playing with fire

remember my new year's resolutions? i sure do. out of the 10 goals i made, 6 are still going strong. haha. it could be worse, right? one of my goals for the year was to give up soda. i thought that particular goal would be the hardest one (by far), but i haven't even had a sip! i am really, really proud of myself.  i'm also a little disturbed by the fact that i violated the "no ditching class" goal before the "no drinking soda" one. whoops. 

last night was a test of my dedication. i went to sonic for the first time this year. my throat was killing, and i just needed something to soothe it. i pulled up to the familiar drive in and remembered how delicious a tall, chilled, route 44 dr pepper from sonic was and considered ending my little soda fasting session. but i am here today to tell you that i stood strong and held my ground! i even checked the sonic website to make sure the slush i ordered didn't have sprite in it. 

i drove away with no soda. yes- sugar and empty calories. but no soda. is it sad that this might be one of my proudest moments? i just want all of you to know that if i can go an entire month without drinking soda, you can do anything. all you need to do is believe. 

... speaking of believe 

just go listen. "as long as you love me" and "be alright" are exceptional. pretty sure a combination of drinking my orange slush, listening to this album and singing along cured my sore throat. 

something pink

just a thought.
a few weeks ago, a friend asked me the following question:
if you could redo your wedding, what would you do differently?
i laughed and said, "i would have gone tanning the whole month before!" showed him the following picture, and that was that.

BUT, after much reflection and consideration into my response, i now have a different answer. BUT, before i tell you what that answer is, let me say one thing! i wouldn't change anything about my wedding day. it was perfect for me. BUT, if someone were holding a gun to my head telling me to change one thing, that one thing would be the color of my dress.

 

a pink wedding dress.

i totally could have rocked it. 

what would you do differently? 

animals

i've never been much of an animal person. 

we didn't have pets growing up.

i wasn't really even around pets growing up. 

my extreme fear of dogs up until age 12 didn't really help. 

sure, we had a pet turtle for a couple years. but once my family gave her away, my heart was broken and i decided i will never have room to love another animal. (click here for that sad saga) 

every time someone pins this on pinterest i laugh. 

... because, yeah. i don't like dogs. 

and people do question the existence of my heart and soul. 

i don't like horses, cats, birds. i HATE snakes and lizards and slimy things. 

i'm not one of those people who wants to go save abused or orphaned animals, i don't get emotional about animal deaths, and i yawn through animal movies. one time i told my mom that i would be fine if every other animal was wiped off the face of the earth except for cows and chickens. i love my burgers. and you can't have a cafe rio chicken salad without the chicken! 

with all of that being said, can i contradict myself and show you this picture? 

SERIOUSLY? how am i supposed to stay strong in my animal-boycott when i come across pictures like this on pinterest? my current hobby is googling "baby bulldog" and forcing scotty to look at every single picture with me. 

enjoy every car wash

one of my many flaws is that i don't appreciate the things i have.

usually i end up appreciating them after they are gone, or when i no longer have access to them.

it's like the saying goes... "you don't know what you have 'til it's gone."

cases in point:

i didn't really appreciate my parents until i moved away

i never knew how luxurious free laundry services were until i had to pay $2.25 a load

i didn't appreciate michael jackson's music until after he died (long live the king of pop)

i didn't realize how great high school "homework" was until my all-nighters in college

... and more recently, i never appreciated a functional car window until after i survived the worst car wash of my life. 

let's back up.

you know the whole "carefree girl driving a convertible on a curvy road overlooking the beach, with her hair flying in the wind, music blasting, huge sunglasses" kind of idea? the standard imaginary oasis every girl holds dear to her heart? 

... every girl except me.

that sounds more like a nightmare than day dream. i absolutely hate driving with windows down. oh it makes me nuts! i hate everything about it.

i hate my hair getting blown out of place

i hate smelling the unknown smells of the outside

i hate feeling like a bug could fly into my car at any given second

i hate hearing other people's music

i hate feeling vulnerable- like anyone could throw anything into the car (click here)

it's just not my thing. 

the only time i drive with a window down is when i'm at sonic ordering my route 44 dr pepper.

