so happy . . .

we made this little video to share some BIG news with our families! 

it's more than a little cheesy, but it's only a little over a minute and worth it. 

i promise.  :)
 

love . . .

yesterday marked six years of wedded bliss with this guy...

(i just had to add this one in 'cause he's so hot. :) )

it has been a crazy good ride...

way back when... 2004 before we even got engaged!

engagement pictures!... september 2004

wedding day!  november 23, 2004

2005

2006

anniversary 2006

2007

2007

2008

mexico... october 2008

new york... may 2009

washington dc... july 2009

halloween 2009

anniversary 2009

christmas 2009

vegas... april 2010

movie night... july 2010

and i can honestly say, i'm more in love now than ever before!

anniversary 2010


i love you babe! here's to forever more! 

well said johnny boy . . .

I hate to see you cry,

Lying there in that position.

There's things you need to hear

So turn off your tears and listen.

Pain throws your heart to the ground.

Love turns the whole thing around.

No, it won't all go the way it should,

But I know the heart of life is good.

You know it's nothing new,

Bad news never had good timing.

Then the circle of your friends

Will defend the silver lining.

Pain throws your heart to the ground.

Love turns the whole thing around.

No, it won't all go the way it should,

But I know the heart of life is good.

Pain throws your heart to the ground.

Love turns the whole thing around.

Fear is a friend who's misunderstood,

But I know the heart of life is good.

I know it's good...

 

Life is hard. Like, seriously hard.  Why doesn't anyone ever tell you that?! It seems like the older I get, the more intense the problems and the pain get. The things that mattered so much yesterday, are silly compared to the things that are in the here and the right now.  Just when everything is going just the way you plan, life has this way of making you believe that nothing will change, it will all be perfect. But then life also has this way of smacking you upside the head and giving you a cruel reality check.  Life isn't perfect, and things will pretty much never go the way you want or expect.
See, I have this patience problem.  I want all these things, and I want them now.  But the thing is, they are the simple things, or so it would seem.  I want a comfortable house in a nice neighborhood, I want that house to be filled with little babies, I want to have a job doing something I love and that allows me to be creative, and I want life to be good all the time.  And it sounds selfish really, because I have a pretty wonderful life. It's just that lately, I have been so consumed by the things that I want, by the could-have been's and the should-be's that I sometimes forget to look around at the blessing that is my life...

I have this amazing husband who loves me despite my emotional outbursts and my crazy ideas and tendencies.

I have, let's just be honest here, the absolute cutest puppy ever created. Dogs have this thing, this unconditional love that humans cannot, or maybe just will not, possess. It's inspiring.  

 I have these extremely giving parents who have given up their freedom and sacrifice a lot to let us live with them while we prepare for our future.

I have friends who are family, and family who are friends. And really, how much better does it get?

Life is hard. It really sucks sometimes. And it hurts more than you could ever imagine.  But it's good too. Really, amazingly, earth-shakingly good.  Life may have some horrible, deal-breaking qualities, but there's a natural balance to it.  What comes around, goes around and just like good things can go bad, bad things will most certainly turn into good.  So, here I am, waiting for the good, because this good? Well, it's going to be great.  All that pain and hurt that seemed insurmountable, it will have just stretched my heart to hold more love and passion for life and the things that will come. 

mmmmm . . .

For Young Women's last night, we had camp certification.  I was in charge of treats and I was DYING to try to make some s'more cupcakes, fitting for camp right?  Anyway, I took a bunch of different things from a bunch of different recipes and made my own little experiment...

These are my "Please Sir, Can I Have S'more" cupcakes.  Ü

First I started by mixing graham crackers, brown sugar and melted butter (exact measurements? who knows? I always get teased for just throwing stuff in!) and smashed a little into each cupcake cup...

Then I baked in for 4-5ish minutes.

Then I put in a scoop of chocolate batter (I used the Darn Good Chocolate Cake recipe by the Cake Doctor(I think). It's delish.) Then I put in a few mini marshmallows. (I'm totally changing the spelling of that word. From now on, it will be marshmEllows because that's how you say it. Amen.)

Then I put in another scoop of chocolate batter and topped it with more of the graham cracker mixture...

And the finished product...

yuuummmm! (Side note: good thing my baking skills are semi-up to par because my photography skills? Not so much. Please just pretend it's in focus so I don't have this embarrassed look on my face? Thanks.)

Okay, so they weren't totally finished because I had to add flair!

Seriously?  I was rather proud.  At this point, I was all, even if they don't taste good, I get points for the cuteness right?? So of course I let the girl's taste test them first because hey, if someone is going to die, it shouldn't be the maker of the cupcakes. Ü  Anyway, they went over really well, they loved them, the dad and husband liked them... so then I decided it was safe and I finally tasted one.  The best part? The top part of the cupcake with a little marshmellow frosting and the graham cracker crumbs.  The even better part?  They were tasty and I made them!  I have issues and am rather accident-prone and clumsy, so when I do something right, it's a relief!  Ü

Don't they just look like soldiers at the ready?! Prepared to make stomachs everywhere smile?!

