We smiled, kissed, and made faces!

Last night was such a great night. After I got back from the Relief Society Broadcast (which was just wonderful), we decided to go out on the town.

We went out for Italian Sodas. They are so good! I love them. Jeremy got a White Chocolate Italian Soda and I got a Peach one. Totally recommend both flavors! In the same shop there was an OLD FASHIONED PHOTOBOOTH! We weren't sure that it even still worked, but it did! I don't know about you, but I have always had a thing for photobooths. I have always wanted to take my picture in one and I NEVER have. I saw the photobooth last night and could barely contain myself! I'm sure Jeremy thought I was starting to go crazy, so he assured me we would take pictures. Oooooo... I was so excited! After we ordered and drank our delicious drinks, we ducked inside the photobooth and closed the half curtain behind us. I pushed the quarters into the small opening and fixed my hair in the mirror. These had to look good. Haha! We smiled, kissed, and made faces! We impatiently waited the "3 minutes" for our pictures and at last they dropped down.

I practically skipped all the way back to the car holding our strip of freshly developed pictures. For me it was kind of a dream come true. Is that lame? I have always wanted to take pictures in a photobooth and I got to do it with my super cute husband! and I love them!

After the Italian Sodas and the photobooth fun, we rented a movie from Redbox. A chickflick even. Yay! Throughout the movie, we cuddled on the the couch and snacked on oreos and gummy bears. Could my night get any better? NO. It really was so fun to hang out with Jeremy. He's the cutest!

Our fun night actually fulfilled the two things from my birthday agenda that we didn't have a chance to do last weekend. I sure am a lucky girl!

What fun things did you do this weekend?

Lately...

I have been thinking about Romania.

I think it has been on my mind because last year I spent my birthday there. Sometimes I feel like I was just there and other times the experience feels so far away. I miss it sometimes. I miss giving myself to the children that needed so much. I miss feeling the love Heavenly Father feels for them. I especially miss the children. They have the sweetest spirits. The experience was amazing! The room that I worked in had little babies and also older children that were so disabled that they were left in cribs all day. I fed and cradled the little ones to my heart's content. Their little giggles and smiles were worth everything to me. I would also sit with the older children that couldn’t do much more than drool, and massage their joints and move their limbs to try and get some developmental progress. It was in those times when I would work with the older, more severally disabled children that I would see how whole and perfect their spirits were. I felt complete love for these children. They had so much to teach me. I feel like my time in Romania has become one of the things that defines me. Through service I learned more about myself and became closer to God.

Go serve someone... and improve yourself.

Going for the gold!

Today I took my first test of the semester.

I wasn't sure how it was going to go. The first test of a class requires a lot of guess work about the professor. Will she be picky about this? Will he ask us about that? When she says "short answer" does that mean one sentence or one paragraph?

Well, I had good intentions of studying a lot for this one. I usually get some studying in and then I just get sick of reading the same stuff and going through the same note cards over and over again. So I get really eager and excited to take the test and just go take it.

That's what happened today. I studied for a little bit and then suddenly I was trying to pump myself up as I walked to the Testing Center to conquer this thing. I was sure I would do fine. I went to class. I did the reading. I studied the study guide and made note cards. I went to the review session.

I was ready. But one thing that reassured me was...

my yellow pencil.

I always take tests with a yellow pencil. I tell myself that I'm going for the GOLD. Kind of dumb, I know, but it's what I always do...

And it has been working so far.

I got a 92% on my test today. Woohoo! It was only the 2nd time that my score has ever had "one of of those coveted messages" next to it. Read about the first time here.

It was great.

Yesterday was not only International Talk Like a Pirate Day,

it was also my birthday!

{self portrait at 21}

taken on 9.19.09

I just love birthdays, so I made up an agenda of fun activities.

(which we pretty much followed)

We had German Pancakes for breakfast. They are way under-rated and everyone needs to try them. Jeremy made them while I was sleeping. What a cutie!

They were so good!

Then Amy, my SIL, and the kids stopped by and brought me flowers and cards! Thanks guys!




Then we headed to the Farmer's Market! I love seeing all of the fun treasures!




After the Farmer's Market, Jeremy went to work. I went shopping and didn't buy a thing. It was so sad. I just have a hard time buying stuff if its not a good deal. So I wandered the mall forever and then picked up the cute boy.



When we got home we opened presents!

Then we went out to dinner at P.F. Chang's! I always have Chinese food on my birthday. I just love it! Even last year when I was in Romania, we had Chinese (well, Romanian Chinese- I like American Chinese much better). After dinner, we went shopping again. Jeremy wanted to make sure that I bought at least something. We went to some different stores and I got some way cute stuff (three skirts and a bright shirt) on sale! Woohoo! It was fun!

Then we came home and had cake!