... so naturally, my driver's side window broke. one day i rolled it down, and it did not roll back up. i had to drive from provo to midvale with tears dried to my face as the wind, bugs, and smells attacked me.

my husband is a good man. he took apart my whole door and literally pulled the window back up. this was good for the time being, but still broken. 

a few days later i decided to give my car some loving and headed over to the car wash. 

i thought, maybe my car would be nicer to me if i took better care of her. 

... or maybe she would take revenge on me. 

i was helpless. pathetic. water and soap were spraying out of the small crack above my window. i'm sure people in nearby cities could hear my squealing.  no matter how many times i repeated, "no! no! no no no!", the liquids kept coming. 

i left with soggy leggings and a broken heart. every second of those four or five minutes i sat in the car wash tunnel was just horrible.

the final product: the outside of my window was squeaky clean while the inside was now spotted and smeared.

for the rest of my life, i will enjoy every successful car wash and try to recognize how lucky i am for the little victories in my life. 

a sunday thought

last week, scotty and i attended a little church training meeting.  the meeting was to help us become better primary teachers. one of the points made was "you need to be excited about the gospel so the children in your class will be excited too."  the presenter referred to this excitement as being "fired up" and asked us to write down the #1 thing about the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints that gets us "fired up."  without missing a beat, i clicked my pen and wrote down, "families can be together forever." 

i LOVE that promise! my favorite favorite favorite thing about the church is that i have the opportunity to live with my husband, kids, parents, brothers, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, in-laws, and all other relatives for the rest of eternity! 

my sweet little cousin charity got baptized yesterday. i adore her. we are all so proud of her for making the decision to get baptized. her baptism was a great reminder of what i should be doing and the promises that i made when i was baptized (back in january 1999). after every family gathering, i leave feeling so lucky and so happy. i want every single loved one and every single relative to be together in heaven after this life. "no empty chairs."

i couldn't stand being without the people i love! 

click here to listen to my favorite church song that makes me tear up almost every time. 

i love my family, and the fact that i can live with them forever.

it just gets me so fired up! 

politics: as far as i know

as you may or may not have noticed, my blog topics are a compilation of all things important to me.  my blog is my personal escape to rave about new recipes, movies, celebrities, pieces of clothing, and other girly happenings.  it documents my personal life, newly-wed adventures, vacations, and milestones.  it is a place for me to record special pictures, sayings, or thoughts. i love my blog and i plan to continue blogging until my 90-year-old hands are creaking and showing off every vein.

so today i am trying to expand my blog topics and mention something that i don't particularly care for: politics.

i know, i know. i am a irresponsible citizen of this country, and the rest of you should be scared that this year's presidential election rests in the hands of other emotionless voters like me.

the whole thing just doesn't interest me.

sure, i have a few small opinions based off of things my husband hears on the news, things i hear on the ellen degeneres show, or little bits and pieces from talk shows that reach my ears before i quickly change the radio station.

however, i am slightly curious about this year's election.

after watching a bunch of youtube "documentaries," i think i have a pretty good idea of who i'll vote for.

CLICK HERE to see barack obama.

CLICK HERE to see herman cain.

with those two singing, jabbering fools out of the way, the answer is clear.

mitt for life. 

... in reality, what this post all boils down to is: 

i just wanted to share those two videos because they make scotty and me literally cry tears of laughter. also, i'm voting for mitt because i think he is the most suited candidate. 

... the hair & charming wife aren't hurting his cause, either. 

tis the season

the only thing weirder than having your little brother graduate from high school... 

