Follow-Up!

Welp, I had my follow up appointment today! I officially tore my ACL, with a possible meniscus tear. Probably just ACL though. My doctor complimented me on a job well done in regards to tearing my ACL. Clean through baby! If I'm gonna do something, best do it all out, right?

I am scheduled to get surgery on the 14th, a week from tomorrow. My parents are going to come out! My mom will stay with me for a couple weeks, for which I am so grateful! No one can nurse you back to health quite like your mommy can. :)

My doc wants me to have a full range of motion before I get surgery. This means he wants me to be out of my brace and walking without crutches in a week! Challenge accepted. Sorry classmates whom I will confuse greatly with this gradual removal of brace and crutches, and then the return to both. It's fine, it really is.

I have been awkwardly walking around my apartment without crutches already, and I'm pretty sure I look like a dinosaur or a duck. I can only bend my knee so far, so I walk in an awkward bend, swing, plant, wobble, repeat motion. I look very graceful, I'm sure. But I'm walking! :) It's kind of frustrating that he wants me to get strong so I can walk unaided just so he can cut me open and put me back on crutches a week later. But I'm glad I will have a few days crutch free-my armpits will be very happy. :)

My roommates and friends have been totally awesome. They have given me rides EVERYwhere and have patiently spent hours in boring waiting rooms. They have brought me ice cream and Reese's and have just been awesome! I am so grateful to all of them for helping me out so much! And for helping me do fun things like longboarding and racing around grocery stores. :)

I have had some hard moments. Like when I realized I wouldn't be able to go on the epic St. George trip Johanna and I have been trying to make happen all semester. And when I get out of bed and that first step reminds me that walking isn't so easy anymore. But then I eat a brownie for breakfast or sit out in the sunshine and remember that life is awesome! I am so incredibly blessed! Life is so good folks. :)

"Keep trying. Be believing. Be happy. Don't get discouraged. Things will work out!" -President Hinckley

See ya later, ACL!

So I was in a skiing class for the first block, and it was so much fun. And then on the last run of the last day, I took a nice little fall. Definitely wasn't my first fall, and it won't be my last. But during this fall, my left ski got caught under my right knee, and I kept tumbling down the mountain.

Tumbling.

And twisting.

And then 'POP'!

And then I was laying in a pile.

And then I was getting tobogganed  down the mountain, wrapped like a burrito.

Now I'm in a straight leg brace and on crutches.

I tore my ACL. :( Well, my doctor is pretty sure I tore my ACL. I have an MRI scheduled for Tuesday, so we shall find out for sure then.

I was pretty mad and depressed yesterday. I feel like I have been injured ever since my freshman year of high school! I thought of all the awesome things I had planned for the rest of this semester and during the summer that may not happen anymore. I was in a lot of pain, and I was so frustrated that I was injured AGAIN. Especially this-tearing your ACL is a big deal! It takes a long time to fully recover from a torn ACL.

Rockin' the super awesome brace.

Can you tell how swollen my left knee is? 

But it's all going to be ok, ya know? It might take awhile to get completely better, but I will get there! It may be a long road, but that's ok. I mean, I've already gotten to ride down the mountain in a toboggan! That was a pretty exciting adventure that wouldn't have happened if I hadn't gotten hurt.

I have realized some other things that were totally getting me ready for this injury.

One, the required age for sister missionaries for my church was changed from 21 to 19. Basically all of my friends have decided to serve a mission, which is totally awesome and they are all going to be fantastic missionaries. I had decided not to serve a mission now, which totally works out because I would have been delayed by a year or so!

Also, I had applied for a way sweet summer job, but I wasn't accepted because I wasn't 21. Second job that turned me down because I am too young. Haha. But instead, I will get to work at Camp Firewalker again!! Which will be so fun, and a lot easier with a gimp knee.

 Funny how everything always works out, isn't it? :) 

Cultural Diorama

Adventurous Mormon Girl

My first artifact is an Air Force flag! My dad serves in the United States Air Force, so I have been raised as a military brat. I have lived in California, Germany, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Virginia, which really is not very many places for a military brat. This flag is a symbol of my culture because the Air Force is the reason I have experienced many different cultures and met so many different people. My middle school in Virginia and my high school in Colorado are exact opposites, but I have learned to appreciate and love both experiences. Being able to live in many different places has helped my family grow closer and it has also helped us all become better at making new friends.  I love to travel and was able to travel in Europe this summer. The Air Force has sent my dad all over the world, and that has shaped my life because it has taught me to love new people, places, food, and to always be open to new experiences.

