a birthday hangover....

I'm just a little on the tired side of life this morning. I had the BEST birthday last night! It was utterly fantastic. Let's get onto Thursday Things and I'll share some details....and PICTURES!!

• Like I said, FANTASTIC BIRTHDAY party last night. It was just Sister B, her husband and Solider Boy. (plus me of course)

• Dinner was HOMEMADE by Soldier Boy and it was my favorite dish of all time - Chicken Cordon Bleu. mmmm...I have leftovers for lunch or dinner today and I'm rather excited about that. :o)

• I was kidnapped last night and then Roommate A helped Solider Boy out by decorating the apt...it was a princess themed birthday party. It was fantastic.  

• After the AMAZING dinner we played my new game (oh! I almost forgot! My sister had hid ALL of my presents in my apartment and I had to go looking for them...it was very creative. I loved it)

• One of my other presents was this adorable piggy bank: 

• isn't she cute? :o)

• After presents and games and dinner...we went to Trafalga (wearing my birthday crown!) and played a round of mini-golf. Fantastic fun right there.

• THEN it was time for cake. I LOVE cake. My sister made THE BEST cake EVER!

•  Seriously, is that not the CUTEST cake you have EVER seen? I loved it!! 

• Honestly, it was the BEST birthday ever! 

• Tonight I get my birthday jam at Blue Tango. I'm REALLY excited about this.

• Tomorrow is my day off and I get to play with my Truit.

• Saturday I'm going to dinner w/my friends and stuff. I'm excited for that.

• one week from today I'll be in Disneyland! :o) YAY DISNEYLAND!!!!!!!!!

• Pretty much, the next 10 days are going to be SUPER DUPER AWESOME!
•  
• Finally, today's photo-a-day prompt was: WINDOW. Here's my bedroom window looking out.... have a great day y'all!

surprises, Don Quixote, flowers, and fun, flirty times

I am sure that you are all waiting with baited breath to hear about my reunion with Solider Boy and the fantastic weekend that followed.

Well, if you are that person then you are in luck because I am here to tell you all about my most amazing weekend.

Thursday night was GREAT. I got to see Solider Boy, exchange valentines, and dance the night away. It was SO NICE to see him again. I was reminded of how much I really do like this boy that is in my life. He is amazing and so very kind to me. He gave me a book with the sweetest of inscriptions written inside. I felt loved. :o)

Friday I had a few surprises. #1 - Soldier Boy visited me during lunch because he hadn't gone home yet. #2 - He ended up being around for the afternoon as well so after I got off of work I got to see him some more. #3 - He actually didn't go home until LATE Friday night/early Saturday morning because he was around with a friend of his and then he came and saw me. :o) It was most wonderful.

Then there was Saturday. I took my own sweet time getting ready, and was glad for it. I looked gorgeous. I felt like a pretty princess in my dress (pictures coming, promise!) and my hair turned out quite perfectly. Soldier Boy loved my hair. Also, Roommate A did my makeup and she did a stunning job. I loved the look she gave me. Soldier Boy and I met in SLC and then went to dinner at the Blue Iguana. I LOVED my dish! I got the beef tacos and that beef was absolutely amazing. Soldier Boy got the Chocolate Mole and he also enjoyed his dish. Mmmmm...my mouth is watering thinking about that beef. It was delicious. I think my favorite part about dinner was the cute couple that owned the restaurant that came around serenading everyone. They were amazing and it was so nice to have someone sing to us while we ate.

THEN there was the ballet: Don Quixote. IT WAS FREAKING AMAZING. Ballet West did the most amazing job Saturday night. They dancing was incredible, the dancers played their characters PERFECTLY and thoroughly and THEN there was the flamenco at the beginning of Act 3. Oh my goodness. It was INCREDIBLE! I loved it! They only used the sound of a stick keeping time back stage and the stomping of their feet/clapping of their hands. There wasn't a single misstep or moment where they weren't together. I was much impressed. Kitri was incredible and did stunning things with her extensions and turns. Sigh. It was wonderful.

One of my favorite things was that not only did I have a surprise for Solider Boy that night (his boutonniere) but he had a surprise for me! He got me a corsage! Ha. It was so funny that we had the same thought for that night. My corsage was beautiful and featured a main  white rose with three small roses with it. It also had a silvery sparkly ribbon. I loved it and felt so fancy with a wrist corsage to go with my dress. Soldier Boy knows me SO WELL and it was great that we matched being all fancy and dressed up and what not. :-)

After the ballet we ended up sitting in his car just talking. We had the BEST conversation. It was exactly what we both needed and several things were mentioned that we both needed to hear. It was good times. Then, because we hadn't had enough of each other at this point in the weekend, we talked on the phone while we drove home - it was great.

