Welcome to the family.

This is Fred the penguin. He's saying hi--Say, "Hi, Fred!" (Ignore my face. This whole parenting thing is hard.) He's the newest member of the sexy seven minus one, and the first child. Also, his "birth" brought about a charitable donation, so we feel like it was a good move on our part. He dances, but only for Kyle. He dives off furniture, but only for Hailee. He goes on diets, but only for Emi. We have yet to figure out what he'll do for me, but we've got time.

Speaking of Hailee, here's a little shoutout to my best friend. She's one of the best people I know, hands down. And when I say that, I mean it. She's dropped everything she had--work, school, family stuff--to come to my lacrosse games, Maddy's performances, assist me with financial lit packets, attend hockey games I'm not supposed to be at, you name it. She's one in a million. She and I also have the pleasure/misfortune of having the same brain. Neither of us have an original thought, and all our ideas are collaborative. Hailee puts her heart and soul into everything she does, and you can be sure that if you ask her to do something, it will get done. She'll do anything for anyone, but rarely asks for anything in return, something I tend to take advantage of. I'm working on that. Hailee really is one of the best listeners I know, and she can talk my crazy brain out of or into anything if it needs be. She's extraordinary, and I'm so glad she's one of my best friends.

Life is good, folks. Real good. I got to see my oldest best friend today for the first time in a month and a half--stupid boys who decide to go to Alabama for school--and I get to head up to Logan tomorrow and attend a family "reunion" of sorts. I'm just lucky, I suppose. Or blessed. Very, very, very blessed.

Bright smiles and lots of noise.

Less than a month until I'm in Logan...the world is changing, people. Changing fast. My bedspread has been bought (super cute multi colored chevron stripes of course) and my kitchen stuff has been organized and listed so that when the six of us girls all meet for the first time next week, we can figure out who is bringing what. I'm packing my winter clothes next week, and I've got to buy all my storage stuff ASAP too. It's all a little weird. So rather than being productive and shortening my to do list, I spend my days babysitting two adorable chillins' and serving Mexican food to a majority of Kaysville and Farmington. And sometimes, just sometimes, we do a charity ride as a family, and the baby girls get their faces painted by a clown. 

Mary wanted to be a puppy-no surprise there-but it only lasted as long as it took her snow cone to melt. It just looked like she was a seriously abused animal after that. Oh well. 

Aubrey though, went for the sparkly butterfly. And it was probably one of the coolest painting jobs I've ever seen. So even though it was hot, and ten miles is a long way to ride with 500+ people, I'd say it was a fantastic way to start a Saturday. 

Tomorrow? I get/have to go to Relief Society. And I get/have to teach sharing time for Junior and Senior Primary in two weeks, about how my friends have influenced me to make good decisions. It's a good thing I have a darn good group of friends, or it could be a really awkward hour and a half. 

Yay for packing, family, church, lessons, and friends. And really? Yay life. 

It's not that serious.

BIRTHDAY. I'm 18. Which means I can sign my own release forms and vote and stuff. Yay. Also, it means I have to do grown up stuff, like work 12 hours on my birthday. But it's okay...waitress lesson 208: If your coworkers sing Happy Birthday to you right as the dinner rush comes in, people tip way better. Just keep that in mind. Also, it doesn't hurt if you're outrageously happy because you just ate a massive slice of chocolate cake. In other words, I'm alright with work. We--meaning Emi, Kyle, Hailee, Morgan and Max--watched the Dark Knight that night as well, in preparation for...

a private screening of the Dark Knight Rises. Where of course, we had to be the psycho teenagers..adults?...that we are, and dress up. Well, Kyle did. Complete with fake scars, a velvet purple blazer, and green hair paint. The looks we got were priceless. If you're not planning on seeing that movie, I would highly recommend that you change your mind quickly. It was incredible. The Dark Knight was, well, dark, but this one was just downright awesome. A little jumpy, and definitely intense. I'm pretty sure I have an ulcer from the last 30 minutes. So worth it though. The ending will keep you thinking for basically ever, especially after you realize that Batman is a trilogy, and this is the end. So. GOOD. AND! I got a Macbook Air. Best half purchase I ever made. Thanks Mom and Dad for pitching in. :) 

