i finally have the time....

....but i can't update now. sorry! i need to upload pictures and think about what is most entertining about which i could blog. unfortunately, i have recently become addicted to the stinking twilight series (darn you, stephenie meyer!!) and it is all ive been doing. luckily, i'm about 1/3 of the way through the last book in the series, so it will all be over soon. 

anyway, on other important matters, my birthday is a mere 10 days away! after much prodding from the boyfriend, i made a wish list last night. this was partially my boredom while he was at work, since he has since decided what to get me (albeit a mystery to me), but whatever. and in case you are feeling generous and would like to help me celebrate the 23rd year of my life (no, i can't believe it either), here is said list. woohoo! enjoy! (be forwarned, however...my list is vastly different from the long lists of clothing i used to make. ive got lots of super random things. :) )

-Sony Cybershot w230 digital camera

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=210889390&listingid=39270751&dcaid=18006

 -flirty apron

http://flirtyaprons.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15_10&products_id=12

 -little big planet ps3 game

http://www.consumerdepot.com/products.asp?id=711719819929F&referer=google

 -papasan chair cushion (off white, khaki, or navy blue)

http://www.worldmarket.com/lev/4/productId/5114/mybuyscid/4592095085/index.pro

 -lawn tickets to see the fray july 18

http://www.livenation.com/edp/eventId/404938/?c=ogv-gs_Fray_1115-14142

 -scoop tee, starry blue m

http://www.ae.com/web/browse/product.jsp?catId=cat90042&productId=0303_3258

 -ae flashback sunglasses

http://www.ae.com/web/browse/product.jsp?catId=cat1070002&productId=prod4570201

 -love burn out v neck tee m

http://shop.pacsun.com/girls/v-neck-tees/Love-Burn-Out-V-Neck-Tee/index.pro?colorCd=273

 -kira floral halter babydoll, Clearwater ocean blue l

http://shop.pacsun.com/girls/tanks/Floral-Halter-Babydoll/index.pro?colorCd=233

 -roxy socialite bandeau top, hot pink l

http://shop.pacsun.com/girls/tanks/Socialite-Bandeau-Top/index.pro?colorCd=401

 -lost ivy bag

http://shop.pacsun.com/girls/girls-handbags/Ivy-Bag/index.pro

 -ocean minded savanna flip flops, size 8 or 9

http://piperlime.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=656220012&tid=plfr1r

 -madras a-line dress, purple combo m

http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=5733&pid=620789&vid=1

 -schwinn women’s scenic cruiser

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11472568&whse=BC&topnav=&browse=&lang=en-US

-a bug’s life dvd

http://www.amazon.com/Bugs-Life-Disney-Classic-Collection/dp/B00004R999

 -princess cut size 6

http://bidz.com/bzJApp/ProductDisplay.action?sid=100&tid=100&auctionId=35185090

 -monster’s inc dvd

http://www.amazon.com/Monsters-Inc-Two-Disc-Collectors-Goodman/dp/B00005JKDR/ref=pd_cp_d_1_img?pf_rd_p=413864101&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00004R999&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=08QSVCC8ZH8GK1HWHJ47

 -mulan dvd

http://www.amazon.com/Mulan-Special-Ming-Na/dp/B00024I2Z4/ref=pd_sim_d_18

 -tarzan dvd

http://www.amazon.com/Tarzan-Special-Tony-Goldwyn/dp/B000AAF1TU/ref=pd_sim_d_6

 -heart and souls dvd

http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Souls-Robert-Downey-Jr/dp/0783230079/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1243909509&sr=1-1

 -101 dalmations dvd

http://www.amazon.com/Dalmatians-Two-Disc-Platinum-Marjorie-Bennett/dp/B000YERP2S/ref=pd_sim_d_14

 -hercules dvd

http://www.amazon.com/Hercules-Disney-Gold-Classic-Collection/dp/B00004R99S/ref=pd_sim_d_34

 -sarai knotted flats, tan 8.5

http://www.target.com/Xhilaration-Sarai-Knotted-Flats-Tan/dp/B0018AWCJS/ref=sc_ri_3?ie=UTF8&pf_rd_r=1EGVRSPC825RRC8YF3K0&pf_rd_p=471801991&pf_rd_i=B001GN6T00&pf_rd_s=bottom-11&pf_rd_m=A1VC38T7YXB528&pf_rd_t=201

 -the healthy college cookbook

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=16474576&RN=934&BTSMode=true

