The final days!

Well since I am sick of studying...permanently. I decided to get on here and do the last 2 days of my 30 Day Challenge!

All of the apple juice I have inhaled today should serve my blogging fingers well.

Day 29-In this past month, what have you learned?

Hmm...what have I learned?

I learned that blogging is really fun.

I learned that writing is very therapeutic.

I learned that it's alright to be vulnerable through your writing.

I learned that I am more grateful for my life than I previously realized.

I loved doing this blogging challenge this past month. It was really fun!

This and this were my 2 favorite posts from the month!

Day 30-Your favorite song

"I Wanna Dance With Somebody" by Whitney Houston.

I love Whitney! She's such a powerhouse!

Sometimes I love to just belt out her songs!

The other night a girl at the treatment center and I were singing her songs while mopping...it was divine.

But, for some reason I just love this song. It will always put me in a better mood and you can't help but move! Love it!

Please just bask in the gloriousness of her hair, makeup, and clothing!

So long 30 Day Challenge! You've been grand.

Now I have to actually start thinking of things to write about again...

Dia Veinte Ocho

Day 28-A picture of you from last year and now-how have you changed?

This a picture from one of Krista's first photo shoots ever! We got up in the wee hours of the morning of September 2009, did my makeup, picked out a few outfits, and headed up the canyon. It was so much fun! I felt kinda stupid sometimes cause I'm no Tyra. She's fierce. But it was still fun...even changing on the side of the road with people passing by.

As I look at this picture it's weird how I think I can see what others may not. I see loneliness. I see emptiness. I see searching. I see hurt. I see wrestling. Yes, I look content, peaceful, and ok...Kris made me look pretty, but I can see so much more in my eyes, which is why I picked this photo out of all the others from that shoot. The others I am hiding it fairly well. That or Krista is just so dang good. I'll go with the latter. The point is I was lonely. I was empty. I was searching. I was hurt. And I was wrestling a battle inside. Yeah, it had been a year since I broke of my engagement, but I was still not over it. Sure, I would plaster on a smile and tell everyone I was ok. But I wasn't. I still cried and writhed in pain at night before falling asleep from exhaustion. This might seem ridiculous, but I just couldn't shake what had happened. I feel. I feel deeply. I feel extremely deep. So when you feel extremely deep about someone and they betray you and your life falls into shambles, it's not an overnight fix. Or a month fix. Or even a 6 month fix. And to tell you the truth, I cried about it not even a few weeks ago. Not because I'm still in love with him, but when I remember how I used to feel each and every day it brings me to tears. Perhaps someday I'll write everything that I felt the day it actually happened. I finally just wrote about it in my journal. I hadn't written in my journal in over 2 years because I couldn't. It was too hard. But I got the impression I needed to write down my experience for posterity's sake. So I did. And you better believe it is detailed and maybe tears were rolling down my face while writing it.

This was the post Krista wrote on the day it happened.

And here is the rest of the photo shoot.

And this is a picture that was snapped of me not too long ago. By Krista once again. We had a roommate photo shoot and amidst the group shots, we got to be a solo model for a few snaps. Twas lovely and I always love when Kris takes pictures. Again, I'm not Tyra, but I try. The photo shoot was a blast, even with the hobo that was down this very alleyway. It was such a fun morning and my roommates are still talking about it and having the pics as profile pics.

I feel like this picture captures better who I am today. I am sure. I am confident. I am happy. I am full. I have light. It looks like the hours of studying with BYU religion professors, the hours spent on my knees, the kindness of friends, the prayers of family, and just chuggin' through life got me here. Sure I have my hard times. Who doesn't? The difference is that those times last a minute compared to the anguish I felt for 20 or so months. Course, I really do have to thank a special person. Yes, I know who you're all thinking. No y'all, it's not Justin Bieber! Though he has brought much joy to my life. :) I have to thank my sweetheart, Alex. He has been such a blessing. He restored my trust in boys. He showed me what it meant to be a Priesthood holder. And he taught me how to love again. He brings so much happiness to my life every single day. He makes me laugh. He treats me so well. So thank you family, friends, roommates, home teachers, professors, Alex, and of course my Savior & Heavenly Father for getting me from there to here.

To see the rest of the Green Gables Roommate Photo Shoot click here.

And to hire Krista as your photographer go here. Do it. You won't regret it!

BYU vs. Utah game today! C'mon Cougs! Do what I know you can do! RAWRRR!!