No? You can't see it?  Here, I'll help...

hahahahaha!  I have a feeling I might be the only one who thinks that funny, but I serious can't help thinking it's hilarious!  Don't even ask how long I spent--at work--doing this. (So worth it!)

the olive garden dude . . .

my cousin and i share the same birthday.  i always feel like i highjacked the day from her since she is 2 years older (ha!), but i have always loooovvved it.  i have always looked up to her and loved getting the same things as her every year when we were little.  i felt like a little mini-me, while i'm sure she was sick of me being her shadow!  as much as i loved it then, i love it more and more every year.  we don't get the same clothes in varying colors anymore, but i love that we share that common bond.  and even more, i love that it's tradition to go to the olive garden every year. Ü

i love my family...

wait... do you see him?

hi there olive garden man...  do you mind?

some people's kids...

i start to panic . . .

((confession: i wrote this blog on may 20th, the day before my birthday, and i'm just now posting it.  it's actually ridiculously ironic.  you'll see...))

"Twenty-three is old. It's almost 25, which is like almost mid-twenties."

Well said Jessica Simpson.
I heart her.

Yeah, I said it.  I do. I can't help it.  Maybe it's because I can understand every word that comes out of her mouth. No, seriously, I get it.  The whole "Chicken of the Sea" thing... yeah, Chris was explaining that to me as Nick Lachey was giving her that blank stare. And to be completely honest, I'm still not sure that I get it.  Is it the lamest brand name ever, or is there some hidden genius behind it that I'm missing?

And 25 definitely doesn't feel like mid-twenties.  How could I possibly be in my mid-twenties? I'm only 25! Yeah, I totally get it Jessica. I got your back.

I'm having issues with this birthday.  It's not so much do to the fact that I'm getting older (which bites, don't get me wrong), and more to do with the fact that I feel like I haven't accomplished very many things yet.  There's so much I want to do and want to become.  And I'm already mid-twenties?  Shouldn't I have life at least semi-figured out by now?

So...all that being said, I have decided 25 is going to be a great year! My best year yet, if I can be so bold. Ü  I have plans. Real, honest-to-goodness plans! Which is shocking.  I don't make plans.  Or 24-year-old me didn't, we'll see what 25-year-old me thinks about all this.  I feel a little weird letting people know these plans, but at the same time, I have nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about, so why not?  Plus I think it'll be a good thing.  It might help keep me on track.  I mean, that didn't work whatsoever when I started Body for Life, but this has nothing to do with food and cutting me off from sugar, so it's got to be somewhat successful, right? Lay off! I'm starving!!!!  Plus, it would be nice to inspire at least one person with something, no matter how small. So here goes, you still with me?! Each of these goals starts from the big day tomorrow until the big day next year (26?! hold me.)

Goal #1: Take one picture every single day. 
Goal #2: Do something active every single day.
Goal #3: Do something nice for myself every single day.
Goal #4:  Do something nice for Chris every single day. 
Goal #5: Do something nice for someone else every single day.
Goal #6: Do or try something new every single day.
Goal #7: Write something, anything, every single day.

Is it just me or is "every single day" starting to look funny?  I made these goals a month ago and since then I think about them and feel completely overwhelmed and wonder what I was thinking.  And truth be told, I started out with 6, but my OCD kicked in and was utterly appalled by the even number.  I didn't want to cut one out, so I added one.  I really wonder if it's even possible to do all those things in one day.  But then I remember there is a lot of time in one day! And if I need to stay up an hour later than my 8:00 bedtime (I'm kidding! ...Mostly.) to get one of them done, then I lose an hour of sleep and I'm pretty sure that won't kill me.  Although, if I'm wrong, that sucks. Ü   In between feeling overwhelmed though, I feel excited, I feel motivated, and I feel challenged.

As if this post weren't long enough, I have one more thing I'm doing.
101 Things in 1001 Days
Pretty self-explanatory.  Choose 101 things you want to do and do it in 1001 days! So mine starts tomorrow and will end February 15, 2013. (Assuming 2012 was just a really entertaining movie and not fact.)  I haven't nearly finished my list, it'll be a work in progress for a little bit!

Both projects are listed up at the top of my blog! Check in on me!

Plans...huh.  It's new.  Here's to turning 25!

all the brilliance . . .

Truth or Dare? I choose Truth...

So, I'm a senior in high school and my mom is tending someone's baby.  I'm down on the floor playing with the baby and all these random toys, mostly from Happy Meals, are laying around.  I pick up these Winnie the Pooh keychains that have the plush character dangling and on the plastic keychain part it has the first letter of each character.  Like, "T" for Tigger, "E" for Eeyore, "P" for Piglet, you know.  So I pick up the Kanga and Roo keychains and, to the baby, I start saying, "'K' for Kanga, 'R' for Roo! 'K' for Kanga, 'R' for Roo!" and DING! A lightbulb goes off and for a split second, I think I am BRILLIANT! But apparently not quite smart enough to think about it before letting my mom know how SMRT I really am. "But wait! Mom! . . ."

Kanga

+

Roo

=

"KANGAROO!! And that's what they are!!!"

My Mom gives me a blank stare, followed by uncontrollable laughter intermixed with snorting.

That's right people, pure brilliance.