Themes.

My overall theme for 2011 was:

{via: http://www.instagrid.me/glitterguide}

My overall theme for 2012 will be:

{via: http://www.etsy.com/listing/76950689}

Happy New Year! Bring on 2012!

New Year's Resolutions.

Well here you have it, folks. I guess since everyone is bound to do a New Year Resolution post, here's mine. This is not what I hope to accomplish in 2012, this is what will happen.

• Not be on a diet. I'm already making a lifestyle change...on how much I love chocolate. We're getting there.
• Land a fantastic internship in Boston with Romney 2012 when he wins the Republican Primary. (And the White House.)
• Never see a single digit dollar amount in my checking account. And put more in savings.
• Learn to love cooking/baking. My wife 101 class last semester have dramatically increased my skills already.
• Pick up yoga. I need to take advantage of those classes at Gold's Gym.
• Have an unforgettable 21st birthday.
• Be in the best shape of my life. The goal is to always be in the best shape of my life...
• Get to know my Savior even better by continuing my weekly temple attendance.

There's obviously more things I'll do, but I probably won't publish them online. Sorry. 2011 was a fantastic year. But, I just know that 2012 is going to be unbelievable. Every year I get older, there's always seems to be ten times more exciting things happening in my life. And I'm just antsy waiting to find out what they are already!

The day after.

...and I thought I'd be bored over the Holidays. Yeah, right. I am most definitely more busy now than I was during Fall semester! But, that really isn't saying anything. An hour of homework a week does not count as "busy." I will have a lot more homework this semester, however. Anyway, there's only been a couple of times where I've just been sitting around the past two weeks. It's a good thing!


So, the day after Christmas is always a bummer. No one really wants to take the lights or the tree down, just because we still want the spirit of Christmas. And we must wait until 2012 to do this all over again. 364 days?? At least I don't have to work or go to class until next week. I guess there is still New Year's Eve, but I don't have any plans yet. Hopefully I'll get some soon, so I have something to look forward to.


Christmas 2011 was the best Christmas yet. I say that every year, though. Christmas always just keeps getting better at the Hawkes home. It may have been the fact that we didn't spend very much money on presents, or that Jake spent hundreds of hours making useful (very useful, I might add) presents for us in his wood-shop class, or maybe that we were just all together again. I do love coming home for long periods of time, because it reminds me I wasn't born in Provo, and I that still have a life outside of campus. It's almost like I can feel the stress decrease when I drive down from the point of the mountain, out of Utah County. I'm not really looking forward to going back next Sunday night, but at least I'll have all of my BYU friends in one place again. 


I am looking forward to going back to school, though. However, I'm not looking forward to the LONG Winter semester. Is it just me, or is Winter semester always the longest? I do love meeting new people in my classes, changing the subjects I study completely, and just getting a fresh new start. I have so much to look forward to this semester, and especially 2012. I can just feel that it's going to be the best year yet. There will be plenty of ups and downs, but overall, it's gonna be fantastic. 


Here's a little look into the Hawkes family Christmas week:

Jake's birthday is the 23rd. Poor kid. We give him all of his presents
on June 23rd, so he doesn't get ripped off too much. He's 14 now!
(Also, do not judge us on our cake-decorating talents.)

Christmas PJ tradition. Mom wanted a "photo-shoot" look.

So jealous of Jake's new goggles...we better get on the mountain soon!
As soon as there is 10 more feet of snow.

Annual family photo.

Merry Christmas!

Love is Christmas.

"Christmas--that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance--a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved." -Augusta E. Rundel

Christmas '10

Everything I've ever loved during Christmastime:

• A family that's still together.
• A strong house that I've been blessed to live in my whole life.
• Watching hours of bowl games and basketball.
• Having absolutely nothing important to do. (See above.)
• Watching my little siblings open their presents.
• Singing Christmas songs while wearing a thousand yards of purple fabric. (Madrigals. Ahh, the memories.)
• Knowing all of the people that saw me grow up are currently within a 2 mile radius.
• Cuddling/crying/laughing with my sisters while watching The Notebook.
• Seeing the lights on Temple Square.
• That cinnamon spice smell!

"I don't care if the house is packed, or the strings of lights are broken. I don't care if the gifts are wrapped, or there's nothing here to open. Love is not a toy, and no paper will conceal it. Love is simply joy, that I'm home." 

-Sara Bareilles, Love is Christmas

Two days people!

Hello, Christmas break.

I haven't posted in five days? I know, weird. I'm still loving this blog thing. But, I've just been busy.


Yesterday, I got four hours of sleep. I honestly can't remember the last time that's happened--if that has ever happened. I've never even pulled an all-nighter, not even the all-night party on the last day of high school. Anyone who knows me at all, knows I am a stickler to my bedtime. If I'm not at least getting ready for bed by 10:30, something is off. But sleepovers with Rebecca can do that to you. (Way fun, and enlightening, by the way.)


