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:)

in case you didn't know...

bryan is home. and i still can't believe it and i can't believe how elated i am. here's the story.

i was told he was coming home may 15.

 on monday may 5, my cousin shelby told me we should go shopping on friday. so i said "okay" (you'll come to learn in this story that i apparently just do what people tell me to do). the night of thursday may 8, my dad says we're all going to dinner the next night. so i said, "okay". 

 so friday may 9 rolls around, i'm up and moving and i say to my mom, "i don't really want to go shopping, i have no money and i don't really need anything." and she says "just go! get cute and dressed up and just have fun" so i said "okay." i started getting ready (i hadn't washed my hair in like, 4 days) and i ask my mom if she'd seen my little sock bun thing and she said no, then i get a text from my cousin saying i should wear my "airport outfit" my clothes, hair, make up everything i wanted to wear to the airport when bryan got home, then we could tweak it if we needed to while we were out shopping. i still wanted to wear my hair up but my mom said she'd straighten it so i said "okay" (come to find out, my mom text my cousin in a panic cause i didn't want to get ready and she knew i'd want to be ready for him... shelby is a genius)

so i'm finally ready and we go out shopping, i found a few dresses and we went back to my house to meet with my family. we drive over to the restaurant and they seat us. we order our appetizers and then...

i'd had thoughts and fears about us. and how we'd act and feel. for the two weeks before he came home, i'd wake up sick with nerves and anxiety every morning. i thought maybe we wouldn't work out and so many feelings and emotions and time would have been wasted, on either end. that he'd come home and break my heart because we grew so differently. but the second i saw him (and actually realized it was him) it immediately left me. every doubt and every bad thought or fear was instantly gone. i didn't know i could feel such joy and happiness and love for and with and about one person. but i do.

so here we are now. it was all worth it. every letter, every lonely second, every tear.

we picked up right where we left off. 

i literally couldn't be any happier.

stop and stare part 2

we were literally everywhere the last few days. from one end of the city to the other and back. it was rainy, it was sunny. but always beautiful and always in good company. reminiscing times before maddy leaves us to go back to arizona on saturday. sleepovers, ghost stories, donuts, beaches, getting locked out of cars in the gas station (my fault), pizza, twin peaks (100 times). 

if you didn't see our music video, you should watch it. 

HERE

also, bryan OFFICIALLY comes home next month!!!

i guess i just feel like writing

i really want to write something but i feel like i have nothing of worth to say. my life is very repetitive. i work all week and play on the weekends... when i'm not working.

i have 66 days left out here. and bryan has 93 days left out there.

my free time these days consists of online car shopping and watching the office

i really wish i liked to read like i used to. in high school, i would stay up for hours to finish just one more chapter. then just one more. then i PROMISE just one more.

i also wish i liked to write in my journal like i used to. like i said before, my life is so repetitive that i feel there is no point in writing everyday because it would be the same thing over and over again.

i would love to be a photographer. but not like the type that every other girl claims to be, i REALLY want to do it and be good at it.

one day, i will achieve my dream body. i want to be strong. not skinny. i like my thick build. i've got a few (more than a few) curves and it makes me feel like a woman, not a lurpy teenage boy

i really want to go to greece. and i will one day

my thoughts today in the shower were this: "what if mankind never progressed? what if we were still living in caves, hunting and gathering?" well, if that were the case, you wouldn't be reading this, that's for sure

i love my job SO MUCH. i couldn't have asked for a better experience. it couldn't have been more positively life changing and perfect even if i'd planned it out myself (God really knows what he's doing up there)

i do love my job, but i'm also ready to be back home. i miss utah (never thought i'd say that). i miss my family and my friends and i miss my boyfriend

i can't decide if i want to do another childcare job when i do get home. cause child care is what i know and i'm good at it but i would like to become a mother in the next few years (after marriage of course) and i sometimes wonder if i maybe need a break from it all. try something new maybe? (if you're reading this and know if any jobs for me starting april 28, you go right ahead and let me know)

people exhaust me. i don't mean that rudely, i just get really exhausted when i'm around a lot of people for a long period of time (see THIS list. this is seriously me to a t. also THIS. #introvertsunite)

it's wedding/ engagement season. and i can't wait for it to be my turn.

i can't get off my civil wars kick. they are literally all i listen to.

is it christmas yet?

