The little things.

Somedays, it's just so easy to be happy. 

Because even in the middle of tests, work, essays, and a to-do list that is longer than you are tall, you have the chance to see how absolutely incredible your life is.

There's no better way to celebrate your best friend's birthday than by smashing a homemade cake in his face. Tennessee orange looks real good in our hair and on the floor of SigEp. So glad this kid and his camo-loving Southern charm are such a big part of my life. Thanks for being born, Brian. 

Went to Frightmares for the first time for SigEp's informal, and had the best date in the group. 

My big is better than your big. We're so alike--even have the same name--and she keeps my head screwed on straight. I honestly don't know what I'd do without Ash, Liz and Judy--even though sometimes I have three extra mothers lecturing me and making sure I make good decisions. 

I'd do just about anything for these boys, and there's nothing better after a long day than a note like this and Dirty Dr. Peppers with two of my favorite boys. 

You can't fake a love like this. Honestly, this is sheer adoration in it's simplest form. 

As Winnie the Pooh said, "sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart." There isn't a thing on this planet I wouldn't do for this little girl. 

Everywhere I look, in every aspect of my life, I'm blessed. 

My calendar may be jam-packed with a million big ideas and huge deadlines, but it's the little things in the spare seconds that make everything worth it. 

Getting a little crazy.

Sometimes, my family goes on vacation without me. So I get to make Aubrey's birthday cake while they're all driving home from Vegas...and I make Emily come help me. Chocolate chip cake and cream cheese frosting...it was divine. That's all. 

Having all these friends leaving on missions means that we attend farewell after farewell after farewell, and you start losing track of how many sacrament meetings you've gone to in the last month. Sunday was no different, until we got to Danny's and remembered that he was part of a Spanish-speaking ward! Talk about cool. We were the headsets for his talk, but I listened to the rest of the meeting in Spanish. This church is so true, friends. You can feel the spirit so strong in Sacrament meeting, regardless of what language is being spoken. 

We had a game night on Sunday night with just our roommates--after we finished watching the Bachelor of course--and somehow that turned into Kelsey telling our fortunes. Emi's was good, Lauren's was even better....but it all went downhill from there. 

Laur and I have a problem with dying our hair, and it may be starting to rub off on Emi. We did a lot of red in Laur's hair, and Emi decided she wanted some too. An hour later, she's got a whole layer of Ariel red and a bunch of random peek-throughs of platinum blonde and red. And it looks cool. 

Wednesday, we all drove down to Bountiful so we could watch Miss Kelsey open her mission call. I don't think I've ever seen Lauren so stressed, and none of us could hold still all day long. Kelsey will be leaving May 22, 2013 to serve in the Knoxville, Tennessee mission. She's going to be an incredible missionary, and I'm so grateful for her testimony and her example. :) Sadie's going to Taiwan, Spencer's going to Hong Kong, and Boston's going to Seattle. I couldn't be more proud of my friends and believe me when I say I'm so blessed to be able to call them my friends. 

These next couple of weeks are going to be crazy with all my best friends leaving/getting their calls, and I couldn't be happier. I hate saying goodbye..but I know they're headed where they're supposed to be going. 

The church is true folks, and I know it with all my heart. 

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.