On a completely unrelated note, my friend Alayna Brian is getting married tomorrow. I've looked up to Laynie since we went to youth conference at Snow College when I was barely 14. She's basically one of the most wonderful people I've ever met, and I want a love like her and Brian's someday. They epitomize the phrase "a match made in heaven." So, Miss Laynie. Thank you for being such an incredible example to me as I grew up, and for letting me tag along with you through various girls' camps and youth conferences. Someday, I hope to be able to perform Ingrid on the ukelele around the campfire like you can, and have as fantastic of a wardrobe as you do. Also, I'm fairly certain I'll never forget the lessons you gave us in kissing...strawberry bubblicious and rock stars, anyone? You're incredible, my friend, and I wish nothing but the very best for you and Brian as you start your life together. Congrats, lovebirds. 

This will always be home.

Sundays are usually long to me for some reason, but today? I've never been more content. The "bike gang" invaded our driveway and we showed our beach cruisers off to the culdesac. We visited Stella, and saw the coolest--and only--collection of owl figurines I've ever seen. And to top it all off, we had upwards of 20 people in the "social circle" in our front yard until 10:30. Your neighbors may be fun and all, but mine are something else entirely. I've got multiple sets of parents, and uncountable siblings. And I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
Two years ago, we moved from our house on 1250 into the culdesac next door, just a few months after my grandma passed away. Big changes were a huge part of life that year, and leaving a house that I'd grown up in was really weird, especially since we now live less than 500 yards from it. To top it all off, the next summer we moved my grandpa and aunt out of the house that my mom grew up in. I drove past it last night to watch fireworks, and that was weird. It made my heart hurt--and I know I say that all the time--to remember everything that happened there and how much of my life revolved around that place. But situations change and things happen. We all move on.
Not many people can say they've lived in multiple houses in the same neighborhood, but we're just one of a few in our ward that can. We're stuck here, for good. This is the neighborhood I'll bring my kids home to someday, and these are the people I will always say influenced me the very most. I may be moving away in a month, but that won't change much. We all come back in one way or another, and I know I will.  And no matter where I go, I know that this place? It will always be home.

You could be my favorite.

Since it's only been approximately twelve years since I posted, I'm running low on pictures and stories. Oh wait. Fourth of July, Girls Camp, and all the random adventures that come with being the only child in a world full of adults have been happening. What of it. 

On the Fourth, my family went on a hike up Waterfall Canyon with the Smith's. We found a little cave--that I wouldn't go into...SPIDERS--and Mary stuck her head through the little opening and...posed. Of course. What else would we expect. 

After our hike, we went to breakfast at a little diner called Moore's Cafe, and ate enough food to sell them out of their special. Our bad. But seriously, this was the best pancake I had ever eaten. So thick and fluffy and full of whole, fresh blueberries. Mmmm. 

I'm the world's best babysitter (maybe, not really, okay.) And so I get to spend everyday from 8-5 with Monroe, who's 5 and Elly, who's 2. They're adorable, and they let me do whatever I want. Which usually involves whatever will keep them laughing and happy. Today? That was a fort that stretched across their whole living room and up the stairs. They played for hours, and gave me a chance to finish my book. WINNING. 

I saw the Katy Perry movie last night...and it was incredible. Like, Hailee-and-I-were-giggling-the-whole-time-and-squealing-like-four-year-olds incredible. Poor Kyle was so sick of us. Oh well. So tonight while we waited for Emi, we baked a cake. Which was supposed to be turquoise and coral...but ended up looking like a fantastic mix of Katy's greatest hair colors. It's probably fine. 

In other news, my mama is starting a cake business. And she's good. If any of you are interested in buying a pretty--and yummmmmy--cake, she'd be happy to do it. Check her website out here. 

Four days left in the 18 TIL 18 COUNTDOWN. Yay for the last few hours of being a child. 

It's all a little underwhelming.

While I was laying Mary--Baby Rapunzel--down for a nap today, my Utah State planner fell off my desk. Serving as a not so nice reminder that not only do I only have six weeks left here, but I only have SIX WEEKS LEFT HERE. I freaked, just a little. Hmmmm. [deep breaths. in. out. in. out.] It's kind of like one of those moments where you just keep thinking, "This can't be happening. There's no way this is happening. This is really happening."
Let's just say it's a very good thing that a vast majority of my best friends are moving up with me, or else I'd be in trouble. But Hailee, Morgan, and Maddy aren't. And I'm a little distraught about this whole thing.
While I'm all overwhelmed and stressed and such, I'm still not quite sure what's going on. Girls' Camp is this weekend, and it still hasn't quite hit me that this is the last time I get to go. I have an assignment due for my first class on the 22nd, and I'm not even thinking about starting it yet. I'm still 17 people, I'm still a child. And yet...I'm not. It's mind blowing, really.
In other news, I'm bored with my mane again. Like seriously contemplating some new ideas. Any suggestions? They'd be much appreciated. I'm thinking new hair will count for a lot of the 18 TIL 18 BABY countdown....yes. Yes, it will.

