Thursday, April 28, 2011

3 Friends.

Sometimes I get a little nostalgic.
Lately is one of those times.
I miss being a teenager and running wild with these 2 companions by my side.
Ms. Brittany and Ms. Katie Claire.

We all began to know each other about 12 years ago.
Twelve.
That's half of my life.
And through thick and thin, we've stayed friends.
The best of friends, in fact.

We've had our ups and downs, struggles, and challenges.
But just like any other good, lasting, healthy relationship...they filter away to nothing and become an insignificant thing of the past.
Because to out weigh those ups and downs, we have a whole lotta laughter, inside jokes, and the funniest memories.
Memories I hold dear to my heart and think upon with the most fondness.

Only Britt knows what you really should do with Peeps. (no, not eat them.)
Only Kate knows how to properly say, "I love you."
And only the 3 of us know how to really make a church dance the best time of your life.
(Just ask any of our church leaders, who also penned us with the nickname, "3 Musketeers.")

We understand each other.
We've seen each other go through heartbreaks, triumphs, more heartbreaks, milestones, and finally marriages.
Kate & Britt have beat me in that department, but I am following right behind.
(As y'all may know.)
And you know what?
I don't know if many more people were as excited as these dear sisters of mine when I told them of the engagement.

I know growing up is a part of life, but with it comes some sacrifice.
One of those sacrifices being not having the chance to be with these hot mamas every spare minute we could find.
We were pretty much attached to each other, especially in high school.
These ladies have seriously helped mold me into who I am today and I couldn't be more grateful.
So here's to sliding down the Woodbury stairs, many a trip to Wal-Mart at 2am, EFYs, Homestar Runner, hot dogs, Girl's Camps, road tripping to Atlanta, clutching each other for dear life and bawling at testimony meetings, Taco Bell, and Backstreet Boys love songs.
I love y'all with all my heart.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

An Official BYU Graduate!

One of the BYU signs as you enter campus says, "The World is our Campus."
However, the campus, since Sept. 2005, was my world.
I can still remember my first real day of school.
I was on crutches, because I had broken my foot 2 nights before.
Don't hike in flip flops...bad things happen.
(not that I know from experience...)
Krista's dear college roommate, Katie, picked me up at the Deseret Tower dorms so I did not have to crutch my way to campus. (She did that the entire time I was on crutches, bless her heart.)
My very first class was Family Life 100 at 9am. I was taking it for a GE credit.
It was all about Strengthening Marriage and Family and gave us an in depth look on The Family: A Proclamation to the World.
I remember starting the class with a prayer, having an amazing discussion, and leaving (crutching) feeling invigorated and alive inside.
I'm pretty sure I smiled all the way to my next class with excitement.
From then on I knew I was going to love BYU.
And that I did. With all my heart.

Every year at BYU offered its different challenges, triumphs, milestones, and trials.
Different roommates, apartments, wards, boyfriends, road trips, professors, and classes.
But each year brought with it something I needed to learn.
Something I needed to grow.
Something I needed to become a better person to myself and to those around me.

Not very many campuses offer prayers before every class.
Not very many schools leave a student speechless after class because the discussion was so inspiring (whether it was New Testament or Biology).
Not very many universities have their graduates feeling closer to the Savior because of their education.
BYU does all of the above...and some.

I learned a lot during my BYU Graduation weekend about what it means to be a BYU graduate.
The completion of the Bachelor's degree does not mean my work is over.
The harder exams are yet to come.
There comes a high expectation when entering the world as a BYU grad.
I am excited and ready to take on the challenge.

As exciting as it was to march into the Marriott Center during Commencement and walk across the stage at Convocation, there was a slight sadness in my mind.
Is my BYU life seriously over?
I know I can't stay a student forever, but before graduating was always in the future.
But there it was...right before me...the future was now.
I remember my guidance counselor in high school, Ms. Crimmons, telling me that college would be the time where I would gain the most life pertinent knowledge and make the friends I would actually stay in touch with as life marches on.
She was right.
And when I sat down, after they said KayLie instead of KayCie, I thought to myself, "WOW."
BYU has provided the best education, both secular & spiritual, and provided lifelong friends.

The motto of BYU is "Enter to learn, Go forth to serve."
So here I go.
I have entered.
I have learned.
Oh how I have learned.
And now it's my responsibility to go out into the world and serve my fellow men.
I have been given so much and am so fortunate that I was able to attend this amazing school and now it is my responsibility to give back.

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE Brigham Young University?

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Wedding Website!

