Vacation Mode

Why is it that we worry so much about what others think of us? We so often let other's thoughts of us undermine our happiness. I mean, recently Brian and I caught this guy sitting in his car in the parking lot having a dance party by himself. He looked like he was having an awesome time. But he immediately stopped dancing when he noticed us. We were complete strangers who he'd probably never see again yet he let our opinions of him stop him from being authentic (we were total fans of his dancing, btw). 

A few months ago, Brian had a week-long business conference in Georgia. It just so happened to land on the same week that my sisters were out of school for spring break. They had plans to chill in California for the week with my mama. My mom invited me to tag along and Brian really encouraged me to go. You see, I get a little crazy and restless when I go long periods of time by myself. I think Brian was concerned about leaving me home alone for a whole week, ha ha. But I was being stubborn and saying I couldn't go. I had to stay home and work, be responsible and stuff. 

Well, I went back and forth between deciding if I should go to California or stay in Utah. I got to the point that I even made a list of pros and cons. Honestly, one of the biggest cons of going to California came down to what others would think of me. You see, Brian and I had a trip to Thailand planned and it would be not even a month after this California trip. My concerns were all things like, "What will my boss think if I ask for more work off? What will people at church think if I miss more meetings? People on social media will think I'm spoiled/irresponsible/lazy." 

It's really sad that I almost let other people's opinions of me make me miss out on a getaway with my mom and sisters. Yes, in the end I decided to pack up my suitcase and hit the road with my family. It was such a wonderful week away spending quality time with my favorite ladies (I think we need to have an annual girls' trip). It also made missing Brian a little more bearable ;). 

   

I'm happy my sisters let me crash their spring break. Hopefully soon I'll get my grand Thailand adventure documented. And as for worrying about what others think of me . . . I'm trying to take a permanent vacation from that.

Current Events

Current mood: Restless. It might be the change in the weather, and now I'm just wanting summer and to be outside always. It might be the fact that I know I'm going on vacation in a month. I don't know what exactly it is . . . but I'm feeling restless to the point of losing my mind.

Current project: Brian and I made a headboard for our bed over the weekend. Fine, Brian made the headboard and I told him what I wanted it to look like. That husband is mega talented. I love that I get to benefit from his skills. I'm so in love with our bedroom. I'm actually excited to make the bed and put laundry away nowadays because the room just looks so darn good when it's clean. It's crazy how putting forth a little effort on something can change your perspective. I kind of hated our bedroom before. Now, after a couple Saturdays of projects, it's my favorite room in our bungalow.

The headboard has lights behind it too. Here's a photo to show that off . . . but just know it's much cooler in person.

Currently craving: Chick-fil-A!! I wanted those nuggets and that Polynesian sauce very badly for lunch today. But I resisted and had a hard boiled egg instead. Still can't get those waffle fries and a Cherry Coke off my mind though. Why does all the good tasting food have to be so bad for you?

Currently reading: Flygirl by Sherri L Smith. I bought this book on a total whim. It was used (but still in stellar condition) and only cost $3. It's truly a treasure and one I'm glad to have on my bookshelf. I have an obsession with books set around WWII time. The story follows a black girl who passes for white so she can join the WASP organization. It's absolutely crazy to me that people were and still are treated differently because of skin color. This book has also made me extra grateful for the women who came before me who were brave enough to follow their dreams (in a time when it wasn't so popular for women to do so).

Currently watching: I don't watch much television. Yesterday I made the mistake of turning it on when I got home from work, only to discover a marathon of America's Next Top Model was on. I immediately got sucked in and watched three episodes. I cleaned my kitchen during commercial breaks so it aint all bad.

Current tunes: I've been on a late 90s/early 2000s kick. Third Eye Blind radio on Pandora has been my jam lately. Like the rest of the world, I'm also obsessed with Uptown Funk.

Currently looking forward to: Our big vacation to THAILAND!! I cannot wait to kiss an elephant. Not looking forward to that looooong flight though. Hopefully I'll get some reading and writing done.

Currently wearing: Combat boots, grey jeans, grey shirt, and a maroon button-up . . . complete with a baseball cap. I'm real classy casual today.

Currently eating: I've been eating yogurt with granola mixed in every morning like it's my job. Freaking delicious.

Currently loving: My new hair for spring, courtesy of my lovely cousin, Megan. She did such a rocking job. I'm obsessed. I'm also loving this spring weather. Going outside and hearing birds chirping makes my heart so happy. They've been eating out of our bird feeder like mad lately. It's fine, I'm just sort of a crazy bird woman.

Currently wanting: A bengal cat. Google them and you'll want one too.

Currently missing: My little bro. I'm ready for him to come home from his mission already. I know he's doing great and important work, but I'm just getting antsy to hug him, argue with him, and laugh with him again. It's going to be awesome having him in Logan with me this fall.

