this weekend i:

washed and ironed our sheets (i'm turning in to my mother!),
made bread,
met stacie+stratton for dinner in park city,
wandered the aisles of world market where we purchased the most delicious hazelnut pirouettes,
played settlers with new friends,
reminded myself how to play the organ,

and through these simple events, i was reminded of Paolo Coelho's quote: "Our daily tasks are also our divine tasks. And God is there."

if i just stop and listen, if i pay attention, He is there.
He is here.

2011 in music

as i reflect on 2011, i like to think about the year in terms of music in addition to the usual year in review list. there are always a few songs and lyrics that stick out and remind me of the year. here's my list for 2011:

+ingrid michaelson, are we there yet
"they say there's linings made of silver folded inside each rainy cloud
well i need someone to deliver our silver lining now.
and are we there yet?"

+mumford & sons, awake my soul
"in these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die
where you invest your love, you invest your life."

+sara bareilles, the light
"and if you say it'll be alright
i'm gonna trust you babe, gonna look in your eyes
and if you say it'll be alright
i'll follow you into the light."

+avett brothers, i and love and you


what songs remind you of 2011?

2011 memories, moments and lessons

favorite memories:
+going to st. george with my dad for my birthday
+growing closer to mike than i ever thought possible
+playing "samuri unite" in sun valley
+roadtrip to wyoming to take kennedy to school
+cruise to mexico

hardest moments:
+leaving logan--unexpectedly moving--drastically changing our plans and future goals
+house payment + rent payment
+living apart from mike for 6 months

lessons learned:
+forgive. forget. move on.
+"i am the master of my fate; i am the captain of my soul."
+"courage, then, and patience! courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones. and then when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake." -victor hugo

"last christmas started this way, with me getting crapped on."

name that movie!

christmas didn't really start with me getting crapped on, but for some reason that hilarioius line keeps popping in my head.

christmas was actually really great again this year. i won't bore you with play-by-play details of how we spent the weekend, but i would like to say:

• new tradition: sleepover with the sisters on christmas eve eve.
• christmas should always be on a sunday. it really put the day in focus to start out by praising and worshipping God, thanking Him for the gift of His son, and contemplating the miracle of His birth and life.
• it took us until 1 pm on christmas day to finish eating/opening presents. i loved dragging it out.
• my mother is the best at giving thoughtful gifts.
• coco nearly shredded my little sister's bike tire because her ball got stuck behind it.
• i love when i get to spend full days with mike.
• i also love giving gifts and seeing the surprised/excited expressions on others' faces.
• just dance on the wii=hilarious. my dad playing just dance on the wii=no words.
• i suppose not having snow made for nice travelling weather, but what is up with this smog?

a few of my favorite photos from this december:

 



delighting in:

*coming home after a 14+ hour day to freshly baked cookies. my husband is awesome.
*lunch dates with annika and hallie.
*staying up late to discuss christmas gift ideas.
*routine. and the occasional change in routine.
*the new martha stuart living magazine.
*marta's fabulous holiday binder. i need to get organized- only 6 weeks left!
*tuesday nights. i'm learning a lot at institute and feeling a new excitement to study the bible.
*drive-thru windows and the employees at sonic who know exactly what i want when my car pulls up.
*our lovely new oven and the self clean cycle. how did i live without it?!
*the sweet ladies we visited this week who told us that whenever they hear the ambulance in our neighborhood, they call all their friends to make sure the ambulance wasn't coming for them. i hope i have friends like that when i grow up (:
*new family pictures. brittany did a fabulous job. i think i have about 700 photos to edit. it's gonna take me a while.
*jeggings. don't judge. they are so darn comfy.
*my niece, holly, who was looking at the ribbons attached to some balloons and told her mom, "these strings are like aunt carly's hair. they're so curly." she makes me smile.

i've been wanting to tell you about...

the fascinating and mind-blowing movie, social network.

mike's birthday, which was celebrated with dozens of homemade donuts and dear friends who helped us eat them.

our 4th anniversary.

the debate i'm having about painting my kitchen cabinets white. any of you with white cabinets have an opinion?

my new globe collection.

the ideas brewing in my mind for updated family photos and the best christmas card ever.

the yummy fall treats i've been baking and the naughty dog who discovered she loves pumpkin as much as i do.

the fun evening erin and i had at the ingrid michaelson concert, complete with cafe zupas, a crazy snow storm, and fabulous music. while i wish we saw each other more often, i love that erin and i can go months without seeing each other and still pick up right where we left off.

there's plenty to write about, but apparently i have little to say.

loving

1. word mole. have you played it? i'm addicted.

