i feel like that is the title of more of my posts than any other, maybe i just love Utah and never knew it....or maybe i'm Mormon! :)
This past week i went to Idaho and Utah, but since i live in Idaho i don't think that state can really be included in my blog post title.
Anyways...i set off Tuesday night for Rexburg! I was so excited to go to Rexburg, i miss my little college town and couldn't wait to be there again and see all of the changes- and there were a ton!
Upon my arrival, i drove around campus a little just to get a glimpse of the place. There were new buildings, new apartment complexes being built, the new Auditorium!! Hogi Yogi is gone- how can that be? it was such a landmark. Craigos isn't called Craigos anymore- oh the humanity!! Pizza Pie Cafe...not as cool in my opinion. so many things have changed and i have only been gone for a year!
I stayed with my aunt and uncle and got to see Brenen and Lindsey that night, which was great!! on Wednesday, i went to Paul Mitchell to have Lindsey cut my hair! i've always gone to Paul Mitchell and have loved it-especially the Lather Lounge- but having someone you know cut your hair is better! you wouldn't think so, but i guess it's a trust thing! i trust my (almost) sister-in-law to give me amazing hair!! and she did! afterward, i went to see my old roommate- Laura Beth McKeen!! we spent one of the best semesters of my college career together and i haven't seen her in over a year! it's about time we got to be together again! it was a little strange at first because it's been so long but it was just great to see her!! i then went to lunch with Rachel Minor at New Fongs! i don't know what it is about Fongs but i just love it! and Rachel is one of the few people i know who loves it as much as me! we just love those random Chinese places- New Fongs and Mongolian all the way, those are our places! New Fongs was delicious!! i know it's not gourmet by any means but we still love it!! we ate and talked and just had a great time! now hurry home Rachel so we can do the same at Mongolian! i spent the rest of the afternoon walking around campus and seeing all of the new changes- the auditorium is beautiful and those sky walks are cool!! i went to visit my old teachers and bosses at the math lab and had a wonderful time seeing them. i told them all about applying and interviewing for graduate schools and they all had something wonderfully inspiring to say, i got some great peptalks and felt all the more ready for my final 2 grad school inteviews! i saw my dear old roommate Heather Aulick Smith for just a little while while we were both on campus! love that girl!! i spent the next part of my afternoon visiting my old friend Dustin- we have always liked to suprise visit each other- i have done a remarkable job at surprise visits but he hasn't done as remarkable a job because his sister has a big mouth! but lately he's been winning, but not anymore! totally got in a surprise visit- go me! we just sat in his apartment and talked, and then talked while he watched the Jazz game, which was less successful because how many guys do you know who can carry on a conversation and watch sports at the same time? i had dinner with my Riviera roommates Laura and McKenzie!! i love you two! we went and had dinner at Gator Jack's and it felt like old times! i miss those good days! when then randomly ended up at Walmart because McKenzie and I didn't believe Laura when she told us about butt paste...she was right, there is such a thing as butt paste for babies! weird, i know! we also randomly ended up in the easter candy aisle and had to buy some peeps to blow up in the microwave like old times- peeps and some chocolate milk made the rest of our evening! i spent the last part of my day in Rexburg with Brenen and Lindsey, talking wedding stuff and just feeling familial! so excited for my brother and (almost) sister-in-law!!!
Thursday i left Rexburg bright and early to go to Pocatello for a graduate school interview at Idaho State University! the interview went well, i don't think i'm a shoe in but i thought it went well. i wasn't thrilled by the interview by any means and i was quite turned off when everyone i asked about whether they liked Pocatello said, "ummmm..... (silence)" not a good sign! after the interview, i hopped back in the car and drove my butt down to Provo! by some miracle, the best kind of miracle, my best friend Shantal was in Provo that weekend!! she's currently living in Chicago, so what are the chances we would both be in Provo on the same weekend! Thank you Heavenly Father for making that possible, that's the only explanation! we met up at the mall and went shopping and then spent the rest of our afternoon at her brother and sister-in-law's house, helping her nephew with his math homework and playing 5 minutes of about 3 different games! in all honesty, i just love being with my best friend- Shantal Leslie Cropper Moody- I HAVE MISSED YOU!! i spent my night in American Fork with my best friend Shan'tel!! (as a side note- what are the odds that my two best friends have almost the same name?! crazy i know!) we went out to get some food and then went to Walmart to get craft supplies!! :) the thing i love about being with my best friends is it seems like we've never been apart- there's no awkwardness, there's no lenghty pauses because we don't know what to say to each other, we're just still best friends even though time has gone by! that's why we're best friends, Shan'tel/Shantal!! Shan'tel and i picked Andy up from school and then we went back home and made smoothies! and it kind of turned into a disaster! Shan'tel and i should not cook together because we always mess something up- it all started with the cool whip fruit salad of Mother's Weekend 2006? 2007? and continued with the oreo frosting of Utah Visit 2010, and culminated with the leaking smoothie blender of Utah Visit 2011! thankfully Andy is around to save the day!! he saved our rainbow smoothie which turned out pretty well and was a great refreshment while we watched Kid History on youtube! good times Christensens!!
