That One Time I Forgot to Blog About My Week

So my co-counselor from my first week of EFY (MaKenna) and I both had week 3 off, so I invited her to come up to Springfield and hang out with me for a week.

We did a lot of fun things!

It started off a hot day at a Nationals baseball game! It was soooo hot! But we had so much fun! And the Nats won! Woot!

Then we went to D.C. to see some of the smithsonians.

We ended the night watching fireworks behind the Washington Monument!

We also went on a nature walk.

Then we went bowling with a group of my friends from NoVa.

Lastly, my dad took us on a tour of D.C. where we got to see all the monuments/memorials and we got to stop by the American History Museum.

Overall, it was a suuuper fun week. And I LOVED having MaKenna all to myself:) I love her.

Anyways, that's all for now. More confessions to come.

- J

Top 5 Food Places in Utah

1. jdawgs
858 N 700 E Provo, UT 
801.373.DAWG 
Mon - Sat 11am - 9pm

Oh my word! So many amazing things to say about jdawgs. The first time I went, I was very hesitant. I was not a big hot dog person and I have a big fear of the unknown. So what did I do? I got a simple hot dog, nothing on it. BIG MISTAKE. It was just a hot dog. Ordinary. Plain. Nothing special. I didn't understand why everyone made such a big deal about jdawgs when to me, they just tasted like any normal hot dog. BUT, what I missed out on was the special sauce. And this is what makes their dogs better than other hot dogs. MAKE SURE you order a jdawg WITH special sauce. You know what I like? jdawg with special sauce, and 2 pickles. SO good. You will love it. Best thing about jdawgs is that you can enjoy them year round. Make sure you do!

2. Hokulia Shave Ice Co.
1437 N. Canyon Road Provo, Utah
801-376-8885
Mon-Sat 1-9

OH MY GOODNESS. I have been to many a shaved ice, but Hokulia Shave Ice Co. is the best, by far. You know what makes it the best?? Shaved ice with Tigers Blood flavor and then a snow cap. Trust me, you want the snow cap! Ask for the snow cap drizzled on top AND in the middle. It makes it SOOOO much better. If you feel adventurous, try it with ice cream. That is super tasty as well. But make sure you get your snow cone with one or the other. Or even both if you are in the mood for something sweet. Hokulia Shave Ice Co. is only opened through hopefully September. So go now and get some while you can. Check out here for the flavors. And for updated information, check out their facebook page. And if you're tempted to get a larger size (unless you're sharing with someone)- think twice and beware- These shaved ice are HUGE! (And uber delicious.) And very inexpensive. Totally worth the inexpensive price!

Message from Stefani Severson (owner of Hokulia Shave Ice Co.): " I think the most popular by far is strawberry coloda and blue hawaii with ice cream and cap. But my fave will always be guava and my hubby's - cotton candy." There you have it! The most popular and their personal favorites. Try it! You'll love it!

And Blake Severson also said, "I dare say the best mix would be Tiger's blood and Mango! :) It's nickname (Think Inn-n-out burger) is an Iron Man because of the color resemblance to the hero."

You'll love them so much, you won't be able to help but come back for more! Trust me :)

3. Muse Music Cafe
151 N. University Ave Provo, UT

801-377-MUSE

Mon - Sat:

6:00 pm

-

11:00 pm

You wanna know the best news of this year? Muse Music has started selling sandwiches again!! For a while they were selling hot dogs, and that was the worst. SO, since they've started selling sandwiches again, the world is a happy place! My personal favorite: The Velvet Elvis. It is grilled with marshmallow, banana, peanut butter and sometimes chocolate chips. It is the most delicious sandwich ever. Go and try it. You will love it. If the Velvet Elvis isn't for you, try the Ultimate Grilled Cheese. It's another favorite of mine. Besides those sandwiches, there are a lot of other choices and all their sandwiches are amazing. They are all so delicious! So, one evening take a trip to Muse Music cafe and order yourself not only one of these amazing sandwiches BUT also an Italian soda. That is a must. And, if you can, try to go on a night when there's a live show going on. That is the perfect way to spend your evening. Check out their blog for updated information. 

Also, a BONUS for you smart phone users. Get $1 off a sandwich or show entrance. All you have to do is check in at Muse Music Cafe and show them, to claim. See their facebook for more information.

