cali girl at heart

a little sun and sand was just what this mrs. needed. back in january i convinced my mom to fly to san diego with me for a few days of pure relaxation. luckily for me she agreed! i couldn't be more excited. getting through january and the first part of february was okay because i knew i would be in the sun soon. 

i flew in first and waited anxiously for mom to join me. you would think it had been years since we've seen each other with our greeting in the airport. we were both that excited! we spent the rest of the week doing a lot of nothing! shopping, eating out, playing games, walking along the beach, window shopping, more eating and lots of laughing. 

at night we went back to the hotel room, turned on our favorite shows and laughed while crocheting. seriously i have not been that relaxed in so long. love that we could just sit and crochet and have fun!

it was seriously the most perfect mom and daughter get-a-way. it was over 5 years ago that my mom and i had a good mother daughter trip, just the two of us! it was long overdue. we took a ton of "self portraits" (aka selfies) and laughed at most of them. but, it isn't a trip without pictures so i decided to share.

oh the joy of selfies with my momma. this is us...after the mormon battalion historical site in old town san diego // us again on the beach... of course!

our insane brunch at "the mission" in san diego. it was well worth the wait. // as you can see i was a bit surprised by the size of my pancakes....didn't stop me for eating way more than i should have!

shopping of course! i decided to get a picture with the most expensive designer bags. i don't think the sales lady was super excited about this picture // cute uncle duff and aunt lori took us to dinner our first night. i loved spending time with them and fell in love with their place (can i move in?)

yep, another selfie at laguna beach. we spent sunday just walking around the cute little shops and relaxing on the beach!

look how excited we were to be in old town! maybe i was a bit more excited to be able to walk around in sandals and see the blue sky. seriously...check out that sky. no filters or editing needed!

one night we watched the sun set from la jolla cove. i kept thinking "we were so close to living here..." haha. i think it's a good thing we didn't end up moving to la jolla. i think spence would have lost his wife to the beach. 

seriously i can't get enough of that blue ocean. it was incredible! we didn't go in because well it's still a bit chilly but we did sit and just watch the waves. there is something so relaxing about ocean waves.

dinner...haha i wish. you have no idea how close i was to getting this little beauty for dinner though. i'm slightly regretting not!

 more laguna beach lovin'...and and of course ice cream! 

pictures out of order much? mom wanted to get in on the designer bag action! love the bright colors and the selfie

our last selfie of the trip. i cried as i watched my mom go through security (my flight was a few hours later). though i was excited to get back to spence i was so sad to leave the sun, sand and my best friend!  thanks mom for the best girls trip!

 one day i will be a cali girl. mark my words.

today's happy

today.
i may never want to return to chicago.

when it rains it pours....or so we've been told

when it rains it pours. 

the mr. and i are dealing with some huge life changes right now aka pouring rain!

but don't worry. they are all good changes. and honestly we're excited

just crazy how one moment your life is going one direction and then the next...wham

completely changed. 

it's good, we're excited. and honestly can't wait to see what the lord has in store for us

so while we are working through how the rest of our life is going to look...

a few phone pictures because right now i'm too busy too upload the good pictures from my camera.

new fabric! i couldn't wait to open it so i took it with me on our way to the temple. so excited to start sewing again. these babies are going to make one super cute quilt (or so i hope) // new "art" for our bedroom wall. i made the heart frame for spence for valentines day. loved how it turned out. 

super awkward picture of me (i was whitening my teeth...) showing off our small clean laundry pile and new decor for the bedroom // close-up of our new things. so in love with this vase and candle holder. our bedroom is finally coming together. it's my new favorite place in the house.

finally got the whole chicken parmesan thing down. but sometimes you just have to "red-neck it" as spence likes to call it and eat on the floor. // super blurry picture of us...but somehow i still love it.

and last but not least our stinkin' awesome niece. we got to facetime into a family party last night (best thing ever) and got this little show. don't worry, she has tights on. her skirt was in the way of her dancing so of course it had to come off. man i miss being away from our little ones. but so glad we could "hang out" with our nieces and adorable nephew for at least a little bit. oh and according to mya i'm her favorite aunt!



tomorrow it's off to cali for the mrs. i'm going to miss my mr. but am so excited to have some time on the beach. if anything it will help me wrap my mind around all of our life changes!

oh the joys of growing older.