Day 27 & Black Friday!

Day 27-Why you are doing this 30 day challenge?

Hmm....Why AM I doing this challenge? Well, I figured it was a good way to share some different insights that I may not have otherwise shared. The topics have been interesting enough where I feel that hopefully you, as a reader, have learned more about who I am as a person and who I would like to become in the future. It has been fun and I'm glad I have a few days left!

Hopefully those of you who ventured out into the crazy world of Black Friday made it out alive! I had to work at the Russe today...who had great sales if I do say so myself. EVERYTHING was either 25% or 50% off. Hello greatness! I for one bought a coat when my shift was over since it was going to be an additional 10% off what I normally receive as an employee. Strangely the mall was not as crazy as it has been in years past. Last year I was at the register for 5 hours non stop ringing up people. I had breaks every 3-5 transactions. It was odd. But whatever.

And I'm sorry, but I have to get on a soapbox for just one moment. Ok, so Charlotte Russe raises money for St. Jude's Children's Hospital every Christmas season. We start asking for donations on Black Friday. You can donate as little as a dollar or as much as 50 dollars. (yeah, good luck getting 50 bucks.) People were SO stingy today! Oh my word! I couldn't believe it. They would have bags overflowing from Nordstrom, GAP, Macy's, American Eagle, etc...and currently buying over $100 at CR and you can't donate one lousy dollar to help children you are dealing with terminal diseases? You do get a coupon for CR if you donate, which would turn around about 50% of people who originally said no. So they were not donating out of the goodness of their heart, but out of greediness to get the coupon. It was driving me crazy! The thing that really got me was that teenagers would donate without thinking about it and mothers would say no. Great example you are. Ok...I'm done. Anyways, if someone asks you at a register if you would like to donate to a charity this season, please do it. The charities need it more than you do. If you would like to donate any money to St. Jude's, let me know! I will gladly take it in to CR and put it in the donations! Plus we're all competing to see who can bring in the most money! I won last year! I raised $187...which isn't a TON, but it made me feel good and when those commercials came on with Jennifer Aniston and Robin Williams, I felt warm inside. So yeah, let me know if you want to donate!

I'm off my soapbox now. After work I did venture out around the mall and other surrounding strip malls to see if there were any killer deals going on. I found some. First stop was the CR since I was there. I got my $50 coat for half off! As well as these comfy sleepers half off as well! I walked around the mall, but nothing really caught my eye. So I went on to Shoe Carnival and Best Buy. Shoe Carnival was great! They had awesome deals going on. I got these boots and these moccasins for $40! At Nordstrom I would've paid $250 for both. Yes, they would've been Uggs, but that's besides the point. They basically look the same! Best Buy didn't really have anything, plus it was nuts in there so I got out pretty quick. My last stop was to F.y.e. to see if I could finish out my Friends and Reba collection. They were successful in the Friends department! It is now complete! And they were only $15 a season! I still need one more season of Reba, but those seasons were on sale for $10! I was in heaven! I was done shopping. I feel like I can't shop like I used to, which I suppose is a good thing! :) I keep getting asked what I want for Christmas and I just don't know. I can never think of anything. But I suppose that can be a later post. Toodles!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ok...so obviously i need to post something Thanksgiving-y. And on this Day 26 of my 30 Day Challenge I get to talk about why I like my friends.

I wish I could go on and on about each individual friend, but that would take all day...and I need to take a shower. So I will sum it up by saying that my friends are the best friends ever. They are there when I need them. They care a whole bunch. They make me happy. They make me laugh. They make me cry. I can talk to them for hours. Every single friend came into my life at the right time when I needed them the most. Some come in and out and back in and back out. Some have come and stuck. Some came for just a few months. All of them served a purpose. I'm grateful for the concept of friends and that the Lord has seen fit to give me such awesome friends!

And it is Thanksgiving. I need to give thanks for the things in my life that I am grateful for: [in no particular order.]

Life. Love. Gospel. Atonement. Family. Friends. Boyfriend. Happiness. Music. Dancing. Exercising. Birthdays. My car. BYU. Footy Pajamas. Hot showers. Beach. Chocolate milk. Nail polish. Braves. Life experiences. Education. Notes. Hope. Christmas. Christmas music. Hugs & Kisses. Charity. Sunny days. Warm blankets. Late night talks. Shoes. Scriptures. Communication. Positivity. Breakfast. Eternity. Laughter. Prophets. Flowers. Good grades. iPod. Health. Road trips. Pillows. Being tan. Photos. Romance. Electricity. Temples. And my jobs. [even though I am a tad sad I have to go into the treatment center today. At least it's time and a half. And at least I have a job...3 jobs. I should stop complaining.]

