A Series of Fortunate Events

This time of year always makes me super nostalgic. It's the time of year I graduated high school 5 years ago, Bryan left on his mission 4 years ago, we both came back to Utah 2 years ago and I started school 1 year ago all around this time.

Do you ever think about the decisions you made or events that happened to lead you to where you are now? Like I just think about if my parents had picked a different neighborhood to live in back in 2000, I wouldn't have met Bryan and married him 14 years later. Also, if I hadn't decided to date Bryan, I may have not decided to think about seeking out my own adventure while he was serving his mission. I wouldn't have lived in San Francisco, I wouldn't have met my nanny family or some of my very best and closest friends.

Or sometimes when something didn't work out the way you'd planned, it turned out for the better. Like when I wanted to start school in February of last year but things didn't work out with my financial aid so I had to push it to May instead. If that hadn't happened, I probably wouldn't have the job I have now, or have the friends I do.

Right now, I'm super bummed because my goal was to be done with school by the end of July but I did the math and I won't actually be done until the end of September. But I'm sure there is a reason for that and something wonderful is going to happen that could only happen if my schooling got pushed back.

I also wonder how on Earth I didn't see Bryan for TWO. WHOLE. YEARS. like, what?! That is such a long time! Nowadays, I hate having to leave him for a few hours for school in the mornings. ha ha. It's kind of embarrassing. But he's just my favorite:)


We bought a truck this week. We are SO EXCITED. We cannot take it up into the mountains. Also, guess what, we are going to San Francisco in 107 days. I check my countdown every single day because I'm so excited but it turns out, that makes time go by super slow.

Have a great day and I hope everyone is enjoying this incredibly beautiful weather! And always remember this:

I couldn't resist this ^^^ Baylor insisted on rollerblading when I went on a walk with my parents tonight hahaha.

how to accept a compliment

Since when did it become okay to be rude about someone giving you a compliment? I've given so many compliments to people who give me dirty looks. It's not rude or creepy or anything else negative that you might think of. Don't you put effort into the way you do things or the way you look for a reason? And doesn't it feel great to have that acknowledged by another person? I for one think so.

So here are step by step instructions on how to accept a compliment:

Step One: Look compliment giver in the eyes and thank them


See! Now isn't that wonderfully easy?

Now the next time someone tells you that you have a nice smile or that your outfit is well put together, you know how to handle it! Even if you are extremely awkward and get slightly embarrassed about it, like yours truly, you proudly thank them because you deserve it because everyone is wonderful and beautiful and things like that should be praised. There is enough bad in the world that we don't need to shoot down a wonderful thing.

Remember, the world is still a beautiful place.

a happy list.

I've been a bit overwhelmed the last couple weeks, I don't know what's changed but I've just felt so busy. And on top of the business this week (it's only Tuesday, what?) I've been a bit grumpy. I remembered THIS by my all time favorite blogger. So I thought I'd make my own to remind myself that I have a great life that I should be more grateful for, also because we all know how much i love a good list.

10 Things That Make Me Terribly Happy:

1. When my husband randomly texts me that he loves me. Small reminders are the greatest.
2. Getting praised for the work that I put into my job.
3. When my hard work towards my health pays off.
4. Random texts from my dad.
5. Coming home from work to see an empty sink
6. When Bryan talks about our future
7. Looking through old pictures
8. Bengal Spice Tea
9. Parks and Rec (Totally cried in the series finale)
10. Emails from my sister

HERE  is a previous happy list. in case you were wondering what else makes me happy:)

the haps

hello all.

this week i bought a car. my first car and i'm super excited.

there were super sad things that happened back home. rest in peace Miller and Jason.

bryan hit his 2 months left mark

i signed up for the wasatch back ragnar relay for this year (SO EXCITED)

bryan is also running

i really don't want to work this summer, i just want to go on adventures. but that probably won't happen.

you know how like, all 20-somethings go through a phase of wanting to travel? i didn't think i'd ever go through that phase but i think it's starting to hit

my best lazy buddy burlz got engaged tonight. CONGRATS KIMMIE!

i cry like, everyday because im leaving

the pretty little liars season finale made me super angry. I JUST WANT FREAKING ANSWERS!

my sister will never beat me in quiz up. never.