I really, really, really like this one, but I don't know if I have the guts. Do I go lighter again? Cut some of it off? Or keep it the same? Let your ideas flow kids, because I'm up for anything. 

Also, I've got to start packing up my life soon...and I want your thoughts on what's essential. Any of you stayed in Logan? Fill a girl in, would you? Any thing you wish you'd had your first year of college? Let me know. Comment here, tweet me, or FB me kids, because this is a whole new road for most of us, and we need all the help we can get. 

It's only happened once.

#PC2012

An excellent adventure with my best friends. We ate a lot, shopped a lot, swam a lot, and laughed a lot. Highlights of the trip? 

Massive jacuzzis in both hotels. Which required all of us girls to take tool pictures, and take group showers in order to fully use up our available resources. Bubble bath beards like we were three? Check. Shower rotations, rather than waiting our turn? Double check. Tool pictures in the mirror? Triple check. (I left off the duck-face one, because I do have some dignity.) 

The boys were just down the hall from us, but we had all the food. So rather than being kind and giving them breakfast, we rationed them grapes and a carrot and made them fight for it in the first annual Utah Hunger Games. The response was underwhelmingly entertaining. 

While the rest of us girls were being game directors, Emily kicked me out of our bed and managed to take up an entire king by herself. Stay tuned for round two, which involves her in the same position, in a different hotel and bed. I'm still the one that gets kicked out. 

Slightly out of order, but this is when we tried to go to bed for the first time, around 2 am. Slowly, all of us girls reconvened in the main room until 4:45 am, laughing over nothing and taking all sorts of pictures. Friday morning, we got checked out of one hotel, and headed over to the outlets. Where we literally shopped until we--or the boys--were so sick of shopping they wanted to die. So we checked into our next hotel (we're not going to talk about the adventure we had finding it) and got ready for Emi's birthday dinner.

WE SAW BANKSY. Four Art History nerds meant that the rest of the group got dragged up and down Main Street while we tried to find the crazy cool art work left by this famous graffiti artist. I honestly don't think I've ever seen people so happy, and others in the same group so completely un-thrilled. Also, J. Kelly Oram commented on my picture on FB, so life is good. 

This isn't the best picture we took, but it accurately captures our excitement, and Kyle's...less than excitement. The difference was even more exaggerated Saturday when we dragged them through every gallery on Main Street in the 100 degree weather. Yay, art?? 

Part Two of the "Emily hates waking up and gets mad that we didn't tell her breakfast was ready" saga. It's enthralling, really. 

These two were meant to be friends. Really. 

Kelsey gave Emi and I sleeping masks for our birthdays, and this is our modeling picture. It's also at two am, so don't judge. And yes, we all slept in the same bed. What of it. 

When I say we went through every store in the outlets, I mean every store. We even made the boys go through Claire's. Maddy and Kyle really liked the hats in Columbia...and they went on an adventure, according to Maddy's face. 

I deleted the picture, but both mine and Emi's cars broke down in the space of three miles. Hers overheated in Parley's canyon, and we went to pick up Trent and Sadie to go in my car. As we were loading, I made the mistake of saying, "My car's working fine!" and three miles later, we were pulling off at 2100 South in SL because mine was overheated. Carma's a...wonderful person. (Hailee reference.) 

Long story short---AND I WANT DETAILS PEOPLE---this weekend was fantastic. Despite being completely sleep deprived and extremely exhausted, it was one of the best ways to celebrate a birthday we could have ever done. Thanks kids, for being the best friends a girl could ask for. 

Also, the countdown til I'm an adult (18 TIL 18 BABY) has officially started. Day One and Two? Spend a weekend in Park City with your best friends. Day Three? Plan the last girls' camp you'll ever attend. Stay tuned for days Four-18. It's an adventure in the making.