early morning Friday, i drove to Provo for a graduate school interview at BYU and thankfully my last interview!! save the best for last they say, and that was absolutely the case!! i have never really loved Provo and never really wanted to go to BYU, but today i did!! i loved the interview, it was stressfree and pleasant, the faculty were funny and friendly, everyone who interviewed were nice and smart and i loved everything about it!! I REALLY WANT TO GO TO BYU! i've never really been able to say that, but on that day it was true! i sat in that interview and really wanted it to go well- i can't say that for any of my other interviews! i did my best and now just had to wait!! i spent the rest of the afternoon on campus, just walking around and exploring! i went to the Creamery to get ice cream with the Moodys and their niece Katie- yum!! we hung out at the Bookstore, surrounded by Cougars and Jimmer paraphernalia. that night, i hung out with Shan'tel and Andy! Shan'tel took me to this bakery that is decorated in teal- if you know Shan'tel, you know she loves teal!! LOVES!! we went to the Sticky Shoe movie theater that night and saw Tangled- cute movie!!! we spent the rest of our night in craft mode!! we made these crepe paper roses to decorate balls with to hang from her ceiling! it turned out really cute even though i think we were a little retarded while trying to make them...we need some practice because they never looked great. i found out that same night that I WAS ACCEPTED TO BYU!! the same day!! holy excitement! i've never been so excited before! Shannie was excited for me, Andy too, but Shannie was more excited because that means i'd be 20 minutes away!! best news of my life!! i get to live near my best friend again...if i go to BYU! yeah...it's about 99% sure!!
Saturday was full of goodbyes, good bye to the Moodys whom i hope to see this summer! can you say "tax returns"!!?? and good bye to the Christensens, whom i hope to live close to!! goodbye to Utah, hope to see you again real soon!!!
and thanks to Glee albums 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 for entertaining me on my 6 hour drive home!! yeah that's right, made it through all 5 albums!! it was a great trip!!!
p.s. i wish i had pictures from my trip but i didn't take any, bad move on my part!
(thanks Shan'tel for the picture!)
Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Olsen!! another wedding! yes we've been doing weddings a lot around here! Taylor and Courtnie got married on May 21, 2011! happy day!! i now have sister #2!
I got to be a bridesmaid for my lovely new sister!
look at me and my beautiful sisters!
we tramped out to this field to take pictures and although it was a little inconvenient, the pictures turned out amazing!! good thing Court had a helper!
i love this sister of mine!
and look at my studly brothers! dang, they are freaking handsome!
Taylor and Courtnie are one good looking couple! don't you think?
my family is growing! and we are loving it! and we are a good looking bunch of people! :)
me and Lindsey waiting while the boys take pictures! we took a lot of pictures, and Dallan smiled through them all, a great improvement from the last wedding!
the church looked really beautiful! the ceremony was lovely, and that little ringbearer was adorable! you rocked that bowtie Jack!
"I now pronounce you husband and wife!!"
it was a great night and we had a blast celebrating wedding #2!
Taylor and Courtnie are happily married and off on their honeymoon! thankfully they are going to live close by for a while, so we still get to see them! love you two! :)
Brenen Thomas Olsen and Lindsey Renae Despain were married for time and all eternity!
They are darling and i'm so happy for them! 
The almost newlyweds! Taylor and Courtnie are getting married in 5 weeks, my 22 year old and 18 year old brothers getting married 5 weeks apart- who would have thought? 
Oh how i love my siblings!! (and my new sisters)!
THE HAPPY COUPLE! 
SOOO glad my Vegas cousins came to visit!
my studly brothers!
the cake! 
Me and Courtnie, my soon to be sister! 
It was a long day, and Dallan had had enough! although, this was his face for most of the day! 
