More Snow

Just when I think I've left all that cold fluffy stuff back in Idaho...it decides to "snow" here. It wasn't sticking to the ground or anything and it prolly only lasted about 30 minutes...but it was awesome. It hasn't snowed here in at least 7 years. My little brothers had a blast running around in it and catching it in their hands. They were freaking out.

Anyways...I've been home since Saturday night. Our drive home was pretty crazy. We hit a big snowstorm as we were coming into Rigby, ID so we stopped there to get snow tires. It was hilariouse...it was super early in the morning and we were trying to stay awake but before we knew it we were all sprawled out in the lobby of some auto shop. We were all sleeping and we woke up to a bunch of other customers staring at us. The rest of the drive was still pretty scary. We saw a couple of cars flipped over on the side of the road and one giant truck that had skidded off the road. We had to put chains on going through Donner Pass and we could only drive like 30 mph....not fun. In the end we made it home safe and sound :)

Being home has been amazing! Monday I did absolutly nothing. It was great. I got up around noon, made mom some food (she's been kinda sick), and then watched movies all day. Normally, I would feel guilty about being so lazy, but I figure I worked so hard last week for finals, I deserve it. Alex and Sam and I have been having so much fun, we have been having a Karate Kid marathon...I love those movies. Jules and I will soon be getting our party on. She was still in school she has been working like crazy for her dance recital so we haven't been able to hang out much. She dragged me to see Twilight with her tonight....not my favorite movie...don't see it.

So Elche has been coming up to me like every 5 minutes and putting her nose right in my face. It's like she's checking to make sure I'm still sitting here. She's so adorable :)

<3 Rachel
p.s. 6 days till Christmas!

Last

My last day of math class was today. Now all I have left is the math final and then I am done with math...forever! Well...at least until my future children need help with their math hw.

Snow

This morning I woke up around 5:30am (an unusual occurance with me) and walked into the living room. The curtains were wide open and all I could see was white. It was on the cars, it was on the trees, it was everywhere! Since I'm done with all my photo projects, Let It Snow!
This is the tree outside my window where the evil squirrel usually sits...not anymore!

Kay this has nothing to do with anything but whatever. I had no idea you could burn pasta until this happened. They were almost on fire...crazy.

We're all buying the same stuff...

What’s great about this country is that America started the tradition where the richest consumers buy essentially the same things as the poorest. You can be watching TV and see Coca-Cola, and you know that the President drinks Coke, Liz Taylor drinks Coke, and just think, you can drink Coke, too. A Coke is a Coke and no amount of money can get you a better Coke than the one the bum on the corner is drinking. All the Cokes are the same and all the Cokes are good. Liz Taylor knows it, the President knows it, the bum knows it, and you know it.

-Andy Warhol

AAAAAAAAHHHH! My ears have been ringing for three days straight! It's sosososo loud, I can't even believe. Somebody save me, please.

Sorry I haven't been posting a picture a day this week, finals are coming up and life's kinda crazy right now. I'll be home in 10 days!

7 Things

7 Things That I Can Do:
1. Make chicken and rice
2. Tie my shoes
3. Relate anything to Harry Potter
4. Take your picture
5. Paint a color wheel
6. Nap anywhere
7. Procrastinate everything

7 Things I Cannot Do:
1. Whistle
2. Finish Gone With The Wind (it is taking me forever)
3. Eat a lot of salt
4. Study Art History without napping in the middle of it
5. Bake something without Julia's help
6. Open jars
7. Do that wierd snappy thing with my hand

7 Things I Say Often:
1. Furrealz
2. For sure
3. Luv and Miss you!
4. Does it have to do with the Jonas Brothers?
5. Kay
6. Is mom there?
7. I lost

7 Things I Plan To Do Before I Die:
1. Finish Gone With The Wind
2. Travel the World
3. Get married
4. Go back to Spain
5. Invent something
6. Spoil my grandkids
7. Go on a spontaneouse road trip

7 Things That Attract Me To My Man:
When I get one, I'll let you know

7 Favorite Foods:
1. Chicken and Rice
2. Rolls
3. Milenesa
4. Ice Cream!
5. Chocolate
6. Bubble Gun
7. Grandma Marie's Chicken and Dumplings

7 People Who I Would Like To Do This:
Anyone!

Days 12-15

Soooo, in case you didn't know, we totally suprised my dad with a trip to Bodega Bay for his 50th birthday. Here are pictures of our great adventure:

November 23rd, 2008

Dad turns 50. Julia joins a colony of llamas.

