heavy heart

Simple. Raw. & Beautiful.

grateful:

01. For Biscoff cookies. Delta Airlines just met my pantry -- and it was a serious match made in heaven.

02. For the teenage boys that gave me flowers yesterday at work. Aw... Slightly inappropriate and yet so endearing.

03. For the approaching equinox. The sunsets that greet me when I leave for work each evening remind me how beautiful life can be. I love a hot pink sky.

04. For homemade shrimp scampi. Yum.

05. For the people in our lives that teach us to be patient.

06. For time. To learn. To grow. To heal. & To be free.

#lovingmonday

Breakfast in Midway.

Two hours of work.

An aced test.

Tooling around SLC.

MAT KEARNEY.

And some RT and DP for the drive home.

Today was a gift.

Can I push repeat please?

just a couple of letters...

Dear Utah Winter of '12,

You sure know how to treat a girl. My ability to endure the dormant season has increased over time, but this January may spoil everything. You've raised the bar: I'm going to expect every winter from here on out to be just as mild.

Dear MacArthur,

I've been talking about you to a lot of people lately. Remember when we used to go swimming at the Riverside Country Club, and you would hit on the high-school girls tanning in their bikinis? They didn't quite know how to react to you, but they loved to watch you waddle to the edge of the diving board, perform your little monologue, and throw yourself into the water. I didn't realize how much I would miss your chubby little self. Let's do something together again real soon.

Dear Becca,

Me + You + The Middle of the Dance Floor. Check it. This weekend is going to be fabulous.

Dear Mal,

Thank you for teaching me to be vulnerable. I had no idea what that really meant until I met you, but it is a lesson that will forever change the way I look at myself and other people. I appreciate your willingness to share so much with me. And thank you for having the courage to embrace change. The next few months are going to be so strange, but I have a feeling that they will yield results that neither of us anticipated. I hope you remember that no matter where you go, your friendship will always mean the world to me.

Dear Change,

We are in the middle of a MAJOR love-hate relationship. Thank you (?) for reminding me how comfortable I was -- and how much growing I still have left to do. I just wish you weren't so ambiguous. I like having a plan, you know?

sage advice

I hope you will have a wonderful year, that you'll dream dangerously and outrageously, that you'll make something that didn't exist before you made it, that you will be loved and that you will be liked and that you will have people to love and to like in return. And, most importantly (because I think there should be more kindness and more wisdom in the world right now), that you will, when you need to be, be wise, and that you will always be kind.

-- Neil Gaiman, author of Stardust

Image found here.

obligatory post

I am really struggling to come up with a post for the New Year. Truthfully, I'm a little agitated because I feel like a profound/reminiscent/goal-oriented post is so utterly NECESSARY. But it isn't.

So, here's to a new year of rolling with the punches. Of letting go of social norms [read: earth-shattering resolutions] and being content with the fact that I currently feel a little funky. The universe will not collapse if I start my New Year a week late.

I am still an ambitious person.

I still like to dream.

And I will continue to embrace & love life.

The universe (and I) really need to remember that.

P.S. If you find my creative energy, will you please let me know? Negative Nancy and I hate feeling so blasé.

merry christmas!

Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son.

-- excerpt from The Living Christ

Image found here.

taking a ride

Anyone who imagine that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed. The fact is that most putts don't drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just ordinary people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise...

Life is like an old-time rail journey--delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is the thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.

-- Jenkin Lloyd Jones, Newspaper Columnist

As quoted by President Gordon B. Hinckley here.

Image found here.

whelp...

01. I obviously didn't make it through my gratitude days of November. To be honest, it was a little bit liberating to let the whole idea slide. It wasn't an important goal, and I'm always a little terrified that this blog may sound too narcissistic. I am grateful for many things, but perhaps I should be grateful for those blessings as they come along -- instead of trying to catalogue them in one big sweep.

02. It was bitterly cold today. Hot chocolate, toast, and homemade cookies were naturally on this afternoon's menu. I ate each item with relish whilst wrapped in a blanket next to our Christmas tree. 'Twas perfection.

03. I miss home

.

04. I've been listening to the audio recording of Harry Potter at work. It has been a long -- but delightful -- process. Harry just went on his first (and last) date with Cho Chang, and my heart went out to the poor kid. Infatuation is a killer.

05. Mint + Chocolate = Not My Thing. It's a shame, especially with the recent influx of Christmas goodies. Too many treats keep striking out!

Image found here.

gratitude 15: taco tuesday

Best. day. of. the. week.

Shredded beef tacos for an American peso.

Such a sweet deal.

gratitude 14: life!

Here's to 25 years.

Cheers.

gratitude 13: cousins

Today I am grateful for cousins. There are only a few of us left in Provo, but we got together for dinner tonight anyway. I love hearing about what everyone is up to, and we did our best to fill each other in on all the family gossip. It feels good to laugh with people that love you -- even when you make a fool of yourself. :)

gratitude 12: the temple

It was a beautiful day.

Image found here.

gratitude 11: freedom & fireworks

Today I'm grateful for the men and women in uniform that currently serve or have served our nation in an effort to protect the freedoms that we enjoy.

I am spending the weekend in Rural America, and this small country town is celebrating 11/11/11 by shooting fireworks off at 11:11 PM. What better way to end the day than in true American fashion? Happy Veteran's Day!

Image found here.

gratitude 10: over and out

Holy smokes. I am so grateful this marathon day is over. Sometimes the best blessing is knowing that you can wake up and try again tomorrow. Night!