First order of business- graduate school interview at George Washington University! this is an excellent school, and i was quite impressed with the interview, the students and the faculty. the interview went really well and i really loved being on a campus again! i'm excited to be a student again. Although i loved this school, there are two drawbacks- 1) it's RIDICULOUSLY expensive and 2) it's really really far away from home! other than that, i loved the school and really enjoyed my time there!
As a side note, I just received a letter of acceptance today from George Washington University! this school is so prestigious i didn't even think i'd get an interview, but i not only got an interview but i was given a spot in their school counseling program! i am so proud of myself! even if i don't attend, the fact that i got in is HUGE!
I got there right before sunset so it looked beautiful! i love this picture! besides the beauty of the sunset, this monument is gigantic and the utter size of it is remarkable! it's a beautiful momument you can see almost everywhere you go in DC!
I was so lucky to get to stay with Heather Hughes, my dear old roommate, while i was in DC. she's lived there for about 2 years and was nice enough to let me stay and show me some of the sites! i love Heather! i haven't seen her in a year and a half, and i've missed her dearly. She hasn't had the easiest year of her life, so it was good to see her and to remember and relive some of the better times in our lives.
Can i just say how much i loved the Lincoln Memorial? It is enchanting at night, so i was so glad we got to see it at night! Lincoln is a very imposing figure at this memorial, and you can just feel the granduer of the things he did and accomplished with his life and during his terms as president! i was so impressed! i loved loved loved this place! I grew kind of fond of Abraham Lincoln on my trip!
The view from the Lincoln Memorial that night was also incredible! The Lincoln Memorial is at one end of the National Mall, so from its steps you can look out on the mall and see the Washington Monument in the middle and the US Capitol on the other end. That night was especially cool because there was a full moon and we looked out and saw this...
This picture DOES NOT do the scene justice, but just know it was incredible!
The next day was tourist day!
I started off my day on the East side of the Mall! Here's a pic of the US Capitol, wish i could have gone inside, but i only got to see the outside. no doubt there were exciting things going on in this building!
I first went to the place i was most excited to see! i just couldn't wait!
I WANT TO GO HERE SOMEDAY! this is the Main Reading Room and it's only for researchers! i only got to look inside. someday i'm going to go inside and read and read for hours!
The Thomas Jefferson Library Exhibit! 
Next stop on my windy walk...
THE SMITHSONIAN!
The Smithsonian is actually 16 buildings so there is no way that any one person could visit all of them in one day, in one week even. So I had to pick and choose which ones i would tackle in my day on the National Mall.
Amelia Earhart's plane!
Wilbur and Orville's bicycle!
Next stop- the Museum of Natural History!
This is the elephant in the rotunda of the museum...i guess i just assumed it would be a T-Rex, Night at the Museum can be quite misleading.
This is a coral reef, made exclusively out of yarn. Of all of the cool things to see in this museum, i still think it's odd that this is the thing i found to be the most fascinating!
Last stop on my Smithsonian adventure- The Museum of American History
These are Dorothy's ruby red slippers!
Me at the White House!
Sunday was my last day in DC! I was planning on going to church and going to see the temple, because we all know the temple is GORGEOUS! but getting there would mean taking the metro on the red line, and that weekend the red line was all sorts of messed up. i didn't want to get stranded somewhere so i opted to spend my Sabbath a different way.
I chose the right!
Tomb of the Unknown Solider! Really cool experience, very neat ceremony, very somber spirit here! it was a great thing to see, full of respect and admiration for those who have sacrificed their life for our country.
Me on a beautiful Sunday! the sun was shining, the wind was minimal, it was a gorgeous day to be out walking around the city. although i would not recommend carrying a duffel bag with you as you walk around Arlington National Cemetery. that cemetery has hills and you will be huffing and puffing by the time you get to the top ;)
this is the Metro, just wanted to throw in a picture of my transportation around the District, i think since i mastered the metro i can consider myself a city girl!
The National Archives!!
My interview at James Madison in Harrisonburg was an hour away from Kayla and Tayler in Charlottesville! They were so kind to put me up for the night and drive me to Harrisonburg for the interview from HECK! i hated the interview, but loved my time with Kayla!! i missed you so much Kay! it was so good to see Tayler again and get to talk with him and Kay! I loved seeing Luke again, he's gotten so big, and although it looks like he doesn't like me he really did! okay, so it took him a while to warm up to me, but i think he finally came around!
and i got to meet baby Eli Wayne Tibbitts!! 
I can't believe my friend and old roommate is a mother of two! but she is and she's a wonderful mother! Kay, you've always been a wonderful example to me and now you're teaching me even more! i am so glad that i got to see Kayla! can't wait for you to come to Boise :)
