HOUSTON

I know. I suck at updating! But I've been so busy lately... you really can't blame me!

I finally made my journey here to Houston. It is absolutely amazing. I love being here. The weather is perfect, and it has been so amazing to spend time with my family and all of the friends that I have missed so much! I definitely want to spend even more time with them! It makes me not want to go back... but I know that I'll want to by the end... but right now this is just fabulous!

It was so funny to get my niece and nephew together. They are so funny, and they've grown up sooo fast! There are so many fun things we've done... expect pictures soon :]]

FINALS!

are terrible.

just terrible.

I've taken four so far. I did well on the first three... but then I completely bombed my last one (like below fifty bomb).

But the thing is studying more wouldn't have helped. It was just hard. No one did very well. I've only heard of one person that passed and he got a 72. So hopefully there will be a HUGE curve!

Anyways enough ranting! I only have one final left! And it's religion so it shouldn't be too hard!! Then off to Houston! Can't wait!!

CHRISTMAS

is almost here! Who is pumped? You are of course. I know you are! Today at church was our Christmas program (because there is no church next week because everyone's going home!) and it was amazing! I sang in the choir and played my viola! It really put me in the Christmas mood! I loved it.

Last night I went sledding with some friends. Most fun I've had in a long time! I've never really gotten to play in the snow like that before. It was soooo much fun! Laura took a picture so as soon as I get it from her I'll post it!

Five days people. FIVE DAYS! and five finals....

This is pretty much my favorite Christmas song right now :] Just listen to the whole thing!

So Much!

So much has been going on! I don't even know where to start!

This past weekend I got to go to the BYU Military Ball with a friend from back home. It was a lot of fun, and kind of funny at times. They had like a ceremony for the guys to pour our water.... But all in all it was really fun.

Sunday Provo finally had its first real snow. At first it was so exciting!... but the excitement wore off as I came to a realization that this dirty snow is going to be here until april :[ But it's kind of fun. I guess. haha.

There's a lot more now.... this was taken on Sunday!

Sunday night my sister, Kelli, and I drove up to Salt Lake and waited in the standby line for tickets into the Conference Center for the First Presidency Devotional. Luckily we didn't have to wait long outside because it was COLD! The conference center was decorated so pretty for christmas!

(excuse the bad quality... taken on my phone! haha)

It was awesome. That was the first time that I'd ever been in there! It was so fun. That place is huge!!!

Monday night my ward (congregation at church) took a trip up to the Salt Lake temple. It was so fun to be on the grounds during the winter/Christmas time. The lights were amazing... and of course the temple is SO beautiful!



It was so fun to hang out with everyone!

Today my roommate and I ventured out in the snow and went and got vaccinated for H1N1. It was free for BYU students. I was really nervous about getting a shot... I hate needles. I need to get over that... anyways. Once we got there we found out that you can a live strand put in you through a nasal "mist." It's supposed to be better because your body builds up better immunity, but I was kind of nervous about having them stick something up my nose, but it was so good! I didn't feel anything! I highly recommend the "nasal mist" route! Not scary at all!!

Ten Days till in I'm in TEXAS!!!!

BYU Football

So our regular season is over :[

But we definitely ended with a bang! I've had family attend BYU and my dad always watched the game, so I realized that BYU and University of Utah were rivals, but I never realized the intensity of it! Everyone was booing their fans and it was just reallllly intense! This might be my favorite...

This isn't the best picture because I was caught off guard laughing and trying to pull my camera out at the same time. The guy wearing red with a backpack, had a stuffed animal cougar (our mascot) on a leash and was dragging him around. Even though he was hating on BYU I laughed so hard. Had to be one of the funniest things EVER! You can kind of see a little bit of it in the picture!

I went to the game with my sister Kelli and we made sure to get there super early so that no one would take our seats! On everyone's seat they had BYU flags so of course we took tons of pictures with them!

And I wore the BYU rival shirt, duh!

The game was super close. I might have doubted BYU for a couple of moments :[ Haha but we finally won in overtime! Everyone was screaming. It was so intense, and then people started rushing the field. Which is generally a huge no no. The cops were trying to push people back into the stands, but there were so many that they gave up. He is the field full of people!!

