just a kiss

Warning: the following post contains images of lip to lip contact, if that type of connection makes you squirm then do not read this post. You have been warned. ;)

So it's New Years Eve, and among all the resolutions people are making and shortly be breaking, there is something else that comes to mind when this day approaches. "who am i going to kiss?" I'm not sure when or how New Years kisses became a thing, but I do know that most people have it on their bucket lists. ha. And you better believe i did too.

My first New Years Eve with Phill, was nothing like we had planned. We ended up "baby-sitting" his little brother Kaileb, but we were determined to still attempt to make it special/romantic. We built a fire in his back yard, and we all said movie quotes and had to guess where it came from. Snow was falling in giant flakes all round us, we had s'mores, and hot dogs (in that order) and really had an grand 'ole time ringing in 2010.  The clock struck 12 and then and there Phill and I had our first New Years kiss.



2009-2010



When December 31st rolled around the next year, Phill had been out on his mission for about a month.  So obviously no real New Years kiss took place, but i thought it would be fun if he had some sort of a kiss for New Years.  So i sent him a giant chocolate kiss with pictures of us pasted on all sides of the box, Wha-la our 2010-2011 New Years kiss.

Now, faster than i ever thought possible, it's time to ring in 2012! Every year my family has a candle light dinner on New Years Eve, we have steak and crab, and get out our fancy dishes.  This year is no exception.  Traditions are big with me, and so you better believe i didn't leave Phill "kiss-less" this New Years Eve! haha I found this idea on Pinterest, and knew i was going to use it for New Years. I sent him an example of his part of the picture and told him to send it back to me asap, it took two tries but then we finally got one that would work. All along he was pretty curious about "what the devil that picture was for" i took my part of the picture and put them together, sent it to him and ta-da here we have our 2011-2012 New Years kiss!

Phill will be home to usher in 2013 with me, and what a great year that will be!

 I hope you all have a great New Years Eve, and New Year!

Uno Mas

Now that Christmas has gone as quickly as it came, it's time to wrap up the season with one more post about my actual Christmas Day. (because it was a good one!) The day began with 9 o'clock church with my family, (minus mom, who was sweetly taking care of my Grandma) then back home for our traditional sausage sandwiches for breakfast! Yum! I don't know where or when that tradition started, but i have yet to have a Christmas morning without them, and I'll be darned if i ever actually do!
Next came the parade of presents, and I'll admit i was quite spoiled this year! (as i am every year, really) I am so excited to try out all my new cake pop making supplies! As the present opening progressed i began to feel a little queasy, my palms were sweaty and my stomach was doing back flips....i was getting more and more nervous. For what you ask? Well, it just so happens that along with Christmas comes another tradition, the 2nd time a year a missionary is allowed to call home...Phill was calling:) but not just calling i knew he'd be skyping! yikes! We kept opening and i kept getting more and more sick.  I took a break from the presents to get get myself all ready to "see" Phill. The siblings in my family all gave each other our gifts for one another after i got ready.  Kaitlin gave me a present that really calmed my nerves, observe:

Kaitlin handed me my carefully wrapped present, and instructed me to open it cautiously...i opened the package to find a box of donuts! Now i LOVE donuts don't get me wrong, but i have also recently lost 12 pounds so a  box of donuts seemed a little bit like sabotage! I then began to read the writing around the rim of the box lid...

Of course i instantly recognized the quote,(click HERE to listen) but the fact that i couldn't put the pieces together shows how nervous i was...i was instructed to open the box...so i did.



  

I opened it up and noticed a zip lock bag chillin' below the donuts...i carefully extracted said bag and opened it up. i scanned the papers that were in the bag but i still couldn't put it together to save my life! then suddenly it dawned on me/i saw the name on the paper. It was tickets to Brian Regan, my all time favorite comedian! Home run Kait, home run!



Rick, Kira, and Kait expertly created "sprink-smich" donuts for effect. They're great.

