blog schmog, eww... egg nog.

um... well i guess, happy holidays are in order?

here we are at december 2nd, 2012. shouldn't the world be ending soon? hopefully not ;) there are too many good things in life to be enjoyed.

sheesh where to begin!

ONE. my newest purchase:
 - this would be izzy (?) my new iphone 5. my life has been changed in a mere 36 hours.

TWO. my SECOND most recent purchase:

 - this would be my new car. deciding between RUBY and FLORENCE. ideas?

THREE. november 14th was the anniversary of my dear pup, pugsley. we miss him. 

FOUR. my dear sweet friend, whitney, took these lovely pictures of me! love her. find me someone to marry and her and i will be even better friends. her pictures are amazing. 

i am all registered for classes and honestly, i have never been so excited for school. i'm sure that mindset will change within... 3 days. but still, i'm excited! all signed up for exercise & wellness and business. let's get down to business peeps!

work has pretty much controlled my life lately. with an incredible incentive within eyesight, 60 hours of work last week just happened. hard work has paid off. (see ruby/florence above.)

gold's gym has been treating me well. the "toolshed", as i like to call it, has pretty much been a constant view on my snapped pictures to friends while working out. one of my favorites that's for sure! 

man has the time flown. i am pretty sure that i say that every post, but it is crazy how it has happened. i think back to the holiday season last year and what i was doing then... what a different time. we all have grown, matured, learned, cried, and laughed in the past year. the unexpected has happened as well as the expected. 

but to this day, i am happy, i have my family, the gospel, a new calling in church (teaching 5 year olds), a job, school to attend, a car, a home, a nice place to sleep, friends, food to fill my belly, wonderful memories of the past, and many things to look forward to in the future. 

one of my favorite (of many) quotes below:

three - TWO - ONE.

i am currently, and for the next almost year, 21 years old. isn't that nearly a life landmark? 
let's be honest, i don't feel older - maybe i look older. and maybe that means i will gain weight faster because my metabolism is slowing down (i need to work on that anyway). 


my birthday celebration was fantastic. i absolutely love the girls i work with. daily, i laugh my hardest at a comment, mispronunciation, or funny face. working full time has its benefits. they surprised me with a little treaty treat and a candle. 

i also went to dinner with some friends that night. we cut it a little close to closing time.. but nonetheless, the meal was absolutely great. and might i add, some free birthday dessert with great company!!

me and alli.

ah... love my best girls. 

the celebration continued to the next day and i had a little pool party. the weather didn't necessarily cooperate, but i had so many friends show up, even to just stop by for a few minutes. i felt so loved and i was happy to know that people cared enough to come! i really do have the best friends and family. i am so blessed. 

after honestly thinking about what is going on right now in my life, there isn't much i would change or ask for. the church is true, my family is here, i love my brothers even when they are gone, and i have friends who are fun and caring. 

before i turn 22 i want to:

- run a half marathon

- figure out what i want to do with my major

- get into fantastic physical shape

- do things right when they need to be done

- play the piano at least once a week

- blog consistently, mainly so i can keep my creative lingual juices flowing

- tell my family and friends i love them

- work on my personal priorities and goals (secret... sorry)

- be a better friend

my, how the time flies and things change. last year, on this very day, july 21, i was enjoying the gardens at versailles in paris, written about here. what an amazing experience i had last summer. i sure was worrying about a lot less than i am right now. 

times are crazy but i need to realize and keep in mind how good things are. in meeting many different people, a positive attitude is extremely influential in living a good life and wanting to improve. 

cheers to 21!

p.s. i forgot to mention, my girl, my travel buddy, my other half for 7.5 weeks last summer sent me a letter from the mtc in peru. she is a missionary. a cute one that is. and probably killing it. made my day!

spontaneous.

kind of spur of the moment, i decided to go with my friends to vegas. 

we had talked about it a while back, but i knew i couldn't miss work and didn't think too much about it. we all got to talking and i decided i would go! leave friday evening, get there late late and enjoy 2 days in vegas. 

i know,

awfully unflattering pictures that aren't reflecting my bod that i am working so hard on! 

i love trips like that. remember our trip to idaho a while ago? we all decided we need to do these things more often! can't wait for summer. eeeesssshh. 

i have joined something new (i know, the discreetness is probably killlling you), i am branching out. i am being open and trying to be enjoyable. 

i am learning. more and more. i am in love with my anatomy class. if i didn't work so much, i would probably study it all day because i love it so much! any ideas what i should do with my exercise and wellness major? i should probably decide soon, eh? 

you like some things, and you don't like others. 

you live and you learn. and i am trying my best to do both of those. 