4. Pizza Pie Cafe
2235 North University Parkway Provo, UT
(801) 373-5561
Mon-Thur 11:00am-10:00pm
Fri-Sat 11:00am-11:00pm

Pizza Pie Cafe is best attended when real hungry. There is a salad bar, a pasta bar, and unlimited pizza (including dessert pizza). It's delicious. Sometimes on their facebook, they have specials, so become a fan and watch for their sweet deals. I love that you can eat as much as you want, hence the buffet style restaurant. My favorite thing about this restaurant is that if there's not a pizza you like you can request a specialty pizza and they'll make it! Awesome, huh?! Wanna know my favorite pizza?? The one with the hot chicken and tomatoes. SO good! It's delicious. I wish I remembered what it's called.. I love to dip it in ranch. It tastes so dang good. Make sure to stop by, especially when you're real hungry. That's when you get the most for your money.

5. Sub Zero
1774 N University Pkwy
801- 375-0104
M-Th  To 10.00pm
F-Sat To 11.00 pm 


Sub Zero! Oh how I love Sub Zero! Most people don't like sub zero to which I reply "You haven't been with me!" And when they go with me, they end up really liking it. So, key to your success is going with me. I love sub zero and I've tried a LOT of different things so I know what's good and what's not so good. SO JUST ASK ME! And I'd be glad to help. First you pick a base, just one, then you pick as many flavors as you want, then you pick ONE mix in (one mix in is free) or you can cheat the system and do what I do... Get half one mix in, half another mix in. 

Try custard, peach flavor, with half peaches and half chocolate flakes. Try premium, the sweet chocolate flavor, and a dash of any berry flavor, and then add in the mixed berries. That is good! Those are the two I get a lot, and so I can remember. BUT, there are a lot of really good flavors and different combinations of things that make the ice cream so good. You know what's cool about this ice cream place? They make the ice cream right in front of you, so it's "fresh"! No freezer burn or old tasting ice cream. They add the base, the flavor, the mix ins, and then they use liquid nitrogen to freeze the ice cream right in front of you. It's one of the coolest things, you'll see.

That One Time I Faced My Fears

After all the EFY kids went home, and the counselors had their business meeting, and we all took a nap:), a group of us went to this place called Panther Falls. It was awesome, except for the fact that the water was FREEZING. I put my toes in the water and shivered. I was determined not to go in the water. As a matter of fact, I watched all my friends jump in the water, jump of cliffs into the water, dive into the water, and slide into the water.

I kept my camera on me and got some great shots. But I told them I wasn't getting in. As the hours passed, I started wondering if I should go in the water. I knew that if I didn't go in, I would regret it, so my friend Ariel grabbed my hand and we jumped in together. It was beyond freezing! I honestly, and literally, had trouble breathing at first because it was so cold. Ariel kept saying "Are you okay?! Are you okay??" I kept nodding but I seriously thought I was gonna die. Finally I was able to breath and the water was so cold and I was so numb that I couldn't feel my body any more. Which was good because I was able to stand staying in the water.

I swam over to the waterfall and sat there on the slippery rocks with the other counselors and just kept saying "I'm so glad I decided to come in the water". Ariel, Hollie and MaKenna just smiled.

It was one of the neatest things I've ever done.

Hollie, MaKenna, Whitney, Karl, Kristen, Me, Sean, Christian

Ariel, Me, Melanee

Me and Ariel

Me and Ariel

Hollie, MaKenna, Me, Melanee, Ariel

Christian, Hollie, Kristin, Whitney, Dax, Megan, Will, MaKenna, Karl, Me, Ariel, Melanee, Sean

Co's! MaKenna and Me

Co's! Sean and me

Whitney (health counselor), Kristin (building counselor), Me

Megan, Ariel, Hollie, Me

Anyways, that's all for now. More confessions to come.

- J

That One Time I Was Scared Out Of My Mind

So last weekend on Saturday, I drove over 3 hours to Buena Vista, Virginia where I was going to have training for EFY. After driving the 3+ hours, I unpacked and moved into my dorm room, and then headed to training. It was LONG. That's for sure. Training started at 2 and by the time we finished training, dinner, and dance instruction it was at least 8ish. I was exhausted by the end.

Sunday night I met my co counselors and got the list of girls I would be over. I just felt an overwhelming love for these girls I hadn't even met yet. It was amazing. Unfortunately, I was also scared to death. I was making myself sick I was so scared. I was more nervous than excited, and that should never be the case. I talked to my BC (Building Counselor- the counselor over a group of counselors) and told her my concerns. She did a decent job of calming me down, but I was still nervous. That was until I met my girls. The second I met them all fear left me and we got along right away.

After getting to know my girls, we met up with another group of girls who's counselor was MaKenna, who were also in our company (group of kids- boys and girls- who are together for the week as a makeshift family). We then went to our meeting place and met our boys (who's counselor was Sean)! The girls were nervous, and so was I. They made comments about how they didn't want lame boys, and I told them that whatever they were thinking about the boys, the boys were probably thinking about the girls. Turns out the girls and guys got along great! They just meshed well.