Well, that was a brilliant distraction, but now it was time to head to the Brandley's to talk to Phill. By the time i reached their house my hands were shaking violently...can you imagine how messed up i am going to be when he actually comes home! i will probably pass out! As you may or may not know, Phill has 8 siblings and 4 of those siblings have spouses so it takes a long time for my turn. I like to go after all his siblings because i feel like they have more rights to him than i do. I waited, and waited, tried to distract myself, and act calm. I sat in while his younger sisters talked to him, and then it was my turn...i sat in front of the screen and just like that it was like he was actually sitting right by me. We talked, laughed, and told stories about our crazy lives. I could have talked to him all day, Josh (Phill's oldest brother) kept popping his head in to tell me how much time i had left, before i knew it Phill's parents walked in to take their turn, and i thought and then said, "CRAP! i haven't even told you that i loved you once, I'm awful!" His parents laughed, but man it was a little awkward to express my feelings right then and there in front of them, but it was okay, i told him i loved him, and then walked out.  Usually i am giddy after his phone calls, but skype is different. I walked out of the room and into the hallway, Josh held out his arms and there i went and then came the tears...Louis (another brother) joined in. They were so great to not mock the water works! The Brandleys are absolutely amazing! I am so thankful that they let me steal some of their time with Phill.
So that was Christmas...oh wait i forgot to show you what Phill got me for Christmas, it is awesome!



This my friends is going to be my absolute sanity in the coming year! He, the amazing adorable Phill, made this "Weekly Reminder Book" which literally has something to remind me of him for every week next year! He's a keeper! It's adorable, i haven't looked ahead or anything, but my family all have right in front of me! (rude) but they are impressed and so am i!

Next Christmas we'll be together!

Hallelujah!

Merry and Bright

Christmas Day is just hours away! (unintentional rhyme) And like everyone else I've been Christmasing all December long, with the exception of finals week , in which the only Yule Tide tradition i participated in was the banging of my head on my desk to the rhythm of Jingle Bells during study sessions.
I tried my best to get my Christmas shopping done early this year. I really hate shopping so getting it over and done with as quickly is possible is how i usually plan on shopping, and then end up going on Christmas Eve to find presents. Luckily for me, i chose to do the 12 days of Christmas for Phill this year, which forced me to be early in my shopping and sending, which also meant shorter lines at the Post-office (shorter as in an hour long wait as opposed to the typical two).  Writing about shopping is about as boring as doing it, so....moving on!

Christmas is a time for traditions, one of my absolutely favorite traditions has been going on for as long as i can remember.  Every Christmas Eve all the kids in my family would smash into my brothers' room to sleep for the night.  Once we had all settled in with our new jammies on, my mom would sit down anywhere she could find a place and read the Polar Express.  This has become one of my all time favorite books, and i completely intend on reading it to my children (that is if Grandma doesn't read it to them first).  Everything about that book is beautiful, the pictures, the story, and the message:  to believe in something!

There is more to Christmas than believing in Santa or his reindeer...it's about believing in the good of the world, the goodness of people that often gets shadowed by all the evil that takes place.  Without our sweet Savior Jesus Christ, we wouldn't have any goodness to celebrate. He is the reason for celebrating, he is joy!

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

And a Incredible 2012....i know i will ;)

i'm one of those...

Ever since Indy came into my life, i have slowly been transforming into "one of those people" you know dog people. (not that there is anything wrong with that) I have always loved dogs, but something about Indy, i am a little obsessed! I love this dog so much, seriously i just can't get enough of her...well except for when she is driving me crazy, but she's a baby and they'll do that. haha

Indy at 9 weeks old

4 months

6 months

Over the Hill

I've been sitting here for 10 minutes trying to figure out what to say...1 year ago tonight, i stood on my porch and hugged Phill, good-bye for 2 years.  I still remember that moment, it was so slow and so quick...he smiled grabbed me and spun me around, placed me back onto the step of my porch, gave me a kiss, and drove away. And the adventure began!  He went to the MTC the next day, and has been serving faithfully ever since!

The first year is over! We've made it! If i said that this year has been easy, i would be lying, lying hard core...it hasn't been easy.  But, it has been great.  As i looked back over the past year, all the things we've accomplished and experienced there really aren't any words that can properly describe what a trail, struggle, and oddly enough what a blessing it has been to be apart.  