Then of course we had to roll out of bed at 6 a.m. to be at work by 6:45. With the 20-minute drive, let's just say I looked homeless the whole day. Anyway, we left the building once at noon for a 15-minute Panda run, and then ran...no, literally ran...back into work. I finally left the broadcast building at 6:45 p.m, ironically. However with 12 hours of watching sports highlights, I really shouldn't be complaining. I could tell you in detail, every highlight of the Baylor game last Saturday, and even how many people have filled up the Marriott Center at once. My job rocks. 


This past weekend also was great! I should have taken more pictures--I regret not doing so. However, it was fantastic. I heard many amazing mission stories, saw many hilarious mission pictures/videos, and spent a lot of time with my best friends. It was also great to spend time with my sisters. I really like being reunited with them and now that we're older, we can talk about something other than boys. Oh wait...that's a lie. Just look at them. It's a full-time job (for all of us) warding off these guys, so it's obviously inevitable.

Beautiful Sarah and her also beautiful friend Megan at Christmas Dance.
They're old enough to date?!

"Drop Dead" Nicole.

In all reality, we do have more mature conversations. Oh, how our late-night bathroom conversations have evolved. I love that I get to be home for two straight weeks. That hasn't happened since I graduated high school, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm still busy. So much to do, so little time! 


Now, if only I could learn the art of the famous Sharlene Hawkes multi-tasking...

On your feet.

Stephen Jones.  He is so funny. Since we've got so much talent at BYU, it's hard to keep it all to ourselves. This is episode four of the "On Your Feet" series that goes out 60 million. Our theme this year is "Rise Up," so this is Mr. Jones' attempt to get us all to support our awesome BYU athletes.


Notice the last shot is my old job, with two of my old bosses! Best part, I must say. Watch for this episode airing this Monday on True Blue, 8 ET/6 MT. 

Complete.

And finals are done! I can't believe I'm halfway through my Junior year. This is so nuts. I don't feel old enough. But then dinner tonight basically proved to me that I actually look the part. One of my awesome friends took a couple of us out to the Cannon Center. (She had extra money on her meal plan...definitely a plus to having freshman friends.) While we were eating, a boy came up to me and said, "what grade are you in?"


What grade am I in? Wow, I haven't gotten asked that question in a while. And from a fellow college student. In my head, I proceeded to count up from the 12th grade, then thought, "what am I doing?! I'm not in a grade!" I then replied with a simple, "I'm a junior." He gave me a weird look and said, "So, what are you doing here? You're OLD!" 


Oh great. I'm not even 21 yet, and I just got called old. As I was doing the math however, I learned I was in the 15th grade. A 15th-grader. That just makes me sound like I was held back, or better yet, a Super Senior. (Which I have never been, or will be, thank you very much.)


Anyway, here are just some bullet points of the wonderful parts of my day:

• I finished Fall 2011 semester. Finished. I took three finals and wrote one paper, all today. 
• One of those finals, took ten minutes. Another one took fifteen. If you're wondering, yes I did get a good grade on both of them.
• On my way out from the testing center, some nice ladies had a kiosk for textbook sell-back. I earned an extra $25 bucks giving them my very unwanted textbooks. Looks like I'll be raiding my closet for more textbooks tomorrow.
• Free breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast: a nice work party put on by BYUB. Lunch: a nice catered meal from my former Cougar Club co-workers, overlooking the stadium in the President's Loge. Dinner: see above.
• Sports Staff meeting. Okay, not exactly all hour and 15 minutes was gripping, but it was awesome to hear new ideas being put into BYUtv Sports. Stay tuned.

Tomorrow, all I've got to do is work, pack, and go to a party. Oh, and textbook sell-back. Then I'm headed back north and I'm free for two whole weeks...except on December 19th. That will be a very long, but fun, day at work. (Again, stay tuned to BYUtv, Bowl Preview Special is comin' up!) But I'm super excited to go home, sleep, and not have to think about anything...except happiness. 

Thinking and learning.

I got to go to Savior of the World tonight at the Conference Center, and it was a great summary of everything I needed to hear. I learned that I already believe in God enough to not be surprised when I see Him again. I learned that God has the most mercy on those that fear Him. And, I learned that Christ was truly born from a mortal woman just like me. I couldn't help but think what I would do if that really had been me. Lots of prayers, that's for sure! So whether it's Mary carrying the literal Son of God, or me just trying to get through a 20-year-old college life, the Lord will always be holding our hands.

I also just want to give a shout-out to my friends and family who through them, the Lord is holding my hand. I've got the most incredible people in my life who truly listen to Him, and not do I once question their love. This is my blog so I can brag: I'm easily the luckiest girl in the world. :)

What I love so much.

The TV industry. More specifically--the sports TV industry. There's just something about it...It's so...exciting. I think I like it so much due to the fact that there's never ever the same thing twice, and if there is, you're in trouble. So, we're all running around on our beautiful (long) Mondays with a million thoughts going through our minds at once. Granted I'm new at this, so hopefully I can get it under control asap. But it all seems to somehow come together perfectly on one half-hour television show. 