Currently avoiding: Cleaning my office. It's bad, guys.

Currently trying: To go to bed earlier (so I can get my butt out of bed earlier), to drink more water, and to communicate more with the Man Upstairs.

Costa Rica: Sloth Sanctuary

I figure I better blog about our trip to Costa Rica before it's really old news. I can't believe it's been two months since our awesome vacation!

Our first full day in the country was spent at the Sloth Sanctuary over on the Caribbean Coast. The Sloth Sanctuary is basically the WHOLE reason we even went to Costa Rica. Random, right?

You see, most normal people have things on their bucket lists like, "see the Great Wall of China" or "go skydiving". I have things on my bucket list like, "go see the sloths at the Sloth Sanctuary in Costa Rica". I can't even remember how or when I first heard about the sanctuary. I just somehow discovered it and then knew I had to go.

To anyone planning a trip to Costa Rica, I would highly recommend adding the Sloth Sanctuary to your list of things to do. It did not disappoint. The people who run it are incredible. They take in injured and orphaned sloths. The goal is to nurse the injured ones back to health and free them into the wild. With orphaned sloths or babies born in the sanctuary, they will stay their whole lives since they don't really know what it's like to be a wild sloth (I feel like wild sloth is a total oxymoron, by the way). I love sloths (don't they just look like the best cuddlers?). Really, I'm just an animal lover, so being in close proximity to these creatures was exciting for me. We learned a lot of random facts about sloths, like that they only have one bowel movement per week. Who knew?  

The only downside of this part of the trip was getting there. The main airport in Costa Rica is in the middle of the country. Granted, the country is relatively small but traffic if unpredictable. Looking it up online, the destination time from San Jose to the sanctuary varied from two to five hours. We left early that morning to leave ourselves plenty of travel time. It ended up taking us four hours because we got stuck waiting to cross a bridge for an hour. Not fun. However, the drive was breathtaking. At least we had a lot to look at. Driving was also quite the adventure. We rented a car and BWell drove. There were a million one-lane bridges. On some of them, you couldn't see the other side. So you kind of would just cross the bridge and say a little prayer that a car wouldn't be coming from the other direction. Poor Brian, he was a trooper during our journey.

We arrived to the sanctuary before our lunch was quite ready. That left me and Brian time to meet Buttercup and have her all to ourselves. Buttercup was the first sloth at the sanctuary and basically the reason the sanctuary was started. She is 22 years old and just a sweetheart. When we entered the room and saw Buttercup on her swing, I forgot how to breathe and almost started crying. I am such a dork. I think between waking up early, our frustrating drive, and then just coming face-to-face with a sloth . . . it was just a lot of emotions. But really, look at how cute Buttercup is . . .

I felt like she was almost human. Like you know how Yoda from Star Wars is just this adorable little dude but then he's full of infinite knowledge? That's how I feel Buttercup is. Buttercup is Yoda. 

After we ate lunch with Buttercup, we went on a boat ride. We spotted some sloths sleeping in the trees, watched lots of pretty birds, and our boat guide even showed us some baby bats living in a log.

After the boat tour, we paid a visit to the injured and sick sloths. It was heartbreaking. A lot of them get electrocuted in power lines, some get hit by cars, others are abused. The worst story we heard was about a particular sloth who was set on fire by two stupid teenage boys. That poor sloth will probably never fully recover. It was sad to see so many of them hurting but nice to know they were in a safe place. We were able to pet and feed the injured adult sloths.

Then there were the babies. Oh, baby sloths, be still my heart. Baby sloths must be one of the top five cutest things in the world.

My favorite baby of all was actually very bad at being a sloth. A sloth's whole purpose is to use as little energy as possible. They eat a lot and sleep a lot. But my favorite little sloth acted more like a monkey. He was such a showoff and he immediately stole my heart. He kept doing tricks. Then he'd stick his little face and hands through the cage at me. I died. I died and went to sloth heaven.

 

This was such a great way to start off our trip. Luckily, our ride back to the hotel didn't take near as long. We even stopped and ate dinner at a restaurant on the beach while it was pouring rain . . . and then played on the beach in the pouring rain. It was magical. Sloths, beaches and rain. Yes. 

Up next on the vacation posts, you'll hear about how we took a sketchy little airplane to the most beautiful land on earth called Arenal, where we stayed in the middle of the rainforest and in the shadow of a volcano. Zip lining and river rafting adventures included. 

Summer Recap

Today (or maybe it's tomorrow) is the first official day of fall. Fall is my favorite. And I'm all about the change of the seasons. There is something exciting about the air feeling cooler and the leaves turning colors. But for some reason, this year I'm a little hesitant to say goodbye to summer. I guess it was just extra sweet this year. I could go on and on with the memories . . . but I'll keep it short. Here's a mini recap of my top ten favorite summer moments, in no particular order.

