50 things about me at age 21

 Got this idea from my dear friend Jaimie.

1. "i no longer believed in the idea of soul mates, or love at first sight. but i was beginning to believe that very few times in your life, if you were lucky, you might meet someone who was exactly right for you. not because he was perfect, or because you were, but because your combined flaws were arranged in a way that allowed two separate beings to hinge together."

2. I actually love California after spending a lifetime thinking it was world's worst.

3. I eat out all. the. time.

4. Cracked an egg in my Ramen for the first time a couple of weeks ago and it changed my life.

5. CJ and I have been reading the Book of Mormon together and it is always one of the best parts of my day.

6. God has been more gracious to me than I could have ever imagined.

7. I am losing steam in school. I don't like it.

8. I'm not as excited for Christmas as I usually am.

9. Diet Coke, I just can't quit you.

10. I tried Weight Watchers for about 2 months but it just wasn't very fun. SEE YA.

11. I am convinced that Heavenly Father has sent this beautiful weather just for me because He knows my life is hard right now and He knows the sun makes me happy.

12. Politics=suck. I would like to thank the USA for making me world's most optimistic cynic.

13. My best friend is leaving on her mission and I don't know what I will do.

14. I don't care much about what most people think of me.

15. The people whose opinions of me mean the most are my parents, CJ, and McKay.

16. I am sick of people asking me if I am going on a mission. Have you met my boyfriend? Hello.

17. I don't have a smart phone. Well, I did for one day and then I took it back.

18. I LOVE Twitter.

19. I cry a lot. Out of sadness, happiness, gratitude, and sometimes for no reason.

20. My favorite part of music is when a song has clapping in it.

21. I have mostly stopped biting/peeling my nails.

22. I don't love my tiny fat hands but I like them more when my nails are long and painted.

23. I hate taking showers. 

24. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.

25. I am obsessed with X Factor. It's stupid.

26. One of my favorite things to do is replace song lyrics while singing along to the radio.

27. My body wakes itself up every morning before my alarm.

28. I have a Costco card thanks to my Mom.

29. I would do anything to live closer to my family.

30. I wish I had unlimited funds for Christmas gifts. Buying things for the people I love is my favorite.

31. Pinterest is boring.

32. I love shrimp and it doesn't make me sick anymore.

33. I think I was Brazilian in a past life.

34. I love writing in my journal.

35. CJ's iPhone is the best.

36. Some of my favorite music ever has come out in the past year.

37. I don't know what to do about my hair. It's a situation.

38. I want a baby but I mostly just want someone to hang out with 24/7 because I hate being alone.

39. King Henry apartment 62 will always hold a special place in my heart. It made a woman out of me.

40. Terrified of all things involving sex and childbirth and bodies.

41. My boyfriend is one of the best people I have ever known and one of my favorites.

42. If I had my way I would have a huge garden and I would cook and dance around my kitchen all day.

43. Pretty sure I haven't been grocery shopping in at least two weeks.

44. I still hate Halloween.

45. I will be really sad when I have to move away from my best friends. Maybe the only thing I will miss about Provo.

46. I love doing yoga.

47. My family is the number one force for good in my life.

48. I am sick of working at Independent Study.

49. Going to Spain was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I made wonderful true friends and found the love of my life.

50. I think that I don't really like concerts.

BIRTHDAY WEEKEND

My birthday weekend began on Thursday when McClickey bought me lunch and then that night when me and my closest friends took a trip to our favorite place...the Chocolate. 'Twas fun and yummy. I also got cards in the mail from Gran and CJ's mom. I love cards!

On Friday after school and work (boring and lame but I took a test and got a 93 so BOOM) CJ came and picked me up to go to his mission reunion. He brought me flowers and my favorite ice cream, Half Baked. WHAT A GUY! And this was only the beginning. Then we were off to the mission reunion in Salt Lake. Unfortunately the ride there was not my finest hour because a) traffic and b) I was really hungry. We were a little late but we made it in time to grab some food before the meeting. The meeting was reallllly long and over half of it was everyone who was there taking turns with the mic and saying what they have been up to since they got home from their missions. Kind of a yawn. It was fun to meet some of CJ's mission friends that I had already heard so much about. I felt so proud to be there with CJ because he is such a great man and I know he was a wonderful missionary. I think CJ felt kind of bad that it was so long and kinda boring because afterwards we went to Bruges Waffles and Frites, which is quite possibly my favorite place in Salt Lake. It was sooo yummy and I got frites for the first time and I am going to be dreaming of them for weeks I'm sure.

