This is the wonderful and incredibly beautiful world I have the opportunity to call home. 

It's an amazing and most humbling though that in just three years,

 I'll be able to say I've seen 10% of this world. 

The blue highlights places I've seen. 

The green highlights places I'll have the opportunity of going in the next three years. 

And hopefully, I'll be able to see even more than that. 

In all the places I've seen I can say this: 

Humanity is the same, no matter where you go

 we have dreams, ingenuity, light and life. 

....And so this it for exploring, it may be small but it his just a 10% that I have to give. 

Just as a warning, you may see this showing up on my Facebook page every once in awhile. 

Let's be honest -- there are a lot of things that I intend for my life to be. 

So you'll find that whatever I happen to be focusing on in my life at the time 

will show up as one of my Facebook Timeline tag lines. 

So, consider my timeline cover as a letter of intent..... 

at least for now until Facebook changes it's layout again. 

Because it will, 

so feel free to help me with my letters of intent. 

And again, don't be alarmed, it's just a minor change of scenery until work on my current project finishes.

Excavation: exposure, processing and recording. 

Oddly, when I see those words - I think of camera. 

Wanna know what's better? 

Heavenly Father provided me an opportunity to do that, 

in none other place then the Provo Tabernacle. 

It's an incredible opportunity and I am so excited. 

I cannot even begin to describe how excited I am. 

....And how grateful, I am. 

May I leave with you, but a short message. 

There is a Heavenly Father who loves you, who knows your name, who desires to bless you. And sent His only begotten son like a lamb to the slaughter, who was without sin to suffer for the sins of the world. There was no other good enough, who could come and perform such a task. 

And I sit in wondering awe, at how well He knows me, and at how well he knows all of you. 

I cannot express the happiness and hope this gospel brings me. 

So tonight, I leave you, feeling blessed and nearly trembling with excitement. 

There is hope, there is grand things that come out of sadness and sin. 

For instance, this tabernacle will rise from the ashes to become a temple. 

Is it not itself a representation of how we can become something so great? 

So in humility I am accepting the challenge to become excavation Emma. 

Here is to another adventure and another opportunity to say, Thank you Heavenly Father. 

With love and wishing you all a wonderful day, 

Emma 

p.s. Just a song I love: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4ZYk3sbWj8&feature=related

That is all :) 

Wondering to yourself about SOPA & PIPA -- now explained in carrot terms :) 

--------------------------------------

Imagine to yourself, 

you google something. 

Let's say "Eating Carrots in Chemistry Class" 

you find an image

like this one ---> Click Me

See, but that image has a copyright on it. 

So let's say that a company in Bora-Bora googled this image as well and wants to make a website about how to properly eat carrots in chemistry and they'd like to use that image, so they snike it. And now that image is serving as the prime advertising for the company: H2C3, How to Eat Carrots in Chemistry Class.

H2C3 is now infringing on copyright laws. 

Now, you see, there are many people wondering how to properly eat carrots in Chemistry, so they buy the book that H2C3 produces, and learn how to do it. 

The image producer tries to file a lawsuit against them for creative rights. 

They can't because the US courts have no control over the company in Bora-Bora. 

Let's say now if someone in the U.S. had come up with an innovative way to eat carrots while in Chemistry class. 

Let's say instead that company in Bora-Bora stole the idea and is now profiting off someone else's idea in the U.S, a lawsuit is still useless because the country of Bora-Bora may be more hospitable to copy infringement. 

This H2C3 has now become what congress calls, a "rogue website". 

And there is nothing dashing about this rogue, it steals rights for ideas and creative works from Americans. 

So now what happens? 

SOPA happens. The Stop Online Privacy Act. 

-- SOPA would make it possible to block these rogue websites or links. It would allow corporations, or private owners to site those websites and then force servers to take them down, take them of their search engines (like Google, or Yahoo, or even Bing - if you even use that thing). 

So what's the problem? Why not support SOPA?

Because it takes freedom away from you. 

It demands that those websites be taken down -- immediately. 

Essentially it takes an ideal we've always had, innocent until proven guilty and flip-flops it. 

Where is the due process of law for the web? 

It takes away a voice. 

And what if someone posts a comment with a link to one of those rogue websites, 

say bye-bye to your blog, you're now in violation of PIPA (a similar act in congress). 

Imagine a world where.....

-the links you share on social networks will be monitored & censored. 

-All those images that make us all laugh from iwastesomuchtime.com? Say goodbye. And this isn't a perfect science, actual links that would pass legislation may get deleted on accident.