...except for the fact that all of us in the Production Control room are critiquing every little thing that goes on air. I guess that's what makes our show so awesome! I did however hear some great news: we're getting new equipment for our motion graphics that's going to make us look as cool as ESPN. Word. 


Like this:

This was from 2009, and they've gotten way better since then. (The only example I could find on YouTube.) But you get the picture. Watch out ESPN, here comes BYUtv Sports! (ha. ha.) But doesn't that make you just get the chills? Man I love my job. 


This week has been great, so I'm not really looking forward to this Monday through Wednesday in Provo. Then I'm free and on my way back home! But, I've got a lot to do until then.  All I want to do right now is cuddle up on the couch while watching It's a Wonderful Life, see snow falling outside my window, and have a big mug of hot chocolate in my hand. The Christmas dream, right? I've still got two papers and two finals to go...wish me luck. And, it's almost midnight and still not going to bed. College girl: SUCCESS.

Procrastination.

I wish this wasn't my best talent. I am professional at procrastinating. 


However, I recently discussed with a friend that procrastinating can be good. You see, I'm awesome under pressure. I get things done, and I get them done well. So basically, I'm creating situations for myself where I can succeed...by procrastinating. Really though, I'd rather just wait until the night before, and have one long block of working on a paper. If I don't, instead I'd have to break it up into small chunks of time and change my mind a million times. That sounds horrible. Right? Yeah, I'm just going to convince myself that it's normal.


It would be nice to get everything done ahead of time and have a lot of time to myself. (Time to myself? What does that mean?) I could take my time at the gym, play the piano more often, start knitting...etc. If I didn't procrastinate my huge research paper until this weekend (because let's be honest it won't get done until Saturday night) I could have a lot more fun this weekend. But will I? No. I'll be boring. And I'm going to plant myself in my room with a big bowl of popcorn, and write it. I'm determined to succeed.


...and I'm still writing this blog post. I could have gotten an awesome start on my paper. Oh well, procrastination it is. 

Oh, what a beautiful day.

Yesterday took Fridays to a whole new level. I already knew Fridays were great, so naturally, I was expecting it to be a great day. Little did I know that it would be an excellent day.


In the morning, I got to attend the Utah Women for Mitt Romney luncheon at Thanksgiving Point. It was incredible to finally meet his wife Ann and to hear the personal side of Mitt's campaign. Did you know she has MS? And didn't have enough strength because of it to even cook a meal when her husband got the call to run the 2002 Olympics? And she fought breast cancer? Talk about trials...I had chills through the whole thing. That Romney family is amazing. And the best part: the majority of it was the emphasis on the importance of a marriage. She cherishes her marriage to Mitt, is his biggest supporter, and made sure we all knew the only reason they got where they are, is because of each other.


Mrs. Romney wasn't the first cool person I met yesterday. I was pretty much star-struck meeting this next one. I met NieNie! I was just at the check-in table, had my head in the stack and asked for a last name, heard Nielson, looked up, and she was right in front of me! The first words I could get out of my mouth were, "Wow! I read your blog all the time!" She just laughed and said thank you, gave me a huge smile and went upstairs. Yeah, I could have said something more profound. But let me tell you this one thing: the moment I met her, I could feel the Spirit all around her. Her presence is enough for people to feel the love that oozes out of her. She has gone through one of the hardest things I could ever imagine, and she still smiled at me on her way out. On her blog, Stephanie also emphasizes her love and her marriage to her Mr. Nielson. 

Stephanie (and her family) before the accident...(via)

...and after. (via) Read her blog at:
www.nieniedialogues.blogspot.com

I drove back to Provo just beaming at how cool that whole experience was. I went straight into work and my boss put me on the Countdown to Kickoff show tomorrow. BYU vs. Hawaii...our last meeting didn't look so hot in '01. Hopefully Coach Doman will get the adrenaline going from that horrible game, and pummel those Warriors. With their starting QB out with a broken tibia, we're expected to do very well. Anyway, I think I started doing a pretty good job at the show, and I'm starting to get a hang of everything. After one week! I definitely have seen way too many old Hawaii highlights, but watching the huge play by Kyle Morrell in 1984 never gets old. This morning I am going in to finish it all up. It looks neat-o. Then to top it all off, I had a date with Gold's Gym and probably the best time I've ever had at the Provo temple. 


So...this Friday was great. Can I wait until next Friday? No. It's that impatient thing I was talking about. I'm being very impatient.

One in a million.

This song is incredible. Nik Day could not have written better lyrics. My heart is melting right now. This song may or may not have been on repeat yesterday...anyway. Enjoy the musical stylings of Nik Day's One in a Million.

And this guy's from Utah! I think he's even a BYU student. At least that's what I was told when he performed in the Varsity Theatre my freshman year, where we met and fell in love. Moral of the story: If you can sing and play the piano, you've already got me.