The College Life of Danielle Blevins

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-27T14:22:00.000-07:00

So I wasn't sure what I was going to be this year- then thanks to Heather's Mom, Delanie, I found some treasures in her costume box. Basically I found a rockin' wig and decided to go from there. I guess I am a she-devil? Yet- we couldn't find the pitchfork. Anyway, I just like the wig.

A Late but still Sincere "THANK YOU"

2010-03-07T14:29:00.000-08:00

I know that my birthday was last Saturday, but I have been meaning to put up this blog post since then. I need to say THANK YOU. Thank you Mom & Dad for allowing me to go to a delicious lunch at Cheesecake factory and for the lovely cards. (Dad sent me a card with a picture of the Hoffman on it...) Thank you Chad and Kammy, Travis and Heather, Nicole and Ben, Monica and Tim, and Dallas and Valerie for the thoughtful cards and gifts. Thank you Grandpa and everyone else that made my day really special. I know it is like I'm giving an Oscar acceptance award-but oh well. Deal with it.

Basically my weekend was one that will be hard to top in future years. My roommates spoiled me by throwing me a party with cake, ice cream, brownies, and other treats that will end up putting me on the biggest loser. I felt so loved and appreciated. It is official that I am a fan of birthdays. I don't believe in the celebrating birthdays, "low key" or not doing anything for it. It is not another day. It is YOUR day. So I urge everyone to do something really nice for your loved one/s on their birthdays. It is worth it- everyone needs to know how much they are loved at least once a year:)

Thanks everyone! I love all of you. 22, whoo hoo.

Birthdays and the Mayan

2010-02-21T14:55:00.000-08:00

This month is mine, Chad, and Travis' birthdays. So yesterday Travis' family and Chad's family and I met up at the Mayan restaurant in Sandy Utah. Basically it is the "Mayan adventure" because about every twenty minutes there are divers that dive into this pool.

Traven and Tyler loved it. Tyler Especially loved the "girl diver." I quote, Tyler, "That girl diver is my friend." Travis:"Oh what's her name?" Tyler,"Oh I don't know." Travis,"Oh so she is your friend but you don't know her name." Tyler,"Yeah, I love her."

I too loved the divers. Especially the diver on my left, Travis referred to him as "Tarzan." At one point Kammy said I should hang from the vine and call, "HELP" so that Tarzan could save me...

We ended the night with a fantastic but expensive explosion cake. (It was a sparkler on top of a brownie and ice cream.) Tyler wanted to blow it out but Heather explained how that might not be a good idea. Overall it was great fun- goodness I love birthdays. Am I really going to 22 already? Scary.

Knee Surgery.

2010-02-21T14:48:00.000-08:00

So as I am sure many of you know I had knee surgery on my left knee. I got it about hm, two and a half weeks ago. Just a summary- it was a scope so fortunately nothing too invasive. I had patella-femoral disease, basically saying my knee cap liked to go to the side. I've had it for a long time (ever since I sprained my acl) but sorta have dealt with it. I was still able to run and do things, except squatting and lunges were a no-go. But recently my knee was acting up so much to the point where I wasn't even able to go on the bike. So I went and finally saw a doctor and the Student Health Center. Up until this point I had only been offered physical therapy as a solution but this doctor said I could get minor surgery. I would get a "Lateral Release" and the recovery period would be 6 weeks. SO I was put under for the surgery and everything went well. Apparently I have no cartilage damage which is a good thing. Two and a half weeks later I have rode the bike for a total of 20 minutes and am walking almost normally. Honestly, this whole thing has been pretty humbling. I mean, I consider myself almost an exercise-aholic so to have to just stop everything is pretty tough. But there have been two things that have gotten me through it so far: My roommates and Chocolate. So this picture is the two things. This is the night after my surgery we went out and got four pints of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream. It was delicious. My favorite was the Cinnamon Swirl. The brownie is delicious but rich.

Once a California Girl always a California girl?

