The Ellsworths

Confessions, Pt. 1

2012-02-09T11:51:00.000-08:00

Imagine Usher's "Confessions" playing right now. It's about to get personal.

-It usually takes me at least 3 tries to get the word verifications things right. One time I even pushed the handicap button, but the audio verification was even trickier.

-Opening canned biscuits scares me. I jump every time.

-It's getting pretty hard to shave my legs, so I decided today would probably be the last time I do before this baby comes. Instead of being grossed out by that, I just thought "meh.. I've gone longer"

-Saying I'm a sucker for trashy reality TV wouldn't be much of a confession--that's common knowledge. What's really embarrassing is that I may have gotten teary-eyed during the season finale of Kourtney and Kim take New York.

and there's more where that came from.

Jacob says:

2012-02-06T18:32:00.000-08:00

"Hey, check it out! I just made the cuddle box 10 times cooler!"

Yes, he turned one of the cushions into a divider. Ten times cooler=cuddle prevention.
Ok, maybe it's more to prevent me from punching him while we play Mario Party on 50 turns.

We love each other.

31 weeks

2012-02-02T10:57:00.000-08:00

Here we are at 31 weeks. Time is flying!

I figured out that the Photobooth camera on the Mac adds about ten pounds, so that explains why the pictures from a few weeks ago look even bigger than these... anddd I won't be using that for full body shots anymore.
And don't be worried that I'm like "uhh, I'm so fat. I hate my body." I'm actually amazed (and maybe a little weirded out) with my body and the fact that it's capable of growing a human! It's just a little difficult to dress my drastically changing figure, especially on a student budget. Aside from that and recently being introduced to heartburn, no complaints here! (Though, my husband may tell you otherwise).

on my mind

2012-01-28T07:05:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about how to be a good mom and which parenting styles work best and all that.Then I realize that even if I knew what perfect parenting looked like, I wouldn't be able to do it. The words of prophets and apostles always make me feel better, though. This snippet was especially encouraging:

"There is no one perfect way to be a good mother... Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children... What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else." Elder M. Russell Ballard

That I can do.

females

2012-01-17T14:46:00.000-08:00

I waste a lot of time on Pinterest, and I've noticed this recurring pattern:

First a girl will pin something like this (sometimes several, but they all say pretty much the same thing).

Then she may or may not pin something like this or a quote on inner beauty.

And then a few recipes for things like this Reece's cheesecake, though this sometimes precedes the above picture.

I love it. And I know pointing out the irony is totally hypocritical because just yesterday I pinned a pile of spinach with a link to healthy smoothie recipes right before I pinned a recipe for Cadburry Creme Egg brownies (OMG.), but I still get a kick out of it.

And there's my insightful look at human (girl/women) nature for the day.

Oh and here's a little more

Semester #8, Week 28

2012-01-15T20:48:00.000-08:00

I'm taking a pretty light load of classes this semester, because I really only needed one more class to graduate. I decided to still go full-time though, because everyone will start taking money away from us if I'm part-time.
So along with my advanced writing and an editing class, I'm taking Floral Design and ASL 101 (I've already taking all of the classes above this one). And ASL is a block class, so by the time baby comes I'll only be in three classes. I'm still a little worried about how crazy things are going to get in a few months, but I'm loving all my classes so far!

Jacob says I need to keep posting bump pictures, so here is a 28 week update.

blehh. I hate getting dressed every morning.

little surprises

2012-01-09T08:39:00.000-08:00

Every time we get back to Arizona, there are little surprises waiting for me at my parent's house. Not like gifts or treats. Like, "sorry you can't sleep in your old bedroom, there are chick eggs incubating in there". This year, I was greeted by a church bench in the TV room.

Can't wait to see what's new in May!

Baby Shower

2012-01-07T14:52:00.000-08:00

Right before I left Arizona, my mom and sisters threw me a baby shower. I didn't want it to be some big over-the-top event and I didn't want anyone to go to too much trouble in the planning. It ended up being perfectly cute and simple!

These were the announcements Bethany made:

We decided to run with the "peanut" idea and do a circus-ish theme.

Even though I always feel uncomfortable opening presents in front of people and being the center of attention, I had a lot of fun getting to visit with family and friends (and eat treats of course). I couldn't believe how generous people were; we ended up with so much cute and useful stuff for baby. Every little bit means A LOT to us poor college folk.

Thanks everyone, we feel the love!

p.s. I'm around 26 weeks in these photos and getting bigger every day. whooop!

Christmas Vacation

2012-01-05T07:14:00.000-08:00

It did happen, but we must have been having so much fun (been so lazy) that we took hardly any pictures.
First, we went to Mexico with Jacob's family for a few days. It was a little too cold to play in the water, but it was nice to just relax on the beach and search for creatures.

When we got back, we finished our last-minute preparations for Christmas, went to the Swap Meet, and went to a Christmas party with some of my high school friends.

Jacob's big Christmas gift was the new Zelda game complete with golden wiimote (which I convinced him earlier I wasn't able to get a hold of), so he spent the rest of the break playing that while I coached him or sewed or slept since apparently I get sick now. My niece, Ruby, took over my coaching position whenever I was slacking. She especially liked when he picked up red rupees, because she thought we were saying "red rubies" and gave all the other colors names (pink Ellas, green Jacobs, etc.)
My big gift was the Adobe Suite, because I always use InDesign and Photoshop on the school computers and was sad I wouldn't have them when we graduate in April. I wanted mostly homemade things from family, because I love homemade gifts!
For New Years, we went to Kami and James' for a family party. They just happened to move into the same ward as Jacob's parents, so they live real close. Yay convenience!

Family #2

2011-12-15T20:17:00.001-08:00

When Jacob's whole family was here for Thanksgiving, his Mom really wanted to get some family photos. My friend Andrea saved the day and agreed to do them on very late notice. I love how they turned out!

I like this one, because it's the only one where I'm not fake smiling.

P.S. consider these my 22-week baby bump progress photos, because I really hate taking pictures of myself.

I might be too stressed

2011-12-13T12:46:00.000-08:00

It took a while to finish once I got busy with school, but by the time I got to the end this morning, I was bawling (I never sat through the whole movie, so I had no idea how it was going to end). And Jacob was laughing.
Go read it.

We Need a Little Christmas

2011-11-29T15:44:00.000-08:00

So I have a million big projects and papers due in the next two weeks trying to take away my holiday spirit. Uh-uh papers, not happening! (imagine that with a sassy head bob+finger snap)

We'll be simmering potpourri, blasting the Christmas Pandora station, and watching awful made-for-tv holiday movies allll month long! Plus, we've been gift planning for the past 4 or 5 FHEs and got all three of our Christmas decorations up.