Then there was yesterday. (whew, this is getting long. Good thing you all want to know all the details huh? lol) Yesterday Soldier Boy came down for Sunday dinner with Sister B + Husband. We had a really fantastic roast w/potatoes, green salad and homemade rolls with Hot Fudge Sundae cake for dessert. mmmm....It was SO GOOD. We played a long round of Killer Bunnies (sometimes that game is short and sometimes not, but it was GREAT fun.) There was much laughter, tons of flirting and cards that made my night 100% worth it. After Sister B + Husband left, Solider Boy and I enjoyed reading on the couch together, watching videos of me drugged from my knee surgery, and just talking. I stayed up too late and seeing as how I don't have today off - I'm feeling a little tired, but it was such a great weekend that I'm totally fine with it. The great news is that Soldier Boy is going to be in SLC basically all weekend so I get to spend some extra time with him and that is going to make me one happy camper. :-D

I hope your weekend was FANTASTIC!

Friday Things!

Hello my dearest Internet friends! I apologize that it's been several days since I last posted, but with spending a whole day on a plane/in an airport and then enjoying the lack of responsibility that I have right now, I just haven't felt like posting! However, I thought on today, this being Christmas Adam and all, I would leave you with a few things..... :o)

• Being with my family is awesome. I haven't seen them since my sister's wedding in June and it's great to be able to spend time with them.

• I am starting to catch up on sleep and it is wonderful. I really love not having to wake up to an alarm clock every day. :o)

• Having the Brother-in-law around is...different. It definitely makes things more interesting. Not bad, just interesting. 

• I am intrigued to see what happens when there is more than one significant other around here. That will be fun times.

• I wonder what the coming year will bring. While I had a year full of growth and flourishing - it still feels like I did a lot of the same old same old. I guess that's an adult life for ya....but I still wonder what next year will be like. I'm excited for it to come so I can see. :o)

• I miss Monkey Man like crazy. When we said goodnight/goodbye on Tuesday night (really early Wednesday morning) I thought that the next 8 days were going to go by SO SLOWLY. But then we were talking last night and I realized just how quickly my vacation was going to come to an end. I think it helps that I'll still have a holiday and a few days before having to go back to real life once I'm back in Utah.

• Monkey Man got me a great Christmas present: a really pretty brown infinity scarf + black hand warmer things. (like fingerless gloves without the finger parts) He did a great job for the first gift giving-ness in our relationship. ;)

• I haven't been to the gym since Monday evening...but I'm going later this afternoon AND I am going running with my dad tomorrow morning. So that's good.

• Virginia is not that cold right now. In fact, when I stepped off the plane it was balmy 63 degrees. I love it. The house is a little cooler than that - it's the way the house was built, but the fact is there is NO snow, NO ice, and NO need for crazy amounts of layers. I am totally okay with this this year. In fact, I prayed for it. ;)

Basically, I am really enjoying my time off and my first real vacation in a LONG, LONG time. I don't really count the week I took off for my sister's wedding or any of the times I took off for other reasons and had a "staycation" as vacation. This is my first REAL vacation in a year and boy, do I deserve it! I hope you all have the best Christmas weekend ever! I'll be in touch...eventually. ;)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

"it's busy season!"

that is our  go-to phrase here at work these days. My coworker is super cute when she says it to justify our three-week lead time on our product. The months of November/December are always crazy in the office, but this year it seems to be amplified 100x or so. Life is INSANE around the office.

Anyways. Seeing as how it's been almost a week since I last posted I figured a bullet-point list would be the best way to catch you up on my awesome life. (seriously, life is uber awesome.)

• Monkey Man is the sweetest guy in the whole wide world and I'm the luckiest girl ever. Seriously. I catch myself staring at him all the time and thinking to myself, "how did I get so lucky?" things are good.

• Went to Temple Square on Saturday night w/Monkey Man and another couple to see the lights, go to dinner (Z'Tejas @ Gateway. okay food. not my favorite restaurant) and then party it up at the Clark Planetarium. We took fun pictures on the moon and mars. It was a blast (although VERY cold).

• Had the annual Christmas tour day for my ballet company. that was a day full of driving and stuff. Nothing bad happened and it was a pretty good day overall. 