My grandma sent me a birthday package full of my favorite things, homemade biscuits and cookies, so on Saturday morning I made gravy for the biscuits and it was so good! It was my first time making gravy and I think it turned out great. My mom sent me a jar of homemade raspberry jam as well and it is SO delicious with the biscuits. CJ and I enjoyed the first session of conference together. My favorite talk that session was President Uchtdorf's about living a happy life with no regrets. After the morning session CJ gave me another present! Perfume from Bath and Body Works that smells soooooo good, and it's called Sweet on Paris. CJ and I went to Paris right before we started dating and it will always be a special place for me because of him. Then was the fated hour that we decided to go to Tucano's with Brian and Shannon for lunch. I LOVED IT but I ate so much that I could barely walk when we left. Yikes. I thought I was at death's door! Worth it. I had never been and it was so delicious. The rest of the day was pretty relaxing. We watched the PM session at Brian and Shannon's and during Priesthood session I just hung out with Shannon at their place. Then me and CJ met up with McKay at the creamery and he bought me birthday ice cream! He is the best little brother a girl could ask for. Then we went back to Brian and Shannon's and played Balderdash with Ty and Jessie. It was so much fun, mostly because I won! And we all know how much I love winning. Everyone wished me happy birthday at midnight and it was wonderful.

Sunday morning I woke up at the crack of dawn and started making quiche and coffee cake for breakfast. I love cooking and baking and even though some people might want to sleep in on their birthday or not lift a finger, but I just wanted to make food! Then CJ came over to give me ANOTHER present. He gave me the sweetest card and I wanted to cry. Then I opened my present. It was a silver necklace with a seashell pendant. LET ME EXPLAIN. In Spain there is this pilgrimage people make all the way from France to Santiago de Campostela in Western Spain, where they believe St. James is buried. While we were traveling through Spain we saw a lot of these pilgrims making the journey, and the symbol of this pilgrimage is a scallop seashell. There are scallop seashell sculptures in cathedrals and on sidewalks all over Spain, marking the path the pilgrims take. It was a constant in our trip, we saw them in nearly every city we went to, and many women had necklaces with the shell pendant. Before we left I looked everywhere for a necklace like that but I couldn't find one. I couldn't believe CJ thought of that and found one for me...I love it so much, especially because Spain is obviously like a really special place for us. It will always remind me of how much fun we had and all the wonderful friends we made. Blah blah blah I am really sentimental. It was the PERFECT gift.

The rest of the day was spent watching Conference, sleeping, and spending time with family and friends. We had a party at the apartment that night with lots of amazing food (including a GORGEOUS Tiffany& Co. cake made by Chelsea) and my closest friends. This year has been really hard but it was so wonderful to just be reminded of how lucky I am to have these amazing people in my life. They mean the world to me!

 

Madrid

Thursday was CJ's birthday so we (Me, Katie, Lexi, Alisha, CJ) decided to spend the day in Madrid. We live about 40 minutes away by train. I fell in total love with this city!! I was worried because we didn't really have a plan, basically we were just going to hop off the train and see where the universe takes us and it was perfect! (It was actually a combination of Katie navigating and the universe doing its thing.) We hit a lot of the big spots in Madrid and I think my little heart was like crying of joy the whole time. Like everything I saw I would just gasp and be like OHHHHH MADRE MIA MIRA! I can't even...I feel like the luckiest girl in the world! Also you may or may not notice that I have been wearing the same two outfits this entire time. That's because it's been kinda chilly and I'm just waiting for it to get warm so I can break out my dresses and skirts! Maybe I will go to Zara tomorrow anyways...

CJ in La Plaza Mayor.

Cathedral Almudena...I really really love this Cathedral! Maria is up top there in the middle. I think I might have been Catholic in a past life.

My first churros and chocolate on this trip. Soooo warm and yummy. (Sometimes my face seems really huge but let's just ignore that.)

 El Palacio Real de Madrid. You have no idea how badly I just want to be the Princess of Spain. She don't live here doh.

 La Puerta De Alcala. Alcala is the city that I live in but for some reason la Puerta de Madrid is in Alcala, and la Puerta de Alcala is in Madrid.

This is like...the world's most beautiful park. We are going to go back and run in the park, also rent paddleboats, also eat more ice cream. In the park. There was a man right across the way from us playing his guitar and singing Beatles songs in broken English (When I'm 64 and All My Lovin')..it was a perfect day! I am in love with this city! AND ALL OF SPAIN! HALA MADRID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1st day of school

School was fine. I have the hottest profesora in the world and she is super sassy! Se llama Teresa.

We took a test and I was the first one done <3 (PROUD PARENTS)

Tomorrow we are going to go to Madrid for CJ's birthday.

I went to Zara today...I was in heaven. But then I remembered that Euros are real money. I keep having to remind myself!

Katie and I walked 24,396 steps today!

Tonight we watched the Real Madrid game and they lost and I was really sad because I got super emotionally invested...I am a Real fan for life now.

I am making more and more friends every day. And having more and more fun! But tomorrow it's going to rain...hopefully I can still have a good attitude because we all know that I hate rain.

Today for dinner we had fries with hot dogs and cheese and ketchup on top. VIVA AMERICA

Go Flowwolf, it's ya birt-day

Summer 2010, Oregon Coast.

Prom 2010, Richland.

New Year's 2008, Lake Tahoe.

What to say, what to say, what to say?

Happy 17th birthday to one of my favorite people in the world.

You always remind me to always have fun, do whatever the hell you want, and to never take life too seriously.

When I get home I will make you a birthday cake and a huge poster to hold up at your lacrosse games.

Thanks for being my brother and my best friend and having a mullet.

Love, Sister.