settling in

I flew back to Utah on Friday evening. My mom's aunt and uncle picked me up at the airport, took me to dinner at Chuckarama (big buffet place, it was pretty good), and took me to Draper. They actually drove me to the grounds where the Draper Temple is being built. It's going to be a beautiful temple, I can already tell. I hope I'll get to go through the open house in January. They finally took me back to their house, and I watched TV with them for a while. They seem to like "Murder, She Wrote". I stayed up kind of late, but I guess it's not the end of the world.

Yesterday, I moved into my new apartment. And so far, I'm enjoying it. There are only four of us in the apartment, and there's so much storage space! It's crazy! We don't have desks in our bedrooms, which is kind of a bummer. No bookshelves either, which is bad for me. I have a lot of books. I'll figure it out somehow. There isn't a dishwasher in the apartment either, but that could be a blessing. It forces us to do dishes after we use them instead of fighting over whose turn it is to load/unload the dishwasher.

So far, I love my roommates. We're consolidating our dishes and silverware, so we can use each other's stuff as long as we take good care of it. It's so nice especially after last fall when I had roommates who were completely against sharing dishes. That caused a lot of overcrowding in the kitchen. I guess I am being blessed for all the difficult roommate situations I've been in. I don't regret living in Glenwood for as long as I did. I made some wonderful friends who I still keep in touch with and I grew a lot, spiritually and emotionally. I also had two wonderful bishoprics while I lived there.

I went to church in my new ward today, and I already love my new ward! Everyone is so friendly and so nice! And it isn't just my ward that's friendly, it's my entire complex. That's the nice thing about living in a small apartment complex. As it turns out, I'm in the same apartment that my cousin Rachel lived in last year! No, it wasn't planned. Well, it brought her good luck so maybe I'll have good luck :-) I've met some people who remember her too.

So, life is treating me well. I got to hang out with a very good friend last night, so that was good too :)

quiz results...yeah

I wonder if these really do sound like me...

You Are a Realist

You don't see the glass as half empty or half full. You see what's exactly in the glass. You never try to make a bad situation seem better than it is... But you also never sabotage any good things you have going on. You are brutally honest in your assessments of situations - and this always seems to help you cope.

Are You An Optimist or Pessimist?

See?  I'm not a pessimist!

You Are A Realistic Romantic

It's easy for you to get swept away by romance... But you've done a pretty good job keeping perspective. You're still taken in by love poems and sunsets You just don't fall for every dreamy pick up line!

Are You Romantic or Realistic?

At least I try to be... Men See You As Choosy

Men notice you light years before you notice them You take a selective approach to dating, and you can afford to be picky You aren't looking for a quick flirt - but a memorable encounter It may take men a while to ask you out, but it's worth the wait

How Do Men See You?

No wonder I had trouble getting dates

You Are Ready to Get Married

You've done more than dream about the dress and the honeymoon In fact, you spend a good deal of your time thinking about what makes a relationship work And from your answers, it looks like you have the skills to say "I Do" and mean it You've dated enough, learned your fair share, and you're ready to settle down.

Are You Ready To Be A Wife?

*ahem* YIKES!!!!!  And no, I am not announcing anything.

You Probably Look Younger Than Your Age

You live a healthy lifestyle and know how to take care of yourself. You'll probably have a youthful glow for many years.

Do You Look Your Age?

Yeah, I know I look young for my age.  Sometimes it annoys me, but I'll probably enjoy it later on.

You Are A Woman!

Congratulations, you've made it to adulthood. You're emotionally mature, responsible, and unlikely to act out. You accept that life is hard - and do your best to keep things upbeat. This makes you the perfect girlfriend... or even wife!

Are You A Girl Or a Woman?

Still home...

I'm still home, until Friday.  So far, I've been clothes and shoe shopping.  I got a haircut yesterday.  It's about shoulder length now and so much easier to comb and such!  It was getting so tangly.  The length is similar to that of the Elizabeth Bennett in the LDS version of Pride and Prejudice.  I've eaten out probably way too much and have probably gained weight.  I'm going to exercise and eat better when I get back to school, I swear!  I've gone to Barnes and Noble.  I've done lots of sleeping.  I've watched a lot of Frasier reruns.  I've talked to a good-looking guy on the phone...heh heh.  No more on that subject.

Pretty good week, I suppose.

the adventures of Laura

I moved out of my apartment on Friday. It was a little sad, but I felt like it was the right thing. I'm pretty excited to be moving on to other things. I flew back to Houston that same afternoon and landed at almost nine in the evening.

