2018 is finally here

THIS WAS A YEAR TO REMEMBER

not because i traveled the world, or because i found the love of my life, or because i gained a thousand followers, or because i accomplished every single one of my goals (because i definitely did not), but because i grew. 

holy moly, i grew in so many different ways. 

at the beginning of the year, i cared about what people thought of me. i always wanted to impress people and if people did not like me, i let it really get to me. i let it change the way i thought of myself and it really upset me. i have always been challenged with this. BUT this year i changed that. this year i decided i would be kind to people no matter what, i would focus on not gossiping or talking bad about others, i would focus on not caring about appearances but focusing on what was inside. i knew that if i did the best i could, that is what really mattered. i knew that i would never make everyone happy because it is literally impossible. I MEAN IT IS HIGH SCHOOL FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. but i knew if i did everything i could to be the best i could be, that is all that really matters. now, i am not perfect. i still mess up and i still let things get to me, but it is nowhere like it used to be. i have found a way to handle the stress of situations and the drama of high school. 

these are some of the ways i have found to push through the hard times. they all follow a simple, yet difficult category. 

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH THE GOOD

- surround yourself with good friends. now, if you have a friend(s) that constantly makes you upset or puts you down, it is best to let them go. friends are supposed to be there to raise you up, they are supposed to make you a better person, and to always be there for you. this was a hard concept for me to understand. at the beginning of the year, i had to take a step back and realize that many of my struggles and hurtful thoughts were brought on by some of these people i surrounded myself with. many people drop these friends, but i also do not believe that is necessarily the case either. for me, i just made myself more distant with them. i will still say hi, and hang out with them in classes, and even hang with them at games, but i set my boundaries and put my main focus on the people that truly make me happy. 

- surround yourself with family. last year i always wanted to have plans. if i did not i felt bad, and i felt lonely. now that i think back on this i feel so ridiculous (because i now choose to stay home saturday nights 99% of the time), but it honestly made me feel awful. but now i look forward to the nights that i come home and watch movies with my family, or the nights my aunt and i stay up talking, or the nights me and my brother play video games, or the nights me and my mom read books side by side of each other. these are the moments that i will honestly, cherish forever. soon all my friends will be moved away and so will i, but no matter what i will have this great family of mine to come back to. anddd for that i am so grateful. 

- surround yourself with christ. this is by far the most important concept i learned this year. last year (2016), was a challenging year for me. and i knew i needed a change. and thanks to my best friend i found that change. he challenged me to read the book of mormon. and honestly, it was the best thing i could have EVER done. i grew up knowing the basic doctrine and stories found in this book, but not until this year did i really understand the true importance of it. by reading the book of mormon every night and saying my daily prayers i found true peace. now it did not take the whole burden away, but it made it bearable and it kept me on a path to constantly improve: in the gospel, and in my life. if anyone has any doubts of the book of mormon or of the gospel or even just needs a little boost of happiness... i promise you, you can find it by reading this book. 

that pretty much sums up this last year. now, there was obviously so much more to it: i traveled, my friends and i did a lot of dope/fun adventures, i found a job that i love, i saved money, i worked hard, i read a lot of books.. BUT when i was thinking about the last year the important concept that stood out to me was that I grew. andd i did not grow necessarily because of those things i previously listed, but because i learned how to surround myself with the good. i am happy about this year, and i hope you guys are too. 

