A trip full of happy places.

This past December, our parents stuck tickets to Disneyland in envelopes, handed them to us, and had us all open them at the same time. {Okay, I knew what was going on because my parents and I had to plan this trip around my school schedule, but none of my siblings knew.} The resulting reactions were pretty awesome. And with that, it was official. In February we would be spending 4 whole days in the happiest place on Earth {Well, actually that place is Yellowstone, but Disneyland is pretty darn close} before driving up to Las Vegas to attend our cousin Dani's wedding in a different, but very real kind of happiest place, the Las Vegas LDS temple. 

Flash forward to February 26th. After a very stressful afternoon starting with a call at 4pm from Southwest Airlines telling me that my 7:10 flight was delayed to the point that it would miss my connection, and that I wouldn't get to California unless I got my butt to the airport by 5 o'clock for a different flight, I finally landed in Orange County at 11pm, feeling like my heart was going to explode with happiness after running into my daddy's arms. Repeat that feeling when I was reunited with my brother, whose flight came a bit after mine, and then with my family at the hotel an hour later. So much HAPPINESS!

And then, for the next four days, we partied.

 {Waiting for Adventureland to open after spending our Magic Hour on Space Mountain and Small World. We got nervous sideways glances from other guests as we whispered our family strategy to get to Indiana Jones first: "Remember, V-formation guys! Show no mercy. Mow 'em down if you have to. Ready, break!"}

The weather was warm and sunny and the food farcically expensive, 

but we ate, we laughed, we wandered, and we rode those rides.

That's Sarah's California-Screamin'-accelerates-so-fast-your-face-rips-off face.

Sarah. She just couldn't handle it.

 And after two days, Ryan arrived. Cue MORE HAPPINESS. I literally did

not think any more of that stuff could fit inside me. But somehow, it did.

Disneyland/California Adventure at night. My favorite. {PS the World of Color show is INCREDIBLE.}

My family is amazing. Life is good.

Valentine's Day

A package of traditional Krop family Valentines {I WAS SO HAPPY}, breakfast courtesy of Ryan,

 and roses, chocolate, and a sack lunch delivered to me at work later that day by one of his roommates,

 looking dashing in a full on three piece suit & bow tie. After work, a drive to the place that started it

 all: the Y. This girl is feelin' pretty darn loved.

The little things

He takes time out of his busy evenings to pick me up from work every day without fail, so that I don't have to make the half-hour, freezing, dark walk home. He randomly bursts through my front door, gives me a hug and a kiss and says "I just missed you so I stopped by!" then is gone in a second. He brought me a Cinnabon/a literal piece of the the highest level of heavenly happiness one night, not knowing I had just had a horrible day at work. He wrote a massive 'I love you.' in the snowbank left by the plow that had cleared the parking lot at work one evening. He randomly stands up from studying together, says "Sit down and relax. I'm making dinner for you," and does just that, over the sound of my protests. He comes all the way up to the library to walk me home when I have to be there late at night. He randomly inserts 'I love you' into his sentences, so they go something like "This morning I woke up, worked out, and did some Spanish homework I love you before I had to go to class. How was your morning?" He randomly saves half his FHE treat to bring to me afterwards. He makes me PB&Js while we're studying {toasted. My world has changed}. He openly brags to people about me - My roommates, his roommates, my old/his current bishopric & their wives, my family, random friends we run into. My blushing capacities have never gotten such a workout.

What in all of heaven and earth did I do to deserve this kid?

Ryan's 24th birthday, which was yesterday. I somehow managed to produce from the depths of my kitchen-ineptness pot roast, mashed
potatoes, and homemade gravy. Surprised the daylights out of myself, let me tell you. 

Roomate Date.

Lizzy's friend Amanda, Lizzy, and Katie {missing Lauren ): }

Michelle and Mariah. 

Mariah and I!

I landed the sweetest, most loving, most wonderful roommates on the planet. Every time I walk in the door and a chorus of "Welcome home!" and "I love you!" and "You look adorable!" {yeah. Even when I'm in sweats. I tell you, they're amazing.} meets me, I just think to myself: I feel like I've come home. Our apartment feels like a home, and that can turn any crummy day into a happy one. I've seen proof of that. I love these girls more than I can put in words, and I've only known them for four weeks! They've taught me so much, made me laugh so much, and have made me feel like the luckiest, most loved girl in the WORLD. Life is good.

MLK Weekend

We road tripped it down to St. George to get our sunshine fix. There are no words for 

sunny, 50-degree weather after weeks and weeks of dark, snowy, 18-degree death. It was absolutely AWESOME.

