Alright team...

It's time for me to start working on my new blog...

start looking for it at starkmandi.blogspot.com

hope everyone is doing good!

wisdom

GONE...

yep all my wisdom is now gone.
yesterday i got my wisdom teeth out...
quite an experience considering they didn't get me in until 2 hours after my scheduled appointment...
and then all i remember is the doctor putting something else in my IV and that's it.
no countdown...just a weird feeling and then i guess i was out.
i don't even remember them putting me in a wheelchair...
in the car...
or getting out of the car...
but i do remember trying to get to the couch and hurling all over the kitchen floor
my poor mom...she is so good to me...i owe her a lot
now...i'm just a bum with chipmunk cheeks
and a sore jaw...
at least this only has to happen once right?!

I should probably be studying my little brain out right now instead of blogging...but hey...I'm blogging anyway! Considering I should be studying for my HUGE final tomorrow in my DREADED Research Methods class...my brain has become mush...

It's funny how you start out the semester and vow to yourself that you're going to keep up on your homework and your reading throughout the semester instead of cramming the last week...is it just me or does that NEVER happen. That's how I feel right now. AND it doesn't help that my wonderful teacher decided to give us new information today in class for the GIANT test we have tomorrow...SERIOUSLY???

I'm on overload right now. Pretzels and Dr. Pepper at the kitchen table. Notes scattered everywhere and Carrie Underwood blasting from my computer. Boxes all over the living room and my bedroom...hence why I'm in the kitchen. Yep...I'd say it's finals week. Just GRAND!

But hey I really have nothing to complain about. This test is my last test...EVER...at least here at BYU-Idaho. Yeah I'm a little excited about that! I plan on taking my test at 1:00 tomorrow and walking out of that room about 2:30 and jumping for JOY!!!

It shall be a stupendous day....

And then the next day.... GRADUATION!!!

Haha...alright...enough of a break for now...back to Research Methods and trying to understand the nonsense of it all!

creating new blog...

So sometime soon....after I'm done with these crazy finals I'm going to be changing my blog address...I'll let you know when this occurs. Hope everyone is doing fantastic! Happy Monday Night to ya!

sunday drives...

This is Rexburg...

Where I currently reside (only for 12 more days....YIPEE!!!!)

It is beautiful in the summer....

Especially at sunset...

Jen and I are known for our Sunday drives to anywhere

And this is where we ended up today....

4th of July

So I skipped town once again and went to Reno for 4th of July!

It was so nice to leave Rexburg for a weekend

and spend time with my sister and Nick and Jordan!

We had a blast hanging out and going to Virginia City

and eating amazing BBQ by Nick

and just enjoying the hot summer weather.

I do have to say it was quite weird to not see any fireworks on the 4th though...

...they're illegal where Jess lives...

but it was still a great 4th!

Jess and I before the BBQ
We pretend we like each other! :)

P.S. I graduate EXACTLY 2 weeks from today!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This weeks goal....

ACCOMPLISHED!!!

So this week I've been trying to learn how to french braid my own hair

needless to say it was a lot of getting frustrated and wanting to pull my hair out

but today i accomplished my first french braid

on my own head...

okay yeah make fun of me but it was hard work

my arms hurt from holding them up so long

and yes...my braid looks pretty bad compared to

you professional braiders

but

I'm pretty proud of myself!

p.s. if i can give anyone a word of advice...

don't live in rexburg in the summer on the 3rd floor with NO air....

Life is grand!

...sold

so i sold my car...good ol' betsy is gone...

such good memories...

many utah trips...

drive ins...

yellowstone...

rexburg snow...

summers with the windows down and music blasting...

spilling a 64 oz pepsi...

my first car...

good times!!!

yeah i'm sad...

but i'll get over it...eventually!

you've got a friend in me...

Sometimes you just gotta have fun with friends!

It really is the best stress reliever!

LIFE IS GOOD!!!

Ps...I really want to see Toy Story 3!!!!!!!!!

Yellowstone

Today was free admission day at Yellowstone and Jen and I took full advantage of it!