NOW LETS FREAKING CELEBRATE

2018 is finally here and i am welcoming it with wide arms

IT IS THE YEAR I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR

i am so pumped for this year and i cannot wait for what is in store for it. i have a feeling it will be the BEST YEAR YET !!!

i will see you guys next year. lol. 

xx//lex

light it up

this year the church i belong to gave us the challenge of "lighting the world" through service through a 25 day calendar from december 1st, all the way until christmas. despite the constant text reminders, and the dozens of Instagram stories with the challenge of the day, i still managed to miss many days. however, when i took the challenge, it was so worth it. EVERY SINGLE TIME. most of the acts of service I did were pretty simple, and "basic": leaving uplifting sticky notes on people's cars, christmas caroling to the elderly, gathering cans for the food shelter, etc. butttt, that did not make them any less fulfilling. now, i am not here to brag about all the service i did, because i kid you not i missed more than half of the days of the challenge... BUT my point is as the new year comes up i am seeing so many dramatic rants on twitter and instagram about how people spent too much time in 2017 "caring too much about what people think" and that they are going to spend 2018 "focusing on themselves" and "doing what makes them happy." well that is just great. that is really great. now, i agree that life is better when people do not care what people think of them and are not trying to constantly impress others. however, i promise you that happiness never has and never will come from self-indulgence. it comes from genuine service. do not get me wrong i forget this all the time and end up reading in my room for hours trying to "find myself." but whenever i find myself in a rut, i always come to the same conclusion.. 

WE CAN FIND PURE JOY IN SERVING OTHERS

if anyone is having problems with boys, drama with friends, stress of school, or trouble with family.. focusing on others through service WILL help.

not that it makes any of those problems go away, but it lightens the load and assures that you can find peace and happiness even in the worst of times. i know that you've heard this concept in some form or another almost your entire life, but this idea isn't something that your parents stole off of an infomercial. its the REAL DEAL.

even though the world is already lit by december's challenge, let's not stop there. 

peace, love and blessings... and service haha,

-lex

lovell holiday card

it is the holiday season, so here are your annual family pictures from yours truly, the lovell family. 

we are slacking this year and haven't even began to make our christmas cards, so i am just going to throw these on here, so they do not go to a complete waste hah. 

these pictures accurately explain my family.

todd: he can never take a serious picture. during the session he is always making goofy faces, so we have to take the picture over and over.

natalie: my mom is an under cover super model.. no big deal.

alec: he's the serious one of the family, or at least that is what he leads people to believe.. he is actually one of the craziest people i know. we bring it out in each other.

lexie: then there is me.. not much to say about that haha

i hope you guys liked our holiday cards

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

- with lots of love, the lovell family:)

turkey day

saying i am obsessed with the holidays is an understatement. 

 putting up the christmas tree happens as soon as the calendar hits november 1st, christmas music is playing along with my halloween playlist, and egg nog is in my fridge 24/7.

those things are very important to me and i absolutely LOVE them, but they do not compare to the actual holidays with the fam!

               

now, i know thanksgiving seems like it was an eternity ago, but i am still trying to work off that last piece of pie and am still listening to christmas music, so obviously nothing has changed since thanksgiving...

guysss i love my family and i love our traditions and i am so thankful for all of it!

one of my favorite traditions EVER is taking the 7 hour journey to my favorite town, blanding: very small, not much to do, but it is filled with family. we have had this tradition as long as i can remember and i would not want to spend thanksgiving any other way. 

everyday in blanding is another adventure. the family is always hiking, biking, or exploring one way or another. one of my favorite days there we headed up to the mountains to cut down a christmas tree. which happens to be the first time i had ever cut down a tree for christmas. IT TOOK FOR EVER. I will never understand why people do all that when you can buy a tree, but at least i can now say: "i have cut down a tree". 

while the family scoured the mountains looking for the perfect tree, i stood back and took pictures. TYPICAL. 

the mountains were fun and all, but thanksgiving day was hands down my favorite part. i am a lover of thanksgiving, but who couldn't be? family and food. MY TWO FAVORITE THINGS. every year after all of our crazy conversation at the table, we say something we are grateful for. there is so much to be grateful for and i am so blessed. 

here's a glimpse of (some of) my amazing family and all the kids that over run it;)

to end this post i am going to say a few things that i am grateful for.. 

