My America is...

As this semester comes to an end, I've been reflecting on most of my studies since my time at BYU is almost over. In one of my classes today, my professor asked us to finish this sentence, "My America is..." So I finished it and here is what, as and American studies student, my America is to me.

My America is just that, mine. 

Just as it belongs to all others, it belongs to me. 

While there are social and political trends that have defined America’s past, I get to define what America is to me. 

No other country affords that freedom of thought or interpretation. 

My America allows me to shape my future as I see it. 

My America has not always been fair, just, or moral; I don’t expect it to be. 

But it is my job and my duty to change what I can to better my America.

60 Years Into the Future...

First order of business... Emily is a brunette!

So we went to City Creek on Saturday and had a blast of course!  We love to window shop and imagine when we are rich enough to afford everything at Anthropologie.  It was not our most successful day of shopping since we only bought stuff from the stores we usually shop at in the mall 3 miles from our house.  But this was better since it was all the way down town and at a fancier mall, right?  The thing that made the whole trip worth is was meeting these two lovelies on the train ride home.

We actually met them when we were waiting for the train at City Creek when they sat down next to us, complaining about their aching legs right after we had got done complaining about our sore feet.  

So we chatted for a little while and then went our separate ways for the remainder of the time when we were at the train stop.  While we were waiting for the train, it started thundering, lightning and raining like crazy!  And we were sitting in a little metal box so we were a little scared.

And then Emily had to protect her brand new hurr...

Once we got on the train, we sat across from Sister Cutie Pie (the one on the right, aka "Future Chelsey"; and really, that is what the missionaries called her when her and her husband went on their mission to the Philippines) and Sister Sunshine-Talks-A-Lot (we didn't get a real name from her but she likes to talk and is super happy, aka "Future Emily").

We all talked the entire train ride and figured out that we have SO much in common.  And we are both super pleased with how we turn out when we are almost 80!  Still shopping with our best friend, leaving our husbands at home, and sharing inside jokes!

Here is a list of thing we have in common:

Future Chelsey takes a little while to warm up and get into a conversation, just like Present Chelsey.

Future Emily is the one who gets up and asks for directions and starts conversations, just like Present Emily.

They still go dancing with each other.

They still love shopping for bargains and buying matching merchandise, just like us. (They had matching friendship rings!)

They love waling around Anthropologie and looking at all of the pretty stuff but can't justify spending $150 dollars on a blouse, just like us.

We also found out some things about our future selves:

Future Chelsey breaks her back, which makes sense if you know how clumsy Chelsey is.

Future Emily gets cancer (but rocks it!), and Emily's pasty white skin probably would get skin cancer.

And our FAVORITE: they took a break from shopping to eat in the food court and look at the cute guys walking by!!

Don't we turn out adorable?!?

Love,

US

Funny for the day:

"Do you ever just stalk yourself on facebook?" ~Chelsey

"Can't say that I do." ~Emily

"Really?  I do it every day.  I just get bored and I'm more interesting than everyone else on facebook!" ~Chelsey

So, I'm not perfect...

Emily here,
 This post is about me feeling slightly guilty for being judgmental and more about me hoping to get some validation for my judgmental feelings.  I'm pretty sure as humans, none of us can get through an entire day without judging someone else; I just happen to be more equipped with lightning fast judgment reflexes.  I usually wish it wasn't that way but some times people just deserve it, right?
Example one: I was walking to the checkouts at Target today with my little basket with just three items (pretty impressive for Target, uh?).  So I'm just walking to the "fast checkout" that has the sign that says "fewer that 15 items."  I see that there is hardly a line and am so excited to go check out!  Just as I am about 10 feet away, this lady with a cart OVERFLOWING with groceries and clothes and household items gets in the lane right in front of me...(pause, for dramatic affect). I wish simple things like this didn't bug me but believe you me, they do.  So I muster up the dirtiest look I can while still being publicly acceptable.  Instead of going to the next line over, (which, to be honest, would have taken less time) I decided to wait behind her and stare at her while she unloaded her cart full of poptarts and spaghetti-o's, trying to make her feel as uncomfortable as I can all the while thinking that people like her should really just shop and WalMart.  Silly, right?  Oh well, I guess I'm not perfect after all.
Case in point #2:  This one I sincerely am a little more ashamed of since I judged someone about the way that they looked today.  I saw a middle aged woman today wearing hot pink, ti-dye leggings with nothing but a see through tank top on top.  I then thought to myself "how could you walk out of the house looking like that???"  Whenever I think that I always try to remind myself that maybe she was looking at me and thinking the exact same thing (which is impossible, of course since I was super cute today).  But the principle remains the same, I really need to stop judging others because who knows what people are judging me about.
Anyway, Chelsey finally came back from California but then she went to stupid work and then went to stupid camping and left me all by my stupid self :(  But she comes back this week!!!! YAY!

In other news: I TOOK MY LSAT!!  I went pretty well but now I just keep having these bad dreams where I get my results and I get the lowest score possible:/ I really want to know but at the same time, ignorance is bliss, right?


Love,
Emily

The Great Outdoors!

