Older and wiser.

It's not every year you get to wake up to the ocean crashing outside on your birthday, celebrate your birthday on the beach, and eat a birthday dinner of fish tacos with fish fresh from the ocean.

Today's been wonderful; and it's just one more reason I'm convinced this life I have is nearly perfect. 

Here's to the next 20 being just as good even better than my first 20!

20 things I learned before I turned 20.

Nothing goes as planned--life is all about change. Love comes in every shape and size. Home is more of a feeling than a place. Ice cream cures all ills. Your comfort zone doesn't really exist. It's okay to fall in love more than once...and with more than one person. It's just hair. It may be purple or bright red for family pictures...but it's just hair. It's the things you thought you'd never do that change you the most. Naps are always a good idea. Kissing is also always a good idea. Late nights bring about the best memories. High school stops mattering after high school. You're never too old for a kiddie-cone from Arctic Circle. It doesn't matter how good you think you are; if you put homework aside for too long you'll fall behind. Getting a letter from someone you love is better than all the Dr. Pepper in the world. Respect others--it's the most important thing you can do. Take lots of pictures, and leave lots of voicemails. You never know when you'll be wishing you had.You parents know everything. Even if you think they don't....they usually do. It's okay to not be okay sometimes. 

Life is good; so very, very good. And I'm so lucky. 

I shmell someshing.

It's this pretty girl's birthday today, and I'm still a little bit in shock that she's 17. 

I'm in shock because it makes me feel old, and also because I think she's a lot older than she really is. 

Britt's the most mature person I know. She's my little sister, but she's way more responsible, organized, motivated, caring, and passionate than I am--or probably ever will be. 

She does everything I do, just better than I ever could. 

Not only does she do everything she wants to do, she does whatever I want her to do as well. 

Whether it's forcing her to play lacrosse, dragging her along for yet another unnecessary shopping spree, or making her make the brownies I need because I know I'll ruin them, she's always willing to help me out. 

We're eerily similar, and yet strikingly different, and I often question whether or not we're from the same gene pool. 

I love having dozens of people with me, and I don't mind attention. I live for the weekends and spending time with friends, and I hate quiet. 

Brittany is content with to spend time with a smaller group, and is even happier in a quiet place by herself with some random vampire book or her art stuff. 

She hates shopping, and is extremely good with money. 

She loves animals--one thing I will never understand. 

She's never been a huge girly-girl, but somehow manages to have the most beautiful head of hair I've seen short of Rapunzel in Tangled. 

Basically, she's everything good in this world. 

She has the kindest, softest heart of anybody I know.

She loves to serve and give to others, and spends more money on other people than she does on herself. 

She's motivated and focused, and one of the smartest people I know. 

She's a good listener, a great leader, and a better friend. 

She keeps me sane, and brings balance to my crazy life--and I'm so glad I have her to look up to. 

So thanks for being the best role model of a little sister a girl could ask for. I don't know what I'd do without you. Happy Birthday, Britty. :)  

Just like you.

When it comes to my mom, I think Abraham Lincoln said it best: 

"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." 

I may be my father's daughter, but I'm just like my mom. 

We look alike, we talk alike, and we love the same things. 

It took me a long time to realize how much I needed her--18 years, actually. 

I used to laugh when my aunts would call my grandma dozens of times, every single day. 

Now, my siblings probably make fun of me for doing the same thing. 

She's basically both of the angels on my shoulders. 

She knows exactly what I need to hear, and helps me decide what to do--whether I agree with it or not. 

She's the one telling me to try whatever it is I'm debating; and she's the one telling me to wear longer dresses and different shirts. 

She's the one keeping my head screwed on straight when I want to strangle a friend/roommate/boy/coworker/sibling, and the one that constantly offers support and input in everything I do. 

She gets my obsession Audrey Hepburn and Michael Buble, and understands my love for the heel of the bread loaf. 

She's the reason I love music, Broadway, and baking cupcakes.

She makes my favorite foods (sometimes even lets me get away with not drinking my milk), and makes sure I'm getting enough sleep. 

She never questions my decisions, but she's always there to offer help when the decisions I make aren't exactly the best. 

She knows how I feel about being ignored by people I care about, and continually feeds the army of people I always seem to bring home with me. 

But most importantly, she gets me. 

She didn't question me when I wanted to fly to a national convention in Anaheim, or when I decided to play lacrosse two days after the season started. She didn't discourage me when I applied for A-Team, a job neither of us knew nothing about, and she doesn't try and talk me out of the various adventures I tell her I want to go on. 

She makes a point to get to know all of my friends and then takes care of them like they're another one of my siblings.
In the face of many family issues the last few years, she's made a special effort to make everything easier for the rest of us: helping us build relationships to replace family members who have abandoned us, emphasized the doctrine of eternal families after my grandma passed away, and making an effort to teach us the importance of not holding grudges, Christ-like service, and learning to forgive. My mom's testimony has been a vital part of the last decade of my life, and I don't know where I'd be without it.
I don't know where I'd be without her, either. 

