Long Time, No See

Long time, no post. I know, I know. Spring term has knocked me off my feet temporarily. Turns out doing organic chemistry for 4-8 hours a day 5+ days a week is a very real and possible situation to find yourself in. But enough about that.

What have I been up to?

Well. I entered my last year of being a teenage with my 19th birthday! It was a wonderful day full of my favorite people. I went shopping with my mother, had a picnic in the park with my best friend, went laser tagging, and to my favorite restaurant.
YOU GUYS.
If you have never been to The Mandarin Restaurant in Bountiful.... You have not lived. Go. Now. Stop reading this. Go. And get the almond chicken and veggies and honey walnut shrimp. I'll just say you're welcome in advance.
Anyways. It was a good day to say the least :)

I had a few days off between school semesters where I watched my younger brother and sister with Mom and Dad off in Hawaii celebrating 25 years of marriage with eternity to go!

I also said goodbye to Jae Col as she left on her mission to Virginia. That was hard.. But she is amazing and I will see her soon enough I suppose. 18 months is nothing!

Isn 't she a babe? I thought so.

Then I have been in Spring term for about 6 weeks now? I love it but I would be lying if I didn't tell you it was hard. Classes twice as long and twice as fast is a lot to take in.. But you get used to it. Plus it's way nice to get it done fast. There is no way I would survive this chem class for 15 or 16 weeks in a regular semester. No freaking way. But having it as my main focus with a little class and the best TA ever isn't too bad at all! Seriously we have the best TA. Liz. We owe our lives and grades to her. And I am not exaggerating.  Someone needs to up her pay.

Nights consist of hiking, temple trips, exploring provo, swimming,  watching movies, making cookies, playing volleyball, ward activities, and making friends. It's a pretty good life.

Provo Temple <3

I am also in swimming and ceramics classes. Probably two of my very favorite things in the world. Getting up to exercise and swim is wonderful and ending the day in the studio on the wheel is perfect.  When I get stuff out of the kiln maybe I'll post a picture!

Here is a view of the studio I wish I could live in 

And now. The point of this post.
The most exciting thing of the entire year (so far) has happened.

**drumroll**

I can't get over this picture. Isn't he cute? Aren't we cute? Isn't the temple wonderful? Everything in life is wonderful.

JACOB CAME HOME FROM HIS MISSION!!

My older brother  returned from his two year service as a missionary for the LDS church in London, England this Wednesday. I don't know if I have ever been more excited or smiled more in my life. Or cried so much from pure joy.
It was so incredibly good to see him, see he's a real person and not just a memory, and hear is laugh and voice again.
Two years is long time.. It's weird to think how much has happened in both our lives and how much both of us have changed and yet still managed to look basically the same. Though he does seem taller..

Hey look! It's Jake!

Our house flying it's true colors. 

Aren't my posters adorable? 

Ah. Such a good day at that airport though. It's crazy to think I will switch him places in less than 3 months! And what an adventure that will be.. But for now I am so happy to just be home and hang with my family. It's been too long since we've all been home. (And I suppose I technically still have two weeks of living in Provo before we are all home again but... What's two weeks after two years, right?)

I am currently on my way home for his Homecoming weekend and couldn't be more excited.
The Church is true. God is wonderful. And life is an amazing adventure.

Love Always, Aimee