Five Feel Goods

Just wanted to spread the joy of five things that have been making me feel good today (besides the fact that it's the start of a long weekend). 

1. I've had this obsession with listening to 70s Folk Music on Pandora every morning while I get ready. Through doing so, I've fallen in love with Fleetwood Mac. Two of my favorites from them are The Chain and Landslide.

2. The "Meow Loafers" from Delias. I'm googly-eyed over the black ones. I could wear Luna shoes everywhere I go.

3. The messy bob sported by Kate Beckinsale. Pretty sure it's a faux bob but I think it would be a cute actual bob too.

4. Munchkin is this strange card game that our friends introduced to us recently and I think we will buy our own in the near future. If you love board and card games, look into this one!

5. A quote I discovered a couple nights ago on Pinterest and something I want to ask myself regularly. Wouldn't it be great to do something for the first time every day?

Enjoy your weekend! Mine will be full of hiking, shopping and hopefully some boating too!

Truth Tuesday

• I went on a cattle drive to write a story for work recently. For some reason, I thought it was hilarious. Probably because I was surrounded by hundreds of really dumb cows who were mooing while peeing all over themselves. I also got this really weird feeling that I wish I could have been a real cowgirl. 

• And just when I wanted to write Miley Cyrus off as desperate and talentless, she goes and does this. What an emotional and meaningful song. Give me more of that, please! 

• It's a personal belief of mine that good karma will come to you if you are sincerely nice to the person at the drive-thru window. 

• I want a day off where it will just rain hard so I can read murder mystery books and not feel guilty about it. 

• This has been my theme song lately. Isn't James Taylor amazing? 

• I just painted my toenails black. This nail polish decision makes me feel slightly tougher and more hardcore than I felt moments ago.

• French fry burger for a dollar, say what? 

Sunday Best: Warrior

dress: Head Over Heels, vest: JC Penney, necklaces: Smith's & Forever 21  

Since it's still Sunday for a bit longer, I thought I would post some pictures of an outfit I wore earlier this week. I scored this vest recently for $10. The night after I bought it, I was on the phone with my mom and told her I went shopping. She asked what I bought and when my answer was, "a camouflage vest with jewels on it", I was a little concerned for my well-being. Sure, it sounds ridiculous but it feels awesome.

I honestly put it on and feel like I need to be in a dramatic 80s music video of "Love is a Battlefield". I put it on and think, "I am a warrior. I will own this day."

Also, I wasn't kidding about living in an 80s music video. My hair lately . . .
 

Truth Tuesday

• Not to rub it into anyone's face . . . but I'm really excited to not be going back to school. I thought I would grow depressed about it but I guess I thought wrong. I served my time. Now I'm ready to have the time to focus on other things. Things I actually want to do. No more time-consuming projects and homework assignments. I will miss the learning process of it, but I don't think I'll ever stop learning. As is life. 

• I neglect this blog because I'm addicted to work. It's a nice feeling to love your job. Tomorrow I'm meeting with some ladies in roller derby league to write a story on them and I'm so pumped.

• Talking on the phone gives me anxiety. Even when it's with people I really like a lot. 

• I'm addicted to Cold Case. We started season one recently. In the words of Miley Cyrus, "We can't stop. We won't stop." 

• Actually, I get addicted to most crime shows. Sometimes I wonder if I have issues because I've never obsessed over television shows that most of the female population get into. I'm all about my Cold Case, Law & Order and 48 Hours Mystery. I do love What Not to Wear. I'll openly and proudly admit to that.  

• If I hated my family, I would move to a dangerous city and be an undercover cop.

• August is a wonderful month because wild sunflowers infest the land and it's a beautiful thing. Also, it's full of birthdays belonging to family members. My mom's birthday was last week. I made her a cake out of Fatboys and I felt quite accomplished. 

• My mom is one of the most incredible people I know. That's a straight-up truth.

• I want to cover the walls of my future home with old beautiful pictures. Like the one below of my grandma with my mom.  

Reaching the Top

I am an Activity Days Leader for my church. Twice a month, we do activities with the girls ages 8-11 in our community. It's one of my favorite callings I've ever had because I feel like I get the opportunity to remind these little girls how important and capable they are. 

Last week, we took them on a hike to the Wind Caves. It can be a pretty tough hike for little legs to climb and not only that, but we left at 4:30 in the afternoon. It was smoldering hot. The girls begged for a break every 30 seconds and for a while, I wasn't sure we would make it to the top.

However, those little fireballs proved me wrong. 

We made it to the cave and enjoyed the wonderful view around us. They were all so proud of themselves. They had climbed a mountain! One of the girls even outstretched her arms and said, "This is proof that God loves us." I think it made my heart melt.  

On the way back down, we passed a group of high school boys and one said, "Look, those little girls did it so we can too."

The girls all replied proudly, "Yeah! We did it! Girl power!" 

It put a smile on my face the whole way down as I overheard the little ladies saying things like,

"I can't wait to tell my parents." 

"Look how high we climbed." 

"That was hard but it was soooo worth it." 

Also, it was encouraging to know that all the girls drank enough water since every single one of them had to pee on the way down. 