dear monday

dear monday: good thing you are a sunny day. i wish i was out playing like the rest of the world but the mr. and i don't have the day off. boo. dear sun lamp: you are my best friend. each morning we hang out and you make me happy. thank you! dear daily goals notebook: i have loved writing in you each day. it's been a great thing for me to have a small daily goal to work on. dear essie nail polish: where did my obsession with you come from? on bad days i remember a new color i want is just around the corner at walgreens. maybe i should move. dear wednesday: you cannot come soon enough. i can't wait to soak up the sun. dear san diego: speaking of wednesday, i'll be there to visit you then. make sure you provide lots of sun for this girl and her mom. dear weekend: we had a great run you and i. so sad it's over. maybe you could last longer next time. dear sunbeams at church: you are the highlight to our week. we love remembering the cute things you do and say. thanks for making us smile and laugh. but next time lets avoid the chair throwing and spit-up. dear insanity: you are kicking my butt but oh do i love you. i've started to crave my daily workouts. let's see how far we can go today shall we?

happy monday blog world!

some big changes for the mrs.

so i am finally doing it....
changing my diet almost completely. one step at a time of course.
starting with dairy

i think posting it will hold me more accountable to actually try and stick with my new diet.
here is the deal....

it's no secret that we want to have a baby. and we've lost two already. i'm not ready to do that again. so i'm trying to do everything i can to not have this happen again. starting with my diet.

i've always had issues with high acid levels. we first really looked into it a couple of years ago. at that time i wasn't ready to make huge changes. i got on some medicine to solve the problem for a bit. well after some more research i decided it was about time i made some changes.

first off the list...regular ol' cows milk.

this one is nearly IMPOSSIBLE for me considering i drink about 2-3 glasses a day of milk. just plain. i'm telling you i love milk. so almond milk it is.

i started with vanilla. it sounded good. and boy it is. but i think it might be too much for cereal. a little too sweet. i think i might need to go with regular. another negative is that almond milk is so much more expensive. ahh...our tiny budget. i'm hoping i can try and get off the habit of just drinking milk plain and drink water instead.

any advice would be great. next on the list is white flour, cheese and red meats. i'm not sure worried about red meats but white flour...seriously! what have i gotten myself into.

hopefully this will all help get my body back where it's supposed to be. wish me luck!

happy day of love from the mr. and mrs.

three years ago today the mr and i decided we were ready to be mr. and mrs. 

i think that calls for celebration

happy valentines day from the two in love!

every day is like valentines day....

wait what...valentines day is tomorrow? maybe i had an event that look over the last couple of weeks of my life. oh the joys of being an event planner. i'm finally on my way home and finally taking a few mins to think about valentines day.

i've always been a huge fan of valentines day. even when i wasn't dating someone. there is something about love, pink and happiness that just gets to me. let's be honest though...valentines with my mr. has been so much better.

our first valentines day we spent it in st. george with my family. it was by far the best day. it was the day we decided to get married. i will forever remember that night, sitting side by side on top of dixie rock looking at the temple. both of us deciding that forever together was what we wanted and what was right.

it's hard to beat a valentines day like that. our others have been great but i'm excited to make this one even greater. so here i am, sitting on a plane, trying to figure out a present for my mr. here are a few things i'm thinking...

1. watch. spence loves watches. but some are so expense. i found this great site with awesome watches for a great price. take a look here. seriously, regal rising may be our new favorite go to for spence's watch obsession. i'm thinking one of these would be great for my mr. now it's just deciding what one. they are even doing 10% off right now...score!

2. new pants. okay so this one isn't super exciting or romantic (at all) but he is in need of new clothes. isn't valentines a good excuse for a shopping trip? not sure if i can swing him on this one.

3. memory book. now i love this idea. so many cute blogs out there have suggestions. i do love the classic 52 reasons i love you from a deck of cards. this might be the best for us budget conscious med students but i've already done things like this for the mr.

4. new shoes. the mr. and i both love shoes. something about a new pair of shoes is so exciting. i'm thinking it's about time i got spence wearing some sperrys. he would look so great in them. now it's just talking him into a pair. the classic pair here would be a good starting point i think.

5. a pampering kit. so this may sound funny but who doesn't like to be pampered. i'm talking manly..don't worry. some nice smelling manly shampoo, lotion and cologne. we always go cheap on these things for spence because mine cost so much. i think this would be a fun idea. maybe i'll do this!

so looks like i have just a few more hours to decide what to get...ahh! so many choices.

i think we'll spend tomorrow night at home, making dinner together and just enjoying being in love! how great it is to be married to the love of my life. every day is almost like valentines day (expect for all the pink...love pink!)

oh hey it's me

so i saw these lists going around on instagram. i hate texting and typing on my phone so thanks to those who tagged me but there was no way i was going to stress myself out with typing on instagram. so...i decided it would be fun to do it here, on my bloggy blog.

1. i have never had a bloody nose. when i would get hit in the face i would think "this is it, my first bloody nose" but nope. nothing. still feel a bit left out.