Heeeyyy! Chelsey here :) I think it’s safe to say that I’m not the best at posting on the blog… ok I really suck at it, sorry :/  Anyway, you know those super outdoorsy people who spend all their time with nature? Well not to brag or anything, but Emily and I are basically those people now.  Fine, we’re not quite on that level yet, but we’re getting there.  I mean the other day we hiked a waterfall… awesome, I know!  So, here are some pictures of all the fun we’ve been having in the sun…

At Bridal Veil Falls!

We're Awesome!

We went a little higher up and there was this beautiful rainbow, so obviously we had to take a picture!  Also, we were risking serious injury taking this picture.  Just before we went over there, a rock a little smaller than my fist fell from the waterfall and onto the ground... that could have been one of our heads...

Here we are livin' it up at Seven Peaks!  We all bought season passes, so we will be going here quite a bit this summer.  I think it's safe to say that we are going to be suuuuper tan!

Havin' a jam sesh in the car!  Speaking of cars, today there was some idiot motorcycle driver behind us and so I told Emily to flip him off, so she did.  After that he aggressively got in front of me and then immediately got in the other lane.  So, I start going faster and am slowly catching up with him.  While I was doing this, Emily was freaking out telling me to slow down because he will probably shoot us if we get too close. haha!  I'm happy to report that neither of us got shot :)

On a completely unrelated note, I got my wisdom teeth out last month... the drugs they gave me were great ;)

-- Chelsey

Sometimes We Are Kinda Boring

Emily here...
Recently, our lives have been a little boring. (I almost just typed "our LIFE" because we basically do everything together.)  Last week we finished our finals!! YAY!  Neither of us did as well as we would have hoped but I'm pretty sure that is true of every college student every single semester.  But hey, WE ARE DONE!  We are both officially seniors in college (which is super creepy and weird; I swear I just started my freshman year).

This is us the weekend of finals...I swear my roots aren't that bad, there is just something with the lighting!!  Aren't we such attractive and dedicated students?

This past weekend, we got to finally have a little fun.  We went to the mall and got matching "workout" shorts (we only use them for lounging and sleeping but at least we look cute doing it!).  Chesley was angry at me because I got two pairs in different colors and only paid $4.44!!!  Can you believe it?  Chels only got one pair and paid more than I did;)  That is what she gets for wearing average sized bottoms!

While we were at the mall, Chelsey needed to get her phone fixed (a super long and complicated story that really deserves its own post).  Afterwards, we went for a little walk and got slushies and sat in front of the library and got some good books to read!!

Here is us in our cute matching sunglasses!

Since finals have finished, I have gotten a full time job (YAY MONEY!!) and I've been studying for the LSAT (YAY MORE STUDYING!!!)  When I get home from work, I try to do the right thing and study but I'll admit that I sometimes find myself watching Law and Order reruns or reading books off of my New Years Resolution Reading List.  (more on that later...basically I made a goal for myself to read a certain amount of books this year...going well so far but it deserves a post on it's own!)  But can you blame me for getting distracted??  I come home to study and I can't always decipher my own notes! EX:

It took me a while to remember what "replace unless w/ or" means...

To wrap up this very scattered post...CHELSEY IS LEAVING ME:(  She thinks that it is ok to go home for a whole month while I'm stuck here in Provo.  How RUDE!!  I can't believe she thinks she can do that...

Love, 

Emily

Our True Love...

We have a dilemma, we are in love with the same boy!!  Another problem...he's 2.

This Friday, we got to spend the afternoon with this cutie.  Just in case that face isn't enough, here is a list of reasons why we love Andrew:

1. He steals our juice and drinks out of both of the cups.  In between drinks, he clinks the cups together and says, "CLINK!"

2. He looks like a poster child for the parks and recreation department!

3.  He actually plays with us at the park instead of running away from us.

4.  He has a good digestive system.

AKA: he stops playing for a good 20 seconds in order to poop his diaper.

5. He makes us laugh like crazy!

6. Basically, he is just the cutest kid on the block and we are so lucky that we get to hang out with him!

P.S.

He would go down the slide with Chelsey, but not with Emily.

(notice him running away in the background)

♫ We Are Family ♫

This is Chelsey :) I'm posting because Emily threatened me through a hashtag on Instagram (#chelseybetterpostnextorelse), but also because I wanted to share the wonderful week I had with my family :)

So Megan and my Mom came to visit, it was the last time I really got to spend time with Megan before she left on her mission.  I may have cried when they left, but Megan's going to be doing amazing things in California, and 18 months will go by fast, right? Let's hope so...

While they were here, we took Megan missionary clothes shopping. Doesn't she make an adorable missionary?!

My beautiful mom :) She does so much for me, and I'm so grateful and very blessed to have her as a mom, she really is the best!

Meg and me... man, I'm going to miss seeing that pretty face of hers.  Well, I guess I'll see it in pictures she sends home, so I guess I can live with that... maybe...

So, during the visit, Megan showed me Court's senior picture. How gorgeous is she?! I can't believe she is graduating!

Megan turned 19 during her visit.  Do you like the wrapping paper Emily and I picked for her present, cute right? ;) I mean, who doesn't like creepy looking teddybears?

Uncle Tom bought Meg a cake so we could celebrate her birthday right, and it was delicious if I do say so myself!

This was the Sunday after my mom and Meg left.  My uncle Tom invited Lindsay and I over for Easter dinner.  This is Hannah, me, and Lindsay before going to church.  I'm pretty sure good looks run in the family, am I right or am I right?! ;)

Peace Out, 

Chelsey