i wore my hair down and naturally curly today for the first time in a long time and i forgot how curly it was and when i saw and remembered, it made me really happy

cadburry eggs are heaven sent

no one tells you that part

okay so i have exactly 38 days left here (my stomach just dropped typing that.. i thought it was more). and coming out here i had SO MANY people telling me how much fun i would have and how much i would learn and how much i would love the city and that being a nanny is such a great experience.

but no one tells you the part about how hard it is to leave. on monday when i was out to lunch with my mom, we started talking about it and it started bawling. and i didn't really stop crying. then when i walked into the house and went in to say goodnight to that sweet little boy and he looks up at me and smiles and says "i missed you mia!" and i lost it again.

no one tells you how attached you get to the kids.
no one tells you how attached you get to your new home
or the runs on the beach
or late night Mel's runs
or the friends you make who will return to their own homes in other states
or the trips you make downtown by yourself
or your uncle who you wished you had spent more time with

i live in one of the biggest cities in america, people travel the world to visit where i LIVE and i feel like i don't have enough time. like i still have things i need to do before i leave. but i think no matter how long i stay here, it will never be enough time.

but leaving the city isn't even the hard part. every time that little boy tells me he loves me or when that little girl runs up to me and hugs me or when the other little boy tries and fails to scare me, my heart just breaks knowing that i'm just going to leave them. i cannot believe how much i love these kids. i didn't know that i was capable of loving other human beings the way i love these kids.

not even funny

maybe i'm exhausted.

or maybe these are actually as funny as i think they are.

we'll see tomorrow

be aware

so i think the universe is trying to tell me something because i keep coming across things such as these:

i think i need to be more aware of my surroundings and more specifically, the people in my surroundings. 

i think we all do.

knowledge is happiness

if you've talked to me in the last 6 months you know what has been going on in my life and that things have been a little stressful. for the sake of my nanny family's privacy i'm not going to spill out details but through it all i'm just feeling so thankful for the knowledge i have of the gospel.

i'm thankful for eternal families. i'm grateful for eternity period. while i have admitted once or twice that the thought of eternity scares me to death, i really am grateful for it.

i'm thankful for the angels that comfort us in times of need. whether they know they are comforting us or not. but it's even more amazing when they don't know what they're doing for you, because that means they are so in tune to the spirit that they just know.

i'm thankful for my parents for bringing me up in this gospel and for being such strong examples for me and for getting married and sealed in the temple so that i can be with them forever.

i forget about all these things sometimes but when i remember them, it's overwhelming and so humbling.

it's a serious issue

the last harry potter movie came out over 2 years ago and i still squeal like a little girl whenever i watch any of the movies. or to any mention of anything related to harry potter ever... i just ordered these online:

cause what's better than a harry potter stamp? nothing, that's what.

okay, enough about hp (no such thing). meg just posted this on fb so thought i'd share cause i was literally LOL-ing

gotta love mormon humor.

i leave to palm springs early saturday morning so pardon me if i go M.I.A. which i will cause i get horrible service down there. 

and i'll also be busy basking in the sun.

reasons i don't go to bed at a decent time. ever.

there's always the obvious (netflix, twitter, ig, fb, buzzfeed, etc.)

but then there's also things like:
-rereading letters
-organizing my closet
-out of spite. against myself.
-playing with my shadow:

-playing with make up

-too lazy to wash my face or brush my teeth but refusing to sleep until i do so

-the occasional crafty mood

-deep, meaningful conversation:

-giving myself reasons to go to bed on time

-setting a health goal that i magically forget about in the morning

-making lists and lists and lists

-planning my wedding via pinterest 

-blogging

-writing letters

-imagining things

-looking through old pictures and videos:

(^wut..?^)

116 days, 1 hour, 40 minutes, 51 seconds

until christmas that is. i don't think i have ever been so excited for the holidays, like, can it just be halloween yet so we can get the ball rollin?! i've already been listening to christmas music for weeks now.(i'm not even ashamed of that.) now for a throwback from christmas' past:

^2012^

(please notice frank, she looks like a freaking mop. i love her)

(yes, our female dog's name is frank)

^2011^

^2010^

(hahahahHAHAHAHAHhahahahaha LOOK AT US!)

writing prompt

"start with the day of the week it is... then let your stream of consciousness take it from there."