1. my family, because they do so dang much for me and love me through everything

2. my friends, i definitely got blessed in that department

3. the gospel, it blesses me daily and brings me continual peace

4. thanksgiving food aka stuffing and rolls because that is loveeee

5. mondays, emails, and mail mans

i could go on and on, but i wont do that to all of you. 

happy (belated) thanksgiving

hope you ate lots

-lex

hello hello

oh, hey there everyone!! it has been a little while

i have been neglecting this poor little blog. it is extremely malnourished and on the brink of starvation, although, it is not dead yet! annnd i do not plan on letting it die. and with that graphic metaphor as an introduction, let's move on. 

life has been just swell lately, although it is moving much too quickly and i do not know how to keep up. decisions and homework are overtaking my life, but all i can seem to do is watch stranger things and read in the spare time i have. so yah, that is pretty much me in a nutshell these past few months. exciting huh? 

i have been thinking lately.. i never actually introduced myself on this little space of mine. annnd if people actually read this i guess they should know who's sharing all of their thoughts and vulnerabilities, right? well, if you agreed with me go on and read ahead. if you didn't, go on and read ahead anyway. i kid, i kid, it wont be that fascinating but if you are like me and have nothing to do because you finished stranger things, then i guess you should just scroll down and read along!

- so the first thing people should know is my name is lexie lovell (that may be an important detail), but i somehow got nicknamed "bis" which rarely is used but still occurs, and have a lovely more widely used nickname, lexlax (it is not my favorite).

- i was born and raised in st. george, utah. this small city of mine is home, and although i will be    leaving it shortly, it will always be home. after i experience life of my own i will come back to this place with all the old drivers, blistering summers, and beautiful sunsets.

 -  i have a small, crazy family, which i love to death. it consists of my mom, my dad, my brother alec, and my dog harvey. we go on runs and dances in parking lots at five am, weekly hikes, we have pickleball tournaments, weekly dairy queen runs, and we get very upset when someone eats our leftovers. 

 - i am 5'6 and a half but i round up to 5'7 to make myself feel taller. i am by far the shortest in my family, but i am above average so i am still winning. besides, i am into 5'11 and 3/4 height guys so it is honestly perfect;)

 - i belong to the lds church, which i love with my whole heart. i do not know where i would be in my life without it. if anyone has questions feel free to ask OR check out lds.org!!

- i am a senior at dixie high, although i fit in better with the sophomores (well my personality). i am a true flyer, and bleed blue through and through. you can usually find me front seat at every game yelling at the top of my lungs, or in the student parking lot a hour after school has ended talking with friends or dancing to bohemian rapsody.

- i have the best friends anyone could ever ask for. i honestly lucked out in that department. we enjoy long naps, eating, durangos, and dance parties. that sums us up quite perfectly. oh, and currently one of them is serving a lds mission in argentina!

 - i am an obsessor over music. you can find my listening to alternative, country, classical, 80's, or anything of the sort. i'm definitely am a fan of christmas, love songs, and my idol T freaking SWIFT! if anyone wants to go on a long drive listening to music i am yooo girl.

 - i have played the piano for 11 years and have been slowly progressing during that time. i am not a fan of strict classical music; but put a slow, expressive piece in front of me and i am in love. i am currently (not really) learning fantasie impromptru, and lieberstraum.

 - i am a nerd. i am a book addict and it is slowly becoming an issue. my list of books i want to read is continuing to grow and there is not enough time in life right now to finish it fast enough. my perfect saturday night usually consist of reading with a cup of hot chocolate. if anyone needs a book referral i am the expert here.

  - i am a romance enthusiast. i love every chick flick that has ever been made. 

  - i am the biggest harry potter fan there ever has been (along with some friends of mine). it is the best series to ever be written, do not argue with me on this! also my dream vacation is to go to harry potter world. feel free to make my dream come true.

 - i take every opportunity to be outside and explore. i love anything and everything outdoorsy.. boating, skiing, biking, hiking, running, snow shoeing.. name it. i love it. 

