Livi was invited to a birthday party at a place at the mall called "Libby Lu's" Eight girls received makeovers and dressed up like Diva's, Dancers, or princesses. We all watche and made faces through the window as she was getting her "makeover". Then the older kids said a few comments like "now you can work at McDonalds" that send Liviinto a long pout on the stairs, which is where I caught this expression.
After a few minutes with the cornrows and braids, Livi asked me to take the 50 bobbypins out of her hair and took a shower, where she
felt much better. Libby Lu's is a lucrative new business for girl's parties.
Livi and Becca have started bathing Ralphie every Saturday. We are on our second week of puppy training class at the Animal Hospital. Actually, there is hope for Ralphie and hope for us, and he has learned to sit, lay down, and we are working on "come" just with hand signals. To graduate from the class, we have to teach Ralphie a "major" trick. The last class actually had their dog jump through a ring of fire. These are the kind of people we have in the class with us!
Madison did a great job in her role as "Sister Sophia" in the Sound of Music. We saw it twice, and the quality of the vocals and acting was very high! The last night was "prank night" - Madison came out wearing a unibrow for the entire play.
Well, I have a question for all you college graduates. Madison is going out to visit BYU and Utah State on Spring Break. I've never been on the USU campus, and don't know much about it, and I only went to a semester on the Provo campus. What do you like about USU, BYU, USU VS. BYU, etc? I would love to hear some thoughts for our prospective freshman here! Be honest now!
8 comments:
What a fun idea for a girl's party. The idea, Livi, is to exaggerate how fun it is to be all made up. Forget what the FAM says, you looked terrific! Congratulations to Madison for doing great in your part in the Sound of Music. Wish we could have been there.
That's a good idea to do dog training together. Maybe we'll have ONE dog in the family that knows how to behave. I think Molly is cute, but has some bad habits laying on the top of the sofa, ruining doors with her scratching, and fluffing while sitting with us, yuck!
We've been having a lot of good luck with USU because the people are so nice, the classes are good, and institute is the largest among all of the colleges. Of course the U of U is still the "only true University" but the kids all seem to congregate well at USU. I've never been a big fan of BYU except for the MBA program. Melecia, you know from having attended there. Good luck in making choices. I think a trip to visit some of the universities that interest you is a good idea. There is a definite feeling you get while being prayerful about it.
Love, Dad/Papa
Wow, Livi - - -quite an exciting new look! Actually, I think you're mighty cute just as you are!
We also wish we could have seen/heard Madison. I'm sure it was wonderful. We were there in our hearts, I promise.
As you know, I'm totally sold on the idea of the owner AND the dog doing training together - - or it just doesn't work. Jake and I did training together, and it was the best - - -not that he was perfect, but was responsive to all basic commands, etc. Can't wait to hear about what trick Ralphy will perform - - -maybe scare off the big dogs? :)
I'll let the younger family members voice opinions on colleges, as my experience is so old, it's probably not relevant any more. I'd sure love to see Madison have an experience where the LDS population is a little higher than she's used to. I think she'd like it.
Love you,
Mom
That is a great party idea for girls. I bet they are making a bundle of money off that idea!! Livi is a beautiful "diva" no matter what her hair and makeup are fixed. Ditto the wishing we were there to see Madison! I bet she looked awesome in her habit and unibrow!! Keep up the great work with Ralphie. You won't regret it!
As for BYU and USU, I have some opinions. I went to BYU (am still going to BYU!!) and I absolutely loved it! I loved the LDS influence in everything. I loved the Religion classes and the Devotionals in the Marriott Center every Tuesday morning. I didn't mind all the rules one bit. They made me feel safe and protected from the world. I don't like that it has become so hard to get into. I wish more good LDS kids could have the opportunity to go there and not just the ones with really high GPA's and ACT scores. I also think that for some people it is a little bit too big and overwhelming, and the standards can seem somewhat restrictive.