Jeremy did a wonderful job serenading me all by himself.

He really did. It was the sweetest.

I just love birthdays (especially mine)! It was such a fun day! Thank you everyone for the cards, presents, phone calls, and texts.

I am a very lucky girl!

.............................................................................................................................................

Per request... here is a quick how-to on the famous cake.

(we have it for every b-day in my family)

The hardest part is finding the "Famous Chocolate Wafers." Albertson's usually has them and they can be found in the cookie aisle on the top shelf. (I only used one package for the cake.) You also need whipped cream, sweetened with powdered sugar and teaspoon of vanilla.

The pictures should explain the rest!

Put it in the fridge over night... and BAM!

You have a cake!

I crushed the left over cookies for the garnish. It is kind of hard to tell, but cut the cake diagonally (from one corner to the opposite) to get the zebra stripe effect.

Go make one! They are easy and sooo delicious!

whew..

i think i forgot how hectic and stressful school can be sometimes. i feel like i have a perpetual to-do list stuffed with things for school, photography, school, bills to pay, school, crafts to make, school, etc. there is always something i could be doing. i start to think that after i get this one assignment done, i can finally relax... but then i should probably get started on the assignments for monday, so my weekend isn't crazy with homework, and then i think about how i really need to sew that apron for my cousin that she wanted, and i really need to finish going through the photos from the wedding and send the bride her cd, and more and more.... it never ends. i would like to think that it will all end when i graduate in april, but it really doesn't. this week, along with my huge literature review on midwifery for my qualitative research class, i have been trying to work on applications for grad school (see? more school). what a task?! i have been filling out applications, writing autobiographies, writing liberal arts statements (whatever that means), running around to my past professors and nicely asking for reference letters, requesting multiple transcripts, and on and on. i really do like my classes, it has just been a busy BUSY week. but this weekend will be different...

because tomorrow i turn 21!

the head hancho

on friday i photographed a wedding...

i have done this a couple of times, but this wedding was different.

this time i was the main shooter!

the head hancho, if you will.

(with the other weddings i have photographed, i have been the second shooter)

and i survived!

on the way to the salt lake temple i was trying to pump myself up. i knew people would be expecting me to run the show and i had to be confident and loud. i certainly had fun and i was beyond exhausted at the end of the day! luckily, i had the help of amy, my sister-in-law, as my second shooter. she was great!

go here for more...

currently obsessed with...

my very orange finger nails.

(and ice water, if you ask my husband.)

love them. there is certainly something about having freshly painted finger nails (with a bright color of course)... and i'm not sure what it is.

all i know is they make me just plain giddy.

A Productive Morning

This morning I headed to campus way before my class (so I could actually get a parking spot without having to circle the 3 lots south of campus over and over and over waiting for a kind soul to return to their car). I was successful and there was an open spot just for me. I trudged up the never-ending stairs (and mentally scratched "exercise" off of my to-do list), contemplating what I would do for the next 45 minutes. The computer lab seemed like the best option, so I trudged on (trying not to wheeze out loud, there are TONS of stairs). I passed by my Advisement Center on the way and I thought that it would be a perfect opportunity to "Apply for Graduation." (I received an e-mail about it the other day and I knew the deadline was in the near future.) I wasn't entirely sure what "Applying for Graduation" entailed- I was a little apprehensive, but I pressed on! The boy sitting on the other side of the counter asked for my ID card after I told him why I was there. I produced it after digging in my huge (adorable) bag for way too long... that's what I get for just tossing it in there instead of keeping it safe in my wallet. He verified my major and asked me to fill out a form with my name, as it would appear on my diploma, and my current address, where they would mail it to me after I get the fake one at the ceremony. With great precision, I very neatly wrote out the information and handed the completed form back to him. Not sure what I was waiting for, he declared that I was finished.

Really? Well, that was easy. Everyone should do this. haha!

So let it be known throughout all the land...

I shall graduate.

Don't Become an Ophelia

Here's Why...

While I was preparing in April of 2008 to go to Romania, we were assigned to read the article, "The Ophelia Syndrome" By Thomas G Plummer. I think of the article often and I really would say that it has changed me. It has changed the way I think, the way I meet challenges, the way I look at my college education, and the way I consider myself. This article encourages us to become our own individuals and celebrate our uniqueness. We can do this by following Plummer's 6 Treatments for the Ophelia Syndrome. Read the article to see what this is all about! It really isn't that long and its totally worth your time! PROMISE!

I love the following quote from the article, "You truly are the only one who knows what you think and feel, and you, consequently, are the only one who knows what feelings and ideas you must follow through on." This inspires me to learn more about myself and make my decisions based on what I really want to do in life.

The article has so many great things in it...

So please read it here.

Not for me, I read it all the time... For you!