• Made Aebelskivers last night w/Sister B and her husband and Monkey Man. Also, we watched the First Presidency Christmas Devotional and played games. It was fun times. 

• during the course of this week, Monkey Man and I have something together to do/attend 5/7 days. :o) I'm very excited about this.

• I'm finding it hard to believe that it's been a year. Part of me is shocked it has only been a year. At times it feels longer. 

• I'm addicted to cherry coridal kisses and m&ms. :o) yummy.

• I haven't been very good about going to the gym the past week or so. My trainer is going to kill me.

• I get to party it up with my ballet girls tonight. I'm rather excited to see all my friends. It's been awhile.

• I leave for VA in 16 days. EEK! Christmas is going to be here before I know it. :P

• I need an idea for a mass gift for my RS sisters. Any and all ideas are welcome. a DIY project is not really feasible at this point, but I need to keep cost down as well....so yeah. Please suggest something. ;)

• My office was a brisk 56 degrees Fahrenheit this morning. SO COLD. Stupid next door office that controls the thermostat and doesn't leave it on during the weekends. :P

• The world is very, very small. Roommate R (one of my favorite persons EVER) is friends with someone that Monkey Man knows as well. Insane how small the world is. ESPECIALLY in Utah.

Basically, I'm really  busy with life in general but I'm super happy, twitterpated, and joyful as an elf.  :o) Have a wonderful day!

Happy Dance!

guys. I love love love Thursdays. I always say that because it is oh so TRUE! :o) This week has been just awful in many ways and I am very glad to have weekend just about here. I have a lot of random things, so let's get this party started shall we?

• BLUE TANGO! TONIGHT! I am so excited to go dancing! One of my favorite peeps to dance with is going to be there tonight and I'm rather excited about this.

• Tomorrow is Date Night. In fact, this last weekend Monkey Man was conversing w/someone from the ward about Movie Night and the next movie we were going to do and where and such and the topic of when came up. This other person mentioned how we could do Friday and Monkey Man said, "Friday night is Date Night. You can't mess with Date Night." I was SO EXCITED to hear those words come from his mouth. I love Date Night. On the agenda is dinner, apple pie making and the annual lighting festival at the Riverwoods. Sounds festive right? :o)

• I am going to be crafty this weekend and I am just so excited about this. I'm going to make a new bag for my church stuff. :o) It should be pretty sweet. Maybe I'll take pictures and tell you about it. Maybe.

• I got whacked in the face with a volleyball last night. Got whiplash. WORST headache EVER. but it was a fun night regardless.

• Also, last night I had a training meeting with the General Relief Society board. It was a wonderful board. I took so many pages of notes of things that I can be doing better. Part of me LOVES these meetings and another part of me hates them because afterwards I just feel so inadequate. There is so much room for improvement.

• I am just so happy these days when it comes to Monkey Man. After an emotional breakdown (over things that have been building up for some time now) on Tuesday evening, Monkey Man let me gripe and complain. He lent the best listening ear. The conversation led to other topics and his philosophies on life and the gospel are so well aligned with mine it is sometimes scary. I really really really really like him. I think he's the bee's knees and love being able to spend time with him any way I can.

• My cousin is blessing her baby up in L* this weekend. Sister B, Brother-in-Law T and I are all going up to spend time with them. Monkey Man may or may not be coming depending on his schedule on Sunday. Regardless, I am excited to spend time with my cousins.
• I really love going to the gym. SO GREAT.

• I'm really excited for the Holidays. They are going to be so much fun this year.

• Also, what does when get a boy they've  been dating for a short time (*cough Monkey Man cough*) for Christmas? I'm thinking maybe I'll make a stocking and stuff it with cute, fun  knick knacks, but I'm not sure. Your ideas are welcome.

Have the most fantastic weekend ever friends! Loves!

Fridayness

I am so happy it is Friday! The weekend is here again! I'm excited for the few plans I have this weekend, but first I must catch you up on my life. I really have been super busy, but no worries! I am taking the time now to blog about my life. I love life. It has been so great to me as of late. I've been thinking on how I want to do this - either by day or by subject matter, and I think we'll go with by day. Seems like a great way to go, in my opinion.

