The greatest gift

I talk a lot about my little sister Regan. She worships the ground that I walk on, calls me her best friend, and loves Disney Princesses just as much as I do. It's easy to be close to Regan because she is so much like me and loves doing girly things.

However, it was Matthew Layton Lacey who stole my heart first. I was 12 years old when he was born and I haven't been the same since. I used to sit by his crib while he slept and wait for him to wake up; my fingers just itching to hold him. Eight years later and he has grown into the most remarkable little boy I've ever known. Matt is kind-hearted like nobody else on earth. He may be a child but he has always had an old soul; he has an unusually large vocabulary and is very mature for his age. He is incredibly polite and lives to serve others.

 I'm sitting next to the Christmas tree right now and I can't help but smile at the roughly wrapped presents strewn underneath. Matthew has searched his room and the rest of the house for gifts for the entire family the way he has been doing every year since he was 3 years old. It doesn't matter if it's an empty DVD case, a hand-drawn picture, or a pool toy from out back. Everyone gets at least one present from Matthew. I love how much he loves to give.

While I love all of these things about him, the reason I decided to write is because I found Matt's letter to Santa a few minutes ago. It melted my heart and I wanted to share it.

"Dear Santa,

I have probley been a bad boy this year. is your wife and reindeer feeling good? It is relly cool that you give preasents. You represent Jesus when he got preasents by the wise men when he was two years old. You are a relly cool guy to represent Jesus. This year I want Harry Potter's wand [I am the proudest sister in the world]. I also want to heaft gun splat master. I also want air hogs helicopter. Could I also want the DSI game rise of the guardian. Last I want bay blade wheels. Finally I want some new books [still the proudest sister].

Sincely Matthew Layton Lacey

Thank You"

I just love him with all my heart. I don't know many kids who talk about Jesus in their letters to Santa. If that little boy always loves me and if I can be 1/10th of the person he is, I will consider my life a success.

Life is a beautiful mess

That's really the only way I can describe it. I feel like I'm grasping at threads trying to stay on top of everything that I have to do but when I get a moment to breathe, I realize how much I love my life.

Of course, Salym was married in October. It was surreal being at my best friend's wedding but I'm so glad that I was able to be part her special day. Salym has always been beautiful (believe me, as the constant  best friend, I was always very aware of what I had to compete with) but she was simply radiant on her wedding day. I don't know if I have ever seen such a beautiful bride in my life. I caught the bouquet but I'm pretty sure I'm immune to any curse that might bring. We danced all night long and she left with her husband who seems to make her incredibly happy. What more could a girl want for her best friend?

The rest of the weekend was a blast. I spent most of the time with my family. However, I got to see my dearest Jeff Mecham for the first time since he's been home from his mission. I also spent some quality time with one of my favorite people in the world Angelina Scroppo. As usual, we did ridiculous things like put an Obama poster in my very Romney-obsessed step-dad's yard. It was so nice to spend time with my best friends.

Women's Chorus is keeping me swamped. I could list what I've been doing but it's pretty boring to write out. I'll just say that one of my girls asked me if I got paid for doing this job. That should tell you the amount of work that goes into it. While it is what stresses me out the most, it is also one of the most rewarding experiences I've had in my entire life. We had a very successful concert last week and while I was onstage, all I could think is that I don't know if I'll ever be able to give up Women's Chorus. I adore my girls. They are a constant source of strength for me and support me when I need it the most. My conductor is the most remarkable woman I have ever had the pleasure of meeting besides my mom. Working with her everyday is nothing short of a privilege. Congrats to Sister Applonie for making the Mormon Tabernacle Choir by the way!

I love my teachers and I love my classes. I love working with the Men's Chorus boys who, incidentally, raised at least $3,000 for Hurricane Sandy victims last night. I know, they're amazing. I love my family and cannot wait to see them next week for Thanksgiving. I love my Father in Heaven who knows what I need even when I don't think it's what I want at the time. I love my best friends. I love my country. And I love my beautiful mess of a life.

Oh and there may or may not be a new man in Kelsey's life. Stay tuned for more details :)

A junior in college

So here I am- a junior in college. How bizarre. There are a thousand exciting things that have happened since I last blogged. Frankly, I should be writing a paper right now but because my brother practically threatened me today, I decided it was about time to start up again. Here are a few of the exciting things that have happened since I last updated this thing.