I believe we have Bethany to thank for this glitter-covered dino ending up with the rest of our decorations. He really saved the day, because we didn't have a tree topper!

Happy Holidays kiddos!

Thanks?

2011-11-26T10:36:00.000-08:00

I know on Thanksgiving I should have blogged about how I was overwhelmed with gratitude, but I was more overwhelmed with homesickness. There's something wrong about a Thanksgiving without a million wild kids running around and a white trash buffet-style dinner out on the lawn and Mom getting excited about how tomorrow she's going to save an additional 30% off of the 50% off clearance by using her Kohls card.

I must be the worst Mormon wifey blogger ever, but in a twisted way, this is me being thankful for my family. And I am really, truly thankful for a million other things, despite my not making a cute list of them on Thursday.

2 things

2011-11-19T17:28:00.000-08:00

1. Yes, I spoke too soon. It snowed. BUT it's kind of cool when it's at a somewhat appropriate time of year and when I wake up with our little fire burning and see white-covered everything out the windows... like cool in a reminds-me-of-Frosted-Mini-Wheats kind of way.

2. Who knew being kicked in the stomach all day would be so exciting???

.

2011-11-18T14:54:00.000-08:00

I live in a really pretty place. I can admit that now that I know I only have to live here for another 4.5 months and because it hasn't snowed yet. It's especially nice living within walking distance of the temple.

Where are we moving? I'm so happy to finally have a definite answer to that! Jacob had one job offer in AZ and another in San Jose. As much as we love Arizona and being near family and friends, we decided to go with the better job in California. I've never wanted to live in California because it's crowded and expensive, but I think we'll end up really liking it there (perfect weather year round?!). It's nuts to think that this isn't just another summer job or internship. Real life is starting!

Nat gets fat

2011-11-15T09:41:00.000-08:00

I know that the bigger I get the more uncomfortable I'll be, but I'm so ready to look obviously pregnant. I feel like I've been in this awkward, chunky stage forever.

...after eating a lot and maybe sticking it out a little, we're getting there.

3/23/12

2011-11-14T07:59:00.000-08:00

Bet you can guess where I'll be at midnight, 5 days before my due date.
(please don't come early, baby!)

The baby is a...

2011-11-09T16:48:00.000-08:00

In the words of our ultrasound tech, "See that little package?"
Why yes, yes we do.

I'm surprisingly relieved since I really don't think I'm ready for girl attitude/drama and because we've been saying "he" and "him" for my entire pregnancy. Jacob's just relieved that now I don't feel the need to go shopping for baby clothes. But seriously, we're really excited!

I keep picturing a sweet angel mini-Jacob and hoping he's not too much of an awkward spazz like his mama.

How his family found out

2011-11-04T12:36:00.001-07:00

We were planning on telling Jacob's family pretty much the same way we told mine, because both of our moms' birthdays are in October. Then one day in September Jacob decided to order me a nice body pillow so I can still sleep well as I get fatter. Usually when you order stuff online, it comes in a box that says "Amazon" or in this case "New Egg". Nope. This giant box showed up at Jacob's Grandma's house, and his sister just happened to be over right when it arrived:

Since when do people write the contents of a package on the outside?! Nobody wants the whole neighborhood knowing what they're ordering in the mail.
Anyhow, we knew we weren't going to have a good cover for this so we decided to just make the announcement to his family that day. In retrospect, it was really nice having at least a few people who knew and could be excited with us/not think I was awkwardly gaining weight for no reason. It just wasn't quite what we had in mind.

mommish stuff

2011-11-03T10:48:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: this post will likely be overly sentimental and mushy (I'll just blame the pregnancy hormones like I do for everything else). You've been warned.

I always thought that before I got pregnant, I would for sure be really "baby hungry", but I wasn't really. I'm kind of glad, because I would never want to want a kid the way people want puppies.. like "ohhhh so cute, let's get one!" In fact, every time I thought about kids, I just felt really scared and thought about how unprepared I am to handle that kind of responsibility. I also thought about all the things having a baby meant I wouldn't get to do.

Luckily, in the two seconds that I stopped being selfish and really thought about it, it felt like the right thing to do. And then all of the sudden, before we could even think about changing our minds, I was pregnant!

Obv we (maybe just me) are still pretty freaked out, but I keep hearing/reading things that remind me that this is absolutely the best thing that could be happening to us right now. One of my favorites so far was a poem by Anne Campbell that President Hinckley quoted in this talk:

I already love baby so much that none of the other stuff even matters. It's the weirdest thing--in a good way.

Pumpkins, Apples, and a Party

2011-10-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy with all the Fallsy things we've done this month!

First we carved pumpkins with Jacob's sisters. I think Jacob was done with his before any of us even came up with a game plan.

Yes, I'm wearing Jacob's shirt. No, it's not too big for me.

SIMBA! My finished pumpkin. So good.

My friend/neighbor, Kelsey had a Wonderland Halloween Tea Party. You must look at her blog and see all the fantastic details she put into it.
Given my current state, we decided it would be fitting to go as Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum--the fat boys!

I thought I would be a little bigger by then, but oh well

And this weekend we made caramel apples. mmmmm

Booo

2011-10-28T11:18:00.000-07:00

With that title and it being October and all, I know you're thinking this is going to be a Halloween post. Well, you've been fooled. This is actually a random Jr. High memory post.

So. At the end of 7th grade I decided to audition for Advanced Drama. I was like, "Hey, I've starred in lots of Smith Children's Theater productions and been killed in a few Tragic Christmas films (our homemade version of a Lifetime Original Movie)." So I felt pretty qualified.

Everyone had to prepare a 1-2 minute monologue for try-outs. There was a lot of Legally Blonde, Never Been Kissed, and some Disney movies. Then there was me. I walked my gangly, high water-sporting 7th grade self up to that stage and delivered this...

Needless to say, I made it.

Surprise

2011-10-24T18:00:00.000-07:00

Sadly, I couldn't share the good news with my family in person, so I made this movie for my mom's birthday to announce my pregnancy:

A photo of her reaction:

She had been crying from all the sentimentality of the slide show+James Taylor, and then she was all excited. Obv.

2011-10-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

I never thought I would be so happy to be...

Even though it kind of just looks like I ate a lot, that's really a baby in there!
And he or she will be here (around) March 28, 2012!

p.s. before you start trying to do the math, that makes me about 17 weeks along

p.s.s. yes, this probably will become one of those mommy blogs where all I want to talk about is baby and pregnancy and the like. Deal with it.

Ya, well.