{^^^ Katie's face = pure and utter joy. Evidence of the absolute awesomeness.}

I love St. George. The stunning red rocks and endless blue sky keep a smile on my face the whole time. I can safely say St. George ranks at least an 8 on the zero-to-Yellowstone happiness scale. We climbed around among ancient petrified sand dunes and beautifully weathered sandstone formations for hours. The only thing more fun than hiking somewhere awesome is hiking somewhere awesome with awesome friends.

Sorry you look like a shortie, Andrew...

 

 Then all our friends went home on Sunday. Ryan and I woke up early on Monday and made the beautiful drive to Zion National Park, just the two of us. Before we had even started dating, I had told Ryan that I wanted to be there the first time he saw ZNP, home to some of my favorite rocks and hikes on the planet. He promised he wouldn't set foot in the park till I could go with him. Good to know my boyfriend's an honest man! It was totally worth it to see his face when we came face-to-face with this. 

 I love that Ryan loves hiking. And even though there were a few times I legitimately thought I was going to slip off the narrow ice-encrusted spine of rock and fall to my death, it was so much fun climbing Angel's Landing with Ryan. I judge a lot of my guy by how he values nature, and on this hike he only gave me more reasons to love him. 

^^^ Trail of ice and death. And then Ryan and I as we started the coolest part - walking on the spine!  

Standing 1,488 feet above the valley floor. It was incredible. 

Earth {and three day weekends} are amazing.

Four things that have defined Winter semester so far.

1) I moved apartments and have the sweetest, most fun roommates a girl could ask for. We even have our own Facebook page where we can be weird in private. They make my day every day. 

2) I received an email last week that made me scream:

Yes indeed, I was offered a job at the coolest place on campus. It's a little scary and stressful, and I have so much more to learn, but I work with the greatest people and I LOVE working at an outdoor equipment store! I fit right in. [: Plus the income and job experience is very appreciated by this girl. So far I have {somewhat} mastered the art of manning the cash register, waxing & buffing skis, and sorting rental equipment. Next up: fitting people with skis. Gulp. But the perks are sweet. Free rentals, free ski passes, discounted outdoor gear. Is this heaven?

3) Cute friend who visited me in Seattle over Christmas break is now my boyfriend. People, I absolutely, positively scored in the boyfriend department. I can't even explain Ryan. He is so wonderful to me. 

4) I love all of my classes. Earth is incredible. I love learning about it, and I can't wait to keep learning even more about it.

My life is so good. I'm crazy busy, pushing the boundaries I thought I had, and am so very happy. [:

The Top Ten of Christmas Break

#1. Twenty-one whole days with my family. {And my cat.} Seattle days, lazy days, just plain 

being sick days, car-washing-and-vacuuming-days, Christmas day(!!!), etc. 

I loved every single one. 

#2. Spending time with college friends, including ones that I haven't seen forever 

due to study abroads, and ones who won't be going back with me come January due to 

being old, graduated farts now. 

#3. Daily runs and walks on the beautiful trails by the river. Oh how I pine for them 

when I'm running on endless sidewalks in continuous, boring straight lines in Provo. 

#4. SNOWSHOEING. It was so cold that the water froze solid in my CamelBak 

tube, and I'm sure I increased the longevity of my flu by subjecting my sick self to such conditions, 

but it was stunningly, pristinely beautiful, and completely worth it. 

#5. Ringing in the new year with family. It's 2013. I graduated high school almost three years 

ago. I'm a junior in college. My brother graduates and comes to BYU with me in the fall. My youngest

 sister is almost in middle school, and the other can go to stake dances. Where does the time go?

#6. Hanging out with old friends. It's always so much fun to catch up with the people you were close to during high school and see where they are and what they're doing. 

#7. Having a cute friend from school call me with news that he'd have a 9-hour layover in Seattle the following day. It was so much fun to see him and have him hang out with my extended family and I while we wandered around Seattle. Plus we got tickets to the one of my favorite places on the planet, the Pacific Science Center, to see 3,000-year-old Egyptian artifacts in the King Tut exhibit. Pretty incredible.

#8. Being sick about 60% of the break, including both Christmas and New Years Eve. You should try it guys, it's GREAT.

#9. Our annual tradition of caroling to our neighbors the Sunday before Christmas. Buddy the Elf's mantra about the most effective way to spread Christmas cheer? Proven. 

#10. My movie intake spiked by about 700%. Going from hardly ever watching any TV, as is my lifestyle at school, to the level I went to during break was a shock to the system, but I can say that I thought the Hobbit was wonderful, I have fallen in love with the cello and classical music/Russell Crowe all over again due to seeing Master and Commander for the first time, and I will truthfully confess that I cried through Les Mis more than I did the play. 

By Sunday evening I'll be back in Provo, in a new apartment, a new ward, and new classes. 

Life is so good. I can't wait.