You say you never had it so good.

School's out for...WINTER! 

I finished my first year of college. I'm a sophomore! WHAT?! I know it's really not that big of a deal...but growing up, I always used to think that college went on forever and it didn't seem like there would ever be an end. Four years seemed like an eternity! But what do you know? It went by in the blink of an eye. Like did this year even happen? Haha. Obviously it did. And let me tell ya, it has been one HECK of a rollercoaster ride!! I've learned so much since I first started. My heart is just so full and I am so grateful. 

Here a just a few of the things I have learned during my first year at BYU-Idaho:

There is value in loneliness.

My Book of Mormon teacher this semester blew my mind every single day. He has such a sweet spirit and seems to always know exactly what I needed to hear each day. One of the things He said this semester that hit me the hard was that there was value in loneliness. This semester was definitely one filled with many hardships and there were many times that I felt alone. Of course, I knew I really wasn't, but sometimes that's just how I felt. Everyone feels that way sometimes. So here it is: It gives us a taste of what Christ experienced, it turn us to God, and it helps us remember that there is one place we can always go when I'm feeling alone and that one place always has what I need (prayer).

Enjoy each moment. 

Life goes by so ridiculously fast. It breaks my heart. I'm trying my best to appreciate every moment I'm given because life is constantly changing and nothing will ever be the same. These last few months definitely were not the easiest. There were a few really low points where I just wanted nothing more than to get out of Rexburg and go home. Looking back, it makes me sad that I was so anxious to go home. There were so many good things going for me! So many good people who loved me and cared for me. When I go back in the spring, it's going to be completely different!

 I am so blessed.

I mean, I always heard I was blessed. I thought I knew I was blessed, but I don't think I was able to fully comprehend it until I got to college. I have an incredible family, I always have my Savior and Heavenly Father to turn to, I have wonderful friends who help build me up and bring out the good and fun in me that I seem to keep hidden oftentimes, I attend a school where I can constantly be feeling the Spirit and am surrounded by students just like me who are striving to become disciples of the Lord. Me and Nahiomi were talking on our way to Utah last night about how incredible it is that we are students at BYU-Idaho. I know that's where I'm supposed to be.

I'm gonna miss this a whole lot!

We were trying to do a Rexburg gang sign... yeah, it didn't work. 

Oh how I love Coley! Sweetest soul ever. I am so grateful I got to get to know her better this semester! I love you Coley!!!

Me and Nahiomi in our KP shirts. Haven't taken them off since we bought them. For realzzz.

I'm going to miss this girl like no other!!! My heart hurts because I already miss her so much. Who knows when I'll see her again. :( I am SO grateful for her. I love you Nahiomi!!! I'm so excited for you and all of the adventures you have ahead of you!

I love this place. 

Until next time, Rexburg.  

P.S. I used my amateur Adobe Illustrator skills to make my new header. That's my actual head! Haha. I obviously have a lot to learn still, but I'm pretty proud of how it came out! It turns out I actually am in love with my major.

Stoned.

Do you remember when I was 13 and I got a kidney stone at girls camp and then made an overdramatic blog post about it?

"K so I went to Beehive Camp on Tuesday right? Right. Wednesday Afternoon: Oh my goodness gracious!!!! My side hurts soooo freakin bad!!!! There was a pediatrician at camp with us so he checked me out but he wasnt helping! He just said it was a digestion problem! ARE YOU FLIPPIN KIDDING ME?????? The pain was with me for about an hour and a half, IT WAS THE WORST PAIN I HAVE EVER FELT IN MY ENTIRE LIFE! Then I took a bath and the pain was gone! Thank goodness! :) 

Thursday Afternoon: So we're driving home from camp right? About 30 min. into the drive I start feeling the pain AGAIN! But we're not even close to arriving at home! I was just about screaming! Ashley was trying to help me as much as she could but there was not much she could do! She was rubbing my back to try to calm me down and every time we went on a turn or over a bump it would just make me feel worse so she was holding me down to make sure I wouldn't move around as much! Thx Ashley! And thx to everyone else that was helping me! 

So I FINALLY get home and my mom takes me to the doctor! You know, I thought the doctor would actually help more but guess what she said my problem was??! She said I should go to the bathroom more often! ARE YOU FLIPPIN KIDDING ME????? I go to the freakin bathroom enough!!!!!!!! Golly! And my doctor said to go get x-rays done. So, I did...Almost. I was sitting in the waiting room, waiting to get my x-rays. I was hurting soooooooooo bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The ppl working at the x-ray place just said to wait and they'll get us in asap but I could NOT wait ANY longer!!! A paramedic was sitting in the waiting room also he said, "I'm sorry to eavesdrop but I am a paramedic and I think you should get her to the ER because she looks like she is in an extreme amount pain." 