(sidenote: i was reading meggy's blog and she's doing writing

prompts and i realized it's been forever since i did one. so here you are)

today is (*checks calander*) tuesday. which means tomorrow is wednesday which means the next day is thursday. and i hate thursdays more than any other day of the week. know why? it's like, the weekend is tempting you but it's not quite there (also waiting for a letter, it comes any day from thursday to saturday, the suspense is wretched). hopefully this weekend, i can actually do something. i've felt a little trapped the last few weeks but hey, i guess that's part of growing up. 

i don't like growing up. it has it's perks sometimes, but i miss being a kid. you know what i miss the most? saturday morning cartoons. i also miss waking up early while my dad was getting ready for work and eating breakfast with him. just me and him. then i'd go snuggle up in bed with my mom. those were the days. 

today me and my (former) roommates were reminiscing about freshmen year. what a great year. there was something magical about it. me and megan confirmed together that there was in fact magic during that time. somehow. the place. the people. the adventures. all of it. i miss it. 

i also miss bryan. my best friend in the world. only 304 days till he comes home. that's 10 months from today. i love missionaries. it sort of freaks me out that i have friends coming home from missions this year. like, people my age that i graduated with. it makes me feel so old. i remember when people younger than me started leaving on missions. THAT made me feel old. 

another thing that makes me feel old is that i officially didn't go to school with anyone at layton high now. everyone i've gone to school with, is graduated. people my age and younger are getting married and having kids. it sort of makes me panic sometimes like, i'm behind everyone else but then it's like "wait. i'm only 20. i've got PLENTY of time for that."

it's so weird cause outside of utah, people don't get married  that young. even 20. even like, 26! my singles ward, they're all older. they're all graduated from college and are set in their careers. it's crazy, at one point, i was the youngest person there. and they are all happily unmarried. so, even though i get a little intimidated when someone tells me "oh, i'm just finishing up law school" or "oh, i'm just a scientist using stem cells to find a cure for cancer" and i'm just like "i'm a nanny. i did one year of college" i think it's awesome that they are living their lives and have a great career and aren't part of the 'utah norm' even though a lot of them are, in fact, from utah. and it reminds me that there is no rush. it's not a race to be the first one of your friends married with 10 kids. 

i plan to travel at least a little before i have kids. i know, i know. EVERYONE says that but, it's my dream to go to greece. when i was home, my dad was saying that when i'm married to just do it. him and my mom wish they would have gone to france when they were first married. just swiped the cards and gone cause it would have been easier to pay it off before they had kids. so, that's my plan. swipe the card and head to greece. if that's the only country i visit in my life (besides U.S. and mexico) i will die happy. i also want to do a cross-country roadtrip. hit every state (aside from hawaii and alaska) in like, 2-3 weeks. live out of the car and hit a few states a day. you dream going to a fancy hotel in some tropical paradise and i want to live out of my car for a month. (hahahahaha) but really. it would be an adventure of a lifetime. i've also decided i want to live in alaska for a few years. i've thought about it a lot the past few months. and it would just be cool. it's out of utah and it's not california. and who lives in alaska? no one! it would be so cool.

back to reality. i work a full day tomorrow. and i just went from wednesday to living in alaska. it's sort of like the telephone game or gossiping where things get warped and changed only, it's all in my own mind. now if you'll excuse me, i've got a room to clean and pretty little liars to watch. 

goodnight. i love you all!

confession time

-i'm obsessed with miley's cyrus' new song. it's me and olivia's official summer 2013 song... just don't watch the music video. also, it's only fun to sing when we're together so.. that lasted a week. and here's a snapshot of us singing it, we got really into it.

-i've been listening to christmas music this week
-i accidentally threw away the book of mormon i was reading. and i'm sort of heartbroken. it's like i threw a journal away. i feel like a terrible mormon.
-my newest addiction is BuzzFeed
-i love my job. i really do, but i just kind of want to be home for like, a month or two
-i have a celebrity gossip addiction.
-also a sunflower seed addiction. still.
-i want to be blake lively.
-speaking of blake lively, it's time for season 6 of gossip girl to be on netflix. but that's not really a confession.
-i wish i could have been with my sister today



on another note, bryan gets home in 309 days

uneventful

i had a pleasantly uneventful week. i would give you highlights but there were none. just an average week. i worked, i painted my nails, i went to a relief society activity (i've decided to switch to the family ward in my area), i ran errands, i worked some more, i experienced Shabbat, i wrote some letters and i skyped with my family (always my favorite part of the week).

on another topic i've sometimes thought to myself, 'why do i write what i do? who cares about this?' so sometimes i hold myself back from writing and posting and just stick to keeping it in my journal for my own privacy but then i stumbled upon this quote and i love it:

so, i whether you care or not, i will continue to write and post random thoughts and silly pictures of me doing my own make up because this is my version of my life that i get to control.