 -great meals for couples or crowds cookbook

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=14219994&RN=934&BTSMode=true

 -blue line double hamper

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&sku=15794437&RN=152&BTSMode=true

 -shark cordless floor and carpet sweeper

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=15293292&RN=152&BTSMode=true

 -remington 2 ¼” flat iron

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=13947210&RN=151&BTSMode=true

 -progressive onion chopper

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=13653801&RN=1150

 -progressive tower slicer

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=16129186&RN=1150

 -avocado slicer

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=12102828&RN=1150

 -simply strawberries 3 piece tool set

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=15658681&RN=1150

so....that's all. and DONT RUIN TWILIGHT FOR ME! i swear, i'll ban you from my blog. i dont know how ive managed to miss all the hoopla and i still dont know what happens, but im determined to be surprised by the ending. i refuse to have a repeat of harry potter #6 when someone called me ONE PAGE before finding out the death of a main character to ask me what i thought about them dying. i will never forget that. oh, and i promise i'll blog soon! dont give up on me!

i hate being sick.

okay, okay. i know most of you have completely given up on me in the blogging department. however, im super sick and im stuck here in my room for the second day in a row. and honestly, i am bored out of my mind! ive cleaned my room and done my laundry (all the while drugging myself and rubbing my nose raw with tissue after tissue), and i basically ran out of things to do. i keep meaning to update my blog, but there are always other things that take priority. so without further ado, here is a brief overview picture-style of everything that has happened in the past 2 months.
Brad got me Seasons 4-7 of gilmore girls and a wii fit for christmas! I felt very spoiled :).
I went with Mom and Dad to Texas over the break. Brad finally got to meet (most of) the rest of the family. Dan and Bethanne took us to an authentic Spanish restaurant. It was amazing!The kids were a blast. I really miss them all!I got my first speeding ticket ever. In a construction zone that hadn't been worked on previously. Going 21 over. Oops. Luckily, he put on the ticket I was only going 10 over. It cost $130. I am now even more anal than usual. Stupid ticket. Brad and I babysat Dainen...and he started to make this face at me every time I pulled out my camera. Dainen turned 1! He really liked his new clothes. Brad got me beautiful flowers and tickets to see Mae for Valentines Day!We drove to California for a short but sweet trip to see Michael (Brad's brother) go through the temple. He goes on his mission to Guatemala City on April 1. I babysat Dainen while everyone was in the temple. He didn't like that I put him on the grass. Maci won the award for best hair over the weekend. The kids took one last shot together before Mike goes on his mission. (Note:isn't Brad a babe?)Dainen got his first haircut from Jennilyn.......and he made the "grandpa" face again. Brad turned the big 2-3 on March 7! He got fun movies like Eagle Eye and Batman Begins. He also got some cologne, favorite treats, and a PS3 controller to complete his set. He and Dainen were both very excited to be celebrating together. hahaha...don't kill me for posting this picture, Brad!And last but not least, I made possibly the craziest "Dr.Suess" cake EVER. Totally on accident, too. At least it tastes yummy!

So there ya go. A really fast update of what has been happening in my life for the past couple of months. A few other things that have happened:
-My sister, Amy, and her family moved to Mexico City and Amy had her 4th baby, Ian Ryker. I wish I could go see them (and I'm working on going...)
-We're finishing up the 3rd term of the school year. I'm almost 75% done with my first year!
-Brad and I celebrated our 17 month anniversary this month. Coming up on 18 months really, really fast...
-i won 7 all day park hopper passes to universal studios and universal studios islands of adventure! we think brad won them too, but he didn't get the email about it. We'll have to wait a few more weeks to see if we get the tickets in the mail.

and that's that. hope you enjoyed! i'll try to do better from now on. it just takes too stinking long to update on this much time!

updates and such

i never seem to have enough time. don't get me wrong...i have good intentions. but like you (and the rest of the universe, it seems) i have been ridiculously busy for the past month or so. so without further ado (and instead of grading papers), i'll catch you up in as short of an update as is possible.

brad and i flew out to california for thanksgiving. it was fun to be with his family, and it went all too fast. i ate thanksgiving dinner in a way that i never have before; there were 70+ family members from brad's dad's side of the family (his entire extended family is in his hometown area), and there was so much food i couldn't even think afterward! we did LOTS of shopping, and we even got to see twilight amidst everything else we got to see and do. here are a few pictures from the trip:

i didn't take as many pictures as i normally do, but believe me when i say there was a lot going on!

