Updates on All the Things

I'm not really sure where to begin here I guess. These past couple of weeks have honestly been some of the craziest, busiest, hardest, happiest weeks of my life. It feels weird to feel so many emotions all at one time, and it's left me exhausted and ragged. 

Since the last time I posted, I graduated from college (!), packed up everything else I possess (that wasn't already packed away), said goodbye to all my friends and sisters and family in Utah, moved across the country for good, reunited with Chin, and started moving into our house and painting. 

I think all the excitement has been too much for me, because I'm writing this post with a sniffly nose, headache, and a big mug of chamomile tea. 

Saying goodbye to Utah was a lot harder than expected. I cried A LOT, and listened to a lot of John Mayer ballads. I spent a lot of time going from house to house saying goodbye to some of my favorite people on this earth. It's just heart-wrenching to not know when you'll see someone again. It's not like you're not still best friends, it's just that distance is hard for soul. 

Regardless, being back with Chin is the best Christmas gift I could ask for, and I've been keeping so busy that the hurt I feel from missing my loved ones in Utah is being masked by running to job interviews and lathering paint rollers in Benjamin Moore. 

I was a bad documenter (is that a word?) and used my iPhone instead of my camera to record what's happened in the last little bit, so here are some shots of life lately via instagram and iPhone pics.

1. Let it snow! We had a few days of heaping piles of snow in Utah right before I left. I loved it and think God gave me one final gift of snowy mountains before I moved.

2. This was my capstone group for the semester. We spent a lot of quality time together and I love them. These kids are the salt of the earth right here.

3. Saying goodbye to AlPal was excruciating. We went out with a bang by watching Where the Light Is and eating costa vida, followed by me crying and Ali thinking I'm insane because I cry all the time over everything so that's good.

4. One last shot of the Brimhall building, where I basically spent every day in college.

5. My love triangle and first real friends at BYU. Kir and Liza got me through just about everything these past 3.5 years and I can't wait for what our future friendship holds.

6. Saying goodbye to snowy mountains on a teary/anxious plane ride back to New York.

 

You probably think I'm a freak and you'd probably be right since I was a mess last week. On a brighter note, things have been MUCH happier since being back home with Chin and my fam. 

7. Chin and I in front of our new place. We look cray because we had been moving stuff all day but we love it!

8. My favorite place, like ever.

9. I'm not made to make huge decisions apparently because picking out paint colors for the rooms in our house has been like, the hardest thing ever. 

Here are some "before" pictures of our place. As you will see, we have a LOT of work to do. The house has a lot of natural charm, but hopefully after we're done with it, it'll look like new. 

That couch came with the house, we're getting it reupholstered with some awesome fabric. I'm obsessed with the fireplace (that we can actually use!), the barn ceiling, and the built-ins in our living room! 

Are those curtains not the most awesome things you've ever seen? They'll be the first thing to go when we get to work on the living room. 

This is our master bedroom. It's the first room I wanted to tackle because that awful yellow paint and tacky window valences are going to drive me insane.

This is our sun room. It's actually pretty awesome and is getting new tile put in over Christmas. It used to have this disgusting plush green carpet. Hallelujiah for tile.

This is the dining room. We're taking down the wallpaper and painting it light grey, and hoping that I can scratch that tacky floral print out of my eyeballs.

Ohhhhh the kitchen. It's by far having the most work done to it. The linoleum floor is being replaced with tile, the countertops are being replaced with granite ones, and we're getting a new sink and some more cabinets. We're hoping it will look brand new when it's all done!

Some progress: I started painting the master bedroom today. It looks blue here but it's actually a darker grey that I'm still adjusting to. Luckily anything is better than yellow. I didn't picture our other 2 bedrooms or bathroom, but they basically look the same. Lots of potential. :)

Home Stretch

All of a sudden November has come and gone, along with Thanksgiving and my sanity.

I think people are starting to get annoyed with me because every other thing I say is, "I can't believe it's almost December!"

Okay so duh it's almost December can I give it a rest already?

But seriously, I graduate from COLLEGE (what the) in 2 and 1/2 weeks and I can't wrap my head around it. Even though I never really checked into school (that's a lie, sort of), I found myself checking out of this semester back in October and now I can't believe that I'm actually still alive.