... is realizing that this means you've been graduated for three years! 

ew. what the heck! i feel so old! 

it seems like just yesterday we were little punks boppin around. 

i am so happy that mitchell kept his grades up just enough to graduate in the normal 4-year time frame! 

haha... just kidding :)

but really.

and in all honesty, i am way excited for him. he will work the rest of the summer, and before we know it he'll be gone on a mission for the church. scotty and i often wonder where he will go, what language he will speak, and what kind of companions he will have. 

congrats, mitch! it only gets better from here haha!

i know this is true because my life has gotten significantly better since june 2009 when i graduated.

a lot has happened since then. 

i started attending my dream school

i broke some hearts and i met my dream man

we sealed our love for forever in the las vegas temple

i live in my own apartment (with a boy!)

i have changed jobs about 6 times

i am halfway done with my life-long goal of graduating in elementary education

i got a new car with XM radio

i had two of my wisdom teeth pulled

i got a michael kors watch

i've made a few new & very special friends

... but still stayed close to my old besties

and more events that i can't remember due to my severe memory loss issues.

i am so happy for my brother, cousins, and for everyone else who graduated this month. 

welcome to the real world, little ones :) 

that's my jam!

im notorious for labeling every song that comes on the radio as "my jam."

scotty loves it.

... okay, maybe it's slightly annoying.

but there are just so many good songs out there that i love and appreciate!

right now, i have three favorite favorite favorite current jams.

i had to hurry and write this post because they will probably change in a few days.

hahaha seriously.
and yes, these ARE in a particular order.

jam #3

"glad you came" by the wanted.

can i share my favorite few lines? oh my gosh i love them.

"now i'll take you by the hand,

hand you another drink,

drink it if you can,

can you spend a little time,

time is slipping away,

away from us so stay,

stay with me i can make,

make you glad you came."

... see what they did there? im obsessed. i guess it sounds dumb reading it, so you just have to listen to it here. i love the lyrics. they're real cute. and it is such a fun, weird, upbeat song. it makes me want to dance. 

jam #2

"lights" by ellie goulding

click here for music video.

so good. so techno. so fun to sing. so catchy. her voice is so soft and so high. i know the whole song consists of about six words, but i love it. however, the music video makes me depressed because the whole three minutes and forty seconds consist of her flipping her hair around. you cant do that with a dike spike like mine. 

and last but DEFINITELY not least,

jam #1

"payphone" by maroon 5.

loooooooooooooove it! i love maroon 5. always have, always will. we had a big office debate a few weeks ago regarding the question, "who is the greatest band of the 21st century?" it seriously went on for days. we polled customers, we tried to persuade each other in heated debates, but no matter what anyone says i will never say coldplay deserves the title. because they don't. obviously, it should go to the most entertaining, versatile, likeable, band: maroon 5. an added bonus in their trip to success is adam levine's face. anyway, the song is great. a combination of reality, romance, remorse, and even a little rap. who could ask for anything more? aside from the weird anime music video and the f-word, i'm in love. repeat. repeat. repeat. oh my gosh it is so good. 

just listen. please. 

click this. 

... so much better than coldplay. 

FIRST TIMER!

i've never been a fan of the "maxi dress." 

really.

i used to laugh at those who wore them. 

i always felt like the requirements for wearing a maxi dress are either to have the most banging body of all time 

 or to have a baby growing in your womb. 

however, with every rule there is an exception. 

if neither of those describe you, you can just buy a really loose one that drowns your figure entirely. 

viola. 

*disclaimer: all of these pictures were found on pinterest haha*

the fourth rule i assumed of the maxi dress is that the fabric is either a single solid color, or the ugliest pattern possible. like a puke-in-my-mouth kind of ugly. 

see what i mean? and since i have lived my life thus far not having a banging body, nor a baby in my womb, nor desiring to drown myself in an ugly-oversized dress, i have opted to not wear the maxi dress. ever. EVER.

it's funny how people change and opinions change. 

all it took was one glance at this maxi dress on nordstrom.com (that i felt broke all of the rules) and i transformed into a maxi-dress believer. 