So...off to the ER! Except when we were driving over there it stopped hurting! So not the greatest timing cuz they couldnt see how bad it hurt! But anyway they put me in a room and the doc said "I'm pretty sure she has a kidney stone." This might sound weird but I was glad that he said that and not that it was just digestion problemos!! After about an hour of watching TV and texting, I got an IV. After another hour of lots of TV and even more texting, I got a CT Scan or Catscan. Then after 45 min. of more TV, they said that I definatley had a kidney stone. It measured 2-3 millimeters. Digestion problems! Yeah right!! Ouchie!!! They gave me a perscription for some pain medication and so I finally left the hospital and we went to Walgreen's to get me my medicine! It would take about 20 minutes until it was ready so my mom took me home to go to the bathroom because they put a ton of fluids through my IV. Right as I got home I was hurting again!! PERFECT TIMING!!! Ahh! Anyway I took my medicine and took another bath to calm me down, then I went to bed! WOOOOO CRAZZZZZYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!! Life is tough!!!"

Round 1. 2007.

Then do you remember when I got another one the day after my 16th birthday? (Didn't blog about that one...haha.)


Then do you remember how last Monday I got another one? Haha. Yeah. That happened. Well, now I'm going to write yet another overdramatic blog post about it. 

'Twas a typical Monday evening. I had just gotten back from the store, was watching a little Ellen... 

Then I started gradually getting a pain in my side... I asked Elyse if she had any Ibuprofen that I could take because at this point, it just felt like a little cramp that I thought would go away. She went to go grab it and out of nowhere, the pain became completely intolerable...I called my mom to ask what I should do. While I was on the phone with her, it became very clear that I had another kidney stone...Are you joking? Like, for reals, this is a joke. I asked Elyse if she could take me to the ER, and she went to go grab her car.

Meanwhile, I was on the ground moaning and crying. Haha. Eventually, Elyse (bless her heart! Don't know what I would've done without her!) came with the car and we were on our way to the Madison Memorial Hospital in Rexburg. I was having a really rough time walking, moving, breathing, living, etc. Haha. JK. But seriously... 

I got into a room at the ER, got asked a bunch of insurance questions, peed in a cup, got my IV hooked up...all that good stuff. After a solid hour, which basically seemed like eternity, they finally gave me pain meds. It was probably the most glorious thing I have ever experienced. I felt better REAL fast. Haha. I felt super weird. I got a CT Scan. I was starting to get super loopy at this point...but I felt so great! Haha. 

The rest is kind of a blur... I was really out of it. I remember hysterically laughing and then bawling my eyes out for no reason. I wish someone was recording! Haha. Props to Elyse for staying with me and dealing with me :)

I tried getting up and leaving after about an hour on the medication, but when I sat up, I felt really sick again. So I just laid back down and got even more medication and just laid there for a while.

Coley and my friend Matt came to the hospital to visit me! It was super nice of them. They had just left our ward's Christmas party (which I was seriously bummed I had missed). Matt won the ugly sweater contest (he was wearing a Utah Jazz sweatshirt hahaha) and he gave me his prize--a cute little chocolate penguin. Haha. So nice!

Eventually, I was on my way out of there! I headed to Walgreens to pick up my prescription. Poor Coley took me and had to deal with me. She helped me walk across the parking lot and then let me lay down on her lap when I was feeling really nauseous. 

When I got home, Matt and my awesome home teacher Kyle came over to give me a blessing--which I am super grateful for! Then I went to bed and proceeded to be OUT for a solid two days. 

What an adventure. 

P.S. 6 days until I go HOME.  

PHX to IND to...BDL?

"PHX to IND" has been something I've been saying for the past few years that I think explains my life perfectly.

"PHX": So many memories. I grew up here! I went to Elementary school, middle school, and part of high school here. I met some of my best friends here. All of my family is here. I love this place.
"to": The" to" is huge. The transition phase! Lots of growing happened during this phase. Heartbreak, tears (both happy and sad), confusion, happiness, sadness, etc. Feel free to blog stalk me and look at all of those posts while I was going through the transition.
"IND": I guess you could say that this phase of my life was still a transition phase. Lots of hardships, but definitely some very happy times. I've made some life-long friends here. I graduated from high school here! It wasn't until recently in this phase (this past August to be exact...) that I fully accepted Indiana as my home. I love Indiana. I don't care what anyone says. Haha.