On Saturday, I went grocery shopping with my mom for Scott's court of honor. Then my older brother needed to go to Academy to get some athletic shoes with good support. That was a hard venture, since it seems that Craig is bigfoot. But they managed to get good shoes for him. It was a crazy day, and we had the court of honor in the evening. It was short and sweet, which is what we wanted. After the court of honor, we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant: Don Carlos. It was so good. I ate so much. I had a lot of chips and queso, three fajitas, and two sopapillas for dessert. Usually when I eat that much, I feel sick. But I was fine. Pregnant woman appetite, except I am NOT pregnant. Ha ha.

The next day was church. And after church, I went with my mom and my older brother to drive to Del Rio, Texas. I mentioned in my last post that Craig made the Border Patrol. Well, Craig had to report to the station in Del Rio to be sworn in and for orientation. He was to report on August 18, so that meant driving on Sunday. Originally, my mom was going to be the only one going besides Craig, but my dad said he would feel better if she took another person with her. She chose me. Del Rio is on the very border of Texas. It's kind of a small town, but it wasn't so bad. We stayed at a Hampton Inn, which was SO nice. The woman who checked us in thought I was under eighteen. She said: "So, two adults and one child?" I told her that I was 21. Yeah, I know I look young for my age. We got really with this hotel--it was across the street from the border patrol headquarters!!! We didn't know that until we saw it.

Yesterday, Craig reported. My mom and I were ready to leave when we saw that we had one flat tire and another that had a bulge! It was hours before we found a place that stocked tires for mini vans. Ugh. But everyone was really friendly and helpful, and we were grateful. We left around noon-ish after eating lunch. I learned how to pump gas in Del Rio. I also got to drive about 100 miles. Cool.

So yeah, that was my adventure. I'm home and loving it.

pray I don't go crazy...

My head is swimming with all I have to do in the next few days. I have to finish a paper for my Literature class, I have to study for two finals, I need to pack, I need to call the Cleaning Check supervisor, I have to move out all before Friday! I still don't know when exactly I'm moving out--either Thursday night or Friday morning. And I still don't know where I'm going to store my stuff or how I'm getting to the airport! Aggh!!!! This is why I hate moving. I still need some boxes--big ones.

My weekend was pretty good. Went to Wal-Mart with roommates on Saturday, prepared my Relief Society lesson, and then had a date to a luau. My friend invited me to a 9-ward luau. And as usual, he called me about 45 minutes before he's supposed to come pick me up, asking if he can come over early so we can upload new CDs to my computer. Yeah, that's his excuse to see me early...ha ha. I had just finished getting ready and let him over. We uploaded one CD and went to the party. It was pretty fun. The food was tasty and I got to meet some people from his ward...including his bishop. After the food, there was something resembling a dance. We stuck around to see if it was any good, but we hated the music so we left. We checked the dollar theater but there weren't any movies we were particularly interested in seeing, so we went back to his house and watched Hidalgo. It was actually a pretty good movie. Then he had to get me home because it was late. A long date, but neither of us seemed to mind. Neither of us said "date", but we were sure as heck thinkin' it I'm sure.

Sunday, I gave my final Relief Society lesson (sad). It was actually my last Sunday in my ward, which makes me kind of sad. I've lived in the ward for two years. I'm going to miss it. I'm kind of scared about moving to Park Plaza because I'm not going to know ANYONE. It's almost like freshman year all over again. I'll still have friends around Provo, but it won't be the same. But I feel like I'm doing the right thing, but still. I'm not a fan of change, which is why I've stayed in the same apartment complex for two years. Ha ha. And hopefully a certain someone won't forget about me during the two weeks I'm gone ;)

In other news: my brother Craig is joining the Border Patrol. He's reporting to the training academy next Monday. My brother Scott is supposed to have his Eagle Scout Court of Honor this Saturday (Mom is still working on that). He also had his wisdom teeth out last Thursday, and is still recovering. My brother Paul is having shoulder surgery this week as well. My mom has been pretty darn busy. I'm pretty darn busy too, got to get back to work!

80 things you might not know about me...some time to kill for me

Whats your middle name? Elizabeth

How big is your bed? Twin

What are you listening to right now? Just the computers around me and people making small talk

What are the last 4 digits in your cellphone number? -- 6351

What was the last thing you ate? – Today was the Magnificent Meal lab in my cooking class. Lasagna, salad, roll, and strawberries...yum

Last person you hugged? – Andrea

How is the weather right now? – Hot and sunny

Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? – Mom

What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex? -- face and shoulders (for some odd reason)

Favorite type of Food? -- Japanese, Chinese, Italian

Do you want children? -- Yes.

