give thanks

Some things I've got to be thankful for:

(in no specific order)

The beautiful girl on the left.  She's my little sister, but I look up to her.  I'm proud of her, and I envy her strength.

A husband with very few inhibitions that will do next to anything to make me laugh.

Baby Eli.  He's helping me get over the overwhelming fear of infants (and anything to do with them).

His parents, who we miss to death.  We love laughing, playing, eating, etc. with them.

That even though we're old ladies now, I can call on my best friends to play volleyball...and actually win a few games!  We're all in different places in life, but we're still there for each other, and we still have fun together.

A dad who likes to joke around.  And who I can talk to about anything.  I love him.

His parents, who are the greatest example of an eternal love story that I know.

My mom.  We can laugh together, yell at each other, or just talk about the small stuff.  That's why she's my best friend, too.

Her parents, who have the most giving hearts in the world.

Sisters that remind me it's ok to be whoever and whatever I want to be.

That I have strong, beautiful women to look up to.

Cheap date nights.

That beautiful girl on the right.  She's my sister, she makes my heart want to explode, she's an incredibly talented artist, and she makes me laugh harder than anyone else.  Ever.

That my mom knows how to make and carve a killer turkey...

So that I can eat turkey skin one day a year!

That I have a family I love, and who loves me.

We laugh together, and cry together, and I wouldn't trade them for anything.

the "Thankercheif"

That I could be there to witness Richard's first Gingerbread House experience.

That he forgave me for being a stick in the mud about him beautifying our Gingerbread House.

That he dragged me out of the mud in no time.

And a few more items:

the Gospel

that I get to take vacations with Richard

Nicholas Sparks (novels & movies)

chocolate

my new job

my old job

Richard's job

freedom

uplifting music that I can listen to (& dance to)

wonderful in-laws

friends from our heavenly University 1st Ward

that I learned to cook (and continue to experiment)

cheese

really good books

the Indian restaurant down the street

brother & sister-in-law on missions

Netflix

What are you thankful for?

birthWEEK...i'm a big kid now

You know that saying, "You're only as old as you feel"?  Well, I'm totally on board with that one, because although I turned a whopping 25 years old last month, I still feel like a little kid.  Or at least a high school kid.  Basically, I feel like I'm scamming anyone and everyone who treats me like an adult, or gives me any responsibility whatsoever.  Not because I think I'm totally incompitent, but because of the fact that it seriously feels like just 5 minutes ago I was getting my driver's license!  Guess it was a little longer than that.  Really though, tell me I'm not the only one whose mind is blown when it hits you how long you've been out of high school - I remember thinking 25 was old, and all of a sudden I'm that old person!

Luckily so far, 25 doesn't feel old to me, so I like to think I'm making the most of this milestone year.  I'm a quarter of a century old, for crying out loud!

My phenomenal husband and BFF Rachel made my birthday into a weeklong celebration of sorts to help me ring in my 25th year the right way.  They knew they'd never hear the end of it if they didn't.

This is how it went:

After coming home from my first day at my new job to find the greatest video ever (a montage of Rachel Smith & Rachel Jenkins), Richard and I met up with our favorite friends, Sam and Melissa Bates, for some VIP sushi at the Happy Sumo.  We were really just getting together for fun, and fun we had!

Yummy food & a night at the arcade.

Old people don't do that stuff!

Tuesday, Jenkins brought me some homemade (from a box ha!) cupcakes with candles for us to enjoy while we watched the Biggest Loser.

Wednesday, my actual birthday, I came home to find that Jenkins had decorated my house!

...and on my lunch break she delivered a picture of the current man haunting my dreams, Mr. Kevin Bacon!  Specifically his character from the movie Taking Chance.  Seriously, I've had multiple dreams about him since watching that movie haha

After my volleyball game that night, Rich and I enjoyed our traditional Pumpkin shaped pizza from Papa Murphy's...

Friday night I went for a Witch's Night Out with my favorite ladies

Saturday morning I humored Richard by carving pumpkins with our friends Chuck and Heather Francis...

I hate carving pumpkins.

But I was happy to do him the favor when I found out he was surprising me with a day at the spa for my birthday present!

And after my massage, he surprised me with dinner with the gang at the Brick Oven!

Sunday, things came to a smashing close with my family party...

they know me so well - a beautiful scarf to keep my newly bare neck warm during the winter, a food processor that I've been dying for (my grandma Shirl is a gem!), and...

my mom made me close my eyes while she brought in the big surprise gift...

I was thinking maybe a coat, or a gift card to my favorite store, or (stupidly) a puppy...

it was much better than any of those.

a Kitchen Aid mixer!!!

I've had my dreaming eye on this sexy beast since my foodie adventures began.

I may have shed a tear or two, but they were tears of joy my friends!

Thanks, Mom & Dad!!!

If that week was a sign of things to come in this next quarter-century of my life, then I can't wait to see what the future holds.

25 feels pretty good.

Even if its a joke that I'm actually this old.

Trick or Beets?

I know.  Halloween was ages ago.  And boy, oh boy did we have a good time!

It went a little something like this:

These two wild & crazy gals...

invited these horribly under-dressed witches to enjoy a night on the town at Witches' Night Out at Gardener Village

we shook our groove thangs...

flocked w/ our birdie friends...

smiled a lot...

posed w/ the creepies...

watched a mentopausal woman throw a tantrum worthy of a toddler while being dragged into this picture

(can you guess who?)

and stuffed out gourds at the Cheesecake Factory!

perfect ending to a perfect night

And although we didn't have a grand Halloween Bash to go to this year (because thanks to inspiration, our fun fun student ward is no more), we did get together with some of our old peeps for some yummy junk food, big laughs, and great conversation!

I went as Dwight Shrute (from the Office)...I really don't like him at all, but sadly I can look like him with a middle part & some of Richard's clothes.  Yes, those are beets.

Bears.  Beets.  Battlestar Galactica.

Richard went as the man the 80's rack at Saver's threw up on.

This is exactly what he wore that night, but he has been prepared with this costume for about a month...

when we went to an 80's themed birthday party (forgot to post about that one...)

The Halloween get-together was a pot-luck, so I stopped at Papa Murphy's to get our traditional pumpkin-shaped pizza.

Love, love, love all these friends!

Even these crazy guys!

Richard even got me to carve a pumpkin this year - which I hate doing!

His was great!  It's his band's logo.

Mine was boring circles.  Hey, I just had to make it through.  I loathe that slimey, seedy, gunk!