"Today is the Day where your book begins, The rest is still unwritten"

Wow, so much has happened over the past few weeks, I graduated, went to Florida, went on a cruise and took my certification exam! But I think I will just take this an update at a time! Let's start with Graduation!

I am officially a college graduate folks! Yep, that is correct, Tiare Curtis is no longer a student! Graduation was pretty great.  My parents came in to town the week before graduation but of course my dad took off on a business trip while my mom and I hung out all week.  It was pretty fun to have her here and actually get to spend time with her.

Thursday was the big commencement where Dallin H. Oaks spoke! We started the day off with a Naperville reunion! It was a lot of fun to see the families I grew up with.

The Girls at Breakfast

 Then after commencement we took lots of pictures and went to Brick Oven for some delicious pizza!

Before Commencement, Shane, Sam, Stacey, Jackie and I

Jackie and I! 

My wonderful roommie and I

All three of us graduated together!

I don't really know what is happening in the picture, but I love it! The people
who came to support on Thursday

And this guy came as well! 

Friday was the day that I actually walked. Since Shane, Sam and I were all graduating, we decided to all go to Sam's convocation so that way we didn't split up the family. After we took more pictures with those that came to this convocation! Thanks to everyone who came! 

The Friday Supporters!

My sweet cousin came and supported!

Shane got his masters!

 Funny story with this next picture... Everyone wanted to see where Shane worked on Campus.  So, we trekked on over to the building that before I realized Shane worked there, I had thought it was an empty run down building. Of course the building in my opinion is close to that and the only elevator they had was a freight elevator. My grandma was in a wheelchair so we needed to use that elevator.  So, onto the elevator we went with my grandparents, grandma, parents, aunt, cousin, me and my brother. My dad and Shane confidently shut the two front doors and pushed the button for us to go up... nothing happened. After a few more button pushing, we decided to open the doors and try again. Yeah, the doors didn't open. So, we were all stuck on this freight elevator in the creepiest building on BYU campus. As you can see, Shane was stressed trying to save us! It was pretty hilarious! Shane managed to get a hold of one of his co workers who came and helped us and when those doors opened, I don't think I have ever seen my grandpa move so fast to get off!

So, Graduation was a pretty great time! Thanks BYU for being an awesome school! (Of course it just lost a lot of awesomeness now that I am gone!!! Just kidding...but really!)

"As we go on, We remember"

So, I am sitting here not wanting to write a paper. Its my last paper of College EVER!!!! That is a really weird thought...really weird! But as I sat in my seat staring at the computer, I decided that I should just update my blog real fast.  Maybe that will get my writing juices flowing...hopefully?

I finished my internship and now all that is left(besides the paper) is to graduate! It is crazy to think about the last five years and how much I have changed! When I first came out to college, I came in the summer term so I decided just to go to the apartments for the summer. Yet, I didn't realize how intimidating it is to be a recent high school graduate living with college graduates! But luckily my next door neighbors offered me to be in their secret cookie club.  I don't think they will ever realize that by that offer, they just offered me a lot more; friendship and confidence.  I started making cookies with them and we would deliver to random doors and sign it from the secret cookie club! After, I became really good friends with them and that summer turned out to be really fun!

I moved into the dorms shortly after that and that wasn't as intimidating.  I already lived at college for a couple months now, so I felt like the older one compared to everyone else.  I started to learn more about myself.  I feel that the first full year away from home is when you really have to figure things out for yourself.  Start to put everything you learned from your parents into practice and seeing what works for you. So that year, I grew a lot! I grew spiritually and emotionally.  I learned how to deal with girl drama, living in a small place with six girls will definitely teach you that! But I also started to find out my own reasons for believing in the gospel. I explored different majors and found out more about myself. I fully realized just how not cut throat I am and how I really wanted to work with people.