I've learned so much about sacrifice, and i've been able to see Heavenly Father's hand in almost every aspect of my life. Heavenly Father has blessed us both so much over the past year and i am so grateful for him in our lives, helping us to grow closer together, instead of drifting apart.  I am so excited to be this far along in his mission, i am also so excited for this next year and all the adventures we will have on our own...and together!  To keep myself from getting too sentimental here and writing a years worth of who knows what, i made this little video for Phill of pictures from our 1st year apart. So i'll share it with you:

1 year down and we're on our way!

Attitude 'o' Gratitude

I just realized that i never posted about what i am most grateful for...how ungrateful of me! So I'll make up for it! (mostly for my own benefit)

I am thankful for my family.  We've had amazing adventures and experiences. We've had a lot of trials, but we're still together.  I'd be lost without them!  

I am thankful for my cute parents who keep us all together. They are truly selfless and i owe everything i have and am to them and their amazing support!

i am thankful for my crazy sister and sister-in-law...(and that i no longer have that hair color...i was going through a phase.haha) Kait and Kira have been great examples to me in my life!




I am thankful for my awesome brothers and all the fun times we've had hiking, rodeoing, nintendoing...(those are not real words. ha.)

Phill has by far been one my greatest blessings! In my entire life i never thought i would find someone who would treat me with so much respect and love.  I am so grateful that he chose to serve a mission and has allowed me to be a part of it as well. He has the ability to bring me joy on my worst days and make me feel important when i feel so insignificant.

He is my best friend!

I am sometimes thankful for my puppy...haha. Just kidding, i am always thankful for Indy! She always finds a way to make me laugh, despite all her obnoxious habits. She comes on drives with me and is pretty much my constant companion when i am home.

Above all else, I am thankful for my Savior Jesus Christ.  His atonement which has strengthened me and given me hope.  I would be in darkness without the hope my savior gives to me.  He lives, and He loves me.

There are so many things that i am truly grateful for! My home, my education, my cute Brandley family, a healthy body, a sound mind, my extended family, my future family, mountains, and fresh air, freedom, and sacrifice.  I am thankful for the blessings i receive from my Heavenly Father, and his tender mercies that i experience everyday!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

You Might Be a Utahn If...

This is what Jeff Foxworthy had to say about Utahns...

1. If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you live in Utah.
2. If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed the wrong number, you live in Utah.
3. If 'vacation' means going anywhere south of Salt Lake City for the weekend, you live in Utah.
4. If you measure distance in hours, you live in Utah.
5. If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you live in Utah.
6. If you have switched from 'heat' to 'A/C' and back again in the same day, you live in Utah.
7. If you install security lights on your house and garage but leave both unlocked, you live in Utah.
8. If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you live in Utah.
9. If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you live in Utah.
10. If the speed limit on the highway is 75 mph -- you're going 80, and everyone is still passing you, you live in Utah.
11. If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow, you live in Utah.
12. If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction, you live in Utah.
13. If you find 10 degrees 'a little chilly' you live in Utah.
    

I love living in Utah!

Red Bull...gives you wings!

On the first day of June 2009, i agreed to go on a walk with one Phillip Jesse Brandley.  It was about 11:30 at night and it had been raining all day. I hadn't seen Phill in 2 years and shockingly enough i wasn't nervous at all.  i stepped out the front door of my house into the warm summer night not knowing that this would ever amount to anything.  We started walking, there was no awkward small talk, we just talked non-stop about nothing...it was easy, and it was fun! We walked for miles doing random things: rearranging people's lawn ornaments, running through sprinklers, waiting at a bus stop even though there wasn't a bus, and laughing. There was one thing we did that night, that has always stayed with us....well, besides each other. (haha)
Phill had been randomly picking flowers from people's yards as we walked and handed them to me.  As we walked he found a Red Bull can in the gutter, not thinking about sanitation or germs, i put the flowers in the can of Red Bull and he kept adding to it as we walked.  Next thing i know, I'm getting a text from my mom telling me it is now 2:30 A.M. and i had better get my butt home! I completely lost track of time! After that night, i didn't really expect to see him again, i wanted to, but i didn't expect we'd ever have anymore than that random walk in the middle of the night.  But, here we are almost 2 1/2 years later, still going strong. Now you are probably wondering what provoked this random storytelling post? This did:

Friday morning around 2, I had just gotten back from a movie with my sister, i walk into my room and i find these. Needless to say i crumbled and had myself a good cry. But all patheticness aside, how FREAKING adorable is this?!?  Phill collaborated with his amazing siblings, and arranged to have these delivered to me, in  a Red Bull can with a cute note. And people ask me why i love him! I couldn't have asked for anything or anyone sweeter. Sorry to get all mushy up in here, but he is just incredible, and i don't deserve him!





Fitness is My Pal

There are a many things i love with a passion: my family, Phillip, the gospel, fresh air, and... food. I really love to eat.  Lately i have been hearing this saying, "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." when i hear this, i think to myself, 'Really...have they never eaten cake?' i mean COME ON!
I believe life is too delightful, surrounded by people you love and delectable things, to deprive yourself! Dieting is also proven to make you gain more weight in the long run, because you deprive yourself, and then binge!
 Well, then why deprive yourself! Philosophy if you eat what you want when you want, you won't gorge yourself.  Among the things i have a liking for, i enjoy running. I'm not particularly good at it. A back injury took me out of the game for a few years, but I'm edging my way back into fitness and control...calorie control that is.  I've started using My Fitness Pal, here is the link:  http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ it's free calorie counter and exercise tracker...and it. is. awesome.
I still eat what i want, when i want, but I'm am aware of how much i am eating, and now i actually know when to stop! Since i first logged onto myfitnesspal i have lost 7 pounds. what. up. I can also run much further than i could before! woot.
 Starving yourself is NEVER the answer, and depriving yourself is NEVER fun. So enjoy life, enjoy food!
Check out my fitness pal if you get the inkling. it's a helpful tool to enjoy the sweeter things in life and still get some results.  I love it!

This is Halloween!

So... for the past 2 years i have been forced, by someone who will remain nameless *cough* PHILLIP *cough*, to dress up on Halloween. It's never really been my thing, but it seemed like quite the little deal breaker so i went a long with it.
Year 1 we were Robin Hood and Maid Marian, and year 2 we were a 1920's Flapper Gangster couple...

confession: i shockingly miss being forced to dress up this year! So am i dressing up??? You'd think i would, but turns out 2 years in a row is not habit forming so i am going costume less.
Anyways today is Halloween, and yesterday i did participate in the grand tradition of carving pumpkins! My family and i dug into some of the largest, thickest, heaviest pumpkins i have ever seen! This is what we came up with:

A lot of guts!!!!

Ben, he doesn't even like carving pumpkins, but look at his masterpiece!

Kait free handed her pumpkin, man that girl is talented!

Top to bottom: Dad's Frankenstein Monster, Mom's crazy eyes, Kait's Princess in the Frog,
My Linus waiting for the Great Pumpkin, and Ben's Bob Marley...he got "No Woman, No
Cry" stuck in my head for hours!

Ta-da! The end result! Aren't we awesome ;)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

News Flash:

Well it finally happened 15 years of seemingly endless education in the making, i have been accepted into the Education Program and Weber State! boo ya. It is mind boggling to me how many obstacles you have to go through to become a teacher! The application process alone is enough to make you want to switch majors, no wonder there is a "teacher shortage" it's a pain in the butt to become one!
But, I am done complaining for now because I passed the dreaded CAAP test, successfully completed my general education courses, applied, wrote my 'why i want to teach' statement, nailed my interview, and received my letter of acceptance. I am on my way!

Not only did Weber State thrill me this week via the mail, but they generously granted me, (along with the rest of the student body) 1 glorious day off for Fall Break...1 day. haha Thanks for nothing! After cranking out spring, summer, and fall back to back i am ready for a real break! That 3 week break between Fall and Spring semester has never looked so good. A day off is a day off though, and i absolutely enjoyed it every second of it!