after thanksgiving, december was a whirlwind. we had tons of activities with school, and brad was really busy with finals. i survived my first day-before-christmas break at school, and i got some cute little things from my kids (including a figurine of a blonde princess with a card that said "I picked this out because it looks like you"). brad and i exchanged presents this year, and he TOTALLY trumped me with the gift giving! I got him some shoes, a shirt, and a remote controller (that he asked for), and he got me 4 (yes, 4) seasons of gilmore girls (so i now have the complete series) and a wii fit! i'm pretty stinking lucky. I also got another present from him...he bought a plane ticket to meet 2 of my sisters and their families after christmas!! i really wish amy and jon and the kids were still in texas (even if it was for only a few more days) so they could meet him too, but 2 out of 3 aint bad. i'm really excited to see him and to have him meet more of my family. :)

since ive been in georgia, we've already done plenty of shopping, went to fantasy in lights at callaway gardens, and then went up to the high museum in atlanta to see the terracotta warriors on display. it was really cool to get to see it all, since i may not ever get to see them in china. it's been a good break so far.

well...i'm off to make some desserts. and read my book. and i suppose i can do some grading....ugh. we'll see. i hope everyone has a fabulous holiday season! stay safe! i love you all!

clockwork

you know, there are some things i really appreciate that i can expect to happen, such as:

-calling mom at the same time every morning
-getting sleepy at exactly 10:15 every night, no matter who im with or where i am
-eating so much i get sick whenever i make cinnamon rolls
-staying in my pjs for general conference
-feeling a tingly sensation whenever i put on burt's bees

there are, however, things that i DONT appreciate happening, and being woken up against my will has always been at the top of the list.

when i first moved into this apartment, i could immediately tell that the walls were thin. my obnoxiously loud roommates cant function without me hearing it through the walls, and i can hear whenever anyone next to, above, or kitty-corner to our apt turns on their shower. but this isnt the first time ive had to deal with that, so i got numb to it pretty fast.

now let me just preface this by saying that i am an eight hours of sleep kinda girl. if i dont get enough sleep, im irritable and i cant think straight. and my entire life, i have LOATHED being woken up earlier than i need to. since i have to get up by 6:30 at the latest every morning for school (i have to be out of here by 7:10 or we're late), i relish saturday mornings and the fact that i can sleep in (i cant even do that on sunday bc i have early church). i always plan on waking up around 10 so i can get some lesson planning done while brad's at work, so i have plenty of time to relax in bed before i actually have to get up. well, not anymore.

every SINGLE saturday, at exactly 10:00am, i hear obnoxious, wall-shaking R&B. and not even songs i like...this girl next door listens to techno, britney spears, and other horrible, vulgar songs that i prefer to not get stuck in my head at maximum volume. i dont know what she's doing over there, and the problem is that i dont know exactly where its coming from. i actually cant tell if it is coming from above me or beside me, and it drives me INSANE. every saturday morning, i wake up flustered and ready to ring the neck of every R&B enthusiast in this complex. so here i am, with 7 hours asleep, awake and annoyed.

and to think, brad always comes over here whenever we have work to do because its comparably quiet to his apartment.

it is getting more and more tempting to buy a house of my own.

retail therapy

almost every weekend, brad and i have good intentions of getting lots of work done. inevitably, we get so tired of doing homework that we decide to go to the mall to just peruse the merchandise. today was unlike any other day, and we made lists of things we wanted to look for (some new music, a few wintery shirts, etc) while on our expedition. we both have been looking for some comfy shoes that we could wear that are in between nice dressy shoes and bulky tennis shoes...we want comfort for all that shopping we do nowadays! so we set out for the provo towne center mall. i found these shoes, and i L-O-V-E them: i dont have any shoes like them, and they are very comfortable. perfect for running errands and just chilling out (besides, i really dislike wearing tennis shoes unless im doing something really active). yes, i was skeptical at first, but i really liked how they felt. but here's the problem...i need a size 9. i tried it on in black, and it fit perfectly. they only had it in brown up to an 8.5 at either store in the mall that carried them. brad and i thought the easy solution was to order them online. after an hour of looking, we still couldn't find them ANYWHERE on the internet. no one has this shoe in this color in a 9! im very sad. is this shoe really that popular? i'm set on these now, and i will not budge until i get them! i think ive decided to see if they have them anywhere in a 10. better than nothing.