so excited and we made arrangements to get old friends together to watch her open it tonight. After a long and cold game it was finally time! Sister Kiersten Hammond has been called to the Budapest, Hungary mission! She leaves on January 14th! I am so excited for her . . . I love mission calls. She is so amazing and I know she's going to be the best missionary ever!!

True Blue

Today I went to Helaman fields and slid down a steep hill that was covered in a plastic sheet and a never-ending supply of thick, bubbly, blue foam. I then threw the foam, rolled in the foam and jumped on people to make them foamy. True and blue.

Things To Do:

1. School: There is always something to do for school, even when I think I have everything done, there is more. Reading, writing, meetings, class, tests, studying sessions, emails, presentations, the list goes on and on, and repeats daily.

2. Work: Everyday 9-12. But it is usually a nice part of my day. At least I don't have homework.

3. Sleep: This, I am actually doing pretty good at. Wake up everyday at 8:00 and usually ready to sleep around midnight (although Kiersten and I are good at delaying sleep and just talking about everything). But in the end, I still need more than 8 hours a night to stay alert and to not become "crabby Abby".

4. Have a life!: Life now consists of FHE on Mondays, tacos on Tuesday, meerkat reunions/Office on Thursdays, anything fun on Fridays, football on Saturdays, church (at 1:00!) on Sundays. Then add in my impressive list of physical activities: amazing inter mural football team, supporting the inter mural soccer team, running with Annie, and yes, Pilates! Also add in the long list of things to do this semester that Kiersten and I came up with (maybe sometime I'll even list all those things out)! I'm also trying to keep up on the piano (Bob would be proud), writing my missionaries, and making some amazing doodles in class.

5. Plan and Reflect: I'm also getting ready to go to China in January. signing up for training, researching about the culture, google-earthing etc. And I'm making a scrapbook of my fabulous study abroad to London.

6. Chill: This rarely ever happens.

Leaving

Tomorrow I am moving out of the "Glen-hood" into a condo on 9th East. I've been in Glenwood for a whole year now living with Riena. I made a comment to her tonight that for the past three years we have been nearly always together. And it is true. We had almost every class together our senior year of high school, and then roomed in the dorms our freshman year. It is going to be different living with someone new for a few months, and I'm going to miss Riena-na very very much.

This move also starts the beginning of another semester at BYU. This coming fall with be my 5 semester here in Provo. By the end of it, I will be considered a senior, according to my credit hours. It is hard for me to believe that I am 20 and half way through the university experience.

But that is where I am now: at BYU. I'll be working about 15 hours a week, and taking 16 credits hours. My course-load includes 3 linguistics classes for my major, my last french class, 2 new testament classes, and choir. I'm sooo excited for football to start in a week!! and I'm even more excited that my little sis is going to be here with me!!

So there's a lot of change going on, but I am happy about it! :)
and I'll keep the posting up to date as much as I can, as long as there are things going on worth posting about!

Great Tour of Great Britain

I'm finally back in Provo after our long week touring Great Britain. We saw some amazing sites, and had a fabulous time taking pictures and enjoying our last week together. Here are some highlights:


Our first stop of the tour was the little town of Bath. It was here that Jane Austen based many of her novels and even lived. It is also the site of the ancient Roman Baths, which I loved. After the audio tour I decided to take a swig of the water from the fountain! It was pretty funny tasting. But Bath was definitely one of the best stops on the tour.


On Wednesday we ended in the Lakes District. We stopped in Hawkshead which is the home to a bunch of Beatrix Potter sites, and then stayed in Ambleside. The next morning a bunch of us went on a boat cruise of Lake Windermere. If we hadn't had umbrellas we would have been soaked! But the lake was soo beautiful! It reminded me a lot of Waterton.


One of the best stops of the whole tour was Hadrian's Wall. It's a great site to see to better understand the divisions that exist in England and also the power of the Roman Empire. It was mostly fun because it wasn't raining and we got to take jumping shots and some funny group pictures.


I was so excited to get to Edinburgh!! The night we were there, a few of us got last minute tickets to the Military Tatoo!! Bagpipes and bands and marchers and wow. It was a great performance!!


We spent the next morning at Edinburgh Castle. Very cool.


Fountains Abbey was another one of them ruins! This, I am sure, is the most beautiful. Surrounding the Abbey is a long lake and trees all over, green as can be. It was great to walk around in the sun and just enjoy nature.


One of our last stops was Warwick Castle. Here they had a lot of performers and entertainment. We watched some jousting and were entertained by a "fool". I was disappointed that I didn't get to climb up the tower, because I love doing that.

And there we are. And those were just my favorite places!!

It is great to be back in Provo. I love the heat and the dollar and a shower with consistent water pressure and drinking fountains and everything else American. But I already miss the international London, the history, the tube, the new friends, and the travel experience! It really was amazing!!

Sad Sunday

Today was our last day in London. We went to church once more in the London North ward. We left the flat at 8:30 am and got back at 3:30 pm. Church starts at 10:00. Besides the awful commute, I was glad that I was assigned to that ward. The bishop was nice and there were some funny characters, just like every ward I guess. It was kind of sad to leave, even though I only went to church there 3 times.

Tomorrow we're leaving London to do a week-long bus tour of Great Britain. The places we are going are Bath, Cardiff, Liverpool, Lakes District, Edinburgh, Durham, York, and Stratford. Every night a different hostel. Should be fun? Anyway, I'm sad to leave this flat that I've grown accustomed to. Well, off to packing!

Hyde Park Gate 37

Our flat was the fifth floor, not in the picture, but just above it

What is it about Trafalgar Square?

After getting some work done this morning, I went to the National Portrait Gallery. It was actually really cool! I wish I could've spent more time there.

Then Kelsey and I waited in Trafalgar Square for about an hour and a half before we met up with Amy, Kirsten, and Cadence to do a "last dinner" type thing since we're leaving London on Monday. I don't know what it is, but being in Trafalgar Square makes me kind of goofy. I took too many pictures . . . here are a few.