You can't stop the Beat!

I love the Beatles. So very much.

Now I don't wanna hear it about their lifestyles. Yes, they made some silly choices with drugs and whatnot, but to be perfectly honest... I don't really care. Does that make me a bad person? I wouldn't emulate them, but I just love their music! 

And pictures of them. 

Here are some of my favorites:

 

Umbrellas!

 

From the best album.

 

My first Beatles poster. 

 

Clearly I love the Beatles with Umbrellas thing.

My favorite songs: 

-Eleanor Rigby

-In My Life

          These two switch off at my #1 spot. The rest are in no particular order. 

-When I'm Sixty-Four

-Hello, Goodbye

-Rocky Raccoon

-If I Fell

-All My Lovin'

-I Should've Known Better

-Baby You're a Rich Man (just cause Ben Jacob loves this one.)

-A Day in the Life

-Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite

-Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

-Within You, Without You (the song for which this band was named)

-Strawberry Fields

-Here Comes the Sun

-Act Naturally (just kidding, David & Marilyn)

-The Fool on the Hill

-While My Guitar Gently Weeps

-I Am the Walrus

-Come Together

-Blackbird

-Let It Be

-Hey Jude

-Penny Lane

-Twist & Shout

-Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

-And, honestly, so many more!

This list got a bit long, but I just love their songs, unconditionally (almost--there are a few exceptions). 

Ringo is my favorite because he's just lucky to be there. 

I guess you could say I'm a fan. 

And, because it's my BFF Cousin Marilyn's birthday and she loves the Beatles nearly as much as I do... a photo tribute to you. 

Combing out my hair

We were more excited about being together than about seeing David again. 

This may have been her first time sledding. Sunshine is from California. 

Babies together

And... the classic Al&Mare thinking they're the hottest things. Rockin' those stunna shades. 

Love you Merlin! HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY!!!

FAAAAAAAAIL.

Hahahahahahah okay I just have to start out here with laughter.

Background: Heather got a DVD player from her cousin, but for some reason there was no cord to attach it to the TV. So naturally, we went to Wal-Mart to find the necessary attachment. We got home and kind of struggled to attach it. So what do we do? We text our FHE father Bryant because obviously boys understand technology.

Unfortunately, I texted Bryant from work, not Bryant from FHE. Good move, Bradford.

Me: Bryant! Can you or your most tech-savy roommate come solve our technical difficulties? 
Bryant: Maybe. Who is this? [I was thinking that was a little weird, but whatever.]
Me: Rough... This is Allie. We have texted before.
Bryant: Oh sorry. Thought I would have had you in my phone. Sure. What's going on? 
Me: Nevermind! We figured it out. Heather's a genius.
Bryant: I bet she is. Good work Heather. [The work Bryant does not know who Heather is...]
(an hour later)
Me: Heather, Mitch, and I are about to start our favorite game of True Colors! Do you or any of your peeps want to join? [Heather and I had previously talked to Bryant and his roommate Austen about playing this game we love called True Colors. So they should have known this was coming. Bryant from work has no idea what that is and why I was inviting him to play.]
Bryant: [after quite a delay] So this is Bryant's wife. Can I ask who this is? [I'm thinking: okay, Bryant and his roommates are just being dumb. Bryant doesn't have a wife! And then it hit me... WORK BRYANT.]
Me: Hahaha oh my goodness I am so sorry!! Okay this is so embarrassing. This is Allie from work and I thought I was texting another Bryant. Total accident--haha please forgive my absentmindedness. 
Bryant: Oh got it Alice. Elly and I were just wondering why you were calling her my tech-savy roommate. Good luck with other Bryant. Not that we wouldn't love to hang out with you and your friends, but we're on a date. 
Me: Haha reading over that conversation, knowing who you really are, is super funny. Tell Elly sorry for creepin on her hubby. You two have fun this weekend! 
Bryant: Elly says no problem, you have good taste... You have a good weekend too Alice, stay out of trouble.

Of course work Bryant was super nice about all of this because he's just a nice person. But my roommates and I (and Mitch) were laughing sooooo hard! Heather was crying. My favorite part? I referred to my co-worker's wife as his "tech-savy roommate." I will never stop laughing about that line.

Meanwhile, FHE Bryant has no idea any of this has happened. Sorry you didn't get to hang out with us tonight, bro.

But I did take precautionary measures for the future: I took Heather's advice and changed FHE Bryant's name to Kobe Bryant in my phone.

Never again will I fail like this. But it was worth the laugh.

A Quote

I saw this quote in the FHSS Advisement Center today:

"Have you prayed about it as much as you have talked about it?" 

It reminded me that I really need to involve God in my decisions as I'm trying to figure out the rest of my life. My family, friends, and even the advisement center provide great advice and support, but if I'm not paying attention to God's will for me, then I'm completely missing the mark.

Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers. It's true.

All this time...

Ever since I could read and hold a pair of scissors, I have been reading the brand name printed on the blades of my scissors as "Fisharks." 

Just today, I realized it actually says "Fiskars." 

Oh, life's simple surprises. 

182nd Semiannual General Conference

Semiannual. Stare at that for a minute. That word is so weird-looking.

I love General Conference! It is such a blessing and a miracle to us all.

And can you believe the news?? I was so shocked about the mission age changes--boys can go at 18 which is not a huge deal to me but girls can now leave at 19 if they choose! I never even imagined this option happening in my lifetime, and at a time when it directly affects me! I'm not making any announcements at this time, but this change could directly influence the course of the rest of my life. I love the words that Elder Nelson spoke of missionaries: "They serve for the sole purpose of making life better for other people." (Or something like that.) It's so true. They are among the most selfless of all people on earth. They put everything on hold for the God and the people they love.

I love the emphasis our Church places on the importance of families, and their critical role in our societies. Several talks from this Conference reminded us of this, and in 1995, the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a Proclamation to the World. Have you read it lately? It's good stuff. The final paragraph reads: "We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society." At times it feels that our world and our country are going downhill, or that some things are just getting out of control, beyond hope of repair. But I know that if our families are strong, we have nothing to fear.

What President Uchtdorf said about finding joy in the journey today so we don't have regrets tomorrow was beautiful. "To avoid the deepest of regrets in life, it would be wise to make some resolutions today."

I was touched by Elder Holland's remarks about our Savior. He needs us to feed His sheep, save His lambs, preach His Gospel, and defend His faith. He needs us to love Him.

Remember: "First Observe, Then Serve."

I'm a Mormon. I know it. I live it. I love it.

Rocket Science

"Several years ago, a reporter for National Public Radio had an idea. He considered the stock phrase "This may seem difficult, but it isn't rocket science!" and wondered how rocket scientists expressed the idea that some subjects were simply beyond their ability to comprehend. So he asked a rocket scientist how he would express this same notion. His informant told him that rocket scientists often said, "This may seem difficult, but it isn't theoretical physics!" Naturally, the reporter then posed the same question to a theoretical physicist. The response: 

"This may seem difficult, but it isn't sociology!" 

Theories of Social Order: A Reader 

edited by Michael Hechter and Christine Horne

Stanford University Press

And so it is written.
Proud to be a Soc major.