Fall in Utah complete bliss 

 Side note if you haven't seen Footloose, (the remake) they did an incredible job with staying true to the original, plus adding in a few things which made me like it more than the original (yeah i said it). I would highly recommend seeing it...the only down side is that it made me painfully aware that my dancing skills are truly nonexistent!

Today in Young Womens i had the "great" opportunity to talk to all the girls about keeping the law of chastity while dating...the most dreaded lesson of the year! Wonder of wonder, the torch fell to me, to convey this awkward topic to my beautiful girls.  i spent weeks dreading, pondering and praying how to teach this material to them.  I found this video that helps clarify how important sexual purity is, without throwing it in your face.

 Love is a beautiful thing, but it is easily mistaken for other things such as lust.  Love is pure. I was so grateful that i was able to teach these young women! I started off by saying, "Alright girls, this lesson gets a little awkward so we are just going to power through!" My friend Brittany and i always joke about how we just want to grab the young women by the shoulders and shake them as we yell, "DON'T EVER DO ANYTHING STUPID WITH A BOY!!!" This lesson in a round about way was my opportunity to do so.  Needless to say i didn't sugar coat the issue. I was scared of their reactions, but lo and behold they were mature, and they participated, and they were darling, i was so proud of them! At the end i gave them cupcakes that said "The SWEETEST blessings come to those who wait." I just love Young Women's!

Up at North Fork where we have our blessed Chili day!

To continue on with this unbelievably random post, today was the Chili day! It's the most sacred and noblest of traditions upheld by the Westbroek Clan.  Every year we take a steamin' pot o' Chili up to the valley and have a picnic in the mountains. It's simple, it's beautiful, and it's perfect.  We've almost never missed a fall and it's always one of my favorite days of the year!

Life is good!





History 101

Ah, Columbus Day, one of America's more worthless holidays.  I did get a little delight and a spark of pride for good old American know how today while I was at the gym. I was on the elliptical at Gold's minding my own business when the Ellen show comes on the TV. Delightful I love Ellen, to my even greater delight Ellen's Know or Go game was based on American History, my favorite subject (boo ya) the nerd in me was anxious to answer all the questions!

Ellen comes to the 1st girl, she answers correctly, the second follows suite, then the 3rd girl...a college student and aspiring Doctor, was asked, "In what year did Columbus make his famous voyage?" The girl responds, "1707" ...Oh no no no. That was just sad. I was laughing so hard I could elliptical no more.

Happy Pointless Holiday Everyone.

 Sorry Columbus, but ya didn't even discover America, mmmk.

A lot of Nothing...

I haven't blogged in what seems like ages for the avid blogger i have become, but simply put, my life seems to be a broken record. To spare you all the details of my mundane life i am blogging about the only excitement i've had in awhile:

 L to the O to the G-A-N!

Here are some pictures from my adventure up north:

At the Temple after Baptisms! it was a balmy 40 degrees,
only made more pleasant by the wind chill.
I love Logan!  

"Let's go to the mall today"

Shanda and i killing time at the Cache Valley Mall
before meeting her parents for dinner.

And still wasting time...

i found this little gem at Dillard's, and believe you me
if i would have had $30 i would have bought it!

In other news: Miss Indy is now 5 months old and she is a little genius.  We have been practicing doing her tricks with mainly hand signals, she is getting pretty good! I just love this pup so much!

Don't mind the awful filming, i am trying to film and do hand signals and reward her at the same time.

 No small task.

Here she does sit, up, down, roll over, and being stinkin' adorable.  

Sorry if the video doesn't load, it's being weird! But, she really can do all those things:)

Words To Live By:

On Saturday night I went with my cute mommy, to the General Relief Society Meeting. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf spoke to the women of the church. He used Forget-Me-Nots for the foundation of his talk. Just as there are five pedals on each Forget Me Not, he gave us 5 things we should never forget:

1. to be patient and compassionate with yourself

2. some sacrifices are better than others

3.  to seek for happiness NOW

4. that the gospel of Jesus Christ will inspire and uplift you.