I'm pleasantly surprised with how quickly this semester has gone (catch me on a bad day and I'll say the exact opposite). Between traveling across the country four times and school and work, there have only been a few select moments where I've had time to sit and cry and pout about this frustrating and sometimes lonely situation I'm in. 

Can we talk about this end of semester thing for just one more second? I know that I'm not the only one graduating from college and that it's not that uncommon of a thing... But when does a person go from being an unruly, teenage, high school grad to a functioning, adult member of society? How am I supposed to go from a college student who takes naps in between classes to an adult with an 8-5 job and a credit card bill? I guess it's supposed to be a gradual transition and I'm sure looking back I'll see that it was, but I sometimes feel like life moves at warp-speed and it's all one huge adjustment from one phase to another. These past few years have been so routine-less that I'm starting to think that our mini life-routines are one big hoax. There's no such thing as staying the same.

And that just turned into one huge random rant of a paragraph and I'm done now so sorry about that. 

Here are some pictures from Thanksgiving day at home with Chin and my family. It was, of course and as always, the best week of my life being able to be with Christian and spend some quality time with him. It also happened to be unbelievably busy getting ready for the holidays and getting ready to move into our new place in December (!).

 

 

Can you blame me for not wanting to have to keep saying goodbye to this?

Our Weekend

This weekend was the first of four this semester that I'll visit Chin.

I've been trying to decide what I wanted to write about it, but currently all that I'm thinking is how refreshing it was to see him.

When you spend your life (the 3 years that we've been together at least) with someone, you don't realize how much they really are a part of every aspect of your life. And then, when you have to be apart, you hurt and hurt and hurt but then you get on with your life and keep going. And you still hurt but the hurt is masked most of the time by schedules and projects and other people who make life a little brighter.

And then, you see that person again and you take a breath of fresh air. You remember all over again how vital they are to you, and you remember that you never really stopped remembering that and how hard it is to be without them.

You start thinking how it's impossible to go back to your other double-life and leave behind the one person who makes your life the brightest.

It's a cycle that pulls at so many emotions in such a short time.

 

In other words, I loved being with Christian this weekend, and it took every ounce of determination that I possessed to say goodbye to him again. I'm sure that I sound overly-dramatic, but I think anyone who has been in this situation (and probably in a more dramatic situation than mine) can understand. 

It was a short three days, but just enough time to remember how much Christian makes me laugh and how much fun we have when we're together. There's something about Skype and texting and phone calls that just doesn't convey the reality of being with someone in person.

We spent our time together eating long meals with my parents and grandparents, taking a traditional trip to the apple farm, and staying up way too late talking about anything and everything (I'm not sure I'll ever get over how great it is to be able to have sleepovers with him).

In other words, I'm so happy that I get to see Chin, even if it's just for a few days once a month. Graduating from college is a decision I know I will never regret, and even though it's excruciating to be away from the person in this world that I love the most, these weekend trips make this tough semester worth it (and so will being able to say that I have a bachelor's degree from a top-notch university).  

On Being "Single" (Again)

Chin and I have been living apart for a total of 5 days now.

Yep, five days and I've turned into a psycho who hates everyone who holds hands with their spouse on campus... Or tweets about how much they love their "hubby" (oh wait I already hated that). 

It's funny how being alone, even for a short period of time, makes you resort to your old single habits so quickly. 

For example: 

+I do not sleep. I mean I do, but for the life of me I can NOT motivate myself to power down and go to bed at a decent hour. I've already noticed my lack of sleep taking a toll on me, and have no idea how I pulled all-nighters and stayed out till 4 a.m. freshman year.

+I am a royal mess. I've never been an especially tidy person (clean and hygienic, but not tidy by any means), but having a husband living with me helped me keep our apartment tidy since Chin is all about tidy. But now, my bed looks like a lion slept in it, my jewelry is sprawled across my dresser, and you'd think my shoes had attacked my room and left no prisoners. 

On a brighter note, even though I miss Chin so much I can barely see straight, some good things have come from being "single" again that I hope to continue when Chin and I reunite in December.

+My scripture study has improved immensely. It sounds strange, since Chin has only boosted my love for our particular religion since we've been married, but for some reason, my study of the scriptures (I'm currently re-reading the New Testament) was struggling. I've had a lot of time to myself being husband-less and I've really been trying to focus on boosting my spirituality. 