- my goal in life is to become rich, leave everything behind, and travel the world with my husband. i want to go everywhere!!

 - vampire diaries, friends, and parks and recreation are the best shows ever made. once again, do not argue with me. i'll forever watch these and they will never EVER get old!

 - i have extremely high expectations for my life, but they are totally realistic. one day i am going to go to space, i will hike mount everest, i will see the titanic, i will go to antartica and explore everything there is to explore, and i will work for national geographic (cuz how dope would that be)!! 

 - i have a serious case of procrastination and indecisiveness so pray for me cuz college is comin

 - i have a love for capturing moments and making as many memories as possible. you can always
find a camera in my hand. i love photography and strive to become better.

 - my whole life i have dreamt of doing a humanitarian service in africa, and GUYSSS it's finally happening. cannot wait for graduation and june for many reasons, but one of them is cuz i'm leaving for africa for 3 weeks bby

  - i am 17 years old, but i always tell people i am one year older than i actually am. my whole life people have thought i was one year older than i actually was, so i thought it would be easier to save that whole awkward ordeal and just go with a year older. annd it actually works quite well.

well that's me! props to you if you stuck around and read that:)

-lex/bis/lexlax

senior ball

first of all, can I just say that dances are so much funner (don't @ me, funner is a word now) when you are on the council. EVERYONE SHOULD DO A STUDENT COUNCIL. you get to see everything that goes on behind the scenes and get to see how it all comes together. 

our theme for senior ball this year was "city of stars" from one of my favorite movies, which is LA LA LAND! 

although it was a crazy week, it was such a blast! i cant believe it is already my senior ball. i still feel like a sophomore and i still act like it too. especially at dances. 

here are some pictures of my hawt friends all dressed up fancy

these last two pictures are the pictures me and my friends take at every dance! it all started with my first dance, and it kind of became a tradition ever since! so if anyone looks back at my old posts you 99.9% will see a 'thumbs up picture' & a 'hugging picture'

a HUGE 6'7 shoutout to my date and to all of my lovers and friends at senior ball!! 

-lex

sunday thoughts

The church I love + belong to, has a general conference twice a year + this last weekend was one of them. Every talk is pretty dang good, but this year there is one that stood out to me more than any other. It was Elder Uchtdorf's talk called, "A Yearning for Home". I really believe it is something EVERYONE can be reminded of. 

I would just summarize it.... but it would not do it justice. 

So instead I am going to link it here 

I hope you all take a chance to listen to it

and if you have already listened to it, LISTEN AGAIN. 

We all can be reminded of his inspiring words a limitless amount of times.

 NO HARM NO FOUL RIGHT? 

If anything stands out to you guys, comment + share for me +  for others. 

happy sunday!

-Lex

words of thought

I have never been good with words, and anyone that knows anything about me knows: I do not express my thoughts very clearly (or at all). So this may be a little rough around the edges, but here I am, trying to express myself. Now, no worries I am not going to get too deep. Just about as deep as a river - kind of deep. Okay, yah that was lame. I guess jokes are not my cup of tea either. 

So lately, as life is passing by faster every second, and thinking about my future is becoming more and more on my mind; I often get down because, how can I become any of these things I want to be? How can I achieve all of these goals when I only have $30 in my bank account and I am struggling to keep an A in my art class? 

As I was sitting outside in the cool St. George weather, feeling overwhelmed and still procrastinating my homework (once again), and scrolling through Pinterest (once again), I found this quote from my favorite author, J.K Rowling: "ANYTHING'S POSSIBLE IF YOU'VE GOT NERVE".

GEEZ HOW IS IT THAT SOMETHING SO SIMPLE CAN MAKE ME RETHINK EVERYTHING?

All I have got to say is that she truly does have a way with words heh;) 

Many things I have dreamt of doing growing up, I have been told "I can't", "you can dream" or my personal favorite "good luck with that".... etc, etc. You know what guys??? We can do anything we set our mind to. If we have the right determination, and have the desire to do WHATEVER is possible to achieve these goals.. Then why not? What is stopping us? 