November 24th, 2008

We hike the Northern California coast.

November 25th, 2008
Bright red hair at Goat Rock.

November 25th, 2008

On the way home we stopped at Dillon's Beach. This trip was my dog Elche's first time at the beach. She loved it....I think

Day 11

November 22, 2008

I spent over 12 hours in a car to get home to this! A live concert in my own dining room :)

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I can't wait until tomorow!

Day 10

November 21st, 2008

My friend Thomas gave me a ride home from school today. I live behind the big white building on the left.

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I leave for California in 6 hours!

Day 9

November 20th, 2008

I love this window.
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2 more days until California :)

Day 8

November 19th, 2008

Tonight my friend and I went and saw "She Loves Me" in the Snow building. One lightbulb has burned out.

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So I don't think I ever really explained what I've been doing for the past couple of weeks. We've been given an assignment in our color photo class to post a picture a day for two weeks. They aren't really supposed to be elaborate or perfect, just what we see in a normal day. I've really enjoyed the assignment and will probably continue doing it even after it's over.

So tonight I went and saw "She Loves Me"...it's the musical of "The Shop Around The Corner"...or "You've Got Mail." It was pretty much amazing.

So this week has just been wierd. Lots of random things I wish I had known earlier are all of a sudden right there...so life kinda stinks. Yah that was really confusing.

Sorry I wasn't able to post yesterday's picture...here is today's :)

November 18, 2008

Pretty clouds and one star. Make a wish!

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So Melissa and I went out the other day to take pictures. She just happened to have her guitar so we sang some songs in a random alley way....it just happened to be the most trafficked alley way in Rexburg.

Day 6

November 15th, 2008

I pass the stadium every day. I have never gone to a game before. Why should I? I already know my school is going to win.

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Today was amazing. Call me. Especially if your name starts with an A and rhymes with Barianna....I hate this phone tag thing we always got goin' on.

Day 5

November 14th, 2008

This is my front porch.

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Today was pretty much awesome. I got to sleep in, had pretty much no homework, and got to watch The Office. I got A's on both of my math tests (I thought I was gonna do horribly, but it turns out all my random math scribbles were the right answers. Who knew?!). And I went on a fantastic date to Extravadance! Hopefully tomorow will be just as good :)

Sorry I wasn't able to post this picture yesterday. Here is yesterday's picture and I will post todays later tonight :)

November 13, 2008

I took pictures of Main Street for one of my photo projects. My fingers were freezing to my tripod.

November 12, 2008

We have a fish named Elmo!

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Today was pretty good. I got to sleep in a little and finished most of my math hw. We will see how tomorow goes :)

November 11, 2008

My drawings for a painting for my design and color class. I painted the first square today while watching Chuck and The Little Mermaid.

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So pretty much I'm super behind in everything. being sick for one day really messed things up. hopefully I will be able to catch up tomorow since I don't have to go to Art History....we will see. I have been sitting in the same spot on the couch for the past, like, 5 hours. All my homework is on my computer so there is no need to move...but I just feel so lazy. Maybe I will move into my bedroom. Night :)

Tagged!

So I've been tagged by my cousin Megan. Here are a lot of 8's...say 8 say 8! Did you get some 8 today?

8 Places I like to Eat:
1. In-N-Out! Oh how I miss it :)
2. My kitchen...especially when Melissa cooks
3. Applebee's!
4. Gringo's
5. The Taqueria
6. That Salvadorian food place...the one were Al's Drive In is...luv it!
7. Jack in the Box tacos (haha)
8. The Cupcake Cafe (for dessert :)

8 Things that Happened Yesterday:
1. Went to my photo class.
2. Art History was cancelled!
3. Organized my math hw packet.
4. Finished my math test.
5. Painted!
6. Met with my math group.
7. Took a really long and relaxing nap.
8.Took pictures.

