BABY!!

Sorry! Couldn't think of a better blog title so it will be "BABY!!" because guess what! My brother and sister-in-law had a baby and he is absolutely perfect.

Introducing: Ethan Justin Hale. Born March 20th, 2014.  

^^This might be my favorite picture EVER!! 

Now you see why I am so obsessed with this adorable little boy? It brings me to tears to know that I am going to miss the first 18 months of his life, but I am happy to be setting an example for him. Hopefully he follows in my footsteps when his day comes. I love you, Ethan, more than you know! Don't grow too much while I'm gone. 

I'm Back!

So I decided to restart doing this blog thing again! I know, I know....I said that last semester, but I REALLY mean it this time. Some pretty exciting things have happened lately and I want to share with you wonderful people.

I want to start with probably my biggest news! So last semester I decided to serve a mission. I put my papers in and received my call. I have been called to serve in the Hungary Budapest Mission! I leave May 21st for the Provo Missionary Training Center and will be learning the Hungarian language. Yes, I am freaking out more than you know, but am excited....but mainly freaking out. It's crazy to think that I will be gone for 18 months and won't see my friends or family. I want nothing more than to serve my Heavenly Father, though. He has done so much for me and the least I can do is try to bring others unto Him. I'm excited for this new chapter of my life.

In February, I was lucky enough to get to attend a theater conference called KCACTF in LA, California. It was such an amazing week of workshops, shows, and just plain fun. We were invited to perform the Microburst Theater Festival there, too. We did three performances and got really great feedback. I absolutely love the city! I can't wait to move there one day. The city just feels right. 

^^I apologize for the creepy eyes, but I just love this cast so much and had to post this picture!

So this whole semester I have been involved in a touring show called Cymbeline. It is a Shakespeare show and we travel every Tuesday and Thursday to Elementary Schools, perform, and do a workshop with the kids. It is exhausting, but a lot of fun. I am the understudy for all of the female roles which has been quite the experience. I get to play 6 very different characters. There are two versions of the show: Fairytale and Film Noir. I play the same three characters in each show, an Evil Queen, a princess, and the narrator. It was hard learning the lines and blocking at first, but I think I have finally gotten the hang of it. Here is pictures of 4 of the parts I play. 

Last, but certainly not least,  I got to go on a camping trip to Moab this past weekend. I had never been to Moab before and it was so fun! We headed up Friday, had a bonfire, and slept under the stars. On Saturday, we woke up at 6am and started a great day of hiking. We saw some beautiful arches and just had a really great day. Then we headed back to Provo. It was a short trip, but I loved every second. I met some really great people and got to spend some quality time with the boyfriend and best friend. 

^^Aren't we just adorable?? 

^^I just love this beautiful girl so very much! 

^^So we ended up walking down this tunnel for like half a mile...it was definitely an adventure!

So those are some of the highlights from this semester so far! I cannot believe it is so close to being over...seriously it's not possible how fast this semester has flown by. Slow down, PLEASE?! I just keep reminding myself of the quote "Come what may and love it." I can't choose what happens to me, but I can choose how I react and I choose to be happy with whatever comes my way. Well, that's all for now. Hopefully you will hear from me soon!

Life as of Lately

So I created this post at the beginning of the semester and never got around to finishing it. I kind of fail at the whole blog thing, but it is my new goal to get back into the swing of it! So much has happened since the beginning of the semester:

I got into the Brigham Young University BFA Acting Program! This has been a goal of mine for years and required a heck of a lot of work. I had two auditions, a callback, and a lot of getting to know people and trying to impress them. That is always fun. It definitely payed off though!

I was cast in an amazing BYU Mainstage show called Microburst Theater Festival. It was seven, ten minute plays all written by BYU students. The underlying theme of all the shows is love. Gotta LOVE that! I'm so funny. I was in three of the plays. I played a college aged girl, an 11 year old, and a high schooler. It performed October 23-26. I learned so much from this production! I had such an incredible director. It was a very collaborative work. George wanted to hear our opinion and work with us. We were all working together. It was also interesting having to switch between three different people. Three different stories. Each play was very unique! It was challenging but so fulfilling. I miss it so much. I'm having the post-show blues.

^^The cast, playwrights, director, and stage manager

^^^"Twenty" I set my roommate up with a guy and see what unfolds. 

^^^"Rules" I play an 11 year old girl who tries to rekindle a relationship with her father who is addicted to video games. Sounds cheesy, but it was actually pretty intense!

^^^"Mississippi Izzie" I am a running a lemonade and fruit stand and one of the popular boys comes to ask me to a dance, but I will not have it.  

Classes this semester here at BYU have been difficult, but worth it! It's been hard to find motivation at times especially with my general education classes, but sometimes it has always come. I always some how get that paper done or some how find the time to go to the testing center to take a test. I thank the Big Guy Upstairs for helping with that. He has never let me down and I know He never will. Even though I am constantly letting him down, I know my Heavenly Father will always be right next to me pushing me along and picking me up when I am down.

Life is good! Harder than ever, but you can't feel fulfilled and successful if you don't have to work at it.

Living in Atlanta

So I am a born and raised Georgia girl and I love it. I love being from the South and having that southern hospitality in my life daily! So I thought I would do a post of my 3 favorite things to do in Atlanta, especially since I was able to do two of them this past weekend. Now I must warn you, two of them involve theater! What can I say, it's my life. 

1. Braves Game: This is such a fun way to hang out with friends and experience America's sport! I LOVE baseball. It is so simple and just fun to watch. The best seats in the stadium are definitely the nose-bleed seats. You're all the way at the top and can see everything that is happening on the field. I also love that it is a lot more open up there so you don't have to worry about bothering people if you are being loud with your friends. 