5. that your Heavenly Father knows, loves, and cherishes you.

I loved this talk! Whether you have been active in the church all your life, or never at all your Heavenly Father loves you, and He loves me.  One of my favorite songs is Consider the Lilies it reminds me that no matter how small and insignificant we all may feel at times, Heavenly Father is mindful of all of his creations including me and you!

So chins up my friends, because He won't forget you, and neither will I!

 

*Up on the Peak*

Well folks we finally did it! After countless scheduling conflicts and a phobia of reptiles, Shanda and I hiked our outdoorsy butts up Ben Lomond Peak Friday afternoon.

 We stopped at Maverick to snag some gas, they were cooking hot dogs up front so we grabbed a giant dog, and with all our hiking gear, took off up the mountain in Shanda's awesome Tacoma laughing at how we are, 

"The girliest girls we know."

The hike was amazing! i hadn't hiked Ben Lomond in over 4 years and Shanda had never hiked it. Word to the wise go in September it is GORGEOUS! There are hints of fall everywhere and it's not crazy hot. win win. 

When we reached the peak we hung out for about an hour and just enjoyed nature!

 Man i love mountains. And i will tell you why:

1. They smell awesome

2. They are peaceful

3. It's one of the places i feel closest to my Heavenly Father

4. when you scale a mountain you just feel hardcore

5. Endorphins!

6. They take all your stress away

mountains are good for the soul!

If you have never hiked Ben Lomond i would suggest you get on that real quick, it's 16 miles of pure bliss!

May We Never Forget.

There are days that fade in and out of memory, but today will never be one of them. Its early morning on September 11th 2011,  as I went with my family to put up flags around our neighborhood I couldn't help but go back ten years ago and think of all the lives that were changed on this day, including mine.  Everyone says they will never forget where they were when they heard about the attacks on 9-11-01, and I am no exception.  I was ten years old.  This is what I remember about the day that changed our Nation forever:

September 11, 2001
I remember waking up to get ready for another exciting day of 5th grade. I went out to eat breakfast as I always did and usually watch a little T.V. today was different. I remember my mom had the news turned on and there was smoke billowing out of the World Trade Center. 
We watched for a while and then headed to school; i remember walking through the office, the library, the halls, the normal hustle of those busy places had fallen silent. No phones rang, no one spoke, and the eyes of all the teacher and adults were fixated on the television in the Green Acres library.  For most students once they reached their classrooms the tragedy that was unfolding before our eyes was shielded from them and their day went on.  But not for me, I remember walking into class and the same images poured out in front of me from the screen placed in my class room as the second tower was hit.
My teacher and little 5th grade class watched that terrible day unfold on live television all day. We saw every poor soul who leaped for their final deliverance from the top of the towers; we saw the fire, the smoke, the fear, the crash and collapse of both towers.
I remember when it was time for recess no one played, no one talked, and every time a plane flew over our heads we all instantly looked up expecting it to come crashing down on us.
My teacher had us draw pictures and write about what we saw.  I didn't keep what i drew, but i remember being sick to my stomach as i drew little people falling out of windows and the fire consuming the upper floors of the World Trade Center.

May we never forget, not only the attacks on the The World Trade Center, The Pentagon, and those who brought down the plane in Pennsylvania, but how united we were as a nation during the time that followed.  Even at 10 I had a feeling of unity and love for all Americans.  I remember how we all banded together from that day forward and although the smoke has dissipated and the victims have been laid to rest, may we never forget.  Never forget how precious life is, how blessed we are to live in America, and how much we owe to those serving our country. May we never ever forget.

God Bless America! 

~Just a Girl and Her Dog~

Margarita Night Done Right!

The time has come. My little group of friends are all on their way to the big veintiuno! Alisha is one of the first, and basically one of my most favorite people on this planet!  So to send her off to 21 in style we had a Margarita Night.  Turns out we'd be awesome drunk people...but who needs booze when you can get drunk on life right??? haha. Our night got as wild as it could get when you are substituting Orange juice for Tequila. They still tasted awesome, and we could remember what we did the next day. win, win.  

9 months baby!