2011-10-17T14:59:00.000-07:00

It's just one of those days when I'm determined to be productive, and I end up eating salt and vinegar chips and watching this instead:

So worth my time.

Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered

2011-10-15T16:33:00.000-07:00

Last night we went with some of Jacob's friends to UVU's corn maze. I sort of hate feeling disoriented and have the worst sense of direction, but I actually enjoyed this one. I love doing festive things that remind me that it's holiday time! Otherwise, I get so busy working and studying that I don't even know what month it is.

I also like that when we all got split up, Jacob, Robert, and I thought we were totally going to get out first, because we found the map on Jacob's phone and figured out where we were. We still came out last. We had a bonfire afterwords and roasted marshmallows and played mafia and junk.

Lari Lue

2011-10-12T14:40:00.000-07:00

Today is my mom's (40th?) birthday, so allow me to brag about her for a moment.

Sure, she may have allowed me to wear a blanket for a skirt and snack on limes, but that's why I love her! She never sweat the small stuff and just let us be kids. She can sew anything, make friends with a stranger in the supermarket line, and has the best laugh you ever heard. Seriously, funny movies/tv shows are 10x funnier when I'm watching them with Mom.

She taught me the importance of a good deal (even if it meant taking me out of school, because "there's a really good sale going on!") and that a dessert isn't complete until it's been topped with ice cream and homemade hot fudge sauce.

And one time when Costco stopped selling their amazing ice cream bars, my mom wrote them the following letter:

I am devastated that you have quit selling your chocolate dipped rolled in nuts ice cream bars from the food court. Since you have destroyed my life by not selling them anymore, perhaps restitution could be made if you would please give me the recipe and directions for making my own. I will not try to sell them, they are strictly for my own personal enjoyment. I might even consider buying the ingredients from you, since I do know the roasted almonds ( a very important part of the recipe) can be purchased right there at Costco. It is hard to imagine even coming to your store without the reward of eating a bar. PLEASE PLEASE I am not kidding, it would mean the world to me, if you could just give me the recipe. Thank you from the bottom of my broken heart which might be repaired dependent upon your cooperation. I am counting on you!

Please do not disappoint me further. My heart can't take it.
Thank you,
Lari Smith, valued customer since 1983

It wasn't too much later that they brought the bars back, so if you've enjoyed one of those babies in the past two years, you can probably thank my mom.

I could go on and on about how my mom's the best and about her many talents--these are just some of my personal favorites.
Happy Birthday, Mom!!

oh wait..

2011-10-10T11:02:00.000-07:00

Maybe I am still a four-year-old.

I get hungry at school.
And if I could get away with it, I'd probably bring a little tupperware of cheerios and goldfish to sacrament meeting.

little visits

2011-10-08T15:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when I get home from school, I have a little visitor waiting for me (usually not bearing a large egg).

If school has made me grumpy or overwhelmed I think "uhhh, I'm too tired for this". But I always end up being thoroughly entertained and enjoying her company. Some of my favorite moments:

She told me about one of her mom's friends being pregnant, and I said "Oh she has a baby in her tummy?!" and she responded, "NO! It's in her uterus!"

We decided to watch The Wizard of Oz one afternoon and she asked, "Does this movie have a robot in it?" I told her no and then figured out that she was referring to the tinman.

She came over while we were in the middle of a movie and wanted to play on our tablet thing so Jacob told her to go play it in the closet, which she did. For a long time. In his defense, it's the only separate room in our apartment besides the bathroom.

I love kids at this age. Why can't we all be four-years-old forever?

Green Eyes

2011-09-27T18:17:00.000-07:00

I love riding my bike to school with my good ol' ipod (from like 2006). I wish UT would stay pretty year-round, because it sure is great right now!

Also, this song reminds me always of Jacob. And I love it, and that's final.

25 Never Looked So Good

2011-09-25T10:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to the best husband I ever had! I can't believe he's practically 30.

and because I can never pass up an excuse for baby photos...

Last night we had a wild party over here to celebrate (after the Relief Society Broadcast, of course). We had way too many good treats and stayed up way too late. That's my kind of party.

just thinking out loud

2011-09-21T18:49:00.000-07:00

It's been a rough week (wait. it's only Wednesday??). All I can say is that if you pray to be humbled, watch out. You can always count on that one being answered. But in a weird sort of way, I'm grateful for life's "wake-up calls", for reminders that we really do need Him.
I'm so excited for General Conference. It couldn't come at a better time.

..and about this bruchetta recipe that is so easy and so delicious. And this is coming from a tomato-hater.

One of my favorites

2011-09-19T08:33:00.000-07:00

Labor Day

2011-09-05T19:05:00.000-07:00

On Sunday night we drove to Fillmore to play with all Jacob's friends at the Roper's barn (it's like, a cool hangout). We had the best dutch oven dinner, bags of candy, and all the ladies got to watch our husbands play football which was quite a treat. I love imagining what they all were like in high school and hearing all the funny stories of how they kept themselves entertained in a tiny town. I'm glad they've all grown up a lot since then, but not too much.
Finally Jacob set up our cots on the lawn and we slept under the stars which is actually not very cool when you're too blind to see the stars. It's also not cool to sleep on a farm, because all the animals have Tourette's and kept me up all night. Aside from that, it was a great way to spend our holiday!

here we go again

2011-09-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

We have started our last year here at BYU, and now that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, I'm kinda almost sad to be so close to being done. I know I always complain about how hard school is and Provo and the cold and all, but for the most part, I love going to school here. I've learned to laugh at the little quirks and all the marriage-obsessed, bad-driving, I-call-my-mom-3-times-a-day-to-tell-her-about-my-love-life people here and just be grateful for the really great education I'm getting. (Plus, there are a lot of really cool people here, too).

Anyhow, one thing that makes me laugh each year is the first time a teacher has us sing a hymn to start the class. I don't know why, but it is sooo funny to me that a bunch of college kids asked to sing a song on the spot end up sounding like this:

ok, not quite Mo Tab, but pretty close. I remember freshman year at FHE we started with a hymn, and I started laughing so hard I was crying. Then Kami and Devaun caught my giggles and it was bad news. I've never seen such death stares. "Gosh, don't you know we're trying to invite the spirit!"

Only at BYU!

2nd Anniversary Trip

2011-08-17T09:10:00.001-07:00

This year for our anniversary trip, we decided to go to Vegas since we knew we'd be heading back to Utah around this time and it's right on the way!
Of course our first priority was to hit up the buffet. I've been trained since birth to be a lover of buffets, but unfortunately I'm not very good at them. I always get full too fast. At least Jacob definitely got his moneys worth.

