Memories of 2009

2010 is so close I can taste it. I feel now is the best time to reminisce on 2009. 2009 was a good year for me, a great year actually. It was truly one of the most successful. Maybe after all this, you'll see why.

New years, 2009. I spent it with my Pi Phi sisters...

I was the Maid of Honor at my sister's wedding. ((gorgeous bride))

Me, Aj, and Molly went and saw Lily Allen...best concert of my LIFE!

We had spring rush at Pi Phi...

And PC08 grew!

I went to Beta Formal

We made over $1400 for our philanthropy in Pi Phi ((Literacy))

We had Pi Phi's Date Night. We dressed 80's..

Went roller skating..

And lazer tagging...

I ran for Student Government at the University of Utah...and made it!!! ((Assembly))

I got to see my BEST FRIEND numerous times...even though she's at school in TX and I'm in UT.

I went to Huntington Beach for the 4th of July with AJ

The Betas went to the Zoo

Oh...and the Pi Phi's tagged along :)
(see the cute giraffe?)

I spent the summer with my sisters..

And the Beta brothers...

I went to Bear Lake with my awesome family

Got to chill with my daddy

PC09 was born. 28 New Pi Phi Angels! I love them all!

I got a lil sis, Abby (to the left of me) and our Pi Phi Family CR grew! **This is our whole CR family...i love these women**

We went to some frat parties...

I moved into Pi Phi and did everything with these girls ((Including root for the UTES!))

I went to Sigma Chi Bid Day Party && danced the night away with the best girls

Me and Molly lived together in the summer && in the fall. We became besties :)

I learned self defense with the Pi Phis ((Don't mess with us))

I had an amazing bday....thanks to my sisters

We had Abduction!

Scott was a Dr. & I was a nurse

Scott & I went Beta Formal &&

I had a great time with my hot bf && gorgeous sisters...

I became good friends with these girls....
(&& we're from 3 different sororities)

GFC!!!!

I went to some holiday parties...

I went to Loveland for Christmas Break

Did I mention I got to see my BFF? ...yeah...I got to see her..

I got a 3.95 for Fall 2009 && made the Dean's List again!!!!

Successful? I sure think so...

Winter Break. Hallelujah.

finals are over. winter break is here. i'm celebrating

skiing

late nights

snow angels

no homework

waking up at noon

singing christmas songs

opening presents

driving around looking @ the lights

christmas stories

cuddling by the fire with my boyfriend

making snowmen

sledding

ringing in the new year

board games

spending time with my family

sugar cookies

hanging with the girls

christmas movies

ginger bread houses

kissing my boyfriend in the cold

reading

hot coca

shopping

nights spent watching movies

no cares

no worries

just lots and lots of fun & relaxation

The Truth About Girls

So...I found this online and thought I'd share. It is hilarious/so true :)

The Truth About Girls....<3

-Midol is like crack. end of story.

-We love Ben & Jerry's more than you.

-We're always right even when we're wrong.

-It takes at least an hour to look this good.

-We'll never be too old for sleepovers.

-We must go to the bathroom in groups.

-We should never be used as objects.

-Sometimes is just quite never enough.

-"fine" never means anything good.

-We are not ashamed of crying.

-We wish boys still had cooties.

-Gossip isn't a sin. It is an art.

-Being "beautiful" is way better then being "hot"

-We have this thing called feelings - don't hurt them

-Behind EVERY b**ch there's a guy who made her that way

-Hoes over bros. no questions asked.

- we don't wake up looking pretty..it takes time and effort. for most.

- we need girls nights OFTEN...

- we hold grudges and we never forget things you say to us that hurt

-It doesn't matter who dumped who or why...whenever we see an ex with another girl , it will always bother us. not because we're not over you but just because we know we used to be that girl

- Makeup can hide so many things from puffy eyes from crying to huge scars from a broken heart

- no guy wants to marry a whore... well no good girl wants to marry a manwhore either.

- never ever ask a girl what she weighs, or imply anything about our weight being too much or too little, just don't do it.

- our eyes are located in our heads, not our chest

-Our three favorite words: Let's go shopping.

-We win the arguments.

-We love our best friends more than our boyfriends.

-We create drama.

-We forgive but don't forget.

-"Luv ya" isn't the same as "love you".

-We love to cuddle.