8 Things I Love About Fall:
1. Overcast weather: Perfect for picture taking.
2. Cruching leaves.
3. It hasn't really snowed yet.
4. Apple cider :)
5. Thanksgiving Break!
6. Getting all warm in sweatshirts and socks and coats and hats and blankets.
7. Reading
8. School!

8 Things on My wish List:
1. A new ipod!
2. More time to see my familia.
3. Passing my math class.
4. That summer will come faster so I can head off to Europe!
5. A new jacket.
6. The Switchfoot Holiday Package (Hint hint: mom and dad)
7. That I could eat chocolate chips to my hearts content without freaking out.
8. That the new season of Lost would hurry up and start.

8 People That I Am Tagging:
I can't just choose 8 people! Whoever wants to, should do this :)

November 10 2008

Today I am sick. So I made hot chocolate and took an amazing nap.

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This is my most recent Color Photo project. I will be posting a picture a day for the next 14 days! This weekend was crazy, I pretty did math all day thursday-saturday and now I am mathed out. Now that our big math test is done, I can get on the rest of my hw, yay!

Rachel

p.s. California here I come! In 12 days!

Best Day Ever

So today has serioiusly been the best day ever.  First of all: it's halloween, in case you haven't noticed.  I'm wearing yellow pants, a blue shirt, and a bright yellow construction paper sun pinned on my shirt.  I am a Sunny Day...which is exactly what Rexburg needs this weekend :)

Today I found a ride home for Thanksgiving!  I'm so excited to get home and see all my friends and family...it's gonna be freaking amazing....framazing.

I also got a package today from my grandparents! It had a huge bag of chocolate chips and three huge boxes of Hot Tamales (my favorite candy)...they know me too well ;)

And the best news of all!  I got accepted to go on the European Tour this summer!  A whole month....in europe...I'm so excited :)  We will be going to England, and Italy, and France, and whole lotta other places.  I can't wait.  This will also be framazing.

Miss you and can't wait to get home for turkey day

<3>

Awesome Christmas Present

The Boys Are Back!

So I went and saw High School Musical 3: Senior Year last night with a bunch of friends. It was amazing! Sure it was cheezy and some of the lyrics were a little wierd, but overall I loved it! The dancing was really great and Troy Bolton is really cute...and that's all that matters right?

Mixed Light Photography

Far away, far away. I wanna go far away...

Life has been crazy here in the burg but that's how I like it! My classes are going great and I'm not hating any of them yet. Next week is mid-terms but I don't have any :) it's great. The only assignment I'm still having trouble with is the photo assignment I mentioned in an earlier post. We are learning about the colors of light and we have to take pictures before or after sunrise. I've been waking up around 6 am (an amazing feat, I know) to shoot pictures and haven't taken anything really spectacular yet. I talked to my teacher about this and he said that i should just keep getting up that early and trying new things...so that's what I'm doing.

So lately I've been meditating for 5-10 minutes every day. It's amazing how sitting still for that short amount of time can really calm me down and help me focus for the rest of the day. Usually try and just concentrate on my breathing, but sometimes I try and make lists of things I have been blessed with or people who need my help. Sometimes I pick a word and say it over and over (I know: cheesy...but it helps!). Here are some interesting quotes about meditation:

"Let that be something to remember-you do likewise. Take time to meditate. Many times you will be wrestling with problems, the solution of which can be spiritually discerned. Don't get so busy that you don't have time to meditate. Take the time.”
-Harold B. Lee

"I think we pay too little attention to the value of meditation, a principle of devotion. In our worship there are two elements: one is spiritual communion rising from our own meditation; the other instruction from others, particularly from those who have authority to guide and instruct us. Of the two, the more profitable introspectively is meditation. Meditation is the language of the soul. Meditation is a form of prayer. We can say prayers without having any spiritual response. Meditation is one of the most secret, most sacred doors through which we pass into the presence of the Lord."
-David O. McKay

“Someone asked a Hindu how he was able to maintain the great serenity and peace he had about him, no matter what pressures he faced. His answer: ‘I never leave my place of meditation.’ Every morning he meditated for thirty minutes. Then in his mind and heart he never left that place—he maintained the spirit of that place throughout the day amid his pressures."
-From an article in the April, 1989 Ensign

We've also been learning a lot about the Buddha this week. I never realized that Buddhism really isn't a religion with god's and stuff but more of a spiritual practice. Here are some quotes by the Buddha:

"Work out your own enlightment with dilligence"

"Recognize our delusion that happiness exists outside of ourselves."