2. this movie trailer. i'm excited to read the book again before the movie comes out.

3. the rain. everything is so green and beautiful.

4. thursday. it happens to be my favorite day, especially when there's nothing on the to-do list except straightening up my little home and hanging out with my husband.

5. the after-effects of a long, intense foot zone. i have slept better in the last two nights than i have in my whole life.

6. double-dates with my little brother and his fiance. although sometimes their PDA makes me want to throw up a little in my mouth (and mike and i swear we were never THAT lovey/kissy/annoying...), i love love having them here in logan and spending time with them.

7. a new playlist...favorite songs include have you ever (brandi carlile), gone away (lucy schwartz), if you think you need some lovin' (pomplamoose), rocket surgery (amy kuney), and can't help falling in love (ingrid michaelson)

8. speaking of playlists, playlist.com is a great place to test out a song before purchasing it. love.

9. this quote: "some people strengthen others just by being the kind of people they are." i am surrounded by old and new friends who are making me a stronger person.

10. and finally, this "to-do" list. i have yet to decide what my one thing will be.

today

a trip to the library + fresh flowers + puppy prints in the snow + notes in the mail

happy friday.

10 step program

found on this blog. too funny not to share! my favorite is number 4, as trying to get babies in pajamas proves to be much like trying to put an octapus in a mesh bag without any arms sticking out :)

Thinking of Having Kids?
Do This 10 Step Program First

Lesson 1
Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their...
1. Methods of discipline
2. Lack of patience
3. Appallingly low tolerance levels
4. Allowing their children to run wild
5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior.
Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.

Lesson 2
A really good way to discover how the nights might feel...
1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5pm to 10pm carrying a wet bag weighing approx. 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly.
2. At 10pm, put the bag down gently, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.
3. Get up at midnight and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1am.
4. Set alarm for 3am.
5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2am and watch an infomercial.
6. Go to bed at 2:45.
7. Get up at 3am when alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4am.
9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive.)
Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.

Lesson 3
Can you stand the mess children make? To find out...
1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.
2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.
3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.
4. Then rub them on the clean walls.
5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.
6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?

Lesson 4
Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.
1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.
2. Attempt to put the octopus in the bag so that none of the arms hang out.
Time allowed for this- all morning.

Lesson 5
Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don't think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that.
1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there.
2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.
3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle Cheerios all over the floor, them smash them with your foot.
4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.

Lesson 6
Go to the grocery store. Take the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goats eat or destroy. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

Lesson 7
1. Hollow out a melon.
2. Make a small hole in the side.
3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.
4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.
5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.
6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.
You are now ready to feed a 9 month-old baby.

Lesson 8
Learn the names of every character from all shows on PBS, the Disney Channel and Noggin. Watch nothing else on TV but shows from these channels for at least 5 years. (I know, you're thinking "what is Noggin?") Exactly the point.

Lesson 9
Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying 'mommy' repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each 'mommy'; occasional crescendo to the level of supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.

Lesson 10
Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt sleeve, or elbow while playing the 'mommy' tape made from lesson 9 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.

i wish it were friday

but since it's only wednesday, here's a little glimpse at life right now.
outside my window.... bright yellow leaves are peeking through a layer of wet snow
i am thinking.... about lunch & the fact that drew gets home one week from today!
i am thankful for... our jobs, my doctor, a considerate husband, my ipod, our little home, and living close to the temple
from the kitchen... pumpkin chocolate chip bread
i am wearing.... jeans and a hoodie. yay for cold weather
i am creating... gifts for a baby shower and a felt pillow
i am going... to take a couple days off next week and spend lots of time with family
i am reading.... the infinite atonement by tad r. callister. it's wonderful
i am hoping.... that i can keep resisting the donut that someone strategically placed right in front of me.
i am hearing.... "for once in my life" by michael buble
around the house.... muddy linoleum floor. i can't keep it clean!
one of my favorite things... snuggling under the rag quilt and watching so you think you can dance. i wish i could dance.
plans for the week.... teaching piano tonight, baby shower tomorrow, murder mystery party friday.
a picture to share.... (not my picture, but a picture of the felt pillow i used as inspiration for the one i'm making)

*the weekend

*in photo form

make an autumn wish

the woods are full of fairies,
the sea is full of fish,
the trees are full of golden leaves,
let's make an autumn wish.

i'm wishing....
+for this canvas, found here

+that jalepeno poppers from arbys were healthy.

+that our stupid dog could not escape from her kennel. i wish she could entertain herself without finding shoes to destroy, floors to chew on, and small holes to stick her head through.

