Pinteresting

Pinterest.

It's a craze taking over the world. If you haven't heard of it, get that rock you've been hiding under off, then head here and request an invite.

Thats right, request an invite. Sound pretentious? Oh well. It's worth it.

Thanks to having hip friends who know something is awesome before it's officially awesome, (cough. nat) I've known about Pinterest for a little while, and had one for a little while.

Therefore I've spent many an hours perusing the clothing, convincing myself I could DIY drapes/pillows/skirts, deciding I could be a master baker, and that I know exactly how I will want my wedding to be.

Basically in my pinterest world I feel that I am everything I ever wanted to be/do.

Since I realized how pathetic this is I've decided to try a few things I've pinned! Hopefully this will continue and I can justify my pinning by sharing my real life doing of those things.

So far I've....

Made this delicious dinner.

False: THIS DINNER IS BLAND. It is not as good as the photo may appear. It was... fine. But bland. And when I decide to take the time to actually cook I don't settle for bland.

Crafted this cool picture frame.

Their version:

My version:

Thursday I made these Caramel Apple Cider cookies.

Verdict-delicious when warm. If they've cooled that is no problem-just microwave it up.

And tonight it was these blondies for Ward Prayer

I loved them-the dough especially

(Note I didn't use the marshmallows, coconut, or chocolate chips but instead put walnuts and butterscotch chips in)

And since most of my pins are about clothes....I gave in and bought one of the first things I pinned-this swimming suit. (At $110 off the original price!!!)

Who knew pinning could be so fun?

Why I Haven't Been Blogging:

Just running into each other caffeine runs

Global Health Midterm, weekend football games, BPHA opening social, Environmental Health midterm, Environmental Epidemiology presentation, sundance moonlight lift ride, CTL student employee celebration lunch, a computer that won't take a charge, combined Relief Society lunch, America dance parties, London reunions, English paper, English Midterm, a week of being sick, fomo(fear of missing out), trip to the Aquarium, dessert nights, sleepover in Park City, witches night out, working the Major Fair, reading, Desert Star, review sessions, roommate Sunday dinners, and Warren Miller movie, reading Heart of Darkness, Skee Ball with Mom, and many diet coke runs.

Sundance Lift Ride

10 Things Making Me Terribly Happy..

Lately I've been sick. Like headache, earache, sore throat, stuffy nose, exhausted sick. As a result my life has been pretty boring as of late. I've mostly just been laying low hanging out with the roommates and my family. (And obviously not blogging.) And then yesterday I just had a day that can only be described as... off.

So I'm today I'm emerging again. A little less sick, a little more awake, a little more alive. And these are the things today that are making me terribly happy:
10- The leaves are changing color! Ever so slowly I've been watching the color creep down the mountain by the Y. Soon enough they will take over this entire tree-infested campus. And it will be lovely.

9-Getting to see my good friend Jess at the BYU vs USU football game. It had been way too long! (Jess-sorry for your loss, once again)

8-That all of my usual TV shows are back on. I'm embarrassed to admit just how many that may be...(HIMYM, Parenthood, Grey's, Gossip Girl... just to name a few...)

7-Seeing the Lion King in Disney 3D! I'm a huge Disney fan, and this was exactly what I needed. Thanks Poppe.

6-The OC. I've justified watching them nonstop since I haven't been feeling well. Any one else completely in love with Seth Cohen? (Thanks for introducing me/letting me take over your DVDs Nat)

5-Girls night dinner at the delicious cheesecake factory while Dad was at Priesthood. I love being with my sisters. So much fun. Even if two of us didn't have voices.

4-Sweaters, boots, layers, making carmel apples, football and all things Autumn.

3-Football with Dad. It was fun being sick together Sunday night, thanks for the company.

2-Finding my red sweatpants!! I had been missing this things!!

1-My favorite weekend of the entire year-October General Conference weekend. I was so excited for it this year, and I felt so much peace listening to the Prophet and apostles. President Uchtdorf's Relief Society talk was exactly what I needed to hear. If you haven't read it please, please do! You can find it here.

One of my favorite parts:

"God wants to help us to eventually turn all of our weaknesses into strengths, but He knows that this is a long-term goal. He wants us to become perfect, and if we stay on the path of discipleship, one day we will. It’s OK that you’re not quite there yet. Keep working on it, but stop punishing yourself.

Dear sisters, many of you are endlessly compassionate and patient with the weaknesses of others. Please remember also to be compassionate and patient with yourself."