The Wedding Website is FINALLY done.
Only took me seriously 7 hours today...bleh.
But it was fun. :)
There's still a few sections we need to fill in, but besides that it's lookin pretty good.
Go take a gander:

www.theknot.com/ourwedding/AlexFoster&KaycieMaurer

(p.s. I really love the boy I'm going to marry...just sayin...)

Thursday, April 7, 2011

My Heart Will Go On!

Ok. So Celine Dion was epic.
Literally.
She is the most amazing thing ever.
I knew going into it that I was going to be blown away, but she still surpassed my expectations...by a TON!
When we sat in our seats I was SO antsy...my heart was racing.
Then when the lights dropped and a video of her came on, I could not stop smiling.
And then when the video was over, the curtain parted, and there she was.
CELINE.
Celine DION.
Right there in front of me.
My dream of seeing her since I was in the 4th grade (the first time I remember hearing her) was coming true!
Gorgeous as ever she opened with this.

That video does not even do it justice.
Her voice was flawless and her singing just filled the theater and I'm pretty sure everyone's soul who was there.
She did a bunch of her classics, some covers, and some not as famous songs.
She sang a song in French and she was so into it she had tears rolling down her cheeks.
Ah...I'm still getting chills just thinking about it.
Ash and I kept grabbing each other's hands or legs whenever she blew us away...which was constantly.
I'm pretty sure I had chills at least every 30 seconds.
NO EXAGGERATION.
Also during her fast numbers I'm pretty sure she looked right up at Ash & me dancing because no one else around us was.
Pretty sure.
She is just so classy. So genuine. So gorgeous. So cute. So funny. So talented.
A voice like that is a gift from God.
Celine is one of those people that I'm grateful is famous, because she is a class act lady.
She does good around the world.
She loves her children more than anything and she is loyal to her husband (even if he is a billion years older.)
That night is Vegas will be forever ingrained into my life.
I am so grateful I had the opportunity to see her and check that off my bucket list.
This is the only other video I could find of her current show.
Yeah...she did MJ.
Well...I'll stop now, but seriously...
Celine has changed me.
Don't worry...
When I'm in the car she's on my iPod and when I'm at home she's on Pandora.
Celine 24/7 is the name of the game currently in my life.

Dear Celine,
Thank you for singing to me last night.
Let's be friends.
I'll just come live with you, k?
Love, Kaycie

Monday, April 4, 2011

April Showers?

I know I have lived in Utah for 6 years now...but I will never get used to the weather.
It's ridiculous that it will be 70 degrees one day and then snow storm the next.
Me no likey.

On a better note...
My LASIK surgery went awesome!
I do not look like a pirate or anything, so it was a success!
The whole procedure is about 25 minutes.
Crazy, huh?
The only trippy part was how I could obviously see everything going on, but could not feel a thing.
So weird!
Once the numbing eye drops wore off I was in excruciating pain.
Wanted to rip my eyes OUT...it would have been less painful.
But thankfully after 3 hours or so it wore off to just being achy.
I had multiple people assisting me in my ridiculous amounts of eye drops, How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days to listen to (because I had a blindfold on, the light was killing me so badly), and even Nicole brought me a balloon...which I could not look at for the first 2 hours in was in my house.

When I went back in the afternoon for my check up I was already seeing 20/20!
Bizaaarree.
Everything was a little hazy, but by today I am seeing great.
It's so weird that I am not wearing contacts and I can SEE!
That Dr. Lohner is a miracle worker.
Not QUITE as cool as Jesus, but still up there on my list.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Living the March Life.

March was a fantastic month!
It was full of fun and life.
Now if only Utah weather would cooperate and give us spring...

March brought me:
My BIRTHDAY, as well as a J. Biebs cut out.
Every birthday I am reminded at how awesome my family and friends are!
Here's to year 24!

Getting out of Utah and traveling to Santa Barbara to visit Alex's fam bam.
It was such a fun visit!
We did not want to leave!

Probably most epic...getting engaged!!
Always a nice touch.
Good job, March. [and Alex.]

Annual Festival of Colors!!
[i love him even when he's pink.]

Not to mention I saw Tangled TWICE in March.
If that's not great, then I don't know what is.
So yes...March was awesome.

I'm hoping April is equally as awesome.
I start it out tomorrow by getting laser eye surgery.
After I made the appointment I wasn't sure if getting it done of April Fools Day was the best choice...but oh well...here I go.
Please pray everything goes smoothly so I do not have to have a seeing eye dog or a glass eye the rest of my life.
Thank you kindly!

Have a happy April!