Sweet summertime

This past weekend was truly an adventure! Story time! 

On Thursday night, there was a ward activity at Hangtime in Orem, which is a huge trampoline place! Complete with a massive trampoline floor foam pit, we had a total blast! 

The gang! Can I just say how much I love them?

Then I woke up bright and early on Friday morning to head to Zion Ponderosa Ranch for a family reunion. My sister Katie and her husband came and picked me up and we had a party in the car for the 4 hour drive! That day consisted of

 Sisterly love...

Zip-lining... 

Horseback riding...

ATVing (which I have a new-found passion for)...

swimming, and a delicious family dinner with great company and entertainment. :) 

Saturday morning was yet another early one... we went into Zion National Park and climbed Angel's Landing. This was one of the most intense hikes I've ever been on and it was absolutely breathtaking at the top. Over the course of the 5 mile hike, we went up over 1500 feet in elevation. The last half-mile up to the top consisted of a hike across a narrow ridge with only a chain to hold on to and a cliff on either side of you. It was crazy hard but it was so worth it! 

  

 Switchbacks anyone?

After that, we made another 2 mile hike to the Virgin River, where we were able to wade into the icy cold water. 

After more zip-lining, swimming, a mini rodeo, and barn dancing, we called it a night.

We got home on Sunday and that brings me to now! I am frantically trying to prepare for finals and the end of the term. It is crazy how fast this summer flew by! But it has been the best one yet! I absolutely love BYU (I don't think I can say that enough!) and all the wonderful people I've met this term. It will be hard to say goodbye!

Enjoy your final days of summer. 

Hakuna matata!! 

Mallory 

It's about time...

Hello one and all!!

This past week has just been so crazy! I have had a million things to do including meetings and midterms which resulted in total exhaustion. I will spare you all the boring details… but basically, I have barely had time to breathe.

Thankfully, today I have some down time so I will fill you in on some highlights:

1. Last weekend, Melissa and I went to a ward service project. The weather was perfect with cloud cover and a little bit of rain. We spent a lot of time doing yard work and then went swimming afterwards. That evening, we went to a formal dance at the Cannon. It was actually pretty fun. We sure love to awkward dance!

Sarah and I...twinning it up!

2. For FHE this past Monday, we played capture the flag and it was really fun! The competition got pretty intense but we had a great time.

3. This Friday Sarah and I had a much needed girl’s night with Melissa and Elise. We went out to get some real, authentic Mexican food and it was so yummy! Then we went to the mall and did some shopping and got ice cream at Sub Zero which is pretty much amazing. After a small dance party, we called it a night. I love those girls and have no idea what I would do without them!! 

4. Saturday, my family flew in to visit! It was wonderful to see them all again! We had dinner together and enjoyed each other’s company. I’ve missed them so much!  

5. Sunday we all went to church together and had a family dinner. The food was great and the company was even better. 

I love my siblings! 

6. Monday night we had a joint birthday party for my cousins and aunts. We played tons of games and had some great food!

Playing some crazy croquet! 

7. Tuesday was Pioneer Day! For those of you who are foreign to Utah, Pioneer Day is a commemoration of the entry of Brigham Young and the first group of Mormon pioneers into Utah’s Salt Lake Valley in 1847. It is a HUGE deal here and everything on campus shuts down to celebrate. Sarah and I went to a ward activity in the morning, and then met up with my family to go rafting down the Provo River. It was a TOTAL blast! I may or may not have fallen into the icy cold water on accident… but that’s not important. :) 

 Sarah and I before rafting! 

 My wonderful family!

Then we went to lunch and to the Spanish Fork Rodeo for the evening! It was really fun to watch and we had a great time! 

 Sarah and I at the rodeo 

There was a rainbow! :) 

That’s all for now! Thanks for reading! Have a wonderful day (or night, depending on when you read this) and remember life is beautiful! 

Hakuna matata,

Mallory 

Just a thought...

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is an amazing thing. I am so overcome with all the blessings that this glorious gospel brings to me.

I have seen the hand of the Lord in my life over the past month and a half as I undergo so many changes. I am so grateful for the blessings He sends me. I know that He is watching over me and that He has a divine plan and purpose for me on this earth, just as He does for each of His beloved sons and daughters. It’s hard to see the purpose in the moment, but looking back, I see that God has prepared me for wonderful blessings and experiences in my life. He has put me in the exact place I need to be right now surrounded by the most amazing people that keep me grounded through all the changes in my life.

I bear testimony to you that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love each and every one of us individually and endlessly. They are always there for you, no matter what. There is a special mission for everyone to fulfill here on this earth. Never lose sight of the important things in life.

I know that as I am faithful, I will be able to stand before God in the last days, and hear Him say, “well done, thou good and faithful servant…enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Matthew 25:21).

Hakuna matata!

Mallory 

Be brave

Time to play catch up!