+Eating healthy is easy and do-able. I don't blame Chin for my bad eating habits in the past, because for the most part Chin is a VERY healthy eater (I'm always the one begging for sweets). But, having my own eating agenda and grocery list has made it a lot easier to choose healthy options. Plus, trying to feed a man who eats enough for 10 men doesn't help portion control, so now I'm eating less too.

So overall, I'm not dead yet. I'm trying to have a positive attitude and am counting down the days until I get to see Chin for a long weekend at the end of September.

Also, I chopped off all my hair. That was fun.

The First Day of School

I managed to snap this photo right before Christian left for school this morning. I'm not even really sure what I said to him since it was so early (7:15 is early for me- and that's just me being a baby), but I think it was something along the lines of, "Okay smile... Okay have a good day bye."

I'm just so kind and articulate in the morning.

It was so weird for me to send Chin off to school, without me walking up to campus with him like it's been for the past two years. It was even weirder that my Dad drove him to school, and I went back to bed in my bedroom in my parents' home. 

Everything about these next four months seems so unconventional, but I still couldn't help but feel so excited for Christian on his first day of school.

My motherly instincts kicked into full gear (something that NEVER happens), and as he walked out the door this morning my heart was pounding in my chest.

All I could think was, "I hope every one is nice to him" and "I hope he can find his way around" and "what if he doesn't like it?"

It was as if my 24 year old husband all of a sudden was a 5 year old again on his first day of kindergarten. It made me worried about how I'll be with our actual children someday.

Regardless of my weird anxious feelings, I couldn't help but feel really REALLY proud of Chin. This day that we'd been talking about for so long, for what seems like forever, was finally here. For Christian, it's the first day that his career begins to start. Because at the end of these four years, Christian will be Dr. Pingree. 

So happy first day of school, to my future Doctor Chin.

Graduating

This week, that guy I live with graduates. That guy called Chin.

And let me just say a few words about this kid, and hopefully I won't melt from being a big fat pile of sap.

In all my whole life, I have never met a student like this one.

Having been married for almost two years, and being students the entire time, I've had the opportunity to watch Chin grow and progress during his final two years at BYU.

I've watched him make countless good grades in all of his classes, never allowing anything but the best to be acceptable.

I've watched him slave over final exams, organic chemistry tests, and biology questions that look like a different language.

I've watched him work tirelessly, for months on end, as he studied and prepared to take the MCAT.

And all the while watched become an increasingly wonderful husband, friend, and person.

There aren't enough words in a dictionary to explain how proud I am of Christian for working so hard, graduating at the top of his class, and being the best man I know. Love you.

  

 And come Thursday, once he's really, truly, a full-blown college grad, I think we'll both be acting like crazy people. Maybe even resembling madness such as this:

Sick of Waiting: A Med School Update

This might not be a relatively relevant post for many people... But for friends, family, and anyone who keeps up on our life, I thought I should talk a little bit about medical school some more.

Because you all love that right?

But just a small update on what's been happening the past few months as far as the next four years of our life goes:

Chin interviewed at 4 schools: University of Rochester, University of Utah, University of Colorado, and University of Kentucky (in that order).

Last weekend was Chin's interview at UK, but before that, he hadn't been to an interview since November.

So in other words, it's been a long long wait that's still not over.

Within the next month we'll hopefully begin to hear acceptances/rejections from the schools we applied and interviewed at. 

Sometimes I get really frustrated when people ask if we've gotten into any schools yet.

I just want to yell, "TRUST ME YOU'LL KNOW WHEN WE FIND OUT."

But then I remember that everyone is just trying to be polite and ask about what we're up to.

My top choice?

In my heart, my top choice is the University of Rochester (we're currently on the waiting list there). I would love to be home and close to my family. And no matter what, I want to live on the east coast eventually.

In my mind though, logically, it makes most sense for us to stay in Utah, and the U of U (assuming we get in there but who knows). We could live in Salt Lake and I would commute to BYU next fall just a few days a week.

I love Salt Lake. And even though I don't want to stay in Utah forever, I'd be happy here for another four years.

I'm still looking forward to our future, but I'm ready to be done with this waiting game of not knowing what we'll be doing for the next four years.

