happs birth kels

so my beautiful friend kelsey turned 20 on friday. rachelle put together a lovely tea party with cake, ice cream, tea, and yummy italian cream soda-like drinks. we all had so much fun laughing together. we also enjoyed not acting like we were at a tea party, if you know what i mean. 

rachelle and emily did a great job decorating!

turn around, princess

don't hate me for putting this on here

em's 'bedroom eyes'

this was definitely one fun little party full of laughs, surprises, and plenty of sugar. i definitely have the greatest friends. 






day 4 of the song challenge: a song that makes you sad. i've chosen adele's someone like you. need i say more?

monday moments!

awkward:

• making eye contact with a guy who had his finger mid-knuckle up his nose.
• women with bouffant hair and perfume so strong you can taste it.
• ashley from the bachelorette thinking she's so good at dancing. and the fact that i'm hooked again on this show. can't. stop. watching (ps what's with the mask man?!).
• while waiting at the airport, we saw a couple reuniting, in a makey-outey way. very intimately. as in, i was expecting him to lead her off to some secret bedroom off baggage claim. again, could. not. stop. watching.

awesome:

• getting yummy red velvet cake pops from kelsey. sooo good.
• i am officially over halfway done with spring term. yesss.
• europe. 22 days. oooh my gosh. SO CLOSE! SO EXCITED!

day 3 of the song challenge is a song that makes you happy. here's the thing. music makes me happy. how can i pick just one!? but i have to. so, i've chosen winter winds by mumford and sons. every time it comes up on my shuffle, it lifts my mood. even the music video is pretty awesome. 

kelsey's little dancers

two weeks ago, i went to see a production of the wizard of oz organized by the studio kelsey teaches dance at. it was so cute! kelsey teaches little 3 year olds ballet and absolutely loves it. i'm so glad i got to see them perform and take some pictures.

aren't they just the cutest?! also, kelsey turned 20 on friday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! can a get a whoohoo?



ok so the next song challenge is your least favorite song. which is anything from nikelback or creed or whatever those bands are. but, i don't want to post their songs. so instead i chose a new category: a song that reminds you of jr. high. soul meets body reminds me of my 9th grade yearbook class. my friend amanda and i would play it nearly every class and sing the lyrics, even when we didn't know them.

this guy

 meet my adopted brother, ashton. we've known each other for about six years, and our families are really tight friends. this pic was taken in hawaii, when we were 16 and 17.

 ashton just got back last week from serving a two year mission in houston, texas. we missed him so much! 

welcome home, ashton! i can't wait for all the new adventures.

alright, many of you have heard of the 30 day song challenge that some peeps on fbook are doing. well, i decided to do it on the blog here, you know, since i love music (hence the title 'the soundtrack').

day 1: your favorite song

boo this one. i have way too many favorite songs. but, i'm going to have to choose beirut's postcards from italy. simply love. 

confession session: may

1. i snort when i laugh sometimes [most times]. and it always surprises me, so i laugh harder
2. my most commonly used phrases: here's the thing, ok listen, nbd or anything, and seriously?
3. i love crinkly-eyed smiles, they make my heart melt
4. how do you know if i consider you a true friend? i'll stick my feet under your bum when i'm cold
5. i get really ornery when i'm hungry. unfortunately, people often notice i need food before i do
6. i've been told my celebrity look alike is julia roberts. umm, what?
7. having someone play with my hair will instantly make me relax
8. i am a pro back cracker
9. i think it's funny when people say 'i'm engaged to be married'. ok, what else would you be engaged in?
10. i don't like drinking the milk left over after a bowl of cereal


countdown great britain: 29 days. omigosh.


ok, now for an awesome summer song by foster the people. makes you wanna shake it, doesn't it?

aaanndd i'm back

short trip huh? gosh, florida was so dang warm. 90 degrees and humid. disney world was great, as always.  on saturday, we went to universal studios. you know what that means. i went to harry potter world. yes, that's right. it was amazing, i tell you.

i when i saw hogwarts, i about melted. then i wondered what's taking them so long to send me my letter (it's nine years late, i mean come on).

insights from this adventure:

1. four-wheeled 360 degree suitcases are a lot of fun
2. heat and humidity = bad hair. just roll with it ladies. don't try hard to look cute
3. chacos are normally my go-to i'm-going-to-be-walking-all-day shoes. but i hadn't broken them in for summer yet. tender winter feet + chacos + a lot of walking = ouch (no blisters, just sensitive feet)
4. leave your undershirts at home. i repeat: leave your undershirts at home
5.  frozen butterbeer is better than non frozen
6. you will want to love harry potter: forbidden journey. but it will make you nauseous. this will be you: this is so cool... i'm gonna barf... wow this is so different... uggg... look it's harry!... please stop rocking back and forth like that 
7. back to harry potter: the forbidden journey, you will love your time in line. talking portraits, defense against the dark arts room, the portrait of the fat lady, dumbledore's office. do yourself a favor, head into the castle where everyone is in line, and ask to go on the castle tour. you basically get to walk through the line and see all the cool things, and leave not feeling like you want to vomit
8. disney has perfected the churro. eat at least 2 per day
9. water misters will be the best thing to happen to you all day
10. people watching is the best at theme parks.
11. do not put your passes/fast passes in your front shirt pocket. we had the unfortunate experience of watching them all fly out on a roller coaster
12. toms are not good shoes for pouring rain
13. birds have no fear in theme parks. one might randomly zoom past your face and clip your forehead. yes, that happened to me
14. you will get rammed/bumped/run over, by at least 3 strollers per day
15. aerosmith's rock'n roller coaster will rattle your brains, but it is seriously the best
16. in 90% of the roller coaster pictures, i am either making the woo-hoo face, with hands in the air, or laughing my head off
17. the incredible hulk is the best ride at universal studios. tears will fleck off your face, part from speed, part from pure awesomeness
18. the express pass at US is worth your money. promise. pass up the 60 minute waits and walk straight to the front. nothing better
19. after you've been out in the pouring rain, and go into a nice restaurant dripping wet and cold, some waiters will be nice and fashion a shawl out of a tablecloth to keep you warm
20. you will sleep like a baby after theme-parkin' it all day long.
21. no matter how long the wait is, do the olivander's wand shop little show. sooo worth it
22. going to hp world made me realize i'm a big nerd. and i'm ok with it.