+for one of these lovely journals

+for plane tickets to new york and broadway tickets to bye bye birdie. uncle jesse as mr. albert peterson? yes please.
+for a shopping spree to suppose.

+for this washer and dryer-

+for these adorable baby shoes, found here. and perhaps for a baby to put in them.

a girl can wish, right? what are you wishing for?

today~

a salesman called my place of employment and asked to talk to my parents. ha! there's an easy way to loose a sale. and do i really sound like i'm 10 when i answer the phone?
*
i don't know how i feel about getting work emails on my blackberry. it just means that i have more places to delete emails, and at 9:00 pm, i still receive messages from everyone who's upset about construction projects. lame.
*

i bought a diet coke that was completely flat. it was like drinking diluted maple syrup. i'm sure it's a sign that i shouldn't be drinking it.
*
my little sister called someone who shall remain nameless a BAFOON. i'm going to find a way to work that word in all my future sentences.
*
i cried after reading this post from the rockstar diaries . haven't we all felt the same as naomi when she said, "i'm struggling for air right now and don't want to talk about it. perhaps someday. when i'm more courageous and trusting. when i'm a braver version of me."

i'm trying to be a braver version of me.
*

i'm sick of looking at the giveaway post. but i promise ya, i'm going to make something really cute :)

-spent the weekend in AF with bethie and jacki. we spent the whole day scrapbooking and got a lot done. i got to meet jacki's family; it's no wonder she's so sweet. her whole family is sweet, too.

-had to console the husband after the aggies lost by 1. very traumatic. and i'm very ready for march madness to be over.

-got a body wrap. so cool. i liked being all seran-wrapped-up. not sure if i lost inches, but my skin does feel much tighter.

-went to tai pan with my mom and grandma. surprisingly we only spent three hours there. for a girl who hates to shop, that's a pretty painful amount of time to spend in one store, but i was glad to spend some time with them and i found some cute things.

-got really excited to learn how to sew this summer.

-made a super long list of spring chores, including planting a garden (but the yard needs a lot of work before that can happen) and painting our bedroom, living room, and washroom.

-procrastinated homework until approximately 8:55 p.m. on sunday evening. i really need to stop doing that.

-realized i only have a month left to finish my online portfolio. but before you can finish something, you have to start it. so i have a month to start AND finish. i hate online portfolios.

-read in a magazine that 1/3 of your life is spent sleeping. what a waste.

8 Things

8 TV Shows
1. 24
2. The Office
3. What Not to Wear
4. American Idol
5. Friday Night Lights
6. The Biggest Loser: Couples
7. The Bachelor
8. Grey's Anatomy

8 Things I did yesterday
1. Made a card for my valentine
2. Played with Gert and Letha and Coco (the puppies)
3. Opened my gift from Mike. New CD.
4. Went to see "He's Just Not That Into You"
5. Listened to two guys in the movie theatre bicker back and forth about one guy putting his feet on the other guy's chair. There were some choice words dropped, threats of throwing punches, and promises of calling the cops to take one guy straight to jail. Their fight started during the movie and continued once it was done. Seriously.
6. Enjoyed a fabulous dinner at The Coppermill with Mike, Amanda, and Quintin
7. Watched the Aggie game. Sadly they lost. Mike was not happy.
8. Gave Mike sweet new slippers for V-Day.

8 Things I look forward to...
1. Having a baby
2. Graduating
3. Having a bigger kitchen, including a disposal and counter space
4. Going on a graduation trip with Mike
5. Reaching my goal weight
6. Having a dog that will one day sit quietly on the floor instead of in my lap
7. Mike graduating
8. Getting our tax return

8 Favorite Restaurants
1. Bajio
2. Mi Ranchito
3. Iron Gate Grill
4. California Pizza Kitchen
5. Macaroni Grill
6. Ruth's Chris Steakhouse
7. Chilis
8. Rodizio Grill

8 Things I wish for
1. Food storage to magically appear in the pantry
2. A higher paying job once I graduate
3. To one day be a stay at home mom
4. Stable and secure jobs for the rest of our lives
5. Fitting in to pants 2 sizes smaller than what I'm wearing now
6. Warmer weather so Coco and I can run outside again
7. I'll do all the other chores, but I'd love someone to fold the laundry and clean the house
8. A baby

we might not have any money, but we've got our love to pay the bills

i love....

+three words: jeffrey dean morgan.

+having a clean car, even if it only lasts a few days.

+writing and receiving letters.

+you and i by ingrid.

+these boots from forever21. probably the best $26.80 i've ever spent.

+the weekend!

+green valley spa facewash. it's amazing.

+kyle chandler. watch FNL and you'll love him, too.

+this album from pinkpaislee. i want to fill it with love notes.