I love watching this on Thanksgiving. Hope yours is full of love, laughter, and food!

day before day of giving thanks!

Day 24 - A letter to my parents

Hmm...a letter to my parents. I LOVE my parents! Yes, at times I know I am not as grateful as I should be towards them, but I am always knocked back into place by some sort of event and I realize how selfish I am. It makes me so sad when some of the girls at work hate their parents and complain about them...sometimes they have a right to, but lots of times they are just being brats. I have a huge fear of my children hating me now, but that's besides the point. The point is a letter.

Dear Daddy & Mama,

Y'all are seriously some rockin parents! I see some parents come through at New Haven with their daughters and it makes me more and more grateful for y'all. Thank you for always being willing to sacrifice for us. Thank you for always putting the girls and I first. Thank you for joining the church so that you could raise us in the gospel. Thank you for having a strong and loving marriage. Thank you for cuddling and expressing love with each other. Thank you for all of the back rubs while being sick, lullabies sung, hands held, laps to sit in, music & dancing, late night talks, boat rides, jokes & laughter, and most importantly...for creating a family. I know once I get my own family I'll be even more grateful, but for now, know that I am so thankful that you two are my parents and things that may have seemed to go unnoticed, were not. Y'all are rockstars. Keep rockin it! I love y'all so much!

Love, Kayc

Day 25-What I would find in your bag

Depending on the day, my bag could be quite the scary things or quite the pleasant experience. I usually clean my purse out about once a month. However, my bag is never too exciting. Just the usual: wallet, camera, receipts, gum wrappers, chap stick, loose change, work IDs, pens, Sudoku (you never know when you may need something to do), and hair bands. Every once in awhile something exotic could creep in like a jar of peanut butter or a hairbrush. I'll tell you whose purse is great is my friend, Brittany's. I swear she has a Mary Poppins bag! I loved living with her Freshman year and being friends with her all during high school because she would have whatever you were in need of! Need a spoon or fork? Go to Britt's purse. Need lotion? Go to Britt's purse. Need a monkey wrench? Go to Britt's purse. It. Was. Awesome.

Day 22 & 23...

Day 22-What makes you different from everyone else:

Gosh, I don't know. I can stick my fist in my mouth. Does that count? Somehow I feel like it doesn't. I get this one a lot from people: I am genuine. I genuinely care about others. My supervisor at New Haven as well as my administrator for EFY both have told me they love having me because I am genuine in everything I do. I work with the youth because I honestly care about their wellbeing and want to give them awesome experiences. And that is true. Trust me, working at New Haven is not a walk in the park all the time. (Like Sat night when a girl was breaking everything she could see...including the school's laptop.) However, the glimpses you see of improvement or the hugs they give when going off to bed make it all totally worth it. I love those girls with everything I am. EFY is a little easier since most of the youth there are more stable. It does get hard from the lack of sleep and other obstacles that come, but I do want those youth to have the time of their lives and know their Savior loves them. I don't know how different that is from others, but...

Day 23-Something you crave for a lot

If you had asked me this question freshman year I would have replied: chocolate milk! For sure! My friend, Beth, and I were obsessed! I'm pretty sure I had BYU Creamery Chocolate Milk twice a day all Freshman year...hence the Freshman 12, which I'm still paying for...HA.

However, nowadays I have realized something about myself. I don't really have food cravings unless someone puts the idea in my head. The thing I crave is love. I always want to be feeling cared about, wondered about, and that I'm important to those around me. It's not that I'm insecure in who I am. Cause I am. I love being me...most days. I think it goes back to me being the baby of the family. That spot sets you up very nicely to being the source of much love. That's the way it's always been my whole life. I was the recipient of a lot of love. Which does awesome things for a person's life. I've seen a lack of love shown to some of the girls at New Haven and they do not do well with it. So I definitely am grateful for it. I just do honestly crave love though. I want hugs. I want notes. I want texts. I want kind words. I want time with people I love. However, I love turning that love right back around and giving it back. I want to give hugs. I want to write notes. I want to send texts. I want to say kind words and give my time to those I love. I can always feel the lack of love in my life when things get crazy. I do not like it. Something I am most grateful for is the love I feel from my Heavenly Father and Savior. I don't always receive the love like I should, but they're always extending it and I just need to accept.