 This picture shows my CTR ring and a copy of the Book of Mormon, both of which represent my religious culture. CTR stands for Choose The Right, and my ring reminds me daily to make the correct choices that I am taught in the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon. My religion has had a huge impact on my life, as it has molded my attitude and outlook on life. Being raised LDS, or Mormon, has taught me the purpose of life on earth and has given me hope through my trials. The testimony I have of this gospel has helped me throughout my life, as I know I am a daughter of my Heavenly Father and that He has a plan for me. My religion has led me to study at Brigham Young University, where I am surrounded by others that believe the same things I do. As a member of the LDS faith, I do not participate in many activities that your typical college student may enjoy, but I have so much fun at school with all of my friends. My faith has impacted my life because it has taught me how to make correct choices that make me truly happy and is constantly helping grow into a better person. My religion has shaped me because the gospel is not just something I know is true, but it is a way of life that I love. 

 My climbing shoes are a symbol of my culture because I lived in Colorado for all of high school and my favorite part of Colorado is the outdoor adventures you can have there. Because I lived in Colorado for so long and experienced the culture of outdoor fun, I love to be outside more than anything else. My friends from Colorado taught me how to climb and climbing has now become one of my favorite things to do! Climbing taught me to work hard at something and not give up until I accomplish my goal. Outdoor fun is a big aspect of the culture in Colorado, and many afternoons and weekends were spent in the mountains. I plan on spending many more days outside in our beautiful world! 

Hair Scare

So I have this disease. It's called once-my-hair-gets-long-I-want-to-chop-it-all-off-syndrome. It's the worst right before summer. Once I catch summer fever, I just want to cut all my hair off. I have done it multiple times, and typically regret it every time. So, in order to overcome this temptation, I'm comparing pictures to remind myself what I will look like with short hair and what I will NOT look like if I cut my hair.

 I saw Safe Haven on Valentine's Day, (It was really good, I recommend it!!) and I totally fell in love with her hair. It was SO cute and absolutely perfect the entire movie. So this is what I would want to look like if I chopped off my hair. I would especially enjoy the chilling on the beach with Josh Duhamel part of this picture. :) Isn't her hair adorable?

Another picture of her hair. SO CUTE. 

Now this is what I look like with short hair. I look like a child.  Not cute. 

This is the long hair shot. Still not cute, but at least I don't look 12, right?

So please don't let me chop my hair off!! It's nice when people think I have graduated from high school. When I had short hair and people would ask what grade I was in, they thought I meant freshman in high school. Not college. Awkward! Now whenever I have the urge to chop these locks off, I will compare child Hannah hair to gorgeous Julianne Hough hair. And then I will cancel my hair appointment. :) 

A Few of My Favorite Things

So I'm back in Provo. I'm not super excited about this, because being at school means I can't hang out with my family, wear sweats all day, and I have to start studying again. To counteract this depressing thought, here are 25 things that make me very happy. :)


1. The sound of kids laughing. :)
2. Snow that sparkles! 
3. When you're shuffling, and execute a flawless bridge. Pure bliss.
4. Being outside! Particularly sleeping outside.
5. Reading a really good book for the first time. 
6. Or, watching a really good movie for the first time. Like Les Mis. 
10. My quote calendar.LOVED IT. 
7. My roommates.
8. Big, huge icicles!
9. Laying on the beach.    
11. When a little kid says they love me. :)
12. When a cute boy I don't know smiles at me.
13. When your favorite song comes on the radio.
14. Holiday Butterfingers-the hearts at Valentine's day and the bells at Christmas. So. Good.
15. A boy that smells absolutely divine. 
16. Soaking up some sun.
17. My family!
18. Inside jokes. Kohls anyone? :)
19. Sunsets.
20. Really, really old trucks.
21. When you start using a new shampoo and it makes your hair smell SO good.
22. Getting a letter in the mail.
23. When my little brother calls me just to talk. Or my mom. Or my dad!
24. Christmas, and everything about it.
25. Holding a happy baby. :)

Come up with your own list of some things that make you happy! I worked on this list for a couple days, and it helped me realize that little things like this can make all the difference. Smile, it's the second best thing you can do with your lips! :)

2012!

So, I decided to make a post about 2012 and add some of my favorite pictures. It was hard to decide what any of my favorite pictures were, and it was an incredibly sentimental moment as I went through all my pictures from the past year. 2012 has been wonderful, and I can't wait to see what 2013 has in store! :)

PS-I'm not gonna add descriptions to any of these pictures. Or guarantee that they are in order. These are just the pictures that made me smile the most as I went through them all. :)

I'm so grateful for my amazing friends and family that made 2012 so much fun! Love you all! :)