"when you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive--to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love"

what's happenin'...

i may or may not have stolen this post idea and some of its contents from my BFF.

+started school. i have zero motivation. the good news (insert sarcasm here) is that there are a few tech writing jobs in logan and they'd like to pay you $7 an hour. glad all my hard work is going to pay off.

+loving anna karenina. it's really an amazing novel. more to come once i finish.

+went to the dentist for the first time in 2 years. OUCH.

+so excited that 24 is back, even though watching it makes me have crazy weird dreams. i love you jack bauer.

+weight loss to date: 12 pounds. i'm feelin' good but nervous to weigh in tonight. couldn't turn down a free phzookie this weekend and i think i'll pay for it at the scale.

+trying to teach myself how to play the organ. the foot pedals give me anxiety.

+obsessed with eating sweet potato fries, caramel apple popcorn, and pears. mmm.

+dreaming of the day when i can have a cute and organized craft room like this one.but i'd also settle for this cart at ikea. how awesome would it be to have baskets full of your supplies, use the top for crafting, and you can wheel it wherever you want? pretty awesome, i say.+thinking of starting a recipe blog. i love recipe blogs. i know several of you already participate in one, but would anyone be interested in doing a group recipe blog?

Today's the kind of day when...

*School is a waste of my time. Truly, it is.

*On that note, I feel unprepared to be hunting for a real job in a year. The only thing I know is that I like to write, I hate HTML, and if I screw around long enough, I can maybe figure out how to produce something in Photoshop or InDesign. It’s not a good feeling- I’ve spent 4 years and thousands of dollars learning. . . what?? How to perfect my resume? Yes, that’s right, at least I have a sweet resume.

*I would be willing to give away my uterus. Any takers?

*Don't throw rotten apples at me or anything, but I greatly dislike Halloween. I think it's a stupid holiday. Knocking on strangers' doors and begging for something to eat while you're dressed in some ridiculous costume, like a witch or Sarah Palin? (I hear Sarah Palin is the popular costume this year) Really? But we got invited to a couple Halloween parties this year in which we are required to dress up. I haven't really dressed up for Halloween since me and Annika were Mr. and Mrs. Pillsbury Doughboy. Oh yes, we were. Every year before and after that I was a nurse by default because my mom had an endless supply of scrubs and stethoscopes . So I kind of need some suggestions about a costume that's relatively painless and not too. . . Halloween-ish. Any ideas?

*I am ready for a vacation, which is perfect since we're leaving for Jackson Hole today to celebrate our 2 year wedding anniversary. Hopefully it's not stormy so that we can actually see the Tetons this time.

it happened in sun valley

i'm ready to go! i have....

-colored my hair. the guys at work told me it looks furple. Still not sure what furple is or if that's a compliment.

-packed my clothes. i started packing on saturday and mike hasn't stopped making fun of me about it. I had to lay out my outfits, decide what I'm wearing each day, and determine if I need to do any shopping before we leave, you know? Sun Valley is a trip where every outfit must be up-to-par and usually I fail in this area so I'm trying to be better dressed this year.

-hired our 9-year-old neighbor to water our flowers and when i asked him to get our mail, his eyes got huge and he said, "can I read it?" I said of course. He'll be disappointed that our mail consists of bills and nothing very interesting. then he told me i should try watering my lawn. it's so dry that the back is mostly brown, dead grass. he said the lawn under his trampoline is very green because it's in the shade all day, so what i should do is buy a bunch of trampolines for the lawn and then it would be green. what a simple solution!

-bought a thing (don't know what the official name is) to play the ipod in the car and will be subjecting Mike to The Weepies, Ingrid Michaelson, and Coldplay while he subjects me to Aerosmith, Poison, and AFI. We have very different tastes in music which always makes for an entertaining car ride.

be back next week with lots of pictures and hopefully a tan :)

things to be happy about

My brother-in-law's dog had puppies and we will soon be proud parents of a little furry chocolate baby.

In honor of Paige, I got the ring tone Popular from WiCKED. One time she told me I was acting all popliar so I always think of her when I hear it and I. Love. It. Now every time my phone rings (and because I am so popliar it rings a lot. ha) I want to stop what I'm doing and break into song.

In approximately 5 months, November 22 to be exact, I will be basking in the beauty that is Chris Martin. sigh.

And last but certainly not least- the 4th of July. We saw fireworks in Hyrum last night and will be heading up to Romney stadium tonight. I love fireworks- the explosion that you can feel even in your chest and the lights and colors in the sky- this holiday is one of my favorites. Combine that with a few BBQ's and it's looking to be a fabulous weekend.