2009-12-24T15:40:00.000-08:00

I spent the entire first 18 years of my life living in the same house in Castro Valley California. Some may say that I needed to get out more, moving offers experience, ect. But let's face it- I was completely fine with it. For the past four years, with the exception of my semester living in Hawaii, I have lived in Provo Utah. When the winter season comes- the snow falls, the temperature drops, and I am surrounded by individuals whose eyes light up watching the snow come down. See, they are pumped for the upcoming snowboarding/skiing season. Usually I just stand there silently with a fake smile on trying to share in their joy. You see, I never grew up with snow, and ever since my family got into a serious car accident because of black ice- my parents hate the snow. So I never grew up going snowboarding or skiing or sledding. It wasn't until I went to Utah that I understood what a "White Christmas" was. Perhaps I was deprived, but I never felt that way. So as I sit here wishing I could go for a run outside, but realizing it is below freezing- I have realized I am not a Utah girl. I love California and pretty sure I always will. So perhaps the label of a "California girl" is correct in this case.

Christmas?

2009-12-05T16:31:00.000-08:00

So I have been lectured numerous times by various amounts of people that I do not post. Well to be honest part of it is because I feel like I need to censor anything that I put up so that it is positive- painting my life like it is all sunshine and roses. However, I've realized that if I had a blog where every post is talking about how great my life was, it wouldn't paint my life in a very accurate picture. Now, I'm not saying I'm going to be depressing or go crazy- I'm just going to be more honest. This way you might get a better understanding of what the college life of Danielle Blevins is really like. Also, I must admit I have been inspired both my roommate's and friends' posts where they write about their opinions, lame things that have happened, or basically anything they want.
So to kick this new turn of blog posting I am going to talk about the Christmas season while at college. So basically Thanksgiving is officially over and Christmas is here right? Well not exactly...you see for those of us at BYU next week is our last day of classes and the following week is finals. So I am left trying to get projects finished, grades intact, loose ends tied- while still trying desperately to feel the Christmas spirit by grabbing a cup of hot cocoa and only listening to Christmas music on my iTunes. Not to mention the list of favorite Christmas movies that I have failed to sneak in. I do realize that once I go home to California I will be surrounded by yummy food my mom will make, seeing Christmas lights, and a decorated home. Yet, unfortunately I get home only six days before the wonderful Christmas day arrives. Then before I know it, I am suddenly watching the tree be taken down while the Forgotten Carols song "I Cry the day that I take the tree down" plays in the background. It is a bad combination considering that song is my least favorite on the album and I am one of those people that thinks the tree should be left up until after New Years. I realize that Christmas may not as big deal to everyone. But for me, I truly get all warm and fuzzy inside when Christmas comes. It's a feeling I want to start and last as long as possible so the fact that my teacher is yelling at me for eating food in the classroom is not what I want to be dealing with at the moment. (Yes there are still crazy teachers that do stuff like that even when you are a senior in college...wait did I get thrown back to eighth grade?) Anyway, my philosophy right now is stick it to the man- or school-or whatever. I am going to enjoy Christmas here at college and for the first time I am going to go see that play or watch that movie instead of making the treck to the library at nine at night. I will not give in! Wish me luck.

MERRY CHRISTMAS. I will say it as much as possible.

How To Dribble a Soccer Ball

2009-11-12T15:16:00.000-08:00

Okay so in my technology class for teaching we had to make a movie of us demonstrating a skill. Like many other things with technology it was frustrating and hard to do but I got through it.

Blondes have more fun...right?

2009-10-18T15:02:00.000-07:00

So earlier in the summer I had Heather Jones highlight my hair- it was the blondest I had ever been but I grew to actually really like it. So my roots were growing out and I needed to get it redone. I was torn between going dark or re-highlighting it. I decided to go blonde one more time. After all they are the ones that have more fun right? But I also needed to get it cut. My hair was getting Rapunzel style and was taking over a half hour to blow dry. This just wasn't going to do. So I chopped it. Now, its not short short but for how long I've had my hair since high school it's short for me. Anyway, as awkward as it is, here is a picture of me with my new hair.

Old Friends, New Roomates

2009-10-11T14:45:00.000-07:00

Kristen, Me, Meg, Caryn

This past spring I moved into a new complex called the "Avenues." They are these pink condos south west of campus behind Brick Oven Pizza. In the fall my three new roomates moved in: Kristen Moore, Meg Jorgensen, and Caryn Hatting. I met both Kristen and Meg freshmen year at Heritage halls and have been friends with them ever since. Caryn I just met recently. It is so nice to live with my closest friends- and we have a lot of fun going to parties, cooking, and watching our favorite shows. Oh yeah and we study sometimes too.

Kristen, Meg, Me

I love Tivo! Thanks Mom!