- Imagine Pinterest, how many of those ideas you're saving for later are copyrighted or may have "illegal" links posted to the websites you used them from. 

-Laws can limit the content on your blog, links passing through your e-mail, sites such as Facebook, YouTube, Google, Yahoo and Twitter would be monitored in censored in what you could share. 

So yes, it's not fair or legal that those "rogue websites" are stealing American ideas, 

but didn't your mother teach you - once you put it on the web it's out there, it's not yours anymore. 

A lot of it's about big business, but it affects all of us. 

So forget about the money, use your voice and say something, 

because otherwise we might not be able to say anything anymore. 

So I hope this idea gets out there, because without it --

without the freedom on the web the flow of communication and ideas stops. 

Don't let congress sever our connection and communication with the world. 

For more information visit these websites: 

http://techland.time.com/2012/01/18/dont-understand-sopa-help-is-close-at-hand/

https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/

http://americancensorship.org/infographic

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-57329001-281/how-sopa-would-affect-you-faq/

http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/design/how-sopa-pipa-can-affect-you/

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203735304577167261853938938.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

This is Stephen - and he's kinda the cutest.

I'm really happy with him :) 

And I'm just dating him okay? 

But not exclusively. 

Yes, that also means I still love going on dates!

Other people are pretty awesome. 

So I'm always up for fun, 

and laughter too. 

I know some people are wondering

so I thought I'd just clear that up.

You know because I love you guys & being honest. 

So let's see what I can answer...

erm...he's really nice. 

I've known him for almost two years now. 

If he looks familiar to you Timpview people...

that's because he used to be the Tech guy :) 

Yup, I spent many hours getting to know him. 

He was basically my best friend all last year. 

He's hilarious, 

he can fix almost anything, 

including my printer & of course my computer. 

He likes watching chick flicks, 

and movies galore. 

Most importantly though,

he reminds me who I am, and treats me as such. 

He makes me smile, 

even when I don't think I can anymore. 

So, if you'd like to know - just ask. 

Save your gossip, 

I'm happy to answer any questions :) 

Love, 

Emma

p.s. I like him, just in case you wondered that too. 

Sometimes, we have someone that comes along 

and brings us to see the very things we hate about ourselves. 

The inside, they act as a mirror. 

Creating an environment, where you're forced to love who you are, 

whether that means you make mistakes, fall in love or faithfully continue. 

Today, today I listened. 

I fell in love all over again, 

not with any person, or song, but...with a subject. 

I stared in awe and wonder at going out to these people. 

My brothers, my sisters, 

and I can't help but feel some connection with their darkened skin, 

with their hopeful eyes, with their contrasted white smiles, 

and I fell in love. 

And I can't help but feel, these are my brothers, my sisters. 

I don't know why I feel such a kinship of them, such a love for them, but I do.
And tonight, tonight it has finally been decided.
Hello Tanzania Summer 2013.
Africa is finally becoming a reality.
I'll no longer be a dreamer, but a doer.
And after Africa, what dreams may come will come :) 

I rushed home from school to watch Arthur at 3pm almost every day I could in April. I finished my baby (the yearbook), sometime after 2am. I biked, and I biked and I biked some more. "Holy Smoke, Holy Smoke, a Swordfish" happened, oh all those smiles. I played ultimate frisbee for the first time, failed miserably, but it was fun. I played at a park with Bekah and Emily. Oh those memories, oh so much fun. I survived UVU graduation. Thank You diploma #1, oddly before I even graduated from high school. I talked to Danny after school on drives home. "Friday, Friday" came out, and then the mass population including myself began to hate Fridays just because of Rebecca Black's song. I took senior photos for Taralea, they're beautiful. My phone and I played an intense game of hide and seek, I was it. After more then 28 hours of searching, phone status: found. 


May was the month of let-downs and life lessons. It started with finding out that I wasn't giving a speech at graduation, but hey - I was giving the pledge! How many people can say they gave the pledge in front of a group of 2,000+ people. I can! I saved a word at the savethewords.org, you can too! Got 15 orders in the to-go line from Cafe rio. Put together my graduation announcements. The Yearbooks got here and they were beautiful. I found it is really never a good idea to say those three simple words, "I like you" -- because sometimes people don't say it back. I told someone to never fall in love with me. That plan didn't work out so well. I studied for 7 hours for the AP World test, it took God 7 days to create the world - did I really think I could memorize all that happened in it in less time? I went to Senior Ball, it was a blast. My TV at my house broke, sometimes you just have to take the let downs and look at the positive - I could now watch my TV in 3D! I played Timpview Senior Assassination. And then the greatest moment of all: I graduated! And at the end of May I held hands with the boy I've always been in love with, after a tickle fight - ah, what a cute moment for me. 