-If you take our chocolate, we will get ugly.

-Never mess with us while we're PMSing.

-We love the little things.

-We love to sing in the shower.

-We travel in packs.

-My heels may look hot but they hurt like crap.

-We are never to old to play "dress up".

Recently...

My smile has faded. Dark circles are beginning to find a home under my eyes. I haven't worn jeans in days. My breakfast, lunch, and dinner consist of extreme amounts of caffeine. I twitter about fiscal policy and deficits. I can't remember the last time I washed my hair. Suddenly WebCT is the new Facebook. Graphs and vocab words are bouncing around in my head.

Must be finals week.

2010.

I know that New Years is still pretty far away but I've begun to brainstorm some New Year's Resolutions. Surly I will have a more concrete list when the day finally comes. But I figured I might as well write them now while I'm thinking of it. In the year 2010 I will..

Work out. I wonder just how many people write this for their New Years resolution. I'm guessing it's probably one of the most popular. Am I jumping that bandwagon? eh, I wouldn't say so. I do feel better when I finally do make it to the gym, it's getting there that's the hard part. I just need motivation, which actually shouldn't be that difficult for me, considering the boyf goes 5x a week. But my motivation is myself, not him. I'd like to look good, feel good, and increase my health...for me.

Volunteer. In high school, I was at the hospital for 4 hours every week, I organized blood drives, and spent a great deal of my time volunteering. In the transition from Colorado to Utah, high school to college, the time I spent volunteering disappeared. I'm going to find that time and volunteer again. I truly miss it.

Study. Even when I don't have to.

Disregard first impressions. They are usually wrong anyways. I feel like there are amazing people out there that I never really gave a chance to. Who knows what kind of friends I could have had if I hadn't been so quick to judge.

Family. I should give more time to my family. Drew is about to graduate and who knows how long him or Dayne will be in Utah. I shouldn't take that time for granted. When they move, I know my heart will break. All I can do is make the most of the time now, when we are all in the same state. Same goes for my cousins!

Grudges. I want to let go of every grudge I've ever had. Start new. I don't want to waste my time hating and disliking. There are too many wonderful and lovely things in my life.

Those three words. I should say "I love you" more to the people who I care about. My family, sorority sisters, and friends, because they should always know just how much they mean to me.

These are just a couple of ideas :)

Living the Dream

I don't know how it is possible. Somehow it just happened. My life, at this moment, is exactly how I imagined it. I must have hit some sort of lucky streak, because everything is perfect. I guess I'm just grateful for how everything is coming along. Growing up, I never really knew what to expect at college, but I don't think I could have dreamed up something better then my reality.

I love my sorority. (ok, I've told you that a million times) But really, those girls mean the world to me. I recently became VP Fiance of the house, meaning I am in charge of all the bills, dues, and well...finance stuff :) This is the position I really wanted. It will be amazing experience and a great addition to my resume!

I recently got a new job as an Executive Assistant for a biomedical engineering company. This job has been an extraordinary addition to my life. I do the bookkeeping, scheduling, press releases, errands, etc. I have even learned how to run QuickBooks! I am so lucky to have this job. It's only 20 hours a week and the pay is amazing, I'm even on salary :) I have already learned so much about running a small company and I know that I have so much more to learn, which I am so eager to do. It's such a great change of pace to be working somewhere where I learn in the field I want to go into, where everyday is different, and where I am constantly challenged.

My boyfriend, Mr. Scott Eaton recently turned 20. I am no longer dating a teenager :) We went to Beta Formal about a week ago. Here are some pics to enjoy...

School is almost outttt!!! Only two week of term and then it's winter break!! My classes are going really well. I think I'll finish out with a 3.8 or higher. Which gives me a bigger reason to LOVE my life. Me and Scott are going to Colorado for 5 days to see the fam. I'm so excited to show him the places that I grow up, show him Chocolate (my horse!), and go skiing with my dad.

Basically, I'm living the dream. And I hope this lasts for a long, long time :)

Marketing. It's what I want to do.

Oh how I wish it was this easy.

I'm only a sophomore, true. But knowing what I want to do with my life hangs over me everyday. Everywhere I go I feel like I need to figure out what my future holds. I get asked everyday what I want to do with my life. My professors ramble on about the best careers to have in this economy. I even dream about what my future will hold after college. These two years have gone by so fast, it almost frightens me. Life after college? Not a fun thought!

