FLASHBACK: Temple Square Lights

If you've been following the blog at all then you probably realized that I pretty much dropped off the face of the earth between Thanksgiving and New Years. I apologize for that! So to try to make up for it I'm uploading a couple pictures that I took at Temple Square in Salt Lake. Sammi and I went up for a day trip to SLC and we had a great time! I even tried messing around with the pictures and editing them to try to bring out my inner-photographer. Some turned out pretty nice, others kinda alright... 

The front face of the temple.

Side view.

Another side view with color.

Went for a vintage look for the tabernacle.

The spires just seem to reach to heaven.

No idea what this building is called... but the lights looked cool.

Little manger scene on the lawn.

This Seagull Monument is actually where my Dad
proposed to my Mom... after a romantic hockey game.

I think this one is my favorite.

Sammi also took some great pictures! And by great, I mean near professional, she is a really talented photographer :)

New Year brings a New Life

I've really been awful at keeping up with this blog! Sorry to those who actually read this thing, and to those who don't, you're missing out :P SO much has happened since Thanksgiving when I last posted. I'll try to catch up on everything that's been going on!

After Thanksgiving was the dreaded Finals Week here at BYU. I was fairly stressed, but not too much. I am a firm believer in the philosophy that paying attention in an one hour class is better than making up for not paying attention with hours of studying. You may think I'm crazy, but I almost got straight A's my first semester here in college...(the only reason I didn't was because I didn't listen to my own advice and zoned out in Political Science). This Winter Semester looks pretty promising though, I have 5 classes all on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 9am-3pm. But on Tuesdays and Thursdays I go skiing up at Sundance :) You may think I'm a slacker or that I'm not taking college seriously, but skiing is my passion.

Ever since I was little I've dreamed of coming to BYU like my grandpa, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings have. Ever since that dream though, I've also dreamed of skiing here too! Skiing just clears my mind, takes out my worries, aggressions, and problems. It's my quiet escape from this world. There is something about the mountains that gives me peace and inspiration. When I used to live in California my family would often go up to Tahoe and Donner Lake (where my grandpa used to have a cabin). The Sierra Nevadas have a very special place in my heart because of all the wonderful memories I had up there.

Anyway, I got a little off-topic, but then again this is MY blog, so if you don't like it...tough. :P

Christmas was wonderful! I got to fly home on the 16th, which was pretty early. I drove with Sammi (my girlfriend) to the SLC airport and we both hung out together until my flight left around noon and hers a few hours after that. The flight was crazy!!! Everyone was super stressed and angry so there were a few mental break downs on both my flight to Denver then to Dulles. One story I'll share is this guy put his suitcase in an overhead bin but it had moved around with other people putting in their luggage, so now his luggage didn't fit. When the flight attendant asked him to make it fit, he flipped and started yelling at everyone and took out everyone else's luggage and threw it on the floor and put his in and sat down....NUTS.

But once I got home my sister, Joce and my mom picked me up! My dad was still in Germany for business so I didn't see him until a couple days later, but it was all good! My flight came in fairly late but I stayed up even later talking to my family (mostly my sister who I hadn't seen in a year and a half). It's amazing to me how being away from your family for an extended period of time makes you love and appreciate them even more. You forget all the annoying or means things they have done to you and just look past it to see them as your true best friends.

My sister and I are really tight so it was great to see her and catch up. Now she is here with me at BYU and already we've hung out and had meals together :)

Christmas morning was great being around family! There weren't many presents and the few we got, we already knew so it was more of a happy family bonding time :) Which, I truely liked better because in such a blessed family and country, there is few things that I could even imagine I would want. Key word: want. There is barely anything that an average American family truely needs. We may say that we need a new car or iPod or some new gadget, but compare yourself to the rest of the world, and even a fridge is a major luxury to them.

New Years was a great time too! My family went over to the McGann's house and had quite a party! I love the McGanns and all they do for me, they feel like a second family to me :)

Now I'm back here at BYU living in the dorms and going through life. I'm working on my mission papers, and some guys are already getting their calls. So far we have had people on my floor get called to    California, Missouri, France, Mexico, and Latvia (Baltic Mission). Pretty soon, I'll be getting my call and I'm super excited! Some missionaries say they want to go to a certain place or really don't want to go another, but I'm ready to go wherever! I'm ready to teach and come to know any race, gender, or religion. All people are God's children and I'm ready to show them His love for them :)

I love you all and for your friendship!
-Miles

Got Some Splaining to Do

Well it's been a while since I last blogged, I've been pretty busy! College Finals are coming up soon and teachers are going full force with tests, papers, and projects.

First thing that happened during my absence was my brother's birthday! Collin had his 22nd Birthday on his mission in Houston, Texas which keeps his birthday tradition alive. I don't think he has had his birthday at home in over 7 years? Our family likes to travel for Thanksgiving and the past 3 years he has been at college or on his mission. We'll see if he can keep the streak going! Here is what he said in his weekly email home about his birthday...

"My Birthday was wonderful. We started celebrating on Friday, since that was when we were together in the chapel for District Meeting. Afterwards, the Hermanas ran and told me that someone needed my help in fixing a bicycle in the kitchen, but it was a birthday surprise. The English Elders where waiting there and sang to me and we ate "Apple Pie Cake." Which was really good. On the actual birthday, I had dinner with the Hernandez Garcia family and we watched The Prophet of the Restoration with them. They had been dying to see it for months, when they first heard about it. They loved it.