June was a month of adventure. I missed, I laughed, I loved, and I placed at Nationals. I wanted to punch someone in the face for the first time in my life. I went to Disneyland, again. (How many times would I do this?) I discovered that toasted PB&J sandwiches always make you feel better. I took some of my favorite photographs ever, so beautiful. And June was full of thoughtfulness and then it went away...off to July. 


July started with making a page for my photography business. I went to the zoo, saw some lights, did some fun stuff. We had a 4th of July party with all of my family + Shadowbrook. Guess who had more people there and the neighborhood party? Yup, my family. Loved my sister talks of July "any potential Marriage candidate you should be comfortable making out with." I had nice drives with my friend Kristy Rich. I found out I got a "3" on my AP World Test. I went to see the final Harry Potter. Netflix categories made me smile about "feel-good" talking animals. I went to my first Rodeo, ya for Days of '47 with Dania. Men who ran like penguins at Gold Gym's also made me laugh. A lot. I mean, every Tuesday didn't become a habit just so that man could make me laugh. I cleaned out my room for college, knowing that I no longer had a real home to come home too. And at the end of the month I was sick, with my two major food groups: liquids and soup. 


In August I went to Bear Lake for the first time. I got really excited for college to start. College, it was really complicated. I talked to my roommates. I was a goof duck with my nephew Peyton. I also went to Disneyland with just my mom, it was lovely. I took Aubrey's Senior Photos. I moved in my dorms. I cooked my first meal, and my friend Adam went on his mission. I started talking to that boy I loved again, and I found out that he was a man. Three hours of a phone call and I made it very clear that I was more than just an option. With that attitude I was whisked away into September.


I had lovely times with my roommates and found out that "RAWR" is how you say I love you in dinosaur. I ate $5 pizza with Allen and friends. Oh how I love rainstorms. I went to BYU football games and had adventures watching movies in the mountains. I went to my first BYU football games as a student and basically froze half the time, always leaving earlier than I should have. I hiked the "Y" for the second time in my life, even though I live in Provo. People popped out of the woodwork that randomly knew me at BYU and then came October, oh October. 


Let's get the big deal of this month over so I can keep writing, I kissed a wonderful man. I did it, I kissed him. That boy I held hands with back in May, the one I was always in love with. I kissed him, erm...in the Journalism lab. Okay, and on to the next thing now that all your minds are wondering. Just keep wondering. I took the "I'm Beautiful" challenge at BYU. I found out about soul mates, took a large box of doughnuts to the testing center, and I found out that saying I'm allergic to 2-4-isobutylphenylpropionic acid sounds so much cooler than saying I'm allergic to ibuprofen. I went to Disneyland once again, and had a blast with my sister and her new husband. I started being in a relationship with the HBLL. I handed out the ward newsletter, my baby in the ward, and at the end of the month goggle pretty much made my day. 


I did my first Facebook fast in November. I took notes in PDBio 120 with my cell phone instead of paying attention. I did lots of Chemistry, ate a lot of food and had a lot more food. I realized that when your heart hurts, it means you loved. We found out about our new apartment, I spent four hours and forty-two minutes on a Chemistry test. I then went off to Thanksgiving break. I wish I could tell Wal-mart that having a black friday sale starting at 10pm on Thursday is not having a black friday sale, it's having a sale on Thanksgiving. I had a wonderful Thanksgiving with all of my family. I laid awake wishing for things and thinking about life that night and all the things I was thankful for. The next day my favorite flowers arrived at my door from that same wonderful man I fell in love with. I also fell in love with Missionary Mondays. And every day I spent dumblin', even after our kitchen floor flooded. 


December was kind of had a few death weeks, let's be honest. I made breakfast, I went on a few dates. Someone got up in front of the temple on a cutie little date and asked me to....be their girlfriend. Old fashioned? Yup. I thought it was the cutest thing. I made breakfasts. I had finals, basically I survived this month. On the last day of December I spent it taking a nap, then waking up and making more resolutions. 


In the end I hoped to go off to far places, and I did. California. Not so far, but just far enough. I imagined doing things differently, and I found love comes when you least expect it. I was healthier, but I didn't do so well with saving money. I found adventure that's for sure. I graduated, I found scholarship money, I went off to college, I never was a tutor for project read, I wrote letters to far off places and I'm still working on rewriting that room cleaning thing (that's tomorrow's project). 


And so it was indeed a one-on-one experience. Thank you 2011!


REWRITES

PREFLIGHTS