Firework Season

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Firework Season baby! There are not enough positive adjetives in the english language to describe how much i love fireworks, the season always begins with Founder's Day in Pleasant View, I'll be honest as a North Ogdener i never really cared for the whole Founder's day speil, but I, of course, always take advantage of the fireworks! This year i dragged Kaileb and Tif along with me, oh and their cousin Cory who just happened to be around. We met up with Shanda and her RM Kenton, Sterling and his date, also Alisha Littlewood and Allie Powell joined us. So we had a great group to enjoy the works of fire.  

Some of my all time favorite people!

Tif is the Little Sister i never had, she's so dang cute!

This is just the beginning of Firework Season, it's going to get serious!

Get out and enjoy some while you can:)

3 going on....

As you, the ever avid read of this epic blog, know on Friday was our 3rd year anniversary. Ironically as we like to point out we have never spent one together. Our first year Anniversary I was in Tonga, and the past 2 Phill has been in California doing something important i guess.... ;) Needless to say we are both at fault. Last year the anniversary on my own was a bit depressing so this year i stepped it up and took matters into my own hands. I took a personal day, which really only entailed getting my hair done and taking myself to lunch at Zuppas (Yum!), BUT it was still something!

I came home to a cute card from Phill in the mail and a video letter, i literally love video letters from him! it's the closest we ever really get to being together and he has some unbelievable gift to say everything i need and want to hear. Home Run, Phillip, Home Run.

This is a snip i took of his video where he is showing off that we're still a cute couple obviously;) haha. Although he doesn't look all to pleased at the moment. haha.

Later that day, I went with my family Father's Day shopping, and we came across this beauty:

i tell you what, if you are ever having a "fat" day, sit in this chair, it makes you feel so small. haha. Instant cure! I love the 6 cup holders, oh the possibilities!!!

In other events of that day, Kaitlin was doing her hair, and it was getting a little out of control so i challenged her to see how big she could make it. Challenge Accepted:

As you can see, we got a pretty good laugh out of it. Man i love her.

Even though it would have been incredible to spend our anniversary together it's reassuring to know that we are doing as our Heavenly Father has asked of us, to give of ourselves for the building of his kingdom on this earth. Next year we'll both be here, so we'll have to do something...REALLY amazing to celebrate ;)

we're 3:

Well it's official as of today Phill and I are 3 years old, or at least our relationship is. ha. For this anniversary i made him a book on Shutterfly, it was pretty fun! Anyways here it is for your oooing and awing pleasure;)
It's incredible how quickly time passes, i am so blessed to have Phill in my life!

High-Fives

optimist or pessimist, it's no secret that sometimes life just sucks. But I am a firm believer that everyday there are little things sent to you to make each day bearable. Phill used to call them "high-fives from Heavenly Father." Today was a little rough, but it started out with a perk, i put on my pants this morning, ha, no that wasn't the perk even though it is an impressive feat some days. But this is what i discovered as i put my pants on this morning:

So, let's be honest when your awesome green pants remind you that God Loves You, that's quite the high-5...

As the high of any high-5 eventually wears off, as did this one, but there was another one waiting. I decided to take a run this evening, when i got home i was tired and frustrated, and missing Phill more than usual, so i put on our playlist and stared at the sky, high-5:

These events may mean nothing to all of you, but they are a divine testimony that my Father in Heaven is mindful of me and knows when i am in need of comfort.

"I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." John 14:18

so that happened...

so what's new? this is probably one of my least favorite questions, because honestly, nothing has been new in my life since...sliced bread? No? okay so, i have new things happening in my life, but none are really worth mentioning. But i haven't blogged in a while so here, my friends, is "what is new":

After Benjamin's graduation Rick and Kira stayed in town for the rest of the week, that Saturday (you know the one with all the rain and lightning) we went to lagoon. truly. The beauty of it was that there were no lines and we did what would take an entire day to do at Lagoon, in about 2 hours. The constant riding without much of a break lead us all to some pretty intense nausea. ha. it's all apart of the experience right? The rain was dumping in buckets which added an extra special element to all the rides: extreme pain. ha. You get pouring rain hitting you are you are cruising on the coaster and you've got 100 icy needles to the face. awesome? YES! We're pretty hardcore.

That's my dad....poncho was a titch too tight.



So that happened....


Another question i am learning to loath, is "how much more schooling do you have left?" Mostly because i think people are expecting me to get done quicker than i actually am. But every time i have to tell someone it's going to be a couple more years and they seem displeased, I'd like to just put a big ole FAILURE sticker on my forehead. haha. I am getting to my graduation as quickly as i can! which leads me to what else is new, and that is summer semester. yay for summer school am i right? Right, now i am only taking 9 credits, but i could feel myself giving out so i had to take it a wee bit easier for my own sanity. It's going great though, i love school, i love to learn, i love how long it is taking me (lies) and i LOVE that my senior thesis is looming over my head and i have yet to come up with a topic...all in good time.

so that happened....

in other news, Phillip aka Elder Phillip J. Brandley recently hit 18 months out. Yup, we are on the down hill slide of the last mountain. And just as going down hill when hiking can be more painful than going up-- thus is the joy of being on the down hill slide of a mission it is painful, and SO MUCH harder! But we grin and bear it, because 1. what else can ya do and 2. it will all be worth it (or so i'd like to think). On a positive note, people are much nicer when you hit t-minus 6 months. haha. Took them long enough to get the picture;)

so that happened...

One last thing that is almost new but mostly not, is that i have been doing group training at my gym with a group of about 5-6 girls and one of the trainers from the Gym. It has been so much fun, and i have loved getting more fit and feeling stronger. You know what they say, "strong is the new sexy"....they say that, who knows if it's true?

Also along with being fit and such, i took a little hike up Waterfall canyon...actually a long time ago, i just never blogged about it, fail. i have a serious fear of snakes. i can't help it they are the living worst. I have a love for hiking, but my snake phobia cancels out how much i love it, so i usually only hike in early may and late September. (if i can help it.) call me a pansy i just cannot handle the idea of running into one of those terrible things on the trail. Luckily for me i was blessed from above on my hike and i only saw a little lizard. victory!

Anyways....that's what has been happening.

life is good.