Autonomy at its BEST!

Hello Followers! Thought I gave up on ya, huh? Ahahaaa I wouldn't do that! Silly people!

I HAVE GOOD NEWS!!!! But I'm not gonna tell you just yet........

Yummm I just got off work on this wonderful (cold & rainy) Memorial Day and indulged in my specialty of 3 different bowls of different cereals. :)

Whelp, it's officially been 9 1/2 MONTHS since I moved to Utah and they have been some of the Best and Worse 9 months of my life! I came out here with nothing but the shoes on my feet (and 2 cars full of luggage) and learned a lot about being an individual "baby-steps" at a time. LOL I remember first coming out here thinking that the world would end because ***The Twinz*** were separating.. I was sooo stressed and depressed (and totally TERRIFIED) when I first moved up to Salt Lake. It took me a good week before I could even start eating and sleeping right again. This was my first time ever being separated from my Twin. It was a little weird going shopping and only buying ONE of each outfit.. It was weird making food and setting out 2 plates at the kitchen table and then realizing that I'd have to put out a tupper-ware container instead because I wasn't used to there being leftovers.. It was awkward trying to talk to people and being used to people looking from one twin to the other and I had a really hard time making eye contact with people. I thought everyone was staring me down and out to get me LOL.

And finally after 9 months, I can finally say I have learned to be a GREAT people person, I have learned to take responsibility for my own actions and blaming my "evil twin" was no longer an option here. I had to use My Own license whenever I got pulled over by a cop instead of my Twin's... Had to get used to there not being an easy way out of homework and no twin here to take tests or write essays for me in school. I look at my grades and like to think to myself, "These are Mine! I did these all by myself!!!" And it's a good feeling. (ok so maybe she did help me out with one assignment but that was a debt she owed me from way back in 7th grade.. don't judge =P ) But for the MOST PART, I got my own grades. I'll just have to be smarter than her NEXT YEAR! (if she doesn't graduate before me) Besides that, I also learned how to cook and dance and make friends easily as well as being kind, generous and selfless.

It's been nice being an individual and its easy to understand why most Twins want this for themselves, especially at an older age where they are required and expected to create their own individual identities, but not many have time to actually go out and practice their autonomy. Many are forced to share their worlds at young ages then separate themselves once they're adults and yeah, it can be tough!

What I liked best about coming out here is that I was able to accomplish many things by myself. I was not known as "One of The Twinz" out here, just Corri. I was recognized and personally commended for my achievements out here and I made HUNDREDS of new friends out here, on my own. Not with anyone's help. They know now that I am a Twin, and many people look forward to meeting this "Amazing sister of mine" which is the good news I have to share with everyone:

MY TWIN IS MOVING UP HERE TO UTAH IN 2 WEEKS!!!! :D :D Afterall, I not only created my own identity out here, but I also created HERS! She's gonna come up to Utah and automatically be popular and MANY people will already know and like her because they know me. She's coming to stay with me for 2 months and work with me for the Summer and we'll basically be taking over Utah, as we dominated Southern California already. ;) ;) The best part about being a Twin is that once you're a Twin, no matter where you go or what you do or who you know, YOU'RE ALWAYS A TWIN. It's totally AwEsOmE being 2x more likely to win any contest, get casting calls; have a double-major wherever you go, having someone to try on clothes for you at stores, someone to always share food and clothes and makeup and hair products with you because you have the same exact bodies and ALWAYS having a best friend to talk to who understands Perfectly what you are going through. Followers, if you so happen to be a Twin, make *being a Twin* worthwhile, even if you are grown up or split up! No one else gets to have such a fun double-life, enjoy it!

I totally think we should have a National Twin Day.. :) :) I've been Good because I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!

