the daily life

I feel like I should blog more often since it's pretty much the only sort of "journaling" I do, but there's never anything that exciting going on in my life. It seems like all I do is read, sew, study, work. Currently, I am reading this:

Attempting to recreate this:

  

and studying this:

In the few moments I get to spend with Jacob, we are usually playing Lego Harry Potter or planning our trip to Vegas or swimming if he can talk me into it (I'm in the pool for 4 hours at work!)

And while I do love my in-laws and am grateful to have a place to live for free, not having our own place can be a little difficult at times. Really I have no complaints except the weird feeling of living in someone else's home after I've lived on my own. It's just different and it's temporary so I can't complain.

And that's all that's going on for now.

Things I Need to Remember

I finally finished "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis. It has been my Sunday reading off and on for about a year now, but I'm really glad I read it! Some of the best bits:

"Progress means getting nearer to the place you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer."


" Some of us who seem quite nice people may, in fact, have made so little use of a good heredity and good upbringing that we are really worse than those whom we regard as fiends... That is why Christians are told not to judge. We see only the results which a man's choices make out of his raw material."


"[Love] is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by the grace which both partners aks, and receive, from God... Being 'in love' first moved them to promise fidelity: this quieter love enables them to keep the promise."


"Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man... It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest... it eats up every possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense."


"Do not waste time bothering whether you 'love' your neighbor; act as if you did."


"Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world...If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probably explanation is that I was made for another world."


"This Helper who will, in the long run, be satisfied with nothing less than absolute perfection, will also be delighted with the first feeble, stumbling effort you make tomorrow."


"But if you are a poor creature--poisoned by a wretched upbringing in some house full of vulgar jealousies and senseless quarrels--saddled, by no choice of your own, with some loathsome sexual perversion--nagged day in and day out by an inferiority complex that makes you snap at your best friends--do not despair. He knows all about it. You are one of the poor whom He blessed. He knows what a wretched machine you are trying to drive. Keep on. Do what you can."

Oh and...

Happy Birthday to my eldest sister

She's the orange flower on the right. She's my mom's favorite, a dance prodigy, and she's not just a regular mom--she's a cool mom.


AND Happy Birthday to my sister from another mister:

see the signs above our heads.. get it?

We met in Greenfield Jr. High  Orchestra. I knew we'd be best friends when a friend called me out on not showering (my hair was still 3-barreled from the night before) and Olivia said something like "Actually it's better for your hair to not wash it every day. I shower like twice a week".

mmm whatcha say?

 I almost forgot that the #1 goal of my blog is to provide Brooke Stirling more blog-stalking opportunities while she's "working". Well, she let me know that I haven't been meeting her standards lately. I apologize and assure you that I am here for your entertainment (cue Adam Lambert).

First, to address your question. I work at a place called Aqua Tots which is hard for me to say without a Wisconsin accent, which makes the name sound even dorkier than it already is. I teach swim lessons. That's all I want to say about that.

No one likes looking at a blog with no pictures. Donelle is about to have a baby.

Now I will address your boredom:

Join Goodreads. It'll take at least an hour to rate all the books you've read and make a list of books you want to read.

Read this.

Gawk here, and here, and here.

Pin stuff

Share good youtube videos with me. Also make a video for me.

Look at houses for sale in Arizona

And when all else fails, stumble.


Well that made me look pitiful (working in a computer lab has taught me well). I hope you're satisfied!

catch up

ahhh. It's been too long! Since I last blogged, I have:

Gotten a job
Gotten a library card
Spent lots of time sewing/crafting
Had a bonfire with friends in the desert (until the fire truck came..)
Listened to two farewell talks and one homecoming talk
Helped my sister throw my niece an awesome 12th birthday party (think Justin Bieber, headband-making, and "Just Dance 2")

Had friends over to swim and teach us how to make grilled pizzas

They were soooooooo good.

Also, on Sunday night my sisters and I were watching Ms. USA when Bethany was suddenly overcome with regret for not competing in Jr. Miss as a complete joke--sporting an 80s prom dress, singing a number from "Cats", etc. So we decided to start competing in MRS. pageants. Who wouldn't want a title like "Mrs. Maricopa County" to throw on a resume? seriously.

Rocky Point

We finished our hectic week by spending a relaxing weekend in Mexico with Jacob's family. They have a beautiful condo right on the beach in Rocky Point. The weather was perfect, and we had so much fun playing on the beach, tubing with the wave-runner, swimming the wave-runner back to shore after breaking down in the middle of the ocean, reading, playing games etc.

playing tag after our giant hopscotch was destroyed

Em's Graduation

Also during our week of craziness: Emily's graduation. She even had to speak, because she was class president. She did great, and didn't even seem nervous! I probably would've peed my pants.
And now for ...
Pictures I stole from Facebook:

Us + his parents kind of

Emily on a big screen. So famous

Heather and Emily playing nice

Now she's off to Provo. I'll miss having her here to watch one-star Netflix instant movies with me, but we'll be joining her (and his 2 other sisters) soon!

Bachelorette Party

I nearly forgot to mention the fantastic party we threw Bethany a few nights before she got married. We ate treats, talked, sang a little karaoke, and watched her open gifts. But no party is complete without a game, right?
So we had a lingerie-making competition: Smith family style. I brought a big bag of various craft supplies, fabric scraps, sparkly appliques, and hot glue guns which each team had to use to create a lingerie set for Bethany.



I was so impressed with everyone's creativity and resourcefulness.

Adina, EmmaLee and I went for a party/gift theme:


I think we won... and if we didn't, we should have.

one of the best things about summer

It's going to be a good season!

my sister's wedding.

Last Friday was Bethany's wedding, so ALL of my sibling+their spouses and children came into town. I love being able to see everyone at the same time since it rarely happens (look how many of us there are!).

Somehow all seven of us have managed to get married...

And even better, we all got to be there for her sealing.

She looked beautiful in the dress she MADE HERSELF, and I'm so happy that she found someone so perfect for her.

To be honest, I haven't gotten to know Blake all that well, but anyone who will dance to this song for their "First Dance", is perfect for my sister (and will fit into the family splendidly) :