Miss you!
Rachel Marie

It's 21 degress outside...

So this morning I did something that I hate doing more than anything else. I got up at 6:30 a.m. (before the sun rose), put on long underwear, a hat, gloves, long-sleeved shirt, a sweatshirt, and a coat, and went out into the freezing cold to take pictures. We are studying the color of light at the moment so I have to take pictures before sunrise. Even with a thermos full of hot cocoa...my nose was frozen and I couldn't feel my fingers! I don't have those pictures on my computer yet since I just got back, but here are some other assignments I have turned in this semester:

These pictures were taken for an emotion assignment. Lots of the labels I gave them are really cheesy...but whatever. I labeled this as confusion, but my teacher thought it looked more like violence.

So I took this picture as a kind of contrast to the previouse one. I think it looks very calm and organized. I printed this one really big and put a frame on it...I love it!
This is the bottom of an "Employees Only" door at some warehouse. Obviously it's a very busy place...so this was labled busy.

These next few pictures are studies of color harmony, color contrast, and monochromatic color.

monochromatic
Color Harmony
Monochromatic
Color Contrast

Color Contrast

Color Harmony? I don't remember lol
Color Harmony

Monochromatic

So my pictures are starting to all get the same feel and my teacher told me he's noticed that I've started developing my style of photography. He told me to start pushing the boundaries of what I've been doing so that I can develope it even further. I'm finally starting to feel like photography is the right thing! Yay!

<3 Rachel

p.s. I applied for the European Tour yesterday! I find out if I get in on November 4th :)

Prop 8!

Why am I voting yes on proposition 8? Because I don't think we should have to change our standards to love our neighbor. Becuase I don't believe my future children should be taught that same-sex marriage is normal and acceptable. Because I want religouse freedom without conflict. Because I believe marriage is a sacred event between one man and one woman.

Check out these sites for more information:
http://www.preservingmarriage.org/
http://protectmarriage.com/
http://iprotectmarriage.com/ <-----This one is awesome!

PIe

So I totally stole this picture from the NorthTemple blog....but whatever. I think it's funny.

Bhagavad Gita Excerpts

So my world religions class is definently my favorite. It's amazing to see how many other religions have bits and pieces of light and how similar they are to ours! Right now we are learning about Hinduism and while they may have some beliefes that are strange to us, many of their teachings can be applied to our lives. Here are some excerpts from the Bhagavad Gita (The Hindu Bible) that I thought were pretty cool. In this story, Lord Krishna teaches how one might reach salvation:

"Never was there a time when I did not exist, or you, or these kings; nor will there come a time when we cease to be."

"You have the right to your actions, but never to your actions fruits. Act for the actions sake."

"Ignorant men without faith are easily mired in doubt; they can never be truly happy in this world or the world beyond."

"...when desire, fear, and anger have left him, that man is forever free."

"I am the taste in water, the light in the moon and sun...the sound in the air."

"For men whose minds are forever Focused on me, whose love Has grown deep through meditation, I am easy to reach."

"It is better to do your own duty badly, than to perfectly do another's."

"Focused on me at all times, you will overcome obstructions; but if you persist in clinging to the I-sense, then you are lost."

"If you focus your mind on me and revere me with all your heart, you will surley come to me; this I promise because I love you."

Missionary work:
"He who teaches this primal secret to those who love me has acted with the greatest love and will come to me, beyond doubt."

"Do not fear: I will free you..."

"Mere knowledge of right and wrong will not make one fit for salvation."