As I'm pretty sure I've already mentioned- I started my position as the Women's Chorus president. It has completely taken over my life but I love every second of it. The girls I work with everyday are incredible and so sweet to me. Our conductor is one of the most wonderful people I've ever had the chance to work with and I have the unique opportunity of getting to know her on a level that most girls don't. I love everything about choir this year. A good Women's Chorus rehearsal can fix almost any bad mood.

After 2 & 1/2 semesters of college, I finally decided on a major. I'm going to major in English with an emphasis in creative writing and minor in editing. I hope one day to work at a publishing company and maybe even write my own novel. It feels so nice to finally have a plan for my life when I was uncertain for so long. I probably won't graduate for another two years but hey, graduating on time is overrated. I wish it hadn't taken so long to figure out but for the first time I feel like I'm in the right place. I'll take the extra semesters anytime.

My little brother got his mission call! He's going somewhere Spanishy in Ecuador. I am not happy that he'll be leaving for two years and I wouldn't be surprised if I ended up in a study abroad program in Ecuador sometime soon, but I am incredibly proud of him. I think it speaks volumes about his character that he was called to a place like Ecuador. I would be a total whining princess if I were to go somewhere like that, but Michael is so humble and such a hard worker, I know he's going to change the lives of every person he comes in contact with.

I applied to the London theater study abroad program for this upcoming spring semester. I have an interview on the 26th with the trip advisers and I'll hopefully find out whether or not I've been accepted a couple weeks after that. I would be living in the greatest city in the world (except for Vegas of course) for 6 weeks on my own, spending all my time watching plays and immersing myself in the culture. I'm so lucky that I have parents who support me and make sacrifices so I can have experiences like this.

My sister Diana graduates from hair school in a couple of weeks. I'm really excited for her. She has worked so hard in the last few months so she could graduate; going to school from like 6 am until 10 pm everyday. It's not something I could have done. She has real talent for it and I'm so glad she is doing something she loves.

My best friend Jeffrey came home from his mission a week ago. It has been so great having him a phone call away. He was such a great missionary but I love talking to him everyday.

There are two weddings going on in my life! My best friend Salym is getting married on the 20th of this month. Her fiance seems to make her really happy and that's all I want for her. Oh and she probably owes me 20 bucks because I'm sure we bet on which one of us would get married first. My uncle Tim is getting married as well to the most wonderful girl. I am so excited for Abbey to be an official Costello. I can't wait to be a bridesmaid for both weddings :)

Oh and I turned 21. It's going to be a great year.

Disney World was.....

I recently spent a week in Orlando, Florida with my dad and brother. We're Disneyland tycoons who can tell you where every attraction, ice cream stand, bathroom, and secret club head quarters is located. However, we had never been to Disney World and considered this a crime for people who love Disney as much as we do. So my upper-40's father, my 18-year-old brother, and my nearly 21-year-old self packed our bags and headed to Florida.

To be perfectly honest, I was a bit disappointed in Disney World. I estimate that I've been to Disneyland somewhere between 40 and 50 times and have become accustomed to certain standards. A Disney park is supposed to be conveniently located, full to the brim with exciting and classic attractions, and of course, coated with that certain Disney magic that is hard to describe.

First of all, it was miserably hot and humid (which I'm willing to admit probably influenced the amount of fun I was able to have). I have great sympathy for the performers in costume in the park. I've worn a character costume like those and I was dying of heat in an air conditioned building. It was so humid and miserable that is was hard to enjoy yourself. In addition to the heat, the parks are located miles from one another unlike California Adventure and Disneyland who live right across from one another. We spent a couple hours a day on buses, taxis, monorails, and ferries trying to even get to the parks.

Epcot was by far the biggest letdown. When I was doing some research before we left and read about the history and content of the park, I was excited because there would be plenty of attractions that are exclusive to Florida. I was right. Epcot has its own feel- boredom. While it is the home of "Soarin'" (the exact same setup and video as "Soarin' Over California" in Anaheim), it was definitely of a lesser quality than the one in California Adventure. Other than that, we went on a twenty minute slow-moving boat ride through some gardens and a lab where they were growing some tomatoes or something. In addition, Epcot has a really cool section where they have representations of different countries. You can walk through adaptations of China, the US, Mexico, England, and many others. While this was somewhat interesting and clearly took a lot of money to create, there was nothing to do but look! You could eat and of course each country had plenty of merchandise available, but I came to Florida to ride Disney rides!

Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom were much more enjoyable. There were classic rides like Space Mountain, Peter Pan, Splash Mountain, Small World and Haunted Mansion. While they were close to the originals in Disneyland and California and Adventure, the only ride that was better than its predecessor was Tower of Terror. I had a blast on the Florida interpretation of the free-falling elevator. The Rockin' Roller Coaster in Hollywood Studios was a really great ride but it was incredibly short.

