Lemonade
At the beginning of every school year, my mom comes up with a theme. When I was in school, some of the themes were: apples(one of the first) – smile – light – aloha – use your time wisely – peace – strength – family and now, this year: “When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade”. My mama is so creative. 15 years worth of themes…and they have only gotten better over the years. It’s such a fun way to start the year off with some excitement.
I thought of some “lemons” my life is currently giving me…
Getting turned down for multiple jobs
Big decisions giving me stress
Missin’ my sista
Being single ;)
etc. (end of thinking capacity)
and then I honestly thought how I could turn those lemons into “lemonade”…
and the answer came: Alma 32:41
^^^This song (the theme song for the year) was blasting when we came up to breakfast…yellow balloons were everywhere…my mom was clapping and saying “Rise and Shine!!!!”…no doubt I was wide awake after that.^^^
^^^The house, decked out in everything yellow.^^^
^^^They are so cute, I could cry.^^^
^^^Year after year, we took pictures in front of the house…^^^
^^^But I think this one is my all-time favorite!^^^
^^^You aren’t ready for college unless you have 4 spatulas…^^^
^^^All packed up and ready to go!! I’m gettin’ outta here!!^^^
^^^A pano of my new room.^^^
^^^Loads and loads of groceries.^^^
^^^This was the legendary first breakfast…comment if you want the recipe. And yes, I’m guilty…all my food is already marked…^^^
^^^This is my favorite place on campus. The Student Life and Wellness Center. I can promise each and every one of you, I will NOT gain the freshman 15. In fact, I’m coming home looking and feeling even better than ever.^^^
^^^The bus schedule. My new best friend.^^^
^^^When you are the only one in your dorm room for 3 days in a row, it gets kinda super lonely, to the point where I started going crazy from all the noises: people stomping above me, doors opening and shutting, whatever goes on in that closet in the hallway, lightning and thunder…then my dad started texting me pics of my siblings and cousins having a blast playing cards at my house and then I lost it! I don’t usually get homesick but I felt it right then. It was weird! I wanted to be home! Haha! So the next day I took the bus to campus to check out all my classes and get slightly more aware of my surroundings (I swear it’s going to take me until I’m a senior to figure that place out!). Then I caught a bus going up north – home.
I got off at a KFC in American Fork and waited for my dad to pick me up from there. After standing there for a few minutes, a big poly (I thought it was Levi Fiso for a split second – for those who know him – it made me really excited – but it wasn’t) opened the drive-thru window and yelled over to me,
“Hey! Do you want some chicken?” In my head I was like “Heck yeah!” I hadn’t eaten lunch and it was already 2:30. But playing stupid, I said, “What?”
“Do you want some chicken?” I slowly started to walk over to the drive-thru window. “I don’t have any money…”
“I’ll give it to you for free. What’s your name?”
“McKayla”
“Are you catching the bus?”
“No, I just got off. I’m waiting for my dad to pick me up.”
“Oh, are you in school?”
“Yeah, I’m going to UVU.”
“Oh. Where are you from?”
He was asking a lot of questions… “Cedar Hills.”
“Oh, by the temple?”
That threw me off guard. “Yeah. By the temple.”
“Well, can I have your number?”
I almost screamed and ran away, but I kept my cool. “Wait, what?!”
“You’re a really pretty girl. I’ll give you some chicken if I can have your number…”
Nervous-laughing: “I don’t even know you!” I was trying to stall as much as I could.
“That’s why I want your number.” He looked me up and down. “I want to get to know you better.”
By then I’m surprised I didn’t run away screaming. Right then my dad pulled up to the side of the road and honked!
“I’ve got to go! My dad’s here… bye.”
And I walked away – chicken-less.
I got in my dad’s truck and told him the whole story and he said, “Yeah, good job. You never want to give your number to someone that bold.”
I think bold is an understatement. And that was my first experience with men since leaving the house. I can’t wait for what my future holds…
We got home and my brother had gotten nominated for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and he asked me to pour water over his head. I said, “Uhh, yeah! Of course!!” So I did. (picture above) Simple things like this is why I love my fam bam. We just laugh and have fun and I love it! My mom asked me if I wanted to keep any of the stuff I’d left in my room. The conversation pretty much went, “Do you want this?” “No.” “Do you want this?” “No.” “Do you want this?” “No.” “Do you want this?” “No.” “Do you want this?” “Yeah.” “Do you want this?” “No.” “Do you want this?” “No.”
I stayed for dinner, cause you don’t turn that down when you are a college student, and we bought a few more necessities like a broom and a cutting board ;) and my dad drove me back to my apartment. I brought a basketball with me and after putting everything away, we went outside and shot around on the basketball court. We played “elephant” – just cause it’s longer than “pig” or “horse”. ;) I lost. That man is a baller.
What I’m trying to say is, I love my family and I’m really going to miss them. Thank goodness I don’t live thousands of miles away.
So here’s to the new school year, getting straight A’s, meeting new friends, turning lemons into lemonade, and to keeping it real.
