Mary Anne

My sister is putting her papers in to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Isn't her picture great?! I am really excited and nervous for her and I just can't wait to here where she will be serving for 18 months. We've always been pretty close, but I daresay our relationship will most likely become even better while she is away. I've had some time lately to reflect on my mission and what it means to me. I know her mission will mean everything to her and I can't wait to watch as she learns and grows.

Today is also special because today Jimmer Fredette's dreams of playing in the NBA will be realized. I can't wait to see where he will be playing. If I had it my way, it would be the Suns, but I'm sure he'd love to play in Madison Square Garden with his Knicks...we shall see.

 

Trees

Today I enjoyed a "Tree Tour" presented by the BYU Geography Club. It was fascinating. I learned that there are a variety of trees on campus worth looking at. I also learned that a Professor from the University of Utah cut down the oldest living tree known in the world on accident.

My favorite tree was this Gingko Tree. I loved the texture of the leaves, the height, and the color. I think it was my favorite tree of the tour. This tree is just outside the Heber J. Grant building, more commonly known as the Testing Center. If you want to plant this tree near your home, be sure to plant the male, because the female produces a fruit that smells really really bad. There are some female Gingko Trees in front of the Maeser Building.

It was really cool to see the trees that are referred to in the Old Testament as the Cedars of Lebanon. These trees are really symbolic in the Middle East and even appear on the Lebanese Flag. This tree is just south of the David O. McKay Building.

I also saw a leaf bug.

After the tour we had hot chocolate and cookies and talked about geography. We had a pretty long conversation before I had to reveal that I am not a geography major at all. They said I could still join their club if I wanted. They do have a pretty cool T-Shirt, and they have some cool activities coming up (ie Camping, Show shoe hike, not to mention this tree tour).

If you want to go on a Tree Tour at BYU, you can buy a guide in the BYU Bookstore for $2.50. I think I'll do it for a date sometime (If I can find a girl nerdy enough to go with me).

A New Semester and New Friends.

New Roomate

I have a new roommate. His name is Ryan Boyce. He is from St. George, UT. He is majoring in Civil Engineering. He's a cool kid. My other roommate is still Oscar.

New Ward Members

There are a many new people in the BYU 150th Ward. The odds are good. There are two girls to every guy, but I guess that's normal at the Y. There are a bunch of awesome people and I'm excited to get to know them all.

Marathon Update

My brother, Neil, and I tried to run 20 miles on Saturday. That is to say, I tried and Neil succeeded. I didn't hydrate myself properly and had some problems. But I'm ok don't worry. The Marathon is in two weeks in Logan, UT. I am really excited. I'm planning on doing a triathlon in Casa Grande, AZ in early November.

I am extremely jealous of all of the BYU students who get to go to school right now. I miss school so much. However I think it's important to be patient and enjoy the present. As one of my favorite movies, Kung Fu Panda, says, "You are too concerned about what was and what will be. There is a saying: yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the 'present.'" There is a good talk by Elder Neal A. Maxwell that my good friend and former seminary teacher, Murlin Larson, showed to me entitled, "Content with the things allotted to us." It is worth the read.