so have a great weekend everyone! i love you all.

bucket list +some

as you all know (or now you do) i love lists, i have several notebooks just filled with lists. i have a bucket list written down in one of these notebooks so i thought i'd post it on here (in tab above) so i can share the progress i've made. these are existing ones that i will cross out as they happen and i will add more as i think of them.

now for more bulk to this post, here are a few things i've fallen in love with in the last little while:

^guilty pleasure^

^this swan family^

^this app^

things that i love

email conversations with my 11 year old brother

('bazabadaba' translation: a made up term my family uses in a moment of excitement.)

this commercial. 

am i the only one who laughs like a maniac every time it comes on?

the tan i got in palm springs this last week

(so superficial, i know. but i'm over it)

the fact that there are rumors of wicked being made into a movie

and ya'll know how i feel about wicked.

countdowns for any and every occasion

when 2 year old insists on holding my hand in the car

('cuddle, mimi, cuddle!' ah, i can't resist him)

the city in which i live

the shooting star episode of glee.  i've heard that there was controversy over the episode but i found it powerful and emotional and i loved it.

and i'm not even ashamed to admit i cried while watching it.

shout outs

shout out to california for being warmer than utah and not snowing in april. or ever

shout out the the crazy dust storm in palm springs

shout out to carrie for all the awesome experiences she's had only 2 weeks into her mission

shout out to my parents for being my best friends

shout out to bryan for having 11 months down (13 more!!)

shout out to whoever my blog's 10,000th pageview was

shout out to the ghost haunting my room and causing me to lose sleep (really though, go away)

shout out to sunflower seeds

shout out to jenna and the fact that she is getting married in 16 days

shout out to my employers and how amazingly awesome they are

shout out to my kiddies and how much they make me love me job

shout out to a slow internet connection 

shout out to gossip girl

shout out to all ya'll who read my blog. this may sound cheesy but really, it makes me happy to know that people care to read about what i have to say and think, even if it's about nothing.

love, 300 and counting down

this quote comes from the book i am reading right now:

"everyone has something of beauty about them... but loving lets you look, and look, and look again. you notice the back of a hand, the turn of a head, the way of a walk. when you first love, you look blind and you see it all as the glorious, beloved whole, or a beautiful sum of beautiful parts. but when you see the one you love as pieces, as whys- why he walks like this, why he closes his eyes like that- you can love those parts, too, and it's a love at once more complicated and more complete."

i just loved that for some reason i can't totally explain so i thought i'd share.

also, this is my 300th blog post. woo!



5 days until mexico
436 days until bryan gets home

time

1 year 2 months and 1 week ago i decided i wanted to be a nanny
8 months 1 week and 1 day ago i had my first interview with my nanny family
8 months and 1 day ago i got this job
i have been in san francisco for 6 months and 1 day

it's so insane to look ahead and think how long something is going to take then suddenly, it's gone. my plan was to be in san francisco for about 18 months. soon after i got here i had a little panic and thought "there is no way on earth that i can be away from home for a year and a half. that's crazy. i'm going home when my contract ends in august." but now that i'm half way through my contract, the thought of leaving this place in just the same amount of time that i've been here, literally makes me tear up. this family, these kids, this city have captured my heart. there is no way i'm coming home when my contract is up (sorry family).

i can't wait for the next year and what it is going to bring me. i have so much to look forward to. i've got a best friend getting married, bryan's 1 year mark (78 more days!), a trip to mexico, a trip to visit home and my best friend/ cousin coming home from her mission in september (already?!). and many more adventures that i don't even know about yet!

bring on the next 12 months with full force. 

(that's not a challenge karma, be nice)

another missionary post...

i'm sorry guys. i'm not even a missionary and i can't stop blogging about them. i guess part of it is that i'll be speaking about "missionary moments" in church tomorrow (or, i guess later today) and so i've been thinking about missionaries a lot.

i had a realization hit me. i have SO many friends leaving on missions in the next few months and i can't help but think that, maybe if the age hadn't been changed they wouldn't be going. and there are people out there who need to hear the gospel from them specifically at this exact moment in time like, what if the age hadn't changed and some of these people ended up never serving missions and there are people who won't hear it from anyone else or there's only a certain window of time that they will hear it.

it's just amazing, and overwhelming how the Lord works and knows exactly what to do and when to do it.