2012

to start 2012 off we continued our tradition of MLKJ Day Eve:

the Spring semester of last year in Logan was da bomb. but really though, fun EVERYDAY ALL DAY. we spent a lot of time on top of mountains and exploring and dancing and just being weird. i miss those times and those ppl.

then the summer came which sometimes i have a hard time remembering what even happened during the summer of 2012. i spent it in Evanston, WY working and being with family that i don't usually get to be with very much. it wasn't the best of summers but it was still pretty great. Chaser came home from his mission in June and we hung out tonz, well as much as we could being two hours apart. i ran the Ragnar which was so much fun and i also ran a half marathon in August, the two medals i have make me feel cooler than they should.

school came and i went from Evanston to Logan (still two hours away). i spent a weekend with Chase and his family camping. we said goodbye to our Mia who was stolen by San Fran. my roommates (of last year, i still call them that) and i made some noobish music videos and continued our freshman year dance legacy by dancing to all the things and playing waterpong and skinny dipping, etc. Carrie and i also continued spice nights and we built some cool blanket forts and stuff. i went on a wicked awesome canyoneering trip with my dad and bro to California where we jumped off cliffs. i had my 20th birthday and i almost got a 4.0 in school, so close. my dad and i took Chase canyoneering in Zion's in October and it was kind of a failure with the weather but we still had a blast.

Carrie Bird got her mission call to Tennessee and we went for a bike ride in the cold. i moved home after the semester ended only to find out my family is moving to Canada real soon and i'll be homeless-ish. it'll be an adventure. Christmas parties and Christmas came and went way too fast like always. but we did get a white Christmas! i went with Chase's family down to St. G after Christmas and laughed for a few days, they crack me up. and then the year was over, just like that. 

2012, you were good!

tis the season to,

be in love, buy mini Christmas trees, take pics of every other handmade lantern because they are the best part of going to Temple Square, make Christmas cards & Christmasy treats, act out the Nativity scene with your family while your Gpa reads from the book of Luke (always hilarious), & get that typical photo in front of the temple & lights.

I LOVE THIS HOLIDAY.

""And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed"...that's a direct quote from Obama"

-my Grandpa

haha

North Vancouver, British Columbia

i guess you just never really know what's coming.

my parents announced to us a couple of days ago that they are moving to Canada in February.

WHAT THE.

people only ever joke about moving to Canada. But they are really doing it. i'm excited for them, my little sisters are excited for the adventure. i think i'm the one having a harder time about it since my family will now be a 17 your car ride away from me. i have my ups and downs, i'll be crying one minute & researching "NorVan" the next in excitement. but that's just how girls are, right? anyway, just as i move back home and get settled in i find out i'm gonna have to pack it up again here in a month or so. but, i did get a passport yesterday so that's exciting! it's gonna be way fun to visit them, it's like a resort where they're going. this is a big change, in fact, there are a lot of changes coming. my family's leaving the country & Carrie's going to Tennessee a month later. i still have my brother and sister-in-law & lots of family around here, & Chase of course.

Ohhhh Caaaanadaaaa!

Nashville, Tennessee

my best friend is going to serve a mission! i'm so excited for her but am seriously going to miss her so freaking bad. come March 27th i'm gonna be one sad girl.

(the last three photos were taken by Carrie's dad)

she has such a strong testimony & will do amazing work for the people in Tennessee. i'm so proud of her. LOVE YOU CARRIE! we'll be the best of friends for life, but really though.

Starry Night

why choose Utah State? pfff, for a million reasons. 

i attended this last night and boy was it amazing. a group of friends here at Utah State got together and showcased their many musical talents for us to enjoy on campus. Christmas music via piano, banjo, guitar, whistling, cello plus their unique voices. it was seriously incredible, i had goose bumps the entire time. the best part was when the finale ended up being Sister Winter, one of my favorite holiday songs:

i think Carrie was getting annoyed by me because i kept leaning over to her like "that was amazing" "ah, sister winter!" the entire night. it was just that good, they should record & make an album!

anyway, the whole time i just kept thinking, Utah State is the coolest. there are some really great people in this little town. Logan is a magical place & everyone here would agree that there's no other place quite like it. some of my best memories so far are from the time i've spent here with the people that i've met. i really feel like i found myself here and grew so much.

(aaaand i'll always be an Aggie, nothing else)

cruisin town.

we took some Aggie Blue Bike beach cruisers out for spin today. it was FREEZING, but way fun. then we found this viney brick wall on campus and took way too many pictures. typical chazz.

C H R I S T M A S

i just really love this video, and i really love Christmas time. and that couple is just the cutest aren't they?

i also love this song:

HAPPY CHRISTMAS SEASON PEEPS!

these people are crazy!

i can do the jumping stuff but not the flipping/parkour stuff, this video gave me a heart attack just watching it! but also made me want to hit up the Upper and Lower Jump Trip's again in California.

three good nights.

Friday night skating with my Carrie.

Saturday night bowling & climbing date with my favorite person.

Sunday night Christmas sweater party round two with the crew from last year, minus a few friends plus a couple newbies. See round one here.

a little late night skating.

we're such noobs.
what am i going to do when she's on a mission??

two videos.

this really is probably the lamest video made in all the world but whatever, it's all i've got from the last couple of months. i never remember to video anything anymore.

& this music video was made at midnight. we are so embarrassing (RETARDS) but it's fun. lots of memories with this song and the shooter hands dance. you don't even wanna know what we did afterwards around 2am heh heh. i love these girls.

reasons to be happy.

President Uchtdorf said i need to be.

i only work 7 more shifts at the Fun Park.

i only have 8 more days of class.

i only have two finals this semester.

i only have two more tests & two more major projects to finish & zero more assignments.