we're silly and we know it

so while i was home, i met up with my 'roommates' (still haven't come up with a better name for that group of friends). we met in slc. carrie and tarah were unable to be there (c is on her mish in tennessee and t was in texas with her fam bam) so because we're weird and do weird things that other people would consider socially unacceptable we brought pictures of them on sticks (thank kim).

today we got an email of this. sister c with us in tennessee. 

i love these girls. 

beautiful day

i don't think i've ever been so attentive during conference (confession, i usually fall asleep). but i was awake the entire 4 sessions and i have 8 1/2 pages of notes to prove it! president monson is such an amazing man. and the way he talked about his wife made my heart melt. we are so blessed to have our Prophet and his apostles on this earth today. this gospel is so true and so incredible. it is.

 after conference (and after painting my nails and watching an episode of sister wives) i went down to write bryan's letter but was distracted by the sunset. i will never get tired of this place. it's so beautiful. 

(and just an fyi, none of these pictures are edited in any way, it's just naturally that incredibly pretty)

(i lied, this one was edited ^^ but i promise the rest weren't!)

another beautiful thing?

there's only one tower left on my countdown (aka 222 days)

have a wonderful week everyone! and remember to apply and remember what you learned and felt in conference today and if you haven't watched it yet, it's not too late!

i'm a missionary girlfriend

in case you hadn't caught onto that over the last 14 1/2 months (say whaa?!). but this is not a post about my missionary and how much I miss him and how proud I am of him (although I totally am, he was just called as zone leader!!) this is about the friendships i've made through this journey. and if you're already rolling your eyes at the cheesiness of this post, read no further. cause it just gets worse ;)

for those of you who are unaware, there is a whole community of girls AND boys from all over the world who are waiting for missionaries. and its kind of amazing. there are more than enough people who look down on us saying things like "you're just wasting two years of your life for someone you won't end up with." we've all gotten it and we all say think the same thing which is "just wait till i prove you wrong." and sometimes, they don't end up together, sometimes they do. which is the reason for this community. it's a group of people who support and love each other while we're all going through the same thing. where you can complain about missing him all you want without having eyes rolled at you.

along the way, i've met some amazing girls. some in person, some just over facebook. but i love all of them, we're all connected through something special. a handful of them i know that i'll be friends with them for a long time and i'm so blessed that i had them to share this journey with.

i've shared this quote before but i'm doing it again cause its appropriate.

so this is a shout out to all those lovely ladies who i've come in contact with and have shared experiences with. i love you all!

251 more days <3

21

today marks the 21st birthday of my handsome man.

what an oldie.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRYAN!!

love you!

writing prompt 6

describe the most vivid dream you can remember:

i used to have this one all the time as a kid, like, ALL the time. and to this day, i remember it better than any dream. k, so there were are (my fam) sitting in our house when suddenly there are earthquakes and fires and volcanoes and screaming outside. so we all stand up to run and a t-rex tips our roof off. mom and dad ran out to the garage and told us kids to run to gramma (oaks) house. so we start running through the streets hiding from dinosaurs and avoiding hot lava. we never made it, i always woke up before then. so.. we probably got eaten. or fell in a volcano, who knows.

more exciting business, bryan's little brother carson (or as i call him, crunch) was just called to serve the Lord in Jackson, Mississippi on september 11!!

(old pic... but it's a good one)

half way done!

bryan has OFFICALLY been gone for 365 days!

(of course i couldn't pick just one picture so here's an entire collage)

at his farewell just over a year ago. 

it's all downhill from here (that's what i keep getting told).

time to start counting down!!

(as if i haven't been already for the last 365 days)

happiness

i love him

sappy post

so sometimes i like to torture myself and watch missionary homecoming videos 

and cry while i watch them.

but hey, it's proof that they really do come home and he won't be gone forever. i'm so unbelievably proud of bryan and everything he's done in south carolina, but i can't wait for this moment for us to come along.

farewell, sister smith

you all know how much i love my roommates. well tonight was the last night that we'll all be together for the next year and a half. and even after that some of us will be married (jenna..... *cough*megan*cough). these girls have been such a blessing in my life and i don't know what i'd do without them.

this lovely lady below is leaving on wednesday to serve the lord and teach the people of Tennessee.

good luck sister smith, i love you!

and i'll wait for you.