2009-10-10T23:08:00.001-07:00

Thanks to my mom who brought a Tivo from California to my apartment in Utah, I can actually watch TV. Before it wasn't worth watching TV because of the commercials. Now I can sit on the couch and waste my life away like the rest of America.
So I'm going to copy my sister and list the shows I am currently watching:

The Biggest Loser (My Favorite Show)
House (Thank goodness he came back to work)
The Soup (I laugh at this every time)
The Office (I think I still like the old seasons better though)
Community (Some of my friends think its lame- I still like it.)
Private Practice (I just like Addison too much to give this one up.)
So You think you can dance (I am half-way watching this one. I am worried I might have gotten burnt out.)

Any other must-sees let me know. However, my options are limited because if they compete with one of the shows above I'm out of luck. :)

A New Start

2009-10-08T15:27:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! Yes I am alive. I think I've realized that I am not much of a writer. I lack creativity like Tim's posts and don't have hilarious quotes from my children like Monica and Nicole's blogs. So, I apologize if updates on my life are a bit more mundane. Yeah, I guess July is a long time ago.
Let's see, since July I was an EFY counselor. I'll make another post on that experience. Also I've started another semester here at BYU. This is my fourth year. Last year I finished my math ed minor and this summer I actually passed the Praxis exam, which is an exam you need to pass in order to teach in the public schools. So this semester I started the Physical Education program, which is VERY different than the math that I was doing. In one of my classes, "Elementary PE" we spend our time jumping rope and learning how to teach kids to juggle. I just finished a tennis and running unit and we start up on soccer next (Yes!). So I am not as stressed with school this semester as I have been in the past.

Another thing new- I put in my paperwork for substitute teaching here in Utah. So right now I'm in the system to sub anywhere in the Alpine School District. I don't have classes on Fridays so sometimes I go substitute teach. Travis and Chad have been super helpful because they spread the word that their sister is subbing- which gets me jobs. So far I've only taught a 2nd grade class a few times. The kids are adorable, but I would like to get some experience in the secondary education classes since those are the ages I'll actually be teaching. Okay I'll post more later...

The Fray and Jack's Mannequin!

2009-07-20T20:20:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night I had the pleasure of going to the USANA Amphitheater to go see the band Jack's Mannequin open for the Fray. My friend Lauren Anderson and I had originally bought lawn seats, where you just sit on blankets behind the seats. But when we walked in they were offering an upgrade to the pit for only 10 bucks. We took one glance at one another and gave her the cash. SO basically my friend and I were literally about 6 feet from the stage and lead singer. It was the security people, a middle-aged woman, then us. Needless to say the concert was AWESOME. Seriously, I could get used to the college life:)\

A Cruise to Mexico...and no I did not get the Swine Flu.

2009-05-08T17:32:00.000-07:00

So about two days after finals I left all my cares behind and drove to San Diego where I would board the "Carnival Elation." On the way to California four of us stopped at Zions and hiked "Angels Landing." It was a beautiful hike- the only problem was that it began snowing and all I had on was a tank top. You gotta love Utah weather. The cruise was three nights and we stopped in Catalina Island. We were supposed to stop at Ensenada but because of the darn Swine Flu we didn't leave the ship. It forced us to stay on the ship where we ate, bathed in the sun, hot tubbed, ate, read and chat. Rough life. The cruise had all you can eat pizza and soft serve 24 hours. Every night we enjoyed dancing at the "Jeckel and Hide club." Some other highlights were the "Hairy Chest Competition," riding beach cruisers on Catalina Island,and going in the hut tubs. Overall it was a fantastic vacation. Here are some pictures!

Try

2009-03-10T21:56:00.000-07:00

This isn't me...but it is a rugby player scoring a try. Close enough.

Tumbleweed.