She's ambitious, dedicated, and passionate. She's patient, honest, and caring. 

And someday, if I can be half the mom that she is, I'll know I've done something right. 

Happy Birthday, Mom. :) 

Weekend Wonders: One.

I love Pinterest. 

I "pin" a lot of random things: wedding ideas, decoration inspiration, clothes I wish I had, quotes [so. many. quotes.], and a whole bunch of stuff that I just adore. 

So we're starting a series. It's called "Weekend Wonders." 

This week....

This shot from Audrey Hepburn's movie "Funny Face," which happens to be one of my all-time favorite movies.

This Leonardo da Vinci quote.  Just the motivation I needed to act.

This video. Reminded me of Brother Crimin's seminary class--and if this father-daughter duo doesn't make you smile, you don't have a heart. 

This heart+state craft.  Definitely making one for my new apartment. [Just over 50 days until we move in!]

This sequined cardigan.  I love summer more than any other time of the year, but when my bedroom is 81 degrees, I'm begging for cold and layered clothes. 

This journal idea.  I have a really hard time keeping a consistent journal that isn't my blog...and I love this idea. Maybe separate the months with my favorite pictures instead of postcards? 

This picture that perfectly describes how Jon and I feel about ice cream [long story short, the word "obsessed" doesn't even begin to cover it].

These typography sketchbooks. Being the layout and design nerd that I am, these are basically my happy place put on paper. Birthday present ideas?? 

 This DIY corkboard.  I've been obsessively looking for decor ideas for my new apartment, and I'm thinking this is perfect. Any other suggestions? 

And my personal favorite, this list of items you can mail in the US without packaging. That missionary of mine is going to be receiving some awfully different mail in the near future. 

Also, happy 19th to the best friend, roommate, and twin sister ever. You're the best, Em. 

And happy five months tomorrow. :) 

Keep on smiling.

I love being home. [Mainly because there's real food, free laundry, and my family.] Also because I get sushi dinners. For Emily's birthday, she wanted to have sushi for dinner and ride FrontRunner into Salt Lake, so that's exactly what we did. Six sushi rolls, a mango salad, and japanese ice cream balls later, we rode frontrunner to City Creek and then looked at the lights at Temple Square. 

[This was BEFORE Aubrey needed new pants, and my mom had to run with her across the parking lot and into Gordman's to accomodate.]

With a building this pretty, it really makes you wonder why people would want to get married anywhere else. Seriously. And even with what seemed like a million and a half people swarming Temple Square, the lights were incredible as usual, and the temple looked spectacular. 

We watched a...happy couple for a good five minutes, and then tried to take a picture of them. You can barely see them in the background, but the best part of the picture has got to be Emi's face. Pure luck that we caught that on camera, folks. 

After being in Logan by myself for two days, I came home right after work on Tuesday night. And decided to see the Hobbit with my family and the Jason and Bentley. [Maybe I'm just a hater, but I have never been more bored in a movie in my whole life. Seriously. And the fact it's only the first of three movies the same length...kind of makes me want to poke my eyes out. In other words, thought I might be a LOTR fan...not so much. The end.] The fact that the movie was in 3D meant a tool-time picture in the mirror was only to be expected. 

Seeing a three hour movie at 10:20 pm, does nothing good when you have to be up at six thirty the next morning. Yesterday was Bronson's birthday, so Bronson, Jon, Paige, Jackson, Jared, Kambria and I went snowboarding/skiing at Brighton all day long. After not being on a snowboard in two years, I spent a fair amount of time either flat on my butt or on my face. And I'm sore enough today to make sure I'm not doing that again for a litte while. But I got to spend all day with my best friends, and then we went to the Davis Viewmont hockey game too. [Which was probably the weirdest thing...sitting next to Bronson and Dylan when I'm used to watching them play. Good news though, we still lost. And Bronson predicted the score perfectly, right down to who would score how many goals.] Needless to say, yesterday was fantastic, and it was the perfect way to spend the last birthday for two years with my best friend. Happy Birthday, kid. :)

Not perfect, but wonderful.

Curveballs are being thrown, ladies and gents. My major is being changed. I got a job. My roommates are the best friends I could ever ask for. And my best friends are leaving on missions. 

In preparation for Hailee's departure, Emi made me sign a "legally binding document" that says I won't get married until Hailee is home. Best part about it? Ron said that since the words "Binding legal documents" are written, and my signature is on there, she could sue if I get married. Shucks, looks like I'm out of the game for a few years. ;)

Kenzie turned 19! You won't meet a girl who is more sincere, more kind, and more willing to serve in your whole life. I can't even begin to count the times she's helped me with whatever I need, cooked for us, and cleaned up my messes. She's the most genuine person I've ever met, and I'm so glad I get to live with her this year. Happy birthday again Kenz, because you're great and you deserve it. 

