21 is fun

Well. In the midst of planning this wedding - BAM - it's my birthday.

A more than happy day at work,

the Himalayan Kitchen for lunch (which all enjoyed!),

evening with Chance,

El Salvador Restaurant for dinner, where I literally felt like I was out of the country,

and Divergent at the theater.

So yeah. 21 is fun!

Easter Weekend

Let's go back to Easter weekend with 25 cent ice cream cones and cotton candy, dying eggs, getting dressed up, playing with easter bunnies, and shooting guns, and eating candy till we got sick, and then eating more.

quick get away

Can't we just vacation for always?.... 

Making an appearance.

Happy St Patricks Day! One of the most random holidays, that I don't really know how to accurately celebrate besides wearing green... and I only have one green sweater. But paired with my cute little gold basket necklace and these silly glasses, makes me feel REAL festive.

I don't really understand how planning a wedding could be this hard when I've been planning it my whole life, ya know? But we've finally finalized a day and a place for the reception, so the real planning begins now, right?
I wouldn't be surprised if I became a diabetic as a result of my diet the last 2 weeks. I mean, I've always loved candy (chocolate mostly) but these last 2 weeks? Yikes!!
Being with Chance continues to get better. He's my best friend, my adventure buddy, and just my favorite person to spend my time with. We can't wait to be with each other ALL THE TIME. This "only see each other on weekends" this is BLAH!!!! We are so over that.

This is so cliche... but it just had to happen. 

I e-mailed Mckay and said "Send me a pic that's just for me okay?" And he did just that! And even though it's a Monday and I'm stupid tired, nothing can bring me down today.

My new camera lens makes me want to take pictures all day every day. And I've got tons of stuff to work on. Yay!
I've been engaged for about a month, and I STILL just stare at my ring. It's beautiful, and I love it. And Chance loves it, which makes me love it more.

I still come home from work everyday and watch Arthur, just like I used to when I came home from school. I (shamelessly) LOVE that show. I can't wait to watch it with my kids.
I feel like I haven't had a good hair day for... a long time. I don't know what to do with myself. It's long though which is "yay!" but what do I do with it?!


Well there's my appearance for the month. :D

hale center theater

Chance and I saw Les Miserables at the Hale Center Theater.

So much better than the movie.

Ahh... no words.

We loved it.

Down to Delta

Chance and I traveled down to Delta so that he could work on both of our cars. (I'd being lying if I said I didn't love that Chance knows how to fix cars.... saves me money.... and... DANG!! ;)

I love going down to where he grew up and spending time with his family. There's always lots of loving, laughing, and really good food! They are the greatest.

Plus. Check out that view. Farm boy lover had it pretty good growin' up.

ranting

I have to wake up at 6 am every morning. To get ready and catch the 7:13 Trax train to downtown (with the free trax pass my work has provided me with!). To get to my NEW JOB by 8!
The "office" job doesn't really appeal to some people... but I'm really diggin' the atmosphere. My second day, and I've already started decorating my desk.
Oh and I'm also lovin' the "business casual" attire. Ha! That's fun.
Back to the 6 am deal, I haven't even been dead tired the last two days I've had to wake up that early. That is a big deal! But going to bed at 10 is hard.. It bothers me that I could take a nap at any given moment during the day, but as soon as I get in bed to go to sleep it's like I have to force my eyes to close.
My boss took me to lunch today at Cafe Brio in City Creek. Have you ever been there? It's delicious. And I just adore my boss. She is awesome! I feel like everyone on my team likes me a lot already, granted one of them is my cousin.
Which brings me to another point! I'm so grateful my cousin told me that the job was hiring. It's fun to see her all the time, and I'm going to love working with her.
At lunch, I was telling my boss how I think you really have to know people to get a job just about anywhere. She totally agreed and then proceeded to tell me how she had 500 applicants for the job I had received and since my cousin referred me, she set up an interview, and then only interviewed like 2 other people, and after I interviewed with her she had 2 of her other co workers interview me to make sure she wasn't being biased, since she knows my cousin and the kind of family I come from. She said that all three of them picked me as the best candidate for the job, hands down, no questions! She told me I was so outgoing and personable, and I was really happy to hear that, because job interviews give me major anxiety! Big self-esteem booster right there.
I feel like I'm catching on pretty quick with how my job will work, which is reassuring. I don't feel as nervous and out of my comfort zone as I thought I would. But I'm so excited for this change, and opportunity.
Also they have nerf gun wars.
When we were leaving lunch, we walked passed a guy with a gas mask on. Literally a gas mask. The air quality is getting really bad here, and it really bums me out... Yikes! But it was sunny and that was refreshing.
Back to decorating my desk, now I'm browsing pinterest for the cutest ideas. Why not like the space you work in?