2009-03-10T21:25:00.000-07:00

So I play rugby now. It is no longer just a rumor, I am officially on the BYU Women's rugby team. We have practice Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and on Saturday we have games. I had my first game two weeks ago. I should have put a post up to describe it but I think I needed some time to recover. I got to go in the game in the second half. I ran onto the field to join the girls that have played for at least a year, but the girls on the sidelines were supportive and cheered for me. I soon found myself running around diving at the other team- doing whatever it took to take them to the ground. It's amazing how much power an adrenaline rush has over you. You suddenly are willing to tackle a girl head on when she is running at you full speed. At one point in the game I got the ball passed to me and I did what I was supposed to do- Sprint. I broke through one tackle, then two, and found myself running all by myself with only five meters to the try line (like the end zone in football). Then it happened. All of a sudden I was face down on the ground. With no one else around me I had tripped and fell flat on my face. My teammates told me after that I had slid at least 5 meters and that my legs had flown over my head...My coach laughed as he said that he had never seen anything like that in the history of Women's Cougar Rugby. The forwards coach didn't say a single word to me except..."Hey Tumbleweed." Hence, my new nickname. Needless to say it was a memorable first game. No worries though- the only thing that got hurt was my pride and even that wasn't bad. It was too funny not to laugh about it.

Now- Last week on the otherhand I had my second game of the season. I was able to start this game (I guess my coaches had forgiven me of my previous tumble). I was determined to redeem myself and prove that I am an athlete and that I can run without falling. For the first 20 minutes of the game I didn't get much action playin on the outside of the field. After getting tired of not touching the ball one of the girls was about to go down in a tackle and I was able to grab the ball from her. I sprinted like I had done the previous game, except this time girls were trying to trip and tackle me. Yet I was determined not to fall this time. It worked and I managed to place the ball past the try line to score my first Try (Like a touchdown in football). My teammates and coaches were yelling "Go Tumbleweeed!!!" and "You didn't trip!" on the sidelines. It was nice to be able to jog back with my head held high this time:) So after scoring that try I am hooked on rugby. I love the girls on the team, the sport is a blast, and of course I love the exercise. Next weekened the team is off to California for the Pac Coast playoffs. It's the first round on the way to Nationals where we are seated 5th in the nation and 1st in Utah. So hopefully I can have pictures up and updates for you all!

Birthday Fun

2009-03-02T12:11:00.000-08:00

I'm 21!

On February 27th it was my birthday. So this weekend I was spoiled with phone calls, letters, and gifts from my friends and family. On Wednesday night my friend Kristin made my favorite meal for our weekly Dinner Group- Fettuccine Alfredo and cheesecake. The three of them Jill, Lauren and Kristen got me balloons, a sweater, earrings, and makeup. Yeah- they know me well. On Friday night I went out to Macaroni Grill with Meg, Christina, and Lauren where I ate my favorite Penne Rustica pasta dish and a free chocolate cake that they gave me. It was great- thanks Dad! Then on Saturday night the girls in my dinner group hung out with me again. We went to a dance party then came back to Kristen's apartment where we ate hommade cinnamon rolls and played the game "True Colors." I'm starting to sense a running theme- FOOD. Mom and dad spoiled me with a birthday dinner, funding the cruise I'm going on at the end of the semester, and the Jane Austen book collection. I got a cartoon from Grandpa and heard from all of my siblings. Needless to say, it was a wonderful birthday. I felt so loved and I am grateful to have such wonderful friends and a loving family. SO THANK YOU everyone for making my birthday a special one!

Rugby anyone?

2009-01-24T18:26:00.000-08:00

So I'm sure some of you have heard a rumor that I started playing Rugby. Well, it's true. I joined the BYU Women's Rugby team- the only thing is, is that it is not an official "BYU team" because of the number of girl's team sports already. So we are a club and we have to do all the funding on our own. However, we are still ranked in the top 5 of the nation and we have three coaches who want a National Championship. Last weekend I went down to St. George with the team. We stayed in one of our coach's parent's house(which was a mansion...it had 7 showers) and spent the weekend playing rugby because there wasn't snow. It was actually a really fun trip- I've always loved team bonding. I'm not in love with the sport yet though. I honestly believe it is the hardest sport out there- physically and mentally. I have been playing for about 3-4 months now and a lot of it is still over my head. I have been getting a lot of questions from my friends because they are noticing that I am covered in bruises. I promise I don't have an abusive boyfriend...Anyway here is one of the bruises I got over the weekend. It's a good one! (Don't freak out mom:)

Danielle's Math World

2009-01-15T12:02:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone! So my friend came over and said it was time for me to update my blog. "NOVEMBER 2nd Danielle! November 2nd!" She is right. However, I wish I had some super exciting news for you but everything is pretty consistent in my life right now. The only new update I have is that in this new semester I am taking a "Teaching with technology class" for my Math Ed minor. It's pretty neat so far. We had to make a website for us to post various assignments and other things about ourselves. I'm a bit nervous considering technology has been a source of frustration in my life so far- but the teacher is awesome and patient so I may end up liking this tech stuff after all. Here is a link to the website- check it out if you like!