Somehow this obsession thing started... Let me try to explain. My girls (and some of my guys) developed this love for the Health Counselor Karl. Every time they saw him they'd whisper things like "I need mouth to mouth resuscitation" or "I'm hurt, I need Karl" or "I have a broken heart, Karl, come fix it" OR they'd do things like eat a lot of pizza then jump up and down on their bed or at one point they even built a human pyramid and collapsed on each other so Karl could come rescue him. They said he looked like a ken doll...  One day, during the variety show, every time Karl got up to help move things the EFY girls (and some guys) would scream "KARL!" in their high pitched voices. Their love turned to obsession. But it wasn't really creepy... It was more like HILARIOUS.

Our company name was from Isaiah 29:13-14 and we were called "Fear Towards Me". Games night was when our company bonded really well. Through all the games, my company worked together and would strive to win. But, they wanted to have fun more than win, so even when they lost, they just laughed and tried harder the next time. Games night really unified our company.

After games night was Pizza night! My girls really wanted to join with MaKenna's girls. So we asked our BC Kristen if it would be okay, and she said yes! So, all the girls gathered together and we had a blast! Ate lots of pizza, talked lots about boys and COWs (crush of the week), and acted like a bunch of crazy people.

Thursday was the "spiritual day" where we started off with gospel study, then had a young women's activity, then had a morningside (a morning fireside (supplementary, evening meeting)) followed by a variety show and then a musical program/fireside. To end the day, we had a testimony meeting where the youth had the opportunity to bear testimony of what they believe.

Overall, it was a fantastic week. These youth were amazing and ever so inspiring. They taught me so much and I owe them for the lessons they shared with me and taught me. I was so lucky to have the group I had, and be in the company I was in. Being with Sean and MaKenna was a true blessing. They are two of the most amazing people I've ever known.

Me, MaKenna, Sean

 They liked to make fun (in a nice way) of my "nervous face". They said I was super easy to read because I'd always make certain faces to describe exactly what I was feeling. This face was the classic face I made- so we got a picture of the three of us making "the face".

Me, MaKenna, Sean

I just don't know if my second week can top this AMAZING first week. So, ladies and gentleman from "Fear Towards Me", if you're reading this, thank you for being so incredible and inspiring. It meant the world to me.
Anyways, that's all for now. More confessions to come.

- J

That One Time I Drove Pretty Far

I've been excited for months for EFY. This is my dream job, as I've told so many of you. I loved EFY as a participant. I had some of the most amazing experiences. I thank the Lord for that, but I also thank my counselors for their guidance and love. I know from personal experience how the love of a counselor can make all the difference.

One year at EFY I had a counselor who at first was the perfect counselor. She talked with me and let me confide in her. She invited me to her room to talk, to hang out. She motioned me over and took hundreds of pictures with her camera of us. She ran up to me and danced with me at the dances. She put so much effort in making me feel loved, and I really bonded with her. But it didn't last forever. The second EFY is over she stopped talking to me. Then I heard from my sister's friend that that counselor talked crap about me and said all these terrible things. What did I do to deserve that? Answer? Nothing. So, why did it happen? Well, I wish I knew.  All I know is that broke my heart and yeah I've grown from it, but I still haven't full recovered from that. I still have major trust issues because of her. It still breaks my heart just thinking about it.

What did I learn from that? I don't want to be one of those counselors who pretends to be one thing, but it completely someone else. And I don't want to be one of those counselors who talks bad about any of her girls. So I decided. I am going to think the nicest things about each of my girls, and I'm going to love them. I'm going to take care of them.

So here I am, sitting in my dorm room on my bed and I am thinking. It's been a few years since I've been here at SVU, but being back here, I'm close to tears... I just feel so heart broken because of that experience I had. Why haven't I gotten over it?... I have no idea. All I know is that I don't want to ever fail these girls. I won't let one of those girls feel the pain I still feel.

But that doesn't mean I am not nervous, and it doesn't mean I'm not scared. It does mean that I'm not going to let anyone down though. I have faith in myself. I can do this.

So, have any advice for me? Anything you think I can do to be the best kind of counselor? I'd love to hear from all of you.

Anyways, that's all for now. More confessions to come.

- J

That One Time I Stressed A LOT.