Whether it is climbing Mount Everest, becoming a doctor, or even passing a class.. If you have a desire to do it, THEN DO IT. Do not let peoples' criticism and judgment change your mind. Then someday, you can be the one to say, "I told you so". 

Now if you will excuse me, I have a test to study for.. because whether my physics teacher believes it or not, I am going to get an A;)

-Lex

sadiess 2017

Hello! It is me again. And yes, I am here to (once again) share my pictures and my thoughts on another dance. Because, here at Dixie High, we have a never ending supply of them. Or so it may seem. So let me update you all on the latest (and possibly the best) dance!

HERE IS TO SADIES 2017 WHOOT WHOOT

To tell you about this dance, I first have to take a second and throw it back to Janurary 28, senior ball.  At this dance, I was lucky enough to go with one of my best friends named Ben. We had a grand old time. We got some tramp stamps (that were obviously fake), we got engaged, and honestly it was one of the best dances I have ever gone to. So when the time came to ask to Sadies I could not think of anyone to ask.. so I decided to ask Ben. He was just too fun the first time, why not go a second? 

This dance was just as fun, if not better! We had the BEST group hands down. We were laughing all day, and I am not exaggerating (I may or may not have started crying a couple times).We all woke up bright & early to eat dutch oven breakfast at the park. Then we had a pickle ball competition, which thanks to my athletic genes we lost every time. BUT it was only by two points, not too bad right? 

Soon enough we dropped our dates off, and while they took a fat nap, us girls got ready. When I picked up my date for Pine valley, we first had to stop and grab pumpkins. We might have gotten a little carried away.. we left with three of them. A momma, and two children named, Austin, and Charles. During the date we took them everywhere with us. I know we sound like we are ten, BUT PSYCH, we are 17 hah. Then on our way to pictures we found something to include in our little family, A EVEN SMALLER PUMPKIN NAMED JUNIOR (which is featured in almost all the pictures below, can you find him?). 

Ben + Junior + Lexie

our hilarious group, which it was nearly impossible to take a decent picture.

THE GIRLS!! 

ben is a lot better at being serious than me

at this moment Junior was in a boat sailing down the river, that is why he is not featured

we all look like little elfs haha, but like I said, we had the BEST group. This picture is the best I have ever seen.

but cade does it best 

being in a group with all of my best friends since 7th grade was so fun!

While we were in Pine Valley we had so many activities planned, but we did not get to ANY of them. We all ended up just playing games and chilling, which if you ask me that is much more fun.. Soon enough it was time to go, so we drove down from Pine Valley (jamming every minute of the way) and headed to the dance. Me and my friends go harder than anyone I have ever seen at dances. We are those weird people that are front and center and scream at the top of our lungs, and receive many stares from our strange dancing.

 I would not have it any other way.

 Oh, and when "Hoe Down Throw Down" came on by Miley Cyrus, every single one of us knew the dance so everyone got behind us.. and started following us.

It was definitely one of the most memorable moments of my high school career.

THE END

audios everyone!

-Lex

last hoco

HOMECOMINGGG WEEKKK

This years homecoming was definitely a memorable one.  It is always one of my favorite weeks of the year because there are so many activities 

my personal favorite being

POWDER PUFF

SENIORS CAME AND WE CONQUERED. Seniors usually win and people say it is rigged, but I really believe it is all skill and hard work;) Me and some of my best friends played and we left it all on the field. We beat the Juniors 20-6, and no one broke anything this year so it obviously was a success. 

sunday thoughts

"Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever."

- Alma 26:12

Every time I read this book I get more and more out of it. I absolutely LOVE this scripture. One of my goals for this year was to finish the book of mormon, and I FINALLY DID, and I have started it over again. I hope everyone has a great Sunday!

-Lex