Today at Pi Phi we had a lady come from the Career Services Center to talk to us about what they offer, which is amazing by the way. Resume writing, interview training, mentors, they have it all! But this whole presentation got me thinking...I have two years until I graduate. Which means I need to have set in stone what I want to do...like...now. I mean, if I change my mind on my major I think I'll add at least another year and a half on to schooling. I've concentrated so much on the business school requirements that it left me no room for classes outside the assigned pre-business plan. And I'm just now realizing that I better be sure this is the path I want to take.

In high school I was more then obsessed with being involved in school. I think I was a member of almost every club offered at TVHS. In the end, it proved to pay off. DECA, an association of marketing students, became a major passion of mine and drove me to study marketing in college. It's funny that I joined the club for the free trip to New York, where we got to tour the most amazing marketing companies in the city. I never would have guessed that DECA would do to me what it did. I even became a Colorado State Officer where I was given the opportunity to work with over 6,000 DECA students across the state. DECA enabled me to grow and learn something I loved. Learning the principals of marketing and competing in marketing competitions became a passion. Better yet, it became my future. I couldn't study marketing enough. Time would fly by as I learned concepts and studied people, what would sell to who. Marketing enabled me to be organized and imaginative at the same time. I could express my thinking and creativity skills. I could sell products without having to talk to a single person. Advertising instantly became my goal. It's funny how much a club in high school can mold you. Without DECA, I doubt the marketing field would have ever entered my mind. I am so thankful for the opportunity to learn and grow with DECA. Looking back, it shaped my entire life into what it is today. What I aim for in college.

The Colorado State DECA Officers

I love the business classes. Foundations of Business Thought, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, IS, etc. I love them all. I really do think this is the field I want to go into. And what helped most? I took a survey online from the Career Services Center that is supposed to tell you what you would do best in with your personality. Guess what the answer came to be? Marketing. It may sound silly, but I was just looking for reassurance that this is the right thing to do. Then again, I can't see myself doing anything but this for the rest of my life. I want a career I'm proud of. A career I enjoy and believe in. For me, it's marketing.

I'm feeling a lot better about this whole figuring out my life thing. Which is such a relief. I can finally breathe and enjoy the adventure of learning all I can about marketing. Hopefully one day, I'll have a big office in an advertising agency. I guess I have awhile until that day comes. :)

<3

I found this...so cute <3

Pi Phi Love

I realize that I ramble on and on about my sorority, but it is SO amazing & it's kind of hard not to. I never imagined being part of an organization that would become as close as family to me. It's the staying up all night talking, the random movie nights, the boy drama, & the study sessions. These girls aren't just my friends, they really are family. I can honestly say that I made the most important and life altering choice when I pledged Pi Phi. I have told people numerous times that the best decision I ever made was pledging Pi Beta Phi. I stand by that statement. These girls aren't fake. They aren't the type who talk behind my back or want to see me fall. They are girls that want the best for me, that encourage me, support me, and enjoy my company. Living in the house has been another decision that I am patting myself on the back for. I LOVE having daily girl's nights, eating lunch with my sisters, and getting ready for parties together. I love living with these girls. I cannot imagine living with anyone but my sisters. It's like a constant reminder of how lucky I am for the friends & family I have.

People often speak badly upon sororities. These people do not grasp the concept of sororities. They don't understand us or our bond. Pi Phi was the first sorority & originated in 1867. The rituals we do and the secrets we keep have been kept for over a hundred years. I am so proud to be part of an organization that is so strong and focused on supporting & empowering women. It's comforting to know that I have sisters all over the country!!

These girls will be there for me through anything. No matter what is going on, I know that I always have someone to count on. Pi Phi is an organization based on sincere friendship, community service, integrity, honor & respect, intellectual & personal development, and lifelong commitment. It is an organization that pushes me to be a better woman and enables me to meet the most amazing women at the U while doing so.

Pi Phi is the biggest part of my college life. These girls have changed my life. They are the girls who will be at my wedding, who I talk to when life is going rough, and who understand my actions-whether they are admirable or not. It's amazing to have such a support system.

