Treat Yourself

On Saturday I had absolutely nothing to do, and it just so happened that the BYU Ballroom Dance Company was performing on campus. The 7:30 was sold out so I bought a ticket to the 2pm performance. I remembered it last minute so I went by myself (we're going to pretend that it was by choice). So I enjoyed a nice little afternoon to myself. I walked around the Burg for a bit, treated myself to the Pita Pit (amazingly good) and went to the show.
I envy dancers so much. I am not what they call flexible, though I got rhythm. But these dancers just left me speechless. They were all absolutely GORGEOUS, their outfits were AMAZING. ugh. I just loved everything about it. I was moved to tears, laughed out loud, and felt like I was right on stage in the midst of the magic that I had the honor of seeing.

(excuse the pictures, i wasn't allowed to use flash)

yum. chicken ceaser

my view

you can't see it very well but the guys had awesome bright red zuit suits

awesome Hairspray medley




the finale

The Program:

• "A Tribute to Fred Astaire" - Opener
• "Summer Wind" (Foxtrot)
• "Tail Feather" (West Coast Swing)
• LOVE this song. Way fun to watch
  
• "If You Could Hie to Kolob" (Theatre Arts)
• This one was definitely the most beautiful dance of the program. Seriously stunning.
  
• "Waltz of the Flowers" (Viennese Waltz)
• "Regular Joe" (Lindy Hop)
• This was the zuit suit dance. Way fun. I love the lindy hop.
  
• "Oye Celia" (Mambo)
• "Jealousy"
• This was a cool skit/dance. It was like an office and a hot red haired lady got hired and all the guys were fighting over her, and the other office girl was jealous. The way they used their bodies to express conversation was amazing.
  
• "Dance with my Father" (Rumba)
• Very good song
  
• "Pirates of the Caribbean"
• Cool Cool Cool. It was like a fight dance.
  
• "A Daisty in December" (Waltz)
• "Hairspray"
• Fun mix of a bunch of the hairspray songs. A girl actually sang "I can hear the bells". This was the funnest and got the crowd way excited
  
• "Doo Wah Diddy" (Cha Cha)
• Cool beat version of this song
  
• "Puttin' on the Ritz" (Quickstep)
• I love quickstep.
  
• "MicGalaxy"
• THIS WAS AWESOME. They had all the lights out and only black light. The only thing you could see was their outfits and put a UFO/alien twist on it. This was cool.
  
• "It Had Better Be Tonight" (Samba)
• "Vive Espana" (Ballroom Competition Medley)
• This was their most recent dance for the U.S. National Formation Championship (which they've been undefeated since 1982)
  
• "Drop the Beat" (Latin American Competition Medley)
• Same as the previous dance (still undefeated since 1982)
  
• "There's No Business Like Show Business"
  

last week's happenings

Jessica's life was starting to get routine and mundane. Classes were going fine but there was something missing. She had her friends that she hung out with and she had some good times with her room mates but it still seemed like something was missing. That was until Cody visited.

Cody flew in on a Friday where Jessica picked him up at the Salt Lake Airport. They got to spend the night at Aunt Lori's house. The next morning they got to go to breakfast with Aunt Lori at Ruth's Diner. The wait was a little long but it was worth it because Jessica loves getting to spend time with her family, (especially her aunt). After breakfast Cody and Jessica set off to explore Temple Square. Jessica showed Cody around everywhere. It was snowing that morning but the weather gods always smile on Jessica and Cody and it was clear enough just long enough for them to see all that they wanted to.
After temple square they drove to Jessica's grandma's house. Jessica loves her grandma's house and was so happy she got to spend 2 weekends there. That first night Jessica, Cody, Papa John and Grandma all went to the Maddox. It's not a trip to grandma's without going to the Maddox.
Sunday night Jessica and Cody rode the shuttle down to Rexburg. Jessica planned it so that they got there in time to go to stadium singing, and that was just the beginning. The rest of the week was filled with Cody and Jessica spending a week of bliss together. Not necessarily doing anything big or exciting but Cody and Jessica don't need things to have a good time, they just need each other. Cody would wait for Jessica to get out of class and then they'd just hang out and enjoy each other's company. Jessica would cook for Cody, and Cody would take Jessica out to dinner. They'd play gin for hours or hang out with some of Jessica's friends she's met her in Rexburg. Cody got to go to Craigo's with the gang and got a taste of Office night and the infamous sausage dip. It was everything Jessica dreamed about.
The next friday Cody and Jessica rode the shuttle back up to Grandma's where they spent another awesome weekend. Jessica loves her grandma and is so happy that she lives so close that Jessica could see her and enjoy her company and Papa John's. That Sunday Cody had to go back home because his fall break was over. Jessica and Cody were both very sad but were so grateful they got an amazing 10 days together.
It was one of the greatest weeks Jessica has had in a long time and she can't wait for thanksgiving when Cody and Jessica get to be together again. :)