(and after i accomplished my goal of cooking dinner five nights in a row, 

who wouldn't think i deserve a reward?!) 

what do you think? 

greatest of all time.

i would say that i have a unique taste in music. i don't specifically like one genre or one artist the best. in fact, i could love and hate two songs from the same band. i know every word to every carpenters song. justin beiber speaks to my soul.  I LOVE THE BACKSTREET BOYS. and i cry sometimes during josh groban songs. but i'd rather listen to a fuzzy radio station than the red hot chili peppers.  i will die a life-long avril lavigne fan.  i am insanely irritated by coldplay. the only reason i know any journey songs is because of glee.  i absolutely loath that ridiculous "pumped up kicks" song that everyone else loves. i hate country. i sing michael jackson's "P.Y.T." every single morning while i'm getting ready.  ask scotty. i think it's getting a little out of hand.  i have a secret daughtry obsession. i'm a sucker for classic musicals: les mis, wicked, mamma mia, the sound of music, etc. and yet i love the raunchiest rap and r&b songs.

i want to share with you one of my favorite things. something that i have been obsessed with since the very first day i heard it. and while half of me wants to be the bossy, forceful pusher (like a drug pusher?) and shove it down your ear drums, the other half wants to simply recommend this treasure and encourage you to find out for yourself how truly amazing it is.

are you ready?

three words:

vices and virtues.

that's right, last year's panic at the disco cd.
march 22nd it was released.
we're almost at a year and i still can't stop listening to it.

here is evidence proving that these are the only two albums i have on my phone

and it's been that way for almost four months now.
why? because i needed a christmas album to get through the holidays, and vices & virtues covered everything else.

happy? vices & virtues has a song for that.
sad? vices & virtues has a song for that.
excited? vices & virtues has a song for that.
driving to vegas with jen ballard? vices & virtues has 12 songs for that. repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, and we're home.
pissed at the world and everyone who lives on it? vices & virtues has a song for that.

it's not just the vast amount of instruments used and the weird ethnic-feeling rhythms that get me going.
it's the fact that every single song on the album is completely different.
and 200x better than anything they've ever done.
(don't let the cd before this one scare you away).
some of the songs make me feel like i'm at a quinceanera, some like i'm a punk at a skate park, and others like i'm at an orchestra symphony.
it's the sort of bad-ass feeling i get when i listen to them, yet the songs are totally inspiring and appropriate.
it's lyrics like "if i could trade mistakes for sheep, count me away before you sleep" ... seriously?! genius.

so please.
i beg of you.
if you haven't already, please partake of this beautiful album so i am not the only one ranting and raving about it a year later.

first try this one.

now try this. don't feel obligated to watch the video. i'll admit they're an odd bunch.

in a chill-mood? here.

... right??? i know, i know.

emotionally torn

this post represents a mental battle going on inside of me. 

the problem is, i thought i loved one thing... but then something new came into my life. 

 vs. 

if you're from vegas, you know exactly how big of a deal buffalo wild wings is. it's like the cool spot to hang out. hungry? let's go to bdubs. mutual activity fell through? bdubs. everyone loves it. some of my most special memories take place there. 

it's fun, delicious, and has so much sentimental value to me. one of mine and scotty's first dates was a dinner at buffalo wild wings. i consider it to be one of my happy places.

so naturally, when i heard one was opening in lehi, i could not shut up about it. i told everyone! friends, family, coworkers, customers at work, teachers, and even random people in classes. i was so excited. we went the first week it opened, and my craving was fulfilled. i was so happy.

THEN, to my astonishment one of my coworkers said "i went to buffalo wild wings over the weekend... it was okay, but not as good as wingers." ew. how dare she?! bww is the greatest thing that's been built in utah county! so it became an office debate. for literally WEEKS she has been harassing me (in a nice way) to go to wingers and compare the wings. i figured she was just a utard and didn't know any better. she begged, bribed, and eventually paid me to go to wingers. haha!

i walked in with a bad attitude. i already had my mind made up of which one was better before we even parked the car. i sat down in the outdated, ugly, clashing-colored, weird-smelling restaurant, and rolled my eyes when they brought out popcorn as the complimentary appetizer. i hate popcorn. 