2. it is physically impossible for me to cross both my eyes. when i try just one goes in. it's actually pretty freaky looking. i used to scare my brothers with this talent. just ask me if you want to see it in person ;-)

3. i still think i would be 100% perfect to play a disney channel character. i look like i'm 18 and act that way sometimes. once a disney recruiter contacted me....two days before i left for jerusalem. maybe i could have been a star. looks like i choose the holy land instead. good choice me

4. i hate scary movies. but, i love scary stories. sometimes we'll watch a scary movie and i can't finish it. i go out of the room and make spence finish it. after it's over i make him tell me the whole story line with as much detail as possible. call me crazy but i guess when i imagine scary things they aren't as scary as movie people make them.

5. i graduated with a degree in political science. work for a health intelligence company. am a corporate event planner. and now want to go back to school. turns out i am just figuring out what i want to do with my life at the age of 24. and i thought changing from math to political science was bad. turns out not everyone knows what their life's direction is at 21.

arrow of love // homemade valentines

i'm home (utah baby) for a few days for work.
lucky for me that means a few days with my family.

that usually means i get a list of "daughter do's" from my mom...which i don't mind
on the list this weekend were some simple valentines for her relief society sisters
she decided against ones with "to and from" because that = too much writing
so we took her idea and made it into something that works
original idea here

i loved how they turned out. so simple and yet so fun
we made little "with love..." stickers to go on the back
but you could just hand write "to and from" or what ever little message you like

we were able to get 6 per page which was nice considering we were making 150+
i did a nice little gray boarder so we knew right where to cut.
turns out pretty cute i think!

i love the vintage valentine arrow feel
want to make some? i've included the pdf below

link to template here
(don't worry, once you actually download the pdf they look a lot better than in the scribd viewer)

-simply print on card stock
-cut inside the gray lines
-add heart shaped candy or chocolate with double-stick tape
-sign your name
-hand out valentines!

now i'm just sad i didn't make these in time for my little sunbeams
maybe i'll have to think of a cute st. pattys day thing...
one day!

happy valentines

throwback to jeru

throwback to when i lived in jeru. i think it's my favorite throwback. maybe i'll do a few posts on my favorite places...so i can look at all the pictures again.

throwback to when i lived in the holy land

throwback to when i was tan

throwback to when i lived with 75 of my best friends

throwback to meeting some of my best friends

throwback to eating pita for every meal

throwback to warm summer nights in jeru

throwback to the best summer of my life

throwback to nights in west jeru

throwback to wearing pink headbands with bows

throwback to living the dream

thanks byu jerusalem center for some great throwback thursdays

my pickle juice

i've been thinking about this a lot lately. 

and i think i've been downing a bit too much pickle juice lately. 

the other day i found out through blogs and the facebook that 4 of my friends are pregnant. 4 people i know decided to share their happy news with the world on the same day. 

honestly, my first reactions weren't so great. 

i should have been happy, excited for my friends, and overjoyed that they were having babies. 

but instead i was angry, jealous and confused. i was honestly having a good day. but then it turned into a not so great day (i feel really bad for spence for having to put up with me). thoughts ran through my mind "why them and not me", "they don't know the pain of waiting" etc...

then the other night i decided i didn't like this side of me. i sat there and went through the facts....

- i am at a stage in life where most of my friends will start having babies. this is an exciting time. it isn't a surprise that so many friends are pregnant. honestly this is where spence and i want to be. so it's fun, it's growing, it's happy. i can't pretend like others don't want the same thing we want...a family.

- i am not the only woman out there who desperately wants to get pregnant but can't. this past year has taught me that. i am not alone. i have countless friends who have similar struggles to me. they must hurt as well. i can't dig myself a pity party hole and sit in it. if anything this is a time to not be alone in this.

- along those lines i can't assume that my pregnant friends just woke up one day and decided "hey i want to be pregnant today". for all i know they struggled to get pregnant. they felt the pain and heartache that i have felt. i should be more than excited for them. just because someone struggles and someone doesn't, doesn't mean the outcome is more or less exciting and cause for celebration. 

- being pregnant isn't always fun. i would know. i've been pregnant before. a couple of times actually. i know the excitement of getting a positive test. i know the panic that comes. the worry "can we pay for everything" "are we really ready" "what kind of world will my baby grow up in" "will i be able to handle zero sleep" "will my baby keep growing inside okay". i know morning sickness, i know the feeling of seeing baby for the first time. seeing the heartbeat. having a little secret no one else knows. but boy do i know the stress. the worry. the scared feelings. just because my friends are posting about their exciting news doesn't mean they are happy 100% of the time. i should know that.