↑
Clearly excited about this 9 months thing.

Alright so Elder Brandley has been out 9 months and at risk of looking overly excited i have been debating how to do this post....i thought i would give some statistics about how it takes 9 months to get from Earth to Jupiter...or in 9 months the average person walks 100 miles (all these statistics are being made up on the spot and are most likely completely bogus. haha. ) Anyways, i was hoping to find an awesome stat to put this 9 month chunk of time into perspective, trying to find an alternative to the obvious answer to measure a 9 month period of time...yes, a baby. But i had no such luck. So Phill has been gone a whole baby. haha.  And he is doing awesome! He is heading to his 3rd Area (not sure where yet), working hard, and spreading some joy!  

So...where do we stand 9 months out???

I believe Sugarland says it best.

basically i am just as crazy about him as ever! we still think freakishly alike, he still cracks me up, makes me endlessly happy, and no one else holds a candle to him....(i know mush fest, but all true. ha.)

3 more months and we'll be at 1 year. Time is flying, can life get any better? I submit that it cannot!



The most recent pictures of Phillip and I. to the left you see elated me tearing off link # 9 to my wicked sweet paper chain! and to the right you see Elder PJB as studly as ever holding some sort of stuffed animal...story of animal unknown. haha (we're still pretty cute together if i say so myself.)
Happy September All!



Trending Now:

So i have never considered myself super trendy or one to go along with whatever everyone else is wearing, i just wear what i want when i want, but there is one trend that is gaining popularity that i am sooo on board with! it's 70 style headbands. Freaking delightful, but they are a pain in the butt! These are the 2 that i have had success with thus far in my attempts to be trendy. haha This post is probably going to make me look slightly shallow...possibly egotistical, but i am doing this for you Mrs. Bree Cooper, and anyone else who wants to jump on this little "fashion" band wagon with me. So here we go...


I got this headband from Claire's. how i made it look semi decent is this
1. do hair in up do messy bun in the back or on the side
2. put the headband on over your bangs
3. you'll have to pin and adjust the headband because it tends to make your hair go all sorts of crazy directions
4. take the bangs that are hanging down under the headband and wrap them up and around the headband to create a sweeping motion with the hair.
5. hairspray and prepare yourself for one giant headache after wearing this baby all day!

This is my new favorite headband, i got it at Downeast Basics. (surprisingly enough)
how i did this quirky little do is:
1. my hair was down and slightly curly
2. i put the headband on first under all my hair
3. then i gathered my hair on the side of my head with and elastic made a messy bun and pinned random pieces all over the place.
3. then i did the sweeping motions with my bangs again which was already there from the curl pretty much
so in this look the only part of the headband you see is across your forehead.

This view of the bangs might make it easier to see what i mean by sweeping. haha
sorry i am no master of fashion. but i think i have officially stated everything i know about this new fashion trend and made myself look slightly self absorbed in the process. i have yet to make one look good with my hair down...that's a project for another day.
Enjoy!





~ In the Land of Sugar~

Last week my sister, who is just the greatest by the way, got her poor (literally) super broke sister tickets to SUGARLAND!!!! what a doll right? Well we had an amazing time, despite the incident in Indiana, Sugarland put on a spectacular show i would rank it in my top 3 concerts, absolutely fabulous. Did i mention Kait got us pit tickets so we were like 3 rows of people away from the stage. Yes, Awesome! Thanks you so much Kait! Here are some of my favorite pictures from the concert:

Pre-Concert Antics:

So these 3 first photos have a delightful story behind them, but to spare you the juicy details we were trying to capture our initial reaction to the overly affectionate lady couple next to us.... none of these pictures properly portray our emotions.

kaitlin is speachless, and i...do not know how to react

as their PDA continues....we are not fans.



we use humor as a defense mechanism  in awkward situations...obviously!

We Love Sugarland!!!!



Concert Time:

This song is called Love, they dedicated it to those who lost their lives and were injured during the collapse at the Indiana State Fair. 

This was such an AMAZING concert!!!! Thank you Kaitlin!

 if you ever get an opportunity to see Sugarland do it!

For real.