Time flies

Well today is my last day home! It's definitely bittersweet. I am really excited to go back to school and get back into a regular routine. But it's going to be really hard to leave my family! It's been a really nice summer and the break was much needed! 

This last week has been full of running errands and doing last minute shopping. It's been really fun to spend some time with my mom as we ran errands. I also got to drive my dad's 1965 Mustang this week! Well I use the word drive lightly, seeing as I was really more of learning how to drive a stick shift in the parking lot. It's really hard to drive because it's super old and the clutch is really tough. But it went surprisingly well! 

Last night my dad and I went on a daddy daughter date! We went out to dinner in Houston and then went to the Astros game! I'd never been to Minute Maid park before so the whole experience was cool! It was really fun and it was nice to do something different before I left. 

I can't believe that I'm leaving for Utah tomorrow! You know what they say--time flies when you're having fun!

Hakuna matata,

Mallory

An attempt to be crafty

So sometimes I like to pretend to be crafty.

And when I say pretend, I mean it. Because I'm really not. I wish I was. So I try to be. But, I'm sure you deduce that much from looking at my other "crafty" posts. So whatever.

But seriously, today I tried a craft. I wanted to make some magnets for the fridge in my new apartment (which I move into on Saturday!), and for some decorations in my room holding up pictures. This was actually really simple and rather self-explanatory, but I took pictures to document it anyway! 

What you'll need:

Paper or cloth flowers, jewels, and anything else that's cute, magnets, and a hot glue gun

I found these at some craft stores and I seriously fell in love with them! So fun! 

The rest is really simple! Place hot glue on one side of the magnet, and place the topper on (flowers, jewels, etc.). 

Allow to cool and set and voila! 

I think they're really fun! So there's my attempt at creativity for the day. 

Hakuna matata! 

Mallory

Lately

The past few weeks have honestly been pretty uneventful. I got my wisdom teeth out last Monday so I was pretty miserable. I didn't have a super speedy recovery and it was not enjoyable. My life consisted of eating ice cream, pudding, and all things frozen, and watching Netflix all day. So not much went on last week.

I said goodbye to one of my very best friends, Angie. She's leaving on an 18 month mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (for more information, check out the "What I Believe" link on the right-hand side). It is most definitely hard to see her go. She is going to be an AMAZING missionary though! I can't wait to hear about her incredible experiences.

At Angie's farewell talk!

Allison and I also had the chance to see one of our really good friends from Oklahoma and Texas, Ashley. We had a great time at dinner and catching up.

I leave to head back up to school in a week and I am so stoked! I have missed Utah and BYU so much! Of course, new beginnings can be kind of scary. I won't lie to you, I am a little nervous. But at the same time, I know who holds my future. I have hope and faith that my Heavenly Father has a plan for me, and He will guide me through any challenges that I face. It's a great feeling knowing that. 

Hakuna matata,

Mallory

The "Maine" Event

I just got home from a lovely week-long trip to the Eastern coast--New England. My mom grew up in Maine, and she's been back a few times for family and friend obligations--one wedding she went back for she took Katie, who was 2 at the time, and me only a few months after I'd been born--but never had been able to take us as a family for a vacation. This summer we finally accomplished that goal. I'll tell you all about it, but fair warning, this is going to be a long post with a lot of pictures!

We flew into Boston, Massachusetts and spent about two days there. Boston really is a lot of fun! It has so much history and some really quaint parts. 

Chilling at the airport

Boston temple! What a beautiful place! :) 

Site of the capture of Paul Revere 

We went to Lexington and Concord. This is a statue at the North Bridge, the site of the "shot heard around the world". 

The North Bridge 

We went to Walden Pond. Allison and I read "Walden" by Thoreau in our AP Lang class. We were really excited to see the place where he wrote it! 

 We also spent time walking the Freedom Trail. We got to see some pretty cool things, like the North Church where Paul Revere lit the lanterns, memorials and grave sites for key figures in the Revolution, the USS Constitution, and so much more! 

Paul Revere's house

Memorial and tomb of Paul Revere 

We then went to spend a few days in Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor. It was seriously so much fun and gorgeous! The weather was absolutely beautiful! We had a total blast together as a family. We spent the first day doing a ton of hiking! We hiked up to the top of Cadillac Mountain. It was a 4.2 mile hike up to the top of it. We started at 7 a.m. and it was very foggy on the way up. Once we approached the top, we were above the fog line. It was a really spectacular view from the summit, as well as seeing all the greenery up the mountainside. 

On the mountainside.

We made it to the top!! 

Victory! 

We also spent some time on the rocky shores and coastline. 

The second day in Acadia, we went sea kayaking on Frenchman's Bay. It was a ton of fun! It was gorgeous out there on the water. 

On our final day, we spent time biking through the park. It was absolutely gorgeous! We had a great time looking at the scenery. 

Then we went to my mom's hometown in Maine. We spent some time visiting her friends and extended family. We also went on a little cruise around the bay in Portland and saw some beautiful lighthouses. 

All and all, it was a fabulous vacation. We loved seeing the great state of Maine and some parts of New England. We loved spending time together as a family. I feel so blessed to have them in my lives.

Enjoy your summer, and hakuna matata,

Mallory