So, a few days ago- Thursday to be exact, I got an email from a girl named Kayla, who is the coordinator for EFY. While reading the email I happened to notice that the report date for EFY was a whole week sooner than I was planning on, sooooo I frantically double and triple checked the calendar and freaked out for like 3 hours. You see, I had doctor's appointments, and an MRI scheduled, and a lot of free time to work on my independent study class, and I was going to sing in my ward's sacrament meeting... It was all fun and dandy until I realized I had just over a week, just 9 days, to get EVERYTHING done.

Everything I thought I'd have 16 days to do. And for some reason 16 days felt like a month, and those 9 days have shrunk down to 6 days and it feels like I'll be gone tomorrow. So, in these 6 days, I have to study for my midterm, get an MRI, go to a doctor's appointment, have a photoshoot, take that midterm for my class, go out for dessert with one of my best friends, aaaaand pack. Pack, you say? Easy peasy, right? WRONG. I have to pack for a month of EFY, and pack for college. If you know me at all, you know I own a thousand pairs of shoes, and 2 chest of drawers plus a closet full of clothes, a guitar, a keyboard, and a whole heck of a lot of junk that I really really like:) How am I going to fit all that in 2-3 suitcases? I HAVE NO IDEA.

And why do I have to pack for all that now? Because I'm going to EFY for 5 weeks and when I return I have less than 12 hours to pack (and sleep) before I fly to Utah to do another 2 weeks of EFY in Provo. So I pretty much have to have everything ready to go so I'm not having a panic attack while feeling more and more stressed.

Oh, and a side note- The doctor's appointment I have is to see whether or not I will have to continue on chemo for the next 6 months. Jaw drop? Mine did too when I was told I might not be done with chemotherapy. That would be THE worst. Seriously. So, I'd appreciate it if you'd fast or even just pray for me tomorrow (when I have the MRI) and Tuesday (when I meet with my oncologist). Your thoughts and prayers during this very overwhelming time would be very much appreciated.

So, thank you for your continued friendship and love. You mean the world to me.

Anyways, that's all for now, more confessions to come.

- J

That One Time I Didn't Update My Blog... again!

Well, it sure has been a while since I last wrote, hasn't it?? I apologize. I guess I decided that my life wasn't worth writing about. If you know me at all, you probably know that is not the case- that I just let the downs in life take over and well... I went two and a half months without letting you know how I was feeling, what I was up to. But that's gonna change. I promise. I'm sick of feeling down and sorry for myself for no good reason. I happen to love life! And I want that to show in my blog:)

So, what have I been up to the past few months?? Mainly just working on my independent study class (D&C) and prepping for EFY. OH! I don't think I ever told you that. Did you know that starting in 3 weeks I will be an EFY counselor?! For approximately five weeks in Virginia at Southern Virginia University, then I fly out to Utah where I'll be an EFY counselor for two weeks in Provo! Isn't that the best ever?! :) While I'm an EFY counselor, I'll post every weekend with updates so you know how it went, and how it's going. I'll also try to post pictures of my group and my adventures.

Well, I did something kind of neat recently that I'd like to share! I had the pleasure of going with my good friend Ariel Stong to a New Kids On The Block and Backstreet Boys Concert the other night. It was brilliant. We were in a sky box and there was all this free food and it was awesome!

Anna, Ariel, Me at the start of the night!

Ariel, Anna, Me

Me, Ariel being silly

Jordin Sparks!

Me, Ariel, Anna :D

Me, Ariel, Anna all being weird

New Kids On The Block

NKOTBSB

Backstreet Boys

Me with NKOTBSB

Anna, Me

NKOTBSB w/ Confetti

Anna, Ariel, Me at Metro

Real crowded metro on the way home.

Ariel, Me, Anna

Awesome, huh?? :) It was the best night I've had in months! We rode Metro into D.C. to Chinatown where we walked to the Verizon Center for the concert. We got to the entrance where security nearly gave me a heart attack when they told me my camera was too big to take in to the concert. I spent a few minutes convincing them it wasn't some fancy camera, that it was just a digital camera, and finally some superior came over and explained the camera lens was under three inches and I could in fact take in my camera. Whoooooooo. Sigh of relief! We went up a level and found suite 213 where we would be viewing the concert. There were hot dogs, and chicken wings, and sandwiches, and vegetables, and sodas, and shrimp. It was incredible! There was also a lot of wine and beer and people were drinking a lot. It was insane. Don't worry, I didn't drink ;) Anyways, the concert started and Jordin Sparks (from American Idol) opened for NKOTBSB. She was amaaaazing! When the show was over, we crammed into the most crowded I've ever seen the Metro, and headed back home. What a night! :)

Anyways, that's all for now. More confessions to come.

- J