yes, i'm different

a lot of things have changed in my life in the last six months.
i've changed a lot in the last six months.

i look back at the person i was back then.....

....and am so grateful that life allows us to change. that we're not stuck in one specific place. i'm grateful that life, through God's hands, can mold us into better people with weaknesses becoming strengths.


here's a bit of what i've been up to!!!!!!


i graduated from college!!

{some friends from the secondary ed program: stacey (left) is health ed, lauren and amy are english. these three ladies brought respite to an otherwise awful last semester}

i've applied for more jobs than i can keep track of.....

and been rejected by more than i want to remember.

i've been mostly unemployed all summer to both my misfortune and my mother's dismay.

i've spent time with family.... not too much time.

 {the "peterson" clan, minus one happiness anne, on independence day}

and not enough time with some of them.

 {our favorite bbq place in utah county: five star bbq}

{paul and i hang out quite a bit}

 i took a phlebotomy course and became certified to poke people and take their blood.

 {l: loyal friends came to let me practice on them  r: i'm loyal, so i let my friend leah practice on me}

i found some amazing friends in my church singles ward, and our road trip to see the manti pageant was a true joy!!! i love these ladies.

  {annie, karlee, stephanie, me, ashley, katrina, amy, and bethanie}

 {mccall and i had a fun time on the bus ride to southern utah}

 

 {we smile, then we smile again... so many pictures -- stephanie, ashley, and me}

  

{l: paul giving me moose antlers r: regan chillin' out on the bus}

i've had wonderful roommates and we've had some really fun times.

 

 {midnight sonic run}

 

{here we just had an impromptu dance party very late at night to the remake of "footloose"}

  

 {1am ride to mcdonald's in the mystery machine, yes please}

{aubin got a million splinters in her foot and up her leg; regan played surgeon and i was the photographer and moral support}

 the friends i made provided excitement, entertainment, and pure joy the whole summer through.

 {stephanie, me, and sarah (with her bf) at the freedom festival parade in provo}

 {regan, mccall, her cousin, ron, me, and sean at the orem summerfest parade/carnival/fireworks}

 {"b-dubb's" - or buffalo wild wings - is a common place to find most of the 'gang' if it's a tuesday or thursday night, especially if they've gone rock climbing or hiking right before!}

 {this is the same night as the b-dubb's pic above; leah ripped her shorts as we hiked rock canyon and kandace is just having fun}

 {the girls who would be my future roommates had "pizookie" night - huge cookie baked until almost done, then topped with ice cream; dig right in}

 {denny's at 2am, where chad won two coin machine stuffed animals}

 

 {poker night - we played with chips and no money was used in the course of the night}

 {paul helped me figure out how to play -- i did really well until i tried to play on my own}

{i learned how much snickerdoodle, the life-size bear i received for my birthday from an ex-boyfriend, is loved and enjoyed -- he's quite the cuddle-bug with everyone!}

i don't know if you can tell from the pictures
or the events in my life
or simply from plain old me

..... but i've changed. i'm different. and i'm glad.

i continue to change, as change continues to happen around me.
one of the biggest differences?

i'm doing better at not letting life pass me by!