It was like the funnest game ever!

SO later drama occurs! Max Hall (our QB) decided that it would be awesome to hate on Utah to the press. Which sucks because at BYU we like to be classy and good sports. Here is his statement.

"I don't like Utah. In fact, I hate them. I hate everything about them. I hate their program, I hate their fans, I hate everything. I think the whole university, their fans and their organization is classless. They threw beer on my family and stuff last year, and they did a whole bunch of nasty things, and I don't respect them, and they deserved to lose."

Way to be classy Max Hall. Hahah. A lot of people are upset about it. He came out with a statement and apologized, but I actually think it's funny. I don't think it took away from our win.

Because BYU is the best. duhhh :]

Until next year!

soooo

I have a new addition to my room!

Of course I loved Twilight. I love everything Twilight.

I was one of those girls that screamed when Jacob took his shirt off to help Bella's sicknast forehead.

Taylor Lautner is 17. Really? Guess what? I DON'T CARE. He has got to be one of the sexiest men (boys?) alive.

And hereeee it is.

This is in fact hanging in my dorm room. And yes. Everyone is jealous. When the girls on my floor came home from their Thanksgiving festivities we had a photoshoot with everyone fawning over it.

$5 well spent.

Ten Days

Ten days of not blogging. It's not because I never had time. I was on blogger everyday reading other people's blogs and I thought about blogging.... but I could think of anything to say. Maybe that's my problem with blogging... I am uncreative. So you are getting a boring blog. Because I can't think of anything exciting, you get a update of just completely random things that have happened in my life! How fun!

So everyone on my hall is going away for Thanksgiving. It's awesome. I super jealous. I wish that I was going home for Thanksgiving, but it's actually okay because I have so much work that I need to do. It's so crazy that the semester is coming to end so soon. Twenty-three days from today I will be boarding a plane and heading back to good old Texas. I miss it. Not going to lie, but BYU is awesome.

So my sister Kelli lives quite close to me, but my other sister Julie goes to BYU-Idaho and she came down to Provo to visit this weekend. It was awesome to hang out with my sisters. While Julie was here I borrow her car to go back to my place a couple of times to get things done... It was SO weird. What is wrong with me? I used to be a good driver, but apparently three months of no driving takes a toll on you. Don't get me wrong, I didn't get in any wrecks or anything, it all went fine. But I was so scared the entire time. What has become of me? haha.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Miss you all!!

please?

Can we please discuss the fact that Glee is amazing? I already loved the show, and then they had to throw in a little bit of Wicked? Like I love Wicked. I was watching this week's episode at my sister's apartment and the second that they mentioned Defying Gravity (my favorite) I was on edge to hear them perform it!

When I first heard Kurt singing it I was like say whattt? But it's grown on me.

I can't believe he can sing that high.

It's just amazing. Love Glee, Love Wicked!

i love....

Lip Stuff.

Any kind of lip stuff. Chapstick, lip gloss, lip stick, and all of that stuff in between.

I have always had an obsession with it. My mom has issues with those cook books in the checkout lines at grocery stores. It's her weakness. The stuff on the front looks so delicious.

My weakness is chapsticks. I buy them all the time. They are all over the place. I have multiple ones in my purses, backpack, makeup bag, desk drawer, and then sometimes I just find them in random places. My personal favorite (right now) is the Blistex Silk and Shine.

I used to always think that this was a bad habit because I would spend a fortune on my lip products, but now that I live in the desert I am grateful for my chapstick obsession!

In other news.... 38 days until Texas!

Winter Classes!

I have good news team.

Last night I registered for my winter classes. Registering for classes is a huge pain for multiple reasons.

1. I am only a wee freshman so practically all my classes are full except the super terrible times.

2. BYU's server is the smallest one; aka it crashes anytime they have registration.

3. It is just stressful; I mean seriously, it's not like I want to take these classes!

Anyways. An hour before midnight I began looking at classes and deciding which ones I was going to take. It wasn't looking good and I thought I was going to have to take an EIGHT AM class. Not okay (I don't do mornings...), but when I got online that section was full, and the afternoon class had an opening!! Anyways, things kept working out for me! And my schedule is amazing. I don't have any classes on Tuesday. Thursday I have one, and Friday I have two. It is awesome!! I am looking forward to Winter semester now!