Happiness and Sara Bareilles!

This day is supposed to be a picture of something that makes me happy!

And I have chosen to present you with this pic:

SARA BAREILLES CONCERT!! Look on her...ON the piano! Seriously?!

My roommates and some friends ventured up to The Venue in SLC to go see this INCREDIBLE lady tear it up! I mean really?! She played the piano the majority of the time while singing, but she also played the guitar for a few songs, and then as you can see above even got on the piano...which was blue by the way. I am now determined to have a blue piano in my house someday! It was sick. Sara is one of the BEST performers I have ever seen. She is amazing at getting the audience engaged and yearning for more! Not to mention she is freakin' hilarious! Afterwards Ash and I were like, "I wanna be her friend!" All of her songs are so thought provoking and emotion ripping. I definitely got teary-eyed. Oh my gosh I love her! I want to see her any chance I can now get! I respected her more before, but wow...even more so now!

I know I'm totally gonna butcher this, but I think these are the songs she performed (in a slight semblance of order):

Vegas

Uncharted

Gonna Get Over You

Hold My Heart

Machine Gun

Love Song

Basket Case

King of Anything

Bottle It Up

Let the Rain

Fairytale

Gravity

Kaleidoscope Heart

Many the Mile

Every version was more incredible than the track! Things were different and her vocals were amazing! She was seriously flawless! If you can't tell....Sara has changed me. She's so inspiring. I think my favorite part of her inspiration was when she was talking about why she titled this latest album Kaleidoscope Heart. She was saying how all of us are like a Kaleidoscope. A Kaleidoscope is a bunch of broken glass, but then when you look through it you see brilliance and light even through all of those shattered and torn bits and pieces. Hello, inspiring! And I will say I was kind of a mess when she did Gravity. I listened to that song every day for months when I was going through my whole Dan thing. I wanted to give him up so bad, but somehow he had a hold on me and would drag me down. So that song really tugs at my heart. It brings back a lot of feelings...not necessarily bad, but just feelings of hurt and being broken. She was fantastic! Go see her if you have a chance!

Nickynames and such.

Day 19-Nicknames you have and why you have them

I LOVE nicknames! I think they're so endearing and make life fun! But, Wow, where do I begin?! I have been donned many nicknames over the years. It seems that every person close to me has picked something to call me.

Daddy: "Squirt" Yeah, not sure where that one came from. Probably cause I was so cute and cuddly and little that the only word left to call me is Squirt.

Mama: I remember she always used to call me "Peanut" which I'm assuming is once again cause I was so cute! ;)

Krista: She has and probably always will call me "Baby." I am far from a literal baby, but being the baby of the family puts that on you for all time.

Karly: I'm sure growing up she did not call me nice nicknames. Maybe I've blocked them from my memory. HA! It doesn't look like it now, but once upon a time Kar and I did NOT get along. We were kinda brutle to each other. But once Kris went on her mission we seemed to bond and we were attached ever since. So then she called me and still does call me, "Princess."

Friends in my Stake growing up: I got called "Kaycie Quillo" or just "Quillo" since my middle name is Quilhot. I'm pretty sure my friend, Amber Lanier, started it and everyone liked it. I also got the name "Tinky Winky" from my Stake friends. Well, maybe I peed my pants 3 years in a row at Girl's Camp. You would think maybe 12, 13, & 14? Nope! 15, 16, & 17. I'm just that awesome.

Adam: Adam and I were besties when I was growing up. He was 3 years older than me, but we were still way tight and always hung out at Stake activities and then some. I'm not sure where this started either, but he has and I'm pretty sure always will call me "Shorty."

Sometime in high school my best friends, Katie & Brittany, started calling me "Kayc Face." I think that is actually the nickname that has lasted the longest. People from all different friend circles call me that. I like it.

Ashley Kay: I'm not sure why or how it started, but she always calls me "Sweet Kaycie." But no one can say it like she does. I know this is so cheesy, but it is so comforting inside when she says it. Sometimes it's when we're being funny and sometimes when we're just hanging, but either way, it's great.