I am a huge fan of the Aladdin show in California Adventure. So when I found out that Hollywood Studios had a Beauty and the Beast show, I was ecstatic. There aren't words to describe my disappointment. They took my favorite story, my favorite movie, and my favorite characters and made hands-down the worst on-stage production I've seen in my life. They cut the show to half an hour so most of the transitions made no sense whatsoever. The leads had wonderful voices but they simply weren't good for the parts.

However, there were some pleasant surprises. The Monsters Inc. show was actually really funny, Downtown Disney was superior to the one in California, and the light show on the castle at the closing of Magic Kingdom was nothing short of spectacular. I was very impressed by the character performers in both Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. Like I said, I can't imagine how miserably hot it must be in those suits and they, along with the face characters like the princesses and such, performed with enthusiasm and were very fun to watch. However, the number one thing that was better in Florida was the food. I'll admit that Anaheim's cuisine is less than great for the most part, but the restaurants in Florida, specifically in Downtown Disney were fantastic. I never once had a bad meal.

Overall, I was left a bit unsatisfied. But as I think about it, I would have been disappointed had a not been disappointed. I'll explain. If I'd loved Disney World with all my heart and thought my beloved Disneyland couldn't hold a candle, I would have been devastated. Disneyland is another home to me and knowing there was a better option in Florida would have ruined it for me. As it is, I'm glad we went to Florida because we of course had a good time despite some disappointments, I love visiting new places, and now we know that we have no reason to go back (unless I get an internship there which would be fantastic). In short, if you love Disney and you haven't gone, you have some extra money laying around, and you don't mind REALLY long bus commutes, I'd say go. It's worth seeing and Magic Kingdom definitely has that magical Disney quality to it. However, I'm glad that Disneyland's light hasn't been dimmed for me and I look forward to many more years of Disney magic to come in Anaheim.

P.S.- Oh and by the way, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was FANTASTIC. If they weren't building one in California, I'd be back in Florida very soon :)

A little bite of summer bliss

Clearly I'm bad at this blogging thing. Anywho.....

I completed my spring semester and let me tell you something. It kicked my butt. Even with only two classes I was completely drowning for most of the seven weeks. But I can happily report that I completed the semester with satisfactory grades and a lot of knowledge crammed into my brain. 

I've been lazing about my home in beautiful Las Vegas for the past two weeks and in the words of Lawrence from Princess and the Frog, it's been HEAVENLY. My tan has gone from zero to about a six in a couple of weeks. After last year's sun poisoning experience, I'm a little wary of shooting for a ten. I spend almost 100% of my time at home with the kids and Michael. My body is still adjusting to the amount of food here after the months of Yoplait and Special K. I swim almost everyday in our beautiful pool in the sweltering heat of the Vegas sun. It's my kind of Utopia.

My widdo bruver Migo graduated last week. It is crazy how the time flies. I feel like my graduation was only a few months ago. I'm already halfway through college. In all actuality though, I probably won't graduate in the traditional four years. It's overrated anyway. And I figure, with the cheap tuition of BYU and the thousands of opportunities I have there, why rush it? I certainly am in no hurry to get a career and be a full-fledged grown-up yet.

I'm most excited about tomorrow for I will finally be going to Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida!! After 40-plus Disneyland trips, I'll be seeing Disney World for the first time. And of course while we're there, we'll be spending time at THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER!!! WHAT??? If you can't tell, I'm rather excited about it. I've already put together a Hogwarts uniform and a Mickey Mouse outfit that I will wear in the park. I don't care if my dad and brother don't want to walk next to me. Disneyworld and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter are no places for restraint. 

I believe that covers the most important points. Farewell my five readers. Thank you for your loyalty. And as my dear friend Mr. W. T. Pooh said, "You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."

What's been goin on since February

So clearly, it has been quite a while since I blogged. Between Women's Chorus, final exams, and everything else that being a college student entails, I simply have not had the time.

Like I mentioned, Women's Chorus has been keeping my very busy lately. I was a member of both the activities and publicity committee. This year was extremely special because we were honored to premier a piece about the children who died in the Holocaust. It was an incredibly moving piece and we wanted to make sure we did it justice. We focused the entire program around this piece, researched names and pictures of children, had our own Passover meal, performed publicity stunts, and a thousand other things. Needless to say, it kind of took over my life. However, I believe my hard work paid off. My wonderful choir director asked me to be the president of the choir next year! I'm thrilled, but a little nervous about the responsibility.