That night as I took a bubble bath and scrubbed all the mountain dirt off my feet, I just couldn't stop thinking about what those girls taught me that night. 

I've been thinking a lot about trials lately. Sometimes good people have to go through bad things and there is no logical reason as to why. When I was 17 years old and went to Ethiopia, I had my eyes first opened to this. We paid a visit to a hospital (it was more like a giant barn). I saw things I'd never witnessed in little old Idaho. I met with deformed children, blind people, malnourished people, and after we visited the wing of females infected with AIDS, I lost it. I walked out into the hallway and broke down crying. How could God do this to these innocent people? Why did I have it so good? I wasn't any more deserving. 

There aren't answers to everything, at least not answers I always understand, but I do know that trials can make us better people. Trials are a part of our story and how we respond to those trials will make us or break us. Sometimes when trudging through the dirt and heat, we just want to sit down on a rock and say, "I quit." Or maybe we want to turn around altogether and go back where we came from. 

But sometimes, we push through it even though it's hard and it hurts. We press forward until we've overcome the challenge and reached the top. And the top is a beautiful place that not everyone always gets to see. 

I hope these girls always want to reach the top.

  

Bear Lake Extravaganza

Every summer, my mom's side of the family gathers together at Bear Lake where we stay in condos for the weekend. Every summer since I was just a little kid, I look forward to that weekend. It's always a joy to be surrounded by aunts and uncles, cousins and my sweet grandparents. We picked the one weekend of the summer it decided to not be 100 degrees, but we still enjoyed ourselves despite the rainstorms and cloudy skies.

Highlights of the trip: Jace's girl surf shorts, that time I ate it hard on my skim board, painting my little cousins' and my grandma's toenails, hours of volleyball, tandem bike riding with my sister, playing night games, and watching the whole family try out the slack line (even baby Flora gave it a whirl). 

I sure am blessed to have such great family. Can't wait to see you rowdy bunch again soon!  

Sunday Best: Guilty

shirt: Target, shorts: American Eagle, sandals: Head Over Heels, shades: Forever 21

So, I have a confession. I buy graphic tees in the men's section like a mad woman. They are just so much cooler than girls' graphic tees. Not only that, but sometimes I just want to wear an athletic-fit man shirt. They are baggy, cozy and make me feel safe . . . just like a good dude should. 

I wore this super laid-back outfit at the County Fair on Saturday and I had at least four guys ask me where I got my shirt. I felt guilty when I mumbled, "At Target. In the men's section." 

Maybe I should start a men's fashion blog. I think it could be a success. Awkward . . . 

August

I never really planned my wedding up until I was engaged. I didn't clip pictures of brides out of magazines. I didn't fantasize about my diamond ring. I didn't know wedding colors were a thing until I was 19 years old. So, of course, I never really thought about what time of the year would be a good time to get married. I guess there is really no wrong time. As long as it's with the right person.

Two and a half years ago, we decided on the date of August 5th.

August has always been a meaningful month to me. It's a month that symbolizes the end of something and the start of something new. Often times, that ending was summer vacation which meant the start of a new school year.

When I got married it was the end of being single and selfish. Two years ago, August was the start of something very new for me: marriage.

The past two years have been filled with happy moments but they've also had their fill of ugly moments. I just focus on and broadcast those happy ones more often. Marriage is hard. Sometimes it hurts. But I also believe it can be the most rewarding and strengthening thing in this entire world. It's a lot of learning and stumbling, and that's good.

So hello, August. Let's celebrate new beginnings, whatever those may be.

Sunday Best: Knotted

elephant top: Forever 21, dress: Kohl's, sandals: Head Over Heels, purse: Smith's, shades: Kohl's, earrings: Target

I remember singing the song "Do Your Ears Hang Low" when I was little and thinking how it was so silly. I mean, of course I can't tie my ears in a knot or a bow. 

However, I can tie my shirt in a knot. This is a trend I want to like but it still makes me feel uneasy. Whenever I knot a button up with a pair of jeans, I can't help but feel like some ridiculous Mormon-version of Daisy Duke. 

But I tried the knotted look with a baggy t-shirt over a dress and I thought it was kind of fun. What's more fun than a dress of many colors paired with a knotted elephant print tee? Nothing. 

Except amusement park rides. And slip-n-slides. And rodeos. And driving really fast. Okay, maybe there are lots of things that are more fun. 

But still, I think I found a way to tie-it-in-a-knot-tie-it-in-a-bow without feeling like a weirdo. And really my shirt was just wrinkled and I was too lazy to iron. So I thought, "What the heck? I'll wad it up and tie it in a knot."  

Any takes on tying your shirts up in knots? How do you style it?  

Best Photobomb Ever

Meet my aunt Amy; marathon runner, dessert-making master, and pro goofball.

Have a great weekend. I'll be spending mine with BWell, celebrating two years of marriage. We're old fogies now.

The Worst Happy Day

I had someone tell me that when their son entered the MTC, it was the worst happy day ever. I completely understand what she meant now.

I can't wait to get his letters and hear about his adventures. It will be so good.

And every time I start to miss him a little, I'll just wear my California shirt.