Mother's Day :)

I'm corri and I love my Momma! :)

HELLOOOOOOOOOOO PROVO!!!! The land of BYUigans! Hah, so I feel like a traitor sporting my "UofU" sweats as I walk home to my new BYU-approved apartments. I kinda like Provo.. It's nice here, tons of people. Being tall, super-outgoing, a little darker than most people and having REALLY BIG CURLY HAIR I tend to attract a lot of people. They come up to me from all directions like zombies-- drooling at the mouths as they "oooh" and "aaahhh" and look at me wide-eyed and run their fingers through my hair like I'm some kind of wild animal they've never seen before.. I make a lot of friends easily out here and have wonderful new roommates and I got asked out by 11 different people and I've only been here for 8 days.. My brother says if I keep this up, I'll be married before the Fall. *I highly doubt that, but am open for suggestions ;)

Sooo, yesterday was Mother's Day and I've had a lot of time this week to reflect on my own Mother(s) and how much they mean to me. Growing up, I've had many mothers growing up in so many foster homes and have gotten to see many different parenting styles from different cultures, races, religions, etc. After learning that it was impossible to ever live with my biological parents, I almost gave up hope that I would ever be a part of something so important. In foster care, I have learned how NOT to raise children as well as some good ways TO raise children. I used to think that foster care was difficult and confusing and that I would never learn how to be a good parent in the future because I couldn't stay put in one home for more than a year but little did I know that Heavenly Father knew EXACTLY what He was doing when He placed me in each different home. He was teaching me.

It was not until my very last foster home that I learned what a real Mother is. In all the other foster homes, I observed how I was just a number on someone's paycheck and a unit and many foster parents denied me of the very thing I wanted- to be considered a part of a family. Some foster parents would treat their own children like angels while the foster kids ran around in tattered old clothing with curfews and set meal-times and no household privileges. In one home, I was "not allowed to sit on the couches or furniture" because I was a foster kid and I would probably stain them. Other foster "parents" would drop me off at a library in the middle of nowhere and leave me there all day and night just so they could take their own families to Universal Studios and Disneyland. (try having a high self-esteem after all that LOL) Others treated me like I had a leprous disease and wanted nothing to do with me when I only had the flu.

I used to think that there was no end to all this torment (so it seemed) until my *Mother decided to open her arms and take me in. I was recently adopted into the home of Verne and Donna Lauritzen, who had 9 kids of their own and room in their home and hearts for 2 more (my Twin and I). I cannot physically express my gratitude for the Lauritzens. They took me in when literally NO ONE else wanted me. I got to be a part of a Family and I got to see what having a Real Mother is like. I was surprised when she allowed me the freedom to get food on my own in the house, to go out with friends and to ask her advice. She taught me to always be optimistic and altruistic and to not let fear get in the way of my dreams. She taught me how to be responsible and how to cook, clean, sew, heal and love others and was an AMAZING example of it. She took care of me when I was sick and never made me feel like anything less than her own daughter. We spent time reading Scriptures and praying together as a family and there was not one night that I recall her not giving me hugs and a kiss on the cheek before bedtime. Donna Lauritzen is the type of mother that I would be honored to be like someday and I know she loves me.

People always ask me how is it that I am so cheerful, so kind and giving, friendly, clean, positive and selfless and I know deep within my heart that it is because I have a mother who loves me and taught me to be the Best I can be. I am good because she not only taught me to be good but showed me what it was like. I am soooooooooooooo grateful to have been adopted to her on August 5th, 2010. That was the day that all my dreams came true.

*Dad, if you're reading this, don't worry, I'll definitely write about my appreciation towards you on Father's Day ;)

I love my biological mother to death and am sooo grateful for her wisdom and I imagine she somehow felt that as I went from home to home that I would end up in a good place and I'm sure she sat back and trusted that Heavenly Father would take good care of me as He surely has.

*I do not doubt my Mother(s) knew it*

Thank you Mom and Mother for being AMAZING. I will be Amazing because you were first. Happy Mother's Day.

*Picture of my Biological Mom (left) and my Adopted Mom (right)