USU has been a great school for all of the boys! I am amazed that they have all gone there and they have all really loved it. I think it is a great choice for LDS kids who don't want the BYU Standards forced on them. There are tons of good LDS kids at USU who live the standards and "choose the right." I like that a lot because BYU just isn't the right fit for some kids. The institute is great and the student wards are really great too. The only downside is the out-of-state tuition is pretty steep. I bet that Madison would qualify for one of the scholarships that would waive that!! You can check them out at www.usu.edu.
Well, I hope that helps. Again, I'm sure that Tyler, Jaimee, and Ryan would love to show Jaimee the USU campus and share their enthusiasm about attending there with her.
Love,
Susan
Kendi and I are excited to take Madison to visit BYU and USU this Spring. I think visiting the campuses and talking with some of the students is a really good idea and I'm sure Madison will make the decision that's right for her. I promise I won't try to push one university over another.
I went to both USU and BYU, and enjoyed the college experience at USU more. That being said, I was almost completely out of the social scene at BYU. I was dating Kendi my first year and married my second. If Madison lived in student housing as an undergraduate, she'd have a very different experience than I did at BYU. Things I liked about BYU: excellent instruction in all programs, a lot of social things to do for undergraduates, and professors provide gospel perspective on what we were learning. Some things I didn't like about BYU - some people could be judgmental of the smallest imperfections of others, some had an elitist view of BYU vs. other universities and came off arrogant, and the constant social pressure to get married. That being said, some of my closest friends are from BYU and there are plenty of really good people there.
What do I like about USU? The BYU campus is good, but the USU campus is better - it feels more like the college experience I envisioned. There was a diverse mix of people - most were LDS and many were not, which I liked. As a Psychology major, I had some professors (not the majority) that for some reason thought it was their duty to debunk religion. A few of them would openly question church doctrines, which sometimes shook the students' faith. I'm glad I took an institute class every semester because it helped keep my testimony grounded and provide the balance I needed. Like Dad said, it's the biggest institute in the country and has a lot of good activities. Some people are critical that there aren't a lot of things to do in Logan, but I totally disagree. I'm sure I could give you a LONG list of fun things to do. Sometimes you just have to get creative.
I think Glen said it pretty well.
Here's my attempt to try and be as unbiased as I can...good luck Paul.
BYU: I considered it because it reminded me of EFY, lots of my friends went there, and it seems if you were to go alone the freshman experience might be better as far as feeling at home with people who are like you. The football games would be pretty fun to go to. The MTC is right on campus so you definately have the "missionary" spirit there, and the temple so close. From a parent's perspective I might feel more at ease knowing my daughter can't wear shorts or that she'll never date a guy with facial hair or tattoos.
USU: Honestly, a huge factor in my decision was living with my brothers and friends. I always felt at home in Logan, that USU was "mine" and that I was an individual. For some reason USU is difficult for some freshman girls that like to "explore" frat parties etc. I find that once they make it past their freshman year, girls have pretty grounded values and are generally pretty cool. The USU campus is awesome, USU bball is really fun, the institute is the largest in the world, and the temple is one of a kind.
You are going to find good and bad people at both places that you may or may not like, so visiting is the best idea ever. I wish I would have visited more campuses than I did but I wanted to be with Glen and Joel. You should look into scholarships, or just bite the bullet her first year until you gain residency. BYU doesn't have residency but I think its more expensive over the long haul.
Melecia, I need some advice on obedience training for dogs, was it expensive? Dilly will play fetch and she is pretty well potty trained, but she won't sit or stay for the life of her. Thats funny that we both have puppies.
My response will be short and simple....UTAH STATE!!!
I think you look darling Livi! Sounds like a very fun birthday place indeed.
We are excited to host Madison, I hope she doesn't find us too lame!
You know I want Madison to come to USU. But I did a little research and talked to people who had gone to both USU and BYU (as it looks like many people who wrote on your blog did) and the verdict was the same for all... USU! They liked our institute classes better and the campus and people overall. I can't remember all the specifics but they had good reasons for each opinion. One was going to BYU currently and said that they would rather be at USU except that they were supposed to be at BYU. So I guess that's what it'll come down to right!? However don't forget I will be here to watch out for her! ;^)
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