Friday, July 1st

I didn't have to work this day. I was so super happy about this! A four-day weekend just for me! (well, and half of my company...) Regardless, I was excited to have an extra day off. I started the day off by having lunch with my best friend from high school, her husband and her husband's best friend from high school. It was good times. They had really wanted me to meet this friend - to see if anything clicked. He seemed like a great guy, but not much clicked. It was all good though - I got to eat lunch with really fun people at the Pizza Pie Cafe so I was a happy camper.

After that I went to the Draper Utah Temple and then came home to eat some dinner before going to rehearsal. Rehearsal was good that night and I realized that I have to memorize the words to the songs I'm singing. I sort of forgot about that. I'm happy to report that since then I have memorized 1.5 of my 3 songs. GO me!

After rehearsal I went over to Grizzly Bear's house and watched The Adjustment Bureau.  I liked this movie a lot. I always love movies with dancers in them - the people who danced in this film were phenomenal. I loved watching it even if it was just for a brief moment. I enjoy hanging out with Grizzly Bear. We cuddled a little bit, but that was it. Since then we haven't really texted or anything. I think he's lost interest. I don't really know that for sure, but that's my guess.

Saturday, July 2nd

The only plans I had for this day were that of going to the Stadium of Fire with Percy.  I slept in that morning and then ran some errands and stuff. I also cleaned my room. I love having a clean room. Makes me happy.  I curled my hair super cute and Percy met me at my apartment just before 6 pm. We drove down to Cougartown and picked up a pizza at Papa John's. We then went to campus (where I found THE BEST PLACE to park in the whole wide world! Seriously! NOBODY parked there!) were we had a picnic dinner. Percy is a great conversationalist and I really enjoy sitting and talking with him. It's fun times. After our picnic, and after we had taken the picnic stuff back to my car we walked over to LaVell Edwards Stadium. We played a game of people watching (which I totally won. I think.) and then went into the stadium. We didn't have AMAZING seats, but they weren't horrid either.

The Stadium of Fire was AMAZING. I loved being able to see my friend The Whits perform (even though they didn't win) and David Archuleta was cute as always. My favorite performance of the night? Brad Paisley. Hands down! Not only does that man sing well, and is attractive as all get out - but he performs a great concert! He was fun to see and it was a really fun show. The fireworks that followed were incredible and I loved seeing them from inside the stadium. It had been 15 years since I last saw the fireworks from inside the stadium and I was much impressed. Percy put his arm around me and we sat there enjoying the awesome display.

We ended up going to Walmart together to pick up some things for our individual Sunday dinners and we just continued to have a blast together. He asked me if we could go out again and I agreed. A date hasn't been set because with my rehearsal schedule and his busy life we haven't been able to find a time that works. I'm sure that we'll make it work sometime very soon.

Sunday, July 3rd

This day was uneventful. Had dinner with Truit and her husband. Played games with friends. Went to church. Not necessarily in that order. ;)

Monday, July 4th

Happy Independence Day! I started off celebrating the day by sleeping in, cleaning my kitchen, and making some yummy food. Then Sister B, her husband, and I all went to Seven Peaks. We had a blast spending the afternoon playing in the water and riding awesome slides. After our adventures there we went back to their apartment and BBQ'd yummy food on their new grill and played Yahtzee. Such fun times!

So there you go. I had an amazing holiday weekend and I'm looking forward to some fun times this weekend as well. I have rehearsal tonight and then I plan on going to bed ridiculously early since I've been up way too late the past three nights. Tomorrow I'm going to pick up my Bountiful Basket, visit my sister and go to rehearsal. I don't have any solid plans for tomorrow evening yet, but if all else fails I plan on breaking in my brand new sewing machine by either making an apron or some new throw pillows for the living room. :o) I live a crazy life, I know. ;)

Tender Mercy Tuesday - 26th edition

Today I am so eternally grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love the gospel so much! I really feel super blessed to have this light in my life and to hae it be a guiding influence for me each and every day.

As many of you know, my little sister got married last week. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe that couples who are married in temples are sealed together not only for life, but for eternity. Only those who are worthy to enter the temple can witness the ceremony in a special room in the temple.

My sister and brother-in-law were married in a room just like the one above. I had the very special opportunity to be at my sister's sealing ceremony. It was a special experience - one that I won't forget anytime soon. I am so happy for my sister and her now husband. They definitely are going to be very happy for a very long time.

That is my tender mercy today. The blessing of the gospel in my life and being able to witness that special moment between my sister and her husband is definitely something to be grateful for today.



p.s. awesome stories and updates on Percy, Grizzlybear, the wedding shenanigans and the show are all coming. I promise.