Halloween!

2008-11-02T18:58:00.000-08:00

First of all, I just have to say that the pictures of all of my nieces and nephews are adorable. I saw Tyler the army man, Traven the giraffe, Logan the disco boy, Madison the fairy, Ainsley the mermaid, and I'm sure I have yet to view the rest of costumes! Halloween in college is a little different than the normal trick or treating. This Halloween I was able to do both. I trick-or-treated with Tyler before coming back to my house to get ready for some party hopping. When Meg and I went to her house in Kaysville for General Conference we went through her costume boxes to see what we could find. We found her sister's old flapper costume and a mini mouse dress thing that Meg wore when she was on the dance team. So we pulled what we could together and went out for a fun night of dancing, doughnuts, and candy. Overall, I must say it was a good time. I am happy to say that this Halloween I did not get my purse stolen like I did my freshmen year...and that I was back in Provo instead of across the ocean in Hawaii. Now, I have officially set one of my radio stations to 106.5 to start listening to Christmas music! Oh and if you look at the group picture, you can see all the guys dressed as Mario and Luigi. They have real mustaches...some people go all out for Halloween. These guys planned this for a long time...oh and the one where I am with Meg I look sorta creepy but she looks cute!

Babysitting Fun

2008-10-21T23:05:00.001-07:00

This past Saturday night I went over to Travis and Heather's to babysit Tyler for the evening. I arrived to a not so happy Tyler lying down on the cement next to his scooter. I thought he looked adorable with his striped shirt and beanie. They had just taken family pictures. So I ate dinner with them and then Travis and Heather went off to Cold Stone and to the Dollar Theatre to watch Kung Fu Panda. Tyler and I had a blast. He rode his spider man scooter faster than I was expecting so I ended up running to catch up to him. We walked around the neighborhood admiring the many Halloween decorations. People go all out! I asked Tyler, "What are you going to be for Halloween?" "A pirate" "Tyler, what should I be for Halloween?" After a few long moments of concentration, "A Danielle costume! You'll have hair and arms and eyes." "What? I am already Danielle. I want to be something silly." "OOOOOOK...You should be a HOUSE! With a big smiley face and windows." A house for Halloween it is. Cassie Web, Travis' sister ended up stopping by for a bit. Tyler was playing quietly with his cars a few feet away. I talked quietly to Cassie, "I just love this kid." She agreed and said, "Yeah he's cute." Suddenly Tyler's head pops up as he states confidently, "You do love me." We didn't realize the kid was listening! Lastly, before watching Peter Pan Tyler randomly flexed his muscles for me and proceeded to get down on all fours to show me how to do a push-up. Here's a video of it. It's hard to hear him but he says, "You put your chin down and move your body up...ect." This guy is a little athlete!

REAL Soccer game...

2008-10-12T19:29:00.000-07:00

So I went to watch the REAL soccer team play in Sandy Utah. It was their first game played in the new stadium so there was a big carnival before the game. Kids were hugging the mascot, but I interrupted and asked him to take a picture with my friends and I.

And I also took a picture with a kind magician...

The game was fun to watch. I was impressed at how well the players have perfected the art of flopping to the ground every time they are touched by a player of the opposite team...There were a few yellow cards and a red card given out. The game ended in a tie 1-1, which was lame, but it was still exciting when we scored a goal on a corner kick. Oh and it was freezing outside! Everyone was bundled up with their blankets and beanies. I looked like a homeless person...

Soccer!

2008-10-07T14:58:00.000-07:00

So I was talking to this nice fellow in my physiology lab and found out he is a huge soccer fan. He went on to tell me that he and his buddies are all going to see the Salt Lake Real play on Thursday. I was a little forward and gave him my number to call me if they have any extra tickets. He called me up so I am going to my first professional soccer game tomorrow in the new stadium in Sandy, Utah! I am way excited and I will try to take some pictures to share my experience!
Love you all,
Dani

Roommate Pictures

2008-09-28T09:29:00.001-07:00

From the Left: Lauren (parents own the house, a Middle Eastern Studies major, friends with her since freshmen year, super athletic), Me, Kamila (engaged, English major but learning Arabic) and Nacia (Middle Eastern Studies with Lauren, super cultured and knows Arabic very well).