I loved all the presents! Especially the CD's! I've been listening to them whenever we're at home. I love all of them, I can't decide on a favorite. I have been saving the Christmas one for after Thanksgiving though. I had a really fun time with the trick candles. I gave two of them to the Hernandez Garcia kids, because they were absolutely amazed by their magical properties."

I love getting his emails because he just sounds so happy being on his mission! I know my mission is coming soon and I'm also so excited to go share the thing that I love most!

The next thing that happened was THE BLIZZARD OF THE DECADE! The news said it was imminent death, we were going to be buried in snow and emergency crews would find our frozen corpses later and we could only pray for a chance of survival. 

They even closed the Cannon Center early so that the employees could get home safely...and then it came!!!

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Andre and I called it, they were freaking out about nothing. This is the picture I took expecting to see snow above our windows. Oh mass media...

Next thing that happened that week was Thanksgiving! Sammi and I had a wonderful Thanksgiving with her two roommates Jessica and Meghan. Unfortunately we all forgot to take pictures the whole day :P I'm sure Sammi's Mom isn't too happy about that...

It was pretty lonesome Thanksgiving Break here at BYU. I did talk to my family but it was just very quiet in the dorms.

Pretty much a ghost town.

Here are some picture that I took of the scenery though :)

Eventually another storm did come and bring some snow Sunday. It was pretty fun because instead of a floor meeting we had a floor snowball fight.

This week has been crazy and super busy so not much really has happened. I've just been doing my work, doing what I gotta do. I'm really excited to come home for Christmas and see everyone, but also I'm really looking forward to a break from college!

One thought that I had on my mind recently is something my Book of Mormon teacher said. He said, "You can never have enough of what you don't need." I think this is truly a profound statement that he just said casually, and didn't even realize how much it impacted me. Here at college and especially during the holidays you learn what truly is important and what makes you happy. In America we have so much and are spoiled compared to the rest of the world who have barely anything. Yet, though we have so much, we are not truly happy. An easy, lazy life full of expensive toys isn't happiness, that's pleasure. True happiness comes from family, friends, accomplishments, and trials. Thats what I'm thankful for this time of year and I home I can keep this perspective throughout the year.

"It's all fun and games until someone yells Avada Kadava"

Guess I'll have to explain this title... So Megan Bahr and I were up on campus watching people walk by. I brought my camera because I thought a bunch of people would be all dressed up for the Harry Potter movie tonight at midnight. I told Megan this and she said, "I wish we had our own magic Harry Potter world..." and I replied back, "Ya, well it's all fun and games until someone yells Avada Kadava." (The Killing Curse). She laughed a little, but was mostly upset I killed her dreams of a magic world...

So here at college I've really been into doing fun things like being in movies (Deception and BYU vs. UoU Food Drive) other fun random activities. Last night as a pre-celebration of the Harry Potter movie coming out, I went to the Harry Potter Fest that BYU put on. But I didn't go as a wizard, I went as a snitch. Yep, the golden ball that the seekers must find in the Wizard game of Quidditch.

Basically my job was to run around with a gold outfit during the game of Quidditch and not got my flags pulled. It was a lot of fun!

I've noticed that most of the best and most fun things I've done at college have been spur of the moment decisions. Carpe Diem!

Also, today I found out that my family got a puppy! Its a little Beagle puppy and they're planning on naming it Bailey. It's been over a year that Greta, my last dog died. She was a Yellow Lab and such a nice, sweet dog. I kinda feel a little sad that we are replacing her, but I'm also pretty excited for Bailey :)

I'm pretty pumped for Thanksgiving Break, it's definitely a much needed break! We only have a few more weeks until finals and I'm definitely feeling it drawing closer and closer. I'm just going to have a nice relaxing Thanksgiving here at school, but will definitely miss my family. I won't see them (and Bailey now too) until Christmas.

Overall life is pretty good, we've had some flooding problems in our hall but thats about it. I think I'll end with a funny little status I saw on Facebook:

My First Post

Well, I have joined the blogosphere! Pretty crazy, I never really saw myself ever making one but here I am! I'm not one really to toot my own horn, so I think this blog will mostly be about insights and experiences I've had that people will enjoy.

I guess I should start off explaining the title. My life is crazy and sometimes I feel like things that happen in my life could be a sketch for series for a comedy show. Sometimes situations are just so bizarre or badly timed that I think that someone must be watching me on a screen and just laughing non-stop. I hope to share these experiences so that the world can get enjoyment out of "my comedy show."

I don't claim to really know anything, in fact I've heard it said something along the lines of, "You don't really know anything until you realize that you know nothing." But I sure have one heck of an opinion.

I guess it's important in my first blog to come straight out and say that I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (or Mormon). Recently it has become kind of an unpopular thing to say, but I'm proud to say I'm a Mormon true and blue.

I do think of myself as a pretty tolerant and respecting person no matter what lifestyle,   and that is why I ask the same for mine. I'm no hippie, but I do believe that the world is   full of too much hate and could use a little more understanding and brotherly love.

I guess this is a good start, I don't know, I'm new to this whole thing?? But if anyone has really bothered to read any of this, thank you :)

I think I'll try to finish each post with a quote or scripture that might spur some thoughts:

"Each person knows that he is a something.
He also knows that a something could not be produced by a nothing.
Therefore, whatever brought man and everything else into existence also had to be a 'something'.
It follows that this 'something' which did all of this organizing and arranging would have to be all knowing to the full extent required for such an organization and arrangement.
This 'something' would therefore have to be superior to everything which resulted from this effort.
This element of superiority makes this 'something' the ultimate good for all that has been organized and arranged.
In the Anglo-Saxon language, the word for supreme or ultimate good is 'God.'"
-John Locke