umbrellas and snapshots.

i was looking about my room, wondering what in the world i could post about that would be more entertaning than colored pants and new shoes and i came about this.

i know, i know. it looks like a clutter board. i mean, it kind of is, but if an item is cool enough to make it on "the board", it must be worth while. 

i don't particularly love toms, but i do love what they do and most of the time how they look. 

i've got a magnet of my papa law - he played in the majors for the pirates. over christmas, a fan of his from back east send him a whole bunch of magnets that had my papa's picture on them. i am so happy to have it.  

the two dollar bills i received from my great grandma, nanny. she didn't know me too well and had severe alzheimer's as she was older, but every birthday, without fail, i opened a birthday card and prayed that the signature two dollar bill was nestled inside. my grandma now carries on the tradition and i get excited every time i open a birthday card!

i'm saving my zimbabwean 50 billion dollar bill for a time when i am in real debt and need some extra cash ;) 

some pics of me and my girls, a note from my bestie, receipts from the bookstore for book sellback in april, and postcards from europe cover that clutter board. 

i just worry about getting older and forgetting things - i don't want to do that! i am posting items in advance, hopefully helping me along in "remembering", not forgetting. ideas are much better remembered than forgotten. 

in looking at my postcard from dublin, i am reminded how fascinating the doors in europe are.

and as a side note, this quote has never hit me so hard as it did today. 

eesh.

i have been slacking on this, blog, you know. 


trying to manage a couple night classes, work every day, school, and of course zumba, has been a little harder than i expected. 


my brain is still not functioning to full capacity. that can't be good, can it?? it's still enjoying a christmas break when i am trying real hard to be studious and make it to class on time, or just to class? 

i am absolutely loving these shoes i purchased.

they are still working their way into my every day, uh, business attire. 

oh, and these pants! 

i am on a colored pant rave right now! 

colored skinnies from express - the royal blue, or purple, or i guess all of them could very well be my next purchase.

i think i've pretty much skipped over approximately 3 weeks and 2 days of my life on here. i know you are a little upset about it, but sorry. i don't want to bore you with overdue christmas/holiday posts. 

however, me and a couple friendy friends took a trip to idaho for the holiday weekend to visit a friend. it was a wonderful break, a relaxing couple days, and of course, always, a good time!

me and al pal. 

p.s. please excuse the poor picture quality. mobile photos just aren't the best. i have been slacking on photog taking too. oopsies. 

here we go again.

i have completely neglected and not fulfilled my blogging fix for quite a while. 


i barely survived finals, enjoyed a wonderful christmas break with friends, family, games, treats, and more. 


i tried to document the events as best as i could, but we'll see how the pictures really turned out. 


pictures to come :)

land of the ire.

what a cluster it's been the past few days! i took a great trip with my friends to vegas. we enjoyed the pool at mandalay bay, got our tan on, and shopped 'til we dropped. h&m at caesars is amazing. you should go! willie wasn't coming because he "had to work" but surprised us all on friday night while we were eating at the one and only cheesecake factory. it was so fun! 


we got back on sunday afternoon, father's day. enjoyed a great dinner and then it was crunch time. i officially had one full day to get ready for a 2 month trip! ha! but...i pulled it out. lots of errands i had to run. little things to buy. stuff to pack. lists to make and check off, but it went great. 


i had an early morning shot that i need for africa and we headed to the airport straight from there for my 11:15 am flight. my bag was exactly 50 pounds, but i took some things out and dropped it two pounds. phew. a little bit of a tearful goodbye with my parentals (i will be back!) and i was off to check in. there were 4 other girls on my flight including an administrator. we flew to JFK in new york and then to ireland. 
i sat by the coolest guy on the flight to NY. he is a wildlife photographer from the netherlands and travels all across the world taking pictures. i asked him if he makes good money and he said no! that means he must like it. because he is spending the big bucks to travel. he was editing pictures from the tetons in yellowstone. he then showed me pictures from africa. elephants, lions, jackals. so cool. he was 15 yards away from a lion eating some animal. he was a cool dude. he was on his way back to the netherlands for the summer. i asked him where he stays when he goes and he said that he has his own camper that he just ships to the places he goes and then stays in it and can drive wherever he needs to. dang!
we had a 5 1/2 hour layover in NY. i was so dang tired. i took an unintentional tour of the airport but i had time to spare so it was okay. i slept for a few hours on the floor and then woke up to the lady announcing my flight was ready to board. i rushed to the other gate and got on just fine. 
i was seated next to a couple from minnesota who won a free trip to ireland. the guy was 6'6" and had an oompa loompa for a wife. he was in the middle seat with extra long legs making it difficult for me to put down my tray table and possibly sleep! i got maybe two hours of sleep on that flight. it was interesting. he was thrilled about the complementary beer. ha. i told him i was from byu and he goes, "jimmer!" he then said, "too bad that one kid decided to be honest. the team could have gone a lot farther in the tournament." ha. he must not know too much about being honest!
we arrived safely and i was amazed at the already green land outside. so pretty. can't wait to take pictures! 
the majority of our group is sitting in the airport waiting for the other group of girls who possibly missed their connection. because they obviously aren't here in ireland! too bad. 