1. Costa Rica 

Vacationing is ALWAYS the best part of summer, let's get real. Especially when it means getting another stamp in my passport. 

2. Lake Powell

Again, vacationing, best part. Brian comes from a big boating family and they take at least one trip a year to Lake Powell. They've been super nice to me since I know . . . not a lot . . . about boating. But I love Lake Powell! The red rock, the water, the stars at night . . . it's a much needed escape during the busy summer months. You eat when you're hungry, sleep when you're tired, and do whatever the heck you want the rest of the time.  

3. Hiking 

Without a doubt, hiking will always be at the top of my summer to-do list and at the top of my summer favorites list. Hiking is such a spiritual experience for me. I'm a very anxious person. My mind constantly races, so quickly that I rarely even have control of my thoughts. Brian is constantly asking me, "What are you thinking right now?" I usually want to answer with, "What am I NOT thinking?" Going on a hike is one of the few things I've found that will turn my mind off. It's my saving grace. And when I'm in the mountains, it's the closest I feel to my Heavenly Father. It's moving to be out and about in His Creations. Hiking inspires me to create (one of my favorite things). It also inspires me to be still (something I constantly struggle with). The photo above was taken on one of my favorite hikes to Naomi Peak.  

4. Becoming a motorcycle mama 

When BWell first presented his idea to buy a motorcycle, I couldn't have been more against it. It's not that the idea of motorcycle scares me, although it probably should, it's more that I'm a tightwad. I'm so against having toys and things that just take up space. After much convincing from that husband of mine, I finally caved. There were a few conditions. He had to sell his car and get a cheaper vehicle. He jumped at the idea. I'm glad things played out this way because, oh my holy gosh, the motorcycle is SO much fun! I'm hoping we can fit in as many rides as possible before the snow hits. And don't worry, we wear our helmets. Safety first!

5. Family reunion at Lava Hot Springs

Lava Hot Springs is the quirkiest, little resort town. My grandma held our family reunion there over a weekend in the summer and we had such a blast! We spent the days at the pool, floating the river, and eating ALL the food with ALL the calories!

6. Late night fires 

I persuaded Brian to put a fire pit in our yard. Best idea ever! We've had a countless amount of fires in our yard, sometimes with a huge group of friends, sometimes just me and BWell. I do have a slight obsession with s'mores, so thanks to this pit I may develop diabetes. Seriously though, I think one reason this summer is a favorite is because we finally have our own yard! It's been pure magic spending our first summer in our bungalow. While I love fall and winter, I'm going to miss reading in my hammock, hanging out in the tree house, eating dinner on our ridiculously huge deck, and watching movies and playing Just Dance on the lawn (we stole my parents projector and hung a huge sheet from our roof). I love having a yard. I've loved saying goodbye to the awkwardness of sharing grass with  other town home dwellers. The only downfall is that if there's dog poop on the grass, I can no longer blame my neighbor. :)
 
7. Being a redhead 

Oh, I miss being a ginger!! I recently went back to brunette and I already miss my fiery red locks a ridiculous amount! While the life of a redhead was a lot of fun, it was also a lot of work. The color faded fast with all the swimming and sun. I definitely was not a fan of all the upkeep but I was a major fan of everything else.

8. One Republic concert

 I got Brian tickets to One Republic for his birthday. We are both huge fans of the band, so we were in heaven the whole night. They are a dream live. American Authors and The Script opened for them . . . both awesome bands. You just can't beat a night of good music. Obviously music is a big deal in our household. I mean, Brian is a musician himself and I'm a goofy radio deejay.

9. Having family in town 

Both of Brian's siblings live out of state so we are lucky when we get to spend time with them. Luckily, we got to see quite a bit of them and their cute families. We had fun playing up our roles as the cool uncle and aunt. But really, they thought Munch was way cooler than both of us.

10. Seeing Wicked with my mom 

Both my mom and I have wanted to see Wicked for a while now. I was tickled when she invited me to go with her after she somehow magically got tickets at last minute. The musical was amazing, but really, we could have been pulling weeds and it would have topped my summer list. Hanging out with my mom one-on-one is always the best!

**Bonus: Starting my own online magazine for women. Check it out at sharingshine.com. It's been a full-time job on top of my real full-time job, yet it's been SO worth it. I'm overwhelmed by the support and encouragement I've received, and it's been empowering to meet new people and make connections.

Pura Vida

Pura Vida is Spanish for "Pure Life". It's the law of the land in Costa Rica. It's used as a greeting, it's used for good luck, it's used as encouragement, it's used as a so long.