I am also taking a University Orchestra class! It's just a fun orchestra class. There is no audition and the only grades are showing up for class and the concert. I am very excited!

In other news... I absolutely love the girls on my hall! We like putting four beds into one room and having movie nights (only when our RA is out of town!)

It's always a party in Hinckley 2200!

Some Days

There are some days that I am grateful for fat.

It doesn't happen often. Generally I wish I could shed off some of these extra lbs.

But there are some days when I am thankful I am not a twig. Living in Utah has shown me it can be good.

I am so cold here. Can you imagine how cold I would be if I was skinny? I don't even want to think about it!

Halloween!

Who doesn't love halloween? It's so fun. Nevermind the fact that it started by people worshiping the devil! It's just fun now! Hinckley 2200 had a hall date night for halloween!! So fun. I went with a friend named Tyler. Who decided it would be fun to dress as a creep. Awesome. haha.

This is us at dinner. I was Elphaba/The Wicked Witch. I kept telling people I was the good one and they just looked at me weird...

Scarecrow, Dorothy, And the Witches!!

Bailee was a Grandma... how awesome is that??

This is all the girls from my hall that were there... and Tyler being a creep in the background.. haha. Anyways these girls are awesome!! I love Hinckley!

the joys of college.

Just in case you are wondering what you will look if you--

A. haven't slept in 30 hours.

B. bombed a history test that you stayed up all night studying for.

C. are wearing parkas and it's not even halloween yet....

This is how you would look.

It's an awesome look I know. I'm not sure how well I am pulling it off today, but it's a look I just might rock more often.

In other news... my hall is having a date night tomorrow night, and I asked a friend named Tyler, while my friends Kelli and Tiffany asked boys on the same hall. We thought that if we asked in cute ways they were sure to say yes.

Our theory proved to be correct. We'll see how that one goes!

So it's possible that I am blogging during my History 201 class.

But only because it is the worst class ever made.

Seriously. Seriously. I'm just being productive.

Anywaysss.

This would be Miss Laura Gilpin and I.

Laura also got into the Disney College Program! So yes, we will both be going and living together! I am so excited. It will be less scary!

I don't remember if I announced what I would be doing while in Florida... I am going to be a lifeguard!

There are many reasons why am I excited-

1. I won't have to wear an itchy costume.

2. I am going to get a killer tan (and maybe my blonde hair back!)

3. It is so going to motivate me to get back into shape!

Still homesick. Miss all you guys!

Irony

I find it quite ironic that I titled my last post "why is it so hard?" because that it exactly what I was going to title this post. And since I cannot possible title two post the same... this one is irony.

But it is all about how terrible college is. I miss my family. I miss my friends.

But mostly it is terrible because I am pretty much failing all of my classes except chemistry. Everyone talks about how terribly hard chemistry is, but it seems to be the only class I'm not terrible at. I need to rethink my life. I'm a biology major. I got my biology test back today in my 11 o'clock recitation and I got a 75.5 Like seriously. I thought I got an A on that thing. Fifty percent of the test was essay. Which is totally fine, because you can just write down everything that you know. But in Dr. Johnson's class you must write exactly what he wrote in the key, or you don't get credit. So didn't get credit for half of the written section. I was so upset I left recitation a half hour early and just started crying. Remind me to not wear makeup on the days I'm getting tests back... it doesn't end up pretty :[

Should I change my major, I'm terrible at biology. But I don't know if it's just this class or if it is biology altogether. Ugh.

So that is my pet peeve of the day. When professors expect you to read their mind.

Not cool. Maybe I'll get to come home if I fail out of BYU. That would be exciting.

Why is it so hard?

THIS is the week of pet peeves. I don't know what brought it up. Maybe I am PMSing. Who knows.

Today's pet peeve relates to college.