It wasn't until I moved into the Riviera that I was able to discover Therapeutic Recreation and continue forward with that major. The Riviera, three years of my life was spent there and I feel that I really learned a lot about me.  I went through my extremely shy, not confident stage. That first year, I had a lot of trials that I had to work through.  This is when I truly had to figure out who I was and learn how to embrace who I was.  I think I have always known me, but I never embraced that. But I was able to learn how to fully love me for me.  Even though that year was so hard for me, it was very much needed.  I am a much stronger person now and I am trying to help those that are in the same boat I was a few years ago.

I moved into my grandparents basement for a few months and that is what helped me to be the crazy outgoing girl I am now! I saw that I had to reach out to others if I wanted to have friends. No one was going to come knocking on my grandparents door to have me come do something. Its funny now because I tell people that I use to be a completely shy girl and they won't believe me because now I tend to be the voice for the wards I am in and my last two years in the riviera, everyone knew who I was because I was always out chatting with people, having parties and inviting everyone to do things!

This last year of college, I started to see more and more about what I really want to do with life.  I still have no idea but I really feel like I have grown as I have dug deeper into what I want.  I have learned more about what relationships are and how to deal with pains and joys that come along with that.  I have learned so much more on forgiveness and truly letting go of the past.

I am so glad for my time at college and everything I have learned, not just in the classroom. There were a lot of hard times emotionally but I know because of those experiences I am stronger and better today.  I learned how to take those trials and turn them to a good learning experience.

Now, I sit here facing a very unknown future, but I am not as scared as I thought I would be.  I know that I have a solid foundation to face whatever else is out there.  I am really exciting for the next chapter of my life!

Thanks to everyone for being a part of my college chapter.  It really is those around me that have helped me get through the good with the bad.  I have learned so much from the examples of those around me and I am so grateful for that.  Just as those friends my first summer have no idea how much they helped me then, I don't think any of you will ever realize how much you have helped me and how much you mean to me! So, Thank you!

Sorry that was a long post, I just got to thinking about me graduating from high school and me now and boy oh boy am I different! I love it!

Here is a picture of the three men that had a huge effect in my life.  I knew Bishop Hart for all three years at the Riviera and Brother V and Brother Fisher for the last two years.  But they have been an amazing bishopric and they truly helped me so much! They are being released in a few weeks but we won't ever forget them and what they did for their ward!

Izzy, Brother V, Michelle, Carson, Brother Fisher, Bishop Hart
 at the Bishopric final party

Raindrops keep fallin on my head

Today I finally have a day off and it is windy and rainy so  naturally I just want to curl up in a nice warm blanket and read a good book.  However, I have to run fourteen miles today(praying the wind stops for the rest of the day so I don't get blown away!), interview for a job, run errands I have been needing to do for like a week now, go to the doctor, work on the four videos I have, write my papers for my internship, get ready for my internship this week and go to FHE tonight. So, sadly I will have to take a rain check for reading a book all day and relaxing.

In other news, I may die after my run today! Thomas and I drove around last night trying to find a good route for my fourteen miles. By the time we reached seven miles, Thomas was already freaking out about how long the run was going to be. That was only half way...yikes! But he now has given me permission to complain after my run about how sore I am and gave me permission to sit around for the rest of the day!

I only have three weeks left of my internship! I can't believe it is almost over! Then it is finding a job and being on my own! Graduation is in 24 days!!!! I can't believe how close it is, that is so crazy!

Well, here are some pictures from the past week:

Thomas and I went up to Salt Lake last Sunday and
walked around Temple Square. It was really nice and relaxing!

Midnight showing of Hunger Games! Yeah, it was amazing!

On the way to Festival of Colors!

Michelle, Dallin, Stacey, Thomas and I at the Festival of Colors!

Okay, it is time for me to be productive!!!

In Your Arms

This is AMAZING!!! All of this is done with Jelly Beans and is all done in pictures! It took almost two years to do this entire music video.

Also, I like this song!  Enjoy!

Here is the link to the video because I am incapable of adding it to my post!

