I Love the Temple Lights. I went tonight and captured them with this photo. 

Really makes it feel like Christmas is coming :)

next stop:

Cusco, Peru.

One Month Left. 

Can't Wait. 

home for the holidays

So I drove to Vegas last Thursday after my last final and on the way stopped in St. George to see the temple since I'd never seen that one, gorgeous! 

Once I got to Vegas, dad met me at our Hotel and once we got settled in we took off to Dinner and a Magic Show, seriously, I don't know how magicians do it. I am always in shock when I see someone do magic. It's so entertaining. 

waiting for the magic show! 

Since I've been home it's been kinda busy, Friday night Robbie had a b-ball game I went to and then I unpacked EVERYTHING basically. Then Saturday Evan had a birthday party! It was so fun to see the whole fam and celebrate Evans 3rd! 

Kenny and Kayla brought their new dog Pico, it was a hit, and I fell in love! 

Then Saturday night it was Robbie's choir concert and the Alumni get to come back and sing the Hallelujah Chorus with the A Cappella Choir.

Can you see 4 of us on stage? :)

one year we are going to get all 6 kids. I'm sure of it! 

Friday: Christmas Sweater Party. It was so fun, they had a huge dance party downstairs at our friends house, and tons of people, Santa even made an appearance. it was just way way fun. 

Jen, Me, Madison, Talia, Sam, and Melissa

My Dad let me barrow his sweater. It was a hit. 

Ho Ho Ho. First Santa of the year! :)

I asked for snow, and got my wish! It snowed all day long yesterday and was just wonderful. 

We went to the basketball game and sadly lost, by 4, horrible ref's, misses free throws, no rebounding, seriously. Sad. 

 

Madison, Talia, and I

Me and Tal. Also who I am going to Peru with. 

So to boost our spirits after the game we decided to go sledding, once the snow had stopped, but was definitely still powdery and cold. I had never been sledding and it was SOOO fun. I fell in LOVE immediately. 

.

Great weekend, minus the Aggie loss. But this week on to finals and then home for longer than a whole month! 

I can't even believe I'm saying this, but I wish it would snow! I leave in a week, and no snow is on the ground, or falling from the sky. I just need a little of it before I go home. So....

Dear Snow, 

Please hurry up and fall from the sky so it ground looks white. So people slip and fall on campus. It'll make me feel like Christmas is coming. And I like when it snows a little bit.

Thanks so much,

Natalie

I am thankful for these girls. 

I've noticed my blog has been pictureless as of late. Here is some pictures from the last little while.

Halloween... we rock the thug look.

Dyan and her family were up in Utah so I got to meet up with them... 

I love this crying picture of the twins! 

Evan and Kaleb with there favorite aunt! :)

We had a game night/b-day party for my roommate last night and we actually got a picture of all of us! 

I dropped out of school, sold my contract, paid a deposit, am slowly learning spanish, bought a plane ticket, mentally preparing myself for shots next week, sent boxes home to AZ, and putting my winter coats and boots back in the boxes.... WHY?

BECAUSE I"M GOING TO PERU NEXT SEMESTER!

yup, it's true! Can you believe it? Me neither. My roommate Talia and I are taking an adventure down to Cuzco, Peru. I will be working in medical clinics and Talia is going to be working in orphanages. We are living with a Peruvian family, learning 2 hours of spanish per day, and hopefully will have one of the greatest experiences of our lives! I am SOOOO excited. I can't believe it's really happening.

I received an email from the program we are going with and it said that I will be working in medical clinics for low-income families, they see about 80-100 people per day, and 10-20 of them are emergencies, 12 doctors (foreign and native) and 5-7 nurses! ahhhh! I am stoked. Kinda nervous, who knows what I'll see.... but it will only enhance my knowledge!

So, Utah State will just have to wait for Natalie to return in August 2010, hopefully moreso fluent in spanish, have a new found love for the South American people, and maybe a few shades darker..... Can January 16th come any faster?

gene pool

I've decided that there was a serious shortage of a gene in males from the ages 18-25. That gene was the "height" gene. Seriously, I really think that there was something during those 7 years so guys wouldn't get height.  It's truly PATHETIC. I honestly feel like I know 10 guys up at school that are taller than me. Minus 5 for being married, and that leaves me 5 to date. Great. Too bad I know at least 3 of them and nothing has happened so far. So really it's only 2. 

ok.... Maybe there are more than 10 but you get the picture. I love being tall. Don't get me wrong. I am pleasantly pleased with my height. I love long jeans. Being able to reach the tall shelf is the closet. Playing basketball and volleyball. Having my feet hang off the bed if I'm not curled up. But sometimes I just wish guys were taller. One day, If I get really smart with the whole DNA thing maybe, just maybe I'll make some world renown study about how the height gene in males from age 18-25 was non existent. Maybe I'll write a book. Maybe I'll find a colony of tall guys for me. Wouldn't that be nice. 