You walk into your class of 300. You aren't ten minutes early to class like you generally are, but you are still there before lecture starts. But of course, the only seats open are the ones smack in the middle. Why would you sit in the middle if you are one of the first ones there? Because it makes sense? That's what I thought. So you have to crawl over twenty people and their laptops and their bags just to get a seat.

Why is it so hard to just fill in from the center?

Whoa. Now that I have that off my chest, Tell me about one of your pet peeves!

YES

Yes.

You have heard correctly.

I, Holly Larson, have been offered a spot in the Disney College Program as a lifeguard.

AKA I will be spending April 26 - August 13 in FLORIDA!!

Magic Kingdom here I come :]]

HOLLY IS....

a brunette!

How do we feel about it??

The Weather.

Okay I know I just updated... and I totally didn't even mention the weather.

What is wrong with me? For reals. I woke up on Tuesday and it was in the thirties. And it was raining. Could it be anymore terrible. Yeah... actually it could, because it hasn't warmed up at all. I think it got up in the fifties midday yesterday. It's okay though because I'm going to do some intense shopping soon.

It's kind of fun for it to be so cold because then I complain a lot and people are like where are you from because this isn't cold. And I'm like I'm from Texas!

Represent!

Miss it so much.

The Life.

So I know that I don't have to write a novel every time I write a post, but sometimes I feel like it's a waste if I don't have a ton of exciting things to write! I feel like yall are you going to be like "wow byu is lame" if i don't have all of these exciting things to say! haha but that's okay because sometimes my life is just not exciting. and that's okay because right now I am at college and I need to be studying.

Which by the way I have been doing so much of. It is ridiculous. Before I left for school everyone was so excited for me and they were like "college was the best time of my life!" Okay... College is stressful. Like super stressful! But that's okay. I'm managing. I've had three midterms this week. Two B's and an A. Not to shabby. I can deal with that!

Anyways! I'm liking it here! Last weekend we had a single's safari. Just a silly scavenger hunt thing around campus and it ended in a dance!

Me and my friend Kelli got really into it.

You like our safari apparel?

I got my hair cut this morning.

You probably can't tell a difference... But I feel so much better. For reals. Like my split ends were sick. So I'm happy :]

Tonight BYU football plays Utah State University. That's where my friend Ali goes... we better win.

That's all I have to say. We better.

Oh BYU

I love it. I sooo do.

We do crazy things.

We enjoy caffeine free Coca-Cola products at football games.

We cheer like crazy at the football games... and then lose.

We attend every volleyball game and shout the girls names.

We do stupid things and almost die.

We take pictures of people when they are praying. (On accident of course... I thought he was sleeping.)

We attend BYU devotionals.

We smash as many people as possible into a car... the trunk is not off limits.

But although I love where I am at... I must admit I am getting crazy homesick.

I miss Texas!

COLLEGE!

I am so busy. It is insane. And the reason is probably because I am in the library updating my blog rather than studying! But it's okay! Because blogging is super fun!

So this past weekend my friend Ali came and picked me up from BYU (because I don't have a car!) and I went to Utah State University and stayed with her for a Friday night. It was really good to see her. It's been so long! I got to meet some of her crazy friends. It was fun.

Saturday morning we got up kind of early, lol and we drove to BYU-Idaho! It was so good to go up there and see people! I got to see my cousin, my sister and a friend named Bryce that I met at EFY (a summer camp) like three years ago!

It was a fun weekend.

Back to my studies...

hey peoples!

This is just going to be a super quick post. I LOVEEEEEE BYU! It is so amazing.

Yesterday here was the epitome of college amazingness! BYU beat OU! and it was just so exciting! The entire city was in an uproar. I was in a car with some friends and as we drove around campus we rolled the windows down and were honking the horn and going crazy. People started jumping on the car and were like yeah yeah yeah. I was having tons of fun, but I could help thinking of remember the titans and I kept yelling to Greg, be careful be careful be careful! haha but we were super safe... kind of.

After the game there was a blue and white carnival at the Cannon Center. It was really amazing. They had all sorts of inflatable mazes and carnival food, but there was also a sweet dance! I can't remember the last time I smelled that bad... but I had fun doing it! haha.