Next we checked into our hotel room at Aria. It was soo nice! Everything in the room (lights, temp., curtains, etc) could be controlled from this little touch pad on the nightstand. No fighting about who has to get up and turn off the bathroom light!

That evening we went to Phantom of the Opera. I had never seen it for real, but I love the movie so I was really excited. It was AMAZING! We both had chills within the first 5 minutes and I loved every second of it. On the way back, we stopped to watch the fountains at Bellagio. I’m a sucker for all things choreographed, and it doesn’t get much better than giant fountains choreographed to Andrea Bocelli. Never gets old.

The next day, we did some exploring and played some games. Of course we had to go to the dungeon of Excalibur to play “Bop the Witch” and do the horse races. Jacob wasn’t very good at either, but we’ll give him time. I, however, won the horse race—ok it was just the two of us—and scored us some nun-chucks! Once we’d had all the fun we could handle, we continued our trek to Utah (and maybe had to stop at some outlets on our way).

Marriage can be hard work sometimes, but it sure is fun! This year has flown by, and let’s be honest, been a lot easier than the first year. If it get’s better every year, then I am one lucky kid!

Speaking of which… check out the really great gift he got me!

I always thought I didn’t need a wedding band since my engagement ring is already big and fancy and wouldn’t really look good with one. Then I decided I could have one just to wear on it’s own when I didn’t feel like being so fancy. Love it!

so many girls in ties

2011-07-15T14:34:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to the midnight showing of Harry Potter for the 7th and final time (I wasn't allowed to see "Sorcerer's Stone" at midnight). I have grown up with these books and movies and have always looked forward to the next one coming out. I consoled myself after I finished the 7th book by being excited for the rest of the movies. Never again! soo sad.

Anyhow, I threw a costume together the day of, as usual. I decided to be Luna Lovegood. So I made some radish earrings out of modeling clay...

And some spetrespecs with a free print-out I found.

I was trying to look crazy, she was trying to look smart, and we ended up looking the same.

It was only fitting to see the movie with Olivia, because we've seen almost every HP midnight showing together (and been delirious in school together the next day).

The movie was amazing! I was even tempted to stay for the 3 AM showing.

Thank you J.K. Rowling for giving me a magical childhood!

Campin it up

2011-07-12T11:01:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went camping with Bethany and Blake and our friends Megan and Scott. The 6 of us crammed into Jacob's truck and drove up to.. somewhere near Payson (really we were just camping outside someone's cabin). Sadly, we weren't allowed to build a fire, but we still had lots of fun! The weather was beautiful compared to the 118 degrees we left in Gilbert. We all slept in one big tent and I was less afraid of bears than normal (after I made everyone remove any food, deodorant, toothpaste from the tent).
In the morning we went to the lake. Ok now just look at pictures and read captions.


Jacob likes to play with bugs. There were a lot of cool-looking ones.

Bethany and Blake. They like fake-sleeping.

Megan and Scott.

Jacob and I

can't beat waking up to these two giggling at four in the morning

Girls were left on shore

Boys went fishing

the holiday weekend

2011-07-05T07:57:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we went to see the new X Men movie with Bethany and Blake. It wasn't a movie I was too excited about seeing, so I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it (corny lines and all). We ate at PeiWei after and then hung out at their apartment for a while.

After the usual Sunday church and naps, we went over to Steven and Adina's for dinner since ma and pa were out of town. Then Bethany wanted to play Sonic the Hedghog with me... until everyone got reallly annoyed at how awful we were at it. Guess it's not like riding a bike after all. Then Canya and I organized beads and watched the Australian series, "H2O: Just Add Water"--where does Netflix get this crap?

Monday! I was so happy that Jacob didn't have to work. We went out to lunch and swam for a hundred years. Then we went to my parents' for a BBQ for a few hours and back to Jacob's for the rest of his parents' BBQ. They had a family from the ward over, and we knew 2 of the 3 kids from nursery, so Jacob hopped right back in the pool. One of the kids dropped a scooter in the pool which gave Jacob the brilliant idea to start riding it around in there. Then, of course, fireworks from the back porch.

Maybe I should take a picture once in a while?

the daily life

2011-06-30T14:04:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-29T11:57:00.000-07:00

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...

2011-06-22T23:19:00.000-07:00

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?

2011-06-22T22:50:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-08T08:10:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-06T09:02:00.001-07:00

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

2011-06-03T13:04:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-01T17:57:00.000-07:00

It's going to be a good season!

my sister's wedding.

2011-06-01T09:11:00.000-07:00

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) :

Postcard

2011-05-29T14:03:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot going on in the past couple weeks that I need to blog about, but for now all I have the brains to share is a crappy webcam picture of my view.

I've been watching very little TV lately.

2011-05-17T07:25:00.000-07:00

My weekend. in bullet form. because I'm too lazy to think of clever transitions and junk.

Thursday:

went to the farm with Jacob and his dad, rode in the tractor (had "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" in my head the whole time), painted crap, told them I was never coming back.

Friday:

went to Gilbert to help Bethany prepare for bridals, shot video of her and Blake while they got pictures taken
went out to Scottsdale for Megan and Bethany's combined bachelorette partayyy, ate delicious Italian food + frozen yogurt
had a sleepover with Megynn and Olivia, talked and talked and laughed alot

Saturday:

about to drive back to Queen Creek when Bethany says, "Let's go to H and M", couldn't resist, waited for Em, shopped for hours, went to the happiest place on earth (a gelato shop)
finally went back to QC in time for Emily's voice recital, played with Jacob and Emily for the rest of the night

Sunday:

went to church, got a surprise calling in nursery (you never want your father-in-law to be the bishop)
played Mario Party allll day
went to my parents' for dinner
went to Steven's to play BUZZ

And yesterday I did nothing. The end.

I've got an idea

2011-05-11T11:22:00.000-07:00

So I've been stressing about trying to get a class to substitute for one of the classes required for my minor so I can graduate by December (the class I need is only offered Winter semester). I didn't know if it was going to work out or if I'd have to do an extra pointless semester and then it hit me- I don't need a minor! I mean really, is my minor going to help me get a job? Probably not. So instead, I'm (maybe) going to get a masters in TESOL .. or whatever else I feel like.
When I get an idea like this, I make rash decisions without much thought which is why I've dropped all classes for my minor and signed up to take the GRE. whoop
I NEVER thought I would want to do more school after I got my bachelors but I'm loving school, and this feels right. for now.

Wish me luck!

Friday, Saturday, Sunday

2011-05-09T11:14:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to say that in the one week that I've been here I've already been to SAS, eaten lots of Mexican food, and applied for several crappy summer jobs.

