Let's Go to the Movies (& Get a Mani/Pedi)

This is the next to last day for me to be home with my family. It is weird to think about it. I am leaving right as summer has just begun. So today we went out for breakfast. Yum. Pretty sure I gained 10 pounds. We went swimming, went to see "Snow White and the Huntsman" (not a movie I would recommend, but it was still nice to be able to go see a movie with my family), and my mom and I got manicures and pedicures. Now, my nails look nice, I got quality time with my family, I am mostly packed, and I weigh a bit more. You know, the usual. 

Sock Monkeys

Today I got to see my best friend once again. We went and had lunch and then I helped her find a few things she needed for her Hawaii trip that she is leaving for tomorrow morning. This was the last time I will see her until Christmas break. I gave her the graduation gift I got her and pray she likes it. She got me a gift as well. So here's the thing... I don't like sock monkeys... at all. There is something about a creature whose mouth and butt are exactly the same that just doesn't sit well with me. When I went to Granbury with her a few weeks ago they had them in every store. It was seriously creeping me out. So, she went there again last weekend and again ran into those creeptastic animals. She thought of me every time she saw one so finally she just bought me one. She bought me a cute one though. He is just a baby so his butt is normal, and he is kind of cute. I like him. He sits in my car and keeps me company when I am driving alone. I love Ashley, and I always miss her. I gave her a few tips for college, and I hope they help her at least a little bit. 

Hurricane Harbor and Family Pics

My little brother and I went to Hurricane Harbor today. We had a lot of fun. I actually got us there and back without a GPS! I was proud of myself. When we got there the lady asked us if we were going to stay out of trouble... She thought my little brother and I were dating. I have to go back to Utah. I cannot continue to have people think I am dating my little brother. It makes my life awkward. This is not the first time it has happened. After I got over that I started having fun. We went on almost all of the rides without much of a line in any of them. On one of the slides Ryan was leaning into the curves, and somehow we were flying down that slide that was supposed to be kind of slow. By the time we got to the end we were moving. The lifeguard tried to stop the tube we were in and got run over. She was not going to stand in our way. So, we almost killed a lifeguard. Oops. We got a good lunch (I am pretty sure Texas is one of the only places you can get a REALLY good bbq sandwich at a water park) and went on more of the rides, played in the wave pool, and went down the lazy river. We had another adventure in the wave pool. A guy a few feet away from us starting drowning. Now, I still have not decided whether he was actually drowning or it was like in the Sandlot and he was pretending to get the pretty lifeguard to jump in and save him so he could hit on her. Either way, he was drowning. After being there for four hours we both had burns on the bottom of our feet from the hot cement, and we were starting to get tired. So, we finally decided it was time to go home. We had fun being with each other. I am now  a shade slightly darker than honey and completely exhausted. Something about being in the sun all day really takes it out of you, but it is almost always worth it. 


On another note, my family and I had family pictures done a couple weeks ago. I was kind of skeptical about how they were going to turn out, but I really like some of them. I love my family. Here are some of the pictures. 

My family.

My handsome brother. At least when people think we are dating they think I am with such a good looking guy.

This is me.

My momma and daddy.

All together.

The fam bam. 

He is so big!

My brother and I.

Back to Basics

I have always been bothered by my lack of being asked out on dates. Ever since I turned 16, my dating life has batted a 0. It bugged me even more while at BYU when everything's topic is marriage. It still somewhat bothers me but not nearly as much. I read my patriarchal blessing the other day and at the part where it tells me that I will get married. I read that one sentence over and over again. Tears came to my eyes and a feeling of peace overwhelmed me. After that, I put it down and went to bed. I did not even finish reading it. Ever since then I feel so peaceful about whatever will happen. I was listening to my ipod the other day on my love song playlist, and the song "How Will I Know" came on. 

Wow. My ipod knows exactly how to make me smile. So here I am enjoying the song. How will I know is a question so many girls ask themselves including me. It was really funny when the next song that came on was "That's How You Know" from the Disney movie "Enchanted." 

It made me laugh when a Disney movie answered such a popular question. Most of the time all we need to do is look at the simple things and go back to the basics to answer our questions. Whether it be a Disney movie or the scriptures or my patriarchal blessing, the basics are always there. Doing something so simple.... reading two things that I have access to at all times made me feel so much better. 

Cuteness and a Grad Party

     Today has been a great one. I actually set my alarm right this time so I got up with plenty of time to get ready for church today. Wearing a homemade circle skirt my mom made me along with a Tommy Hilfiger blazer and an antique hat I felt grown up. I felt like the Executive Assistant that I am. It felt like the time I got all dressed up for my BYUSA pictures and my roommate Makenna looked at me and said, "If I were a cat I'd pounce on that!" When church ended my family came home for a snack and we watched part of a movie. Then it was time to go again. 

     Now, I know it is Sunday, and most of the time we would not go to a party on a Sunday... But, this was my best friend's graduation party. I had to go. Her and her family have done too much for my family and me over the years for me to just not go. So we did and we had fun seeing each other and getting to talk. I love her so much. Later tonight we will probably finish our movie as well as make red velvet cream cheese brownies for my mom to take to work with her tomorrow. I really do love being with my family. 

Saturday Adventures

     Today I woke up early to go and get my hair cut. I told her to cut off only the dead since I am trying to grow it long. All she needed to cut off was a quarter of an inch. Considering I have not had a haircut since before Christmas, I think that is pretty good.
     Then, we went to the aquarium. I love the aquarium! The otters and manatees are my favorites. They look so happy swimming through the water. The fish are always so pretty, the monkeys are cute, the penguins stink but I am almost positive they pose for you to take pictures of them unlike the uncooperative otters, and the birds are fun to watch.

     Dinner was next. We went to a place that I would much rather go to for breakfast, but Ryan likes it so I just sat back and was going to wait to eat until we got home. It is called Panera. They make all kinds of homemade breads and pastries. Ever since I left Utah I have been craving an asiago cheese bagel. I looked at multiple stores and could never find one. So, you can imagine my suprise/excitement when I saw a whole bunch of them. My mom and dad bought me three to get me through the week. I still waited to eat one until I got home because I like eating them along with a key lime pie yogurt just like in college. 
     When we got home my mom, brother, and I went to the pool. We were only there for an hour, but being able to be in the water always makes me feel so good. After we all got back home, we ate peanut butter/chocolate fondue. It was so good. My favorite things to dip in it were the pound cake and the strawberries. Nothing is better (except maybe asiago cheese bagels)! We watched "Joyful Noise" while eating as well. I enjoyed it. Some of the songs they sang were popular songs now that were changed to make them fit the theme of gospel music. It reminded me of some of the songs they do at BYU only I think they were cheesier. It was fun anyways. Loving life. This was a good family Saturday.

Friday Fright Night

    Tonight I watched a scary movie. Now, that is not a big deal unless you lived in my dorm room. After becoming friends with a couple girls from across the hall, somehow we deemed Friday nights as scary movie nights. The first one we watched was "When a Stranger Calls." Five girls curled together on a couch not letting their feet touch the floor in case of the creepy bad guy grabbing them from under the couch. Sometimes even screaming was involved. After that movie we would not even go to the bathroom alone. We had to have  a buddy. Watching movies that scary until two in the morning is kind of a bad idea. Anyways, we watched it in the room across the hall so when all was said and done a couple of my roommates and I went back to our room cautiously, made a palette (or bed made out of blankets... whatever you want to call it) on the floor, turned on church music, and slowly drifted off to sleep. It became tradition. We watched a scary movie every weekend after that so tonight when we picked "Red Eye" as the movie we were going to watch I got really excited. Let the tradition continue.