But as for now, I better go find those other 2 tall guys and introduce myself so the other tall girls don't get them first and start crackin on the study of DNA so I can write my book! 

oh that 7 years of missing height genes... Where did you go? 

I had a physiology test today. 

I have studied countless hours for it.

I got my results this evening.

I am pleased. 

I have a love/hate relationship with that class. 

But now it's turning into more love than hate.

Which is good because I still have 5 1/2 week of it. 

Oh physiology, it's taking over my life. 

But it's ok. 

Studying pays off. 

One day I'll be fully grateful for it.

That day might come later than sooner.

But for now, I'm just pleased with my test results.  

A couple years ago my family was sitting around the table during the holiday season playing the game "Imagine If". For those of you who have never played this game I highly recommened it. Basically you have people's name drawn on a dry-erase board and a question will come up that will say something like,

"Imagine if.... ______ (person's name) was an animal, which would he or she most likely be?

a. Dog

b. Monkey

c. Rhinosourus

d. Bunny

Everyone chooses which one they feel that that particular person is most like and to advance in the game you have to choose the same answer as the one who the question is about. Pretty simple and really fun!

Anyways, that night we were playing as a family I was the one the question was about, the question was..

"Imagine if... Natalie was a brand, which one would she be?"

a. Kellogg's

b. Nike

c. Revlon

d. Clorox 

I remember everyone being so confused on which one to put, and I myself was confused. I couldn't decide between Nike and Revlon. I love sports. I love hair and makeup. What to put?

I can honestly say I don't even remember which one won. 

Since that day I have thought about that card more than a handful of times. 

Yesterday I received my answer. 

I was walking home and just randomly watched a city lacrosse game for a few minutes taking place on the hyper field (school field). While watching this I though of some of my favorite sounds. The crowd going up in cheers when something good happens in a game. The sound of the net when it's "nothing but net." The sound of the baseball hitting the bat at the very first of baseball season.  The squeaky sound of basketball shoes on the court. 

As you can tell, the answer is Nike. I think it's because this is what makes me, ME. Don't get me wrong, I love the girly stuff, fashion, makeup, nail polish, jewelry, fun underwear, and perfume. But those things didn't make me up for who I am. I never had to learn discipline with the girly stuff. I never learned that loosing is okay with the girly stuff. I never felt the joy of winning with the girly stuff. I would have never gone to physical therapy if it wasn't for Nike. I wouldn't be studying exercise science if it wasn't for Nike. 

Next time that question comes up in the game of Imagine If, I know that I will select "B: Nike."

Friday night I went down to Sandy, UT and stayed with my roommate Jen for conference weekend! All I can say about conference is WOW. Seriously, talk after talk after talk was just SO good. I couldn't believe it! I decided though that I must be growing up because I don't ever remember when I was younger being this impressed with conference. I'm sure it's always been this good, but I guess thats what happens when you grow up... You really begin to like and look forward to conference!  

between sessions on Saturday we went on a pretty hike!  

Me, Madison, and Jen at Conference Sunday Morning. 

afterwards we walked around Temple Square! 

I received an email last Thursday from the Institute. In the email it explained how the week prior they had a speaker, Elder Kikuchi, come and talk to the institute. Unfortunately, I couldn't attend when he spoke but I heard he was just AMAZING. I continued to read the email from and it said...

"We extend to you the invitations he gave Friday.

DIVINE HOLY FELLOWSHIP
-- Seek DAILY to establish and maintain a “clear vertical line” with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ by: 
-- Arise 15-20 minutes early for prayer and scripture study (at least 5 minutes of Book of Mormon study) 
-- Prepare to be alert for that valuable study time by first exercising, showering, and dressing for the Lord as we would for the Prophet.  
-- Elder Kikuchi left us his promise that if we follow this counsel, we will experience a total change in our personal lives with clearer minds and better recollection in our academics."

A few of my roommates and I decided to take on his challenge. We started yesterday and I can honestly say I feel a difference in my studies and just how I feel in general. I've been waking up earlier to study the scriptures (I can't get up that early for exercise, but it'll come) and it is SO much more enjoyable and I'm not just rushing to get through them to go to bed, I feel better throughout the day, and its only been 2 days. I cannot wait to really have this form into a pattern and something that I don't think about, it just happens. I love how that if we listen to the brethren and their challenges they give to us the things they promise will happen. Just having these past 2 days makes me SO excited for General Conference and all the advice and guidance we will get to hear. 

study hard, play harder... right?

CES broadcast

Hockey Game

Logan Farmer's Market

Boating

Poetry and a Beverage

wo ai ni

Everyday I see Asian people on campus. I love how walk with umbrellas in the sun, I love how they wear unique clothes, I love how some can't speak very good english, I love the way they laugh, I love how they are on their asian homepage in the computer lab, I love the mini dresses with tights they wear when it's 94 degrees outside, I love how they don't show emotions, I love how I can understand them better than most people, I love how they get embarrassed when you mention any crushes they may have. I just love them in general. And I really miss this one...  