We woke up early this morning and headed to West Yellowstone for a beautiful day

full of buffalo, smelly sulfur, crazy tourists, beautiful nature, and of course

Old Faithful!

Much Needed Break

So I went home for Memorial Day weekend!

Made a super long weekend out of it because I don't have classes on Tuesdays or Thursdays...

Yes...that would conclude that I'm a lazy SENIOR ready to graduate!

While I was home I got to see my family and spend time with my parents!

I saw Marissa...the recent graduate herself

And I got to spend time with Jordan.

Marissa and I hung out with her family and went to Jordan's show downtown...

Jordan and I went golfing, riding bikes, played basketball(I won)!, shot the pellet gun, bike ride with my dad, hang with his family and more random stuff...

My parents and I ate dinner at Locke Gardens....my favorite place, watched the movie Hachi, went to the bike store...

It was a much needed break from school...now just 52 days left here in Rexburg

and I'm FREE!!!

I am so excited!!!

Rissa and I at Jordan's show
Jordan doing what he is great at! MUSIC!!!

Me...Crafty?!....I guess so!

So today I went to the craft store...I cannot go there and not spend anything! I saw these cute watches and thought...hmm....that'd be fun to make. So I did! It was super easy and fun. All you do is buy the watchface and then decide what beads you want...buy some cord...clasps and TADA you have a watch! I never knew I could be so crafty! I must say....I'm proud of myself! Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

life is...

AMAZING!

So I was writing in my journal yesterday and I realized just how great life really is! I mean when you look back and write stuff down you really do notice that life is pretty grand and HILARIOUS at times. For instance, this weekend my old roommate Alycia and I went to the park. It was actually nice outside in Rexburg for the first time so we wanted to get some sun. So we're just talking on our blankets when this old grandpa comes up to us and asks us for a water bottle. We're thinking...aww this old grandpa wants some water for his 3 sons playing baseball. Yeah...we were wrong. The old grandpa took my water bottle opened it and poured the water on our heads. Did not see that one coming. It was hilarious! Then he proceeded to talk to us and told us that he wasn't going to hold it against us that we go to BYU-Idaho and he mumbled something about if his wife knew he was talking to us he'd be in trouble. All the while his 3 grandsons are yelling at him, "Grandpa!!! Stay away from the girls!!!" Pure entertainment. Then when he finished talking to us he went over to these other two girls and did the same exact thing with their water bottles.

I tell you...life is full of awkward, hilarious, semi-creepy moments.

You just gotta keep your eyes open for them!

I have a disease

SENIORITIS...

it's true...i've contracted senioritis...11 weeks...i can make it!!!

right?!

Girls Night!

Last night I went down to Idaho Falls and spent the evening with my good friend Chris! We went to dinner and then went back to her place and soaked in the hot tub! It was much needed after a crazy week of school and my internship! So great to spend time with Chris and talk about how we met my first semester and now it's my last semester! CRAZY! Gotta love this girl!

i get to go home in a month!!! i'm so excited!!!
just had to share with everyone

Here's a picture of the explorer. It has new tires on it as of 2 weeks ago though so they look different.

Selling my car

So I'm going to be selling my car around July. It's a 1992 Ford Explorer with about 108,000 miles on it. I'm not going to be able to take it back home to California after I graduate so I need to find someone that can use it. It has been a great car while I've been up here in Idaho. I'm sad to sell it but I have to. If you guys know of anyone that is looking let me know. They can totally email me at MissMandi22@gmail.com if they have questions or anything! Thanks for helping me out guys!

and this is why i miss home!!!

The week was awesome but definitely too short

for me to be able to soak up all the California sunshine that I wanted to.

But good news....

Only 93 more days and I'll be back in Cali and officially be a

college grad!!!

Just a few pics of a few things Jordan and I did while I was home...

We went to Ikea and walked around and then ate a delicious

cinnamon roll!
We went to Six Flags and both felt sick after the day was over...
But it was totally worth it and SO much fun

Picnic Day in Davis...watched some dog shows and a lady dancing super funny
by herself!


ps...why am i always on the right side of the pictures???

so i went back to california....came back to rexburg....and remembered why i love cali so much better!!!