good thing my pictures won't load. i made my first purchase. sweet bracelet! also some powerade that tastes kinda weird. oh well. 


i'll continue my waiting here in the airport. what an adventure awaits me! 


oh yes. the night before i left, my friends came over for a "surprise" early birthday. even though i caught on pretty quick so it wasn't much of a surprise. i have the best friends and family! they gave me some great gifts so start me on my trip! love them. 

soon enough.

let the 6 day countdown begin! six!!!
i will say one thing, this has completely crept up on me! i thought, oh it's a few weeks away. now it's next tuesday! 
so much to do, so little time, i think?
much has happened the past few weeks. 


1. greg came home from his mission. backdoor neighbors. he served in the harrisburg, pennsylvania mission (which later was combined into the pittsburgh, pa mission). 
me, shar bear, V, nat, willie, kevin, taylor and julia all decided we would go up to the airport and surprise the schofield's as they got off the plane. only alli knew that we were going to be there because we needed their flight time, duh! 
it was so fun to see him come out of there. we were all getting so nervous waiting! it's great to have him back. 

there he is!

he was surprised, he had no idea anyone was going to be there, let alone, US!

liz loved it.

we did make a "yay alli!" sign. she made it back too! ;) 

greg was in amish country, i tried on the hat. 

p.s. awful style choice on my part. 

alli caught me opening up the marker. don't judge me. 

2. i purchased a new wallet and alli surprised me with the same exact purse that i had stolen out of my car. came from h&m, i was so excited! my debit/credit cards came in the mail so i have those. i'm still waiting on my actual drivers license, so i am carrying my temporary one for now. what a hassle! 

3. i chose a different major. food science. ever heard of it? i hadn't until andrew brought it up to me and it sounded interesting. i just switched today and am registered for some classes in the fall! just call me a food scientist already!

4. my camera bag came in the mail! ah i am so excited about this. i found an etsy shop with these camera bags. i was then led to the lady's website and i customized my own bag! you can choose which leather you want, fabric, strap color, canvas, and inner lining. i love love love it. it's the perfect size for my trip annndd i can have my camera in there, along with other items i will need! 

5. law grandbaby #3 is on its way! we skyped with austin the other night and he told us he had a "surprise" for us and that mommy has a baby in her tummy. we were all speechless! we sat in silence, then freaked out! we are so excited. none of us had any idea. yay for babies. 

6. i went to st. george last weekend and had an amazing time with my newly married cousin, tajia, and her husband jarrett and some of their friends. great weather and great company!

7. i am leaving tomorrow with my besties for st. george/vegas! lots of laying out, lots of hanging out, lots of memories. my last "hurrah" before i head to the other side of the world! 

8. i dont' like shots. not one bit. for africa, we need to get immunized. hepatitis a/b, typhoid fever, and tetanus. come to find out the hep series should normally take a couple months to get all 4 shots of the series. good thing we are pro procrastinators and went a week before i needed them! ha! oh yeah, they really hurt. my shoulders are still sore and i've been moving like normal.

i am so totally excited to leave. i have most of the main things done that i need. just packing is my main worry but i should be fine. i have all monday (one whole day) to pack for two months! 

any tips on traveling abroad or what i should pack are appreciated! 

just a shorty.

it's been far too long and this blog has been neglected. i have been thinking a lot about what i need to post and what i should post! haha. that's when you know it's a cool "hobby" let's say? 

i have too many pictures that i have taken and am procrastinating uploading and semi-editing. 

events as of late:

-hillary's bachelorette party/wedding

-surprise visit from tim, becky and the cuties.