And lastly, everyone that is close with me calls me "Kayc." I LOVE IT! I seriously love when people say "Kayc." It means we're friends. It means you feel comfortable enough to call me that. However, I am particular. If I don't like you, don't call me that! I know that seems ridiculous, but it bugs me when people think we're tight, when in reality, we're not really. Ha. So unless you get a death glare from me, you can call me Kayc! :)

Day 20-Someone you see yourself marrying or being with in the future.

I see myself being with this good lookin' fella!

I love this Foster guy of mine. He is the best guy in the entire world. I truly have been blessed to have him in my life. I know he went to Georgia/SC on his mission to bless the lives of those that maybe no other Elder could, but I also like to believe he got sent there so we could meet and ultimately end up together. The Lord truly has a plan and if we're righteous we can obtain all the awesome things he has in store. Like Alex and I meeting for instance! Alex is so good to me and strives every single day to be better. Everyone loves him. Seriously...everyone! He brings life to anything and once you get him talking, watch out! :) I love when people first meet him and say he's quiet. HA....right...you don't even know. He always has a story for everything and will make you laugh! He brings so much joy to my life and I couldn't ask for anything better. Not to mention I just wanna kiss his face off! ;)

Day 17 & 18!

Day 17-Someone I would want to switch lives with for one day and why?

Hmm...this is interesting. Do I wanna know what it's like to be a boy? Do I wanna know what it's like to be a different race? Do I wanna know what it's like to be in a different country? So many options! There are billions of people in this world! For looks wise I would go with Carrie Underwood or Nicole Scherzinger. Cause let's be honest...they're smokin'.

However, if I had one day as anybody it would be one of Bill Gates' children. Not so I can meet Bill Gates, cause I'm not too interested in that. He's cool, but whatevs...I just want his wallet for one day! I just want to know what it's like to be so rich that you don't know what to do with the money. Not that I'm a gold digger or anything, but some days it would be so nice to just buy whatever I wanted and not think twice about it. Does that sound shallow? Probably. I should be thinking more about giving it to starving families or building schools in Africa. Well ok...I'd do that too. I'd donate a hefty amount to charities and then I'd go shopping to celebrate the cheer. I want to know what it feels like to buy a $1,000 bag and shoes that are ridiculously expensive. Well, it's true. I would want that. But the thing is...I don't want it for more than one day. Once is enough. I think being THAT rich would get old. Maybe I'm wrong? I dunno...cause I've never been that loaded. But I'm pretty content with my poor, college student life. It's fun, it's exciting, it's stressful, it's youthful, it's me. One day would be enough, and then I'll go back to my $35 jacket from Target.

Day 18-Plans/Dreams/Goals you have.

Wow, this is tough. I've wanted for quite some time to create a Bucket List of things I want to do before I die. I just haven't gotten to it yet, but I will. So for now here are some of these Plans.Dreams.Goals that I have:

-Get Married to this boy I'm sorta in love with. (And by sorta I mean, holy wow I am.)

-Have cute little babies that will think I'm the best mother in the world.

-Teach dance because dancing brings happiness to everyone.

-Be a leader in the church in whatever capacity is required of myself.

-Always be in love with that boy I'm sorta in love with and never let that love go stale.

-Be a friend to those who need it.

-Never stop developing my talents.

-Go to Italy, Spain, New Zealand, Jerusalem, Africa, and India.

-Learn how to sew.

-Milk a cow.

-Go volunteer somewhere cool and spread my love all over this world.

-Never lose sight of what is most important.

These are just some...

ipod shuffle and a pic of me-self...yes.

Can I just say I'm loving this 30 day thing?! I get so excited every time I'm on here to just see what is in store for this day. And today I am very excited because I get to do the iPod shuffle. That sounded like a dance...the iPod shuffle. Move aside Electric Slide, here comes the new swagger in town: the iPod shuffle. I think I'll create it and then put it on YouTube and make millions because everyone will be dancing like myself. Brilliant plan! And I have digresed from why I am on here. Ok...the next day is to put my iPod on shuffle and put the first 10 songs on that come. Here goes.

Numero uno: "Whatever You Like" by Nicole Scherzinger Feat: T.I. I'm pretty sure she's the most gorgeous woman on this planet.

Numero dos: "Leaving On A Jet Plane" by Chantal Kreviazuk. I like it better than the John Denver version. Sorry.

Numero tres: "Written All Over My Face" by Kris Allen. His voice is like butter.

Numero cuatro: "Who I Am" by David Archuleta. I'm on an American Idol roll it seems...