Saturday night me, Sarah, Elise, Melissa, Conner, and Preston went bowling, which was kind of a huge party. We played one serious game then did a crazy game which consisted of bowling left-handed, with your eyes closed, under your legs, and many other super weird but super fun challenges. We also went to the Malt Shop (which was divine) and played our favorite game…signs! 

Someone asked us if we were triplets... 

Notice the artsy shoes? :) 

Sunday morning was church. That evening some girls on our floor invited us to dinner with a group of kids from the ward. They made spaghetti and it was delicious! Afterwards, we went to ward prayer and then to tunnel singing! For those of you who are unfamiliar with tunnel singing, it is just as the name suggests.  Every Sunday night at BYU a ton of students meet in the Marriott tunnel and sing hymns! It was really powerful to hear that many voices sing together. Plus, the harmonies were rocking.   

Monday I went to my classes, dominated my music midterm (I hope…), and went to FHE! We played cards and it was pretty fun! We even ventured over to Building 9 to try some cookies and cream milk.

 It was disgusting, in case you were wondering. 

Tuesday Sarah, Melissa, and I went to the Tuesday Devotional and afterwards went to the MOA to get some lunch and look at the art. It was pretty fun and we definitely got our culture for the day in. 

Yesterday I went to all my classes, hung out with my sister, and went with Angie up to Salt Lake for a book signing. We are absolutely obsessed with Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth. If you haven’t read them… shame on you! They are only the BEST BOOKS IN THE WORLD! After dinner at Olive Garden, we went to the City Library and sat in on a question and answer session with the authors on tour. Then, Veronica Roth SIGNED OUR BOOKS AND TOOK PICTURES WITH US. 

So excited to see her! 

 VERONICA ROTH!!! 

"Be brave!" 

 Soo awesome!

It was only the best night in the world. We jammed to Hilary Duff on the way home and got some ice cream. Party!! 

 I just wanted to share a thought I've had this past week. I had an incredible experience with the power of prayer. I know that God hears and answers every single one of our prayers. It may not be in the way we expect and it may not be in the time we want. But I know that He answers according to His will and it always works out for the best. It is amazing what God can do.

Gordon B. Hinckley once said: “if life gets too hard to stand, kneel.” I couldn’t agree more. Try it; it has changed my life.

Hakuna matata!
Mallory                                                                                 

Good Vibrations

Hello, and welcome to yet another exciting blog post!

Okay, it’s not that exciting. It’s just my busy school week. But I will do my best to jazz it up.

On Monday I took my first ever college exam! It was actually kind of scary! The testing center is super intimidating and I felt like I had the word “FRESHMAN” written on my forehead. But, I made it out relatively unscathed and got a 94 on my Book of Mormon exam so I was content. I also got my AP scores back! 5 on Lit, 5 on Psych, and a 3 on Statistics (Hey, I'll take it! It is a miracle I even passed that test). So I was pretty excited. That night was our first Family Home Evening activity! I’m one of the group leaders and we played ultimate spoons! It was a lot of fun and we have a really good group! 

Tuesday consisted of some serious time in the library and a visit from my super good friend Lauren!

 How I’ve missed that girl! It was fun to chat and catch up. That night I hung out with some of the girls on my floor, Elise and Melissa. They are so much fun!

Wednesday was the Fourth of July! It was a much needed break from school and stress. I went with my sister and brother-in-law to my aunt’s house. We had lunch over there and got to visit with all my family out here. And I got to play with my cute cousins!

Then me, Sarah, and one of her friends Emily had dinner with Sarah’s family. Afterwards, we went to the STADIUM OF FIRE, which was the BEST NIGHT OF OUR LIVES. We saw Scotty McCreery and THE BEACH BOYS! The Beach Boys… they’ve still got it!! It was a fantastic show and we sang and danced to every song. Plus, the fireworks were phenomenal! What a great Fourth! Now I can’t stop singing “Good Vibrations” and “Wouldn’t it be Nice”. 

Love them! 

Scotty McCreery 

THE BEACH BOYS!!! 

I know I'm super blessed to live in this great nation. I am so grateful for all the men and women who defend our freedom. Thanks to you all. God bless America.  

Thursday was rainy… I was decked out in my rain boots and polka dot umbrella. I had lots of homework and studying to do so I spent lots of time in the library. 

As for today, I took my first geography test at the testing center and did really well so I was happy! I spent a lot of time studying in the library (I know, I sound like such a nerd always being in the library, but I have a lot to do and I love that place!). Tonight we had a ward Relief Society game night. We played signs, which was super fun even though I was super bad at it.

I found this great quote today. I liked it so much I wrote it on my mirror:

“Be believing. Be happy. Don’t get discouraged. Things will work out”

—Gordon B. Hinckley

That is such a great reminder. Don’t worry. Everything will be okay. Remember to smile and put one foot in front of the other.

Hakuna matata!

Mallory