On Friday, I had a girl's night with my mom and sisters. We ate at Gecko Grill and watched a dumb movie at EmmaLee's. I slept over so she could help me with a project for Mother's Day and because Bethany's bridal shower was in the morning.

After Bethany's bridal shower I went to Megan's bridal shower. Between the two, I got to see almost all of my friends. I spent the rest of the day working on said Mother's Day gift and playing with Em's kids.

Then Jacob, Kami and James came over to play Cities and Knights. By 11 PM, the three sisters were way too tired/having fits of hysteria. All three of us were laughing so hard we were crying and couldn't breathe at one point. So then it was time to go home.

On Mother's Day we went to church with Jacob's family and then made a card for his mom. Then Emily and Jacob tricked me with secret new levels on Mario Kart. We had family dinner at my home and played the good ol' Dictionary Game.

I'm gonna like it here

2011-05-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

Last night Canaya said, "I just can't stop thinking about Anakin becoming Darth Vader"

And then my mom made pazoookies with homemade hot fudge sauce and buttermilk caramel.

Oh and Jacob's old bedroom has been turned into a craft room.
It's going to be a good summer.

numb

2011-05-03T11:29:00.000-07:00

I haven't been blogging, because I've been on a lot of pain killers that may have impaired my judgment. I think it's safe now maybe.

On Friday, I got my wisdom teeth out. I slept a lot and, fortunately, there was a Project Runway marathon on. On Saturday we moved down to Arizona, but really everything over the past 4 days is a blur. Now I know why Grandma Grace was always saying "I feel funny".

Now I'm sick of sleeping and eating baby food. So Jacob somehow put Yoshi's Island and Aladdin on the Wii! These games define my childhood. I didn't just play them, I also made up songs to the background music and acted out soap operas while I played. One Friday night Bethany and I played Yoshi's Island for several hours while having an in depth discussion on "What does Gusty taste like?", honoring Gusty's life, and interviewing his family members.

That thing in the top center is a gusty. I always thought it was a ghost fish, but now that I think about it, it's probably a gust of wind.. gusty.

hmm maybe my filter is still a little dysfunctional.

Easter

2011-04-25T14:20:00.000-07:00

On Easter morning we woke up and prepared each others' baskets. We had pretty much picked out all of our own treats, but Jacob being the sneaky sneakster that he is surprised me with a new camera! We had been using our phones or the video camera for pictures, and it's pretty embarrassing to have to carry your video camera around.

I spent most of the morning making these rolls for our Sunday School class. Then we picked up Heather and went to Shannon's house to have an Easter egg hunt with Viv.

After church, we went over to the Mead Grandparents' for dinner and games. It was a perfect day (except when 2 other Sunday school teachers dumped their kids into our class last minute and they wouldn't stop talking. and I got my feelings hurt. besides that)

They turned life into a musical

2011-04-22T19:10:00.000-07:00

I love crap like this. So much.
Olivia and I spent most of our high school career trying to make this happen: at lunch, in the locker room, running to seminary.
Then my cousin and I pretty successfully created an impromptu musical while dancing through crowded streets in Denver.

I'd say I'm due for another attempt. Who's with me?!

Who am I?

2011-04-21T06:56:00.001-07:00

(not 24601... or Spiderman)

Finals are officially OVER!

I should be relieved, right? Nope, early this morning I woke up worrying about how I maybe might have gotten an A- in one of my classes. Then I started getting stressed out and thinking about how I was going to e-mail that teacher and give him a piece of my mind for not keeping our grades posted online throughout the semester and not handing all my assignments back to me...
an A-! REALLY?!
Since when did I, one of the most irresponsible people I know, become one of those annoyingly studious, I-have-to-have-perfect-grades kids?? It creeps me out.
Seriously, my mom had to drop my homework/books/papers off at school at least twice a week up to my senior year of high school.

And suddenly I am Hermione Granger. without magic. or a cool accent. Lame.

oh, and I got an A. No need for crazy emails.

Final Answer.

2011-04-19T08:26:00.000-07:00

So, we finally know what we're doing in the summer!
(unless we change our minds)

Arizona, here we come!

Jacob got an internship, and I'm going to try to do my TESOL internship online or get a job or take online classes or just hang out. Anyone have a job for me?? Or a car??

Well, I don't really care what I'll be doing. I'm just happy to know where we'll be, and I LOVE being in Arizona.

melt my heart

2011-04-17T08:34:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to The Melting Pot with the Ropers and Coopers for Hailey's birthday. I always thought it sounded like a cool place, and it was!

First round was cheese with different breads and vegetables. Next we cooked our own meat and more vegetables in some fancy oil and yummy broth. There were tons of different sauces to try and stuff to bread the meat in.
And then all my dreams came true when they brought out dessert. We chose the flaming turtle chocolate and the original chocolate with marshmallow cream. We got a plate with fruit, crispy treats, cheesecake, angel food cake, brownies, etc. Seriously, I think I was grinning the whole time we were eating it.
Of course "Mint" emailed us immediately, letting us know we had gone over our budget for eating out. But soo worth it.
And a well-deserved break from studying and finals.

friday

2011-04-09T08:04:00.000-07:00

My week was pretty "blehh". So over school.

But, I love Fridays! Just a few things that made my evening great:

-getting to spend more than 2 minutes with Jacob, remembering we're married (not roommates).

-eeeaaating. yum

-Being super weirded out that we were car shopping, only to realize J was just killing time before we got to....

-and, of course, movie treats
Also when I sprinted down the hallway of the very empty JFSB on our way home, and Jacob said (laughing), "Wow, I've never seen you run before!"
How embarrassing.

Then this made me laugh. Out loud.

sooo

2011-03-31T16:21:00.000-07:00

My whole life is so up in the air right now.
People keep asking the same questions over and over.
Where will we be living in the summer?
When will I be done with school?
When will Jacob be done with school?
What am I going to do after I graduate?
and my favorite, When am I going to have babies?

I. Don't. Know.
And I have a feeling I won't know for a while, so I'm learning to just go with the flow and be happy with whatever happens. So that's our life for now.
"10 Year Plan" my eye.

got a number of irrational fears

2011-03-21T20:05:00.000-07:00

This weekend Jacob's family was in town, so we spent most of our time at his mom's parents' house watching basketball, socializing, and playing games. It was like a spontaneous family reunion and neither of us was worrying about homework or studying (tooo much). It was great!