Okay so in our living room there is a giant bookshelf and all of the shelves were empty. The empty space bugged me so I decided to use my love for pictures and picture frames to spice it up. One of my old roommates Lauren, took a bunch of pictures with her roommates and made a frame out of them. I thought it was priceless. So I begged my roommates to take pictures after church one day so I could copy Lauren's idea. At first they mocked me because of how cheesy it was and the fact that in some of the ones that were supposed to be "candid" we were fake laughing the whole time. But after we got the pictures back, which were taken from my friend Kristin that has a really nice camera, I think they were happy we did it. If you read my descriptions of my roommates you can see I'm basically the only one in the house that doesn't know Arabic. Haha who would have thought? Each of them is very open, cultured, and Lauren and Nacia spent the summer in Jordan. So I am learning a lot from them while they learn how to do make up from me. :)

GO COUGARS!

2008-09-28T09:22:00.001-07:00

"Rise and Shout the Cougars are out..." Yes that is part of the BYU fight song that is sung after every touchdown. Thanks to my very generous father, Michael Blevins, I have an "All-Sports Pass" and can attend all of the BYU sports games. This includes the exhilerating BYU football games. I roam from group of friends to group of friends cheering and yelling and sweating(because it is at 1:00 in the afternoon)...all watching our football team in their "Quest for Perfection." Can they go undefeated? They killed UCLA 59-0, let's hope they can keep it up.

My Bedroom

2008-09-28T09:12:00.000-07:00

Hello my dear family and friends. I just have to say how excited I am that my sister Monica has now jumped on the Blogger bandwagon. It motivates me to post more often! Okay so I am at BYU starting my Junior year. I now live in a house that is 10 minutes walking distance to campus. It is a cute little house- there are three bedrooms, a large living room and kitchen. But here is the best part: I have my own bedroom! After weird roommate after another this is my little piece of escape. Mom spent three days with me decorating it and buying lamps, pictures, and drawers. With her help and the help of Heather putting up my clothes in the closet, my room turned into (in my opinion) one that is better than those in "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." Here are a few pictures so you can see for yourself!

San Francisco Fun!

2008-09-04T23:51:00.000-07:00

First of all, I realize that I am very far behind in this blog. I am in awe at my sister for her dedication in updating daily and I hope some day I will be as on top of it as she is! So I ended swimming lessons this summer and basically had one week before I went back to school. My cousin, Kristin Koyle, drove down from Vacaville to stay for a few nights. As we sat and pondered how I should spend my three days of summer vacation we came to the realization that we could not remember the last time we had gone to San Francisco. This is pretty pathetic considering people travel far and wide to see the great city and we live a few BART stations away. Thus, we set out on our journey to San Francisco--but not without preparation. My mom must have been a travel guide in another life. She had put dollar bills with sticky notes and paper clips attached explaining what the money would be used for. For example exactly 4 dollar bills were attached with the sticky note on top stating "F LINE." We had a clear map and exact change for every mode of transportation. Fabulous. It got embarrassing at one point when we were in the Rainforest Cafe and had to pull out our money with paper clips on it to pay the waiter. It could have been that or the fact that I pretended to have an anxiety attack when the fake storm goes off in the restaurant. I'm pretty sure Kristin wished she wasn't related to me at that point. We also saw many street performers and homeless people along the way. Overall, it was a wonderful day. The city is wonderful and it was the perfect way to end a tiring summer! So thanks to my mom and dad for helping us kids out.

Funny glasses, me with the famous homeless "BUSH MAN", and some other pictures from our day!

Brigham Young University Hawaii

2008-07-24T17:45:00.001-07:00

I've realized that In the past Year I have moved over 3 different times, so my life can be hard to keep track of. As some of you know, I attended Brigham Young University Hawaii this past year. During the Fall Semester of 2007 (from September to December) I lived in the Paradise state. I had attended BYU Provo for my freshmen year of college and decided I wanted to give college soccer a try. I was accepted to BYU-Hawaii and orginally went there to play soccer for the D-2 team. Unfortunately, a week before I left I Sprained my ACL so when I was in Hawaii I was unable to play. However, I still had a wonderful experience and don't regret it at all. After Fall semester I transfered back to BYU Provo where I decided I will stay until I graduate. Here is a slideshow of some of the memories of Hawaii that I carry with me.