however... my eyes stopped rolling when these beauties were plopped down in front of me! i took my first bite and felt my bww pride slowly disintegrating. i'm thinking, maybe wingers isn't so bad. yeah, these wings are okaaayyy. i take a second bite.  actually they are really good. okay, these wings are great! i think they are better than bww's but i dont want to admit it outloud! and then scotty said to me... "um these might be better than b-dubs..."

faces in pure shock and disbelief

we devoured every single bit of those wings and cheese fries.
(just not the celery. we don't do vegetables)

my conclusion to this culinary controversy is not simple. 

i had to analyze everything. 

while you wait: wingers brings out popcorn. gag. i would rather have the nothing that bww provides. 

cheese fries: wingers is better. bww is too potato-y.

sauce: wasn't super impressed with the "amazing original" at wingers, but the teriaki was great... still, not as great as "asian zing" at bww. however, i anticipate trying other sauces at wingers now that my heart has been opened. 

wing size: WINGERS! they are at least 3x bigger than bww! i was so pleasantly surprised. 

wing texture: wingers. sometimes i get a wing at bww that is way too crunchy. and sometimes there is just not enough meat in the little baby wing.  

environment: definitely bww. bww is geared toward a younger, new, and hip demographic. wingers felt old and outdated. bww is definitely a more fun experience. 

dippings: although they are very similar, i think bww has a thicker ranch/bleu cheese combo. creamier. both are tasty. 

price: WINGERS! we paid $14.99 for the same amount of food that we pay $30 for at bww. we could go to wingers twice for the price of one visit to bww. 

location: there are a crap load of wingers in utah. when i mapped it on my phone, we had 4 different options relatively close to us to choose from. whereas there is ONE bww in LEHI (of all places!) 

overall: it's hard to let go of an old, loved friend. i still love bww, but wingers is clearly the more practical choice. and the wings do not disappoint! i think i have to say that we will be returning to wingers before we return to bww.  thank you, annette!!!

senioritis struck too soon

i don't know what's gotten into me lately. 

since the second after i got married, i've had some really strong, reoccurring thoughts in my head. 

they are as follows: 

time for a baby. 

that would suck to have a baby in school. 

ew i hate babies.

i should drop out of school now. 

i have the cutest husband.

why am i going to school now that i'm married? 

what the crap am i going to make for dinner? 

i should totally drop out of school.

why can't i just quit my job and cater to my sweet husband every day?

school is the biggest joke of my life. 

i should get a bob. chop all my hair off. get the "mom look" started.

I NEED TO DROP OUT OF SCHOOL!

... so about school... it's not really fun anymore. 

totally over it.

i'm that d-bag who shows up late, in sweatpants, with a route-44 dr pepper in hand, sits in the back row of class not paying attention until the iclicker participation quiz pops up, sports an asian bun, and is distracted the whole time thinking about how my car is parked in a faculty parking lot because i didn't want to walk from the freaking marriot center. 

i thought this semester was going to be great. first semester in the program- finally doing what i've spent 2 years in school preparing for. now i go to sleep at night haunted by things my teachers say like "teaching elementary school is the hardest profession of all", "you'll make about 20 cents per hour at this job", "you will leave the school crying every day of your first year", "your pay might be determined how well your students score in tests- even though it's not your fault they are unmotivated or stupid as crap" (i added that last part), and my favorite: "ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO DO THIS?!" uhh... i thought i was until you asked me like that... 

i found these stupid pictures online. no idea who the guy is. 

they are titled "lazy senior" haha. 

they speak my every thought. 

the last one is my favorite. i can come up with an excuse for anything haha. 

i'm hoping that this is just a weird rebellious phase i'm going through... 

i keep telling myself i need to step foot in a classroom again to remember why i chose el ed in the first place. i love it! i really do. and i knew it would be a hard, extremely challenging, time consuming occupation. but it's what i've wanted to do my whole life. i can communicate with 10 year olds better than i can with people my own age. so why am i just NOT motivated right now???

i'll keep you posted.