go here:
www.illuminatedheartproject.blogspot.com

Deserted Rexburg

This past weekend was Conference Weekend which really means that a majority of Rexburg leaves on the great trek to Utah to watch conference. I've never been to conference at the conference center, but i want to someday. But its nice because when everyone leaves it feels like you own Rexburg because you're one of the only ones still around. I only had one other room mate who didn't go to Utah. So it was kind of nice just having a chill weekend and watching conference.

It was wierd though because Saturday threw us off, we kept thinking it was Sunday. Like we felt guilty doing homework, but then we're like um, its Saturday. Or going to the store felt like we were breaking the Sabbath. Overall though it was an amazing weekend. I go to the Taylor Chapel to watch it with Chantelle and her roomate came along. I went to all the sessions there except Sunday morning session Kelly (my room mate) made an amazing crepe breakfast and had some people over. The only damper was that it was the first miserable cold rainy weekend with even a short hail storm. The sad part is is that compared to what's coming it wasn't even that cold. Ooooh Rexburg. If there's one thing it's infamous for is its awwwful winters. Yay me.

Other than that Cody comes out this Friday, so we'll spend the next two weekends in Utah and the week here in Rexburg. Luckily I have some guy friends here that are letting him crash for the week. But I'm just so excited. Finally Rexburg will be complete in its happiness. :)

Favorite talks:

• Dieter F. Uchtdorf's Saturday morning talk on Hope
• Joseph B. Wirthlin's Saturday morning talk; Come What May & Love It
• Lawrence E. Corbridge's Saturday morning talk on Christ (This one wins for my favorite talk of all of conference)
• David A. Bednar's Saturday afternoon talk as a sequel to his previous conference talk on prayer (his last talk in april about asking in faith I have taught two lessons from and given a talk and used it as a reference, so I knew his previous one like an old friend so I was excited when he had more to add)
• Russell M. Nelson's Sunday Afternoon talk got a lot of gasps in a crowd of BYU-Idaho students who hear nothing but marriage and all of us just sat there wide mouthed kind of like um.. did he just say that? as he compared marriage to shopping. lol. we found that particularly entertaining. but it was good nonetheless.
  
• And it is also a pleasure to hear the words of our new prophet Thomas S. Monson

Overall, very good weekend. :)
oh p.s. the friday before my room mate Paige and I had the opportunity to go to the Rexburg Temple for the first time to do baptisms. Very good experience.

apologies to all

thank you megan for keeping up such an awesome blog. not thank you because it makes people realize (*cough*dad) that Jessica has not written one in a while.

but behold I say unto you I LIVE!! I promise I did not just cease to exist after China, but I did feel a little as though my life was of no importance to report on anymore. I mean, come on, how do you top 6 months of adventures in China. You just can't okay. But I'll follow the example of my sister and make those everyday little things seem like a big deal. :)


I am back in Rexburg attending BYU-Idaho. My heart longed to be back here since the day I left back in December of 2007, but I think sometime between then and September my heart forgot why. But oh how I remember now.

There are not words to describe what BYU-Idaho means to me. It could be the people I'm surrounded by. It could be the awesome roomies I got so greatly blessed with. It could be that it's not cold here yet. But I know there's something much more to it here. This is not a university to learn what textbooks have to say. This is not a university where one grows in an educational sense. I remember back when I was a new freshmen, when I first got here they told us what this place was, what it had in store for us and what this place was all about. They told us that this is a student focused university. Teachers teach students, not get TA's to teach for them as they try and get published. All focus is on us, as students, not as students getting degrees (some of it is) but this is a place to grow as all of us should be striving to grow.