Exactly what I need to hear.

..................................................................

I guess, in a nutshell Autumn makes me happy. Terribly, peacefully, happy.

What about you?

A Love Story

I was born into being a Ute fan the ways some kids are born into money, or 20/20 vision.

Genetics, and environment.

From the time I was an infant I was exposed to college athletics. Dad frequently talks about how when it was his turn to wake up with me in the middle of the night we'd sit there watching football or sports center together.

When I was just a year and a half old I was already completely enamored with my team.

Exhibit A

And it continued- from the time I was about 3 I went to Utah football and basketball games. I remember when Utah basketball won the Mountain West conference title and brought out the ladder to cut down the net. Some of the older people around us were surprised that Dad would bring three young girls to such an important game.

We weren't though.

I remember touring Rice Eccles as soon as it was completed. I was ecstatic to attend the games, and Dad never stopped bring us to those either. There were times when it was cold, and my sisters who may have come most excited for dip n dots were tired, and done with the game.

I wasn't though.

Dad was patient with me. Explaining everything from offsides to pass interference and how exactly teams get into those rigged BCS games. And before he and I knew it, he had at least one daughter that loved the game.

I bet when we were little Dad thought he'd probably have a son to take to the games someday. Obviously he never did. He could have been disappointed by this.

He wasn't though.

Of course I remember being there when Utah beat out BYU solidifying a spot in the Fiesta Bowl. Of course I was smitten by the always attractive Alex Smith during the heyday of the Urban Era.

Of course I cheer for Utah.

When I got into BYU Dad always reminded me of the example of my cousins, who graduated from the Y but remained U fans. He got a lot of slack at work for letting his daughter go to the rival school for which he cheered. He could have called me a traitor.

He didn't though.

So here I am, fourth BYU season I've been a student there-and the fourth season I've cheered for Utah at that rivalry game. Every other BYU game I cheer for them, for my school, because I do love them. However, I will always love my Utes more.

And I thank my Dad for that!

PS-Dad helped give out the game ball with some great people!

300

Last night I sat a table (oh whats that word...) reminiscing with friends:

one girl who was always a friend, but when I needed a best friend more than ever became just that

another girl who I've known longer than anyone else in the room (besides mom) and who has always been there to make me smile and make me laugh

a boy who I've watched grow into a man, yet still laughs like child

and my very best friend, my mother.

We sat laughing, joking, sipping on mediocre lemonade and catching up with the passers by and each other. We admired the beautiful bride, and the groom who meant something different to each of us, but was loved by us all.

Life is funny. Who would have thought five years ago that at this wedding I'd be sitting next to those two girls. Or that we'd laugh with such care-free attitudes about things that, five years in the past, wouldn't have been funny in the least.

But we laughed. And we joked. And I thought about how lucky I am that my life has worked out how it has, about how lucky I am to have them all as friends. About how grateful I am for change.

And that brings me to the title of this post-300. This is my 300th post on the blog. 300 posts in 3 years-not too bad! Of course not all of them actually made the cut for being published, some are just for me. Together they, the published and un-published, make up the story of my life the last 3 years. And I'm so grateful I have that story for myself.

To remind me just how grateful I am with the way my life worked out.

Labor Day Weekend

i can get hurt playing the most mild of sports, mom and I got a hole in 2, and... i lost

abbie being very serious, megs gets a whole in 1, and this man shows us how it's really done

Friday: shopping with Mom, dinner with the family, a little bit of an allergic reaction, TCU vs Baylor with Dad, ice cream with Stace, and getting knocked out by Benadryll

Saturday: sleeping in, bagels, Park City, browsing the shops, enjoying the perfect weather, meeting Michelle Money (soo soo kind. can I just take a minute and say how genuine and sweet she is. I'm seriously hoping she wins that little tv show she is currently on), dinner and football

Sunday: sleeping in, church in Provo (I'm loving my ward here), getting a new calling, dinner with the Child's, Sweet Home Alabama, and the following southern speak for the rest of the night

Monday: sleeping in, lunch with the family, running into some friends, mini golf, homework, back to Provo, and some crafty actually-do-something-I-pinned-time.

It was a fun weekend, and just what I needed after last week (was it the longest week ever for anyone else?). Now I'm refreshed (did you notice the "sleeping in" trend?) and ready to get back to work/school/studying/provo life.

Thanks family! It was fun. Well obviously-because we have "such a fun family".