take a little look-see at some pictures from this trip:

frozen butterbeer. just the best

 see the rain jacket? yeah i hated carrying it around all day until....

this happened. downpour.

durmstrang and beauxbaton crew

hogsmeade. 

inside olivander's

talking and moving portraits. sooo lifelike

got my chocolate frog, don't you even worry

me and the hogwarts express conductor. suddenly i have ariel hair.

BEST

incredible hulk. BEST ride in the park. promise.

only picture i took in disney world. now you all know where my loyalties lie

anddd i'm off

hey people. i'm off to florida now (do florida happy dance).

i'm going here:

and here:

i'm super duper excited. WOOO! diagon alley, butterbeer, honeydukes, tower of terror, aerosmith's rockin' roller coaster. YES! don't be jealous.

finneee. i'm going to orlando, but miami is close enough

race for the cure

on saturday, my family and i did the race for the cure... celebrating 4 years of no cancer. it was so fun being there, and there was an estimated 20,000 people there!

it was also a sad time, because my good friend jenny lost her mom to breast cancer several years ago. we walked in memory of val, and in celebration of my mom.

we spent the weekend at the little america and had the mother's day brunch with close friends. here's to the survivors. you are an example to us all.

monday moments

in honor of mustache may

oh monday. here you are again.

awkward:

• scooching past several people to get to an open seat in class. sorry i knocked your notebook off your little desk. excuse my backside in your face. sorry i stepped on your foot. 
• having a boy open the door from behind me.  i spot a hand moving in my peripheral, then it's on the door in front of me, opening it,  causing me to dodge out of the way from getting hit by said door, and i'm thinking boy, you are incredibly close to me. BACK AWAY NOW. 
• the fact that i can never wear bangles, because they fall right off my hand when i put my arm down. sad story, huh?

awesome:

• the other day, i saw a red limo convertible. yes you read that right. there were about 7 kids just chillin in the back and waving. nice.
• oh hey, the lakers are out of the playoffs. wait they were swept out of the playoffs. can i get a woohoo?
• my bed at home. holy comfy. 
• while singing redeemer of israel in class today, everyone was perfectly harmonized with each other. and with a hymn like that, who wouldn't get a little teary eyed?
• MUSTACHE MAY!!! grow one if you can, buy one if you can't.

countdown florida: 3 days. countdown great britain: 43 days

to my mom

mom and brandon

me and mama

happy mother's day to a mom who:

• brings me christmas in a cup at work
• supports me in every decision i make
• takes care of me when i'm sick
• taught me that education is very important
• is a survivor
• is the most amazing cook
• taught me how to serve
• is loving, kind, and generous
• would sacrifice anything for my happiness

when i was little, my mom would tuck me in at night. she would say 'i love you', and i would ask, 'how much?', then she would answer, 'i love you to the moon and back'. mom, you have been the best mother i could ever ask for, and i am so grateful to have you in my life. happy mother's day.

I remind mothers everywhere of the sanctity of your calling. No other can adequately take your place. No responsibility is greater, no obligation more binding than that you rear in love and peace and integrity those whom you have brought into the world.  –Gordon B. Hinckley

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts. ~Washington Irving

you could say this is 'our song'

mondayyyy moments

not a big deal or anything, but i almost DIED from food poisoning! ok, i'm being a little melodramatic here, but i really thought i was going to die. curse you, bad chicken! aside from moaning on the couch all week/weekend, i started school again. whoop-de-doo. and it's MAY. MAY!! and it actually feels like it. a miracle, i tell you.

ok, well here's what you really came for:

awkward:

• when you rinse off your spoon in the sink, and the water hits it just right, then BAM! water shoots up in your face. happened yesterday, yup. 
• i made eye contact with the person in the car next to me while i was singing my little heart out. more awkward for them? maybe. 
• people watching the new freshmen on campus making u-turns left and right when they realize they're going the wrong way. i used to laugh at these people. until the other day i was heading to my next class and i realized i was going in the wrong direction completely. i slowed down and thought, self, there is no smooth way to do this. you are in a crowd of people and you need to make a u-turn asap. so i stopped abruptly, read some non-existent text, sighed loudly, and turned around. smooth, right?

awesome:

• i drove home from work with all the windows down, blasting mumford and sons. oh yeah. 
• next weekend, i'm heading off to florida. you know what that means? disney world and.... harry freakin' potter world. you guys. dream. come. true. 
• countdown study abroad: 50 days!

have a great week everyone. go do something remarkable.