Design and Color

So one of my favorite classes this semester is Design and Color. We study different ways to express art and color relationships. I found this site today that is really cool. It's a test to see your Color I.Q. I scored 11 (the lower the score the better!) See if you can score better than me!
http://www.xrite.com/custom_page.aspx?PageID=77

It's another great day at BYU-Idaho

I'm here in beautiful Rexburg :) One of my favorite places in the world. The trip here was interesting. We planned on leaving California around 6a.m. but I woke up that morning with a pretty strong episode of Meniere's Disease. It's what I got, check it out. After a blessing (Omgosh did it help) and an extra two hours of sleeping, we headed off. The drive was terrible, every movement made me nausouse and I was, like, begging mom to take me back home. But I'm so glad she didn't, I was perfectly fine by the time we got to Idaho Falls :) My family stayed up here a few days to hang out and we had so much fun together. I gave them a tour of campus, Jules checked out the new dance major, and we headed to Yellowstone for a day (check out pictures below). I was so sad to see them leave, but feel very blessed to be here!
The first week of school went pretty good. All of my classes are interesting and I'm pretty sure I'll do well in them all. The only one I'm a little worried about is Math 110: College Algebra....AAAH! I didn't think I would ever have to do math again...yet here I am. Pray for me. I'm also taking: World Religions (My personal favorite. Our teacher is hilariouse. The first day of class I turned around to look at the clock and Anthony DeLucia, my cousin, was sitting right behind me. It was pretty funny.), Color Photo (An all digital class now since the local Walmart stopped developing color film and we don't have the chemicals to develope it ourselves), Art History II (grrness), and Design & Color.
So this semester I'm living in an apartment and I love it! It's a little small (kay, really small), but whatever. The walk to campus is beautiful and really close to the art department. Our whole apartment complex makes up our ward so everyone is really close and I can't wait to meet my family home evening family next week! Anyway, I should prolly get back to homework...yipee. Luv and Miss you all!

Julia and an elk in Yellowstone. It was huge! Don't get to close while wearing ugly purple sweaters and grey hats...the elk don't like it...haha.

A black bear! It was really far away...but I was still freaking out.
Julia and a flock of bison. A real live buffalo!...haha omygosh.
The hot water mixed with wierdo chemicals turn the algea and bacteria in the water amazing colors. I'm using this picture in my Color Photo class.
Bubbly water! It was really "other-worldly" out there with all the hot springs. It's amazing to think that hot water is constantly re-shaping the world out there and that in 100 years it could look totally different.

The Leila Texts

Go here. Please. It will make you laugh until your wisdom teeth stitches fall out...believe me.

http://theleilatexts.blogspot.com/

p.s. New Quotes! Check it.

Wisdom Teeth

I don't enjoy having my wisdom teeth out. Put them back please. I want to eat real food again. I do like no chores and lots of naps though.....maybe I can deal with it a little longer.

Eleven Days

Jules, my mother, and I set off on our great adventure in eleven days!
In eleven days I will be totally packed and ready to head to Idaho.
In eleven days I won't have any wisdom teeth.
In eleven days I will be leaving the great state of California.
In eleven days I get to see all my friends!
In eleven days I hope I get a new straightener and gloves.
In eleven days I will be using college survival skills.
In eleven days I will be sitting in a car for over 12 hours.
In eleven days I won't have a job. :(
In eleven days I will be saying goodbye to my boys (I'll miss you daddy, Al, and Sam!)
In eleven days I get to see my new apartment for the first time!
In eleven days I will be leaving my doggy.
In eleven days I will be a dating machine...haha.
In eleven days I will be wearing sweatshirts and pants.
In eleven days I will have my own bed....not a couch.

Random pictures...because they are my life ;)

This is my dog! She sleeps in the wierdest positions.

Max poking Jake. I thought it was adorable lol.
New bathing suits!
I took some kids out to take pictures of local tobacco advertising. This poster was right across the street from a video rental store where lots of teens hang out. Who says the tobacco industry doesn't advertise to teens.
Julia i crazy! Check out that sunburn :)
Samuel being sneaky...his book is upside down
Check out my foot. Anyone remember that aweful scar I used to have? It's almost gone!

The end.