BYU-Idaho Mission Statement:
BYU-Idaho is affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Its mission is to :
-Build testimonies of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and encourage living its principles.
-Provide a quality education for students of diverse interests and abilities
-Prepare students for a lifelong learning, for employment, and for their roles as citizens and parents
-Maintain a wholesome academic, cultural, social and spiritual environment

Of all the focuses and missions BYUI holds it is their first stated mission that I treasure so dearly. This is a place where people become better disciples of Christ. Yes, its an ongoing process but its one that I rise up to with complete devotion and soberness.

Think of the place that this could be most accomplished. Can you imagine such a place? Where you get to hear from a wonderful member of the church every Tuesday to help you with this mission? To have religion classes that expand my knowledge and understanding of the most important subject? To have a temple no more than a couple blocks from your house?! To be surrounded by people striving for that same goal?

I can! I'm living it right now! I still can't believe how lucky I am to be here, to live here! To wake up everyday immersed in all of this goodness. I'm sure you think I sound a little crazy, and maybe you can't fully appreciate my excitement and appreciation for this place.

But just know that I know that I am supposed to be here. Yes, there are other places that I want to be, but I know this is my place for the now. And I can't imagine any place better.

Jessica the College Student

where the magic happens, and by magic i mean tons and tons of homework

where jessica gets a good night's rest to be ready for her classes the next day

the view from my window. tuscany must've known that sunsets are my particular favorite

my wall of everyone i love
(i got bored one night and made paper frames and hung them up with paper clip chains and thumbtacks. i was proud that i exuded such craftiness in one night)

rexburg temple

Back in America

I'm home!
i'm assuming you all assumed that even though you havent heard from me in a while.

Life is good, just kicking back and enjoying the spoils of life in the states. I love having all of my friends back and family, but i miss china, like a lot a lot.

the adjustment wasn't bad. it's just all the little things i have to get used to, like not talking about people right in front of them, because now they can actually understand me, and having any edible food at my finger tips. but the funny thing is, no matter how nice things are here i would trade them all for more time in china. i just miss it a lot.

but i'm also enjoying life, don't worry.


oh yeah, and there's a boy. His name is Cody :)

at the airport with the family


Chantelle and Jessica back in AMERICA

SUMMER 08' (you'll get full blogs with pictures on these events soon):

POOL PARTIES

Petting Zoo's (yeah, thats a baby leopard on our lap)

Fourth of July's

beaches

hikes

mcdonald's picnics

Sunday bests

and parades of harvest and of battle ground

cooking at gary's

we've been begging gary or tina to show us how to cook chinese food
and finally they did! yay.

we met tina and she took us to the produce and meat market. lets just say we're glad that we made it through the meat aisle without gagging. personally i think the pig legs look quite delectable

but it was actually a really good experience we got to see what real chinas like.



what was on the menu:

tomato and egg (our favorite!!)... cooked spinach ... cucumber salad... potato dish... green bean and pork... carrots and pork... fried tofu... white rice (the necessity)

what every house in china has. the rice cooker.

kitty in the kitchen please note the huge jug of oil that is being used as a doorstop


food prep


gary cooking

chinese cooking necessities, a wok, oil, oil, more oil, salt, soy sauce and you can not have the little packet of msg

hen hao chi :)

10 days left

yeah. thats right. we're home in ten days and we're kind of freaking out. i'm really super excited to go home, but i'm already missing china. its nice living in kind of an escape from the real world.
probably the hardest thing right now is knowing every day that passes means thats one more day closer to having to say goodbye to our kids.
its seriously heartbreaking. its going to be so hard. they're just our best friends.

right now we're preparing for our end of the year presentation that we have to put on for the parents. we're doing the three little pigs and they're so good at it. it cracks us up. they're so
cuute!!

one of our kids andrew actually left on wednesday, because he went to england to learn english. it was really sad actually. he was one of my favorites. and i know mom, i say they're all my favorite. but he was. we were buds. he'd come up to me after class and tell me how many tokens he got for that day and whenever i walked by the classroom, even if he was in chinese class i could hear him yell,"Teacher Jessica!". he's a super mischievous kid, but he really is good. a lot of our kids had like personality flips over this 6 months. and he used to be a headache, still enjoyable but still a pain sometimes, but the last couple months he was so good! and he'd still be goofy but thats why i loved him. and just how hard it was saying goodbye to andrew, we cant even imagine saying goodbye 13 more times...

10 strikes and we throw you out the window....buh-bye andrew

yeah..remember the infamous andrew puppet

me and my andrew ♥

andrew :)