First Week of Swim Lessons

2008-07-12T17:40:00.000-07:00

So I just finished a very tiring and long week of Swim Lessons. It was my first week of the summer and it was anything but boring. There was one incident that eventually had me rolling on the ground in laughter when I came home to tell my dad. So it was my very first lesson on Monday and I had a 4 year old girl in my class and another 4 year old boy crying in his mother's arms because he did not want to get in the water. I am 15 minutes into the lesson when the lifeguard brings over this little asain boy. "Danielle, this boy says he has swim lessons and he gave me this paper." THe paper basically showed that he had paid and this 5 year old boy stood there saying "I have swim lessons! I came all by myself!" He was wearing a full on life jacket that covered almost his entire body. He looked so confused when I told him he could take it off. I asked him if he had his swimsuit on and he replied he did. I went back to playing with my other two students for a bit and when I turned around this little boy, (who I later learned his name was luigi), was completely NAKED. Parents in the pool and in the area looked completely confused, and I was just as confused as they were. The situation was rediculous. I had a little girl that was jumping in the water ignoring my commands to sit on the step, a 4 year old boy bawling at the side of the pool, and this naked boy who I was supposed to be teaching a lesson. He then puts on these little swim shorts that fall down to his ankles. "I don't think these fit very well, they are my dads." He had his dad's swim trunks! He was trying to tie the string to make them stay on, I tried as well, then I finally had the lifeguard tie it quickly while I continued with my sinking lesson. We managed to make them stay on somewhat well, he got in the pool screaming "I can't swim!." The lesson was over about 10 minutes later. Caitlyn and I realized after the fact that he had actually shown up an hour and 10 minutes early for his class. He wasn't even supposed to be in my class! Some of you may be thinking "That is so sad!" My sister Nicole did when I first told her this story. But don't worry, everything worked out and he is no longer being dropped off. His grandmother is staying at his swim lessons. I hope you can appreciate the funniness of the situation as I did when I got home that night.

The Fair

2008-07-02T18:07:00.000-07:00

My Dad, my sister Nicole's two little girls Ainsley and Madison, and I all went to the fair together yesterday. We watched the pigs race, pet some sheep, and rode on numerous rides. I think my favorite moment was when Madison was on the swings with me and turned to say "Oh my goodness. I could do this forever!" I replied, "It's fun isn't it?" and she said, "You're telling me." Haha. It's been so fun having Nicole and her three kids visit these past few days. I've been able to spend time with them before I have to start Swim Lessons next week!

Back in California!

2008-06-30T11:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, It's been awhile since I've written but hopefully I can update more frequently since it's summer. So I finished my Spring Semester at BYU and flew back home to California for the summer. I'm living at home, eating homemade meals, and attending the scary single's ward. In about a week I will start teaching swim lessons at a private pool near our house. It's really draining but pays well so it's worth it. I would say my highlight of the summer so far is watching "So You Think You Can Dance," reading fun books like the last Harry Potter, and playing Rock Band at my friend Becky Ribiera's house. The drums are so hard, but once you get it-- it's a blast.

80's Dancing

2008-06-05T08:43:00.001-07:00

Me, my best friend Meg, roomate Stephanie, friend Lauren, roomate Christina.
About a week ago my friends and I went 80s dancing in Salk Lake City. It was a lot of fun, one of those things where getting dressed up and excited can be even more fun than the actually dancing part. This spring semester has been so much fun. We manage to squeeze fun stuff like this all the time. It's great!

Back at Provo

2008-05-27T22:48:00.001-07:00

So my life is hard to keep up with. I think I've moved around about 4 different times in the past year. So I'll try to catch everyone up. Right now I am at BYU attending Spring semester. I was here last semester as well, which is Winter semester. During the fall (from September to December) I was at BYU Hawaii. Here are some pictures of my life back in Provo after Hawaii. (I'll put up some pictures of Hawaii later as well.) But here is a glimpse of my Spring and Winter semesters!

I gave in!

2008-05-27T07:37:00.000-07:00

Okay I finially made a blog. I had been thinking about it ever since my sister Nicole made her's but with the encouragement from my cousin Deanna and her daughter Olivia I actually did it. I'm not exactly sure how often I will be updating this thing but I'll be sure to put up some fun pictures of my life here in Provo Utah.