Numero cinco: "The Lazy Song" by Bruno Mars. I appreciate the slight reggae feel.

Numero seis: "You're Not Sorry" by Taylor Swift. Oh Tay...how I love you.

Numero siete: "Say You're Sorry" by Sara Bareilles. HA! That's hilarious due to the previous song. (side note...seeing Sara in TWO days!!!)

Numero ocho: "Let the Rain" by Sara Bareilles. Can't wait!

Numero nueve: "Candle in the Wind" by Elton John. Boyfriend sure loves him so I've grown to love him more than I used to.

Numero diez: "Bad Romance" by Lady GaGa. I know she's a freak, but I think she's fantastic.

Next day: Another picture of me. I shall use this time to gloat about my sister, Krista. She is FANTASTIC! Seriously...such a talented photographer. She took our roommate pics last week and snapped some individuals of us. So here is one of mine. Want to look in her gallery or book her? Go here. You won't regret it.

and alas....I'm behind again!

Day 12-How you found out about blogger and why you have one

If any of you know my sister, Krista, you know she's an amazing writer...and well, just an amazing person in general. There's nothing she can't do. Ok..well maybe I can dance better than her. ;) But besides that she kills me at it all. She's had a blog for quite some time now and I would read it every once in awhile. I hadn't really gotten in the whole blog phase yet and she'd always get upset I didn't read it every day. Haha...so I started to and it actually looked fun. Then I started discovering other friend's blogs and then once I saw that my friend, McKell, had one I caved in and got one in May of 2009. And it's been fab! I love it! Thanks Kris & Kell!

Day 13-A letter to someone who has hurt you recently

This might be a little personal, but, my future mother in law has hurt me. She has never been too keen on the idea of Alex and me dating, even though we've been together for 10 months now and it's obvious we're not planning on breaking up. Alex hasn't talked to her recently about it, but I pray every day that her heart will soften. I spent time with his grandparents and aunts and cousins yesterday and it was so fun! They were all so sweet and loved me, so hopefully they'll tell his mother how awesome I am? Haha...I actually am writing her an email to try and get to know her better and hopefully rectify whatever I can. I'll keep that to myself though as this blog is for the world to see (even though only friends and family look) and send it with only Alex knowing its contents. Wish us luck! Every other person loves us together! :) (I do too...course I might be a tad bias. ;)

Day 14-A picture of you and your family

This is Karly and J.J.'s wedding in July 2009 at the Columbia Temple!

Is it sad that this is the most recent pic of the 6 of us (and with grandma Q haha)?

But we shall all be AZ for the arrival of my niece, Laela, and we should definitely get some photos then! Especially since we will have a little one! Ah, can't wait to be with my family!

Days 10 & 11

Day 10: Songs I listen to when I'm bored, happy, sad, mad, hyped.

Bored: I usually turn to John Mayer just because he makes me un-bored. (is that even a word?) Anywho, John is an amazing musician and is from Georgia and who doesn't love a Southern boy?! I usually skip straight to either this song, this song, or this song, but they're all stellar.

Happy: When I'm happy I want something that is just content and for me right now I'm obsessed with this song by Mindy Gledhill and this song by Ingrid Michaelson.

Sad: When I'm sad it's usually because I get down on myself about my experience with a certain boy. Not because I blame myself for what happened and not because I'm still in love with him, but more because I remember the pain and it hurts. Still. The songs I listened to the most during that time was this song by Sara Bareilles and this song by A Fine Frenzy.

Mad: When I'm mad I want Kelly Clarkson! She always has the best boy bash songs! And even though me being mad is not always because of boys, she still helps. This one and this one, especially.

Hyped: I want something to dance to cause that is ALL i wanna do when I'm hyped up! Thisworks, this works, and this works! All fabulous choices!

Day 11: Another picture of me and my friends.