So bring it on March! And be ready for a few more updates (hopefully) on med school.

On Doing What You Love

As the end of my college career looms nearer (scary!), I've been thinking a lot about what the future has in store.

I've always admired Christian's drive and ambition; he loves school because he loves what he learns about, and his path to medical school is something he's been confident about since a little kid. 

The way the human body works fascinates him, and his school work reflects his love and passion for his future career. And honestly, I really envy it.

Now don't get me wrong, I love my major. Public relations is a great fit for me. I walked out of my first day of intro to PR my freshman and thought, WOW, this is what I love. I love being in an ever-changing world with media and new challenges every day. I love working with anyone and everyone, and sharing my voice and advocating for things that really do matter. I love problem solving and using my instincts to help others and make a difference. 

I couldn't be happier with the major that I picked. 
But... Sometimes I wondered if I would ever find my niche in PR. I watch these amazing students being leaders in the PR program, they know where they're going and they take charge because they have a purpose and ambition.
And while I always knew I had a "purpose," I feel like recently I found mine.
It sounds silly, but event management is something that I think I am really good at it.
That might make me sound really conceited, but it doesn't happen too often where I really feel like I have a talent that's worth sharing and expounding upon.


I love that feeling of planning and organizing, and my mind moves a mile a minute with a vision of how I want the end result to be. I'm not technically an "artsy" person, but I think that I have an eye for design and can pull things together.
I'm taking an event planning class this semester, and the more I learn about event management, the more I love it. When I'm in my element, I feel confident enough to step up and be a leader, a role which I haven't ever been brave enough to do in the PR program.


I finally feel like I'm in the right place, doing the right things. PR opens up so many doors, and for me, it helped me realize that I can do event planning and management.

photo via

What's your niche? Have you ever felt this way too?

Happy Friday!

A Provo Bucket List

With Christian graduating in one semester and with barely six months left in Provo (for Chin at least), we decided to make a bucket list of things we want to do before we move far far away and might not both be back to Provo for a long time.

Provo might not be the cream of the crop when it comes to places to live, but it's been our home for the last few years. It's where I met the best friends I could ever ask for, and where Christian and I fell in love and started our life together. It's where I spent my time laughing, crying, and learning for the past three years, and I can't imagine what my life would be like if I didn't have the opportunity to move across the country to attend a university that has pushed me, sometimes frustrated me, and encouraged me to be the best person I can be. It's where I entered to learn, and will soon go forth to serve.

And so we want to celebrate that! Chin and I want to do all the things that I know we'll miss when we leave in July.

We put together a small list that we hope to let grow over the next few months and hope to check everything off!

The Provo Bucket List:

-Try every type of SLAB pizza

-Eat at the Skyroom

-Hike Timp

-Hike the Y one more time

-Find my dad's class picture in the law school building

-Eat lunch on top of the JFSB

-Go to Seven Peaks at least once a week (when it opens)

I told you it was small. Do you have any suggestions for us at all? We would love to add to our list (as long as it doesn't involve Pizzeria 712... we're not a fan)!

 

the week of all weeks

somehow i survived.
i don't think in all the 20 years i have been alive that i have had a more stressful week than the one i just endured.


i usually love the first week of school.
the classes are easy and short, there is minimal homework, and you get to see people and catch up and wear all of your latest and greatest back to school clothes.
this first week back to school was like a gladiator fight at the colosseum.
me against that hungry lion named school, a job, and writing for the Daily Universe (BYU's newspaper) trying to claw at me and eat away my flesh.
gruesome enough?


anyways.
somehow i thought i could do this. 30 hours of work and school plus 20 hours of newspaper writing (un-paid........).
i guess it was just a little shocking to go from working a part-time job and traveling to my heart's content to then be plunged into a rather crazy semester.


i don't mean to complain, i know this is part of growing up.
i can do this... right?
HELP ME.
did i mention i have to write a 120 page paper this semester?
cue gasp.






on a much brighter note, today while Chin plays golf with his Granddad, his Tutu and I are going to do sewing projects. I am going to try to recreate this anthropologie goodie:

wish me luck!

have a great weekend!

you know you don't get enough sleep when...

it's dark when you go to bed and still dark when you wake up... even though it's summer and the days are extra long.

you wake and your alarm scares you so bad that you start crying.

it's 2 a.m. and you think, "this is great, it's not even late yet."

editing 40 pages of powerpoints is how you get ready for bed.

when you wake up and try to put two pairs of pants on.

it's been a long week, but finals are OVER!

and i could not be more pleased.

school's out for summa.

some more bright notes:

we go here on monday:

i got the white iPhone. life rocks.

mixed emotions

last night we took a big step concerning our future. 

after days and weeks and more days of working on this beast,

with one click of a button we whisked away the application that will most certainly change our lives.

scary.

and so it begins.