I FOUND A GIRL TO BUY MY CONTRACT! this is such a blessing & a huge relief.

Thanksgiving was goooood (how did i not take even one picture though-retard).

Christmas is on it's way as soon as it snows.

Lincoln-go see it.

Scheels.

i got new glasses for a saweeeet deal-thanks Dave.
i just ate ice cream.

& this picture from when we were on a 4-wheeler haha:

must sell!

hey peeps, i've been trying to sell my contract at my house in Logan for the Spring Semester (along with every other girl and their dog because they are all wanting to go on missions, which isn't my case BTW). if you know anyone who is looking for a place to stay in Logan let me know, it's a sweet set up! i'm willing to give a good deal too.

comment, or email me: jenna.dobry@gmail.com

honestly though, if you know ANYONE who might be interested, tell them & have them contact me. 
thanks folks.

in your mind and in your heart.

i read a talk that helped me a ton and i know it would help anyone who is around my age when there are so many big life decisions to be made.

"Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence" Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

"With any major decision there are cautions and considerations to make, but once there has been illumination, beware the temptation to retreat from a good thing. If it was right when you prayed about it and trusted it and lived for it, it is right now. Don't give up when the pressure mounts. Certainly don't give in to that being who is bent on the destruction of your happiness. Face your doubts. Master your fears. "Cast not away therefore your confidence." Stay the course and see the beauty of life unfold for you."

-Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

i love that last part "stay the course and see the beauty of life unfold for you". Heavenly Father trusts us to make good decisions and with his trust and by living a righteous life and striving to be like our Savior we can make good decisions, and as we make them and stick with them the Lord will open doors for us as we go, and there are so many doors that he wants to open for us! i also love how Elder Holland then talks about section 9 of D&C, "i will tell you in your mind and in your heart..." in your heart (does it feel right), in your mind (does it make sense). 

I've heard most all of these things so many times in my lifetime, but i am constantly amazed at the gospel and how incredible the Spirit is. i can hear one thing one day, and hear the same thing the next week and be completely converted all over again. and i wouldn't be able to take in any of it if it weren't for the gift of the Holy Ghost. i am always learning and growing and being reminded of how simple and wonderful the gospel is.

"When we dwelt in the presence of God our Heavenly Father, we were endowed with agency. This gave us the opportunity, the privilege, to choose what we would do—to make a free, untrammeled choice. When Father Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden, he was given this same power, and we now possess it. We're expected to use the gifts and talents and abilities, the sense and judgment and agency with which we are endowed.

But on the other hand, we're commanded to seek the Lord, to desire his Spirit, to get the spirit of revelation and inspiration in our lives. We come unto the Church and a legal administrator places his hands upon our head and says, "Receive the Holy Ghost." This gives us the gift of the Holy Ghost, which is the right to the constant companionship of that member of the Godhead, based on faithfulness.

And so we're faced with two propositions. One is that we ought to be guided by the spirit of inspiration, the spirit of revelation. The other is that we're here under a direction to use our agency, to determine what we ought to do on our own; and we need to strike a fine balance between these two, if we're going to pursue a course that will give us joy and satisfaction and peace in this life and lead to eternal reward in our Father's kingdom."

-Bruce R. McConkie (Agency or Inspiration, link)

that talk is so good too!

Happy November!

we are right smack in the middle of the best time of the year (October-December) so let's all be happy about it. i was way stinkin happy to see that number one on my calendar app this morning.

Happy Halloweeeeeen!

we had a good time carving pumps last weekend.

& then Keven had to one up us like always...

he carved his freaking face in a pumpkin there on the right. 

#whyishesomuchcoolerthaniwasinhighschool

Chase's is supposed to be the Joker....hehe didn't really work out as planned. 

mine is a "Nightmare Before Christmas" pump.

i had no reason to dress up this year, but i've got something good in mind for next year :)

Happy Halloween!

snow.

to the right was yesterday to the left was today.

i will miss fall. if Logan were as beautiful as it is during fall all year long, i don't think i would ever be able to get myself to leave this place.

fall on Old Main

this year:

last year:

Utah State is a good place, don't ya think?

missing.

i'm missing this guy real bad today.

but a very happy birthday to my cutie cute little not so little anymore sister, Katie (Kate-wa). 17?! and also happy birthday to my dad three days ago, he's the coolest dad around, i mean really though, my life would be adventure-less without him. 

i love you both!!

today.

today was a very good day to live in Logan. it was gloomy outside, but good gloom. it rained, and i went for a run in it and all of the leaves. all of Logan is covered in yellow, orange, and red leaves right now. i think they all fell over the weekend, it was a nice surprise to come back to a colorful town after the weekend. good gloom is good.

one of my roommates from downstairs took that last photo of the back of our house, isn't it a pretty one?

today was just a really great day.

in Institute we talked about love and agency. we read a talk by a member of the Seventy that said love is a decision. you don't "fall in love" because you, in fact, have complete control over love, it isn't something you just fall into without choice. while in class i thought a lot about the people i know who have "fallen out of love" and claim to have not been happy in their marriage. we read that to "fall out of love" is a cunning myth or rather, a satanic lie. i never really thought about love as more of a decision  than a feeling. also while i was in class i thought about a quote from the movie Dan in Real Life (there are so many good quotes from that movie) when his daughter's boyfriend says "Love is not a feeling, Mr. Burns, it's an ability". 

i am so grateful for my Heavenly Father, for loving us so much that he continually gives us his son, our Savior. and i am so grateful for my Savior's love because the more i feel and learn of his love, the more i am able to love others.

(the talk we read is called "Agency and Love in Marriage" by Elder Lynn G. Robbins)