-just because others are pregnant and i am not does not mean i am not loved by my heavenly father. it does not mean they will be better mothers than i will. it does not mean i am less of a woman. it does not mean he trusts them more. it does not mean they have more capacity to love than i do. i am loved. i am going to be a great mother one day. i can love. i am a strong woman. i am trusted. 

-the fact is, envying another's happiness will not make me happy. being upset, jealous, and angry that a friend is pregnant will not make me pregnant. i am in control of my feelings. i am in control of my reactions. 

i didn't like the feelings that i had the other day. i didn't like what i did to the spirit in my home or my relationship with spence. 

so i'm done. i'm done with being angry when i find out a friend is expecting. i'm done asking my heavenly father "why them and not me". 

i am going to be happy. i am going to rejoice in the fact that a sweet baby gets to come into a good home. i am going to rejoice in knowing my friends will be incredible mothers. i am going to remember that i am loved. i am going to hold on to the fact that in the lords time it will be my turn. one day it will be my turn to tell the world my exciting news. 

no more pickle juice for me. i have so much to be thankful for. so much to be happy about. i do feel god's rewards for my labors. 

and for today that is enough. 

"My beloved brothers and sisters, what happened in this story at 9:00 or noon or 3:00 is swept up in the grandeur of the universally generous payment at the end of the day. The formula of faith is to hold on, work on, see it through, and let the distress of earlier hours—real or imagined—fall away in the abundance of the final reward. Don’t dwell on old issues or grievances—not toward yourself nor your neighbor nor even, I might add, toward this true and living Church. The majesty of your life, of your neighbor’s life, and of the gospel of Jesus Christ will be made manifest at the last day, even if such majesty is not always recognized by everyone in the early going. So don’t hyperventilate about something that happened at 9:00 in the morning when the grace of God is trying to reward you at 6:00 in the evening—whatever your labor arrangements have been through the day.

Which leads me to my third and last point. This parable—like all parables—is not really about laborers or wages any more than the others are about sheep and goats. This is a story about God’s goodness, His patience and forgiveness, and the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a story about generosity and compassion. It is a story about grace. It underscores the thought I heard many years ago that surely the thing God enjoys most about being God is the thrill of being merciful, especially to those who don’t expect it and often feel they don’t deserve it."

-Elder Holland

oh i love

photo (via)

oh how i love love
makes sense why i would love the month of february
a whole month dedicated to love and acknowledging what we love

i love the color orange, the creamy shade
i love decorating (i may redecorate every home i walk into in my head)
i love treats, scotcharoos are my personal favorite right about now
i love the beach
i love laughing so hard my stomach hurts
i love dancing in the kitchen
i love making playlists in itunes, i think i've made one for every season since 2005
i love new note books
i love watches, i've had one on everyday since 2007
i love getting attached to tv shows, so much so i cry when my favorite characters cry
i love targets dollar section
i love cuddling in bed before getting up for the day
i love working from home and watching the season change from my window
i love light
i love closing my eyes and day dreaming

date night date night // so excited

so the mr. had a test on monday

meaning....our past couple of weeks have been LAME

studying took over his life

so this week i changed that. i planned activities for us for every night. i didn't realize i had planned so much. it just kinda happened.

monday- relax at home and first day of insanity

tuesday - anniversary celebration (more on this later)

wednesday - plans got changed so we could help a sister in our ward but thats okay!

thursday - art institute and dinner 

friday - temple date night

saturday - med school activity (holla)

last night we bundled up (because oh my gosh is it freezing here at night) and headed down to the art institute of chicago. it was free night as well as late night. who doesn't love free date nights?

we didn't have too much time but we had a blast walking around. we found ourselves really loving the impressionist area as well as the architecture and design wing. i could have stayed there much longer. there was this lady giving a tour and turns out she is a big name architect and designer. we jumped on the last leg of her tour. so awesome! 

my favorite piece. i wanted to take it home. spence did not understand why i liked it. haha i guess we do disagree on some things.

 free candy as an art piece? i'll take it!

after the ai we headed to ed debevics for a free dinner (thank you groupon again for your free meals). it was a bit of a walk and a bit of an experience to say the least.

our waiter made fun of me a few times. danced on the tables and accused our neighbors of stealing. hilarious to say the least.

someone's too cool for school...sheesh!

we had a great night. i loved being able to just wander around the museum hand in hand with my husband. we loved looking at all the displays and art and even more excited when we realized we didn't have to rush...we can go back as much as we want. love being a "resident" and getting all the free perks.

it was nice to be downtown. see all the cool buildings at night and really take advantage of the city we're living it. it was a nice treat for me to get out of the house a bit.

love our date nights! so glad spence has had a lighter week....boo med school.