I would also like to mention that choosing to be president came with somewhat of a price. I was accepted into the Disney College Program for the fall. I was absolutely thrilled... I've wanted to perform with Disney for as long as I can remember. Obviously I couldn't be the Women's Chorus president in Provo and a Disney College Programmer in Florida at the same time. I decided this choir opportunity was one that is not guaranteed while I can always audition for Disney again. Also, my dumb brother is going on a dumb mission and this is kind of the last semester I'll have to be around him before he leaves for two dumb years. Oh well, I'm excited about my decision and I think I can do a lot of good here in Provo.

Also, I have finally decided on a major! I'm currently a pre-communications major and I'll apply to the communications (advertising) program in September. I'm still in Provo for spring semester because there are a couple classes I need to take before applying. Unfortunately, that means my summer has been cut in half. Big people adult decisions are not fun. I'll be done in June and cannot wait to be back in Vegas. For now, I'm living on my own because my landlord didn't sell the other two contracts in my apartment. It's nice having all this space to myself but it does get a little creepy every now and then.

Overall, life is great. I've made a lot of decisions in the last couple of months that will affect my life substantially. I didn't enjoy it for sure but I think I made the right choices. I guess we'll see :) Be kind to one another.

You know what really grinds my gears....

Having lived here for almost four semesters, Provo has wholly convinced me that there is no place quite like it. It has its own lingo (DTR, FHE, NCMO, Devo, BOM, RM, YSA), its own celebrities (Jimmer, David Archuleta, Cecil Samuleson, Cosmo), and its fair share of both true and false stereotypes (mostly true). Most BYUers also have many of the same experiences (testing center anxiety, hiking the Y, running out to their car at one am before the parking police makes their rounds). However, one of the most common situations that BYU girls find themselves in is that of "waiting" for their missionary. (Throughout are pictures of me and some of my favorite missionaries :))

My bestest friend Jeffrey

Today I was sitting in class and a girl next to me was telling her friend all about her missionary; how she loves him but that it had been over a year since he left and she is really interested in this other guy. She was asking her friend what she thought the best way to write off a missionary was.

Cameron Olsen :)

Personally, I have always had problems with the idea of "waiting" for a missionary. First of all, he is going to be gone (hopefully) for two whole years. That is a LONG time to go without dating. Now I know that it is common for a boy and girl to find true mature love at eighteen years old. They have certainly had plenty of life experience to ensure their never-ending happiness and eternal companionship. But I think when most girls say those fateful five words (I will wait for you) I simply do not think they are completely prepared for what that entails. Really "waiting" for an Elder means no ward proms (yes non-Mormon readers, I said ward proms), no NCMO's, no casual dates, blind dates, or any other kind of date. And the idea of walking around campus for two years without a ring on that left hand might make a BYU girl think twice about "waiting." If you ask most people, they will say that long distance relationships don't work. A mission is the most hardcore long distance relationship possible. If you're lucky, you might be able to email once a week. Otherwise, you get a letter a few times a month and maybe a phone call if you stalk his family and go over to their house on Christmas. Being cut off from the person you love for two years is excruciating but after time, you get used to it. And it is simply not healthy to ignore the opposite sex for two years just because you found "the one." If you were truly meant to be with that person then dating while he's gone won't affect your future together. 

LUKE NICHOLLS

The other aspect of "waiting" for a missionary that really gets me mad is when a girl makes the decision to wait for their missionary, sends him off with the knowledge that the girl he loves is at home anticipating his return, decides it's too hard, and Dear Johns him after a few months. I cannot imagine what could possess a girl to do something like that. Imagine what kind of effect that has on a poor twenty year old kid. Not only is he in a foreign place, possibly learning a new language, stressing out about the work, feeling homesick, and working his little missionary butt off every single day of the week, but the girl who he thinks loves him enough to wait for two years writes him off because she got bored. Sorry, that just does not sit well with me. Making that kind of commitment probably is not the smartest thing to do in the first place, but if you say you are going to do it, then stick it out.

Every one of these boys that I grew up with is on a mission. So proud of Gavin Nitta, Cameron Olsen, Austin Eells, Spencer Felton, and Taylor Davis!

I would like to include a disclaimer- there are plenty of amazing women out there who happily waited for their husbands while they were on their missions. Those women are simply much more patient, compassionate, and loving than a lot of us will ever be. So yes, it's possible to wait. I just know that there are too many missionaries who are getting their little hearts broken and it is starting to get on my nerves.