...we then proceeded to get ice cream at smith's at midnight, stayed up till almost two reading The Hobbit, and talked until 3 a.m. it was the best night of my life.

graduation

 

Chin's brother Alex graduated from BYU! we were so excited for him. we ate out a lot and spent wonderful time with family, and then we headed to Denver to spend the rest of the Easter weekend with the Pingrees. 

 

 

 what i wore: j.crew skirt, Caparros heels, j.crew belt, ralph lauren blouse, GAP blazer

 

congrats Alex! we're so proud of you.

don't mind me...

i'm just dying here... along with the stomach flu/normal flu/migraine i am just having a great old time.

not only have i had a waste of a day and have not been able to study (besides 5 hours of accounting review)...

but i got two emails in a row: the first one saying that I didn't get the internship that I applied for for spring, and the second denying my petition to change my graduation plan.

plus, i really wanted to tell you guys all about how a year ago today, Chin proposed to me, and I also want to show you guys my vintage easter table setting.

but until a later date, because now i am currently freaking out about finals and being sick and being a whole day behind on studying.

yep i'm being a huge baby and i promise i am not turning this into a pity post, i'm just a little frazzled! 

if i'm m.i.a. from the blogosphere for a couple days, now you know why.

hope you all are doing great! :)

currently wishing i was here

marco island 2008

we just can't get enough

my wonderful friends, how was your weekend?

i hope it was filled with extreme excitement and uncanny joy.

our weekend was busy, among other things.

i know i talk about how much i love the university i attend and you are probably annoyed...

but we really just love BYU a whole lot.

this weekend we went to BYU basketballs' Senior Game, where they honored the three seniors on the team. it was their last home game.

i literally cried through the whole presentation before the game. i'm telling you: we're fully invested.

i've always enjoyed sports and watching them occasionally, but it wasn't until i met Chin that my love for sports and especially basketball blossomed.

i feel honored to go to a school that has a top-ten basketball program.

that has Jimmer Fredette, Player of the Year potential, leading their team.

that honors their integrity more than winning.

that has 36,000 students who act as a community.

i just feel really lucky.

after the game we got to see the team be presented with their Mountain West Conference Trophy (MWC champs 2011!) and cut down the net (they even let Brandon Davies cut down a string). all 3 seniors spoke to the crowd and it was actually a really memorable moment.

to see more about the game and see the coolest pictures EVER: click here

to read more about Brandon Davies: click here

random thoughts:

i have the best brownie recipe of all time to share with you this week.

also, last snippets of our apartment coming tomorrow!

whoever designed our apartment complex with the master bedrooms sharing a wall was a complete moron.

i really want to do a series on aprons. i know it sounds weird but i love aprons.

i thought it would be fun to showcase 4-5 aprons and outfits to go with them. what do you think?

i think i cried for three hours

yesterday i met with my communications counselor to plan out my graduation schedule. a week and a half ago i was accepted into BYU's Public Relations Program, and i was so excited and so ready to plan out the rest of my education and get ready for what lies ahead.

Christian graduates next April (or maybe June now that they added the new June graduation date!), and my plan was to graduate August of 2012 (two months after chin) so we could be done and move to where ever Christian ends up going to medical school.