Essential Swimwear

These suits are so cute! With summer around the corner just thought I'd share them with you guys! Here's a giveaway!!!

http://www.freebies2deals.com/2010/04/giveaway-2-essential-swimwear-swimsuit.html

Rexburg wants to kill me....

I tell you...Rexburg wants to kill me the last week I am here before Spring Break! Seriously...it's April 1st and it SNOWED! Rexburg is on a different seasonal schedule than the rest of the world. One days it's 50 degrees and the next it's below 30 and snowing. I don't get it. Sometimes I feel like Rexburg is a crazy, moody, PMSing girl that can't make up her mind! Come on Rexburg...let's at least make my last week here somewhat nice!

California....I LONG FOR YOU!!!

and all that is in Cali!

Two weeks!!!

And I'm done with yet another semester!

HOORAY!

Then I'm homeward bound!

I LOVE my life!

Car rides....

Making the best out of the car ride!

Car rides are not the most exciting thing in life.

To Utah we drove in a van...

I guess I'm a little harsh on vans because I never grew up driving around in a van

but seriously...

being crammed into a van with

6 other people

luggage

pillows

blankets

snacks

and who knows what else...

it was quite the adventure.

I guess it's all for the experience right?!

By the end I was ready to be out!

Family!!!

This weekend while we were in Utah I got to spend

some time with my "other family"!

It was so good to see them after not seeing them for

about a year...

and to see McKinlie for the first time...

She is so stinkin' cute!

Me, Uncle Daniel, Kourtney, Baby Kinlie

It only took us like 3 times to get all of us smiling and looking at the camera...

Some things will never change...even after 22 years!

She's strinking a pose

Don't you just want to pinch those chubby cheeks?!

Jason Aldean Concert

This weekend Jen and I went down to Utah to see some family

and to go to a

Jason Aldean concert.

The concert was totally worth it and so much fun!

Luke Bryan played with Jason Aldean and it was great!

Gotta love country!

Jason Aldean and the rest of his band

That's Jason Aldean!!!!

Not That I'm Counting Down or Anything

33 Days!!!

And I will be back in California...HOORAY!!!

I cannot wait...

1 week with family

1 week with Jordan

1 week with sunshine

1 week with friends

1 week of wonderfulness!!!

138 days...

And I will be a college GRADUATE!!!

Now this is the scary thing...

I'm supposed to somehow:

graduate,

get a degree,

become an "adult",

be responsible,

and move on with my life,

all in

ONE

day!

I haven't quite figured out how all that will happen...

But I guess it will!

Wish me luck!

Snowy Rexburg Weekend

So this weekend Jordan came up to snowy Rexburg and we had a blast! I'm so glad he came up and we got to spend the weekend together! As always we found some fun stuff to do and acted crazy...we have a hard time acting normal! Gotta love it!

Jordan and I after a night of bowling...we seriously looked like Laker's fans with our shirts...which we are NOT!!!!
Dinner on Saturday at Chili's for Valentine's day

On Saturday we went sledding....only had a few bad spills but it was fun!

Valentine's Day + See's Candy...probably the best day of my life!!! haha he knows me too well!

Saturday...

Walmart makes me so FRUSTRATED!!!

just had to get that out!

My advice...if you want to enjoy your Saturday...

DON'T go to Walmart!

So my mom is amazing and made me a blanket for my birthday! I had no idea that she was making it! It is adorable and is SOO warm!

Birthday Celebration with the Girls!

So my birthday is on Monday and my roommates and cousin took me to dinner at a cute little diner here in Rexburg! It was a lot of fun! And then we went and had a fun game of bowling! It was a fun night! Krystal and I at the diner...
yep...we're cousins

That's my girls!

Alycia, Bri, Jen, Janelle & Krystal

Look at that form!

I got a strike!

friday nights in rexburg....

...GET BORING!!!

So we make the best of it!

Applebee's for 1/2 price appetizers....

Jen & I!

And after we come home and do random stuff!
She's tall...I'm short so this is what happened!

Aubrey and Alycia putting out the vibe!

And then craziness turns into ratting our hair!

The final product!

BEAUTIES!