YAY LIFE!

I Declare Today a Happy Day

A Happy day indeed.

I made hard choices and did hard things today. The choice of what I want to do vs what I should do. I had to call and decline one job, and call to accept another. I'm getting out of my comfort zone, and that's exciting! I've officially accepted a job. A great job! It pays well, I get paid holidays, they are providing me with a free transit pass, I get to work with my cousin, and the environment seems awesome. Customer Service. It will probably be very different then working with kids, but I'm excited to learn, and expand my knowledge and skills!

Things are working out for me! And I laugh at myself when I say that, because they haven't exactly worked out in the way that I thought they would, but nevertheless, everything is all good! And I feel good. I feel peace, and that is a wonderful feeling.

I drove downtown today to sign some papers, and when I was walking back to my car (I parked far away to get free parking, and it turned out to be way father from where I was going than I thought... haha) I literally looked up to the sky, to God, and said out loud, "You're the BEST!". Haha.. but seriously. Then I went down a list of the amazing things that are in my life, big and small, and why today is such a happy day:

+I'm becoming more confident. Interviews scare me and give me the worst anxiety. BUT I'm getting better at them, more comfortable, more confident in myself and what I have to offer and what I know. I'm able to better be satisfied with myself, whether or not I get the job, as long as I felt like I have done my best. Again, I'm getting out of my comfort zone and it feels GREAT.

+I'm becoming more independent. Okay, okay, I still live at my parents house. BUT, I pay for all my own expenses. All of it. I bought my own car, with cash. I'm making hard decisions. I often talk to people to get their input, but ultimately I'm making all of my own decisions. I don't decide things just because it's what people around me are telling me to do. That's empowering.

+I'm losing weight, in a healthy way! I'm careful about what and how much I eat, and I'm staying active. I don't even remember the last time I was at this weight. I'm so happy to know I'm taking better care of myself!

+I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I feel the Spirit everyday and I feel so grateful that I know who I am and where I'm going.

+My family rocks! They are all so willing to help me out, and my parents are proud of me. I LOVE that feeling. I'm SO lucky to have the kind of relationship with my family that I do.

+I went shopping at City Creek and bought my first 'business casual' outfit. And I only payed 6 cents. (Thanks to Jilli's H&M gift card she gave me... I love free!!)

+It was a BEAUTIFUL day today. Sunny and 40 degrees. I didn't have to wear a coat or even a jacket, and I was absolutely happy to walk to far back to my car.

+I'M DANCING AGAIN!!! I decided last minute to do the adult company at my old studio and tonight was the first rehearsal. Ahh... feels so good!!

+Dad and I went on a temple date. I don't think my dad and I have gone to the temple together before. He said he was leaving to go do baptisms with the beehives and I said "You'll be baptizing?" and he said "Yes." and I said "I'M COMING!" and it was so great and I loved it.

and to top it off ever so nicely

+I get to have Chance as my best friend. He is there for me. He is the first person that I want to tell anything and everything to, because I know he will be excited, or proud of me, or help me, or laugh with me. I lean on him SO much and I'm the happiest to have him in my life!

Ahhh, today is such a happy, happy day!

ice castles

Yes, yes, because of my new obsession with the movie Frozen, just like everyone else, I just had to go see the ice castles. And they did not disappoint!

What a beautiful thing to see! You know what, even before I saw Frozen, I have totally noticed an attitude change in myself toward winter and the cold. It hasn't bothered me like it has in the past. And when I heard the Let It Go song and she says "the cold never bothered me anyway", I was like, THAT'S SO ME!! Haha, I love it:)

Resolutions

The time has come. New year. New goals. Fresh start! And again, along with the typical resolutions that are made every year, (work out, be healthy, daily scripture study and prayer), here are a few other things I want to focus on for this new year of 2014!



1. Make the most out of my sundays: Listen to gospel music, watch gospel movies, make gospel related goals for the week (service, calling responsiblities), Read gospel books, etc. Come closer to my Savior.

2. Reconnect with old friends. Send letters/messages, set up "lunch dates" to catch up.

3. Learn a new skill. Anything!

4. Promote my photography more. So far I've pretty much only done it for family and close friends, but I haven't really tried to get my name out there. But I got a new laptop AND photoshop. Big things are going to happen people!!

5. Volunteer somewhere.



I've got high expectations for this year, and I will try my best not to let myself down.