Last night I started freaking out, because my ear felt weird and I remembered my mom telling me how she had to remove a bug from her friends ear. So I thought "What if there's a bug in my ear?!" Then I was convinced! I'm a little irrational sometimes...plus I diagnosed myself on WebMD (worst thing ever, it convinces me I'm about to die at least 3 times a month). Then I made Jacob follow these steps I found on ehow.
There wasn't anything in my ear.
Jacob was pretty nice about not acting like I was crazy.

simplify

2011-03-16T16:43:00.000-07:00

"We women have a lot to learn about simplifying our lives.

We have to decide what is important and then move along at a pace that is comfortable for us.

We have to develop the maturity to stop trying to prove something.

We have to learn to be content with what we are."

--Marjorie Pay Hinckley

I ramble

2011-03-09T16:25:00.001-08:00

Jacob's younger sister texted me yesterday, asking if it was wrong that she hoped a family emergency would come up so she could get out of going on a date she'd been dreading.
And I remembered how glad I am do be done with all that dating business.
SO glad.

I'm also almost done with school. I can't decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing. And I can't decide if I should cram everything I have left into one 17-credit-hour semester or if I should just take my time. It would help if I knew where we'll be in the summer. If we stayed here in Provo, I could take classes and that would solve nearly all my problems.
I got an email about a job opportunity to teach English in Italian summer camps. It sounds soo appealing: get paid to teach kids in ITALY. But instead I'm being a supportive wife and going wherever an internship or job for Jacob is. And it's killing me to not know where we'll be, because I'm the person who always likes to know the plan.
Keep reminding myself: glad to be done dating! and all really good things come with sacrafice.
marriage= no more being selfish

Here comes the sun

2011-03-09T13:29:00.000-08:00

via

I love spring!
And I know it will probably snow a few more times just because Utah is dumb like that,but whatever. I'll enjoy this week and pretend spring is here to stay.

good and bad

2011-03-07T09:53:00.000-08:00

The bad news: If I try to eat or move from this spot on the couch, I will likely throw up again.

The good news: This is a great excuse to watch several episodes of Grey's on Netflix.
And I found this picture of Jacob.

p.s. I'm not with child.

crazy people

2011-03-06T08:16:00.000-08:00

For probably the past month, there has been a line of tents camped outside the Marriott center waiting for the next basketball game. Last week they wrapped around the ENTIRE building. Makes me want to go camping.
Is it Spring yet?

oh and I support Austin's idea for Brandon Davies: "I want to make shirts that say 'I'd do him too' with a big picture of his face"
BYU would love that.

Her Super Sweet 16...er 22.

2011-02-28T16:14:00.000-08:00

This weekend our friend Brittany had a big birthday sleepover party! I remember her saying one time that she loves caramel apples, so Amanda and I got together on Friday afternoon to make her these fancy guys.Then we added a birthday card, a big tulle bow and clothes-pinned a balloon to the gift box.

We partied hard and ate ourselves sick.

matching triforce tees. yes.

On Saturday we were so exhausted that we just napped all day and watched a movie at night. We're getting too old.

this pleases me.

2011-02-21T08:27:00.000-08:00

This is my bff sister, Bethany.
This is my bff, Eryn.

Her brother and my sister are getting married. I'm so excited for them!

And I like to pretend this will make me related to Eryn, even though it won't really.

to the movies

2011-02-20T15:30:00.000-08:00

We went to see this with some friends last night. It was really really good and, aside from one cussing outburst, very PG.

Beyond having a good story, it was just pretty to look at. Like I couldn't stop staring at this wall and that couch. Oh and all of the previews looked like really good movies, too. I was especially happy to see that they're making a new "Jane Eyre", one of my favorite books.

note to self

2011-02-20T08:43:00.000-08:00

via

Sometimes, I talk too much. And instead of saying anything uplifting and/or insightful for anyone in any way, I end up saying things that make me look like a complete idiot or a snotty smart alec.

Maybe this is a result of growing up with 9+ other people, where just being heard was an accomplishment. But I've noticed that the smartest people know when to just keep their mouths SHUT.

see also:
Prov 15:1-2,4
James 1:19

on for real Valentine's Day...

2011-02-15T19:18:00.000-08:00

.. we went to school.
But after that we got to go eat at Kneaders and watch a movie together AND I got chocolates so it was a good day.
We also exchanged gifts on Sunday, because we like any excuse for presents.
Also, we still love each other.

lots of good things

2011-02-13T09:45:00.000-08:00

On Friday night Jacob brought flowers to the door and asked me if I would go to the Stake Valentines Dance with him...after I whined at him all week about how we were going and he would be happy about it (we actually had friends to go with us this year!)

On Saturday, he took me to Salt Lake to see Sleeping Beauty. I LOVED it, but it had a little "too much dancing and not enough plot" for Jacob. Not only did he sit through 2.5 hours of ballet, he missed the BYU/UofU game to be there! True love.
After the ballet we ran some errands and went to Krispy Kreme to get treats for our Sunday School kids, because look how cute those things are!
Then we went to Clay's birthday party. We always love socializing, and his wife made the most amazing chocolate and peanut butter cake. mmm

I don't believe it.

2011-02-09T21:19:00.000-08:00

This kills me. Possibly the coolest thing I've ever seen (and maybe just a tad creepy).

Monday, monday

2011-02-07T12:26:00.000-08:00

I'm starting to find it hard to believe that I once lived somewhere that never snowed and that I used to think 50 degrees was COLD. I think I've lived here too long. How sad.

Speaking of sad, I finished all three seasons of VM. Now what am I gonna do? Study? Please.

I need some TV series recommendations. Thanks!

P.S. We watched this last night, and I can't stop thinking about it! Guess I don't need to see the movie now.

P.S.S. Thanks all TWO of my friends for not being party poopers (I refer to the blog post below). zinggg

Want a surprise from me?!! DO ya?!

2011-02-04T10:47:00.000-08:00

I've seen this idea going around on blogs and facebook and stuff. I like the sound of it, so let's give it a shot!
-
Pay it Forward 2011:
I promise to send something handmade to the first 5 people who leave a comment here... They must in turn post this on their blog and send something they make to the first 5 people who comment. The rules are that it must be handmade by you, and it must be sent to your 5 people sometime in 2011.

I would also enjoy seeing what you make and send other people so blog about it and leave a comment with a link to your post.

Are you in?

Don't quit your day job.

2011-02-02T09:23:00.000-08:00

When I was like 9 or something, I wanted to be a contortionist. Seriously. Then Disney Channel came out with that show "Totally Circus!" and I was Totally Jealous!

I was reminded of these unrealized dreams of mine when the Bachelor took his date(s) to perform in Cirque du Soleil in Vegas. WTF (why the face)?! I should be doing that. The only things stopping me are my fear of heights and love for my practical, businessman husband.