^^Braves Games are the best when you go with good friends that you know you will have a good time with! It is also a lot of fun to Tailgate before the game, too. 

2. Serenbe: This is an adorable little community in Palmetto, GA. I love it and hope to one day retire there. This community has its own stores, farms, restaurants, and amazing theater. It is a very green community so a lot of recycling and organic food. It is just plain adorable with all the matching houses and artsy stores. I love going there for dinner and then seeing a show. The perfect evening with friends!

^^My all time favorite restaurant there!

^^The set for the play was back in those woods! They do a lot more experimental things with their theater. 

3. Fox Theater: I love this theater! This was the theater that I was first introduced to professional theater. The Broadway National Tours always stop here to perform and their performances are breathtaking. About as close to Broadway will get without actually going to NYC. The theater itself is breathtaking, as well. The ceiling of the theater looks like a night sky with stars and there is egyptian architecture all along the walls. It is gorgeous! 

^^This is a picture with the lights up so you can't see the amazing night sky, but you get the idea.

A Week of Travel

So this past week was pretty crazy for me! I flew 4 times in 5 days. Crazy, I know. That is the life of a Delta kid. I'm so grateful that I am able to fly for free. It is a blessing that I will be eternally grateful for. It allows me to visit family as often as a like and see friends and do so many other things. I love it! So on Wednesday this past week I flew to Utah with my best friend, Meredith, to take her to the MTC. I was sad but so excited for her! I knew that serving in Salem, Oregon was where she needed to be and she was so excited! We flew into SLC, met up with my sister, had lunch at Zupas and then drove to the Provo MTC. When we got to the MTC, everything moved so quickly. We drove to the curb, got her bags out, gave her a big hug, and she was gone. I miss her so much already, but I know she is loving every second of it. I can't wait to hear the amazing things she does.

      ^^On the airplane!                                    

^^There she goes! Last time I'll see my MereBear for a year and a half. 

That night I flew to San Francisco, California to meet up with my dad who had a layover in San Francisco. I got to San Fran and met my dad as he got off his flight. We went to his hotel and went straight to bed. It was 1:30 in the morning when he finally landed! We woke up in the morning and just explored around San Fran. It was so much fun to have some Daddy, daughter time with my dad. He is the best! Our day included Cable Car riding and walking along all the piers. So much fun! 

^^Golden Gate Bridge              ^^Ghirardelli! Yum! 

^^I have a picture with this same fountain when I was like 5!         ^^^So many gorgeous boats!   

That afternoon we flew back to Atlanta! My dad flew the plane which was really cool. This isn't the first time I have been a passenger when my dad was flying, but it is always so fun when he does. I love hearing his voice on the intercom and getting to go into the cockpit before the flight. I had such a great time with him in San Francisco! 

Then on Sunday, I flew back to Utah to start my two weeks as a BYU Theater Camp counselor! It is only day 2 and I am loving it already. This is going to be an amazing two weeks!         

Visiting Utah

I had only been home from London for a week and my traveling spirit decided it was time to travel again! I decided to head to Utah for the weekend to visit my sister and my darling nephew. I had not seen them for almost 3 months and that was way too long. My nephew, Kristoffer, is my world and it killed me to miss out on him growing up. I also needed some quality time with the sister. Thursday night, my mom and I went to the airport to see my brother and sister-in-law on their short layover in Atlanta before they headed to London (I was so freaking jealous! It took everything in me not to hop on that plane with them). We got dinner with them and then I headed to my flight to Utah. I landed in SLC at about midnight, got on the bus to employee parking, and drove myself to my sister's apartment in Murray. Luckily it wasn't a very far drive. I got to the apartment and crashed. 

The next morning, I woke up to my adorable little nephew sitting on the other couch, playing with the cars I had gotten him in London. They were still in the box and he was just sitting there so quietly playing. Goodness, I cannot even stand how sweet and cute that boy is. My sister was off of work so we headed to Thanksgiving Point for some Waffle Luv and to go to the Dinosaur Museum with Kristoffer. It was so stinkin' hot but we had so much fun!

^^This is one of my favorite pictures of the weekend. I love holding this sweet boys hand more than anything in this world!

Saturday, we headed up to Provo to go to the Provo Farmer's Market. It's such a fun little outdoors market in the park. We walked through and got some treats and barbecue. It was lovely! That night, Kristoffer stayed with his dad so Janie and I decided to do one of our favorite things: go to a Rodeo! It was so fun. We are both Southern at heart, so it felt good being at a Rodeo. 

On Monday, I got to babysit Kristoffer all day. We had so much fun! We went on walks, played in the grass, and just had some quality auntie and nephew time. This boy makes me so happy. I mean who's day wouldn't be better after seeing those big blue eyes and hearing his adorable laugh?!

^^How is it possible that he is this cute?!

Monday night, I went to dinner with my good friend Jordan. We went to Cafe rio and SubZero. We had so much fun! Jordan and I always have a ball when we are together. We also stopped by the University Mall so I could visit Kara Chocolates where I used to work. I got to see one of my best friends, Rachel! I missed that girl so much! After, we drove back to Jordan's apartment and sat outside in the car talking till I had to leave for the airport. I swear, that boy and I could talk forever. I actually almost missed the all-nighter flight back to Georgia because I lost track of time talking to him. Luckily, I got on the flight with like two minutes to spare. I had a nice, but long flight back to Atlanta. The guy I sat next to was so nice and we talked about half the flight. We were just talking about life and our goals. He gave me some really great life advice! I would say it was definitely a successful trip to Utah. The next time I head out there will not be as happy because I will be taking my best friend to the MTC. I don't know what I am going to do without her. I will be sure to let you know how that goes!