2013 review

I just looked back at my New Year's resolutions for this year (2013) and they were:


1. stay true to myself and what i believe
2. do what i love and have adventures
3. be thankful every day


I'm happy to say that I believe I successfully kept to my resolutions throughout the year. Every day, more and more I become happy with the person I am, and the life that I live.

Like I had said in that post, I know there is always room for improvement, and becoming the best me I can be is an on-going adventure, but I feel that I have indeed tried my best to stay true to myself and what I believe. I tried hard to not lower my standards to conform to the popular opinion and lived my life in such a way that people would know what I believed.

I have seen myself improving in the areas that I wished, especially in photography, and I can't wait to continue to expand my knowledge and skills. I don't care that "everyone is a photographer now". I'm doing it because I love it.  And though I didn't take any extravagant trips, I felt like I had my fair share of adventures. I became a "yes man" and did things that scared me. I made memories. Real memories.

I may not have said the words "I'm thankful for...." out loud everyday, but I did my best to "choose" to be happy. To see the small and simple things that made each day special. I really believe that to be thankful is to be happy.

2013 has been good to me! So here is the top 13 highlights from my life in 2013 (cliche, I know...)



1.  Dating Chance. Whatever I was doing, if he was there, it was better. I'm so thankful for the way he has impacted my life. The love and care, support, influence, and motivation he has given me through out this year has really made a difference! The year would have been VERY different if he wasn't a part of it, and I don't really care to think about experiencing it without him.

(the rest are in no particular order)

2. Speaking of Chance, going to Lake Powell with his family was definitely in the top 13 best times of the year! Not only do I just adore his family and love spending time with them, I had never been to Lake Powell before! It's just as awesome as everyone says it is.

3. The expansion of my family. Two new nieces AND Chad's engagement. Grace and Layla are two little bundles of perfect, and I'm so excited for Chad and Leanne to start their life together.

4. Grandma's passing... Seems weird to be a highlight, and I would give anything to have her still be here, but the time I was able to see her in the hospital before she passed away will always be a moment I treasure. It was a hard holiday season without her... but I know she watches out for me and I miss her everyday.

5. Mckay's mission call opening. Seeing Mac open that call and read out loud where he would be serving the Lord for the next 2 years was surreal! My baby brother! And then spending as much time as possible before he left. He knows how to have a good time!

6. Antelope Island trip with mom and dad. Just me, mom, and dad. Hey, I love my parents, but I'll admit I wasn't too excited to live at home by myself with them. But my attitude has totally changed on that. Plus, they like that I make them do fun things.

7. My homemade double stuffed Oreo Halloween costume. It was legit, if I do say so myself. Even though Chance and I had no parties to go to or anything... I spent 3 full nights on those costumes and was happy to just drive around the valley to show my family.

8. Little Millie turned one this year! And we were lucky enough to have her in Utah for her birthday, and birthday party. I got some really cute snaps at her party, and she's the cutest thing that ever hit this planet.

9. I bought a car! (I've been planning to do a picture and post about it... but I haven't.) I bought a car, with my very own money, in full, WITH CASH! Now that is a good feeling. I sure enjoy having my own car, and I really like the car itself too! Thanks to Chance for helping me get a good one.



10. Attending the Temple and my increased love for Sundays. With regret, I have to say that I didn't go as often as I should have... but every time I did, I always had the most beautiful experiences. I've got to make it more of a habit. And this year I have gained such an appreciation for the Sabbath Day. The peace is brings to me is priceless.

11. I turned 20! I officially said goodbye to my teenage years. Nah, I don't really feel that much difference between 19 and 20, but for some reason this year, I didn't struggle with telling people I was still 19 for the first few months after I turned 20. And I had a 'cake' of Grandma Nilsson's rolls, instead of an actual cake. That.... was awesome.

12. Chance and my Elf inspired Christmas date. Snow angels, ice skating, lights at temple square, texas roadhouse (for free), cookie dough, and snuggling. Now that was a date to remember!

13. Shark Week in Park City with my family. Even though we just swam, and watched Shark Week, and not everyone could stick around for long, I love little getaways, I love Park City, I love spending time with my family, and I love Shark Week... haha.

14. Okay I had to add in one more, because my life long friends and I went on a road trip to St. George and even though we got stuck in the hell fire sand and got swimmers itch, I'd go back and do it all again!!

Wow. It really has been a great year!

But you know me. I love change. And I'm ready for it. I've got great feelings and vibes comin' from 2014, and I think I'll run to it with open arms.