Left foot: red.

2011-01-31T15:59:00.000-08:00

One time all of our friends were upset because I smoked them at Catan (what else is new?). So they were like "let's play something we might have a chance at winning", and somehow we ended up playing Twister. I felt like I was in 6th grade again. And it was even more fun and awkward than I remembered!

rise and shout

2011-01-28T12:21:00.001-08:00

On Wednesday night I changed the channel to basketball for the first time in my life, and my husband wasn't even home (at the game of course)! blah blah blah biggest game of the year blah blah.. we won!
look what marriage is doing to me.

my valuable time

2011-01-25T11:45:00.000-08:00

Why do I suddenly feel like putting on some low-rider flared jeans and flipping my hair out?
Probably because I've been watching way too much Veronica Mars. Thank goodness I have a job that lets me watch netflix all day! This is goood stuff.

Somedays...

2011-01-19T19:37:00.000-08:00

I wish it was socially acceptable to wear my husband's pajamas in public.

Birthday Party and The Bachelor (I have to)

2011-01-18T15:42:00.000-08:00

Soooo. The rest of our weekend was pretty cool, because on Saturday we celebrated our friend Amanda's birthday. There was some segregation as the boys played video games and the girls chatted..and ate cookies. We finally decided to all be friends so we could sing to the birthday girl and eat cake. Then we played Mafia, which I'm so good at that I often get killed off first thing. grrr.
On Sunday, we slept in wayyy too late. In the evening, we had dinner with the g-parents and played with Heather.
Monday, no school! Jacob's other grandparents took us to the Carl Bloch exhibit at the BYU museum of art. It was really great. Then they fed us pizza! That night I decided Jacob should take me on a date to Red Lobster (no, we're not rich. thank goodness for giftcards!) Then I had some friends over to watch The Bachelor. I'm so blessed to have friends that share my love for awful, dramatic, reality tv! So much so that they even play Fantasy Bachelor with me. That's right. Finally I don't have to make fun of (be jealous of) Jacob and his love for Fantasy Basketball.

a real date!

2011-01-15T09:08:00.000-08:00

Usually, our idea of date night is watching a movie that came in the mail, eating popcorn, and drinking chocolate milk. But last night, we had a real date!.
We went over to Kelsey and Craig's house who just happen to be in our ward AND are best friends/related to Brooke and Austin (who I grew up with). So the six of us made pizzas, ok I just watched. They were delicious! Then I think we watched the boys throw a medicine ball at each other and try to do snake eyes for probably 15 minutes. I don't know why, but it was the funniest thing just watching them.
Then we decided to play real games. So we played speed scrabble and that one game where everyone writes a sentence/story then the next person draws a picture of what you wrote then the next person writes what they think the drawing is of, etc. Ok it sounds really stupid, but by the end I was in tears from laughing so hard, and I haven't seen Jacob laugh so hard in a long time.
We also watched youtube videos and helped Austin stalk a girl who could see peoples auras.

new semester and love and stuff

2011-01-12T10:30:00.000-08:00

Last week was pretty eventful! On Tuesday, we started school. I think I'll really enjoy all my classes, but they will definitely keep me busy. I also work 18+ hours a week, so I will likely be on campus allll day.
On Wednesday, we traveled to Salt Lake for my favorite cousin's wedding. She looked so beautiful and genuinely happy. Seeing her reminded me of all the REALLY weird, fun things we did growing up and how she was the one person I could tell all of my deepest, darkest secrets. It made me a little sad that things will never be the same but also really happy for her at the same time. I wonder if my friends getting married will ever stop feeling kinda weird?

My mom, EmmaLee, and Adina flew in from Arizona for it so it was fun to hang out with them (and Kami+James) again! After the wedding, we all went to eat at the Lion House. Then the girls looked around Tai Pan Trading for hours while the boys went to a bookstore to look at Lauren Conrad books or something. When it was time for the reception to start, we drove to Morgan where we socialized, danced, and ate some more. It was a fun day, despite the freeezing weather.
On Friday night, my friend Megan came over so I could get her measurements to send to Bethany who's making her wedding dress. She ended up staying most the night to make dinner with us and tell me about all her wedding plans (girls can talk about this kind of stuff for hours).

On Saturday night, we went on a big date to Color Me Mine. It's one of those places where you pay lots of money to paint pottery. Everyone came all prepared with intricate things to paint, so theirs turned out really cool. Jacob and I just played it by ear...rookie mistake. But we had a lot of fun!

You want the moon?

2011-01-10T09:43:00.000-08:00

One of the best scenes in any movie ever

Watched it with my parents on New Years Eve.

so last year

2011-01-02T22:09:00.000-08:00

Some of the highlights of 2010 for me:

murder mystery party to bring in the new year

Going to a Valentine's dance
making new friendsMoving to Houston, making even more friends

teaching myself to sew
Taking a road trip with some old friends

turning 20, having a 90s party, middle school style dancing with my husband
Getting through-even enjoying-my first year of marriage and taking a fun trip to celebrate

Going fishing/campingSeeing Harry Potter 7 at midnight

And many many more little adventures! It's not always perfect, but I really do have a great life and have been VERY blessed. I'm hoping 2011 will be even better.
I think I feel a song coming on..
"And if life were a woman, she would be my wife. Why? Because I like life." --Scrooge

holly and jolly

2010-12-26T22:55:00.001-08:00

We are in good ol AZ for Christmas Break and it has been fantastic so far. I love Christmas time, 75 degree weather, and spending time with both of my families! It's been really nice to just relax and not feel like I should be studying something.

Our first morning here was spent at the swap meet where we found many treasures, as usual. Jacob's sister, Emily, got her wisdom teeth out at the beginning of the week, so I kept her entertained by having Sims "House-off"s, making crafts, and playing Super Mario Brothers. Jacob's been having fun playing tennis with my brothers, Cities and Knights, and Castle Crashers.

On Christmas Adam, my sisters and I got footage for this little gem (if you weren't convinced that my mom is the coolest person ever, you should be now!). Then I got to see a lot of my friends at a Christmas party!

On Christmas Eve, we went to my house for the annual Smith Family Christmas Eve party. After our turkey dinner, the Christmas Elvises brought us our pjs. Then we had our talent show and white elephant gift exchange! Late on Christmas Eve, I was informed that I was responsible for filling Jacob's stocking! WHAT?! Luckily, my dad and sisters went with me, in matching pajamas, on a late-night adventure to find ANY store open on Christmas Eve at 10:30. Walgreens came to the rescue, and I was able to find some lovely stocking stuffers. We stayed up way too late watching a Lifetime original Christmas movie and waiting for our husbands to get back from helping a certain brother-in-law put together a ping pong table.