Last Saturday was the LLS's Light the Night walk. Hailee, Emi and I put in a 14 hour volunteer shift--and I've never been more satisfied with what I was doing. Not only was I with my best friends, but I was helping Hailee out with something that she is truly passionate about, and something that hits close to home for me. It was cold, rainy, and muddy. But seeing the hundreds of people there to support the cause was incredible. We definitely lit up the night, and I'll be back to do it again. 

And last but not least, Kelsey gets a shout out of her own. This morning, she decided to go to the temple with a bunch of people. And being Kelsey, forgot her keys. I didn't even read these texts until 9:30, but it cracked me up. I seriously doubt that any one else's roommates would be this sweet while they were locked out at 6 am. 

Life certainly isn't perfect. In fact, it's downright hard most days. But sometimes there are things that happen and people that you're with that make it seem like the control you have over your life isn't as fleeting as you believe. They might be the five girls you live with who you can't wait to see again after the weekend, and stay up until the crack of dawn to fill each other in our your lives. They might be your parents who fill up your car and send you back to school with dessert even after you're only home to sleep and eat on the weekends. They might be the boys who fix you and your roommate's cars, and help you all study for your economics and biology and creative arts tests. They might be the best friends left at home that call you every day and make sure everything is good. 

Whoever they are, they make you keep control, and make everything seem tolerable. And I'm so grateful that I have those people in my life. 

It happens once each year.

Today, right this second, is one of my best friend's birthdays. My little miss Maddy is now a 19-year-old woman, and it's all a little weird. But if anyone deserves a birthday shout out, it's this girl.
We've been friends--or at least known each other--since we were 5. And she's put up with a whole lot from me.

I can't even begin to describe how much she means to me, or how much I've learned from her. She's pushed me in ways no one else can. And I'm grateful every day for her influence and example in my life. She may be a few inches shorter than I am, but she'll always be a big sister to me.
She's in Provo right now, and I'm living in Logan. I miss her laugh every single day, and the way we constantly tease/fight with each other, because I know it means she cares. I hate being 200 miles away and not having any idea what is going on in her life, and not having her know every detail of my life, because we've never dealt with that. But we're where we're supposed to be, and nothing will change the fact that she's one of my very best friends.
So Madz, happy birthday hon. I hope your day was wonderful, and that everything good happens to you. Because you deserve it, you really do. BYU is lucky to have ya, kid. :)
Love you, my crazy ginger best friend.

It's all so very true.

Labor Day really is a truly beautiful holiday. Slept in til 9:30, had a job interview at 11, and then explored the depths of Logan with Emi and Lauren. We went a little crazy, and decided to actually cook some real food for a change. Placemats, table settings, and side dishes included. Emi made the main dish, so naturally, we had to pose her in all our kitchen glory. [guys. Our apartment is adorable. Lacking in family room decor, but cute nonetheless.]

"Bodily" chicken [it's a last name, not the kind of fluid. Nasty, but necessary, clarification.] Homemade rolls [thanks Lauren's sister!] with homemade peach jam [thanks Lauren's mom!] and spanish rice. We like our meals...eclectic. It was delectable. And tomorrow? Kevin's cooking dinner for all of us. We like Kevin. He fixes our DVD player, and our fridge, and apparently cooks for us as well. Winner.

We got all fancied up for dinner too. Just kidding, we actually went on a roomie+Kyle+Braden+Mitch adventure to the Brigham City Temple open house. More on that later. 

We're adorable. Even though I look like I'm praying, I have a photogenic bunch of roommates. And they can cook. [Even though Kelsey is always gone, she's a winner too.] And I quite like spending all day everyday with these ladies. 

Back to the temple open house. Folks, the church is true. I've known it since I was little, but things like the temple make me so sure I could cry--which I frequently do. The Brigham City temple isn't the biggest one out there, but it's absolutely beautiful. And I for one have no idea why anyone would want to get married anywhere other than the temple. Even with hundreds of people swarming the building, and incessant whispering, it is still so absolutely peaceful and calm while you're in the temple. We walked into the sealing room, and the Spirit hits you like a ton of bricks. Definitely one of my favorite places in the world. I don't know when the next time will be that I'll get to go that far in the temple, and there's a good chance it won't be until I'm getting married. But I know, without a doubt, that the temple is my ultimate goal, and I want to be sealed there for time and all eternity more than anything else on earth. I know that the temple is a house of God, and that it is a holy place. I love to see the temple. And I will go inside someday. 

Sidenote: It's my mama's birthday today. And I just want whoever reads this to know how much I love her. She's taught me everything I know--and I'm grateful for her every single day even if I don't show it all the time. Because really, who else sends up a chocolate chip cinnamon roll to their daughter an hour away because she's missing the first day of school at home? My mom, that's who. She's instilled a love of music and a knack [I HOPE] for cooking in this little brain of mine, and gives me a first rate example of the kind of parent I want to be when I grow up. Plus, she makes killer cake. It's a win win situation for everybody involved. Love you, Mom. :) 

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. 

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 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.