She is just such a good kid. She graduated high school and now is on to bigger and better things. She is still planning on getting married in white jeans. She still hasn't had a crush on a boy at least to my knowledge. She enjoys to sleep in late. She is going to study French and English at the University in Nanjing. She once said her math teacher looks like a green monster (hulk). She thought all Americans ate were hamburgers and hot dogs. She loved to watch So You Think You Can Dance. She is a really just a true, complete, through and through Asian at heart. And I LOVE IT. 

This week has flown by..... seriously. Last week was a little bit long, and this week! Holy COW. It's already Sunday. Lets see here.....

Wednesday: Took Shauna to the MTC, got back up to Logan that afternoon and then I went night fishing! It was a big deal to me. I had never been fishing so these guys invited us to go, and I was all for it. We did like real fishing too. We got on a little paddle boat and I hooked my own worm and cast my own line and next thing I knew I had a nice little 8 inch fish. I was so surprised and I seriously loved it. I want/need to go again, it was just GREAT. 

Saturday: It's a 3 day weekend, so most of my roommies were gone except for Madison. So we woke up Saturday and studied for physiology for a while.... then we got a call from one of our friends and they wanted us to go boating with them. So it was like 4:30 and we went to Newton Lake and went boating. It was so nice to feel the lake breeze in my hair and face. Then on the way home we stopped and shot some guns. Then we got home, ran to Walmart real fast and then jacuzzied for a while. By midnight, we were tired. So we hit the hay and went to bed. 

Sunday: Woke up, got to church, I had a interview with the Bishop and we all know what that means.... yup. I got a calling. I am the 1st (education) counselor in the Relief Society Presidency. I'm excited. It will be fun. I've never had a calling that serious. ha! But, I'm excited. A little stressed for this week with the new calling, retreat, singing at the CES broadcast in Provo and a HUGE test on Monday. But hey, it's all good things.... right?

Then I got home from church and had a good afternoon Sunday nap. And we invited some of our guy friends over for dinner and made some TASTY homemade pizza. It was really good and a good way to break the fast. Now I'm just chillin around here. No school tomorrow which will be WAY nice. I'm thinking maybe a hike or something, along with studying. 

I'm trying all these new outdoorsy things. Maybe its the new adventure, maybe it's the weather. Or maybe I'm just becoming a TRUE Logan girl. who knows. But I'm loving it. 

Sister Shauna Sargent is in the MTC for sure. I picked her up from the airport around 10:15 and two of her way good friends from BYUI came to see her, so we chatted with them a little bit and then we made the trek down to Provo. Did a drive by past the MTC, got some lunch, and then dropped her off. She was so excited and ready to go! She will be a great missionary and will fully bless those Paraguayans lives!

Check out www.sistersargent.blogspot.com for updates from my mom about Shauna through her mission! 

A couple days ago, Madison brought home about 10 zucchini from the nutrition farm where she helped her older brother. The next couple of days we had zucchini galore around our apartment. We decided to make some zucchini bread out of a couple of them. It was WAY tasty, I highly recommend it, its a low-fat recipe and surprisingly only has 96 calories per slice!  

Ingredients:

3 cups unbleached all purpuse flour

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

2 large eggs

1 large egg white

1/3 cup canola oil

2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce


2-1/2 cups grated zucchini

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans and raisins, optional

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat 2 standard-size (9-by-5-inch) loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. 
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves and allspice and mix well. 


In a medium-size bowl, lightly beat the eggs and egg white with a fork. Add the oil, applesauce, zucchini and vanilla. Stir together, then add to the flour mixture, and stir just until blended. Do not overmix. (I didn’t do this is a separate bowl and it was fine.)
Pour the mixture into the prepared pans. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove the loaves from the pans and cool completely before slicing.

Last night brought out the 80's in me. The first 80's dance of the school year. Lovely. 

I'm off to my second day of classes. The first day was GREAT! 

I LOVE this school.

I mean, what other school has free concerts Monday night, movie on the quad Tuesday night, Foam dance party Wednesday night, Bingo Thursday night, and 80's dance Friday night.  

yeah, didn't think so! :)

Life is good. 

Pics of my apartment coming soon.

come and gone

Memories Of The Summer....

Vegas

knee surgery!

dance parties.

mission call to Paraguay!

swim days :)

Park City, UT

lots of Birthday Parties!

friends :)

twins. 

sisters! 

It's been a good one. KEEP IT REAL all you AZ people! 

xoxoxo

Just tomorrow. Then I'm breathing the Logan air. 

WONDERFUL.

give me this... (but pink)

plus this...

equals....

DISCHARGE from therapy and doctor visits. I'm FREE.