Singing with the grandkids and papa in the talent show

Sisters. modeling our new pjs.

Christmas morning was wonderful, and I got everything I ever wanted, plus some. After we finished up at my house, we headed over to the Ellsworth's for more fun. I love double Christmas! We had dinner with his grandparents and played card games.

Tonight we had Cafe Rio salads and Karaoke Night at Steven and Adina's. We had a couples sing-off, and Jacob and I graced everyone with our beautiful rendition of "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing". Somehow the mike kept coming back to me and/or Amy

The (almost) finished product

2010-12-14T16:22:00.001-08:00

Here's my dress as of now. It's a super awkward length, so I think I'm going to bring the hemline up a few inches. Other than that, I really like it!

and saturday

2010-12-11T21:48:00.000-08:00

Jacob's grandma is teaching me to paint.
It gives me something to do while the menfolk watch sporting events.

todayyy

2010-12-10T10:34:00.000-08:00

I should be studying for the five finals I have next week, but instead I'm sewing my Christmas dress (and blogging..obviously). The last time I had a home made Christmas dress, it probably looked something like this

Here's my inspiration for this year's dress.
Hope I can pull it off!
If I can, maybe I'll make 4 more so we can all be twinners once more!

Favorite Things

2010-12-02T15:19:00.001-08:00

Today I will tell you some of our favorite items of 2010. Yes, our material objects define us. So, I present ....
Jacob and Natalli's Favorite Things 2010!
Disclaimer: Nobody in the audience is getting ANYTHING today.

Since we both eat like birds, our food always goes bad. This keeps our onions fresh. hoooray

These are magic gloves. They are magic because they fit practically anyone and come in a variety of colors for only 99 cents.
We don't have a sock monkey. But we have some socks that look like the kind of socks you would make a sock monkey out of. Technically they are Jacob's, but I've been wearing them a lot lately which is causing some marital problems...but they are still our favorite!

O.M.G. We LOVE our Hi-Gliders. Feels like a crayon, writes like a highlighter without leaking to the next page! We have them in every color and they are my most valuable studying tool.

There are two kinds of people in this world: people who snug and people who don't. We are proud owners/wearers of matching Snuggies.

Catan Online World. Because it wasn't nerdy enough to play Catan every weekend with our friends..

Sister Wives is probably the most fascinatingly awkward show I have ever seen. Watch it.

We go through a 24 pack of these WAY too fast. One serving of fruit, one serving of vegetables, and soo delicious!

We didn't want to conform and get Netflix like everyone else, so we got the Blockbuster copy cat.
actually, I think we were just too lazy to cancel the free trial that came with our blue-ray player (I still don't get what a blue ray is or why we had to buy a player, but w/e)
Some of the movies that will be on our Blockbuster cue for the next month which we will watch while eating popcorn and drinking hot coacoa or chocolate milk. with our snuggies.

J- let me know if I'm forgetting anything

a break

2010-11-29T16:37:00.000-08:00

Our Thanksgiving break was fantastic! We got to visit with both of our families, eat a lot, play video games, shop, and sleep in. I even got to have a sleepover with my girly friends for Eryn's birthday. Driving home was not so fun since it was snowy and we got stuck in Panguich (what is that place, anyway??)

Now its officially Christmas time and even snow and finals can't bring me down! booooyah

The classy motel we got to spend the night in while stuck in Panguich.

midnight

2010-11-18T16:20:00.000-08:00

Tonight's the night!
The bell tower at BYU always plays "Come, Come Ye Saints" on the hour. Today it played the Harry Potter theme song, and I really loved my school just then.

I'm. SO. EXCITED!

Kids say the darndest things!

2010-11-17T10:13:00.000-08:00

That was a really great Bill Cosby show, probably before your time. ok apparently it was a show even before Bill Cosby's time.

anywho... Last night I got up to go to the bathroom around 3 am. When I went back to bed and looked at how Jacob was sleeping, it made me laugh for some reason (I was tired, ok?). He scowled at me and said, "What are you doing?!!"
me: I was just going to the bathroom.
J (in his angriest voice): WHO just starts L.O.L.ing in the middle of the night?!

Then I started laughing even more, because who says "L.O.L.ing" when they're mad?

ummm did I just blog a "you had to have been there" story?
oh well. I was there. It'll make me laugh in ten years..maybe.

let me complain for a sec...

2010-11-11T09:36:00.000-08:00

It's cold here. I want to go back to Houston. I sort of loved it there. I miss the green, the hot and humid, feeling like a minority when I went to Walmart, the free time, reading by the pool, crazy neighbors. I REALLLY miss having a big enough kitchen to cook in, weekly temple trips, and of course Brittany and Jen (they were like my big sisters)!
ok. that's all.
I guess snow and midterms are cool too. (nope)

gamenight

2010-11-08T16:38:00.001-08:00

Jacob's grandparents were out o town for the week, so we decided to throw a party (with their permission, of course)on Friday night!There is no photographic proof, but it was pretty great. There was lots of junk food and games and cool people. Even when I thought the party was over, Jacob and a few of his friends started playing the new NBA Jam into the wee hours of the morning. Luckily they all have cool, chatty wives to keep me entertained!

Halloween Weeekend

2010-11-02T17:49:00.000-07:00

We began our Halloween celebration on Thursday night for a special waffle+"Office" night at the Coopers. We dressed up as Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask. This is the night I realize that not many people enjoy quality 90s anime programming. In other words, no one knew who we were. But the party was fun! "Fighting evil by moonlight...
Winning love by daylight"

On Friday night, we went to Shannon's trunk-or-treat and took Viv real trick-or-treating for her 1st time. It was cold and rainy so we only went to 3ish houses, but she thought it was cool. Then we went home and watched a pretty lame "Carrie" remake complete w/ popcorn and hot coacoa mmm

JK Rowling on Oprah

2010-10-25T17:36:00.000-07:00

I absolutely loved this. If you haven't watched it, do it now! Made me love Harry Potter even more.

Livin for the Weeekend

2010-10-24T15:11:00.000-07:00

This weekend, we went on a triple-date with some of Jacob's other married friends. We got fries and shakes at Sammy's and played a never-ending game of Catan. After about THREE hours, we all turned into monsters. It was scary. and fun.
On Saturday, we went over to the Duffy's to crave pumpkins, eat caramel apples, and watch the Labyrinth ( I guess people thought it would be scary? Just reminded me of being a kid..). I love doing festive things for holidays! and i love caramel apples!
I also worked on halloween costumes and got nooo homework done. oops