Well since I just took roommate pics this is perfect timing! My roomies are babes I know!

a little behind...Days 7, 8, & 9

Day 7-A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you

Wow, this one is SO hard! To pick just ONE someone/something. There have been so many! I could go on and on about parents, sisters, family, friends, EFY teachers, church leaders, school teachers, religion professors, etc. However, the person that sticks out in my mind is our former prophet President Gordon Bittner Hinckley. Geez...what a stud! I love this man with all of my heart. Don't get me wrong, I love our other General Authorities, but this man sure pulls on my heart strings. He was the prophet from the time I was 8 until I was almost 21. A lot happens between those ages, especially those years that shape you and make you into the person you will most likely be for the rest of your life. He taught me how to treat my eternal companion, he taught me how to hold on fast to my testimony of the Restoration and Joseph Smith, he taught me how to stand for something, he taught me how to stand a little taller each and every day, & most importantly, he taught me how to better love my Savior and Heavenly Father. This man is amazing and oh how I miss him! Even though he has been dead for almost 3 years, it is still weird to not see him at General Conference. He must've been amazing if my boyfriend (who can count the amount of times he's cried) cried during his broadcasted funeral. (He's gonna kill me for putting that on here. Love you :) President Hinckley was and still is the man.

Day 8-Short term goals for this month and when you'll accomplish them

My short term goals for the month of November are:

1. Catch up on my journal writing

2. Lose 5 pounds

3. Be more grateful

4. Learn a new piano piece

5. Find adult dance classes that I can attend

I want to accomplish all of those goals by Thanksgiving. TOTALLY do-able!

Day 9-Something you're proud of in the past few days

One of the girls at New Haven has been wearing some sort of hoodie with her hood up over her head, constantly, for the last 3 months when she arrived. At first it was a protection to shut out everyone since she did not want to be there, but then it became an OCD tendency. She has OCD super bad. It takes her like an hour to wash her face...kinda ridiculous. It's hard to understand since I don't have OCD, but apparently it's really difficult for her to deal with. So I have never seen the top of her head...until 2 days ago!! She took it off!! This past weekend was Parent Weekend and I'm not sure what happened while her dad was there, but when I arrived on Saturday she had taken it off! She was so pretty! It was kinda weird though since I was so used to seeing her hood. You could tell she was having a rough time, but hopefully when I go in tomorrow she will still have it down. So even though she's a pill sometimes, I'm so proud of her.

Day 5 & 6

Yes I know....I tend to do multiple days in one post, but it just gets hard to remember every day. However, Day 5 is a place I have been and Day 6 is my favorite superhero and why.

I really haven't been THAT many places...I've never been outside of the country and compared to a lot of people haven't even seen that much that the USA has to offer. However, I am proud of my recent excursion to San Francisco, CA. I was only there for 12 hours for the Braves game, but I loved it for those 12 hours! I want to go back so badly! I want to experience everything, since all I got to enjoy was the bridge and AT&T Park.

Mr. Incredible is my favorite superhero. Rather...the whole Incredibles clan are my favs. How could they not be? They have cool powers, they're friends with Frozone, they pass on their powers through their genes, and Edna is their stylist. Need I say more?!

Day 4...

Day 4: A Habit I wish I didn't have.

Hmm...this has taken much thought because I don't have those "normal" habits like biting my nails (ick), twirling my hair, grinding my teeth (ouch), interrupting, etc...

So the habit I could do without would be to not be so hard on myself all the time. It's sad, but true that I am constantly thinking down on myself. It's always: "I need to lose weight," "I should have studied more for that exam," "I should not have lost patience at work," and on and on and on...Now I don't by any means think I am a terrible/ugly/awful person, but when you live in Provo (and just in this world in general) it's hard not to compare yourself to everyone around you.

At our regional Stake Conference in September we had Elder Holland, Sister Beck, & President Packer come speak to us. (Awesome, I know!) But in Sister Beck's talk she said, "You're doing better than you think you are." However, she also tagged it with, "But...there is always more you can do." So I need to remember all that I have done that is good like how I have had many good days at work where patience was not lost and that for being at BYU I have kept my grades up even with having multiple jobs, multiple dance teams, and the hardest experience of my entire life. So instead of being down on myself about those things I need to remember the good and then try to do more, as Sister Beck advises, in other aspects. Like serving others more, better studying my scriptures, giving meaningful prayers, spending time with loved ones, etc...

So all in all the habit I wish I did not have would be: being so hard on myself. I will continue to try harder and harder to stop...:)

Day 2 & 3...

Day 2: Meaning behind my blog name.

Well...there's not much to it. My name is Kaycie Quilhot Maurer and my blog title says Kaycie Q. You can do the math. And the little line underneath it is the title of my favorite poem. (Go look it up! It's awesome!)

Day 3: Picture of me and my friends. I had such a hard time because I have LOTS of pictures with friends. So these were the first 2 I thought of that have more than one friend in them. Sorry if you're not in one of them...I promise I love you and you're still my amigo!