Miss all of you guys!

College!

I've been super lazy. Well as far as blogging! I've actually been really busy! I've moved into my dorm. I absolutely love college! I've made some really awesome friends. Classes start tomorrow. It's going to be super fun, slightly stressful. haha Actually very stressful. Bring on the stress!!

Anyways I thought that I would update you on the room decorating process!

This is my closet. I tried the whole color organizing thing. I'm not exactly sure how long it will last! But the closet are bigger than I expected. So that is good! I was able to fit pretty much everything in there!

My desk area! I love the baskets at the top. They are the same ones Allie has and I didn't even mean to!

On a more serious note. My Grandmother passed away this week. Services were yesterday. My whole family came up which was an exciting thing. I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. My Grandma has been sick for a very long time, but the doctors had just told us that she was not showing any of the signs of the final stages. So it was and was not a surprise that she passed on. It's a good thing though. My Grandpa passed in 2000 and it's time that she meet up with him. It's still sad though. Services were held on my Grandparents 58th Wedding Anniversary. Kind of sweet.

This is me and three of my cousins, we're all 18! It's kind of fun to have cousins the same age. It was amazing to see them again. It's been way too long.

My Immediate Family (minus neil!) My mom's eyes are closed, haha gotta love that woman.

Classes start tomorrow... that will be an adventure. How are yalls classes going?

Busiest Week Ever!!

So I have so much to update about! It's a bit overwhelming! So I started in Houston and said goodbye to my hometown! It was so sad. I'm excited for school though! And then me and my family drove 14 hours in one day to Saint Louis! We went to church with them. It was fun to see my nephew Jack interact with other kids! This is him (on the left) with his friend Jake. Jack and Jake. So cute!

On Sunday night we just hung out and played games. Cute shot of the boys :]

My sister and I before hitting downtown St. Louis!

I loved the Rocky Roads.

The arch! It was awesome. Seriously. The architecture required to build it just blows my mind!

This was a plaque in the museum underneath the arch. Super super funny.

Across the street from the arch is "The Old Courthouse." This courthouse where the Dred Scott Case was decided. It was pretty awesome!

But it's under construction right now!

We went bowling. It was so funny to watch Jack bowl. He loved it. He talks about bowling all the time!

Jack eats peppers whole. Like seriously. He will eat anything! He is totally not picky. So weird.

We went paddle boating one morning. It was super hot and my legs were tired after five minutes! But the views were super worth it!

That's the Art Museum in the background. Isn't it amazing? Saint Louis is awesome!

So... someone had done that in the sand... I promise it wasn't me. It was there when I got there. Weird!

Jack chugging down some homemade rootbeer. So cute! He's getting so big!

He's such a trickster. He dumped the water on my mom. haha!

So then we went to the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis. It was amazing. SO much mosaics! The entire place is filled with them. So beautiful.

The chair that the pope sat in when he visited the basilica.

We visited the Saint Louis Botanical Gardens. It was amazing. The best one I've ever seen. Acres and Acres of the most amazing flowers. Senior Pictures all over again! haha.

Jack was loving those lambs!

My future backyard!

Feeding the fishies!

It was hot. Terrible.

We brought Jack's swimsuit and he played in the fountains!

In the backseat on the way to Illinois. We stopped at the hometown of Mark Twain. It was interesting. I'm sure the town had it's day, but it was kind of sad... totally run down. But it was fun to visit it.

So we went to Carthage Jail. It is the place that the first prophet of our church was martyred. It was a really great experience to visit that place.

In Nauvoo we were able to visit so many things. It was so cool. This is the Nauvoo Temple. So pretty!

Family!!

Chad and Amy and Jack. They are adorable!

Nauvoo was built by early mormons, some of which were my ancestors. So it was really fun to go and see what was left of the town.

We got back to St. Louis Saturday night and Sunday was my Dad's birthday. 55! Crazy!

The trip was amazing. I am now in Provo, Utah. I move into my dorm on Wednesday morning. A whole new adventure for me. I'm so excited!