Do you drink? – nope

Ever get so drunk you don't remember the entire night? -- I don't drink

Hair color? -- brown

Eye color? --brown

Do you wear contacts/glasses? – yes

Favorite holiday? -- Christmas (it's also my birthday!)

Favorite Season? -- the best parts of every one of them

Have you ever cried over a girl/boy? -- Not really, no

Last Movie you Watched? -- Ironman

What books are you reading? – Ha ha, several at once

Piercings? -- one in each ear

Favorite Movie? it depends on what mood I'm in

Favorite college football Team? I don't do football

What were you doing before filling this out? – checking stuff on the internet

Any pets? – no

Dogs or cats? -- cats

Favorite Flower? -- lilies, roses, tulips

Have you ever loved someone? – I love my family. I love my friends. Have I ever been in love? I'm not sure yet.

Who would you like to see right now? – I'd like to see my family. But I'd like to see a certain someone really soon...

Have you ever fired a gun? – Of course I have! I'm a Pedersen and a Texan.

Do you like to travel by plane? -- it's better than spending days in a car with annoying younger siblings

Right-handed or Left-handed? -- right

If you could go to any place right now where would you go? – To Houston--I'd love to see my family. But I'm going to see them next Friday!

Are you missing someone? -- A little bit.

Do you have a tattoo? -- No

Do you still watch cartoons on Saturday mornings? -- they stink these days

Are you hiding something from someone? – Maybe, maybe not

Are you 18? -- Thank heavens no.

What is the wallpaper on your cell phone? a clock tower

Did you get enough sleep last night? – eh. I had to get up earlier than usual today...

First thing you thought about this morning? - Do I have to get out of bed?

What do you have on your nightstand? – well, it's my dresser actually. My alarm clock, various odds and ends

Grilled or fried? – that depends

What makes you unique? -- Hmm...I was born Christmas Day. I have a freakishly good memory. I am good at remembering birthdays. I play the violin. And I'm me, doesn't that make me unique?

Are you afraid of the dark? – No.

Favorite Hangout? – Hmm, good question.

3 things you can't live without? – family, books, music

Favorite Song? – That depends on the day.

What are you afraid of? – Losing those closest to me.

Are you a giver or a taker? – giver

What are your nicknames? – Umm...none that are official.

What is your father's middle name? -- Rasmuson

What is your mother's middle name? -- Kay

If you were stuck on a deserted island, what one item would you want? Another very good question. My mom!!!!

Favorite TV Commercial? -- eh

Cell phone provider? -- AT&T

First thing you would save during a fire? my violin, probably. Or my laptop.

Whats your favorite color? -- purple, burgundy, blue, gray...strong colors, mostly

What are things you always take with you? -- phone, purse, wallet...etc.

What did you want to be when you were a kid? – a teacher

What do you usually do when the clock turns to 11:11? -- Oh dear, I probably should be in bed

The color of your bed sheets? -- cream colored with flowers on them

What do you think about before you go to bed? – I need to go to bed earlier...

it's the end of the term already?!

Yeah, pretty freaky. This term has gone by so fast! Spring term was the same way. I guess it's because I've had so much fun. Don't worry Mom, I've been studying. I'm moving out next Thursday; my uncle is making arrangements to get me moved since he's going to be out of town. Then I fly to Houston on August 15, spend a couple of weeks there, and then come back to Provo and move into Park Plaza.


So, last Friday, my friend had a Batman Begins party of sorts at his house. It was kind of a mission reunion, I suppose. The plan was to watch the movie in French since everyone there spoke French to a certain degree (French-speaking missionaries...duh). Or should I say...ben lo-lo!

It was pretty fun. I got to meet some of my friend's old mission buddies and that was pretty cool. I had them try to guess where I'm from just by the way I talk. One of them is a linguistics major, and had me say a sentence that would supposedly pinpoint where I am from. Well, after I said the sentence, he guessed that I was from somewhere in Utah. Boy was he wrong! One of the guys there was named Austin, so I pointed to him and said: "His name is the capitol of the state I'm from." One of the guys yelled: "Texas!!! I remember my state capitols!" I have to say, my friend has some hilarious mission buddies. And as it turns out, I wasn't the only girl in the end. Another guy came late and he brought a date...a French girl no less.