I wish I could explain how much I adore the women in my sorority. I have never gotten in a huge fight with a Pi Phi. I have never felt intimidated, sad, or upset because of something one of my sisters has done. This is because we are all here for the same reasons- to bond as sisters, to protect the heritage of Pi Beta Phi, to graduate college, & to live life to its fullest. We have been through so much together--why would we fight? The future is bright for Utah Alpha Pi Phis. We are bonded together forever. What an amazing thought! My pledge class contains the girls who I am closest to in life. PC08 is more then family to me, a word does not even exist that explains my love for them. ((Remember the Christmas party, our sleepover before initiation, I-week, initiation, beta ski trip, pledge meetings, movie nights, date night, jerk boyfriends and bee-yatches that betrayed us, beta formal, & our first abduction--those memories brought us close, made us family. PC08 I Love You!))

If you have the opportunity to rush, do it. I have nothing bad to say about my house. My little girl, when I have one, will be a Pi Phi for sure. I can't wait to continue the legacy of a Pi Phi angel. College without Pi Phi would be like life without love. And who would ever want to go through life like that?

First Impressions

I find it funny that I can meet someone and in the first minute or so decide if I like them or not. I find it even funnier when that first impression is so far off, it's ridiculous. It seems I'm not too good at the whole first impression thing. Most of my best friends were girls who I never imagined getting along with. Girls who I felt a "bad vibe" from. Then came the part where we bonded & found something so in common it's like the stars knew we would be friends from the start.

Isn't it ironic that the people who are most like you are the ones you don't get along with? (maybe it's just me) My best friend in high school was Jessica. Not only were we always competing for the same things (homecoming queen, basketball, student government, deca) but she seemed to be at every hangout and party I was. She had aspirations and goals parallel to my own. Yet, we just plain did not like each other. I can't even believe some of the things we did and said to each other! I don't know why we hated each other throughout the first year of high school. Perhaps it was competitive spirit in each of us or maybe the jealousy got the best of us. Whatever it was, I'm glad we got over that first impression. And to tell you the truth, I don't remember the exact moment when we stopped hating and embraced the fact that we were meant to be best friends. I'm glad we did. Jessica came to be the biggest influence of my high school years. We encouraged each other to push harder, to do better. And although we were competing for the same things, there were no bad feelings when one or the other won. It was sheer happiness. Jessica is the girl that knows me without asking what I'm thinking. We are so alike she knows my train of thought in any given situation. And even though we are miles apart at school, I still consider her one of my best friends. She will be the girl at my wedding, the shoulder I lean on in hard times, and the girl I visit if I want to have a REALLY good time. See what I would have missed out on if I would have believed that first impression?

Similar scenarios play out for many of the other important people in my life, including Molly. I just DID NOT like that girl when I met her. Fast forward a pledgeship and initiation and she became my dearest friend at the U.

First impressions. They say the first 20 seconds is all it takes for the average person to form an opinion about another. TWENTY SECONDS. That gives us almost no time at all! It's sad to know that we can lose the opportunity to get to know so many people because of the first twenty seconds of an encounter. How is someone supposed to know all 20 years of me in 20 seconds? That's like a year a second. And I would be extremely weird if I introduced myself, "Hi, I'm Jill! I like to have lots of fun! I'm a republican, feminist, Pi Beta Phi, girlfriend, sister, and Ute fan. I love to play games, hang out with friends, ride horses, go to the row, and watch movies. Would we be good friends?" Ew. so unrealistic.

Then there are those people who you really like from the start then you hang out with them and your like...uhh...wrong choice.

Everyone is different, which makes this whole first impression thing totally ridiculous. Not one person is the same in the world. Not one. How can we identify ourselves in 20 seconds? Especially in a social environment? But, I guess it's just a fact of life-the whole 20 second rule.

As I think about this whole first impressions dealio, I can't help but to wonder what kinds of people I have not given the chance they deserve. There could be another Jessica right under my nose, highly unlikely-she is one of a kind :)

But, you get the point.

What I need to learn is to GET TO KNOW PEOPLE before I just brush them off. As I have learned in these situations, first impressions are far, far off. Although it will be hard to change my ways, I don't want to miss out on amazing people! And now I feel kinda guilty about all the people I have bad thoughts of who I knew for I don't know a couple hours...maybe not even that long.