I had already planned out my schedule and I was confident that I would be able to graduate on time and that everything would be perfect. I got into the program and now all I had to do was finish it.

easier said than done right?

as i sat down with Rosemary (my counselor), I told her when I planned to graduate. she then proceeded to tell me that my plan was impossible.

because my program classes are taught in clusters, I have to take certain classes at a time, and I have to be in Provo (no independent study) to take my last and final capstone class which is only offered in the fall or winter semester.

long story short.

i have a long ways to go.

i can't graduate until December 2012.

i pleaded with her to find another way, and although she was very sweet and tried to help, i felt alone and misunderstood as i told her that i didn't want to live away from my husband for four months.

four whole months. who know how many states away from my husband. we spent our entire engagement apart and i wasn't expecting to ever have to live apart again.

i keep praying that somehow this will all work out and that it won't really happen and that maybe someone will understand and let me graduate early.

as i walked home, i decided to walk to Eliza's apartment and i fell into her arms sobbing at the sight of her.

i then proceeded to cry and cry and cry. and when i went home i cried and cried and cried.

it was an emotional day.

maybe things will work out. i really hope they do.

photo by patrick

have you ever read Natalie Merrillyn?

she lived without her husband for the first four months of their marriage while she was trying to finish college. an inspiration if i ever saw one.

"if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans." -Woody Allen

hello happiness

today has been a cool day.

i slept in. that was on accident.

(but the best accident ever! i really needed it)

upon lazily waking up, i checked my transcript on byu and to my surprise,

independent study had already transferred my grade!

not only was this a relief, but i also received a high enough grade to apply to the Public Relations Program!

granted, i got a B in the class which is the minimum grade you can get but hey- i'll take it.

The application is due tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. and i have been freaking out about it.

i mean what if i got a B- or what if independent study didn't transfer my grade in time?

that would have crushed all my hopes and dreams. somehow i lucked out.

after jumping around (by myself) for a little while i rushed as fast as i could to get ready to see Condoleezza Rice

speak at BYU ever. um wow. amazing!

i left our apartment at 10:56 with only 9 minutes to trek the distance to the Marriott Center. 

Somehow i made it.

(i sprinted)

not only was her talk uplifting and inspiring, but she spoke about finding our passion while receiving our education. Condoleezza is a wonderful and powerful woman. she has an air of confidence and assurance that makes me want to be the best person that I can be.

it was easily one of the coolest experiences I have had at byu so far.

thanks Dr. Rice.

on a side note,

today i created a formspring account.

i was really hesitant to do it because it seems a little trendy and honestly,

i'm scared!

i've seen some accounts where people don't ask very nice questions.

but i'm putting myself out there and opening up to you;

so ask away!

i'll put a link on the side of our blog.

ask us any (appropriate) question you like.

click HERE to ask.

the end

today- officially- i finished my byu independent study course.

since june i have been working on this class.

but i am done.

done with a research paper,

a case analysis,

powerpoint project,

8 quizzes,

a midterm,

22 lessons,

two comparison reports,

and a final.

words cannot express to you how HAPPY i am to be done.

but this can:

(thanks jimmer. did i also mention that besides independent study,

 i go to the best school on the planet?)

some devil

current time: 1:07 a.m.

notice the crazed and dazed look.

i feel like i've been working on my landscape final design for eternity.

not only do we have to submit our final design,

but we have to hand in a portfolio of all of our previous assignments, previous papers, labeled pictures, selections for our plants in our final design, a final essay touring our landscape, and detailed flower beds. i want to die. 

i will be dancing up and down 12 hours from now when i hand this bad boy in.

pray that i am still alive then.

byu bliss

can you believe september is here already?

chin and i celebrated our one month anniversary on tuesday night- now that is crazy that we've already been married a month! one month down- eternity to go. :)

School started for us on Monday and there is nothing like being back on byu campus.

first of all- i SWEAR there are a million more students this year than last. campus is jam packed! not that i'm complaining- i love the big school atmosphere. Music has been playing constantly through brigham square and classes haven't gotten too intense yet, plus i've seen and gotten together with tons of friends from freshman year.

our first football game is on Saturday vs. Washington and i cannot WAIT to be back in good old Lavell Edwards stadium cheering with the other thousands of BYU fans all wearing blue and white. COUGARNATION! i love byu. there is no school like it.

chin on the first day of school. He looked like a j.crew model. he does the dishes and i get to dress him everyday. i love my husband!

tonight i made Tortilla Soup from prudencepennywise.blogspot.com.

she is a great cook and is helping me (i am such a rookie) make dinner every night.

the picture doesn't do it justice- it was delicious!

we put a vinyl monogram above our bed... it was so tough to put up! we seem to have everything in our house monogrammed.... our towels, our bed, our key hooks. we must really love our initials? i'm not so sure.