Then of course there was the "to BYUI," but we're just going to save that part for another blog post because there's something a little bit more exciting to talk about!

You probably noticed the "to BDL" part of my title. Let's talk about that.


BDL: This airport code kind of throws off my whole little saying...because how the heck are you supposed to know that Bradley International Airport (BDL) is in Hartford, Connecticut?


If I haven't made it clear enough, the Burns family is moving to Connecticut. I feel like we just did this. Hm, weird. That's probably because...WE JUST DID!

My mom casually called me on Thursday night and we just had an ordinary conversation. Then my mom said, "Oh! Dad just came in! He wants to talk to you." I knew something was about to go down...I overheard the boys gathering. "Okay, this is serious." Haha. He got on the phone and started talking about work...oh man, I know where this is going! There were so many things running through my mind. I just couldn't focus on anything he was saying because I knew he was about to say something good! After all, I've experienced this before. I'm basically a pro.

Eventually, he broke the news! I could hear the boys' reactions in the back. I just kept thinking, "wait, what?!?"

This move is definitely going to be much different than the Indiana move! Obviously I'm at school in Idaho for most of the year, so it really doesn't affect me that much. But...

1. I JUST accepted that Indiana was my home. Good freakin' timing! Haha. And...
2. Obviously when we moved to Indiana, we went to visit Arizona because all of our family is there. But Indiana...who knows when the heck we will visit! Which makes me sad...because I love that place.


So I guess as of June 2014, Connecticut is my new home-base. Who knows what the heck I will say when people ask me where I'm from... As if I wasn't confused enough already!!!

Even though our time in Indiana was limited, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

PHX...

to IND...

to BDL.

 Then who knows where... :)


Congrats to my Daddy for being awesome and progressing in his work! He is the hardest working man I know. Shout out to him. I love you Dad!!! Congratulations!

Here we go again!

Road Trippin'

Props to Nahiomi for the title.

Did Thanksgiving Break even happen? I'm sitting here thinking to myself that it must have been one of the shortest ever... just a few more days would have been nice, Kim B!! C'mon! 

Ya know, it was a weird Thanksgiving. The days leading up to the break were difficult because I knew that I wouldn't be spending it with my family. (And it didn't help a whole lot that my grandparents and aunt & uncle flew to Indiana...I was just missin' out on a whole lot!) Anyways, I eventually told myself that I needed to stop being sad...after all, there are only 3 more weeks until I go HOME for my off-track (AKA...my summer break). I'm sorry, WUT. 

Coley, Nahiomi, and I drove down to Logan on Wednesday! I was so ready for a break. I cannot even explain to you. I love Rexburg with all my heart, but sometimes you've just gotta get out! 

Once we got to Logan, we met Coley's sweet grandparents and cousins in Logan! She stayed with them, then Nahiomi and I stayed with her family's friends, the Pratts. They are such a fun family! 

We had a great Thanksgiving dinner! ...but I sure did miss my mom's homemade roll and pie...man oh man. That's okay! It was just a dream to be eating a nice home-cooked meal! We don't get a whole lot of those up here! Haha. 

Just a few of the things the rest of the trip consisted of...

An insane amount of laughter

Countless jam sessions

Explosive sour skittles

Jump roping for the first time in years 

Shopping til we dropped

Seeing the lights at Temple Square and crying because it was so beautiful and because I'm so grateful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

McDonald's forgetting to put the chocolate in Nahiomi's hot chocolate

Experiencing Red Bull for the first time (it works)

Messing with some dudes in at IHOP that were trying to hit on us

Giving makeovers to the Pratt girls

Purchasing some absolutely necessary Katy Perry shirts

So many things going wrong that we had no choice but to laugh

Partyin' it up and livin' life to it's fullest!

I'm not even going to explain this picture. Just use your imagination...haha.

The Pratt's beautiful backyard! I wouldn't mind waking up to this every morning. 

All of my pictures of the lights are blurry. :( I guess you'll just have to go and see for yourself how beautiful they are!

Me and Nahiomi tried to take selfies with the Idaho sign and it was a massive failure.

Sometimes Idaho is so beautiful that I have no other choice but just stare in awe and cry a little bit.

Well, that's a wrap! Definitely a trip to remember. 

Nineteen more days, people. NINETEEN.