That's the life lesson I'm just beginning to learn-and I don't know what too me so long. I read this quote yesterday, "Adjust your belief of first impressions- you should know by know they're meaningless"

Turning 20

So...here's the thing...my bday is in a couple days. Instead of being totally siked, I'm kind of dreading the whole thing. When I was growing up, I would sit and just imagine what I would look like when I was in my 20's. Here I am, days away from that birthday. 20. To the general population, this number seems low, young, and exciting. But, it's tough to persuade someone who cried on their 18th birthday. Yup, that was me. The girl who cried when she turned into a "legal adult" I just always wanted to be 17 forever. I was old enough to have my own opinions yet young enough to be able to make mistakes and get away with it, for the most part at least. (There's this saying- old enough to know better but young enough not to care- I always associated that with the age of 17...and it was the greatest phrase to live by ever)

Twenty just seems so old. In the next ten years, I will get married and find a career. It just seems like my life flew by. I want to hold onto my youth so badly but I also know I have to grow up.

I guess the reason I'm dreading it all is that I'm a little scared. I'm scared of the choices I will have to make, of the responsibilities I will have. I hope I do it all right.

I'm excited to see what happens in the next ten years, but I know they are probably the most important years of my life. I mean, during this time I will make the most important decisions of my life.

On a happier note...

Pi Phi is amazing. I LOVE living in the house. It's been such an amazing experience being surrounded by all my sisters all the time. I am defiantly living in next year! I have had some of the most random/funny conversations with those girls!

My best friends are amazingggg! Brie and Molly have been so good through everything! It's amazing to have friends that are there for me through thick and thin. Even better, I laugh so hard every time they are around. And, even when days go by when we don't really hang out, it's like we never missed a beat. Damn. I dunno what I would do without those girls. I really love them for all they have done for me. They have helped me through the good, the bad, and the ugly. I can't wait to see what we go through in years to come. And being bonded through sisterhood makes our connection even stronger. I just know these girls will be in my life for a long time and I feel soooo lucky for that!

I got my little sister in the house! Her name is Abby && she is so adorable!

So, as you can see, life is going good! I recently got my ski pass also! Canyons here I come! Yayyy! I can't wait for ski season!

School is going good. I am struggling in math (whats new) but other then that I am doing very well! Next semester I really have to buckle down, I'm taking 18 credits. Since I'm double majoring in accounting and marketing I need to take on a lot of school to graduate in time. So, that is going to be my main focus. School. Then again, after school the real world starts. You know, the whole job and bills and real life. ugh

This whole talk about growing up is depressing. I just wanna stay 17 forever. Then again, I guess the adventures, the mistakes, and the lessons are worth it in the end. I get to live my life with the people I love most. I get to live. learn. love. Isn't that what life is all about anyways?

Neglected

Oh hello blog. I forgot you existed for a little while there. I apologize. But, I've found you again. You have been nagging me for days to visit you. And, I finally did. Oh my, I have so much to catch you up on.

School is going good. I LOVE ECONOMICS. My teacher is hilarious and the topics have yet to bore me. I think that is the only class that I haven't fallen asleep in yet. I love learning about the business world. I'm also taking calc (don't get me started...), nutrition (a class which makes me feel guilty daily...especially when I take a sip of my diet coke), and music (yesterday, I listened to four different variations of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star...real interesting...??). The semester has started off well. I even got an 94% on my first econ test!

Living in Pi Phi is AMAZING. If only I could explain to you how much I LOVE living in the sorority house....but it's impossible. I love it far too much. I have someone to do stuff with ALWAYS. And it's so freaking cute to come down to the kitchen and see 5 pi phis on their computers studying away. I love the girls. Love the atmosphere. oh...and did I mention that our cook is amazing? I just feel like the luckiest girl alive!

We got 32 new Pi Phi pledges. They are so FREAKING adorable and I am so stoked to get to know them better. Next week we have songfest, a competition between all the Greek houses, we basically just make fun of each other in song form, but it's all in good fun! I can't wait to find out the results...ours is cute/hilarious...so winning is defiantly a possibility. Let me rephrase that...winning is defiantly inevitable :)

Here are some pics of my fall life thus far...

Went to Bear Lake with the BF..

Going out with the girls is da bessst.

Pledge Class 2008. Awwwe what would I do without them?

Pi Beta Phi Pref Night during rush...

Chapter Pride Day during rush..

Utah Alpha Pi Phi Pledges...loooove our baby angels <3