-family wedding/baby blessing

-andrew's senior day baseball game

-more baseball games! love :) 

-a sad goodbye to the nebraska residents

-nights of nerts

-and many food projects!

what a list. but, i will say i've documented them quite well and my pictures have improved (at least i think so!)

this weather is a total downer. i laid out for the afternoon last friday and got a great tan and completely enjoyed it! now, it's rain? unbelievable. thanks utah. 

i enjoyed a fun weekend with some friends. killer workout, long day of shopping and eating, and great company! not a better day out there. 

i played a simple piano piece in my sacrament meeting. it's too bad i couldn't get my shoes back on after i played and everyone sat there awkwardly watching me struggle to get up and walk back to my seat! ha ha. i lost that one for sure. 

i wish i had the time to go to only zumba classes during the week. that would be 4 or 5 times a week and a high amount of calories could be burned. then i could have a rockin' bod and not even have to worry about my craving for a cheeseburger with lettuce and sauce only from in n' out. oh, and a chocolate banana shake from arctic circle. well, any ice cream for that matter. ice cream donations are greatly appreciated, thanks. 

i will say, i'm enjoying this summer time. still working, but totally enjoying being with my good friends. i have some great people in my life and i am so lucky to have them! 

and... for the record, 35 more days until i am meeting my fellow study abroader's in the shannon, ireland airport. can you believe that? the time has flown by. i am sad i am missing summer here in utah, but this trip will be once-in-a lifetime. the travels will be amazing and the sites are those that i wouldn't imagine visiting. (maybe, you can find one of the owls from harry potter and send me a birthday gift via the owl post. that way i can still enjoy my birthday in the UK. after all, the hp 7 premire is right around my birthday time. not the ideal bday gift, but still.. )this trip creeping up on me like a byu student creeps his female co-ed. 

i'll work on my pics and show you the visuals of the events as of late. i need to get on a good blogging schedule so i can have it down while i'm in the euro! 

willy wonka.

see this picture? :

it's got me thinking today. my friend, whitney and i went and took some pictures the other day. we both brought our cameras but she told me to dress up so she could take some pictures of me. they are gorgeous. she did such a good job, i think they look amazing! thanks whit :) 

anyway. this picture. doesn't really have anything to do with me being in it. i look at the long, empty road behind me. to me, it makes me think of the long way i have come in my life! and there i am, standing there, in the present, where i'm at currently. what is in front of me isn't part of the picture. just like my life. i don't know what lies ahead of me. i don't know what i'm going to be doing after i come back from my summer trips in a few months. who even knows? well i know one person that does, but that's about it. it's kind of exciting that i don't know what is in store for me. i know that every day, i wish i knew what i'm going to be doing, but i don't. it's exciting but scares me to death. am i getting old enough to be making big decisions? and going to college? i could graduate from college in like 2 years. isn't that weird? it's weird to me. 

the whole road analogue, makes me think of the first willy wonka and the chocolate factory movie. austin my cutie, crazy-haired nephew, happens to love this movie (side note there). the one part where they are leaving the inside garden space with the chocolate lake and they get into that scary boat. willy wonka sings his creepy song and the lights are all changing colors and you see weird bugs floating in the sky. it's so weird. the kids don't know where they are going when they get in that boat, but later on, they go to the little factory where the everlasting gobstopper is made. and they are all thrilled.

there's wonka with his sporadic fro and the one and only, gobstopper.

i know this is an all-over-the-place post, but i am all over the place right now! i wish i knew what is in store for me in my life, but i don't. my head is just spinning. for now, i guess i can just do my best to live in the present and enjoy it while i can, right?


i noticed today that i have 1056 blog views. whoa. that many? people really read my blog that much? i like following that little counter over there on the side. thank you, whoever you are, for being the 1000th reader. how cool! then, i don't feel so cool when i think of nienie and her blog. she is our good friend. but can you imagine how many views her blog has? i can't. thanks readers, whoever you are. even if you don't really read it. thanks! 


p.s. i am so grateful for my good friends. man they help you through life, don't they? 

rainy day.

i am sitting here thinking of the total downpour that just occurred outside. how great was that sound? i love love love listening to the rain come down. 
it reminds me of a time a few years ago, i don't even know how many, that it was just coming down outside! i couldn't believe it. i went downstairs to get a better view, rather than outside my blind-covered top-floor window. it was a summer night. little did i know, my mom was doing the same thing. we were both in the kitchen and we decided to go sit outside on our porch swing and watch the rain. how calm it was. how beautiful! it makes me think of my ideal setting - outside on a wrap-around porch that i will have eventually, sitting on a porch bench, and listening to the calm rain come down on the ground. i won't have to think about anything except that beautiful rain and life! i cannot wait for the summer rain showers and to do that very thing. i will be sitting out there by myself, and i will be loving it. 
here's a few pics from the one and only L-A-S V-E-G-A-S. it was a much needed break. 

yogurtland, so good! 

curt chilled with us. 

oh, and it was papa law's 81st birthday! family dinner at la dolce vita. yumm.