But really just think about it, this is all jelly bean pictures put together!!!! Crazy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOu0DuxFAT0&feature=relmfu

"Leaving on a Jet Plane"

A couple weeks ago, my parents decided to fly Thomas and me down to Arizona because they had some free tickets they needed to use up.  So, of course we accepted this offer!

Friday right after my internship, my supervisor drove me and thomas to the airport.  We landed in Arizona around 9 something.  On the way home from the airport, we stopped at an all time favorite place of my parents, yodipity for some frozen yogurt.

In the airplane waiting to take off!

At Yodipity

The next morning, my dad and I had to run eleven miles for our marathon training so my mom and Thomas decided to walk while we did that. We went to the Tempe Town lake and ran around there, which is a very beautiful area of Arizona.  And I did it! I completed the eleven miles with very little walking!!!

After, we took an adventure to the Ghosttown nearby my house. We walked around, took several pictures and then the smell of waffle cones made us get some ice cream! We couldn't resist after smelling the deliciousness of freshly made waffle cones!

Mom and Dad at the Ghost town

Thomas and I with Superstition Springs Mountain

Whoops, Guess someone was in there

In the mine cart

The amazing waffle cones!

The pretty Desert

After that, we went to Joes BBQ which is this amazing BBQ place in Gilbert.  Then Thomas and I watched a movie while my parents went to their stake conference. We ended the night with a relaxing time in the Hot Tub.

Sunday, we went to church and then walked around the Mesa Temple! What better Sunday activity then that?

Monday we went for a hike in the morning. Then Thomas and I went swimming and then it was off the airport to return back to good old Utah again.

It was a great trip! Loved it all!

Thanks Mom and Dad!

"Don't believe me, ask the dishes"... or see the picture

What is wrong with this picture:

Yes, that is a car parked right in front of the parking garage entrance/exit..... 

One night when it was time to take Thomas home, we got in the car like any other time. Except this time we pulled up to an unexpected blockage.  You don't normally think that there will be a car parked right in front of the driveway, but this night was different. 

So, Thomas and I headed back up to my place hoping that the police would get it fixed in no time and I could drive Thomas home. An hour later, back down to the garage just to find the car in the same spot and the policemen just standing around staring at the car. At this point, it was midnight so Thomas walked home,  in the rain at midnight. 

L is for the way you Look at me

Oh man, has it really been over a month since I last posted!!! Wow time flies! Things have gotten crazy around here! So, I will just do multiple posts on what has been happening in the life of  Tiare Curtis!!

Valentines day.  I actually had a special someone on this holiday, which is a first for me.  This is also when I learned that Thomas is horrible with surprises! The night before we were chatting about our favorite show, Once upon a time (tangent: If you don't watch that show, you should!!!) and he mentioned how he talked to my roommate that day and she told him something about the show. Confused, I asked him when he talked to my roommate and he suddenly got very quiet and tried making up a reason for why he was talking to her. Yeah, it failed. So, I knew he was going to do something in my apartment while I was at my internship.

Sure enough, when I arrived to my apartment, I found this lovely scene:

So even though I completely knew something like this was going to happen, it was still a lovely surprise! And look at those flowers! They are gorgeous! And the picture is pretty dang cute too!

We went to The Chocoate and get the most delicious desert ever, the Cazookie!!! Before we went in, Thomas was getting a little funny and I could tell he had something up his sleeve. He pulled out a little present from his glove box for me. And he had also gotten me this:

This is a necklace of a Tiare Flower

I love it so much! I think it is the sweetest gift anyone has gotten me because there is a little bit of meaning behind it! He got me a necklace of the flower that got me my name!

After our Cazookie, we were driving home and decided to top by the blockbuster that was going out of business.  Everything was about 80% off!!! So, looking around we found that we could buy a whole season of 24 for 5 dollars!!! Unfortunately, one disc was missing, so we got almost a whole season for $4.27. Then we bought the other disc at the other blockbuster for $5 making it a total of $9.27 for a whole season of 24! Still, an amazing deal!

So, all in all, it was a wonderful holiday!