Recently, Brian and I returned from vacationing in Costa Rica. People really do live a "pure life" there. It's ironic how often we talk about people in less developed countries and feel sorry that they are so poor. In many ways, we are the poor ones. We are tied down to our phones, our computers, our nice clothes, and fancy houses. The people we met in Costa Rica didn't seem to be tied down to much. They live free of the unnecessary items that so often turn us into slaves. 

I came home from our trip with a fresh outlook on life, realizing that a lot of the things I think matter so greatly, actually don't.

Brian and I felt so inspired that we are already planning our next trip. There are so many places to see in this wonderful world that are going to give me so much more life experience than having the newest iPhone ever would. Now it's just time to save up some money in the old bank account. Traveling might cost a lot but I feel like every time I do it, I come home feeling richer in character.

Hopefully over the next few days, I can do a recap of our trip (no promises since I've become the world's worst blogger). I have a plethora of sloth pictures that must be shared with the masses. 

Truth Tuesday

I'm baaaaaaack! At least for tonight. Don't expect this all the time. Sheesh, it's not like we're in a serious relationship here. Without further ado, a few truths for this glorious Tuesday . . .

• Today was National Hammock Day, which I'm all about. Purchasing a hammock a few months ago was one of the better decisions Brian and I have made as a couple.

 

• People who are constantly talking about their diets and workout plans are annoying. They just are. So don't be that person, puh-lease. I'm all about being active and healthy, but just do it and avoid talking about it constantly. Most of your friends probably don't care how much kale you consume and P90X isn't all that exciting of a topic to chat about. Just avoid making random interjections about how swoll you are. It makes everyone uncomfortable. 

• I sleep on my side curled in a little ball. How do you sleep? Luna sleeps like . . . I don't even know how to explain it so I'll just show you . . .

• We finally hung our diplomas up on the wall today. It's only been a year since we graduated. What's the big rush? 

• Brian is taking me on a surprise trip and he won't say where we are going. It's both adorable and terribly evil. All I know is that I need to get a new passport, I need to pack a swimsuit, and we will be hiking. Any guesses? 

• I had to retake my passport photo today because they made a new rule that you can't smile in your photo (I was unaware). Apparently you want to look like an angry person who might bomb a plane in your passport photo. Who knew? 

• I know the secret to getting rid of the hiccups. 

• My mom is my hero and I wouldn't be surviving life right now if it weren't for her. She's been such a huge help with my new endeavor, Sharing Shine. I also love my dear friend, Melanie Gunnell for sacrificing so much of her time to take our photos. She took this little candid shot of me and my mom before a Sharing Shine road trip to Boise. 

• I'm totally in love with summer this year. I'll be so sad when our love affair ends. Good thing I also adore fall with every fiber of my being. 

Good night, dear friends. I'm outta here. I'll leave you with a car selfie I'm slightly embarrassed about. But hey, sometimes your hair looks nice so you just need to document it. 

Truth Tuesday

• I discovered the above picture on my phone from earlier this summer after trail running in the canyon. Obviously, I'm a dork. Also, my legs are transparent which is trippy. 

• I don't think trippy is actually a real word, but it's lingo from my high school days and it stuck. 

• I swear every girl in her twenties wants to live in New York City. Well, except for me since I'm in my twenties and I don't want to live there. I visited once. It's a fun place to visit. I'd go back in a heartbeat but not ever to stay. I need mountains, fresh air, stars at night, cow manure, and other country things. New York doesn't have any of that. But it does have expensive restaurants and the restrooms at the Statue of Liberty are really filthy. 

• Today while driving to a store, I spotted a lady in the parking lot with a parrot on her shoulder. Pirate lady caused me to drive right past my destination. But seriously, what's up with that? 

• If you think your marriage is rough, read this and feel better. 

• So, I'm a radio deejay. So I now have this new deep fear that I'll suddenly get the hiccups while I'm on air. One of these days I might scare myself right into getting them. Except then there's that whole rumor that being frightened gets rid of hiccups. Perhaps that means I will be alright. 

• Confession: I'm listening to this right now and I feel like I'm 17 again. Awe, shucks. 

• Our friends Richie and Lauren have the cutest baby and she growl laughs. I better have a baby who growl laughs or I'll feel like I got cheated.

• Who do you think invented Rock, Paper, Scissors? Tell you what, I'll Google it and then let you know.    

Let's run away to red rock and water

I'm longing for some exploring in a land where I am not required to shower. I want to wear my bathing suit 24/7 and not get odd looks from my peers. It also sounds pretty enticing to run off somewhere with no amount of cell service. 

Sounds a lot like Lake Powell. Has it seriously been over a month since we went with the Weller fam? My, this summer is flying. 

Also, BWell is kind of weird. Good thing I love him . . .