Adventures in a Straw Maze

 Last night we were invited to go to the straw maze. It sounded fun enough, I had never been to one before and I figured it would be fun to test my directional skills in the dark. So I went.

Ariel view.. during the day.

Well. Turns out straw mazes are actually HAUNTED straw mazes.  I wouldn’t know though because my little friend, Tony, conveniently left that part out when he told me about it.  So we get there and wait in line for 45ish minutes. I was fine until one of the creepy character people came and stood RIGHT behind me. The people around me ran away while I just stood there, looking straight ahead, frozen. Tony and Jarhed started laughing at me – and mistakenly said my name. Mr. Creepy man heard it and repeated it – so then I ran. And he ran after me, calling my name in a sinister voice.

We took this picture later on in line, when I got my hearbeat back.. see how he's just staring at me though?? Creeper.

Memories from a haunted house I went to in highschool came flooding back to my mind - I was being chased out of the house with a vicious man with a CHAINSAW.

 But then, I really DID hear a chainsaw. I don’t remember what I did, but everyone was laughing yet again and said they just wanted to go in with me because my reactions would be funny. So not cool – I need better friends. Ha – just kidding. But I did feel like I was about to enter the Triwizard Tournament. I was sure I was not going to make it out alive. I began compiling crazy scenarios – and past Bones episodes really made that easy.

Before I could escape my imagination, we were at the front of the line and had to enter through a swinging tin door.  

I must have used up all my “fear” neurons while waiting in line, because the actual thing wasn’t that scary.

Except for one part. I was at the front (yeah seriously, who would have thought I would be the brave one in the group? Not me) and we got to one of the characters – I walked past him but everyone else ran away. Well shoot, now I’m alone. But that’s when I heard it. First a thundering of footsteps  then A CHAINSAW. I was hightailing it out of there… but he was following me! There were like 3 groups of people right there in that little intersection and I ran right into some stranger and grabbed onto his jacket. And didn’t let go for like 2 minutes while he just laughed at me (But I’ll just add that he was one of the people running away too… and everyone was running and screaming). Fear does strange things to you I guess.

Then I decided I should find my friends. So I left him and found them soon enough. They pushed me back to the front and we continued on. We met dozens of interesting people - freaky bride, a man with a heinous laugh, a psycho doll, a joker on stilts, a regular joker, a pig (probably the most startling except for the chainsaw man – whom I did NOT get a good look at), a gorilla, lots of just creepy painted bloody faces and more.

When we were around the bride, Kayley screamed Tony’s name – the bride heard it and started calling him too. Ha. Payback.

After 45 minutes we were still not out. And I swear the characters were starting to recognize us. That could be because I talked to them every time, though. But really it just became frustrating and not frightening. When we finally made it out, it was just Paige, Jarhed, Tony, Kayley, Kate and I. Everyone else had made it out long before. (But i'm going to make myself feel better by saying it's because Jason had been through it the day before so he knew the way and everyone else just followed him)

I guess our directional skills are not really skills. We went in many a cirlces. 

But all in all, it was a pretty fun night! 

Talk of the Town

So. General conference this last weekend. So good. So so so good! But I feel this way every time… There’s just something wonderful about listening to our leaders direct and guide us through the inspiration of the Lord. It’s always one of my favorite weekends ever! Especially this one because I was in Utah. (More on that later… maybe :)

ANYWAY, there was one certain aspect of this little conference that has been the talk of the town, probably the talk of Mormons everywhere! (and sadly, it’s not the new announced temple in Tucson, making SIX in AZ… we passed Idaho, baby!)

Nope, not that. But something that has been mentioned in every class of mine, in the library and in line at the testing center. I hear bits and pieces of these conversations every time I walk across campus (all four times a day). It’s EVERYWHERE.

It’s the new missionary ages.

Not going to lie, my heart did a little skippy thing when I heard President Monson announce this little fact on Saturday morning. 18 years for boys (if they have graduated high school) and 19 years for girls. So crazy!

Why so much emotion, though? Maybe I just think it’s weird because my whole life it’s always been 19 for boys and 21 for girls. Maybe it’s because it’s going to change the whole culture at church schools and in large populations of LDS single adults. Maybe it’s because I’m really interested in how it’s going to change -- How many more girls will go? Will this add more or less pressure for girls? Will the girls who stay get married super fast? Will people start marrying people their own age? Will this change the stereotypes of sister missionaries? Will more high school sweethearts get married? Will girls start getting less education? Is there already an outpouring of 19-21 year old girls talking to their bishops? Will there be a mad rush to the MTC from June to September every year? And how long will it take for these changes to occur? Will boys still attend school for a semester or two to try living on their own before they leave?

I don’t know. I still think it’s crazy to think about.

But this is what I know: There’s a reason for all of it. And it's a good one.

And this is what I think: This will increase the number of missionaries out in the field because there’s a need for more. The church is steadily growing. And society is getting more and more wicked and strange...  And it’s not going to get any better. We need to become stronger and get this gospel out to all corners of the earth. It’s time to prepare. We’re in the public eye right now with Mitt Romney in the presidential election; we need to use this to our advantage. We have the greatest message here on the earth; we need to share it with everyone! The time is now! The Lord needs more. And although this change will change the dynamics of the people serving, it's not about the people. It's about the work.

Wonderfully, exciting times! I’m definitely grateful to be a member of this church. And the blessings of continuing revelation. 

School is taking over my life

Actually it's not present tense, it has already happened.
Both last week and this week I have literally planned out just about every waking minute of everyday. And if something ends up taking longer or shorter than planned, problems ensue.

How do I have time to blog? I don't.
Back I go, memorizing the 12 cranial nerves: names, numbers, functions, locations.

The time has come... the time I honestly thought might never happen... I love school... but... i'm officially ready to be done.

On a lighter note, which nerve do you use for gambling?

(the vagus nerve) bahahahahahahahah!!! Ok, not that funny... but still.